“You might as well reveal yourself.” Tyr was tired. He didn't need sleep, but that didn't mean he was immune to mental or emotional exhaustion. There'd been a lot of that. He was forced to drain his mana daily or he'd experienced the worst headache he'd ever known. Three times a day into mana crystals, more and more every repetition of the act until eventually he wasn't sure how he'd contain it all. Handy, though, he had a plan for their use but knowing they'd sell for a pretty penny should he have the need was nice. “I can't see you, but I can smell you.”
A huffing, irritated sound came from behind a Vanish barrier. Tyr had felt eyes following him everywhere, most of them were masked priests bearing the censer, which meant some affiliation with the church of purity. Not the proper 'pillar' or 'house of light', they were evidently different things, all these little dalliances of mortal, temporary things. Some schism into alternate sects of some kind, though they weren't violent or contrary to one another. Puritans simply believed the church of light didn't go 'far enough'. Burning witches and all that, the Inquisition was of the light, of purity, but one wouldn't find Aotrom's faithful in a place like that. They weren't permitted to step foot in Haran either, Jartor did not seem to like them very much.
Quite a few were fairly impressive in garb, and apparently strength. Armed and nondescript beneath flowing crimson cloaks, not out of place in a city full of mages. But for all their relative ability, they'd learned to keep at arms length. Fairly recently, actually, but Tyr didn't kill anybody. He let them live, threatening him with excommunication or some such in response... Tyr didn't even know what that word meant. Perhaps one of the others did.
The papacy was largely considered a joke in Haran, the Harani loved their gods but their ways of worshiping them had nothing to do with the 8 Pillars, papal decrees, and overwrought cathedrals.
“Alex, what does excommunication mean?” Tyr asked. She had yet to come out, but he knew it was her. Either her or Astrid, they smelled similar but Alex was a little bit more... Fragrant? She smelled stronger, but it's not like she was malodorous or anything. He'd learned as well not to mention it even in passing. She'd go from a smug pleasure, a gloating glance at knowing she smelled so wonderful, to hitting him for 'sniffing her'. Female lifeforms were an enigma to most men, and Tyr was no different in this way. Recently, given time to more properly observe them, he'd repeated that to himself what felt like a million times.
“Why? Is someone threatening to excommunicate you...?” Alex appeared from the barrier, startling a nearby man and sending him toppling over into a wagon of cabbages. One thing led to another, and the whole pyramid of them came down while said proprietor cursed and wailed. Neither Alexis nor Tyr paying him any mind, naturally. “That's... Really bad, Tyr.”
“My cabbages!”
Odd, really. The economy would improve many times over if people simply used dimensional artifacts instead of letting their goods spoil... Wouldn't it? Tyr could make a dozen relatively decent rings an hour, maybe that was a relevant product line to boost his coffers. But he already had so much money to begin with. It would be nice to leave a little behind when he went, for his more talented associates to carry on a legacy.
“Are you listening to me?” She asked.
“Not really.” Tyr cleared his throat. “...So?”
“Where'd you hear that word?” Alex made an exasperated raspberry with her lips, feeling disappointed at yet another failure. She was on to her last term as a pre-grad student and it was dreadfully boring. Unless she'd wanted to pick up a new school, and she didn't, eighty percent of her time was study and labs. She needed neither. Her thesis on 'adept magic' had been written the previous year during the winters break and Lernin himself had already read it. Guaranteeing it would be published upon her graduation, said it was 'triumphant', a 'great gift to the magical community'.
Only a few months left and she'd be done. And for all her pride at hearing those words, she really didn't care what 'magical society' thought of her work. Once, Alex had thought this was the center of the world, but now...
In any case...
Essentially, she had no work to do, and had to find new hobbies, what with the blitzball season over. Spring training would come, granted, but she wouldn't participate. She didn't care very much for mentoring the next generation either, couldn't go professional due to her responsibilities, and… This was the next best thing.
Unlike Astrid and Sigi, she didn't have a bevy of friends and social gatherings to attend, and she wasn't about to spend all day cooped up and painting. So instead, she'd opted to walk about the city and practice schools of magic she was not particularly knowledgeable in, using it for various purposes. Usually harassing the others, but Tyr was her standard for someone she wanted to develop a skill he had no apparent counter for. A bit of a game, really, an irritating one considering he'd always sniff her out through no apparent use of his own...
“You're an ass. It means excommunication from the church, that you'll be declared apostate and outlaw. Hunted down and all of that. Maybe put on a stake and burnt alive. Alive being the operative word, for you I suppose.”
Tyr raised an eyebrow. “They can do that to me?”
“They can.” Alex replied, arching a brow at the raw arrogance of his 'to me', as if he were special or possessive of authority enough to challenge the church. “You're a marked mage of Haran, by choice, whether your mark is gone or not, you're in the college ledgers. A position as heir apparent gave you immunity, but now you possess no such thing. Unless you were to fall into a position of viscount or better with a signing nation of the Kriegstad Accords. Even then, it depends how bad they-- What are you doing?”
Tyr raised an eyebrow at her, lifting his communications amulet to his face. “Good morning, can I be a conditional lictor? Yeah, yeah, I understand that – I read your constitution as you insisted, months ago. Yeah, that's fine. Marry Lina? No, it'll have to be something else. No, she's great, and a good friend – but we... No I did not 'try it' with her, what is the matter with you, that's your--? Mmm.” Tyr grabbed Alex's hand gently and squeezed it affectionately for whatever reason. She didn't mind. She accepted what was going to happen to him, as explained by both Jartor and her father. Insane, dangerous, psychotic or not – he was her friend and she'd support him until... Well, the end, even if he hit a 'best case scenario' according to Vidarr, the person he was now would cease to exist. In that context, all primus' died once before becoming what they were. “A military alliance with what? I'm not even a... Well, technically I am a proxy baron now. No, I'm not under oath, I was exiled and my moments were never reiterated on acquittal. It still doesn't make sense, Alexandros.”
“Alexandros...?” Alex had no idea what was going on. Surely, primus' were likely to have their own lines of communications, but Tyr didn't seem like the type to just have one on speed dial.
“Sorry, Alex. Can you quiet down, I'm on the phone.” Tyr frowned, tapping his ear. Considering it was an internal conversation and she couldn't hear the other side of things, that was strange. The sound would be streaming directly into his mind... “Yes, of course. I don't see how that would be a problem. Okay, I'll give him a call and I'll let you know. Alright. Eat shit and die.”
What's a 'phone'...?
Alex attempted to engage in conversation again, but she was hushed. Again... Never in her life had she wanted to slap any man harder than she did now. The gall of it, he was so incredibly rude at times...
“Brother B'al, it's me. I guess that makes sense, the so-called caller ID. I'm not very good with these things. Yes. Of course, he's doing great. Really great, actually. We managed to stabilize those portable shield emitters in a form no larger than a belt buckle. No, still only class-1 at best but we're making strides, it's a material and a knowledge problem but I think it can be improved. Cronite, maybe, to get it to class-3. Not viable at that point, we're still working on a modular runic matrix. Well, he is. That sort of complexity with the runes is beyond me. Oh yeah, the implants worked just fine, thanks for the help. So anyways, I was wondering if you could promise to commit to a conditional non aggression pact with the Republic? Right, I get that, but just for lip service – let's call it a renewal of vows, yeah? Sure, great. I will do that. Anything else?”
Alex had no idea who this 'Balls' was, but Tyr seemed to know him quite well. Still wondering what the hell he was doing...
“Five tons of northern squid and seven tons of cabbage!? What in the world do you need that for? I can do the cabbage, the squid will take some time – but I'm sure I can do that too eventually. Yeah, there's a lot of cabbage around here, kind of far from the sea though. I've never heard of a spell that used that much fish... Ah, yes, not fish. Noted, any cephalopod will do. I'll let Ella know to start bringing it in with the next exchange. She's doing great, her son shows great talent with magic and seems to like the forge. Maybe we'll make an Anu out of him. Oh right. We'll make Anu out of him, yes.” Tyr laughed, he seemed to be enjoying himself in any case. Lucid again. Alex couldn't help but smile at that, but there was sadness in her expression as well. She wondered how many more moments like this they'd have. “Thanks, B'al. I'll send a shipment of those emitters for you to play around with, we'll call it a contest between you and Valkan to see who can do better. Of course. Good luck.”
Tyr shut his amulet with a resounding click and stared pensively toward the sky, arms crossed and a mystified expression on his face. “Where in the world am I going to get five tons of predatory squid...? And... He said predatory, are there non-predatory versions of squid? Herbivore squid...? What the hell do they eat, seaweed?”
–
“I promise to help you if you tell me what exactly just happened.” Alex helped herself to his half eaten salad, dragging the plate across the table toward her and waving over the waiter for a drink. She'd claimed not to be hungry, but she constantly ate his food without asking – as if it was more palatable that way, rather than ordering something for herself... “You spoke with Primus Alexandros, and...? Who is Balls?”
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
“B'al.” Tyr replied, waving his hand about as if it were a thing of no consequence. “Like.. Ball, but Buh All... Uh... I pronounce it wrong. Anyways, he's the first chieftain of the unified Anu clans. Well, chieftain, the word doesn't translate into common – and that's totally irrelevant information nobody cares about... I got what I wanted in exchange for what amounts to nothing more than a re-signing of their nonaggression pact. Kind of silly, really. All of that just to get him to agree to a reaffirmation? That dude is old, as in, old enough to have been the one who signed it in the first place. Like three hundred years ago or something. It seemed pretty easy to me, but Alexandros has some reservations. Heh. Wait, that joke might be in bad taste given context...”
“The reservations were officially founded three hundred and twelve years ago when Lyra was still the Kingdom of Lyra. The contemporary republic and senate has been around for a little over two centuries, in one capacity or another.” Alex corrected him. For... Some reason...? “I'm surprised. I didn't know you had contact with someone so important among the Anu.”
“Among Anu.” Tyr corrected, for very petty reasons of his own. “There is no an, the, a, whatever those words are called.”
“A determiner.” Alex replied smugly.
“I will kill myself.” Tyr said. “I'll do it right now, in broad daylight. You are so annoying.”
“You're annoying.” She replied, but she was smiling again. Close lipped and a little squirm that served to signify suppressed laughter. “What for, though? Was there a purpose to that deal involving five tons of cephalopod? I didn't know Anu engaged in anima related practices, that sounds like a summoning ritual to me.”
“Oh, yeah. I'm a Lyran lictor now, so I can't be targeted by the churches. Supposedly...” Tyr said casually as Alex's eyes became slits and her grip began to crush at his hand. Trying to crush at it. His bones and flesh literally felt like they were cast of steel. She wasn't sure why she did it. Anger? Certainly not. If not that, jealously? Why was everything so apparently easy for him? Only the ridiculous contrivances here and there but it was no less random, as always.
“Alright, so let me get this straight...” She calmed herself, adopting the trite personage of her noble ladyship, all dainty and straight backed and crisp in the inflection. One she hated. “With a single call, you've managed to secure a position as the second most powerful person in the republic? I didn't even know they had lictors.”
“They don't, but the primus can name two in the event that times call for it.” Tyr shrugged, still nonchalant, earning him an irritated glare in response. “They are a republic, it's an honorary position. Should be more than enough to get the churches off my back. For now, I suppose. I hope... I don't like paladins much and having them follow me around again would be... Inconvenient.”
“Mmm...” Alex hummed sarcastically. She stared at the half eaten salad again, no longer feeling very hungry. All the better, Tyr had a habit of having his meat served under-cooked, nearly raw. Not enough dressing either. It made her wonder why he'd ordered a salad in the first place if he was going to pick out only the tomatoes and bloody meat, leaving most of the greens behind. “For now, I'd think so, but they will find a way.”
“Oh, right.” Tyr looked like a light crystal had gone off in his head. “You were following me. Worried I might be making off with another woman, eh? How predictably insecure.”
“No.” Alex shook her head, exasperated yet again. “You wouldn't do that, and if you did I'd abuse my status and authority to make her life a living hell.”
“You would?” Tyr asked nervously.
“...No, you idiot. It wouldn't be her fault. I'd make your life a living hell.” She smiled, but there was no friendliness in the expression.
“That makes sense. I don't like jealous girls, you know? I like them easy going. Nice and docile, but nurturing when we're in bed. You're good at the--”
“Don't finish that sentence.” Alex growled.
“Yes ma'am.” Tyr's smiling face stilled far too quickly. Eyes betraying a flicker of fear, staring back at her completely flat at the mouth. “So? What do you want?”
“You know...” Alex sighed, both in annoyance and disappointment. “I can do whatever I want, you do not own me. Moreover, you are my husband. Which means that I am responsible for your actions, even if you refuse to take responsibility for how they reflect on me. We are adults now, I have a presence in the court, and I refuse to be a laughing stock of the empire so you can gallivant and adventure. With your... Situation, I have thought about it a lot and have decided to follow you from now on.”
“Okay.” Tyr replied, much to her surprise. “You're in. Welcome aboard, one of the lads now and all that.”
“Wait... Really?”
“Sure.” Tyr shrugged. “I think it was unfair to assume you'd let me do this forever, and I'm mostly done. More importantly, I think it's important that you, all of you, are made aware of my plans. Considering that Hastur probably already suspected them in the first place – it was a waste of time. But it served its purpose. Everyone but him is terrified of me, they're calling me the Red Prince now, and there's a lot more in play than I think even that little goblin expects. At least I hope so, he's pretty wily. So I'll tell you, and show you if you want, understanding that you won't like what I've been doing. You might even leave me.”
“Well, that's certainly a step in the right direction.” Alex nodded in gratitude. “But I want more. I see you leaving, and I'm a light sleeper. Disappearing in the night and rudely waking me without so much as an apology was not how I'd imagined what our marital bed would be like. In any event, I want to go to these places you go.”
“It's too dangerous, you should know that.” Tyr frowned. “You can die, I cannot. I've said this... Like a thousand times.”
“Too dangerous...” What was dangerous was her tone, just loud enough for the approaching waiter with a refill to perform a very graceful one hundred and eighty degree turn, marching off in the other direction. Tyr thought he saw a flash of sympathy in the young man's eyes, but it all happened so fast.
Truly, the denizens of the service industry were closer to godliness than any priest he'd ever met.
“I'm tired of you looking down on the others, but I can accept it. You will not, however, look down on me. This is your last warning, do it again and I'll stop seeing you. I am a Goldmane. A college mage, the closest thing to an archmage you'll find at our age. I am the best student, a silver ranked adventurer, and I have more skills at my disposal than your tiny brain could ever imagine. I'd be in danger? To what? Those cretins you were fighting were ants, ants I am well capable of stomping. Sigi held out. She is strong, but I am five times her match in battle magic. Do you really think some freak adepts could test me?”
“I don't like it when you do that.” Tyr observed with a slow shaking of the head. “Being arrogant is fine. I'm arrogant. But I cannot die, again. I repeat myself. Again, and again, and...” He was slipping. Again. Taking a moment to breathe and reel himself back in as the hands beat at the doors of his mind. They all wanted to come out, and he never knew why. All he knew was that it was related to emotion, thankful for Varinn's lessons in those moments where he could hold on. “Okay. How about this, if you can successfully beat me in a duel – a real duel – I'll take you on. Full time as a partner when I do anything in this region. You'll become a part of the blackguard of no inferior position to Tiber, though we're all equal so... Take it as my sign that I officially respect you if you want, to give you this chance. But you couldn't possibly win.”
“And why is that?” Alex raised an eyebrow, hard and rigid. She had such beautiful, healthy, thick eyebrows. A strange thing to observe, perhaps, but it added to her striking features. Thick hair was good, Tyr liked that about her. It was a sign of good, strong genetics, even though she was insecure about the fact that it was thicker on her body. Growing fast, forcing her to wax herself once a week obsessively, he wished she wouldn't. Just let it grow, it was a sign she was alive and healthy – a little leg hair should bother absolutely nobody.
Tyr was vain in his way, shallow in many others, but every part of her was worth cherishing. A mustache, though... He wasn't sure if he could deal with that, thankfully her face was an exception to the rule as far as he knew.
“Do you think I should grow a beard?” Tyr asked, an odd change in topic but things were like that with him.
“A beard like your father, mine, or the old man on the mountain?”
“Dunno. Just, like... Facial hair, do you think I'd look good with it?”
“Can you even grow a beard?” Alex asked, Tyr had a morning routine but she'd never once seen him shave. His face was as smooth as a woman's, which was odd for his family – all of them had excessively thick hair themselves.
“Hmm...” Tyr pondered. “Not sure, I never let it go beyond stubble, but that wasn't the question.”
“Yes, Tyr.” Alex shook her head, leaning back into the chair and eyeing the recently arrived side of fried... Potato sticks? “I think you'd look very nice with a well manicured beard, but I wouldn't consider it a priority.”
As for her personality... She was perfect. Truthfully. Forceful, willful, but not in the way Sigi was. Sigi wanted to own or control, Alex was possessive and obsessive both but only because of the dynamic he'd unconsciously enforced in their relationship. That's the way he saw it, at least, trying to navigate the complexities of this...
Harem...? He guessed it had become one, somewhere along the line... Disappointing.
She wanted to be partners, a bit domineering but it came from a relatable place, wanting for equality and angered by the perceived lack of it. Real partners, and he knew it was all out of affection. She loved him in a way that went beyond fantasy or the physical, and he was confident she was the only one that really did, that's why she'd always been the most hurt. He knew, because he could feel it. Sigi tolerated him, confused by their experience together. They were friends, and they respected one another, but Sigi did not love him as she'd claimed – just overcome with the experience of a physical coupling. There was a romantic bond, but it was all physical and infrequent at Alex's discretion. Not in getting her permission, but because Alex would jealously hound him and become wroth at him, accusing him of sneaking off.
Then, a second later, she'd claim not to care – so... It was with her permission, in all actuality, because she'd start demanding that Tyr went and did it after only moments before stopping him from seeing her. They were all confusing.
Astrid on the other hand was... She had an odd mind and was extremely difficult to read. He still didn't get why she was so kind to him. There was love there, too, perhaps the most honest out of all of them – Astrid had no entitlement in her whatsoever.
Alex was different, almost contradictory. She would do anything he asked on a moments notice, dutifully – even if she complained or gave him dirty looks. As long as it didn't disturb her moral code. But in return, she expected the same from him. Equity. Tyr didn't want equity. Not at all, he'd come to realize that. In actuality, he wanted her to tell him what to do, to be his superior and make his life easier. But the price to pay for that was too high. Too dangerous, and that's why he refused to hear her the way she wanted to be heard. But... She deserved respect. So he'd give her the chance to see just how weak and frail she actually was. He didn't want to, but he'd beat it into her if he had to.
Equity. Respect. He'd give her that, in his way. The kind of respect knights gave to one another, Tyr had no need for a soft and doting relationship. He was forced into this and he'd ride the wind until it took him where he wanted to go. Needing someone else to be in control, knowing he couldn't possibly allow them to do so.