Sachihiro

It’s the following day, most of my family and friends are already interspersed within the ranks of the Host and here I am at my study saying my goodbyes to anyone still present and writing letters to my children. There is a visitor at the door the ward alerts and I immediately feel queasiness in my stomach knowing it’s the messenger from the Conclave coming to take me away. I stand from my desk feeling like a condemned man as I watch the ink set and dry on the last letter I have written.

I take a deep breath and exhale before folding the letter and sealing the envelope with a blood seal that needs the recipient’s blood to open. Courtesy of Shea and all the magical technology we’ve been collecting through the years. I sigh, scared shitless for my family, feeling guilty that after all these years of desperate preparation I am abandoning my family now when it really matters. Feeling guilty most of all because I want to leave, I want to face the coming challenge whatever it may be, I want to be near to whatever it is the Old Man has in store for me.

Checking the room one last time I walk out of my study, out the passages and down the stairs to respond t the summons and see where this goes. From the landing of the stairs I notice that Soal is still here and seeing my guest into the receiving foyer. I slow my walk studying the unremarkable middle aged man in a dark overcoat a size too large as he sips on a cup of Hilton water while he studies the painting on the ceiling.

Not who I expected to see at all, in fact I’ve never met this man in my life and he is clearly a foreigner and likely new to the city. He doesn’t carry himself like a warrior, his posture is all wrong for most weapons but noticing the clearly enchanted walking staff by the weapon’s rac of the receiving room I try to reassess him as I get closer.

‘’I like your place,’’ he says facing me as I reach the bottom and walk slowly towards him.

‘’Thanks, I really can’t take much credit for it though. You aren’t the messanger I was expecting to return,’’ I say as he sends to me the necessary authentication indicating him as a member of the Conclave discreetly.

‘’Oh I’m not a messenger, well in a way I am but my job description is slightly more complicated than that. I’m more of a guide than a messenger and I’m here to take you to the meeting point, good water this.’’ He says giving Soal the wooden cup before looking at me again while placing his hands within the folds of his cloak.

‘’Where are we going, how long will it take to get there, what do you know of this mission that I’m being conscripted into?’’ I ask whilst studying my guest even as the light of the break of dawn illuminates this entire side of the apartment from all the windows.

‘’I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to answers the few questions you pose that I do know the answers to. I’m Western, you must be Sachihiro,’’ he says putting out his hand in an unfamiliar gesture. I look at him a second before reaching for the hand and clasping it in my own. He has a solid grip, calloused hands and clearly an Awakened but of which tier I cannot say.

Our hands separate and he steps back before making a show of looking around and facing me again. ‘’Where is Michael O’Hare?’’

I nod, I was woundering when he would have brought that up cause I clearly wasn’t going to. I feel Saya in the passage around the corner with her arms crossed over her chest as she listens in. ‘’He cannot come, he is in the process of Awakening.’’

‘’Too bad for him then,’’ Western responds to my declaration, clearly unbothered. ‘’Ín any case I have others within this city’s vicinity I must collect before we are ready to leave, do you mind if I rally them here so we all leave together?’’ He asks politely. There is something about the unwavering way he keeps eye contact that has me unsure about him somewhat, an intensity not evident in his words or tone.

‘’Others?’’ I ask with a raised eyebrow.

‘’Surely you didn’t think you were the only ones summoned, there are dozens of Conclave members within this territory of yours.’’ Actually for some reason I did think it was just me and Michael, those messages just seemed so... personal.

‘’You may rally the others here, Soal will see them in and my daughter will ensure they all have refreshments before we leave.’’ I say, Saya already huffing as she is the only daughter left within the apartment.

‘’Excellent, we will be leaving within the hour, if you’ll excuse me,’’ he says as he walks back to the man door, his walking staff floating into his open palm as he walks. He exits the house and is gone.

He was already late getting here and has given me another hour to finish saying my goodbyes, two things I’m already gratefull for.

‘’How is Michael?’’ I ask Saya as she steps into the foyer and lounges on one of the couches.

‘’I don’t know. We delivered him into Carmella’s basement with a mana stone, water and the best advice we could give before locking him in there,’’ she says with a scowl. ‘’I feel like I’m abondening him, and what if those fae creatures do something to him, or what if they refuse to give him back if he Awakens to something interesting.’’

"You are worried, which is only natural,’’ I say sitting beside her and putting and arm around her shoulders. ‘’As young as he is in this world he is a grown man who has lived a full life in his own world, and from what I’ve seen of him he is a competent man. Also he is Conclave trained so don’t worry about him dying during his Awakening.’’ It’s rare but it still happens actually, Awakening is a strange phenomena.

‘’What about the fae?’’ She asks softly leaning into me and I enjoy a rare moment of her vulnerability with a father’s glee.

‘’Carmella has too much invested in me and in this place for her to do something stupid now, already the Nine have gained greatly in the form of soul-weapons and changed the power dynamic they have with their home world. Do not worry about the Sidhe fae betraying us, Michael being in a time chamber is best.’’ I say kissing her forehead.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

We remain like that holding each other a few moment as I imagine where every member of my family is likely to be now and the long track down to the edge of Sandoria and longer and even more perilous journey once they set foot on Pangaea. The place is full of slavers, predators, marauders, killers, night creatures from the Underworld, thieves, spies and just regular villainous assholes. The beasts and preditors there are always on the prowl to claim new territory as they themselves are displaced by even more badass oppornents. Those that seek strength know that killing other sentients is the quickest route to accumulate ambient ether within themselves, the stronger an opponent the better, its every man for himself in a lot of ways on Pangaea.

‘’Do me a favour if you can,’’ I say to my daughter who nods silently. ‘’Watch out for Isis if you are able to catch up with the rest of the family ey, she’s with child.’’

I feel her stiffen for a moment before she relaxes and nods her accent again. ‘’Is anything the matter?’’

‘’I’m also with child,’’ she says quietly and a grin slowly spreads across my face. I kiss her forehead and hold her close, happy.

‘’I’m scared, what if I’m a bad ma?’’ She asks looking up at me.

‘’You will be a great ma, and we are all here for you, You have very little to worry about.’’

‘’Yea but you won’t be around will you?’’ She says and there is silence as I don’t know what to say to that.

‘’When you reach the Den find West or any of the Midnights, he has something for you from your mother and I.’’ I say, that’s all I can say.

Standing we hug each other and I kiss her on the forehead again, having a difficult time extracting myself from her as I hold her close. ‘’You’re travelling south with your team yes?’’

‘’Yes, Stacey, Lavender and Dewan, along with the boys Max, John and Edward when Michael is ready.’’

‘’I want Soal to go with you as well, he shouldn’t slow you down and do try not to kill each other okay?’’

‘’I don’t need a minder da, I can take care of myself and my team on the trip down.’’

‘’Yes but you don’t always have to take care of yourself. It’s done, I’ve already sent to him and placed him with your retinue. Besides, this way he will get some extra time to get last minute affairs in order and I don’t like that no family will be with you on the way down.’’

‘’Michael is famil-‘’

‘’I know he is family but you also know what I know.’’

*

‘’Thandeka yiza kum (come to me),’’ I send to my sneaky concubine as she makes ready to leave with the expedition going south. Everything is already packed in our storage devices and horse drawn carriages. The kids are all accounted for and excited about ‘being part of the Host, though they are travelling amongst the non-combatant camp followers and as silently as they can.

The house is still furnished and liveable both because we hope to still be able to return here as this is our home, but also to confuse anyone watching to see the movements of my family. I know the Nine watch me for whatever reason, the Conclave does too, so do some Tribal families we have had disagreements with through the years. Then there are foreign agents that the Elders made me aware seem to have interests in my family, Barbarians and orcs I suspect are under my grandfather’s orders, one of the samurai factions as they watch most everyone with a zanpakutō, creatures I suspect work for the three eyed ancient Elentril and those are just the watchers I'm aware of.

So taking precaution we say no goodbyes to our neighbours, don’t buy anymore than is usual and plan to leave the city in small groups following in the wake of the Host. At least that’s the plan, with Thandeka, Aurora, Nikita, Hannah and Erabus amongst the last to leave the house as they will be travelling even behind the non combatant camp followers.

Thandeka eventually opens the door to my study and closes it with a click before removing her cloack letting it fall on the floor.

‘’Lord husband’’ she says looking directly into my eyes before again lowering her head in the submissive way she got used to living amongst the Alderman. I acknowledge her way of showing deference and respect by walking to her and lifting her chin with my hand gently, touching her soft skin pleasing to me. I stroke her cheek as we smile at each other, it’s almost a ritual between us now this little routine.

I bend down and pull her up as she pouts her lips to receive mine, she sighs as we kiss, her hands clenched tightly on my tunic for support. We separate and I look at her as the light from the glow-light enhances the surrealness of the moment. We enjoy being in each other’s arms a little while, a little moment stolen for ourselves in all this bustle of activity.

‘’Do you worry about having to go back to the Alderman Foothills?’’ I ask holding her to me as I lean back against my broad desk.

‘’Sometimes, I have no good memories of my time there but it won’t be the same.’’

‘’No, it won’t be the same,’’ I confirm kissing her forehead. ‘’Ready for your plug?’’ I ask revealing her butt plug in my hand from my storage ring as though from thin air.

‘’Yes,’’ Is all she says untangling herself from me and moving to the cushion to assume the position. Ingwe is adorable with almost nymph like features, her face innocent and sweet, her smile breath-taking but it’s her ass that distracts most men.

As she turns away from me wearing her tight calf-leather pants I get a good visual of her taunt soft behind. She unbuckles her belt, unties her pants whilst kicking her boots off. I’ve done this almost every day with all my mates since I came home from my mission in Tiba. What may have started due to my overly sexual habits at the Brothel became a way for me to see all of my mates privately for at least a few minutes on a semi regular basis.

She grabs the sides of her pants and pushes them down to reveal smooth skin, a narrow waist and her perfectly round bum cheeks. I’m not sure really if her beautiful soft yet firm ass is big or it’s just big on her cause she’s so small herself. I enjoy the view though, more especially when she kneels on the cushion and lowers her forehead onto her hands on the floor, assuming the position.