I just want you to smile Lady Sovereign.
-
Eilven, of Vorator
Aka ‘Resplendent Sculptor’, Lord ‘Alabaster’
from his celebrated illustrated catalogue & manuscript,
Conversations
-with the Garden’s Flowers-
Chapter I
(The Entrance’s Hostess)
The Celestial Opal of Lai Zel Ka
-Lady Sen-Iv Sopat
Circa 199 NC
-
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Whisper Jinx
The youngling
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That top worth’s half a ship, Jinx thought watching Sen-Iv finishing the final touches to her attire. She flung a long white silk tunic over her expensive undergarments, the opening at the front starting at mid-thigh and the large hood attached to it covering her elaborate head.
“Tis raining. Give it a minute and that thing ‘ll show everything,” Jinx commented masticating on a caramel syrup dipped date, sitting on Iskay’s sleeping couch with her back at the support. Sen had the best sweets around the house and plenty of free food for a visitor to munch on.
“I’ll use a carriage,” Sen replied and walked slowly to a nightstand to wear her hand jewelry. “You have nothing urgent to do other than watch me dress?”
“Best live show in Goras,” Jinx retorted with a grin and Maeriel snorted. The ranger stood next to the door and was listening in.
“I’ll visit Master Angrein,” Sen informed her. “Fikumin has a guard detail on call Maeriel, if you wish to rest.”
“Gratitude Lady Sen, but I’ll stay until your return,” Maeriel replied stiffly and Jinx rolled her eyes. She jumped up lithely and approached the little girl’s cradle. She opened the door to it, Glen had ordered a larger one made, but to Jinx it looked more like a decorated, expensive cage now and took the small Inis-Mir in her arms. “There ye are, drool machine. Ye should have the moniker hmm?”
“Ea-rgh,” the almost two year’s old girl said trying to get back to her bed.
“Yeehaw? Yer thinking of the races?” Jinx asked her. “No good place to bet here yet, but Folen’s has a brothel that runs—”
“Jinx!” both Sen and Maeriel cried in protest.
“Whoa the vice constabulary is here. I’ll behave booby officers,” Jinx chuckled and stared at Sen. “So what’s the deal? Is it his hand size then? The thumb?”
Sen frowned, but kept her composure to her innuendo. “I need to talk of different stuff and I’ll use the opportunities given.”
Since when?
“Because you worry about Glen? You used not to.”
“Believing Glen will overcome a difficulty doesn’t mean I’m not worried Jinx,” Sen replied patiently, but I got ye rattled, Jinx thought. What are ye hiding?
“He has a lot of good people with him,” Jinx assured her. “Other than ‘purple’ most skilled Zilan are there also.”
Maeriel blinked at that as she’d purple strands of hair in only two places. Her conservatively braided head and the covered one. Jinx gave her a lewd wink and the ranger blushed.
“It’s a battle, I fear war and I fear your people Maeriel,” Sen said looking at the trying to regain her composure ranger.
“There’s evil everywhere Lady Sen,” Maeriel reminded her. “Across all peoples.”
Aww, Jinx thought moved and rocked the baby girl in her arms. “My sweet purple cunt.”
“JINX!” They both snapped and Inis-Mir chuckled then burped loudly.
“Ea-rgh,” she said seriously and pointed both small arms towards her cradle.
Jinx blinked not believing her eyes.
“Is that a golden ball?”
“I’m not sure it’s gold,” Sen replied and sighed. “I’ll leave you with her. Iskay will come up shortly. Please watch your language in front of her Jinx.”
“Hmm,” Jinx murmured not paying her much attention and stooped inside the cradle to get to the round object. “Inis yer getting heavy girl,” she told Glen’s restless daughter still in her arms. “Think I heard a crack in me back.”
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“Does this look like an egg to you?” Jinx asked the baby. “Is that what you’re sayin’?” She glanced at the ranger. “What do you think?”
Maeriel shrugged her shoulders. “It’s more like a ball, but sure, it can be.”
Jinx got up and tossed her the heavy artifact. The Ranger caught it in her hands with a hiss.
“What are you doing?”
“I want a second opinion,” Jinx said rocking Inis-Mir in her arms. “Look at you flyin’! Weeh, wee Mir. Weeh!”
“Jinx, put her back please.”
“Oh, come on. She ain’t going to break apart,” Jinx replied and approached her. “What about it?”
“It still looks like a golden ball.”
“It ain’t as heavy,” Jinx replied and stopped in front of her. “The surface too glassy. Tell me about the gold Wyvern again.”
“Turlas? He had scales and a more reddish gold color, which changed when the sun caught it. It looked nothing like this Jinx.”
“Hmm. Give me the egg, take the baby,” Jinx decided and Maeriel sighed taking Inis-Mir in her arms. “She’s dizzy,” the Zilan added showing off her superior baby understanding skills.
“She’ll be fine,” Jinx replied and took the artifact back into the cradle and gave it a roll on the soft mattress.
Where did you get this Glen?
“Can you step aside so I can place her inside?” Maeriel asked and Jinx stood up to face her partner.
“Say please Jinx… give me a pinch,” Jinx purred hypnotically, her eyes ogling.
“In front of her?” Maeriel gasped not falling for it. “Seriously?”
Damnit.
“She doesn’t mind. You know I love kids Maeriel,” Jinx replied with a frustrated groan and retrieved the cooing girl from her. Inis-Mir stared at the tall Zilan with awe. “Yeah, she’s pretty hot,” Jinx agreed and deposited the baby back into the safety of Glen’s gigantic cradle, closed the small door and secured it with a latch.
“I won’t take a lover, but you can,” Maeriel said neutrally.
“Damn it, I miss my family is where I was going with it,” Jinx retorted and reaching for her collar pulled her down to kiss her. “Me brothers and sisters.”
“Let me call up the guards,” Maeriel murmured touching her forehead on hers. “And we can—”
“Shhh,” Jinx stopped her. “You are not listening.”
“I am Drool,” she gasped. “How I can help you with this? It’s all superstition. There. You can be on a ship for the Isles tomorrow.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about Purple. Abrakas is a dick.”
“I know more than you.”
Pfft.
“Stop your sulking for the past then. Ye can’t change that. Be in the present. Be with me,” Jinx replied and watched Inis-Mir crawling to the golden ball, then hugging it with arms and legs tight. She used it to roll back and forth from side to side.
Whoa.
“You think I…” Maeriel sighed pensively and stood back. “Shalia and Wylinor were taken by Cultists if they were lucky. I’m focused on the hopefully still living more.”
“By playing guard for Glen? I’ll talk to him,” Jinx decided.
“Guarding his daughter is a worthy task Jinx,” Maeriel argued.
“It won’t… Maeriel all your pupils will be in danger at one point or another,” Jinx said. “Doing Glen’s bidding… damn it you’re not listening.”
“I don’t agree with you,” Maeriel said sternly. “If that’s a real Wyvern’s egg, then that’s the first one I’ve seen up close, or touched. I’m on this world far longer than you Jinx, but in all these years, all these stories, this is the first time a ranger is guarding a Monarch’s spawn. You see it as a burden, but for me it’s a redeeming honor.”
“I’m sorry,” Jinx said, cursing Glen inwardly. “He can be manipulative, to get his.”
“You’re the same, he’s more Gish than a Zilan.”
Not with that nose he isn’t!
“He’s also blind on stuff when distracted,” Jinx said with a grimace. “I think Sen is having an affair.”
“Noble Goddess’,” Maeriel gasped in shock. “You’re mistaken.”
Jinx frowned. “Something smells funny here and it ain’t Inis-Mir pooping herself again,” she puffed her cheeks out and then grinned.
“Jinx no,” Maeriel warned her.
“Don’t leave the premises sweet ears,” Jinx purred remembering one of Alix’s favorite puns and ducked under her arms towards the door. “I’ll be right back so keep ‘em warm for me.”
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The rails are the best idea Glen had in a while, Jinx thought, big grin plastered on her face, gliding down the steep stairs at an incredible speed with the end coming fast. She jumped just before the rails stopped, performed a double somersault midair and landed on her arse spoiling it at the end and almost biting her own tongue off.
Ouch.
Iskay lost the handle on her large plate, the sliced in four mature pepino catapulting a meter above their heads, but Jinx rolled on the ground and snatched two of the yellow pieces timely. The other two splashing on the floor.
“Lady Jinx,” Iskay gasped holding her heart. The slave girl’s knees were shaking.
“Thear, blah. Here,” Jinx said with a couple of false starts to get her tongue working and put the saved pieces back on the plate. “Apologies for the floor. I’ve run out of arms.”
“I’ll clean it up,” Iskay replied regaining her composure. “Don’t worry about it.”
Jinx glanced at Fikumin working on his desk and nodded. “I’ve slept in yer bed,” she told the redhead and Iskay frowned unsure what to make of the information.
“Jinx,” Fikumin grunted from across the room. “Leave her be!”
“What are you her mother?” Jinx hissed and walked towards him with a slight limp. Her left leg had gone completely numb. “I was being civil.”
“Gliding down the stairs?” the dwarf grunted. “You almost gave her a heart attack!”
“I was hurt too hair ‘n brows!” Jinx protested and glanced at his scrolls. “What you have there?”
“Work. For the City,” Fikumin grunted. “You wish to help?”
“You know what? I do. I think you can help me on something though first,” Jinx said and dragged a chair to sit next to him. Fikumin extended his right arm, grabbed her chair and pushed furniture and Gish away easily. “Whoa there, that’s strength alright,” Jinx said using the table to drag the chair closer again. “And that’s brains.”
“What do you want Jinx?” Fikumin rustled and clasped his hands on the table.
“When ye get angry eyes and mouth are gone,” Jinx advised him. “All that’s left is the nose and we Gish find this disturbin’.”
“Get used to it,” Fikumin growled. “Everyone else has one but for the Gish. Do you want to know why?”
Jinx narrowed her eyes.
“Why?” She asked because she was curious.
“You lot were too nosy and the Gods had enough,” the dwarf replied making the scissors gesture with mid and index finger.
“That was horrible Fiku,” Jinx said solemnly. “A bit bigoted also.”
“Cut the bullshit. I’m not Glen,” Fikumin replied. “What do you want?”
“Where is Sen?”
“Lady Sen is on a social visit. I have her escorted,” Fikumin replied. “Anything else? I’m literally amidst reading military correspondence here.”
“Isn’t it strange she’s all friendly with this weird dude?” Jinx asked and Fikumin stared at her blankly afore replying channeling Glen.
“No.”
“You didn’t even give it a thought!”
“True.”
Jinx sighed.
“Why?”
“It’s a stupid idea.”
“We haven’t yet heard what the idea is!”
Fikumin grunted and started combing his beard. He reached for a goblet of wine and had some afore replying taking his time. “Sen is interested in metallurgy and jewelry. She loves looking into novel things and favors antiques with the same passion. Angrein is an artist. Her having interest in his work is perfectly normal. She’s also interested in exotic meals, decorating and clothing. Has contacts with most merchants in Goras and of course her family. They have an office building two streets away.”
“Hmm.”
“Did you actually think she spent her time sitting on the upper floor?” Fikumin continued. “With Inis-Mir growing up some, she has more time.”
“Something is bothering her.”
“Maybe her husband being on campaign? The fact that someone tried to have her child killed? Shall I continue?” Fikumin said and Jinx thought of poking him in the eye, or wiping her sticky with juices hands on his beard.
“You have a towel?”
“Jinx I have work to do and a meeting in an hour,” Fikumin replied and tossed her a towel. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“I won’t.”
“I mean it.”
“Hey, calm down,” Jinx told him and got up. “You want the towel back?”
“Yes.”
“Pfft, it’s all sticky now. Catch,” Jinx scoffed and tossed him the towel aiming for his head.
She missed, but made it out afore the dwarf could climb down his chair and come after her.
Haha.
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“There’s… a silver ingot in that alley,” Jinx told the guard at the door of Angrein’s workshop all serious.
“Come again?” The guard asked with a frown. A Cofol. He was part of a guard detail Lon-Iv had sent a month back to bolster Glen’s security.
“Someone dropped it? You might want to check it out afore it starts pouring down again.”
“Are you sure?”
Jinx shrugged her shoulders. “Hey, did ye miss a silver ingot perchance?” she asked one of the apron wearing artisans coming out of the workshop.
“Where?” The Zilan asked.
“Back there,” Jinx pointed at the alley. “Someone must have dropped it. A thief?”
“Come with me,” The alarmed artisan told the guard and they both run towards the alley as fast as they could.
Jinx walked inside the workshop, hunched behind a table to avoid another guard and tiptoed behind an artisan carrying a heavy box towards the furnaces. She slipped between two weapon stands, saw Angrein entering his office and dashed that way stooped to avoid detection. Angrein pushed the door to close it behind him, but the Gish lodged her boot at the opening to prevent it from closing fully.
She entered the large workspace and found a hiding spot behind a pile of armors.
Jinx was close enough to listen.
“I’ll place it on the desk,” Angrein said. “See to use the gloves.”
“I want to touch it,” Sen-Iv replied excited. “So I can tell the difference.”
What? Jinx almost jumped up screaming bloody murder.
“Trust me, it’s still hot,” Angrein insisted.
Ye fuckin’ muscular pervert.
“Mmm. Yeah, I can see the differences though.”
Unfaithful ruffians.
“What’s the biggest difference?”
It’s bigger?
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
“It’s not glassy. Can you recreate that?”
Uh? What the actual disturbed fuck?
“You mean lacquered. Resin based to provide luster. Colorless.”
Is she ordering a phallus?
Jinx raised a mail sleeve so she could poke her head under and see what they were talking about.
“Would it change the feel of it?”
“What you’re describing ain’t gold Lady Sen. This is how a gold sphere looks like. On the outside, the rest is bronze,” Angrein replied. “I’ll have to look at it myself.”
“Perhaps you should. What about the other thing?”
“I can have it, but I strongly advise against it.”
“Why?” Sen asked in a whisper.
“Too great a risk, hence why it was forced upon slaves,” Angrein replied. “You’re not a slave Lady Sen.”
“We are not that far apart Master Angrein.”
“With all respect I believe we are,” he replied civilly.
“Who would know?”
What are you looking for? Jinx thought and peeked from her cover seeing nothing incriminating.
“I told you.”
“No, I can’t. My husband is away,” Sen replied.
“Perhaps it is for the better,” Angrein agreed. “That he is.”
Jinx grimaced and moved backwards to escape the office unseen. While Sen’s conduct was still suspicious, Jinx hadn’t discover anything really. The guard and artisans searching the alley outside hadn’t discover any sign of the silver ingot also.
And they wouldn’t.
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Jinx paused at the Hall of Pleasure, the marble columns and pavement in front of the brothel brand new with crews working on putting extra lightposts at its entrance. She glanced at the angry sky, but heard a clicking sound instead of a thunder, nigh familiar.
She swung around alarmed, but saw nothing but emptiness. The weather keeping everyone inside in this late afternoon time of the day. Jinx pursed her lips and glanced at the distance where Taras Lake’s shores stood hidden in a thick mist. A lighting came next and moments later the ground shook, the roaring thunder making her teeth rattle, more an explosion than anything else.
Jinx almost pissed herself upright and jumped inside the brothel afore the downpour started again.
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“Welcome,” Parisa the bountiful Cofol slave said and put her quill down. “Almas will be available in ten minutes. He needs his fluids.”
“Ahm,” Jinx murmured and looked around the open hall with the many doorless rooms. “I don’t want to talk to him.”
Parisa blinked.
“You favor another?” She probed. “Let me call on the mother. You can talk to her.”
Ah.
“How about I speak to the daughter?” Jinx countered and looked in the nearby rooms for Sarya. They were empty.
“She’s with a client,” Parisa explained politely. “You’ll have to wait. I can offer a selection of liquors in the meantime.”
“Do you charge for them?” Jinx asked.
“Of course,” Parisa replied in her unruffled manner. “This isn’t that Goddess’ Temple.”
“Can I stay until the rain stops?” Jinx asked. “I know Folen well.”
“I doubt it,” Parisa deadpanned. “But you know Arguen Garth and that will suffice.”
Cunt.
“So do you hear stuff in here?” Jinx asked and walked away to check on the other rooms.
“Nothing much,” Parisa replied and came after her annoyed.
“Is that a Gish wit Sarya?” Jinx probed with a fake smile. “What’s his name?”
“Might have missed it? It’s difficult to pay attention with the amount of work I have, plus the acoustics are terrible,” Parisa added feigning ignorance.
The lie lasting less than two seconds.
“Damn it NIX!” Sarya cursed, afore exploding in a roaring. “FASTER! WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?”
“I can’t breathe!” The Gish named Nix croaked, head pushed between the Zilan’s breasts too tight for him to survive for much longer. Jinx watched the male Gish’s arse moving fast as he plowed into the much larger than him ‘Sister’ with the desperation of a dying rabbit.
Folen could get a crowd just standing in the corridor, looking into the open rooms and charge a ticket for it, Jinx thought.
“Do you know him?” Parisa asked after they watched the couple fucking for a while.
He has a famous name, but no.
“I don’t think so,” The Gish replied. “Should we help him?”
“Sarya is a professional,” Parisa assured her. “Wanna go next?”
Jinx didn’t.
“I better get back home,” she decided.
Jinx had entered the brothel because she’d gotten scared outside and had just realized she was being foolish.
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She went back to Glen’s villa instead, a bit spooked to sleep alone with the night coming and the weather unloading buckets over Goras.
Caught Sen’s carriage returning from Angrein’s workshop and rushed to get inside after her, but spotted the guard from before and twirled the other way. She rounded the carriage from the front sneaking behind the horses and walked confidently to the door, now guarded by the Cofols and two Goras Guards Fikumin had posted permanently outside.
“Evening Lady Jinx,” the Goras soldier greeted her, Jinx easy to spot even in less torchlight on account of her long fiercely pink hair.
Now wet and curling like a pensive cat’s fur.
“Not a night to stroll about,” Jinx replied with a casual grin and slipped inside Glen’s villa again.
The Hall illuminated a bit better, but still full of dark patches and thick shadows. The place just too big to illuminate properly. Glen only used lightstones and there weren’t enough of them around. Sen was talking with Fikumin when she approached, the guard from the workshop standing protectively behind her.
“You walked outside in the rain after all,” Sen said ending her conversation with a scowling Fikumin. She was referring to Whisper’s earlier comment to her.
“Eh,” Jinx replied trying to think of an excuse for being outside and the guard blinked slowly as if remembering something.
Don’t, Jinx warned him with a glare.
“We never found the silver ingot,” the Cofol said, slanted eyes full of suspicion. “Are you sure it was there?”
“Might have been mistaken,” Jinx replied and glanced at Sen watching their back and forth in silence.
“They had to take inventory of the warehouse, recalled people from their sleep,” the guard continued, looking to get poked in the eyeball for being a fucking rat. “The weather made searching in the dark an ordeal.”
“Someone must have taken it,” Jinx said. “I would check the books again. Something is afoot.”
“You were at Angrein’s?” Sen-Iv asked her.
“In passing,” Jinx deadpanned. “Then I visited the brothel.”
Sen raised her brows, but didn’t comment further on the matter.
“Bohor, I’ll retire for the night,” she told the soaked Cofol warrior. The man had a chained mail shirt that covered his hips under his longcoat. “I’ll show you where you’ll sleep and then you can arrange the shifts to help out Maeriel.”
“Mistress,” Bohor replied with a slight bow of the head and Sen with another knowing stare at Jinx turned around and strolled at her own pace to the staircase, the guard following stiffly behind her.
“Jinx,” Fikumin grunted standing next to her.
“Don’t start as well,” Jinx told him and walked to his desk. Basically the conference table. “Metu was here?”
“Glen sent us news,” Fikumin said without moving from his spot.
Jinx paused and turned to look at the scowling dwarf.
Fuck.
“He won,” Fikumin said simply and Jinx gasped her knees weakening. “Judging by the reports from the others present, it was a decisive victory. Kalac and Maeriel’s rangers are saved.”
Here…
The shadows sang.
She nodded, too moved to speak intelligently, or notice anything weird to it. Fikumin approached her, small boots thudding on the tiles and Jinx hugged his big hairy head with both arms. Fikumin smelled of soft wool, like a clean lamb and spiced cheese.
Hmm.
“Does Maeriel know?”
“She does.”
“He actually did it,” Jinx sniffled in his brownish red lion’s mane and Fikumin pushed her away slowly. “Sorry, you smell really good Fiku. Damn, I can’t believe it still. I was really worried.”
“He defended Rida’s port pretty well,” Fikumin reminded her and went to climb on his chair. “But this was a dangerous open engagement against an exotic professional army. I’m actually impressed. Few have bested the Zilan in a scrap.”
“No Wyvern?”
“According to the reports, Uvrycres wasn’t involved.”
Jinx wiped her eyes and drunk from his goblet to clear her throat. “You don’t seem too happy.”
“The fight isn’t over,” Fikumin replied and stared at the map he’d moved from the stands to the wall near the long rectangular table. “I’m pleased because this means we get to keep what we’ve built here.”
“So what’s eating you?” Jinx asked and put the empty goblet back on the table.
“Glen asked Sen to travel to him. They might stay for a while beyond the Canal.”
Jinx smiled. “That’s great! We get to travel at last. Fuck’s sake Fiku what’s with the long face? Is my monkey dead?”
Fikumin shook his head. “Sen told me she won’t travel. I have to tell this to Glen. Which means in turn your Maeriel stays here,” and you as well, Jinx added what he’d left unsaid.
“Why?” She croaked not expecting it.
Fikumin shrugged his shoulders and reached to fill another fancy goblet.
“What did you find?” he asked her casually.
“Nothing nefarious. But something is surely off with her,” Jinx said.
“Why wouldn’t she talk with you though?” Fikumin murmured.
“She’s uncomfortable around Zilan since the start, but a lot of people are,” Jinx replied. “I’m bedding one. I really don’t know.”
“So it’s pride, jealousy?”
“That doesn’t seem like Sen at all.”
“What does?” Fikumin grunted in frustration. “Because Glen is miles away about to cross into enemy controlled land and worrying about his family won’t help him stay focused.”
“It’s that darn attempt on Inis-Mir,” Jinx replied. “It messed her up that they would try something like that.”
“You’ll sleep upstairs?” Fikumin asked her after a thoughtful pause and she nodded.
“A sleepover. Maeriel, Iskay and meself. Wanna join us? There’s room,” Jinx teased him and the dwarf didn’t even dignify her query with an answer.
> “What’s beyond the mist?” a young Linx asked and tossed a pebble on her head, when Jinx failed to answer in a timely manner. She managed to bounce it twice on the water afore nailing her.
>
> “Hey!” Jinx protested, spitting out water. “Don’t do that.”
>
> “What? You didn’t answer!” her little sister protested and splashed away towards the shore, when Jinx went after her. “Oh, shit,” Linx gasped stumbling and dropped like a rock on the shingles. “Ouch!”
>
> “Are you alright?” Jinx asked getting out of the shallow waters herself and picked her up. “Let me see it.”
>
> “I’m fine,” Linx griped, a cut on her forehead bleeding. “Tis nothing.”
>
> “Use spit on it.”
>
> “Eh, no thanks. I’ll just wash it a bit with water. Let me go!”
>
> “Urine works as well,” Jinx told her with a grin and rubbed her own head. “You got me good there fool.”
>
> “Suits ye for dodgin’ me query,” Linx accused her and splashed sea water on her face. “Ah, this stinks damn it!”
>
> “I’ve peed in it just so you know.”
>
> “Har, har, funny. Well?”
>
> “I don’t know. Something probably, but I’m more interested in Jelin,” Jinx replied with a sigh. “Mayhap it’s the sailor’s tales.”
>
> “You mean you’re curious. Or ignorant,” Linx murmured and stooped lithely to clean her toes from all the stuck pebbles. She loved using new words.
>
> “Sure sis.”
>
> “Are all creatures curious?” a tiny Linx had asked her more than a decade in the past.
Victory…
The silence hummed waking her up. She felt Maeriel’s arm around her waist, the Zilan’s calm breathing on her back. Iskay snored a bit on the other side of the large couch and had a tendency to flay her arms dangerously in her sleep, so Jinx had placed Maeriel in the middle strategically to take the brunt of the blows.
The bedroom was silent other than that. Sen’s large curtained bed on the other side, with Inis-Mir cradle in the middle. Jinx raised her head gently and removed Maeriel’s arm to get off the bed. It had stopped raining outside, but you could hear water trickling down the roof.
Clack.
Splash.
Splotch.
Clack.
As if in a rhythm. Jinx naked feet stepped on the carpet, her toes sinking in the soft wool. She could see Ranor, one of the Cofol guards standing watch outside the open door to their massive bedroom. The light coming in adding to the two small night-lamps Sen-Iv had left on. One above the cradle, the other near her bed.
Goras was sleeping outside, the night cool and humid.
Here…
The shadows hummed and Jinx narrowed her eyes trying to pierce the thick darkness. She moved towards the curtained window, the long route bringing her close to Sen’s bed. Then beyond it. Jinx walked another three meters until she run out of carpet.
She felt moisture under the soles of her feet. Jinx knelt down and touched the wet floor.
Not much.
The curtains flapping slowly with the night breeze.
Right and then left.
The movement slow alike breathing.
She licked her lips and glanced back to see if anyone had heard anything. When Jinx’s stare returned to the cracked open window, there was a strange girl looking back at her behind the curtain. Had Jinx not emptied her bladder afore getting to bed, she would have lost control of it.
She did that is, but not much trickled down.
“Aww,” Assara gushed, huge black eyes gleaming like mirrors.
Abrakas toes.
The young Ticu jumped down and rolled near her. Her wet hair leaving a wet trail behind.
“Shhh,” Assara whispered conspiratorially and pointed a thin arm towards the beds. “Youngling listens.”
Fool, Jinx thought rattled, but also less scared than she was a moment ago.
Maeriel listens too.
“Drool,” an alert Ranger said gruffly from behind them. “Step away from her.”
“It’s fine,” Jinx replied staying where she was. “I’ll take her outside.”
“Jinx,” Maeriel warned her with a hiss. “What are you doing?”
“Come here,” Jinx told the young Ticu and Assara’s large eyes blinked, two different sets of membranes opening and closing.
“Gish,” Assara said and showed her two rows of prickly teeth. “Jinx.”
“Yep,” Jinx replied and tended her hand. Assara took it and stood up. She was actually a bit taller than her. Even her well-shaped small breasts looked bigger up close. “You might want to cover these up.”
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A disheveled Fikumin stared at the alien girl greedily gulping down a bottle of sheep milk, looking like he’d just rolled out of bed. Beard and hair all bunched up together.
“A Ticu?” He repeated in disbelief.
“I need you to order them, not to harm her,” Jinx said. “Especially Maeriel.”
“They killed Elaniel!” Fikumin grunted grimacing in frustration.
“Give the order Fiku,” Jinx insisted. “She wasn’t to blame.”
“Jinx, for crying out loud,” the dwarf sighed, the villa slowly waking up around them. “What am I going to say… She was inside the bedroom.”
“She didn’t bring the eel Fikumin,” Jinx argued.
“How in gods do you know?” He asked just as Assara burped and puked the milk she’d gulped down on the table. “Well, that’s just great.”
“She told me,” Jinx lied. “Ask him,” she added and pointed at the silent Din. Aenymriel’s man nodded once with his head.
“Why did you let it inside?” Fikumin grunted.
“She,” Jinx corrected him.
“She probably slipped inside when the carriage arrived,” Din replied. “I’m not the one manning the doors.”
“How did she get in?”
“It’s what they do. They use distractions. Move when you look away,” Din said with a shrug. “As for why she’s here ask your Gish. She’s probably tracking her for a while.”
“Jinx,” Assara said covered in puke.
“Someone bring a big bucket of water here,” Fikumin grunted. “A couple of towels and a blasted tunic!”
“We might need even more water than that,” Jinx told him and the dwarf hissed.
“Fine, Jinx she’s your responsibility,” he warned her. “Don’t make me regret this.”
“Glen would have done the same thing,” Jinx told him with a wink. “We’re the good guys remember?”
That or kill her outright.
Even odds.
Jinx was a gambler.
“Gods help us,” Fikumin retorted and went to get dressed himself.
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Assara jumped on the table and paused on a knee before the large wall map of her main hall, Jinx’s villa almost as big as Glen’s. She and Maeriel of course stayed in the lower floor mostly. With Maeriel sleeping near Inis-Mir, Jinx hadn’t visited her place in weeks.
“Depth’s Father,” the Ticu said and pointed a thin finger at the large blue expanse of the Scalding Sea.
“Yeah,” Jinx murmured.
“Ticu,” Assara pointed at Barmont Isle and then opened her arms wide enough to engulf most of the Reefs, Wetull’s shores, all the way to Jelin, through the Krakentrap Straits and Cepri Fort across from Caspo O’ Bor.
“Right,” Jinx said. “You guys have spread a lot.”
“Mine,” Assara agreed.
“No,” Jinx argued and tapped the table once. “Get down.”
“Here.”
“Get. Down from the table,” Jinx repeated and Assara hissed, the bones under her pale skin moving, her expression turning mean. “Don’t do that.”
“Hungry.”
“You want more milk?”
Assara snorted and Jinx started laughing. She reached into her pocket and got a piece of old cheese out. “Come here little one.”
Assara stared at the food in her hand curious. Her nostrils expanding.
“What is it?” Jinx asked and moved away from her. She found a chair at a nearby smaller table and pulled it out.
“Milk?”
“Cheese,” Jinx replied and flinched seeing Assara standing right behind her. “Goddess’ tits! Sit down,” she ordered her and pointed at the chair. “Eat.”
“Tease.”
“Cheese,” Jinx corrected her. “Pants.”
Assara sniffed at the large piece she had given her and then tossed it into her ever expanding mouth. Jinx actually heard the joints on her jaws cracking, forced open to accommodate the fist-sized piece of yellow cheese whole.
Damn.
“I have a pair of old pants here,” Jinx told the munching Ticu and stooped inside her garbs crate. She found a large pair inside belonging to one of the dead twins and got it out. A loose long shirt next. Jinx turned around, realized Assara was riffling through her crate and used the opportunity to gather the alien girl’s long hair in a ponytail. The hair slicky and thick, her ears small and pointy at the edge like a Zilan’s but not as pronounced.
“Fake skin,” Assara said holding a red leather shirt. “Blood.”
“Leave that,” Jinx told her and gave her the pants. “Wear this and then the other shirt over it. Now show me the other eyes.”
Assara blinked, the bones moving under her skin again, those large black eyes changing shape.
“No pupils?” Jinx teased a little weirded out, but Maeriel walked inside afore the Ticu had the chance to answer. The Ranger’s entrance agitating her visibly.
“Maeriel,” Jinx said and her partner pressed her lips tight, then signed at the door.
“Sen is here,” Maeriel said sternly.
“You’re mad,” Jinx looked at her. “Can I explain?”
“I’m a big girl Drool,” Maeriel retorted. “You have your reasons.”
“You had yours,” Jinx said. “I pushed you—”
“Goddess,” Maeriel cut her off. “Lady Sen-Iv wants to talk with you. Don’t anger her, please Jinx. We can talk later.”
Jinx nodded and Sen wearing a single piece long dress walked inside. Glen’s wife paused to look at the Ticu stooped to gather the large pants that had dropped down her legs, reached on her head got a pearl brooch pin out and walked slowly towards her.
She stopped before a gawking Assara and offered her the pin to stop her pants from dropping. The Ticu took it and used it on her head instead.
Right at the top. It was kinda cute, Jinx thought with a grin.
“I’ll help her out,” Maeriel suggested and glanced at a worried Jinx. “Seriously?”
“Sorry,” Jinx blurted out embarrassed.
“Jinx,” Sen started stepping away for Maeriel. “You are worried.”
“I am,” Jinx admitted.
“Is this… whatever this is, part of it?” Sen asked. “She’ll worth her weight in gold in Greenwhale.”
“I’ll just pretend ye didn’t just say that,” Jinx warned her and Sen frowned, glanced at the alien girl another time and sighed.
“Hard as I try, I’ll never understand this part of you,” Sen-Iv admitted. “Or some of Glen’s ideas. I’m at a loss sometimes to figure out the reasoning behind a lot of the things you two are doing. I mean what is more important here? How are we to endure in this realm?”
“Why stay away then?” Jinx asked her, not wanting to talk with the Cofol woman about how wrong her reasoning was on many things. “Glen loves you.”
“Oh, you sweet fool. Without a heritor what he’s trying to build will wither away and be torn down. Love alone won’t shield it,” Sen exclaimed. “It’s his legacy I’m trying to protect.”
“By staying away?”
“I’m pregnant,” Sen-Iv replied calmly. “I’ll have a son come hell or high water, but I can’t drop this in his lap right now. Nor can he learn about it still. He’ll abandon everything he’s gained and come back here.”
“Where’s the wrong in that? He'll try again,” Jinx asked her, Assara repeating Sen’s words with a freakish smile.
Come back here…
“He needs to win now that everyone is looking the other way. This is not a game. Our lives are at stake. He must eliminate the danger to his rule, to his daughter and his son to be,” Sen-Iv explained standing back. “As long as his enemies breathe, no one is safe. I can endure his absence and I love him more than you ever will. Let me be clear here. If I can do that, then you can as well. You shall Jinx, do you understand what I’m saying?”
Jinx nodded.
“What about young Assara?” She asked and Sen-Iv smiled thinly at the staring Ticu.
Assara dressed in her baggy clothes looking like a curious young girl, but for the eyes.
“It’s your problem to deal with, that’s as much leeway you’ll get though. I’m done playing games,” Sen said evenly. “Keep her away from my daughter.”
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read it at Royalroad : https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/46739/touch-o-luck-the-old-realms
& https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/47919/lure-o-war-the-old-realms
Scribblehub https://www.scribblehub.com/series/542002/touch-o-luck-the-old-realms/
& https://www.scribblehub.com/series/547709/the-old-realms/