Thankfully, the trail that I left for myself through the woods was enough for me to find my way back to the road. The side show, that I was made an unwitting participant in, cost me about an hour and a half of time just to get back on track. I hoped that it wouldn’t set me back so much that everyone would end up worried about me. To prevent that, my horse was spurred onwards with a little more vigor than I would normally do. I would come to regret it later when the saddle soreness caught up with me.
I don’t know if I should have been relieved or concerned by the seeming lack of patrol presence along the roads. It could all just be a coincidence, or maybe the Thrainians knew more about what was going on at Yol’vastume than we previously thought. Both were plausible, but I figured it was better to not allow myself to descend into that pit of paranoia.
Whatever may have been happening in the background, I was still able to make good time on my trip back to the town, arriving just a few hours before sundown. All was quiet, and before I knew it, Yol’vastume was on the horizon. The sight of the fortress town made me do a double take for a second. The number of fortifications around the perimeter of the town had seemingly doubled in the time I'd been away. They were really putting in all their efforts towards making Yol’vastume as unassailable as it was before my sabotage. I don’t think that it will ever be at that same level, at least not for years to come.
Patrols of coalition soldiers were making their rounds through the fields, and I was only briefly accosted by one such group who stopped me just to find out who I was. My face was very well known at this point, and it wouldn’t have been surprising if someone in this group had been part of the congregation that frequently harassed me at my assigned house. The way they looked at me with awe and reverence never failed to make me feel uncomfortable. Why couldn’t I at least have been recruited by a god that no one even knows about?
No use bemoaning my situation, there was work to do and people to meet, the first of them being Kala. I had a feeling that if I didn’t find her first, I wouldn’t hear the end of it. The most likely spot to search for her would be at our house, so, after returning the horse to the stables, I made as close to a straight line in that direction as possible.
Closing in on the house, I rounded a corner only to almost run face first into a bundle of scales, only, it wasn’t the scales that I was looking for. These scales belonged to Silia, and after a brief moment of surprise on both sides, her face immediately turned sour. A shiver shot up my spine and I was prepared to run if she decided to come at me claws first.
There was a tense moment that felt like a taught string was between us, ready to snap at a moment's notice. Her eyes were dilated, and I felt contempt oozing out of her while we conducted our staring contest. After a long minute, Silia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, her pupils weren’t nearly as dilated, and the contempt lessened to more of a dislike feeling.
When she spoke, it was measured and controlled, showing the restraint she was currently exhibiting. “My daughter has been distraught ever since you left.”
The simple statement caught me a bit off guard. “Oh, yeah, I guessed she would probably be worried. I was on my way to see her just now before running into you.”
Silia let out a sigh. “It felt like every other hour she would come to me in a state of near panic, some poisoned idea worming its way into her mind that you were in danger, you were captured, you were fighting, fleeing, hiding, dying.”
Well, that last one I guess was true, though only once. Probably not the best idea to voice that though, or interrupt.
She continued. “It practically became my job to ease her worries and assure her that you were alright.” I didn’t fail to catch the slight bit of distaste in those last few words about me. “If I have failed to make it clear in the past, I do not approve of your relationship with my daughter. I would much rather her find a nice, normal, Trelnval man that would keep her safe and not put her in danger, intentionally or otherwise. However, for better or worse, it has been made quite clear to me that you hold a significant position in her heart. It would be remiss of me to continue my attempted assault and slander of your person considering my little girl’s feelings towards you.”
Was she saying that she’s offering me a truce? “Uhm, well, thank-”
“To be clear,” she interjected, fixing me with a stare, “that does not mean that I have accepted you, and I will continue to keep a close eye on you. If I ever find that you do not have the best interests of Kala at heart, then I will rip yours out until you finally grow one worthy of her.”
Ever since the knowledge of my pseudo-immortality came to light, she had been very creative with her threats. “I understand, ma’am. I assure you Kala’s safety and interests weigh heavily on the scales of my decision making.”
“Good.” She let loose another sigh before mumbling something that I barely caught. “I really wanted grandchildren though.”
She started to walk by me, and at first, I was willing to let her be on her way, but then words suddenly leaped into my throat. “Uhm...” I faltered a little bit, but she still stopped and turned back towards me with a look that said she was tolerating my interruption of her exit.
Steeling myself, I started again. “There’s more than one way to start a family.” Now she gave me a questioning turn of her head. “I mean... Well, this war has taken things from everyone, and I'm sure you know this better than some. There will probably be many children that have lost their parents by the time the war has reached its end, orphans in need of someone to care for and love them. I was an orphan myself before I came here, and while I was lucky enough to have a wonderful group of caretakers who filled the role for me, I always wondered what having parents was like. If I can give those kids who lost everything to this war a new life and the love they deserve, then maybe I could lessen their suffering, just a little bit.”
Silia appeared to consider my words for a moment, and when she looked me in the eyes again, her gaze was far softer than it was a minute ago. “Well, I suppose I might have something to look forward to then.” That was all she said before walking away.
I was left standing there, watching her until she finally disappeared behind a corner. Perhaps this was a sign that our relationship could improve, but only time could answer that question. For now, I needed to see Kala, if for no other reason than to ease her evidently troubled thoughts about my wellbeing.
The front of our little house didn’t have nearly as many worshippers in front of it as it usually did. Even so, it was still concerning that they were there despite the fact that I was away. Would every location that I spent more than a few days in be marked as a holy place? That was a concerning possibility, but the alternative was that they were also worshipping Kala now, which was even more worrisome. If they wanted to come after me with their hopes and prayers routine that was something that could be dealt with, but if they tried to accost Kala with the goal of using her to get to me, well, the idea was pissing me off, so if it actually happened, I didn’t know if I could keep my composure.
Taking a deep breath to calm myself and clear my head, I walked towards the front door, the few people in my way quickly moving out of the way while drawing prayer circles in the air with their hands. As usual, I had to ignore them and quickly duck inside the front door, letting out a sigh after safely making my way into the familiar and peaceful interior.
Looking around the living room and kitchen area, Kala was not there. It was a little later in the day, so maybe she went up to our room to rest. Moving over to the stairs, I called up to the room. “Kala? You up there?”
No response. I ascended the staircase to check out the room, not wanting to assume that she just wasn’t here right now. Pushing open the door to our room, the hinges creaked a little bit as they swung open to reveal the sight of my significant other curled up on the bed.
Kala was asleep as evidenced by the slow rise and fall of her chest and the fact that she didn’t respond to me. It was a little early, at least two hours till sundown, but if she had been as stressed as her mother had suggested, then perhaps she fell asleep accidentally. Walking up to her, I saw that she was currently spooning my pillow, her whole body hugging it with her snout buried in the downy surface.
She was positively adorable, and it seemed almost a shame to wake her and ruin the sight. However, I knew that she would want to see me as soon as possible, and being cute with her right now probably wouldn’t go over well after she had a few minutes to process everything. Deciding on a course of action, I placed a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her to wake her up.
At first, she responded to my prodding by inhaling deeply and shifting around, still not entirely awake. I leaned down closer to her ear, speaking softly to her. “Kala, I'm back.”
That got a bit more of a reaction out of her as her eyes blinked open, trying their best to rid themselves of the sleep that still had a hold of her. Kala rolled over on her back, looking up at me as I smiled at her. “James?” She reached out and touched the side of my face as if she was worried that this was a dream. After that bit of tactile confirmation, her face lit up like she was a kid who just realized it was Christmas morning. “James!”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
She surged forth, enveloping me in a deep hug that I eagerly returned. Her head nuzzled into mine with an almost viscous level of enthusiasm. “You’re back! You’re okay!”
“Of course I'm okay. I promised I would be, right?” I ran a hand along her back, enjoying the feeling of her smooth emerald scales.
“I know... I know, it’s just... It was so strange, waking up with you not there. It felt... wrong. Like there was something gone from the very air that made it difficult to breathe.”
I understood what she was saying in my own way. When we were apart, everything just seemed that much more difficult to handle. It was then that I came to a realization of sorts. From the moment that we met, we had not been apart from each other for more than a few hours at most, and even then, we were well within walking distance of one another. This was by far the most distance and time that had been placed between us.
Kala let out a halfhearted chuckle. “I really don’t know when I became so dependent on you, but all I know is that I don’t want to be apart like that again. Please promise me that you’ll take me wherever you go from now on.”
“That’s... kind of a difficult thing to promise.” Kala pulled away just enough to look me in the eyes. Her gaze was somewhere between firm and pleading, a combination that struck directly at my heart. I let out a sigh as I conceded just enough to satisfy her. “I’ll do my best to make sure that you are always close at hand.”
That was good enough for her to gain a content smile as she leaned back into me to continue the hug. I would have liked to allow this moment to continue for a little while longer, maybe even lay down for the both of us to fall asleep again, but rest was not in my immediate future as there were some loud bangs on the door downstairs. A groan escaped me as I was forced to separate myself from Kala.
“Can’t even have five minutes of personal time around here.” I complained while rising to a standing position again.
“Do you know who it is?” Kala asked.
“I can venture an educated guess. In all likelihood, it’s probably more of Durdan’s lackies coming to fetch me so he can drill me on my responsibilities, commitments, and jobs that I never wanted.”
“Yeah, I never thought I would be involved in this war either, but here we are. It seems we all must do things we never wanted or needed to do before this. Let’s go see who’s knocking.”
Kala had a point, and there was little use in complaining about it at this juncture. She removed herself from the soft embrace of the bed and we went downstairs to see who was pounding on our door. They managed to get one more set of knocks in before we arrived and opened it to reveal two Ulgor and a Trelnval dressed in light patrol armor.
The trio started things off with a quick bow before jumping into the reason they were here. “Lord James, General Durdan would like you to report to his office at your earliest convenience.”
Of course it was Durdan, the man couldn’t wait to put me to work. It was a little frustrating that I couldn’t have more personal time, but there was no need to shoot the messenger over it. “Thank you. I’ll make my way to him when I can.”
All three dipped their heads in a bow once more before turning heel and marching off to complete their other duties for the night. Exhaustion was seeping into my body at the prospect of having to deal with more politics. Thankfully, Kala and I were reunited, and with that my support structure was restored. Just having her there to hold my hand was enough to send strength back into my body.
With the distraction removed I was able to turn my full attention back on her. “Well, do you want to stay here or-”
“I’m coming with you.” She interrupted with rock solid conviction.
That made me chuckle just a bit. “Of course. Why would I think any differently?” I said with an over exaggerated shrug and a wide grin. “Do you want to meet him now or later?”
Kala let out a rumbling hum before leaning into me. I wrapped my arms around her, rubbing my hands across her back. We remained in that position for a minute before she let out a sigh.
“We should probably talk with him now. I don’t think it’s wise to be up late at night for this.”
“True enough. There’s probably only an hour or two of light left today. I’m sore from being on the road and I don’t think I'll want to get up again if I end up lying down.”
“Well, let’s go see what Durdan wants to say.” She took my hand as we started walking, taking our time like we were on a leisurely stroll. It was a lovely evening, and I wouldn’t have minded just wandering around for a little while until sundown. A shame that our destination was unsavory.
The main keep was a bit calmer at this time of day. Many people were retiring for the night, getting dinner, and resting in preparation for tomorrow. Only the officers and unlucky individuals such as I were still here. A saying came to mind as I watched all the important people trying to organize the mess that was an army at war. The only reward for good work is more work.
We arrived at the office that Durdan was using, and after a quick knock on the door we got permission to enter. Durdan looked up from his paperwork and noticed that it was us and not some random officer bringing him more work.
“Ahh, James, I was glad to hear that you were back on time and in one piece. It would have been a hassle to send out a search party for you.”
“I think my problems would be greater than yours if it was necessary to do that.”
“That may very well have been true, but thankfully we will not find out. Now that your business with the daughter of Balidor is concluded, we may speak of the future, and what will be needed from you. Have a seat.”
We did as he asked, settling in for the important talk that was likely coming. Durdan laced his finger together, resting his elbows on the edge of the desk and assuming a professional demeanor before continuing the conversation.
“As I said to you previously, James, the recent unveiling of your situation has changed your political value quite significantly. News has probably spread to most of the coalition at this point as I had to act and inform the council just after the rest of my army. It is this council that represents each of our people's interests and determines how many supplies or soldiers are diverted towards the war effort. Again, Yol’vastume is a superbly fortified position, and the forces that we have here now can hold for a few months during a siege, maybe more if we ration our supplies. However, our location in enemy territory coupled with the flaw created in the fortifications of the city due to your sabotage means we cannot hold forever and will need to be reinforced.”
Durdan had a smile on his face that immediately made me concerned. “Well, that is, if we were planning on staying here. Reinforcements are all well and good, and holding this land would cause the Thrainians to struggle to feed their army, but they could recover with time. No, we aren’t just going to stay put, we are going to push forward, applying pressure and preventing them from recovering. For this, we need a concentrated effort of the combined forces of the coalition. This is the opportunity that we have been waiting for, and you are the one who brought it to us. Your position as the chosen of the goddess can rally the people and convince the council to commit their troops.”
The only thing I could do for a full minute was blink as my mind caught up and wrapped itself around the situation. “Wait, wait, wait, hold up just a second. You’re saying you want me to speak to your government body and somehow convince them to send their whole army? Why can’t you just tell them that? If this situation is as important as you claim, shouldn’t they recognize that and be willing to capitalize on it same as you?”
Durdan leaned back in his chair with a sigh. “I wish that were the case. We aren’t as unanimous in thought or dedication as I would like us to be. You must understand that this war has been going on for a long time, decades. People have grown complacent with the war, particularly those who don’t have to face it themselves. My words would just be one of many others in my situation who want to push forward, and even if they decided to listen due to our victory here, it would take far longer for them to come to a consensus before we are overrun. That is why I need you to go there and force their hand.”
Kala chimed in. “Isn’t that a bit much to expect from him? Even if he is the chosen champion of the goddess, I doubt that those officials would simply go along with what he wants.”
“True.” Durdan admitted. “Which is why you aren’t going to try and convince them.” Kala and I both gave him a quizzical look, prompting an explanation. “It would be a waste of breath and time to try and sway their decisions, so the plan is to go around them, talk to the soldiers, the people, spread the word that an opportunity to end this war has emerged and we need to seize it while it is still available. One voice, no matter how powerful, can be ignored, but thousands of voices all crying out for the same thing, they can hardly afford to brush them aside.”
The plan wasn’t terrible, it actually made a good amount of sense, but something still told me that it would not be so simple in practice. Durdan continued. “Of course, you must still meet with them and make an attempt to convince them, but your main goal will be gaining the support of the masses and the military.”
Even after having it all laid out in front of me with a solid plan and a simple objective, I was at a loss for words. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I took a deep breath that came out as a sigh. All I wanted was to be a damn teacher, and now my portfolio is going to be bloated to hell. Teacher, soldier, spy, medic, politician, and let’s not forget literal Jesus. Honestly, the world felt like it was conspiring to have me become a jack of all trades at this point.
Still, I had no argument or better plan than that, so it was with some reluctance that I went along with it. “Alright, so what do we have to do to prepare for this?”
Durdan reached over to a stack of paper and removed a piece of thick parchment from within. “To start, why don’t we make it all official.” He handed the sturdy medium to me so I could read it.
It took me a minute to get the gist of things, still a little rough around the edges when it comes to reading. Summarizing everything it said, it was an acknowledgment from Durdan that I am, in fact, the chosen of the goddess and are to be conveyed the title and respect that is necessary for my position. Of course, the actual text was far more superfluous and full of verbiage that the layman would have a hard time deciphering, but the end result still made me cringe. I had officially been named a lord, signed, and stamped, by one General Durdan.
The piece of parchment felt like it was made of ultra dense lead, forcing me to put it down before it broke my arm. I sighed. “Okay, officially a lord, great.” The level of enthusiasm in my voice was palpable. “Any other massive burdens you wish to put on me?”
Durdan chuckled a little bit. “Well, hopefully this next step will lessen your burdens just a bit. We need to assign you a personal escort, and while I can do that for you, I am willing to allow you to choose your own retinue. So, any ideas who you want?”
There was a small smile that found its way onto my face with that little bit of good news. “Yeah, I think I have a few ideas.”