Grandpa's surprise visit: preparing for the youth tournament
When Mortis opened his eyes, he saw a dwarf woman looking up at him with her forehead covered in sweat. Her face was glowing fiery red, and her breathing was rapid while her heart was beating wildly. Mortis was amazed that he could actually feel her heartbeat. When he directed his gaze downward, he noticed that his hand was resting on her breasts under her nightgown. Obviously, he had been massaging her breasts while she slept, unknowingly providing her first sexual experience. Quickly, he withdrew his hand and apologized, albeit half-heartedly. Edna nodded shyly with a smile before embarrassedly turning away to get out of bed. Hastily, she left the room to seek out a bathroom.
Gwinvia was already looking for Edna to call her to her. But when she saw Edna hurriedly running past her with a reddened face, her curiosity was aroused. Especially when she saw Mortis coming out of the room in his underwear - he was slowly strolling to the bathroom, still with a tired expression on his face. Although dwarves rarely found humans attractive, Gwinvia had to admit that Mortis was an exception. Even she was attracted to him, which puzzled her a bit. Normally, no matter how beautiful they might be by her standards, she did not find people appealing. But the closer Mortis got, the more nervous she became. Then, as he walked past her and she caught his scent, she suddenly understood why he smelled to her like mountains and like the land she came from. There was something magical about that smell, especially for a Druid like her. Knowing that Edna was also a Druid, she now understood why she had chosen this person. Even though Gwinvia would have actually liked to marry Edna to one of her sons, this exchange was enough for her to understand that no dwarf or other race could have such a strong connection to nature as he did. The dwarf found this amusing and wondered how the elves would react to him. After all, they too were strongly connected to nature.
After washing himself, Mortis went in search of something to eat. He made his way to the kitchen, anxious not to draw much attention to his food. But his worries were in vain, for the kitchen was already filled with various races and cooks busily making preparations for the upcoming tournament. Apparently each noble had brought their own cooks, even the vampires had prepared food, presumably out of etiquette or because they could consume both. This was too much commotion for Mortis, however, who quickly grabbed a morsel from a tray and hurriedly departed.
Some servants who observed him doing so felt Mortis was pushy or too arrogant as he walked through the kitchen as if he owned everything. But apart from a few, no one dared to bring this up. Mortis' fan base in the castle and in Venice had grown so large that criticism of him could be dangerous. Mortis was unaware of this, however, and headed for the tournament square, where many nobles were already gathered to support their children or hold final tactical meetings.
Mortis wondered if he should also talk to his children and motivate them. When he almost dropped his food, he noticed that his wives were already in a corner with the children. In the midst of them stood his father with John, who was talking at him. "Well boy, I don't want to see you win. I want to see you show the others in the square who's in charge." The god spoke with a stern face, and John, nodded gravely. He knew the blond man he called Grandpa was serious. "Grandpa, you can't do that! Who's going to play with me then? Look at Nora, she only looks at the other boys and ignores us," Zara replied snappishly.
The blond, muscular man laughed and said, "Well, there are women who know what they want. Don't feel bad, after all, you've been neglecting them too. That's how it is when you get older - your interests shift, and everything can suddenly change. Oh, before I forget, you two girls should also show what you can do. Otherwise, things could look bleak for you, because Grandma only wants to see your best." Nora, who was slightly absent, turned around in shock and nodded as if she hadn't missed anything. Zara, too, was now motivated to give it her all.
As Mortis slowly approached, he was warmly welcomed by his father and his wives. But Mortis was not in a cuddly mood at all. In a somewhat somber tone, he asked, "What are you doing here?" His father laughed heartily and replied, "What would I be doing here? My student has a fight, so I have to be there. After all, it's hard for him to find a sparring partner. But I see we're getting an addition soon, and that boy over there has potential. Most importantly, your little girl has already made up her mind, so he should show what he can do today."
Mortis turned and caught sight of Bernard, the young Margrave's son. He looked at the boy again more closely. Bernard wore light armor that allowed him a great deal of mobility. He seemed to have chosen mittens as his weapon, suggesting that he was trained as a pugilist or monk. John, on the other hand, was taught sword fighting with two one-handed weapons. Mortis took note of all these details as he let his gaze wander over the children.
The boys and girls were already outfitted with their armor and seemed to be preparing for the tournament. Mortis couldn't help but admit that he liked the thought of this tournament more and more. The different training and fighting styles of the children promised an exciting and diverse event.