Guard's Distress

"Well, this is going very smoothly. I like it." Plight commented.

"I used to think they only go well when I am alone. But you haven't made my goals difficult at all." I replied. I was drawing the glyph and adding the realm location to it that would take us to Dueling Rivers. I looked up at him, "Sorry, that sounded worse than I meant.. What I meant was you are making me see that it's the quality of person that made my life a difficult misery, not that it was simply people."

He smiled and said, "I'm glad you think that way. It would be rather depressing to hear I'm making your life difficult."

"I do feel like you won't let me get away with wonton murder, but that's alright." I said, returning to the glyph.

"Aww, you two sound like great friends." Sienna said, crouched and watching me.

"Ah, yeah no, wonton murder would be bad." Plight said.

"Yeah, you should just bite people." Sienna said grinning.

Plight held up a finger.. "Ah... Ah.. no..."

She blinked. "I forgot you were a vampire. Why wouldn't you bite people?"

"Yes, why wouldn't you? She does." Alexion scoffed.

"It's I.. I just don't bite people. For what I think should be obvious reasons." Plight said.

"Well, how do you eat then?" Sienna asked curiously.

"Animals. I.. eat animals." Plight said.

"Raw meat like a werewolf does." I said, finishing the glyph. "Incidentally, that is why I don't bite people. Plus diseases are a concern."

"Oh. I like raw meat, too. Xion eats his cooked." Sienna said. "I don't mind it cooked sometimes."

"I have been introduced to a wonderful thing called Sashimi, have you ever tried it?" Plight asked her.

"That is a strange word. What is it?" She asked.

"A new dish nobles fancy. Just thinly cut strips of uncooked meats. Often had with sauces." I explained.

"Yes, though not with sauces. I didn't know it had a name." Sienna said.

I activated the portal and walked through, they all followed. It was pretty close to dinner time. "Which reminds me, we should have some dinner. I have to find Bryna first. She has the bag of holding."

"Yes, we should go check on Bryna see what she's been up to." Plight agreed.

With our Elven entourage we traveled through the town, finding Thomas and Bryna running around playing a game. Bryna noticed me and ran over to us with Thomas. After a brief conversation we went outside the town to hunt and get ready for Alex's return. While Sienna summoned her tower in a safe area in the woods, Alexion hunted with Bryna and Thomas. They returned with sufficient kills. Sienna's tower had a kitchen, a study, a bedroom, and an empty room.

Sienna prepared the kills for us all. With the understanding that I was a werewolf, though preferred cooked meals, she didn't fully cook mine, nor Bryna's when she learned that was an option. But did fully cook Thomas, Alexion and Sylvia's. Hers and Plight's weren't cooked at all. His was plentiful. She cut up fruits to go with it along with some greens. It was honestly very delicious. The kids ate a lot.

After dinner the Elves set up in the empty room and played a gorgeous song with Bryna's bag sitting open. It took a moment, but Bag Alex did indeed come out. Just like I half knew he would. Once he was fully out, they played another song for him and Bryna took her bag out of the room. At the end of that song, Sylvia, having recognized him despite his altered state, led him into the forest and started the process of restoring him.

I let Plight know that I was going to visit James and update him on my actions. It was a habit I'd developed while in the other reality. I idly wondered if it annoyed this James. Either way I used the glyph to the Capital and entered the city, leaving Bryna and Thomas in Plight and Sienna's care. Much to my surprise, Haril hailed me.

Cautiously, I approached him. He didn't look happy.. Nor mad. Couldn't read him. He led me to his office in the guard house. He ordered me to have a seat and I obeyed. Uncertain how this was going to go.

"So there were quite a few uniforms I needed to clean up." He said conversationally.

"I'm glad you were successful." I replied.

"I found a few correspondence while cleaning up that were quite concerning." He continued. "Something about helping transport.. people."

"Yes." I answered. "It's something my father and I are working towards fixing. They are being used as sacrifices to the Shadow Knight in the Shadowfell that wants to take over this continent. I'm almost strong enough to fight, then we'll be dealing with it. I'm trying to get my mother in a state to help us."

"Your mother?" He asked.

"Yes. Blood Tears, Adelaide Cross in Ymir's Town. I'll be speaking with her tomorrow." I explained.

"Her and I will have to have a lengthy conversation about what you've been getting up to." Haril said.

"I've been getting up to building a city." I replied. "I'm not ashamed of my past with you and that runs against the law. I can same I'm not entirely the same boy you've disliked."

"I can see that. Have you truly been building this city?" Haril asked, shuffling the papers on his desk.

"Yes. I don't want any abandoned kids like me to end up in peoples hands like Miran or Reinier.." I told him. "This place will prevent that from being a thing and needs upstanding people to keep such things from occurring."

"And your wanting me to guard it?" He asked.

"There's no one better than you. You'd be unregulated, unlike your current job where your guards can't be trained to the point of being able to outdo the royal guard and military. Though, I would stipulate no belting children. That shit hurts and we don't learn from it anyways. In addition to that, the citizens will not be permitted to steal from each other or businesses in the city. Only rude outsiders. Though, due to schooling and paid labor they wouldn't be thieving anyways." I explained. "The city is in it's process of being built. It will have citizens in two days, though won't be ready for more for at least a week and half. Dean, along with a council will be running it under.." I wrote 'Nathan Denoir aka Mills'. "Mills is a good man. It is still my city, for whatever reason, I couldn't get them to take it fully. Can you imagine a school not just for Nobility? Medicine and treatment the poor can afford? Food enough for no one to starve? That's my city."

"That sounds like a grand thing. I hope it becomes a reality. If it does, I would like to be there for it." Haril replied.

"Great to hear. I will let you know when it's ready for you. Do you have people in mind to help you? We can discuss the pay you feel your men deserve." I replied. Then a partial memory struck me. "Where's your son? Wasn't he my age?"

He looked at me with a look of confusion. Then slowly a look of recognition and sadness. "I forgot my son... Everyone did.."

".. That's not a change I'm glad to hear.." I said. "But I may know someone who might be able to find him."

"Who is it?" He asked.

"Ar... Tyra might be able to. Do you remember his name?" I asked.

He frowned. Struggling to remember. He opened his desk drawer in a frantic manner. Then reached his arm inside. He pulled on something, something snapped and he pulled out a journal. He began flipping through it. Though from what I could see, all the pages were blank. On the final page he stopped. "I knew something was happening. So I wrote without writing." He took a piece of charcoal out and rubbed it across the last page. An entry began to appear, 'I know tonight I will forget him. It feels like he is being pulled from my mind. So I will write it here, so that none may take it from me. My boy is alive and I know it. His name is Simon.' He looked at me. "Help him."

Oddly, he passed out the next moment. Quickly, and without thought, I stored that journal in my orb. I knew it would be safest there. Then I was in a pickle. What should I do with Haril?? In a partial panic, I drew a glyph to my Father's estate. I took him and put him in a guest room before returning to his office through the same glyph and scuffing it out. I left calmly, but went directly to James' office. One look at my expression and he knew something was up.

"What has happened?" James asked. "You seem distressed."

"I want to say that I physically did not cause the state that the guard captain is in, but that I did technically kidnap him, legally, though mainly because I know it looks exceptionally bad that he's unconscious after a conversation with me." I babbled.

"Alright. Stop there. Where is he?" He asked.

"Your estate in a guest room. No one saw me get him there." I said. "Then again he did just bust a bunch of guards about being in cahoots with the Denoirs."

"So he finally caught onto that did he?" James asked.

"No, I told him to check uniforms and where.. While offering him a job at three times his current salary." I replied.

"Well aren't you the little talent scout? So what caused him to pass out?" He asked.

"Do you remember his son?" I asked.

"I cannot say that I do. Is this another of those alternate reality things?" James asked.

"Nope. It's a this reality and no one remembers the boy. He's my age.. I'm sure I interacted with him, but I can't quite remember anything else about him. But Haril showed me a diary entry that held his name then passed out. It stated his memories of his son's existence were ripped from him." I told him.

"Well, that's concerning. Why bother taking the memories of a guard captains son?" James asked.

"I don't know. It could just be because I was busy at the time, but I don't feel I was able to actively try to find him, though I swore I would." I said, frowning.

"Well unfortunately all we can do now is try and find someone talented in aberration magic." James said.

"I was going to ask Arity for her help in finding Simon Den. She's a psionic master, after all." I said.

"Alright, if she is a master of Psionics, you can certainly ask her for help." James replied. "Something strong enough to get through mind defenses and affect so many would have to be a true master.. Or a god."

"Or Archfey or Archdevil. Fey deals are powerful." I pointed out.

"Yes, there are too many possibilities." James agreed.

".. On another topic, have you heard of the Fey's UnderKing?" I asked.

"I don't tend to dabble in the Fey's business." James replied. "So, no, I do not know of the UnderKing."

"Oh. That is probably wise.." I said.

"What has you asking about this UnderKing?" James asked.

"Um, it surprised an Archfey that he interacted with me. Twice now. He remembered me despite the time difference that occurred and gave me the thing I had gotten from him in the future." I said.

"And what did he give you?" James asked.

"A Fey spider egg that Sylvia says turns into a person at will once hatched." I replied.

"Why would they give you such a thing?" He wondered.

"I'd asked about it and he said for a story of daring he'd give it to me." I responded.

"Did he tell you what it was before asking for payment?" James asked.

"A Fey spider egg that is unhatched. It will hatch shortly." I replied. "That's all he said bout it. And Kershka loves spiders."

"I do believe he does." James acknowledged. "So it is your plan to hand over this Fey spider egg to Kershka?"

"Yes. Bibs got very frustrated with me once it hatched, though said he wasn't angry last time." I told him.

"He was probably more shocked than anything else." James replied.

"Perhaps. Right now he's taking pre-emptive revenge against the Bloody Hawkes." I told him.

"Pre-emptive revenge? I don't know if that's how it works." James said.

"Well, last time Uncle killed them, per my request to avenge Thomas, a gold dragon's young child. This time Bibs and Kershka are killing them because of what had happened to Thomas last time." I replied.

"Who is Thomas?" He asked.

"My friend. A child I met in Dueling Rivers who Lana convinced to travel with us despite my protests." I explained.

"You do stay quite busy, don't you." He commented.

"Today, I solved another of the Sultan's problem, got offered a job by the Sultan, spent time with my brother, took Uncle and Arity to save Plight's sister, introduced his sister to her sort of fiancé, visited the Fey to restore Alexander, Bibs' friend, to being human, and managed to gain Haril as an employee of my City. Haven't checked on the construction that's begun yet, though." I told him.

"Busy bee indeed." James said.

"There's still a lot for me to do. Ah, I've been forgetting to turn in the completed quests." I snapped my fingers.

"Never forget to claim money for work you've done." James advised.

I chuckled, "Oh, that part is claimed. Just haven't turned the signed slips into the guild for higher prestige."

"Ah yes. Their ranking system." He remembered.

"It was a dumb idea to send me to be an adventurer to be safe. I died last time, but I'm not doing that again." I said.

"It is a dumb idea to insult your father. But if you managed to die out there, what has Miran been teaching you." James wanted to know.

"Not about black powder and fireballs." I replied. "Though I did manage to kill an Oblex at the same time as myself."

"And what, pray tell, is an oblex?" James asked.

"What Uncle died fighting en masse before Snow Den tortured him to life." I replied. "They come from Mind Flayer's and feed off memories."

"Feed off memories, hm?" He repeated. "And where was this oblex?"

"All over Dueling Rivers." I said. "They are dormant right now, but I intend to let Tilton know bout it soon."

"Sounds like you're going to be staying busy." He said.

"It's what you and I do. I've been taking breaks in the orb." I said. "Two of my friends are vampires, if Uncle hasn't told you yet."

"He mentioned you had some interesting companions, but not what they were." He said.

"Bryna is a Winter Wolfborn." I told him.

"Next you'll tell me you're pal-ing around with God's and Devils." James said.

"A dragon, Fey, Archfey, Leonin, Vampires, Wolfborn... I think that's it. Though, I'll add a wraith to that." I replied. "And I do intend to head to the divine realm."

"Why in the world would you head into the divine realm?" James asked.

"To get Cassae. The Glassteel crafter. Her weapons and armor are wonderful." I explained. "And I'm going to make Asmodeus sign a contract to leave someone alone."

"Why would you go and get yourself involved with Asmodeus?" He asked.

"Oh, he and I are old friends of sorts." I said. "But really, he's probably going to be bothering me sooner or later. I amuse him, and no, it's not a compliment."

"Maybe you should.. not leave the Capital anymore. I'm beginning to believe that it is way riskier for you out there." James said.

I grinned, "I've barely told you anything. But if I stayed in the Capital, I wouldn't be able to start a kingdom on the other continent."

"You want to start a kingdom..." James repeated. "I feel that's a little more difficult than you seem to think it is."

"It may be interesting. Haven't done it, and it would require a lot more attention than most of my hobbies." I replied. "Nothing is too difficult to try. I already know the perfect place to start it, and the disenfranchised would naturally gravitate to my policies and ideals. And I would get to spite the bastard that killed Ash while she was pregnant with Uncle's baby and sent me elsewhere."

"Let's not mention that last part to your Uncle." James recommended.

"I had not intended to. He was going to kill her after she had the baby. Snow even offered to nurse the baby for him." I shrugged. "Another reason I am going to kill Ash."

"It seems she has given you plenty of reasons." He said.

I nodded emphatically. "Yes. A hundred times over." Then I saddened some, "I had considered her a friend and tolerated her stupidity. She just kept ramping it up to new levels."

"Not sure if she just let it ramp up or of she simply let more of it out." James said.

"I don't know. She got weird with the 'Aunty Ash' thing, got obsessive over Uncle and I. Openly mocked you. When the dragon egg hatched she went nuts over being a 'mom and kept insisting I was the 'dad'. Then when Snow got pregnant she became nuerotic and obsessive over that. Then downright dangerous when she got pregnant." I said. "It was like those things all triggered her."

"So what we should actually do is drop her into an enemy territory and just let her have at it." James suggested. Possibly joking, though I didn't know him to joke.

"Naw. She is useless without me directing her." I shook my head.

"So she is not a threat as long as she has no direction?" He asked.

"She is not a threat as long as she doesn't breath. Her being useless and her being a threat aren't explicitly reliant on one situation or another." I said.

"Alright. Then the simplest answer is to kill her. Easier than to try to figure out how to put her to use. And if this Lana one is the same, same result." James said.

"I'll show you." I said darkly, then I mind linked to him. I showed him some of Lana's greatest successes, which included her beating that zombie bard and freeing Dueling Rivers, to her helping lead survivors out if the Capital through a portal to Dueling Rivers, to her beating her hero Azerim at a music face off with Alexander, and finally her paying to start my city. Then I showed him the greatest things that drew my ire. How she accused me of being power hungry, how she grabbed my genitals as a power move, twice despite promising not to again, her accusing me of picking a fight with the ancient gold dragon, later claiming I killed it and turned it into a dracolich, her 'adoption' of Thomas and forging papers saying so. Her obsession with the table. Her reactions to my saving her life multiple times. And the Goblin City incident.

That one actually took me by surprise. I couldn't place when that had happened. Focusing on it, I still couldn't place it. We'd traveled through a portal to a city of Goblinoids. I'd begun working with the bureaucrats to get us home, but when she was supposed to be making a diversion so we could reach our friends, Plight and Xirena, who were wrongly placed in the Arena to die, she'd decided to start a revolution and help kill off the bureaucrats. Which brought on an absolute genocide.. Especially as we fled into the Underdark and Duergar had gone in to cull the rest. But I'd never met Plight in this reality, and never met Xirena, ever. I was sure of it. Following this memory line, I realized that was a memory of an alternate reality. That world had ended.

"I can agree. She needs to die." James said definitively.

"I intend to." I replied. "No one's argue against it. Which reminds me. About Snow, has anything been done yet?"

"I have spoken with Archimedes, he is open to the idea. Where is it that she is being held?" James asked.

"I completely overlooked telling you that. Huh. She's on the second floor of a mansion near Dueling Rivers, fifteen minute walk East." I told him.

"Good. I'll be able to let him know where to go then." James said.

"Are you at all curious about her?" I asked.

"I'm extremely curious about this woman I supposedly fall in love with and have children with. But I'd like to experience it rather than learn of it." James said.

I grinned. "I don't know if you fell in love with her or not in this reality. But you looked pleased."

"We shall see." James said.

I nodded. "I think I'm going to run out of small things to do."

"I don't feel like anything you have been doing has been particularly small. Everything you've been doing has been changing peoples lives left and right." James said.

I said, "To me those were small tasks. It's nothing life threatening."

"No, they were life altering." James insisted.

"Aside from befriending Plight, I only see it as impacting others, which isn't my concern any longer." I replied. "Aside from yours, Uncle's, and my brother, the rest doesn't impact my life."

"You'll be amazed by how much your life can be affected by those you deem irrelevant." James said.

"I don't intend to stay around any of them. Once their lives settle, there's no need to keep someone like me around. Which is fine. The less I have to worry about, the better." I shrugged, then laughed lightly, "I suppose I do understand why Sarial kept calling me a cat." I sighed. "I'm not even remotely afraid you're going to toss me away anymore, so you should probably accept that I'm going to be mouthy."

James actually laughed a little. "Mouthy, eh?"

"Yes. I should probably check on Haril." I noted. "Then pay Miran a visit."

"What would you need to go to him for?" James asked.

"Beat him and send him to Asmodeus?" I said in a questioning tone.

"If that's what you wish to do, I will not stop you." James said.

"He stole from me, so I intend to pay him back for it." I replied. "I'll talk to Arity and Uncle in the morning before I got meet my mother."

"What did he steal from you?" James asked.

"Letters. For the last twelve years." I replied. " what's his name Cross sent them, detailing about my mother's condition, about my little brother. And about the fact I wasn't abandoned, I was sold. Which is better in my opinion, because it's an answer as to why."

"Ah. Yes. I suppose I could have informed you of all that myself." He said. "Except for the brother part."

"... He's been blocking Vincent from doing business with you. Vincent'd wanted to. I don't intend to interfere in that aside from mentioning it to you." I told him.

"What kind of business does Vincent do?" James asked.

"General goods. Magic item, weapons, clothing, probably more." I said, with a bit of pride, I added, "He's a shrewd boy."

"Shrewd does typically get the business done." James commented.

I nodded. "He has a sword Uncle fancied previously. It was my mother's. I don't know that we want him to have it. It uses your health to destroy your enemies. Uncle was a little reckless with it, but it never got him killed."

"He is quite skilled at being reckless." James said.

"For now." I said.

"What do you mean, 'For now? Is he going to become less skilled at it later?" James asked.

"No, he'll value his life more once he has kids." I said. "Not that he ever shies from fights still."

"I doubt he'll ever shy from a fight." James said.

"I hope you will." I replied.

"I can assure you I do not know what I may have been thinking to take myself to the battlefield." James said. "But I have absolutely no intentions of doing so again."

"Maybe it was because Dirthin and I were going? The undead army does outnumber the forces we were and are able to get together, even with the Sultan." I said. "I had also just started calling you my father of my own accord. Without asking."

"Ah, so you believe an emotional response was the cause of my joining." James noted.

"It's the only thing that remotely makes sense." I pointed out. "Because it was certainly not logical. I and my group were meant to stay in Uncle's area, too after securing the town, per your orders."

"Did you adhere to said orders?" James asked.

"No. I saw the danger coming to you, that you did not and tried to stop it." I said.

"And what danger, precisely, was heading my way?" James asked.

"Three death knights." I said.

"Ah." He said. "Yes, that would have been a little difficult."

"By the time I reached you, your body was their great swords new sheaths." I replied in a grin tone.

"Well thats... Certainly grim." James said.

"Anyways, I think I'll be ready for the Shadowfell stuff the day after tomorrow. I intend to ask my Mother to help." I said.

"The Champion of the Arena ought to be a great help there. If you can get her wits about her." James said.

"No problem, Dad. I've done it once, no problem with twice." I said.

"Good. I'm sure she'll be an asset." James said.

"Yep. She'll protect my little brother." I said.

"What does your brother need protection from?" James asked.

"He's eight, Dad. Most people keep their young ones safe at home. Vincent is a businessman, dealing directly with customers and other traders." I explained.

"Ah, yes. Having a guard would be beneficial." James said.

"Yeah, as much as I have enjoyed my new hobby of bothering you at night, I have things I've got to get to doing." I said, getting ready to leave. "See you tomorrow."

"This is a new hobby for you? I suppose I could get used to it." James said. "I will see you tomorrow."

"Haril is in your home." I reminded him before leaving the office and heading to the Estate on foot.

I'd never done this before.I entered the building a little shyly, before heading upstairs to check on Haril. To my surprise, he was awake, but very groggy. Almost like he'd been heavily drinking. I approached him carefully.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Like my head's been ripped apart. Where am I?" He demanded to know.

"When you passed out, I panicked and took you to the Hearthry Estate." I said.

"Hoh, the implications of this. Of what people are going to say.. Is going to give me a worse headache. Why am I here?" Haril asked.

"Like I said, I panicked. No one saw you get here. I promise." I said.

"I understand that you brought me here, but why?" He said.

"Ok. I was worried about the implications of me leaving your office after you'd passed out." I said. "I couldn't think of a better, or safer, location at that moment."

"And why was I passed out in my office with you?" Haril wanted to know.

"Some ill magic. Had I to guess, I'd say a Denoir retaliation. Not that there's proof of that." I lied.

"Boy, you are the worst liar I know. I feel like a kraken chewed me up and spat me out and I still know that's a lie." Haril said.

"I tried." I sighed. "Alright, something we were discussing triggered an effect on you and let you remember something, but knocked you out and wiped that memory out. I don't want to discuss what it was, because it will probably happen again."

"Is it something life threatening or threatening to others?" He asked.

".. A person maybe, but I will fix that." I promised. "I'll make you some tea for your head."

"Thank you, but no thank you. I just need to get home and sleep." Haril said.

"I'm not after harming you." I said. "I'll even admit to some murders I'm planning and why. I can get you back to your office."

He looked at me, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. And I don't need to go to the office, I need to go home."

"The office is the only way I can get you out of the Hearthry Estate without anyone seeing you." I explained.

"Fine. Lead the way." He said.

I drew a glyph in that room, since I'd seen it and memorized it, that'd open to his office. When I finished it, I activated it. "Be careful, you aren't in a good state... I could take you to the Vacation home.. You'd lose no time and be safe to rest."

He stood and fell back onto the bed. "A vacation would be wonderful. I haven't had one of those in years."

I canceled the glyph and left the room. I raided the kitchen briefly, putting the stuff into the orb, then returned upstairs, I wrote the two pass phrases on a piece of paper indicating which is which. Then held the orb out to him, "Touch this please."

"What is this? Some kind of communication thing?" He asked, touching it.