by Eric Vall
I turned to my companions and held out my arms for them with a wide smile, and they rushed to me. Each woman enveloped themselves deep in my embrace and snuggled into me. With the Liebe gone, the people of Eifersucht could live on peacefully without their lives being meddled with, and I was grateful to each of them for helping me defeat and kill such a horrible god.
“I wish we could tell Haruhi … ” Carmedy whimpered into my chest, and I pulled her away to look deeply in her sad emerald eyes. “She’d be so happy.”
“Maybe we can.” I smiled to her as I reached into my void pocket and pulled out the glass orb that Makar had given me back in Valasara. “I’m unsure if this will work, but we can always try.”
I held the orb in the palm of my hand, and all of my minions stared down at the shiny surface of the marble-like ball.
“Haruhi?” Rana asked it as she leaned her face closer. The orb flashed twice, but nothing else happened. Annalise pursed her lips and tilted her head at it curiously.
“Must only work for Makar, as I suspected.” I sighed as I closed my hand over the orb and moved to return it to my void pocket, but the cat-woman reached out and stopped my hand.
“Haru, are you there? Can you hear us?” Carmedy shouted in, and I furrowed my brows at her, but they lifted as a strange sound lifted from the ball.
At first, it crackled and then the sounds of waves crashing reached us. All of my minion's faces broke with shock as they heard the light humming of our second cat companion.
“Haru! Can you hear us?” Carmedy repeated, and there was a slight pause as Haruhi’s humming stopped and she listened. “Hello? Are you there?”
“What the fuck?” Haruhi’s horrified voice crackled back at the disembodied voices speaking to her, and I chuckled deeply in the back of my throat at her reaction. “Who’s there? I’ll have you know I know Tarmanian martial arts, and I can kick your ass blindfolded!”
“Haruhi,” I said calmly, and through the orb, we heard her gasp softly at the sound of my voice, “it’s us. Rana, Carmedy, Annalise, Morrigan, and Master.”
“What’s wrong?!” The white-eared cat panicked as the words flowed out of her mouth. “Are you guys hurt? Is something wrong? Are you dead and now you’re ghosts haunting me? We only met once. You shouldn’t have attached to me like that. I mean, I like you guys a lot, but uh, it’s a little weird. Do I need an exorcism? Oh gods, my grandma had an exorcism performed once when I was a kitten, and it was weird. Oh man, I don’t want to go through that.”
Carmedy covered her mouth with one black paw as she giggled.
“We are not ghosts, Haruhi, we are speaking to you through a glass orb which I believe to be an enchanted communicator,” Morrigan muttered in her emotionless voice as her dark eyes studied the glass orb in my hand.
Haruhi’s background babbling stopped abruptly. “Okay, so you’re not dead?” she asked after she took a deep breath and calmed herself.
“No, we’re not dead.” I snickered softly, and a pleased purr came from the other end of the orb, which made Rana’s red eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “We are very much alive. We wanted to contact you and let you know the good news.”
“It’s the Liebe,” the High Queen said in her serious voice, and on the other end of the orb, Haruhi went silent as she waited for us to continue.
“He’s dead,” Carmedy exclaimed excitedly, “We killed him! The people of Eifersucht are safe! No more weird kissing or touching!”
“Are you serious?” Haruhi whispered in disbelief. “Did you really?”
“Yeah! Master absorbed his power and everything!” The small alchemist cheered as she lifted one paw in the air in celebration.
“He was pretty badass.” Rana chuckled as she lovingly stroked my cheek then whispered only to me as her red tail tickled the back of my neck. “He’s pretty sexy and handsome, too.”
“Well, uh, you’re not wrong,” Haruhi admitted. She must have overheard Rana’s words, and I looked down at the orb curiously. “But thank you, all of you. The people of Eifersucht may not know what you did for them, but if they did, they would be eternally grateful. I know it for a fact.”
“Where are you now, Haruhi?” I asked with a grin.
“Oh, I’m on my way back to Canarta,” she told us in a voice that dripped with disappointment. “Should be there by the end of next month. I got my usual inn once I arrived in Tintagal, and there was a letter waiting for me there from my father. It seems his hearing has gotten worse, and he needs me to return as soon as possible.”
I could almost hear her tail lash as she added, “A customer came into our library and asked for a book called ‘Feud of Bard Alistair.' Apparently, my father misheard the first word and gave the customer something quite unsavory. I must return and stay there with him until my brother comes back from the navy next year.”
“I’m so sorry, Haruhi,” the black cat said as she reached out and held the palm I cradled the orb in. “You told us how much you liked to go on this trip, and it's so sad you won’t be able to go until next year.”
“It’s okay, Carmedy,” Haruhi muttered through a half-hearted chuckle. “I don’t mind working in the library with my father. I’m just upset I won’t be able to go on adventures and meet new people.”
“Once we move on after conquering Tintagal,” I thoughtfully stated as I stroked my chin with my free hand, “what if we were to visit you on Canarta? Are there any dungeons on the islands?”
“Absolutely!” Haru cried through the orb, and Rana snorted at the excitement in the other cat’s voice. “I know for sure there are three dungeons on Nekoka. One or two are on Mauntenraion since it’s the smallest out of all the islands, and I believe there are five or six on the main island of Kegawa, but I’ve only been there a few times so I can’t be totally sure.”
“You will be with your father at the library that entire time?” I inquired through the orb, and it crackled once more.
“Yes, I should be since my brother still has a year and a half on his contract with the navy,” Haruhi confirmed, and I could tell the brunette cat was smiling widely from the sound of her voice.
“Then once you get there, wait for us. We will visit you once we are finished with Tintagal,” I told her, and she squealed in delight in response.
We spoke to Haruhi for a short while more, then said our goodbyes through the orb. I replaced the small orb into my void pocket and smiled to all of my minions as their faces glowed in excitement. Rana cocked her hip out and gave me a lopsided smile as she sauntered over to me.
“You know, Master, I think Haruhi has a little crush on you,” the fox-woman simpered through a broad smile.
I snickered as I reached out and stroked her unruly curls. “Does she now?” I asked back as I leaned closer to her face, and she tilted her head at me as her bright blue eyes moved over my features with tenderness.
“I think so too!” the black cat said excitedly as her tail swayed behind her. Her small round face broke out into a bright smile as she rushed forward and grabbed onto my hand. “Can we make Haruhi one of our sisters? Oh please, oh please?”
“That is a discussion for another time,” I said gently as I pulled them all to my side. “For now, we must focus on finding the Liebe’s treasure and our way back to the Bantams.”
By the time my shadow slaves gathered the chests full of loot and we made it out of the Liebe’s empty dungeon with our still-safe Bantams, the sun was starting to set, and the sky between the tops of the trees were bruised deep purples and navy blues. We set up our tent and brought our Bantams inside with us to protect them from the icy wind that blew in between the trees. The five birds snuggled up together with their large heads underneath their wings while Carmedy fawned over them and clasped her paws to her chest as she cooed sweetly at the birds.
As soon as my shadow slaves brought in the trunks of treasure, Rana dove in and ripped them open with determination. The fox searched through each of the trunks carefully but didn’t find wh
at she was looking for. None of the Liebe’s treasure held anything interesting or any of the sacred items, but the amount of gold in each trunk was overwhelming as we picked through it together. With the amount of gold we had already collected, we would be the wealthiest people in the kingdoms, not including the riches we would take from other dungeons along the way.
My minions and the children I would give to them eventually would want for nothing.
I watched them as they busied themselves around the tent and prepared for our evening meal. I loved all of them, and in a way, I owed them my life. They had already given me so much, and I would repay them lavishly once the earth and heavens were under my control. I knew each woman had different dreams for the future, and I wanted them to have anything their hearts desired. Soon enough, I would give it to them.
I reached out my right hand and stroked the chestnut braid of my high queen. She turned to me with a wide smile and placed her armor-covered hand over mine. I had married one, and I knew the thought was heavy on the minds of the other three. They were my obedient minions, and ultimately, all of them would be my dutiful wives. It was a day I too longed for, when we would officially be a family and united as one. It was a dream of the distant future, but it came closer by each day and each dungeon that we seized.
Chapter Fourteen
The journey to Kanashimi on our Bantams wasn’t as rough as the trek to the Liebe’s dungeon, and it would only take us a day and a half to reach the outskirts of the city. The trip up the island was beautiful, and each plateau and break in the massive trees gave us magnificent views of the rolling river surrounding the island and the white ice on the horizon. The forest that led up to Kanashimi was teeming with life. The underbrush was lush with green leaves despite the cold climate and every once in a while, we’d pass a few white lilies nodding their heads in the soft breeze that brushed through the forest.
For such a high elevation, the air was warmer than it should be, and at one point, my minions had to strip off their heavy coats and fan themselves from the unusual heat. I knew for a fact it was summer even though Tintagal and Tamarisch were still freezing, but here, this high up on the island, it seemed like spring was just coming to Kanashimi. I glanced back at my minions, and their faces were serene as we rode our Bantams.
“Is it normally this warm up here?” Rana asked Annalise.
“It's been like this for thousands of years,” the High Queen nodded gently as the breeze pushed her chestnut braid back over her shoulder. “It’s usually not this warm, but it’s been a good year for Machstein, especially the city of Kanashimi.”
“It is unnatural,” Morrigan muttered in her emotionless voice as she gathered her long white hair and lifted it from her neck. “The higher the elevation is, the colder it is supposed to be.”
“Is it the Tichádáma?” Carmedy questioned from the back of our group, and when I peeked over my shoulder, I chuckled as she reclined leisurely on the back of her bird with her feet up on the saddle.
“Yes,” my wife answered confidently as she nodded her head once. “Unlike most gods, the Tichádáma is benevolent and good to the people of Kanashimi. She gives them bountiful harvests and even a warmer climate that is not normal for this part of the country.”
“How is that possible?” Rana asked. “I know we’ve met a climate god and a god who can control the forest, but how can one god completely change the weather on the top of a mountain?”
Carmedy stroked her chin thoughtfully. “Master, is that normal? For a god to do these type of things for the people who live in the city close to their dungeons?” the alchemist called up to me, and I thought on her question for a moment.
“All four of you come from a time where the worship of gods has been forgotten,” I began slowly. “Back before I was cast out of the heavens, the worship of gods was a normal part of most societies’ routine. There were temples on every street corner in every city where the people could go and pray to the god of their choosing, and most homes had shrines in them. Those practices have been lost to time I see, and most of the temples I remember have crumbled to dust.”
My minions listened in rapt attention, all their focus on me as I continued.
“Back when I was still in the god’s realm, there was one certain city in particular I liked to watch over. I won’t tell you the name because I assume that too has been lost to time, but they had an entire complex dedicated to worshipping me. It was massive, six temples, forty shrines within the complex, and thousands of priests and priestess who held services and rituals in my honor. It’s gone now … the last time I checked in on the complex, it was forgotten and nearly submerged by sand. The city that used it daily was gone, too.”
“Oh, Master,” the cat breathed sadly as she sat up and stared deeply into my eyes, “That’s so awful.”
“It’s quite alright, Carmedy,” I comforted her with a small smile. “It only shows the gods have been too lenient while I’ve been gone. I must teach them the way a true god rules.”
“Do you think the people of Kanashimi are worshipping the Tichádáma?” the curly haired fox questioned as she tilted her head at me.
“That is the one thing I can commend the Tichádáma for,” I stated as I ran my eyes over the forest around us. “She has not forgotten the old ways. She has taught the people of Kanashimi ‘give, and you shall receive.’ Look at the way this forest is full of life and plants that should be dead from the cold are thriving. As Morrigan said, it’s unnatural for an elevation this high.” I watched as the high elf looked lovingly at the trees and the squirrels that chased each other up and down the wood. “If you close your eyes, and breath in deeply, you can sense her everywhere up here. She has touched almost every single living thing on the higher points of this island.”
“It almost makes me sad we have to kill her,” the alchemist breathed, and I inclined my head to her as her black ears lowered themselves to the sides of her head. “All the other gods who we’ve killed so far have done nothing for the people who live near them. Heck, that one god in the desert of Valasara was mutilating people to create those freaky puppets.”
“Yes,” I nodded as I lowered my head, “and that is why I believe Haruhi asked we give her a death befitting a true god instead of the usual slaughter we bring upon them.”
“But isn’t this detrimental to the people of Kanashimi?” Annalise asked as she gestured towards the lively forest around us. “What have the people of Kanashimi done to deserve special treatment? I could understand if it were a whole nation or the span of different countries, but this is a single island. What’s going to happen to them when we kill the Tichádáma? I’m assuming the climate and forest will return to what they once were before her dungeon was here, and the city of Kanashimi will die off just like the city that once worshipped you did. She’s not helping them, she’s giving them a disability when she dies off.”
“Very clever,” I praised with a wide smile, but then I lifted a single finger into the air to silence my minions in this teachable moment. “Do any of you know what a sigil is?”
Annalise, Carmedy, and Rana glanced at each other with wide eyes then shook their heads with confused faces, but Morrigan’s plump lips spread into a sly smile as her dark eyes flashed with knowing. “A sigil is a sign or symbol with magical properties. They are both used in white and black magic.”
“Morrigan is correct,” I said as I pointed at her, and the white-haired elf bowed her head shyly as her cheeks dusted a soft pink. “But sigils are not only used in white and black magic. All gods from the heavenly realm have a single discernable sigil. We all know deities have their divine name, but each also has a magical sigil unique to the god who it represents.”
“Wow,” Carmedy sighed loudly as she stroked her tail, “there’s so much about gods I didn’t know.”
“Now, I want each of you to look at the trunks of these trees and tell me what you see as we pass,” I instructed them, and they obeyed as our Bantams carried us farther do
wn the beaten path.
Silence prevailed as each of my minions squinted down at the trunks of the trees, and I knew it might take them a while before one of them noticed it as I had when we first entered the domain of the Tichádáma. The black-haired cat scrutinized each tree with squinted eyes and pressed her tongue into the corner of her mouth thoughtfully. My wife went as far as to grip onto her reins and lean off her Bantam to stare down at each trunk that came by. To my surprise, the pale elf’s eyes turned wholly black as she glared down at each tree with disdain, and Rana pointed at her with mock shock plastered across her face.
“Cheater! Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater!” the fox cried through a smile, and the elf’s eyes returned to normal as she rolled them in defeat.
“It is not cheating if I use the gifts that have been given to me,” Morrigan assured the redhead, but Rana shook her head, not letting it go.
“Master did tell us to use our eyes,” the alchemist whispered over to her pale sister, and the elf sighed loudly as she hung her head back and stared up at the sky.
“I was using my eyes, was I not?” the elf asked back with a soft chuckle.
“Yeah,” Carmedy agreed as she stared hard at one tree in particular, “but he didn’t say you could use your power. That gives you an unfair adv-- Hey! I think I found it!”
The cat-girl stopped her Bantam with a quick pull of the reigns, and Kura squawked loudly in protest. Carmedy hastily comforted the bird and apologized for startling her, then turned back to me with a broad smile.