The Oathsworn

by Liandra Jake

  All the furniture and wooden surfaces were covered in plastic. The floor was still bare concrete until the carpet could be shipped. Arend took a peek into the garage. Many of the tool racks were missing tools as they also had to be shipped like the carpets. Arend stepped onto the elevator and simply jumped to the next floor instead of using it. He was a little surprised he could now easily clear ten feet in a single jump.

  The Maxim Vulcanus was directly behind him, taking up the entirety of the front half of the room with the exception of a small space two people could squeeze through side-by-side if they really needed to. It's actual workstation was open to the platform to the third floor. Arend was truly amazed at just how large his store was. The side of the room opposite of the large appliance was a mess of smaller appliances for anything and everything Arend would make; most of which were free.

  Arend took a walk through them to a door that led outside to the extra roof space from the first floor. The roof was slightly inclined so water could run off, and was solid metal through and through. Arend could feel it bend under him, but it sprang back with little delay. Arend amused himself by tapping his foot and sending ripples through the gel-like material.

  "Glad to see you're having fun." Iode said from above. He gave Arend a wave from a similar section of roof on the second floor. Arend hopped up, giving the gel-metal a chaotic ripple. "Try not to do that." Iode warned. "These absorb Orenth from its environment, serving as an easy way to condense Orenth as well as drastically reducing the Orenth pollution a set-up like this would create."

  "I didn't use Orenth." Arend replied.

  "Oh, well. Good. You would short it out, break the cell, or overload the machines these are hooked to otherwise." Iode said.

  Arend left the roof for the third floor office space. Iode followed. Arend glanced around at the series of desks that would serve as the work spaces of his employees. The ceiling had the occasional skylight and much more to maintain the air temperature something comfortable even if the garage was going and the room was filled with people hard at work. Arend was satisfied with the almost complete donut shaped desk that would be his.

  "You've got everything I wanted. And somehow made my insanity work." Arend said proudly.

  "Not without a cost." Iode said as he tapped a wall. "Almost twice the cost, but structurally sound and incredibly efficient. It took me some time to really work it out."

  "It shows." Arend said.

  Iode took a moment for thought. "So far, everything's golden. Once we finally have everything, it should be quickly and easily installed and set up. In the mean time I can move on to my next building."

  "Hmm. How has Rose been? I haven't really seen her for a while, and you and I haven't really talked since we got here." Arend asked.

  Iode looked surprised. "So no one's told you?"

  Arend shook his head. "From Kronth, to Shifted Tilt and Ros; I've been working since I came back. The last time I talked to Corenden was when I was first hiring. Hunter's been the only other person I've had a meaningful conversation with."

  "Well…" Iode began. "We made it official." He raised his hand to show Arend his simple gold ring. Arend' eyebrows shot up. "And we had a very small wedding. It was only us since the lack of family would have made it awkward for us. And the mix of cultures was too strange. We both though a simple human-based wedding would be best since it was the least complicated." Arend nodded. "And Rose is pregnant with triplets, due sometime next week."

  Arend slipped on the desk he was leaning on and simultaneously landed on his ass and hit the back of his head. Iode tapped his foot nervously as Arend stood back up. "Dude… I guess that's why you've been working so hard." Arend said as he rubbed his head and stretched his neck.

  "Yeah, I didn't really expect it myself. It just sort of happened."

  "My vote's on the honeymoon." Arend said with a grin.

  Iode laughed. "Yeah, that'll do it I guess."

  Arend hopped up onto a desk. "Well, I wish you luck. No matter what anyone says, you two are perfect for each other. Do you have any idea regarding gender or…?" Arend waved a hand. "I'm not a 100% on a Sereph's gestation period or what you two would create."

  "As I said, she's a having triplets and will having them very soon. The triplet thing was something recent. Apparently, Serephs still suffer from reproduction issues, but only with the males. The females became more fertile in return, and taking multiple wives wasn't something as shunned as with humans or other monsters. I can guarantee Floxes have no problem with fertility."

  Arend whistled. "There's a hell of a lot of work ahead of you."

  Iode headed for the door. "And most of it I have to do now."

  Arend followed. "There's not much I can do since you're not the type for handouts, but if there's anything I qualify for, don't hesitate to ask."

  Iode turned around from the edge of the roof. He simply held out a hand. Without a word, Arend shook it. Arend let out a sigh, watching Iode fly off and thinking about his own future. He quickly spun around to continue his investigation, now worrying about Kronth.

  [X]

  Iode dropped down at the small office rented by the company he worked for. It was a small office building filled with private rooms where small companies could work out of in a professional setting. His boss gave him no time to report on Shifted Tilt before throwing him at a client that would be considered any small company's big break. Iode was face-to-face to Kyrel's father, Erasur BluZeph, in a small meeting room. Erasur was surprised to see a Pog, but Iode continued as normal with no idea who he was talking to.

  "Don't mind the look. I've been working nonstop since three." Iode said as he held out a hand.

  Erasur shook it with a doubtful look. "I have to admit, I'm more preoccupied with what you are." He said as he sat at the other end of the round table.

  Iode shrugged, simply sitting on the floor rather than in the small chair. "Species doesn't matter when it comes to building."

  "Not to everyone." Erasur replied. "I have my doubts about this company, but all the larger ones are busy fixing the damage from the war."

  Iode leaned forward. "Do you want some of my qualifications? How's this: I worked for Tommori since he took over Yitkin; and worked to care for myself and my mother in the seven years until then. I have thirteen years of experience thanks to that man. Not only did I design his new foundry, I worked around to rebuild that Pog Fortress and this city." Iode backed away slightly. "I also helped with Arend' store."

  Erasur chuckled. "Of course he would let a Monster work for him. Though my son's got the right idea to stick with that Guild they're in."

  Iode raised an eyebrow, now interested in the man. "Oh? What's his name? I might have met him."

  "Kyrel." Erasur replied.

  "Oooh. I can see the-" Iode stopped. "…BluZeph?" He asked softly.

  Erasur nodded with a laugh. "I'm sure you heard what happened to the family mansion. That's why I'm here."

  Iode shook his head to clear his mind. "Alright…Alright! Business. How big do you want the rooms to be?"

  Erasur handed him a stack of photos with mixed ages. Iode poked through them. "I know an exact replica isn't possible, and it isn't what I want. I want you to keep it the same style, but add a few notable improvements. Due to the limitations at the time, what I originally wanted it to be wasn't possible."

  "A place to fly freely." Iode cut in, glancing up. Erasur nodded with a shocked look. "Don't act so surprised." Iode said as he glanced back down. "I know what the open hallways and high ceilings mean, especially when you consider a BluZeph's love of flying." Iode carefully placed Erasur's photos and his paperwork into a folder. "I can't give and definite answers until I see what it's like now. If Kyrel broke the foundation too much, we'll have to move the location of the mansion somewhere else."

  Erasur handed Iode a second stack of photos. Iode was impressed. "Annihilated would be a better word to describe this."

  "Price is no problem. Is there a w
ay to-?" Iode waved his hand.

  "He went down to bedrock. Bedrock won't crack with a crater of this size. With a few tons of dirt shifted around, we can give you a large basement. A pond wouldn't be difficult, or a sort of indoor well if the aquifer isn't too disrupted."

  Erasur threw up his hands. "I just want this done. If it ends up being much larger than before with some weird eco-friendly system set up, you won't see me complaining as long as you don't mess with anything."

  Iode held out a hand. "Care to make it official?"

  "Erasur BluZeph." He replied, shaking it.

  "Iode."

  [X]

  Iode and Rose lived in an apartment as close to the harbor as they could afford. It had a small living room and cooking area, a bathroom large enough for Iode to move comfortably in, and one filled wall-to-wall by two queen sized mattresses stacked onto each other. Iode was poring over everything Erasur had given him and the measurements he and his coworkers had taken. Even after a long day, he still worked tirelessly.

  It was late when Rose woke to find herself alone in their bed. She slowly dragged herself to the edge of the bed, huffing as she stood up. Each one of her steps was slow and meticulous as she worked her way into the living room. Iode glanced up. By now, her belly was so large Iode had to remove all the doors including the wood trim that covered the frame for that extra few inches. Iode smiled as she succeeded in walking to the couch. She had long abandoned walking on her toes in the first week.

  She leaned against Iode and looked down at what he was working on. "You have another job already?" She picked up one of the photos and her eyes lit up. "It's beautiful!" She exclaimed.

  Iode laughed. "Too bad Kyrel ended up destroying it. Erasur BluZeph has asked me to build a replacement. He wants it more open than before so they can fly where they please."

  "Oh? Do they have the space for that?" Rose asked.

  Iode smiled. "They have plenty of space." He replied. "The air is clean and the land well looked after."

  "…Do you think they would let us stay there?" She asked softly.

  Iode glanced at her. She was looking down at her belly, almost large enough to rest on the coffee table if she tried to sit up. "I don't think that's possible."

  "You won't know until you ask!" She pleaded, turning back to him.

  Iode gently rubbed her cheek. "I can ask. That's all I can do." Iode noticed Rose was suddenly tired after her outburst. "For now, I guess it's time for bed isn't it?" Iode stood up, helping his wife to her feet and giving her support on the way back to their bedroom. His work lay scattered on the coffee table.

  [X]

  Iode was more than apprehensive about asking Erasur if he and Rose could live in the new mansion. He had more than a few fears that he would drop their services as he swallowed his pride and asked when they were hammering out the final details. "There's something I want to ask…" Iode turned away from the paper to look at Erasur. "My wife and I want to live in your estate."

  Erasur blinked. "No."

  Iode nodded, laughing. "Yeah, I told her that, but she insisted. She really loved what you had, and was excited at what I would add to it. I asked only because of her. And I guess the kids as well."

  "Wait, you're married? I assumed you were young…" Erasur said.

  Iode showed him a recent picture of Rose. "We are." He replied.

  Erasur raised his eyebrows. "How far along is she?"

  "Three weeks tomorrow." Iode replied.

  "Three-" Erasur did a double take. "It can't grow that fast can it?"

  "They." Iode corrected. "We're having triplets. She should be due in three months but…"

  Erasur nodded slowly. "She might get too big."

  "A few Sereph doctors told me she can hold out until the middle of next week. There's a chance they might be fully developed by then. Our hope is because of my genes they'll develop every organ in the first week when they're very, very small, then start growing larger when their body is technically completely developed.

  "That's how Floxes get that distinction in size; the longer we're carried after full development, the larger we will be at birth, as well as when we're fully grown adults. There are many, many, exceptions of course, but that's the way it usually is. I really hope nothing goes wrong. We're already stretched as is; trying to save three, two, or even one would set us back more than financially." Iode explained with a gloomy look.

  Erasur changed the subject immediately. "So you married to a Sereph? I thought Floxes and Serephs don't get along."

  "There's a story behind that actually. I learned that species doesn't matter early on, and Rose was shunned by her own kind because of her color and lack of a halo." Iode replied.

  "But I think the wedding would merit a few looks or a mention in a newspaper." Erasur said.

  Iode shook his head. "We didn't want that. All of our friends were busy, and since neither of us have family, it would be awkward. Especially since it's tradition for the family to exchange gifts and give some to the couple. This is why neither of out kind have surnames; to better steel the connections between two families as a single unit."

  Erasur was genuinely interested in the conversation with Iode. "How is it you two can have children? Won't they end up sterile? And how chaotic can a family reunion get?"

  Iode shook his head. "Monsters take to Orenth better than organic… stuff. This is also why a human can get a Pog or Sereph pregnant, and vice-versa. "Complex mutation occurs that I don't have the knowledge or understanding to explain. As for the family reunions, it's based more on the two families of the couple in question, and generally the eldest couple is the one that's the big event. Contact outside such events is usually casual." Iode explained.

  Erasur nodded. "It's a shame you didn't have an eventual wedding. Tell you what! The faster you finish this, the more money is coming as a personal bonus from me! I'm getting tired of living in this noisy city. In the past, it wouldn't have been such a problem." With a nod, Iode began to aggressively look through the papers and ask Erasur questions.

  [X]

  Iode was exhausted as he trudged out of one of the few subway stations still used. His apartment was another five blocks away. His work was safely tucked away in an accordion file folder shut in a battered suitcase. His stomach grumbled loudly as he squeezed up the stairwell and into his apartment. He was met with a cloud of aromas that made his mouth water.

  The table in the living room was covered in a swathe of food. Rose was grinning widely from the couch. Iode placed the suitcase by the door and hurried to join her.

  "I have to admit, I had to call Arend to come and help me, but all the recipes and preparations were done by me!"

  Iode kissed her softly. "I'll have to thank him later.

  Iode and Rose gorged themselves. Iode still ate much more than her, but thanks to her abnormal pregnancy, Rose at more than she normally would. After discussing what happened during the day, the two simply laid together in their bed. Iode was rubbing Rose's belly when he stopped suddenly. He could feel a faint thump against his hand that made his face light up. They sat like that for the longest time; Rose with her hand on Iode's as he felt his restless children wiggle about.

  [X]

  Arend shuffled anxiously as he rode the elevator in Kronth's apartment building. She hadn't shown up anywhere since the Isaac incident, and he was very worried. He glanced at the door numbers as he passed, stopping at hers. He knocked rapidly on her door.

  "Kronth?" He called, placing an ear on the door. He heard a gasp behind him.

  A slim man with a mess of yellow hair was staring at him from his doorway across the hall. "Will...WILL!" He exclaimed as he vanished inside.

  Arend' eyebrow slowly crept up as he returned with a red-haired man, slowly peeking around their door. The blonde seemed much more excited than his partner.

  Arend thumbed at Kronth's door. "…She a friend of yours?"

  They nodded, fully emerging from their room. "She talked very highly of
you." The red-head said, presumably named Will.

  "So Will and…?"Arend asked.

  "Ed!" He exclaimed before covering his mouth and blushing.

  "Right… So has Kronth shown up in the past two days at all?" Arend asked.

  "No," Will replied. "She hasn't come here since Isaac began harassing her."

  Almost on cue, the elevator opened and Isaac half stepped out. The look Arend shot his way made him duck out of view and mash the "close door" button until it broke. Ed and Will were equally terrified, but only backed away. They relaxed as Arend sighed and leaned against Kronth's door.