“Well, I didn’t want you to get too soft with your maternity leave and everything.”
“Whaddya’ mean?” Hanner said with a toothy grin. “As far as my superiors know, I’m still back there breastfeedin’ for the next month and a half.”
Tim fluttered down and landed on Evere’s shoulder with a squalk.
“And look, you even brought me a little snack,” Hanner grinned, licking his lips.
“Hand’s off boyo, this one ain’t for eating.”
“It’s good to see you, Hanner,” Athel greeted as she walked up. “Did you get everything set up?”
“All set up inside, and not a moment too soon,” Hanner explained, eyeballing the approaching pirate ships warily.
Hanner reached inside his vest and pulled out baby Strenner, who was all swaddled up and happily munching on the corner of a small gift box. “Strenner has been holding onto this one for you,” Hanner explained as he handed it over.
“A special order from Thesda?” Alder inquired as he climbed down with Bunni and secured the mooring lines.
“Very special, come over here,” Athel said, leading him back up towards Deutzia.
Athel opened the small box, revealing a collection of what at first looked like gemstones, but when Athel held one up to the light, they could see that they were actually made out of clay.
“What are these?” Alder asked curiously.
“Well, I knew you wouldn’t approve of me replacing your dumb doll...”
“I’m not dumb,” Bunni argued, sticking out her little pink tongue.
“...so I ordered a bunch of upgrades for her.”
“Upgrades?”
“Yep, there’s a whole catalog full of enhancements you can buy for these dolls. Some to make them smarter so you can teach them things, some to make them stronger, some that makes their hair grow like a real kid’s, some to teach them special skills like makeup application, stuff like that. I figured if Bunni could do more, she'd be more useful to you doing your chores.”
Alder placed his hand over his heart and looked up at Athel, his eyes swimming. “Thank you, my Lady, that was eminently thoughtful.”
“Sure thing,” Athel said, giving him a kiss on the lips. “But I want you to call me Athi.”
“Of course, my Lady.”
“What about me?” Deutzia gurgled miserably. “We had a deal.”
“I didn’t forget our deal, Deuts,” Athel said, pulling out a purple stone from the box. “I got this one special for you. It’s technically designed for a golem much larger than Bunni, but it should still work.”
Athel snatched Bunni off of Alder’s shoulder and turned her over in her grip.
“Hey, I don’t want to play with you! You're going to give me a boo-boo!” Bunni protested as Athel unbuttoned Bunni’s maid costume with one hand, revealing the smooth clay surface of her back. Athel pressed the gemstone onto Bunni’s back and held it there. For a moment, nothing happened save for a few struggling noises, then the gemstone soaked into the clay as if it were porous. Bunni went limp and Athel buttoned up her outfit and set her down on the deck. Reaching into her pocket, Athel took out a few seeds and laid them down before the tiny golem.
“May I ask what you are doing?” Alder inquired.
“Shhh, just watch.”
Athel stepped back and waited. After a minute, Bunni woke up, her large eyes blinking wearily as if she was a real little girl waking up from a nap. “Is it time to get up?”
“Bunni, juggle,” Athel ordered.
“Wha?” Bunni asked as she jumped to her feet and scooped up the seeds. Tossing them in the air, Bunni began expertly juggling the seeds as she danced around.
“What am I doing? Waaaa!”
“JUGGLING!” Deutzia shouted happily, clapping her branches together.
“That’s amazing Miss Bubbles,” Alder praised.
“You have no idea how much it cost to find a juggling upgrade for this thing,” Athel boasted.
“Yay, juggling,” Deutzia cheered, raising up some of her branches and waving them around happily.
“Oh, that reminds me, I have something for you as well, my Lady,” Alder shared, picking up her intricately engraved staff where it leaned against some crates and handing it to her.
“Oh, you finished carving it,” Athel praised, looking it over. “Oh, wow, you carved in the two winding serpents like the staff of heroes from Tanabori. And you carved the top like the totem owl of wisdom from Grendelabra, and all these waves, is this the great river from Snakecharmers? Oh my gosh, it is, I see the little ship sailing on it. This is so leafy. Oh, and look here...”
Pops the janitor walked by as he mopped and noticed Athel blathering on about her staff. “Is that really appropriate?” he questioned.
Alder coughed. “The magic is in the wood, not the carvings, so technically it doesn’t matter what is carved. Traditionally, staffs are etched with things that are important to the owner. Family histories, things of that nature. Lady Forsythia has...eclectic tastes, so her staff was carved to match.”
Pops shook his head and kept walking. “My fault for asking.”
“I love it, Aldi,” Athel gushed, hugging him and kissing him deeply.
“Ahhhhh,” Bunni screamed as she skipped and juggled back and forth across the deck. “I can’t stop, how do I stop?”
With the Guild leaders arriving, Hanner escorted the crew of the Dreadnaught inside where a meeting room had been hastily prepared. A large, covered table dominated a raised podium at one end.
“I’m kind of nervous,” Margaret admitted as she came in, clutching her notebook tightly. “I've never met people from so many different islands before.”
“Don’t worry, lass,” Captain Evere comforted, “The world of Aetria is a vast and magical place full of people just waiting to be offended by something.”
Margaret’s glasses slipped down to the tip of her nose. “It is?”
“Aye, so keep your mouth shut. These are violent ruthless people, if you offend them, they'll eat you alive.”
“They will?” Margaret squeaked.
“Don’t tell her that, they won’t eat her,” Mina scolded as she set up some chairs. She then paused and thought for a moment. “Well, the Ronesians might.”
The first Guild Master to arrive was Natima, of the Elictr Guild.
“May I take your coat, madam?” Alder asked, bowing formally.
Namtia was on him in a flash, clamping down on his wrists and ankles with her spider-like limbs, holding him in place. “You really think you can take me in a fight?” she hissed.
Alder’s eyes went wide but he made no sound. “No madam, I am not attempting to rob you, I meant it only as a courtesy.”
“Oh,” Namtia said, looking a little embarrassed. “Yes, you may.” Alder was released and Natima handed him her coat. Alder thanked her formally.
“You're quite calm under pressure for a little guy,” Natima praised, looking him over curiously.
“Not at all,” Alder said as he deftly hung her coat on the rack that had been prepared. “If one cannot control oneself one cannot hope to control one’s surroundings. That was one of the first lessons taught to me by my Matron.”
Namtia leaned in, fascinated. “How pleasant to meet an educated man. I don’t see many in my line of work.”
“Well, there are many different kinds of education,” Alder explained. “After all, a thousand travel books aren’t as valuable as one real trip.”
“That is true,” Namtia said, a tiny grin on her lips. “Experience brings pleasure, after all.”
Namtia scuttled away to find her seat and Alder slowly released his breath. Athel leaned up against the wall next to him, reviewing her notes.
“She was flirting with you, you know,” Athel pointed out, in amusement.
Alder looked at Athel as if he thought she was joking. “Well, if she was flirting with me then she has terrible taste.”
“Oh come on, I think you are pretty cu
te,” Athel said with a wink.
Alder coughed. “Please do not patronize me, I know what I look like.”
“I’m not patronizing; just think of yourself as being an acquired taste.”
“Anyway, what I meant was it is in bad taste to flirt with a married man,” Alder clarified.
“Well, she couldn’t have known. Kirdishians clip their antennae when they are married.”
Alder thought on this for a moment. “Ah, I understand. A visual indication of marital status, like the rings Mina and Evere wear on their fingers.”
“Yep, most islands have some kind of custom like that,” Athel mentioned as she flipped through her notes. “Makes it easier for them to know who is single and who is not.”
“Fascinating,” Alder mused.
Thiric, Reimay, and Urbar arrived next, and ate some of the food that Alder had laid out while they waited for the others.
Captain Evere and Mina stood alongside the covered table, generally trying not to draw any attention to themselves. Reimay, Master of the Mertrion Guild, slowly worked his way over to Mina inquisitively, his long nose twitching about.
“So, are you like a fox or something?” he asked, giving her a little sniff.
“I’m whatever you want me to be, sugar,” Mina said with a playful wink.
Reimay blushed brightly and worked his way back over to the refreshments.
Mina chuckled to herself, her long furry white tail flicking about happily. “Hehe, I still got it.”
“Might want to tone it down there, sweetie,” Captain Evere warned.
“Why? Getting jealous?” she asked coquettishly
One by one, the remaining Guild Masters arrived, their rivalries and animosity barely held in check by greed and common purpose. As Athel walked up on the podium and introduced herself, they eyed each other suspiciously. Hanner had suggested forcing the pirates to check their weapons at the door, but Evere had overruled him, reasoning that people are more inclined to be civil when they know everyone else in the room is armed. Nevertheless, Hanner and Ryin were positioned quietly in the back corners, ready to draw their weapons should the need arise.
Athel tucked her notes behind her and rocked back and forth on her heels. “Ladies...gentleman...androgynous people if there are any, don’t want to leave you out. What we are about to do is both highly profitable and highly dangerous. You have all signed the contract, so we know that you've got the backbone to pull this off. No offense to the cephalopods...”
“None taken,” Geto assured.
Standing behind her, Alder’s head came up. “I recognize that,” he whispered to himself. “You just quoted The Prints of Tyme, page 72.
Athel peeked back over her shoulder. “Nice one, Aldi, two points for you.”
“Thank you, my Lady.”
“Athi,” she corrected.
Athel reached over and grabbed the sheet covering the table. “Anyway, I commissioned this special model to go over our plans and make sure everyone knows their part. I know some of you can’t read common...”
“...or at all...” Urbar commented, motioning to Anak.
“...so this should eliminate any language barriers.”
“Clever,” Captain Evere praised. “Even you have good ideas sometimes.”
“You there, be quiet,” Athel hissed.
Athel pulled back the cover, revealing an intricate model of a low mountain, with several buildings built into and around it. The model was accurate to the smallest detail. There were even small clay golem figures of guards and civilians walking about on the pathways and manning the watchtowers. Several of the Guild Masters were so impressed they leaned in and marveled at the craftsmanship. Anuk said nothing, but raised his eyebrow knowingly.
The most dominant feature was an enormous pressure door build directly into the foot of the mountain. From the scale of the people walking about, the door appeared to be truly enormous.
“That’s the most impractical thing I've ever seen,” Bolflel burped drunkenly. “Why would anyone need a door that big?”
Athel reached over and tapped a little rune on the side of the model. A miniature airship model slid down a string towards the door, which opened, allowing the model to fly inside.
“Oh, mystery solved.”
A tear opened in the air above them and Setsuna jumped through, landing on the floor next to Thiric.
“Sorry I’m late,” she apologized, scratching her long pointed ear. “So, what did I miss?”
“How can someone who moves instantly through magic gates always be late to everything?” Thiric groused as he took a long draw on his cigar.
“I got caught up in traffic,” Setsuna teased.
“This mountain is on the north side of a small island called Islai Delsura,” Athel explained as she walked around the model. “It doesn’t officially exist on any chart. Federal Navy ships enforce a strict no-fly zone within a hundred leagues in all directions. No one but Stonemasters and members of royalty are allowed to set foot there.”
“How would you know that?” Sundgen asked, flicking his tusk with his finger.
Athel smiled. “Because I've been there, genius.”
“Oh.”
Bazult and Urbar chuckled to themselves.
Athel pulled out her notes. “Okay, bad news first. This place is a fortress staffed by elite Stonemasters called the Heshi’sians. Their daily rations are laced with a powerful herb called cali’ma'ioro, it makes them immune to pain and torture.”
“So why doesn’t everyone use it?” Hildok asked, scratching the thick bony plates on his head.
Athel rolled her eyes. “Because it’s highly addictive, difficult to cultivate, wickedly expensive, and once you start using it, you can’t stop without dying. Now stop interrupting or I'll make you sit in the back with the dumb kids.”
“Hey!” Ryin complained from the rear of the room.
Hildok looked around at the others, “Is this really The Queen’s daughter?” he asked.
Namtia and Geto chuckled.
“I’m always impressed with how unafraid you are to make a bad first impression,” Alder observed.
Athel looked back over her should. “I’m not sure if that is a compliment or a criticism, so I’m going to chose to take it as a compliment.”
“That is wise.”
Athel took out a pointer and waved it around the table dramatically. “First, we have to get past the Navy blockade, which, anyone will tell you, takes more than a smile and a bag of lies.”
“The Tower of Frost, page 132,” Alder whispered.
Athel tapped the pointer on the model. “Next, through this ship-sized outer door, which will not open without a royal seal given to the tithe ships when they leave dock. I’m assuming my mother gave you one?”
Thiric pulled the seal out of his vest pocket and tossed it up to Athel, who caught it in one hand without looking up.
“These seals are magically enchanted to prevent their theft. They will disintegrate after being used, or after twelve days, which leaves us just two more days to pull this off. Any ship who drags their feet is on their own; don’t expect anyone to come back looking for you.”
“The Lord of the Dragons, page 278,” Alder whispered.
“Past those, the ship is brought into this special dry dock, where the crew of the tithe ship is removed and held in an anterior room. The ship is staffed by Stonemasters only from this point on.”
Athel tapped a rune and the table split into two sections, revealing the underground chambers located beneath the mountain. “Here’s where it gets tricky. The inner door will not open unless the counterweights are triggered from both sides, and the guards won’t do that without verbal confirmation.”
“Which we won’t get,” Captain Evere added.
“From there the ship passes through a special kind of barrier that will kill anyone who does not possess a special stonemaster seal on their wrist.”
“Which we can’t fake,” Captain Evere added
.
“Next, the tithe ship descends down a cave shaft lined with cannon emplacements and six-foot thick iron snap-doors that can be triggered from anywhere in the fortress.”
“If we try to force our way in, the iron doors come down and we'd be trapped,” Captain Evere explained.
“Giving us plenty of time to think about our execution if just one of us misses his or her mark,” Athel added.
“Snakecharmers, page 27,” Alder whispered.
Athel spun the pointer around in her hand and tapped it again. “Once we get down the shaft, it’s a piece of cake. Just a few more cannon emplacements and the most...labyrinthine vault door ever conceived.”
Athel looked up to a sea of blank stares. “Any questions?” she asked, faking a smile.
“Why can’t we just tunnel?” Reimay asked, his whiskers twitching.
Athel shook her head. “Tunnelling would take too long, and we'd suffocate from the toxins in the soil. Plus, they've buried all these little tremble orbs for a thousand feet in all directions. If a woodchuck so much as scratched its butt they'd know about it.”
“The Voyages of Tanabori, volume 3, page 86,” Alder whispered.
Athel looked around hopefully. “Anyone else?”
Anak raised his hand. “You mentioned good news?”
“Yeah. Federal law requires the reserve to keep enough gold to cover the wages of every active serviceman and to cover all federal contracts for the next three months at any given time. That means that on an average month, the vault contains by law, between one and two billion taries. When the reserves are called up, between three and four billion taries. During a time of war, with thousands of new ships under construction, seven billion taries easily. Once we're done, you can put it all in a big pile and swim in it if you want to.”
“The Rings of Grendelabra, volume 5, page 351,” Alder whispered.
Mina leaned in towards Alder. “She does that quite a bit, doesn’t she?”
“You have no idea.”
Athel pointed out towards her audience triumphantly. “There are thirteen Guilds here, each with an equal share. You do the math.”
The Guild Masters looked around at each other uncertainly. A couple shrugged.
Isle of Wysteria: The Reluctant Queen Page 20