Faye, Sophia, and Isabelle looked unconcerned. He felt like he was missing something but didn’t press it.
After a moment, Faye gave him a wolfish smile.
“Alpha, my mate, please be prepared to set aside some time for me to discuss plans for new weapons when we get back. I’d like to consider creating very large iterations of the cannons except on a tank frame.”
“Err, alright. That sounds reasonable. I already have a few sketches to that effect. I simply haven’t made any as of yet.”
“Lord husband, I’d also like to plan for you to meet my family. We’ll need to secure some time to travel back to Shade’s Rest.”
“That sounds like a good idea. I’m sure I’ll have business there soon enough anyways. I imagine it would be good to meet them.”
“My lord, I’d like my token now before you go. I think I’ll start working on our home. If you would, I’ll be taking the plans from your inventory as well. No offense, but you’re not exactly a grand designer, sweetie.”
“Of course, that sounds like a great plan. Thank you, Belle.”
He got a mental image from Satomi. She was on her way to comfort Hannah. She also sent a single thought to him to which he couldn’t disagree.
Whipped.
7:07 am Sovereign Earth time
5/20/44
Runner looked up at Bastion. What had once been a modest tree that wouldn’t stand out, now looked like something out of a fantasy novel.
Its girth had quadrupled and the crown of it had shot up. Large branches flung out and hung in the air.
His city engineers had removed a large section of stones around the tree when it had rapidly expanded and taken up the entirety of the grass area around it. Thanks to that, it fit the plot of land it sat in now. Runner had a feeling that it wouldn’t keep it penned in forever.
“Did I somehow break you, Bastion?” Runner asked, holding out a hand and pressing it to the bark.
A heavy thump behind him signaled the arrival of the tree’s only inhabitant.
Looking over his shoulder, Runner found Nibbles, a very large, and very furry, squirrel.
Perhaps large was an understatement now. Gargantuan fit closer.
Nibbles had broken into the large dog small horse range.
“Are you the reason Bastion keeps getting bigger? It’s trying to support you and your needs, hm?” Runner queried the creature.
In response it hopped over to him and slammed its massive forehead into his chest.
“Yes, yes, hello, Nibbles. Here, I brought you something.” Runner dropped his hand from the tree and fished out a pumpkin. “Bought it off one of the farmers this morning. Figured you’d like it.”
Nibbles looked at the pumpkin and then took it from Runner’s hands. Sniffing at the orange rind, the squirrel eventually seemed to accept the gift.
Runner set his hand on its head and scratched between its eyes.
“I told Vixen and Belle to watch out for you. Make sure you protect the tree now. Bastion isn’t just a kingdom landmark now—an empire has been named for it. Scurry along now. Before I try to fit a saddle on you and ride you to Dover.”
As if it understood him, the fuzzy monster blinked, then bounded up Bastion’s wide trunk and disappeared into the lofty branches.
“Huh. At least the squirrel fits the tree. I wonder if it’ll get a Dryad? Would I even want one in my tree? Brighteyes, Angel, Minxy, what do you think? Would I want to rent my tree out? I hear renters can be a nightmare and can be pretty hard to evict.”
Runner’s hand came up to rest on his tree again.
“Depends. Quite a few different types of Dryads. Though I think it’s an oak tree? Very large oak if it is.” Brunhild came up beside him and touched the tree with her fingers. “Ah. Interesting. People pray to it as if it were a shrine. An altar. Your furry friend is being turned into a temple guardian.”
Ernsta and Amelia walked up beside their sister and touched the tree as well.
“It feels warm to the touch. It feels like Eden. I’d hate to hazard a guess but,” Ernsta said, turning her eyes on Runner, “I’d wager that someone is spreading the word of Norwood. The male aspect of the Triumvirate.”
“That’d be me. Sorry, not sorry. Soon as I knew he was ascended I started letting the word out,” Amelia said, squealing in delight. “I didn’t want people to get confused about your aspects.”
“Hm. While I don’t condone what my little sister has done, I do agree with her, Runner,” Brunhild conceded. Ernsta nodded with a frown.
The anger that had immediately built up in him blew out like a candle in a windstorm.
“Be that as it may, please tell me these things in the future, Minxy. Or I will get angry. And I won’t show my anger to you, I’ll ignore you.” Runner didn’t want it to sound like a threat, but a promise.
“I—I understand. I’m sorry. I only wanted to look out for you,” Amelia said, turning her eyes downward.
“I know, and for that, I forgive you. It’s why I love you. Brighteyes, is there anything I need to do for this?” Runner asked, a vague gesture from his hand indicating the tree.
“No. It won’t do any harm to let it be an altar. Besides, offerings seem to be in food, and Nibbles looks to be ‘collecting’ them all.”
Runner took a step back from the tree and let the matter drop.
Reaching out with his divine sense, he locked down the area around them in a sphere to block out any would-be listeners.
“First and foremost, I have a new toy for each of you.” Runner flipped open his inventory window and drew out the Paladin creation items. “A staff for the enlightened one, a sword for the bringer, and a lovely kidney tickler for the shadow.”
Runner deposited each item into the hand of the owner as he went.
“This will turn anyone you target into a Paladin. I’ve charged Milicent with recruiting those she feels would be valid Paladin’s in my own service.”
Each of the goddesses looked over their new weapon with varying degrees of glee.
Each expressed it in her own way. Brunhild had that smile of hers, Ernsta’s eyes glowed, and Amelia… was Amelia.
“Thanks, lovey. Not sure how a goddess of Assassins ending up having Paladins is going to turn out, but it’ll be interesting.” Amelia laughed and gave the dagger a twirl. “Sexy priestesses who lurk in my lovey’s shadow. Waiting to assassinate assassins. Tempting him from the corners with promises of a night well spent with them and their goddess.”
Runner laughed and pressed a palm to his brow. He felt glad at their acceptance and response. Gifts always felt good to give.
“In other news, I plan on taking the fight to Rike. If I can challenge her directly, I’m going to. I plan on getting her to appear in one spot alone. Anything I should know?”
“No.”
“Nothing you don’t already know, dear.”
“Nope! Kick her ass, lovey. Put her in the dirt. Put her in the dirt.”
Runner shook his head at their very different responses and tried not to smile.
“If I can, I’m going to subvert her. Make her a minor deity in our pantheon. Her portfolio is all positive things and it’d be a shame to lose that aspect of her. Even if she herself needs to go.
“And honestly, Rabbit would ask me to spare her if I could.”
Brunhild frowned yet said nothing. Ernsta shrugged her shoulders. Amelia looked excited.
“Give her to me, lovey. I’ll train her. Train her good.”
“Hah, no. Not without oversight at least. Though I can’t deny that was going to be my next question. Can you three rehabilitate your sister? She may be the enemy and yet…” Runner left the statement hanging.
Brunhild blew out a breath and placed one hand behind her neck as she looked up into the tree branches above her.
“Far be it from me to tell you no. You’re not wrong. I just don’t like it,” the goddess admitted.
“I know. She insulted you personally. What bett
er way to show the goddess of goodness up, than by being more good than her? More good. More goodest? More gooder? Whatever, by being better. Besides, you know redemption is in my purview.” Runner tried to be gentle with it. He felt strongly about not killing Rike unless he had to. Unless Rike made him.
I will. I’d prefer not to, but I’ll bury her. Rabbit would be sad if I did. She’d forgive me if I tried earnestly to spare her first.
Amelia grunted and then folded her arms across her chest.
“I bet we can do it, sis. I’ll take negative reinforcement, you take positive, Ernsta neutral responses. We can do this.”
Brunhild and Ernsta looked to their sister.
“You wish this only for our lamb,” Ernsta accused.
“Obviously. I’m hoping to win my way into his bed early through bribery. This is perfect currency for that. Who’s to say just how grateful he’d be to all of us. Hmm?” Amelia asked her sisters in a loud whisper.
Ernsta looked to Brunhild. “We can do this.”
Brunhild sighed and pressed her fingertips to her temples.
“As you will it, dear. We’ll discuss favors at another time,” Brunhild said brusquely, waving her free hand in front of her face as if to dismiss the entire situation.
“Brunhild,” Runner said quietly. She didn’t immediately acknowledge him. She drew it out for several seconds before meeting his gaze. “Thank you, Brunhild. I will make it up to you. Promise.”
Brunhild didn’t say anything in response and instead left as if she were never there.
Ernsta was a split second behind her in her departure.
“She’s nervous you’re going to replace her, idiot. Rike is supposed to be the prettiest of their family. Well, before they formed this new family. And you want to capture her. You reassure your mortal harem. Why not your divine one? Think on it. Love you,” Amelia whispered quietly, patting his shoulder.
“You’re not wrong. Thank you, Minxy.”
Then she vanished as well, giving him a wide smile.
Runner sighed and pursed his lips. Amelia wasn’t wrong. He could definitely see how Brunhild could take his actions wrong.
Never going to get it right the first time. You’re human. Make it up to her later. Run on, idiot.
Need to visit the temple and put the portal to rights. Should also address the clergy about it.
Deciding on his course of action, Runner set off for the temple. His time was short, but he could make it work if he was quick about it.
The streets were filling up as the day began. Runner managed to keep himself from becoming entangled in any situations or discussions.
Standing in front of the massive temple, he felt awed. The gigantic structure never failed to impress.
Forcing himself to put one foot in front of the other, he took the steps smoothly and entered.
Immediately an acolyte of the Triumvirate came over to him. Before they could realize who he was, he held up his hand to stall any questions.
“Please let the high priest know that Runner Norwood is here. I’m afraid I cannot wait for him either. I’ll be heading down to the new basement. Do you understand?” Runner asked the young man. His orders were clear, easy to relate, and could easily be confused for something else if someone over heard it.
The man nodded and as quickly as he’d approached, turned and bolted.
Grunting, Runner exited into the left wing and entered a small room that had been added directly next to his office.
Runner found it was exactly as he’d hoped. A storage closet.
Reaching towards a brick in the door jamb, he activated the required spell to unlock the trap door disguised in the floor.
Activated, the floor slid to the side into a recess to reveal a set of stairs.
“Elaborate, but effective. Please guard the hallway. If the high priest shows up, send him in,” Runner said, giving his orders to his on-duty lieutenant.
Taking the steps down, Runner turned with the corridor. The hallway the stairs led into was only two people or so wide. Yet the vast cavernous room it emptied into looked more like a military assembly area.
Vast, empty, yet stocked with all the things an army in full retreat or moving from one location to another could want for.
They’d been building this as a stockroom until Runner had appropriated it for a “holy weapon,” as he called it.
At one end, one of the walls could also be retracted, leading up into the massive gardens at the center of the complex should they need to move large numbers of people quickly.
At the other, a stack of bricks had been set up and waited for him.
Runner moved in that direction and started sorting out the things he’d need in his inventory.
“My god, I’m glad for your visit before your departure,” called out a man’s voice from the direction Runner had come from.
“Good to see you as well, High Priest,” Runner replied. He didn’t need to look up to know who it was. It could only be one person who’d gotten past his guards after all. “I figured I’d install the portal before I left. Might be nice to install it wherever I go next and simply utilize it to come back.”
Runner knelt onto the stonework ground and started to pick up bricks.
“Ah, yes, about that. Have you considered my questions about security?” the high priest said, coming to stand beside Runner.
“Yep. I figured out a fairly simple answer. Expand this room into another wing to run underneath everything. House the Paladins here. Their headquarters and divine purpose might as well include the ways.”
Runner started laying the bricks in a two-by-two pattern pressed flush to a wall.
“The ways?” the man asked.
Taking a second, Runner looked up to the priest. He was an older man, Sunless, intelligent looking, though with a confused face at the moment.
“That’s what we’ll be calling them. The ways. They’ll connect every city to every other. I’ll be giving the higher ranks of the clergy small devices that will allow them to activate the ways, as well as the entrances and exits.”
Runner went back to his work as he spoke, spreading grout into the joints between the bricks.
“I figure if we house the Paladins here as well, it’ll create a perfect amount of strength and reactionary force. All we need is more Paladins and a wing for them. Preferably every city would have an outpost.”
“I see. This is… it’s a magnificent thing, my god. To span an empire and connect it with nothing more than a word. Truly a miracle,” the priest said reverently.
“Mm. It’ll be classified as a holy site, and access will be limited without orders or approval from anyone on my council. Since it’ll only connect two places, it’ll be left open for now. I’ll rectify that quickly since we don’t want any security flaws.
“As for the usage, there will be an indicator at the top. If it’s lit, someone is trying to reach here. There’ll be one door for each location I deem fit.”
“Wise, my god. Very wise. How long does it take to construct one?”
“Not long, in fact,” Runner said, standing up. He set two more bricks into place, added mortar, and then Earth shifted it all into a perfect column. “One column down, one to go.”
Falling silent, Runner took nine paces to the side before starting in on the next pillar.
“That’s one gate?”
“Yeah, it’d be rather pointless to have something that couldn’t fit more than one person through at a time. Could you imagine trying to move an army through a single-person-wide door? Nightmares.”
Squatting, Runner worked to quickly put up the second column. A few minutes and a spell later the second pillar was done.
Calling up a constant use Air spell to support his work in midair, Runner started to work on the arch that would span the gap between the two.
“May I have a sculptor come down and… add some art to it?” the high priest asked hesitantly.
“So long as they’re high ranking in
the clergy, yes. I can’t stress enough that this is more or less a state secret. Do you understand?”
Runner set the key brick into place and then called up mortar to bind everything in place.
Dropping his spells, Runner took a step back to view his work.
A simple brickwork arch wide enough for eight soldiers to enter.
Forming the portal spell in his hands, he tied it to the arch and then initiated it.
Ripping from the center outward, the spell immediately came to life. A rippling, swirling pool filled the space within the portal.
“Once I put in the on off switch, this’ll look like an arch and nothing more. When activated, it’ll either look like this or its destination point on the other side.”
Runner sighed and put his hands on his hips. It was good work, but it would be utterly worthless until he got the other side up and operating.
One step at a time.
Chapter 19 - Plans Change -
9:01 am Sovereign Earth time
5/23/44
Staring at the map laid out in front of him, Runner couldn’t help but feel mildly annoyed. Idly he played with the pouch of map markers in his lap.
They’d made good time. Great time really. They’d managed to move the entire six-thousand-strong army across the channel to Bren in a time that most commanders would pray for.
After arriving in the night they’d sent out scouts on intelligence gathering missions to figure out what was going on in Tirtius.
That was when their luck had dried up. Almost the very moment they set foot on Tirtius, it vanished.
Lady Fate had decided she wanted break his windows and call the police on him this time rather than drunkenly make passes at him at a party they accidentally both showed up at. Runner could only hope that she would settle for that rather than tossing in an incendiary device through the broken window.
Never know with her. She seems to exist to punish or reward me. Only me.
The news from Dover happened to match everything they had expected based off Bullard’s information.
Otherlife Awakening: The Selfless Hero Trilogy Page 32