Transcendence?

by Andur

  Then I run down the stairs while taking three staircases at a time to find another group of people in front of Violetta's room! One of them has something that looks like a small unconscious body over his shoulder.

  I jump right into the surprised group of four and go directly for the person with the body.

  A roundhouse kick deals with one of them and I thrust my left right through the chest of the kidnapper! He didn't deploy an aura like the one from before and so I pick the unconscious body from his shoulder while jumping backwards again to gain some distance.

  Slowly I place what I found to be the unconscious Violetta on the ground and turn towards the other two assassins.

  They are still shocked and staring at the two dead bodies when a voice stops me in my tracks.

  “Don't move! Or she is dead!”

  I turn and see that a third assassin came out of Liandra's room. He is holding her hostage with a knife at her throat. She is looking at me with pleading eyes and a fearful expression.

  “I won't let you go!” I voice my unwillingness to let them leave! If they leave with Liandra they will kill her for sure! Are they from Arenzien? Obviously they tried to abduct Violetta!

  “You will step as...”

  But the assassin is interrupted as the shadows around him suddenly start to move in the dim light and his eyes distort in fear.

  “He is here! The second gr...”

  One of the shadows leashes out and cleanly decapitates the assassin who was holding Liandra hostage. I jump forward and draw the blade from her throat.

  The remaining two assassin turn to flee down the corridor but a dark figure with glowing red eyes blocks their path. Then the shadows start to grow! The figure with the red glowing eyes twitches in an unnatural way that reminds me of a horror movie and falls on all fours to crawl towards the two assassins.

  They turn again and run towards me and Liandra who is completely silent and shuddering in my arms. But the darkness catches up and engulfs them. Everything turns completely black.

  I can't see anything and just the screams of the two remaining assassins can be heard.

  Then everything is back to normal. I am back in the corridor with the shuddering Liandra in my arms and the unconscious Violetta beside me. The lights turn back on again and I see Ascathon with Den and two of his men coming down the corridor.

  Ascathon is limping and bleeding from his side.

  “What was that?” I look towards him and Den. But the big guard walks forward and heads towards the stairs with his men.

  “We will check the upper floor to see if there are still more of them!” The guard leaves a short remark and heads upwards.

  Ascathon slides down the wall with a pained expression and pats the head of the unconscious Violetta. “I just used a spell to let them see what they feared the most. Funny that they are afraid of darkness and shadows.” He starts to snicker.

  Then I realize the wounds in his leg and at his side. Did they ambush him with another group? I crawl up to him and try to stop the bleeding. “What are you doing? Heal yourself!”

  “Their blades are enchanted with anti-healing magic. I have to wait until the effect wears off. Don't worry. The wounds aren't lethal.” He grins at me.

  I rip his trousers into rags to stop the bleeding with them.

  “Did you finally wake up to my charms?” He asks something strange and smirks at me.

  I stop for a moment. “What are you talking about?” Then I realize that his eyes are glued to my chest.

  “You know.... a woman is exposing her alluring features towards me while ripping my clothes from my body.... there aren't many ways to interpret....”

  *SMACK!*

  Ascathon slides unconscious to the ground while I cover my exposed chest with one hand. The assassin from the first fight must have torn my clothes with his dagger!

  Uwah! I could howl right now! That bastard got the full menu and I didn't even notice it! Grrrrrr! And that look on his face! He really is just out for my body!

  One moment! Didn't he have the slave-rings from Liandra and Violetta with him?

  I quickly rummage through his pockets and a devilish smirk steals itself onto my face as I draw one of the slave-rings out of his clothes.

  ~Time for payback!~

  *Click*

  14 - Together?

  Norfolk, Sarn-Valley

  I slowly open my eyes and find myself looking at the ceiling. Was the last night a bad dream? A big group of assassins ambushed the mansion and some managed it past the guards. They injured me while I was heading for my room. But I managed to fight them off. And then... and then... she slapped me!

  “Oh, you are awake! Tch! I wasn't completely ready yet! I spent so much time to think about my first commands for you. But I still wanted a little more time to find the perfect formulations.”

  By turning my head I find Celestial on a chair beside my bed. She is smiling at me with a broad grin. It wasn't a dream? I begin to touch my body here and there but there is no pain. No injuries!

  “I had Stefan heal you up. You weren't conscious.” Celestial looks at a sheet of paper in her hand. “Let's see.... where should we start.”

  At that moment I realize the golden bracelet on my wrist and a shudder runs down my spine. What the heck happened while I was asleep!?

  “~Take off my slave-ring!~” Celestial points at me with a winning smile.

  The same moment she spoke those words I feel the slave-ring starting to meddle with my mind! But I gracefully avoid the attempt of the stupid artefact and manage to divert the command into taking a glass of water from the small night-table beside my bed and offer it to Celes.

  She takes the glass of water with a baffled expression and stares at it for several seconds.

  I smile at her. Don't think that a lifetime with one of those cursed artefacts didn't force me to find ways to deal with them.

  “I suggest you try again! Take off my slave-ring! Huh? Why couldn't I put any power into my voice?” I try again while emphasizing every word. “Take Off My Slave-Ring!”

  Now she gives me a strange grin. “I already anticipated that and tried to give you some orders to protect myself. I did it while you were sleeping, so I wasn't sure if it would work. It seems like it worked to order you that you can't order me to take off your slave-ring.”

  “~Love me for eternity!!!~” Again she points at me with a triumphant expression.

  Wah! That airhead really tried to do something hilarious! “Fool! Impossible commands don't work of course! ~Love me for eternity!~ OF COURSE THAT DOESN'T WORK!”

  “Damn!” She skims through her list. “~Get me and Liandra a proper citizenship and enough money to live on our own!~”

  Again! “-I understand. A hundred copper coins to shop in the city.-” I smirk at her. “You know? Everything that requires a prolonged physical action from me is easy to divert.”

  “Argh!” Celestial throws her list to the ground and stomps onto it. “~Then tell me your true feelings about the first time you confessed to me!~”

  “-I love you.-” I hold my damned mouth in an attempt to stop the words from leaking out. But the slave-ring works too fast to intercept such easily and fast answered requests! What the fuck is going on in her head!?

  Celestial actually turns a little red?

  But I can play this game too! “~What do you think of me?~” With this I will uncover your true nature!

  “-A pitiful hermit who lost his way and abandoned society because he was hurt far too often. If we had met under different circumstances I may have helped him.-” Now she is the one who tries to shut up herself.

  Uh!? I didn't expect an answer like that.

  Then she glares at me. “~Why did you save us?~”

  “-I couldn't bear to see you as the slave of some barbarian.-” What the heck did just come out of my mouth!? Did she break the bracelets somehow? Again! “Don't pry into my unconscious thoughts! ~Stop to treat me like an enemy!~” Hah! That one wor
ked!

  “~What do you think of me now!~” Celestial shoots another question at me.

  “-The most beautiful woman I have ever seen.-” My mouth acts on it's own!

  What!? Damn! My command was too general! And why did I answer that way!? “Stop this airhead! Who knows what will happen if you continue with such ridiculous requests! This is dangerous! What if things escalate?”

  “Then take off my slave ring! Or I will say something really ridiculous!” She threatens me!

  “I still don't trust you.” I shake my head.

  “~Let's always be together!~” She gives me a triumphant smile.

  “-~Let's always be together!~-” Damn! Damn! Why did I repeat that like a robot! I hate slave-rings!

  Again the words came over my lips before I knew it! “Stop it! Those artefacts are dangerous! Who knows what could happen to us!”

  She just holds her arm towards me with a determined expression. “You should be more interested in getting rid of that ring than me. After all you should be more hindered by it. I can still do this while you can't perform your magic any more.”

  After drinking her glass of water she crushes it in her hand and grinds the shards to dust! What the Fuck!? I reach for her slave-ring and hold mine towards her. “At three!”

  She nods.

  “One.”“One.”

  “Two.”“Two.”

  “Three.”“Three.”

  Both of us are freed from the rings. But before I can react she snatches the one I was holding out of my hand and starts to scrunch up both rings like paper!

  “Finally! That's the end for the last two of those cursed things! And now for something else!” She gives me a dangerous smile.

  I draw my blanket higher as if it would be able to protect me from that woman!

  “I want a proper citizenship for Liandra and me! Even though you are a bastard, I realize that you are a civilised person at heart and crave for relationships with others! Otherwise you wouldn't have saved your little sister.” She folds her arms.

  “There is just that issue with the law...... otherwise I would have organized something like that long ago for Violetta.” I shake my head.

  “And the issue is?” She starts to tap the floor with her foot impatiently.

  “Err... well. You are either born in Norfolk or you get your citizenship from the official sources in the capital. That could take years if ever! It is much more unlikely to get one now with war looming over all of us. The only other possibility isn't within my reach.....” I shake my head.

  “Which is?” Celestial furrows her eyebrows.

  “Well. You can marry someone with a citizenship. Then his citizenship will extend to you. The same goes for adoption. But I can't adopt Violetta or Liandra because you can only adopt a child if you can provide a family with two legal guardians. I am alone, so that's not possible.”

  “Then I will become your wife and we adopt Liandra and Violetta. Who knows how long the borders will stay closed? It's better to plan ahead!” Celestial comes to a ridiculous conclusion!

  “What!? That's not possible! You are my.... ” I sit up but her cold glare silences me.

  “I am an opportunist. There could be worse reincarnations than taking a husband who confessed his love to me and thinks of me as the most beautiful woman in the world.” She smiles at me while I feel an aura of doom emanating from her! “I had the entire night to think about the situation. Under the current circumstances I am willing to accept a marriage of convenience. ”

  “That wasn't...”

  “~Yes?~”

  Awww... Hell! That was before I got to know your personality! Of course she is still beautiful.... as long as you don't get to know her. Why does it feel like I could lose my head if I say those things loud?

  Celes grabs my hand. “Think about it. Whom else could you take? Especially with that secret basement of yours..... what would the Academy do if that secret would get out too early. Could you even trust someone else besides me? I was keeping your little secret safe for a few months by now.”

  My face got a little pale during her speech and my blood pressure fell to dangerous levels.

  “And if you don't believe me..... ~Omega~. And think a little about your little sister and mine. What's one lifetime to us? Wouldn't it be nice of us to give them a nice family-environment to grow up in?” She gives me the finishing blow.

  I force a smile onto my face. “Shi......Sugar cat. When would you like to hold the marriage.”

  “Ohoho... I don't know honey bear. As soon as possible. Of course I would like to have complete rights to your estate in case of an unforeseen death. The assassins seem walk in and out of your mansion like well known guests.” She encases my hand with both of hers and it feels like a vice took hold of me.

  “So far they only entered but never came out again.” I smile at her.

  “Whatever. Come, we have to tell the family!” She grabs my hand tighter and pulls me out of the bed.

  We find Liandra and Violetta in the study. They are with Stefan. He is currently teaching them math from the looks of it.

  “Violetta, Liandra! We have happy news for you!” Celestial places my arm around her and hugs me from the side. “We are going to ~marry~!”

  “Really!” -Liandra

  “That means we stay together forever!?” -Violetta

  “C...Congratulations!” -Stefan

  “Y..yes. That means you can stay..... forever.”

  I smile down at the kids who jumped up and hugged us from both sides.

  15 - Convenience?

  Norfolk, Sarn-Valley

  “Shalala.....” I skip along the corridor towards the office while humming a really childish tune. Freedom! No slave-rings any more.

  Well. Relative freedom. I have to marry that stupid hermit to gain a citizenship for myself and the kids. Haaah... nothing comes without a price.

  At least I get a big house and a lot of money with a principality too. So even if there is no love, it has benefits, many benefits!

  Who ever said that you have to work hard to gain power in every reincarnation? Just find a powerful husband and take his stuff! Mwhaahahaha!

  “You have a really dangerous expression on your face Miss Celestial.” Sarah smiles at me when I enter the reception.

  “Really!? That must be the power of ~love~!” I smile at our... my secretary.

  “It looked more like the grin of a tiger who just slew a really fat pig.” Sarah is giving me a straight forward answer without holding back.

  It has been a day since the announcement of my marriage. Sarah wasn't happy with the situation at all. She likes the kids but thinks that I am some kind of black widow.

  “Is that so? I guess it can be seen that way.” I tap my chin with my left index finger.

  “I think the proper term is gold-digger.” Sarah continues her fearless statements while smiling at me. Does she have a problem with my path out of slavery!?

  “Do you have a problem with a former slave who turned the tables on his master?” I smile at Sarah while trying to look harmless.

  “I am just curious which leverage you have on him. Master is a very dangerous fellow but he did many good things for the whole region. It would bug me very much if he became unhappy in the end.” Now Sarah's smile becomes a little dangerous.

  Ooh... “Do you like him!? You should have said so earlier! That hermit is just so grumpy because he has nobody who looks out for him!”

  “No. I would never marry someone out of my league.” Sarah answers with unwavering confidence. Um.. Why did that sound as if she was superior to her master?

  “I am just not happy if someone who did a lot of good for the people of this town would end up with a poisonous snake in his bed. Even if he did everything for his own benefit.” Sarah's states her view of me even more clearly.

  “We don't know each other for long. How about giving me some time to prove myself?” I open the door towards the office and take a look inside.


  Sarah follows me with a stash of papers. “In hindsight I will watch you for a little while. You seem to look out for the children at least. Here are the reports. And your table arrived.”

  There it is! A brand new big table for me alone! It's standing beside the entrance to the office. No children-table with fifty centimetres of height any more! My former table is leaning against the wall on the other side. I grab the stupid miniature table which I got from Ascathon.

  *Crack, Crack, Crack, Crack*

  Four legs are snapped off.

  *Snap!*

  *Snap!*

  Here we go! Neatly folded for waste-disposal!

  I hand the remains of the stupid table to Sarah whose expression suddenly dropped. “Something wrong?”

  “You... you folded the table like a sheet of paper!?” Sarah gasps.

  Kukuku... Should I feign ignorance? “What's the difference? Paper or table... both are made of wood.”

  Sarah grabs the remains and leaves the room. I think I could get used to teasing her. Then I start to take control of the office. That hermit underestimated my administrative abilities!

  First I have get a grip on the economy of this principality. Then I can increase the income and financial power to a reasonable level. And when the money starts to flow I can start to investigate the war between Mislow and Jamaian.

  Up until now I was dependent on Ascathon's informations. There is no acceptable news-network in this world. If Ascathon wants to learn something new he has to take the Gate to the capital and talk to the Jarl or some other noble who deals with external affairs.

  Listening to merchants is the other possibility but they never know anything beyond general knowledge of a countries situation. If you want to get political information you need to go to the source.

  For real information you need your own network of spies! And spies want money! So I will pep up the finances of this stupid principality first.

  I already had a glimpse at the tax reports and from what I saw there we don't use all our possibilities.

  It's good that Ascathon went to the capital to get some needed documents. This gives me the entire day to overhaul this office! With no further ado I throw myself into the work.