Wild Wastes Omnibus
Page 100
“Actually, I have a more important topic to discuss,” Elysia said. “The state of affairs within our family itself.”
Vince felt his heart lurch.
He wasn’t quite sure he wanted to discuss anything about their family right now.
“First… is… well… here. Petra… wrote this and sealed it with… we’re not sure with what. But no one wanted to break the seal,” Elysia said as she pulled out a slim piece of paper.
It was browned as if it’d been left in the sun and elements for several days.
Taking the paper from Elysia, Vince held it in his hands.
Mustering up just barely enough bravery, he looked over the seal.
It was a gummy mass of what looked like blood. The indentation seemed as if fingers had pressed it shut and fallen unmoving atop it afterward.
Delicately as he could, Vince opened the seal and unfolded the creaking letter.
The words weren’t the normal smooth and flowing letters he expected from Petra.
They were jagged, crabbed things. And most alarmingly, they were clearly written in blood.
Dear Master,
This one has failed in her duty to find and return to you. Please forgive her.
That is, forgive me.
I tried to escape.
Desperately so.
They blew me off the walls every time I did.
I did all in my power to return to you. To see you again.
My hands are tired. I can’t keep writing.
I’m tired.
Please care for our children.
I was so lucky to meet you. To have children with you. To live as long as I did with you. I was very old for a soldier ant.
My hands hurt. It hurts to write.
Everything hurts.
I’m scared.
I love you, Vince.
Don’t hide from the world.
Move forward.
I wish we had more time.
I wish I co
There was a single line of red that scrawled across the paper from there, as if her strength had failed her mid-sentence.
Letting out a shuddering breath, Vince set the paper down on the table in front of him.
“Damnit, Petra,” Vince said with a sob. “Damn the Tri-lliance.”
Mouth was reading the note on the table, but didn’t touch it.
Elysia watched Vince, her mouth a tight line.
“It brings me no joy to bring up the next point either, my love. And forgive me for it, but I must,” said the Elf.
“I know… its who you are, and what you are. You’re the one who tells me the ugly truth. You and Mouth, my truth-sayers,” Vince said, his voice sounding very wooden to his own ears.
“The public views our family as lacking spiritual leadership now.
“Berenga has publicly stepped down as your Fes. She’d been planning to do it, but not for another year or two. I believe she was trying to groom a replacement.
“With everything that happened, it’s made a rather… unfortunate situation for us.”
Vince could only nod.
It made sense.
A number of his wives had been killed. Both his general and his warrior were no longer able to fill their roles.
Thera was stepping into her role as general quickly and well, as far as Vince could tell.
But she’d need a few successes before people would rally behind her. The Tri-lliance would need to be more than just shoved back to the border.
That was just the reality of how people acted. Unless one could prove themselves, they weren’t going to be trusted.
As for his warrior… with Petra dead and Berenga disfigured, there was a large gaping hole.
“And before you ask, yes, I’m sure Ramona could fill that role well, but she isn’t… emotionally… balanced enough to do it correctly. She’s at war with herself more often than not. It hasn’t been as bad lately, but still,” Mouth said. “Unfortunately, your Dragons are too new to be considered valid either.”
Vince rubbed a hand along his jaw and then let out a slow breath.
“Alright. I think… I think I want to go lie down in my room and think. I’m spent and I can’t… can’t even… I can’t honestly deal with this right now. I can’t.
“So please… just give me some time,” Vince said, then got up and left. “At least today.”
***
The door creaked open, causing Vince to look up from his desk.
Yaris stood there in the doorway, dressed in light house clothing.
Closing the door behind her, the Royal Elf took in a quick breath, as if to prepare herself.
“I know you said you wished for time to yourself. Everyone respected that, but I needed to speak with you.
“Desperately so, husband,” Yaris said.
Vince opened his mouth to ask her to leave anyway, then closed it.
Petra would tell me to soldier on. To not be a complainer.
To not hide.
“Then please, sit. If it’s that urgent, I’d be a fool to not hear what you have to say,” Vince said with a small smile. “I’m just wallowing in self-pity for a day, honestly.
“I planned on returning back to public life tomorrow.”
“Oh? That’s good. I’m proud of you, husband. It isn’t easy to move so quickly back into public view after such… such losses,” Yaris said.
Moving over to his desk, Yaris sat down lightly in a chair beside it, facing Vince directly.
“I feel their loss keenly,” Yaris said, her eyes dropping to the ground. “They all… welcomed me. Warmly. Willingly.
“Despite my attitude and not understanding the situation, they took me in. As an equal.
“And I can’t—can’t quite get my mind around the fact that they’re gone. But we don’t have another choice.”
Vince was glad to hear her words. Yaris was hard to read at the best of times, but she’d warmed up considerably over time.
“I know our marriage wasn’t one of love, or even mutual care, but they worked hard to make it that way. For me, at least.
“And I won’t lie, I do care for you. Deeply. In a way I didn’t expect I would.
“And to that end, I have a plan to help bring stability to our family, and in the view of the public,” Yaris said.
“Oh? I’d be curious to hear your plan. Because honestly, I don’t have a single idea on how to take care of it.”
“That’s… that’s because it isn’t yours to take care of. It’s the Fes’s duty to take care of this job,” Yaris said, meeting his eyes squarely now.
“Pretty sure Berenga isn’t going to be able to solve this issue,” Vince said with a lopsided grin.
“And that’s the problem right there. But… I’m going to take care of it. I promise. This’ll all be fixed tomorrow.
“I just need you to… to do what I ask you to do, and everything will be fine.
“And before you ask—no, no one will be harmed in any way, shape, or form. This’ll solve everything, and in a positive way.”
“But you’re unwilling to tell me about it?”
“Yes… because, because it needs to be this way. Otherwise it dismisses the entire need and reason for it.”
“But you wanted to tell me about the fact that you can’t tell me?” Vince asked, mildly amused.
Yaris grimaced at him, her hands clutching one another in her lap.
“I care about you. I don’t want you to think I don’t. I can’t tell you the details, but I can tell you I will solve this.
“For you, for our family, for Yosemite. It’ll be solved. I swear it.”
“Alright. I’ll leave it in your hands then, my Elven Queen,” Vince said, leaning back in his chair.
“Ah… since I’m here… how would you feel about me spending the night? I think I could use some gentle attention,” Yaris said, her cheeks turning a deep red.
Laughing, Vince shook his head with a grin.
“Yeah. I could as well. C
are to join me in the bed itself, Yaris, my wife?” Vince asked.
Chapter 28
Vince stepped through the portal and looked around.
Last time he’d stepped into what was clearly a secured area for the implicit purpose of receiving travelers.
This time, though, he walked through and found it very different.
The entire area around the portal was more like a massive receiving hall, complete with bar, dining tables, and private areas.
If he didn’t know better, he’d swear it was a hotel.
This really has become a bit of a transport hub for the two worlds, hasn’t it?
Standing to the sides of the portal were a number of different people.
Vince was immediately greeted by an Andrea and two of her different-colored twins, who stepped out from the rest of the other people.
“Oh! It’s Vince! Hi!” Andrea chirped happily at him, bouncing over to his side.
Yep, same voice that was in the suit. I bet that gets old fast for the pilots.
Or tiring, at least.
“You were never formally introduced! This is my twin sister, Adriana,” Andrea said, gesturing to the other woman.
The seemingly combat-oriented sister nodded at Vince.
Then she pulled her pistol off her belt, along with the holster, and handed it over to him.
“Here, this is the same one you used last time. I cleaned it and had Felix modify it a bit,” she said. “You won’t need to ever perform maintenance on it again.
“And I had these made as well.”
Reaching around behind herself, the Beastkin unhitched a belt attachment with four magazines in it that clearly matched the pistol.
“Just… stuff anything you can into the magazines and it’ll convert into the appropriate ammo.
“I tend to use dirt,” she said. “Works just like the Warden gear.”
Flattered at the gift and feeling a bit strange about it, Vince hesitated.
“Please take it?” Andrea asked, looking at him with big eyes. “As our brother-in-law, we want you to be safe. You’ve already done so much for us.”
Vince grimaced at that and took a firm hold of the magazines in their belt, and the gun.
“I haven’t done anything at all to deserve something like this.
“All I did was send over some gold and some of my people. I can’t see anything that your own forces couldn’t accomplish, given time.”
“You have no idea what you’ve done for us,” said a voice at the door.
Looking up, Vince found himself looking at the woman who’d previously been identified as Lily.
“Those ‘people’ you sent over gave us more breathing room than we’ve had for the last year.
“And the gold? People who have been dead for years are up and moving around again at a fraction of what the cost would have been,” Lily said. “And you think you don’t warrant a simple pistol? I think you’re in for a rude awakening once Felix gets some time to repay you.”
Vince affixed the extra magazine attachment onto his belt and the pistol into place.
Letting it fall into a natural position, he looked at it to make sure it fit.
Then he gave the flap a tug, opening it.
With a quick pull of his fingers, he drew the weapon smoothly and sighted it at a blank wall to one side where no one was.
Dad always said treat it like it’s a death laser and anything we point it at will die.
Letting the muzzle drop, Vince pulled it in close for an inspection and gave it a once-over.
He felt an ease with the weapon. One that only came from taking a life with a weapon, in his experience.
It really did seem like the exact same pistol as last time.
Holstering it again, Vince bowed his head to the twins.
“Then I accept in the grace it was given,” he said, and stood upright. “I was told Felix wanted to see me?”
“You have no idea,” Lily said with a grin. “Come on, let me give you a quick tour. He’s a bit busy right now. We’re in the heart of Legion city so it’ll be a good chance to show you around.
“And off.”
Show me off?
Vince mentally shrugged, then nodded his head to the Beastkin women.
“Thank you for your greeting,” he said.
All three Beastkin smiled at him, then glomped on him with a group hug.
“Of course!” they said in unison. “You’re family!”
Disentangling himself from the trio, Vince managed to catch up with Lily as she walked out of the receiving area and into another room entirely.
“Do forgive them,” she said after closing the door behind them. “We’ve had a tough year, and recently—obviously due to you—we’ve had an amazing turnaround.
“They’re all very excited. Everyone is.”
Vince was standing in front of a building, looking down a wide boulevard.
All around him, people of every race, species, and creed walked around as if nothing were the matter.
Very strange-looking cars drove along the streets, and everything was neat and orderly.
“It looks like the ruins,” Vince said aloud.
At the same time, he felt like his senses were screaming at all the danger around him.
He could sense the imminent danger of weapons drawn on him. From multiple positions, no less.
“Well, I imagine to some degree it would. Your ruins are simply our current day,” Lily said, gesturing around herself. “This is Legion city. Heart of our operations in Wal. The buildings were built specifically to house and shelter the portal.
“Where it came out previously was main headquarters.”
“Security issue,” Vince said, watching what looked like something his father had described as a helicopter fly overhead.
“Yes, that’s what Felicia said. She felt it was a danger to both your side of the portal and ours. So it was moved here.”
“Hence the guards and the security equipment,” Vince said, pointing a finger to the disguised machine-gun turrets. “And the shooters as well.”
Vince pointed at the hidden and built-in sniper nests at the corners of the buildings nearby.
Lily looked at him strangely, then up to what he’d pointed out.
“You saw all that?” she asked.
“Sensed it, really,” Vince said, then stepped to one side after he heard a commotion from inside the building they’d just left.
Taylor?
The door flung open and the handle banged against the wall.
“Vince!” said the black Dragon, in her human form. She was wearing much more normal house clothes now, instead of the leather jacket he’d given her.
Behind her came Shelly and Leanne, both dressed in a similar fashion.
“Taylor. What’s up?” Vince asked. Glancing through the open doorway, he saw a number of security guards angrily heading their way.
“Sorry about that. They’re with me, but they’re Dragons and don’t have normal manners,” he said by way of apology.
Taylor snorted, folding her arms in front of her stomach.
“You tried to leave without me. As the male of a wing, you’re required to have one of us with you at all times. Regardless of where you are.
“Or at least Ramona,” Taylor said with a strange look on her face. “She isn’t part of the wing, but you should simply consider her so. She’ll agree eventually.”
Lily looked concerned and confused.
“Dragons?” she asked.
“Yes, these three women are Dragons. Taylor is a black, Leanne and Shelly are reds,” Vince said. “Now, you three are welcome to join me, but you must be on your best behavior. This is a strange place, alright?”
All three women nodded at that.
Everyone turned to look at Lily.
“Shall we continue?” Vince asked.
Lily’s mouth hung open for a few seconds before she shrugged her shoulders.
“Why not? We’ll just
walk to the HQ building,” she said, lifting a hand to point to a large tower a block or two in the distance.
“Huh. That’s not exactly close,” Vince said, falling in behind her as she started walking.
She was also wearing heels, he noticed.
“I assume you were already at the receiving area?” he asked.
“Ah… no. Andrea notified me the moment you walked through. I used a personal means of travel to arrive as quickly as possible,” Lily admitted. “We set up a remote notification for when you’d show up. You’re a bit of a VIP.”
“All should know our male,” Taylor said. “He can fight anything and win.”
“I have no doubt of that. I personally witnessed him tear through our enemies as if they didn’t exist.
“Now, come, let’s walk and talk, and I can show you around.”
Lily kept them busy for an hour, even taking them to a brief lunch before walking them into the HQ.
She handed them over to a number of Andreas, who promptly led them to another room with a rather large door.
Stepping through the door, Vince saw Felix and Eva sitting at a table together.
Both of them looked to him and smiled.
Genuine smiles.
Warm smiles.
Smiles that made Vince feel welcomed.
Taylor came in with him while the two reds remained in the room previous.
“Brother,” Felix said, getting to his feet. He immediately crossed over to Vince and much to his surprise, hugged him. “It’s so good to see you. I was just talking to Eva about your trip. I’d not been able to really sit down and hear the tale until now.
“Would you and your companion join us?”
Vince awkwardly hugged the smaller man in return, unsure of what to do or say.
“Yes, we will. This is Taylor, my black Dragon,” Vince said.
“Hello,” Taylor said.
“She’s the black Dragon he fought and proposed to,” Eva said.
Taylor smiled wide at that and nodded her head.
“He defeated me in martial combat as my Dragon. It was very… impressive,” she said, with a hint of heat to her voice.
“Come, sit, sit,” Felix said, gesturing to the chairs and releasing Vince.
“First, let me just say thank you. Those Dryads you sent to assist us—me—were exactly what we needed.