“As far as I am aware of.” I shrugged. “Any living thing within the ocean isn’t water unless it’s an elemental, so it’ll be fine.”
Very well, you have my permission to do this thing. Before her presence left me, and I could turn back to my work, her cool presence amplified in my mind, and I could see her standing on the deck. You do me proud, droplet. Continue to grow and wash away your enemies.
Her smiling figure faded, and I was alone with Hubris once more.
I sighed and got to work, placing the different copper placards into the wood of the ship.
That one goes on the other side of the ship, master. Hubris’ correction startled me and I almost lost my grip on the wood.
“Thank you.” I lifted it out and placed the right one in, and this side was completed. It was a quick matter to finish the other side, and once they were all in place, I moved to the final step—the power sources.
I do not need to be held for this portion, master. I will simply be near you. With the enchantments laid already, the power sources being placed will simply empower the other spells. It will take a small amount of time for them to become fully charged, but by tomorrow at dawn, they should be at full strength.
“Thank you, Hubris.” I let the scepter go and held on to the rope I had tied around my waist. I leaned back like a scuba diver and turned in a single motion so that I could guide my descent. My head dunked into the water just below the waves, and I saw the spot that I had clawed a mark into.
With my breathing limited, I dug out the necessary spot around my marking and slid it into place. Casting Regrowth to grow the wood back around it until only the sapphire was visible to the water was where I stopped.
I could feel the pulse of the magic being taken from the water and used to power the others immediately. I grabbed the rope and switched to the other side after pulling myself up onto the deck.
After the job was done, I felt like I could finally rest, half the night having been eaten up already. Though it had been worth it with another level gained in enchanting, pumping me up to level 49 in the craft. But I wasn’t ready to go back in and face Muu just yet.
I cast Shadow Speak, and Maebe formed of the shadows around us, the darkness of the sky doing her well.
“Hello, my love.” I smiled at her, and she nodded her head. It was hard not being able to touch her. “How are you feeling? How long has it been?”
“Much improved.” Her smile seemed tense, but she did sound less tired. “It has been another two weeks for me, but how go things in the mortal realm?”
“We found our ship to the Continent of Beasts and prepare the ship for a battle that Vrawn saw coming.” Maebe stiffened up. “Something big is coming, and we aren’t quite sure what it is.”
“I see.” She turned slightly to my left and frowned. “You seem different.”
I nodded. “A lot has happened. We found the final elemental champion, and she’s going with us to our destination. It’s her homeland. We received our rewards, but the quest is still active. I think once you return and receive your reward, it’ll be completely done. Speaking of, how is returning looking?”
“We found the spy, and are interrogating him as we speak.” Her look of concern turned to one of malice. “He is surprisingly glib, but I have tasted the lies spewing from him and know that he should break soon. Once he does, I will require little time to return to you. How long has it been since last we spoke?”
“About a day?”
“Then, the dilation seems to be fluctuating, as it has been two weeks here.” I frowned, and she seemed to pick up on my coming question. “I did not reach out due to how busy I have been. My mother sends her regards, and have you called to the other creature I mentioned?”
I frowned. “Other creature?”
Maebe sighed. “Yve. She expressed an interest in serving you, and I am inclined to send her to you, anyway.”
“Oh! I remember her name now.” I frowned deeper at Maebe. “Why?”
“We have uncovered a plot,” Maebe began apprehensively but continued when I moved closer. “The Seelie have sent operatives into the Prime Realm to capture you to use as leverage. They know that if they do anything else, a war could break out and with how strong we are now, they will lose. But if they have you, they can use it against me.”
“I’m in the middle of the ocean, dearest.” I motioned to the water all around us. “They’ll have a hard time getting to us out here.”
“They are not above alliances, Zeke,” she whispered pointedly.
My eyes narrowed at her. “You think they could be working with the Children of Brindolla?”
“Summon her to you, Zeke, right now. So that she can watch over all of you, my husband and precious friends.” She looked behind her. “I must go, they believe he will be ready to speak again soon. I love you. And I long to see you once more.”
“I love you too, be safe.” She nodded, and the shadows dissipated where she was, leaving me with the night crew who moved on thinking I was probably crazy for speaking to myself.
I moved to a more secluded portion of the deck before closing my eyes and whispering, “Tan’rbleth.”
“Finally!” The drain on my mana barely registered as a crawling, creeping cold sensation reached out from behind me that made me shiver. I turned to find a tall, thin woman wearing a white dress that looked like spun moonlight standing there watching me with eyes so red they could have been blood, but they glowed on their own. I glanced about to see that no one had spotted us before turning back to her curious expression.
“Yve?” She nodded, her features a little less defined as she stepped closer to me, invading my personal space. “Little too close, don’t you think?”
“You’ll have to forgive me, it has been so long since I was near a king, and one so interesting as you.” She smiled, all of her teeth looked sharpened and serrated. “Yes, I am Yve. I am to be your guard while you are here in the mortal realm. My darling younger brother speaks highly of you.”
“Servant?” She nodded again and stepped back. “Do you take animal form as well?”
“I have many forms.” Her mischievous grin was unnerving. “But like my brother, I prefer a feline form to that of most others. Would you prefer that?”
“I think so.” I was still a little put off at how quickly she had come and with no real effort on my part. “Why are you so interested in me?”
She shook herself out, the short hair on top of her head growing longer. She then fell to her hands and feet in feline form. She stood nearly shoulder height on me and her canines were as long as daggers and just as sharp.
“I find you fascinating because you are mortal, and yet you command the respect of many.” She plodded around me, her huge paws barely registering on the deck. “You have even ensnared the mind of my queen—the only Fae to ever earn my name. I knew if you were important to her, you might be worthy of my interest. So I told her to give you my name. Imagine my delight when you finally called.”
“What are you?” I found myself reaching out to her, and she pressed her head against my palm. “You and your brother.”
“We are the spirits of the Olde Fae, those who fought in the war between the two courts more than a thousand years ago.” She purred against my hand, rubbing her teeth over the butt of my hand just like a cat might. “I was among the first to die for our cause, and so strong was my desire that I returned to the realm in animal form. As each form grows, we consume and grow stronger until we either regain our memories or the Wild Hunt claims us.”
“So, the members of the Wild Hunt aren’t all demons?”
She shook her massive head.
“Once we reclaim our memories, we continue to serve ourselves and whomever we choose to, because then we regain our immortality.”
“So, no one knew your true name before Maebe did?” I found the story too enticing to give up asking questions, and she seemed the talkative type.
“That is correct.” Yve purre
d and lay down only to roll lazily onto her back to show me her stomach. “I watched her growing up from a babe, already hundreds of years old by this time. I was there when she entered the dungeon for the first time, and on the first floor of it, she wiped out all of the guards that had been sent with her who intended to betray her. Their blood turned the ice crimson and coaxed me out of hiding only for her to trap me!”
“No way!” I whispered, and scratched her stomach as she rumbled with laughter.
“I felt much the same.” She batted at my hands playfully and turned to her side. “She gave me the ultimatum, serve her, and reveal my true name, or die.”
“You had to have figured out a way out of the trap, right?”
“I did not!” She assured me. “It was made entirely of shadows and try as I might to batter them away, she kept me there for more than a day and a half. Finally, I thought that serving her would be more entertaining than stalking her. I have been her faithful servant since.”
“That’s an amazing story.” I sat back on my heels and smiled. “She is pretty awesome.”
“Indeed.” Yve stood and shook herself out once more. “Come then, my King. It is time that you rested.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re here for all of a few minutes, and you’re already bossing me around?”
Her face was suddenly very close to mine. “I have orders from my Queen to ensure that you are safe and taking care of yourself. It is time for all the good little kings and queens to be asleep.”
I rolled my eyes and figured it would be better to do as suggested than fight her and ruin my work out here. I walked back to the cabin door, then paused to look out at the crew. They moved on and did as they were meant to, glancing at me and then away as if there was nothing out of the norm.
“They can’t see you, can they?” I looked over at Yve, and she shook her head. “I see. Probably for the best.”
I walked into the hall with her close behind and then into the room, only to find Muu waiting for me.
“Now listen here, you ignorant bitch.” He rounded on me and stepped forward to get into my face.
Yve surged past me on my left and knocked him back into the wall, visible to my friend as she placed her paws on either side of his body against the wall.
“Yve.” I sighed with a warning tone.
“I am intimately familiar with what each of your companions looks like, my King.” Yve sounded cheerful as she spoke, still menacingly covering my friend’s view of me.
“I take it this one is like Servant?” Muu droned, pressing a hand against her bulk and shoving lightly. She moved, but not by much.
“I am nothing like my darling little brother, morsel.” Yve bared her teeth, then licked Muu on the face. “I am much more ancient and difficult to please. Do not approach my King so aggressively again.”
“It’s between him and me, so you can butt out.” I snapped my fingers and flexed my will much like I would with the shadows around us.
She stiffened, backing away from Muu and sitting by my side, a contented expression on her face. “I do see why she likes you so.”
I rolled my eyes and turned my gaze on Muu as he wiped his face and spat. “I think her tongue got in my mouth.”
“I get it.” He looked up at me in confusion. “I get why you think the way that you do. I don’t agree in the slightest, but I get it. It sucks that I do, but if you’re going to stay, then I have no choice but to support you. Because I can’t have that bad blood on either of us.”
He was quiet for a moment until I walked the distance and pulled him into a quick hug. We patted each other’s backs, and he lay in his bed before I lifted myself into mine above his.
“Is she going to sit there and stare at us all night?” Muu’s voice drifted up to me.
A purring chuckle filled the room as I closed my eyes, and Yve answered, “Why would I stare at you both all evening?”
“Oh, thank god.” Muu sighed in relief, then yelled in surprise.
“I will only be watching you, morsel.” Her laughter made me grin, and I drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Fourteen
The sun crept lazily through the hole in the cabin wall, brushing against my face. I woke up, blearily grateful for a peaceful night of sleep.
It stood to reason that the creature we had fought had sent us these dreams and likely needed to recover from hitting us all with a vision like that mid-combat. Not that I would be complaining honestly.
I cracked my back and rolled off the side of my cot and landed unceremoniously on top of Muu, who was trying to get out of bed himself.
“So full of grace, Majesty.” Yve purred on in delight.
“You can take that shit for a walk.” I snarled at her, feeling much less royal than I should have likely felt at that moment.
She simply purred some more and watched me untangle myself from my friend.
“Good morning to you too,” Muu grumbled as he stretched and stood up. “Yohsuke came in about ten minutes ago, so I’ll be taking the next ‘shift’ of watch. Really we’ll be working on the ballista and glancing around. What about you?”
“I enchanted a good chunk of the ship after our spat last night.” He rubbed his neck and I smacked his arm. “Don’t worry—we’re good. I just had to get it out of my system.”
He nodded and we left it at that, he pointed to a plate left out for me and I gobbled down the biscuits and gravy with a side of delicious bacon.
“The creature who cooks for you smells… dead,” Yve observed cautiously.
“Well, he’s a vampire, so I would think so.” She nodded sagely, watching me as I consumed my food, then I paused. “Do you need to eat?”
“I will hunt when I can.” She arched her back languorously and yawned. “I do not need to eat often. Though if I stay on this plane too long, I will need to eat something large.”
“Thank you for letting me know.” I tossed her a piece of my bacon, and she sniffed at it curiously before picking it up delicately with her teeth.
The rumbling of her chest as she consumed the morsel seemed odd at first. “Swine?”
I nodded. “Bacon.”
“I adore this bacon, your chef is quite talented.” She padded closer to my plate and began to sniff at it. “What is the white blood on the plate?”
I laughed at her simplistic view. “It’s called gravy. You can make it with a little bit of sausage in it to give it zest and consistency. Here.”
I put some on my finger, and a rough, sandpaper-like tongue washed over it. “Mmm.” I offered a piece of bacon with gravy on it, and Yve moaned low in her throat. “This is truly masterful cooking. Has my Queen eaten this?”
“It’s been a while, but she likes Yohsuke’s cooking.”
“I must speak with him soon.” She decided and padded over to the coffin on the ground. “You may slumber, for now, vampire, but I will learn your secrets.”
I had to laugh at that, and she turned to pace toward me. The remainder of my plate was hers which she delighted in, commenting on the light and flaky biscuits the gravy had been slathered over.
“What will you do today?” I asked her as she devoured her newly-given food.
She licked her cheek to get at a speck of gravy and eyed me. “I will search the ship for Seelie. And then I will protect you.”
“Can you swim?” She nodded then turned back to her food. “Good. Then you and I will go into the water today.”
She ignored me to finish the plate, then blinked at me sadly. “I have known many pleasures, King Zeke, but I would know the name of this one. Please?”
I snorted and rolled my eyes. “Biscuits and gravy with bacon.”
She repeated the words with her eyes closed as if memorizing it. I shook my head and used shadows to clean the plate before leaving the room.
The sun reflected off the water, almost blindingly at first, but my eyes adjusted. I could see that Jaken, Bokaj, and Muu gathered around a spot on the foredeck and mutter
ed over their blueprints with a thin man who had a belt of tools around his waist.
Best leave them be, for now. Vrawn and Odany trained with a small sword made of wood that had been stained dark.
Bea and Kayda watched next to Dusty, who seemed to be kicking up a pleasant breeze for the two of them.
Vrawn took the girl through several different motions with the sword, and Odany seemed to be having difficulty paying attention until Vrawn swept her leg out from beneath her, sending the poor girl sprawling.
“You are already strong, Odany.” Vrawn sighed heavily as her student collected herself from the ground. “You must give that strength purpose.”
“But I know I want to fight with two weapons!”
“You must first master one,” Vrawn replied patiently. “I want you to do twenty-five vertical slashes, just like I showed you. Bea will watch you and let me know if you slack off.”
Bea plodded over to stand in front of Odany and hissed at her before barking at her to begin.
“Okay!” Odany shouted angrily and began to chop with her sword, her form leaving much to be desired.
Vrawn stepped closer to me and smiled softly. “She has potential, but it’s not with any of the weapons I have. What will you be doing?”
“I’m going to be going into the water to acquire new aquatic forms.” I grinned at her with a bravado I wasn’t feeling, and she relaxed a little. “I won’t be down there long, and then we can get some sparring in later, as well.”
That was something she found exciting, her face lighting up a little before she turned back to correct the girl’s form.
“Did I just hear you say you would be going into the ocean?” Captain Holly limped toward us with a bright smile, though she seemed worried.
“Yes, you did, Captain.”
“Do be careful down there,” she warned. “We’re close to the lord’s territory, and there are all sorts of nasty creatures out in those waves.”
“I’ll make sure to watch myself down there.” I smiled at her, then waved to Vrawn and my babies as I sprinted over the side of the deck and jumped into the water below. I heard a second concussion near me and saw a long eel that winked at me.
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