But Lisa and Sasha Calvar, similarly dressed and obviously helping to assist Christine, were gazing at Val with looks of awe mingled with horror.
The powerfully built Lucius Blackenthorp, also present and dressed in the formfitting battlemesh favored by Highlords ready for battle, flashed Val an approving smile, young Jake by his side, grinning from ear to ear. “It is good to see you, Valor Hunter. You have survived your trial and look more like a king than you ever have before.”
Angelica smiled, demurely lowering her head, though her feet proudly took her to Val’s side, a tentative hand clasping his own. “He truly does, Father. If the fates are kind, we will survive the trials to come, whether or not the Crown is claimed.”
“Thanks, guys,” Val said. “I love the outfits, by the way. Are kimonos typical Highlady gear when not getting ready to duel? Because you all look stunning in them.” Angelica flushed and grinned, though Lisa and Sasha still looked like deer caught in headlights, gazing so intently at the silvery scars he now bore.
Val turned to Jake. “Surprised to see you here, buddy. Is Lucius teaching you battlefield strategy?”
Jake grinned and nodded. “Lucius says I really proved myself in the last battle, and when I told him it was because I got an elite skill called Tactical Mastery and what it’s capable of, I immediately got Favored status from the Blackenthorp clan! I can now give bonuses to a squad of men under me, in either offense, defense, or efficiency. Every rank increases the bonus by 5% and doubles the number of people receiving the bonus. The minute I said efficiency, he said it’s time for me to learn the responsibilities of being an administrator. Best of all, I got a pay increase, and now I get to see how empires really work behind the scenes… when not training with my battle-mech, of course.”
Lucius gave the boy an almost fatherly clap on the shoulder. Val grinned at seeing the powerfully built Highlord take such a shine to the boy, just like Axel had. Val found himself wondering if Jake had some sort of Protege perk, or if it was just a naturally high Charisma stat. “Whatever the quirks of your Terran ability to triangulate your growth, you have potential, Jake Thatcher, and we would be fools to squander your growth entirely upon a gunner’s skills when your organizational gifts could be used to increase the efficiency of a business or bureaucracy just as readily as a squad of men.”
Val couldn’t help quirking a smile at the kid’s sudden grimace. “You’ll find every army runs on its stomach, Jake, and every government needs an efficient administration to keep itself going without losing a fortune in revenue to inefficiency and poor oversight. If Lucius is right, and you and I both know he is, putting points into Tactical Mastery would be tremendously helpful. Not just for a battle, but for managing an entire kingdom.”
Jake frowned. “I’ll be honest, Val, that’s not exactly how I wanted to spend my level-up points.”
Val’s gaze hardened. “This isn’t a game, Jake. Real lives are on the line. Thousands of them. Are you saying increasing your skills piloting a single battle-mech is more important than serving the entire army?”
The boy paled, gazing at Val incredulously. “This, coming from you? When were you going to follow your own stupid advice, Val? I haven’t been here that long, but even I know you’re always missing, only showing up just in the nick of time when we're about to get blitzed, and then you go disappearing again to god knows where! Only now you come back looking like a high-level Grim Reaper, sweet look by the way, challenging all the troublemakers to death matches, getting to sleep with the cutest girls in the province, and still managing to get out of every single morning meeting the ‘adults’ insist we attend!”
All the girls paled at those words, Angelica raising her hand, as if even she was afraid that Val might actually strike the kid down, just for daring to speak his mind.
Just how close to the edge did they all think he was?
Val grimaced, knowing the kid was absolutely right. Always going rogue himself, and ready to do it again, Val had no ground to stand on at all. Jake was his own man, and had to make his own decisions. Still, if he could sweeten the pot...
Val shook his head. “And now I’m coming off as an ass, hardly here half the time. I know. But look at it this way, Jake. The stats we boost and the powers we develop now carry over to Earth. And if you think you’re making money now, imagine working with a startup, or a Fortune 500 company, making their operations smooth as silk, and getting paid millions for your innovations. If that Tactical Mastery skill has the potential I think it does, you might find yourself getting wined and dined by some serious players, a few years down the line. And in case it isn’t already obvious...”
Not taking his eyes off the boy for a second, he placed three Elementium coins into the boy’s trembling hand. “I’ll pay damn good coin for a future administrator with the promise Lucius thinks you have. So give it some thought, okay?”
Jake’s incredulous outrage transformed as if by magic to a brilliant grin. “Three million dollars on top of the coin you already gave me? Are you serious?” He suddenly wrapped Val in a fierce hug. “I abso-fucking-lutely love gaming with you! You’re the best guild leader I’ve ever played with in any game, ever! You want to control my skill growth? Super administrator it is!” His smile hardened just a tad. “But I’m still training every afternoon with Bethany. Even if I can only skill up through practice, I’m going to be the best damn mech-pilot I can be, administrator path or no.”
Val nodded solemnly. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Angelica chuckled softly. “And just how much do we have to pay you to have you attend our morning meetings, husband?”
Val winked. “Not a single penny. I’m happy to delegate administrative duties to my incredibly talented second-wife.”
Angelica’s eyes widened. She flushed, lowering her head, her cheeks suddenly flaming. But her soft, grateful smile speared Val’s heart. “So you admit it, then,” she whispered.
Val felt his own cheeks heat up, especially upon catching Lucius’s suddenly proud gaze. “I guess I do,” he softly said. “I just need to, well, you know.”
Christine sighed. “Get a certain girl to understand. That’s the problem with having raised her on Earth. No matter how wild a child she was with her classmates, she always dreamed of a Terran marriage, one day.”
Lucius nodded. “She will understand with time.”
Angelica grinned. “It’s only a matter of time before we win her heart, Lady Highblood. She has already seduced Bethany and I numerous times in our dreams. I sense how much she hungers for us every time she slips under the covers, and never are Bethany and I anything but the most understanding of allies, sharing secrets and laughter, pretending to ignore her racing heart. She knows we won’t touch Val before she is ready to accept us, and so finally sees us as allies, not competitors. Once she accepts the fact that our friendships could blossom into something so much sweeter, then our pride will be one.”
Jake actually winced. “Should everyone really be talking about this, you know, out loud?”
Val rubbed his temples. “Don’t worry about it, Jake. Terran norms are not Jordian norms, and I’m used to feeling awkward as hell, half the time.”
Jake laughed, clearly noting how Angelica had taken Val’s hand, gazing up at him with sultry eyes and a smile that promised to get him into all sorts of trouble. “I see how you suffer, man. Poor guy.”
Shadowmind Failed, Val! Perceptive Gaze may not Pierce your Veil, but it will keep you from entering it, and few people are as perceptive as the Blackenthorps! Like the one holding your hand, silently swearing her heart to you even now!
Christine’s gentle gaze tried to pin Val’s own. He shut his eyes, doing his best to slip into nonexistent shadow, but too many talented Psionicists who knew him and cared for him had him utterly pinned in place, unless he physically fled the room.
“Val?”
“Yes, Christine?”
“Where exactly is my daughter?”
Val grimaced. “I’m not sure.”
He sighed, meeting her gaze, feeling Shadowsplit ward certain truths he would keep hidden even from himself, for now, remembering only the horrific fury he felt, determined to butcher each one of the monsters with his blade of thorns, even if he could not recall their crime at that exact moment.
Christine paled. “First a tactical strike to break their formation, scattering them and shattering their resolve. Then a blade out of darkest legend. How many Dominion soldiers did you kill with that sword of tears?”
“A lot, Christine. A whole fucking lot. Let’s leave it at that, okay?”
She closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. “And I will never judge you for it. I wouldn’t dare. But still, Val, the look on my daughter’s face when you tore that man’s throat out in front of her...”
Val winced, lowering his head. “I know. Damn it, I know.”
“I know you didn’t mean to scare her. At least you thought to use your Spirit Link to reach out to her. At least I know she’s safe.”
“And she doesn’t want to hear from me at all,” he whispered. He couldn’t bear Christine’s gaze, the thought that surrendering to that madness might have cost him Julia forever.
He pointed to the now inert table upon which the entire map of Jordia had been on digital display just days ago, recalling his original purpose for attending this council of war. It was a poor comparison to modern computer graphics from his world, but as carefully depicted as any Terran board game map, and he could only hope it would suit his purpose.
“I need you to pull up the map display.”
Christine’s brows furrowed as Val’s declaration simultaneously cut off all other conversational gambits, Val quickly making his way to the table.
“I have every intention of going over the map shortly, Valor, but we are expecting a Vid-call and it would be best if we discussed the possible tactical options that might soon be available to us with your return...”
Val held up his hand. “Please, Christine. This is important. Really, really important.”
Her gentle demeanor hardened into a scowl before giving her head an exasperated shake. “Stubborn boys...” she muttered, before caressing knobs Val never did get around to mastering, the digital display coming to life just as it had days before.
Val spent anxious moments spent studying the map in sullen silence, feeling the growing tension of questions bitten back, all eyes upon him, and for a dreadful moment he feared he was being a fool. There was no way he could find it without actually…
“There it is!” He hissed with a sudden shiver of triumph, his finger jutting to a strip of land between where he had first arrived in this world and the city of Newford. The precise location of Stridborg, buried deep underground. He pulled up his own Dominion Matrix, sensing the two maps synergize, knowing he would have no problem arriving at his destination when the time came to go. But first, there were questions he needed answered.
“Christine...”
But Christine was gazing at the map with an expression close to awe. “Valor… is this true?”
Val furrowed his brow as all the Highlords present gazed at the map so damn intently, surprised to see the wonder in Angelica's eyes. “What are you talking about, Christine?”
Angelica squeezed his hand, gently taking his finger and bringing it to the far side depicting the southern continent. Val blinked, certain that the multicolored map had looked different before. Then he blinked, suddenly understanding.
A swath of formerly unclaimed land in the southern continent in the shape of an acute triangle was now marked as belonging to the Terran contender. It was just a sliver of the vast territory making up the Southern continent, but in terms of actual square mileage… it was considerable.
Angelica’s soft fingers guided Val’s chin, deep violet eyes finding his own, stunning him with their beauty before he finally collected himself enough to flinch away. “Incredible,” she whispered.
Christine, ever practical, put her focus completely on Angelica. “What can you tell us?”
Angelica flashed Val an awe-filled smile, delicate fingertips brushing his chest. A promise to keep his secrets safe. “Val did something indescribably remarkable. Somehow, the magic the Justiciars are using to monitor the Rite of Ascension here on Jordia recognizes Valor as having been granted ownership of a considerable portion of land that has never been claimed before."
Lucius frowned. “It was abandoned territory. All of it. Wildlands and deepwoods that no one dared to claim. The implied costs and lack of supporting populace made it risky to ever claim the territory formally. It could leave one perilously exposed, should any Overlord ever declare a tax not correlated with population upon it. We left it to the wild mages of the South, as we have most of that continent, and never thought twice about it.”
Val flashed a jaded smile. “Of the two mage clans I encountered near that swath of empty land, both are now sworn to my banner, and the Dominion bastards that were staking a claim are now one with the land in ways they never saw coming. And to be fair, there is a small demesne in the heart of my territory that I sense has no interest in, well, mortal power squabbles, though it doesn’t show at all on the map here.”
The exquisitely petite Lisa Calvar was gazing at Val with awe-filled eyes. A trembling hand reached for Val’s brow. He was too bemused to move. She shuddered as her fingers caressed the ridges that bore his tattoos. “Phoebe’s blessing. It must be!”
Christine frowned. “Of course I know of your scholarly research, dear Lisa, and it does you credit to embrace the arcane arts and revere the traditions of our ancestors, but the delusional belief of ancient deities is one of the pitfalls of studying ancient texts mixing philosophy and religion into the mathematical framework supporting their spells.”
Sasha flashed the older Highlord a jaded smile. “Honor to your House, Christine. What I am spouting is not delusion at all. It is fact. Just look at our champion's face. Or consider the devastation that utterly destroyed Dominicus Territory. Both seers and Dominion astronomers feared that meteor storm would doom our entire world. Only there was no dust cloud, no perpetual ice age of gloom and frigid death. Only a territory so infused with magic, that serfs from adjoining territories move away in droves for the awful howling of inhuman beasts they claim to hear from its depths. Monsters lurking through the wavering light, air seeming as thick as molasses, all awareness turning to strange confusion, should one dare to enter that territory, which is a death sentence if the reports of undead revenants wearing the faces of men peering back at them are anything to go by! And from the images we sensed within his mind with his latest acquisition, the soldiers trying to defend against Val didn’t even have working blasters!”
Breathing heavily, she focused her intent gaze on Val alone, her speech impassioned enough that Christine didn’t look as offended at the interruption and outburst as Val had feared she might. Just strangely curious, as if measuring him, body and soul.
“You know what Julia said as well as I do. The dark deeds she and Valor endured to give us and themselves a fighting chance. An extinction event averted. A territory warped by levels of magic not seen in a thousand years. An entire regiment of troops and battle-mechs destroyed! If that is not the work of Phoebe, if Val is not her Avatar, then how is it that long dormant magics are awakening after being suppressed for centuries? Only one wizard rose to the ranks of the divine in all our history, even if Dominion scholars refuse to believe it. And Valor wears the ancient marks of her clan.” Her gaze hardened. “The marks her chosen disciples have worn throughout history. I can dig up the original manuscripts if you wish, but I will need some time.”
Christine gave a thoughtful tilt of her head, now favoring Val with a curious smile even as he jerked his gaze away, struggling to find Shadowmind with so many Highlords pinning him with their intent gazes, Angelica’s warm grip anchoring him as well.
“You raise interesting points, Lisa Calvar. The intersections between
magic and culture are your specialty, after all. And it is an excellent series of questions, Valor. I don’t suppose you could share with us how exactly you obtained such fascinating markings, and how precisely you and Julia managed to take out an entire armada’s worth of battle-mechs by yourself?”
“Christine?”
“Yes, Valor?”
His finger jabbed the map. “Can you please tell me who owns this piece of territory right here?”
Val felt her glare peripherally, his eyes locked on the map, no wanting to meet anyone’s gaze. He heard her rueful chuckle. “Ah, you are a stubborn one, Valor.”
“That would be Highlord Avarum’s territory, Valor," Lucius said. "Though known as an aficionado of dwarven artifacts and a hard bargainer, I am not aware of his territory having any particular tactical significance.”
But Jake’s eyes had widened with sudden recognition. “You said Highlord Avarum, right? Doesn’t he have a dwarven ruin on his land? Supposed to be an entire city buried somewhere in the mountains close by!”
Lucius favored Jake with an approving nod, clapping his shoulder. “Well observed, lad. Now tell us the source of your deduction.”
Jake chuckled ruefully. “Dude, it’s no big secret, it’s all over on Readit!” He turned to Val, overflowing with excitement. “He’s holding a trial! The Devs are finally opening up more of those dwarven ruins for us players to explore, and Avarum will be home to the first trial on the entire server!”
He suddenly paled, catching sight of all the frowning gazes. “But um… this isn’t really a game. Yeah, I know. I’m just glad sleeping here counts as much as real life, because my mom still makes me log off every day to get some exercise and eat, like, real food, and she would absolutely kill me if she knew I was already kinda sharing my bed with someone. Over here, I mean.” He flushed and cleared his throat, catching Val’s intent gaze.
“Details, Jake. I don’t have access to Readit, so please give me the details!”
“Um, yeah, sure, buddy. Avarum claims that an entire dwarven city is buried in that mountain, ripe exploration, and he’ll pay top coin for any and all dwarven artifacts we find. Best of all, everyone showing any kind of proof that they joined in the expedition will earn an Elementium coin just like the ones you so love flashing around, each one worth a million bucks! Or… 100,000 credits if you spend it here. Anyway, it’s a freaking fortune, but as long as Avarum has the coin, who cares, right? So everyone who’s anyone is heading over there. But no noobs allowed. They’ll just get crunched.
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