On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

One Hundred And Sixty-Five

Arriving at where the Faerie Ring Gate was growing, drinking in the plentiful earth energies of Shirohebizumi shrine, we were greeted by the return of the weaselkin forces, led by Shaeraggo, Selensha at his side.

“Brother, you have returned.” Shaeula smiled, pleased to see him despite their prior clashes. Yeah, Shaeula does love her family. I get that. “Sister-in-law too.”

On seeing me beside her, Shaeraggo’s expression fell a little, but he rapidly smoothed it out through force of will. “Little sister, I have returned as pledged. It is good-good to see you well. Ulfuric, has…”

As Shaeula approached him, he trailed off, his eyes glowing with a green light. Letting out a shocked gasp, he regarded her intensely, his gaze boring into her. “Sister… your strength, the depth of your spiritual energy… how has it grown so incredibly fast-fast?”

Preening, clearly proud of her achievements, Shaeula draped her arm around me. “I guess I am simply a genius, brother mine-mine.” She grinned, full of good humour. “Seriously, I did-did tell you that together with Akio, we would grow strong enough to crush my doubters and take-take back my rightful place in the Seelie Court. This is but-but the first step. When the three moons your promised us are spent-spent, Akio and I shall truly be powerful.”

“That’s wonderful. I’m so pleased!” Selensha clapped her hands. “See, my love. I told you there was nothing to worry about.”

“Bah, with Ulfuric there to protect her, I had no-no worries.” Shaeraggo lied.

“So, have you brought the treasures?” Shaeula asked, seeing the wagons coming through the Ring Gate. Well, isn’t that something? A crackling haze of earth energies was rippling through the air, a ruby curtain that shimmered at the edges with a full rainbow of colour, including others that I couldn’t even name or describe. A wagon packed full of large chests rolled out, pulled by a couple of horse-sized weasels. As I watched, impressed, Shaeula’s arm around me tightened uncomfortably. I turned to her, surprised, only to see she had paled, looking wary and upset.

Before I could ask her why, two weaselkin wearing old-fashioned maid outfits, more reminiscent of old British Victorian maids, rather than the fetishized Akiba-style French maid outfits, hopped off the wagon and started rushing towards us.

“Princess, just why-why are you in that human form?” one said, scandalised, while the other raced at me and tried to pry Shaeula’s arm off me.

“Off-off this wretched human, princess! You are too precious to touch such filth!”

Filth, that hurts my feelings a little…

“Risha, Velna. Enough.” Shaeula spat coldly, ignoring their feeble efforts to separate us, gripping me tighter.

“But princess…” one began, before Shaeula ruthlessly shut her down, leaking a little wind energy to emphasise her point.

“But nothing. I shall not-not allow you to disrespect my Akio in that way. In fact, I do not-not need you here at all.” she turned to Shaeraggo, ire plain to see. “Just why-why did you bring these two, brother? I need no servants here. Especially not those that do not-not understand their place.”

“Princess, we only wish what-what is best for you…” the first attendant protested. Risha, was she? “… if you return to the mansion your royal brother has prepared for you, than you can-can…”

“I will not-not warn you again.” Shaeula said sternly, causing them to flinch, shocked at the change in her attitude since last they met.

“Be gentler with your servants, little sister.” Shaeraggo sighed. “They have-have missed you. No noble daughter of Shaetanao can be without maids, that is an affront to your royal dignity. The remaining maids wait at the mansion I have-have prepared for you. Now that a second Faerie Gate is connected, the hidden mansion is the safest place for you.”

“Safest? Hardly. Here with Akio is where I shall be-be. After all, as Ulfuric can tell you, we have defeated our enemy, crushed him and looted his Territory. Soon, when our Anchor has upgraded, we shall fortify this land further. Even you shall-shall be impressed, my brother.”

Shaeraggo frowned, before looking at Ulfuric, who nodded and rumbled his agreement. Looking as if he was sucking on something sour, Shaeraggo spoke to his sister once more. “You can-can bring this mortal… your… husband. Ugh…” it looked hard for him to say, and I fell a brief twinge of wicked satisfaction at his discomfort, but it was quickly forgotten as he honoured his wager to accept me for now. “… I cannot fail to admit your valour, yet… troubling times are coming.”

As we approached the wagons, the maids still fussing around us, I noticed that Ixitt was cackling happily, moving several crates filled with strange devices and glassware. I guess they sent through his gear as well? I’m equal parts intrigued and scared to see what he can come up with…

“I confronted that bastard Duke Formor, yet he denied-denied everything!” Shaeraggo complained. “Still, I know he was involved! The Court has taken a turn for the darker as of late.” He continued. “The Unseelie are becoming more active, their filthy creatures sniffing around our borders, looking for weaknesses. Worse-worse, already the beasts of the Wild Hunt have been sighted. War is-is coming, I can feel it.”

“The Wild Hunt?” Shaeula frowned. “It-is is much too soon for the Winter Hunt. That bodes ill indeed.”

I’m a bit lost. What’s the Wild Hunt? Seeing my obvious confusion, Shaeula explained. “The Wild Hunt is an event that occurs twice-twice per year, accursed beasts galloping across the lands of the Fae, hunting and devouring all in their foul-foul path. Still, the next Hunt should be the Winter one, so seeing such signs so soon… I fear-fear this Hunt will be a brutal one.”

“Indeed-indeed.” Shaeraggo affirmed. “Therefore I wish you would take shelter in the mansion I have prepared for you, so you may be safe. Our eldest brother has been mobilised to guard our borders, and sister Shaeranna…” he suddenly paused, an expression I could only describe as guilty flashing across his features. Beside him Selensha also looked mortified, so I figured something was up.

Not just me, too. Shaeula suddenly lowered her voice. “What about sister, dear brother? What have you done?”

“I have not-not broken the price!” he insisted, his green eyes wandering. “Your sister is deeply concerned for your safety, as I am. She realised I sneaked out to this backwater hinterland to see-see you, and pressed me for answers. I did not crack, though!” he promised. “I merely told her I had confirmed your safety and offered you a place to hide in the corners of our Lands… I made no mention of your… relationship.”

“That is a relief indeed.” Shaeula sighed. “However, sister is quite impatient, I am surprised she was satisfied with just-just that.”

“She has her own troubles right now. it would do her good-good to see you.” Shaeraggo scratched at his head, downcast.

“Yes, sister-in-law misses you dearly, and blames herself for your exile.” Selensha chimed in. Before Shaeula could respond, a gruff, bored voice called out, interrupting us.

“This’n be all very well, but I be sick and tired o’ waiting here. You asked me to be coming to this’n here place, only t’ keep me waiting.”

A short, bearded and powerfully muscled figure stepped out of the shadows of the wagons, wearing leather and chainmail armour, thick and heavy. A large hammer was over one shoulder, and a bulging leather backpack larger than the stunted figure itself was over his shoulders. “I be needing a place t’ set up my forge. Idle hands make no wonders.”

“Ah, master Bjarki, I am most-most honoured you have accepted my invitation to come to my Territory for these moons.”  Shaeula bowed, and following her lead I did so too, also offering my thanks.

“Ack, I could no listen t’ your brother’s whining any longer lass. I must say, your manners have changed for t’ better. I do nay remember you being this’n polite. Your mortal form be rather fetching too, lass.”

Shaeula flushed, more from shame than the compliment, I guessed. She nodded politely to the dwarf. “I am shamed by my previous immaturity. I have-have learned from Akio that true nobility is more-more than being prideful and haughty.” She turned her gaze on her bothered maids. “If you wish-wish to remain in my service, then you would do well to remember that, and show no-no disrespect to my Akio or any of his servants.”

“I see then. Fascinating. So this’n be the brat that battered prince Shaeraggo here and stole t’ princess, huh? By Ivaldi’s beard, this’n may be more worth my time than I feared.” He laughed uproariously, and at Shaeraggo’s sour expression, he only laughed harder.

“I think we can use one of the back buildings as a forge.” I interjected, trying to diffuse the atmosphere. “They aren’t much to look at, but at least it’s got a roof.” The area on the hill behind the shrine was still barren and burned, but luckily the Foehn had not reached the Boundary shadows of the buildings there, so they still stood, even if they were as run-down and derelict as they used to be on the Material until the refurbishments. “Ulfuric, can you see master Bjarki there and get some weaselkin to bring over his gear?”

“It shall be done.” Ulfuric promised, and he lifted a massive anvil off one of the wagons, before leading the howling dwarf away. Shaeraggo watched him go, annoyed, before turning back to us.

“With this, I have fulfilled the price. For three moons I shall keep-keep your secrets, but I implore you, danger is rising everywhere, seek shelter in the place I have prepared for you should danger threaten you-you.”

“I am no-no fool brother.” Shaeula promised, taking my hand, ignoring the disproving noises from the maids. “Should it be necessary we shall retreat. After all, death is the end, is it not-not? And we promised to live. Since you have given us a gate, brother, we shall visit this mansion on occasion. It would be nice-nice to make love under the moon of the Fae lands.” She looked at me and licked her lips lasciviously.

Damn, not in front of your brother! Indeed, he looked incredibly bitter, and Selensha was giggling, embarrassed, hiding her face.

“Enough of this.” He changed the subject, gesturing to his weaselkin. “Unload the wagons. Too long here and we shall be missed-missed.”

Boxes, crates and bags were unloaded quickly. Wait, did I just hear someone cry out? Looking around, I couldn’t see anyone else having noticed, so I dismissed it I must be hearing things.

Shaeula had opened up one of the boxes, a large chest, letting out a noise of excitement as she was greeted with an array of glittering stones, red, orange and yellow, with a sprinkling of green. “This-this is perfect. Though I note-note there are no blue ones here brother, I am disappointed.”

“We only had two blue stones in our treasury.” Shaeraggo protested. “I could not justify taking them. I think you will find-find your share most satisfactory.”

“Yeah, there must be over a hundred thousand ether’s worth of ores here.” I agreed, eyeballing the chest. “Thanks, brother-in-law.”

“I do not need-need nor desire your thanks.” he turned away, ignoring his chuckling wife.

“Well, you get them anyway. Oh, by the way, while you are here Selensha, I wondered if you could do me a small favour?”

She cocked her head, puzzled, and I explained, while Shaeula was searching through the piles of loot, making impressed noises as she found ingots of metal and various other resources. “I have been improving my Ether Healing skill, but you are very talented at healing, so I was hoping to experience a bit more of your skills, get some insights.”

“I don’t mind. I’m quite proud of my prowess with the water element. Water and Light are the most suited elements for healing, though some Earth users are capable as well.” She explained, lecturing me. Seeing that her husband was busy with Shaeula she lowered her voice. “I’m pleased to see my husband has cooled down, and that we meet under happier circumstances.”

“Me too.” I agreed, starting the lesson.

Meanwhile, Shaeula was inspecting the bow Shaeraggo had provided from his personal collection. It was sleek, smaller than the larger longbows Shaeraggo favoured, closer to a compound or recurve bow. The body was enamelled a fiery crimson, while the string was a fine silver.

“Yes-yes, this is perfect. Aiko’s favourite bow is red, it must-must be destiny.” She idly pulled at the string, before rummaging around and finding a quiver in matching crimson, though it was empty.

“Place an arrow within, and it will infuse the head-head with flames. I took it from those cursed firefoxes long ago.” Shaeraggo explained, happy to spend some time with his sister without them clashing, even if giving away one of his bows pained him.

Ignoring the pain from my self-inflicted wounds that Selensha was healing expertly, I started to concentrate on the feel of her healing, trying to replicate it with aether. The conversation Shaeraggo was having with Shaeula was a pleasant background noise, and I rejoiced that their relationship was mending. It’s a sad thing for a sister to fall out with her brother…

********

“… we shall visit the mansion, brother. Feel free to come see us then. But do not tell sister Shaeranna. I am not-not ready for her to meet Akio yet.”

“I am not a fool, little sister. Now, stay safe.” He turned to me then, just before entering the maelstrom of colour that made up the activated Ring Gate. “As for you. Make sure you keep my darling sister safe. Or else-else!”

“Don’t worry, that’s my top priority. And I appreciate the treasures. What you’ve brought will really help us.”

“It is merely paying the price for my loss. Though even now I cannot believe your recklessness. Until I see you next, dear little sister!” and with that he departed, leading his forces back through the gate, leaving us with the confused maids.

“Your brother isn’t honest. Male tsundere aren’t popular, he needs to work on that.”

One maid opened her mouth to complain at my disrespect towards him, but shut it immediately at Shaeula’s glare. “Indeed. My foolish brother is still less-less troublesome than my sister though. Well, shall we catalogue our spoils?”

Our own weaselkin had carted off some already, taking the box of Etherite ores to the shrine building. The ores and ingots were to go to our new dwarven ally, to stock his temporary forge. There were also several pieces of equipment that would suit Shaeula, including some armour.

Shifting one of the crates, that was full of what looked like small bottles containing liquids in various colours, I heard what sounded like another small cry. That’s odd. Putting aside the box, I found that there was a heavily chained-up wood and iron casket. I wonder what’s in that and why it’s chained up?

Looking for how to unlock the box I struggled to find where the chains were anchored. Suddenly the box jumped, an impact rocking it. Leaping backwards in alarm I waited, Shaeula and several weaselkin rushing over. As they did so the box jumped again, as if struck. The lid popped open a touch, and from within I could see something peering out at me….