《The Princess's Man》


 PART 1

    "No, Get Away!" A female voice shouted angrily, catching Will''s attention as he walked past the ally. Will turned down following the deluge of shouts.


    "Do you know who I am? If you touch me..." The choice was cut off by the sound of flesh hitting flesh, and just as Will turned a corner in the ally, he saw three men standing around a young woman burst into laughter.


    "If you touch me." One of the men said in a poor mockery of the young woman''s voice.


    "Now, I don''t think she sounded quite like that," Will said, the deep vibrato of his voice causing all three men to jump and turn around. To her credit, the young woman took the opportunity to scramble between the two of them and hide behind the wall of muscle that was Will.


    "Why don''t you hand over that sweet little thing, and we let you walk out of here with all your fingers still attached to your hands and not shoved down your throat." The largest one of the three said; a dagger that seemed to emanate a faint light, indicating enchantment, spun into his hand.


    "Hmm, that is a tempting offer, but I will have to decline. Have a good day, gentlemen." Will said, placing one large hand on the young woman''s shoulders and practically pushing her over as he moved her toward the mouth of the ally. As they approached the turn that would put them in sight of the mouth of the ally, three more men came around the corner.


    "See, the problem with you refusing is that this ally, and all of Whittler''s end, is our territory." The man with the enchanted dagger said, his group of three coming to complete the circle around Will and the young woman.


    "Well, I was hoping it wouldn''t come to this," Will said, shaking his head.


    "Come to wha..." The hand with the dagger said, but he was interrupted as Will''s fist impacted his jaw with an uppercut that lifted the man three feet into the air.


    Without stopping, Will caught the arm of the man to his right by the wrist in his left hand. His right arm swung over the far shoulder of the man and grabbed the man''s shirt back. At the same time, Will''s Right leg stepped behind the man, and with a rapid twisting motion, Will heaved with his body, sending the man he had ahold of catapulting over his hip and into the man to Will''s left.


    Quicker than most could follow, Will delivered two quick strikes to the head of the man directly behind and, with equal speed, drove his stiffened fingers into the throat of the next man and leaped into the air, plating both his feet into the chest of the final man standing, sending the poor being catapulting into the brick wall to hit with a solid crunch.


    The young woman who had watched all of this was shocked. She had never seen anything like it before. In just about thirty seconds, this massive brute of a man who she had never met had disabled six men with brutal efficiency.


    Will turned to the young woman. "Well, I guess you''re good to go. Have a nice day. I''d recommend getting out of here before any of them come around enough to do anything stupid."


    The young woman nodded, still shocked, and followed him from the ally. Will turned to check once more that she had made it out of the ally, smiled, and turned to leave.


    "There she is!" A gruff voice called out, and Will turned to see the Royal Knights rushing forward and the young woman walking towards them. He shrugged and moved to leave and was suddenly slammed to the ground.


    "Try to kidnap the princess and think we will let you walk away?" A man wearing a robe that marked him as one of the King''s High Wizards said to Will.


    Will tristed a ring on his hand that was his only memento of his family and stood, smiling at the look of shock on the Wizard''s face. "That''s not very nice. Have a good day."


    Will just wanted to leave. He despised the King, he despised the Royals, and most of all, he despised Wizards. When he turned again to leave, though, he found his way barred by two knights with blades drawn. He knew that he could get past them, but he also knew that would mean marking himself as an enemy of the crown.


    Will turned to the young woman. "Can you please call off your guard dogs? I want to get back to the festival?" Will asked.


    "You will address her highness as befits her station!" The Wizard nearly hissed, spittle flying from his mouth as anger filled his voice.


    Will felt the ring on his finger grow warm and knew the Wizard had tried to cast another spell on him. Will moved, grabbing the Wizard by the neck, slamming him into the wall of the nearest building.


    "Listen here, you piece of refuse," Will said, his tone dropping to something between unbridled rage and sheer wrath. "I hate wizards. It is because of wizards and the King that my father is dead; maybe it was you who betrayed him, maybe it wasn''t; either way, I hate you all. Try to cast magic on me, and I will knock every one of your teeth out and use them as jewelry. Do you understand?"


    The Wizard looked as if he was about to spit out a snappy retort when Will saw his eyes dart to look at someone who was behind him. Tossing the Wizard to the side, Will turned his arms, retracting into a ready stance, playing on laying out whoever had approached in one hit. He froze, though, when he saw the young woman.


    "I am sorry for how they have reacted." The Princess said and bowed slightly to Will. "If you wish it, I will have them punished for it. I will also allow you to leave now. However, if you are amicable, I would very much like to reward you for your efforts and the success with which you defended me."


    "What do you mean?" Will said, thinking quickly. Thus far, this woman had not wronged him in any way other than being a royal. And the reason that he was attending the festival was to compete in the feats of strength and win the money he needed.


    "Well, firstly, I would like to attend the festival with you, and then after, I would offer you a reward, Gold or something else; we will have to see what is available at the palace." The Princess said.


    Will thought for a moment more and figured he could still compete in the feats of strength and slip away later if he had to. "Verry, well, but he has to leave," Will said, gesturing to the Wizard.


    "Verry well." The Princess said, turning to the Wizard, who was massaging his throat with one hand. "Alkard, you are released for the day; please return to the palace and assure my father that I am fine."


    "You would have me leave you with this peasant!?" Alkard demanded, his voice strained from the abuse that Will had put on his throat. "I am sorry, but we can not leave you with him, your highness." He bowed to the Princess.


    "Not the knights," Will said before either could speak. "I have never had an issue with the Knights; they are generally fair and good men; I just hate wizards."


    "There you have it, Alkard; the Knights will stay with me, and you will return to the palace." The Princess said with a nod.


    "Your Highness..." Alkard began to speak but was cut off by the Princess raising her hand.


    "Let me rephrase that, Alkard. I am ordering you to follow these instructions. If you fail to follow them, I will have you stripped of your standing in court." The Princess said her tone had changed from a simple young woman to that of an icy noble who expected nothing but the utmost obedience.


    Alkard''s mouth seemed to work silently for a moment before he bowed deeply. "Yes, your highness." He glared at Will as he moved off through the crowd towards the palace that rose into the sky a distance away.


    "Now then," The Princess said, turning to Will with a smile and a tone that had returned to that of a simple young woman, "let us be off to the harvest festival." She set off leading the way to the city square.


    The rest of the morning and the beginning of the afternoon were smooth. Too smooth, Will thought though he assumed that it was because the seven knights that seemed to perpetually float around the Princess and himself warded most people away. As the second bell rang from the temples of various gods, they made their way, at Will''s request, to the center of the square where the feats of strength were to be held.


    Will caught the Captain of the knights eyeing the completion. "Why don''t you come and join in?" Will asked as he stretched as his father had taught him.


    "I couldn''t possibly, not while working." The Captain said, his tone revealing how much he wanted to.


    "Sir Balefor, please go ahead." The Princess said, smiling at the Captain.


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    "But Princess." The Captain was clearly torn between duty and his wish to compete.


    "Captain, it is the harvest festival for all, not just the Royals, not just the Commoners; please go." She said in a reassuring tone. "I can make it an order if you wish?" Her tone was serious, with a hint of testing.


    "Very well, your highness." Captain Balefor said, and one of his men stepped forward to help him remove his armor. Once out of it, the knight went and registered.


    Moments later, Will, Sir Balefor, and seventeen other men stood in a line to the crowd''s cheers. It was only then that the Princess realized just how massive Will was. The Captain was a mountain of a man, standing at six feet two inches, weighing nearly two hundred pounds of pure muscle, and had nearly three inches on every other competitor except for Will.


    Will stood nearly six inches taller than the Captain, and the Captain looked as if he might fill a doorway with his broad shoulders. The Princess had to admit that Will looked more likely to break the walls to either side of the door with his shoulders. She wondered who he was and how he had learned to move so fast despite his massive frame.


    The competition began with tossing barrels filled with rocks. Half the competitors were unable to throw past the line that had been drawn in the dirt. The second event was bending iron bars of various thicknesses; the Captain and Will made it look easy. It went on like this until only Will, Sir Balefor, and one other man remained.


    A cart bearing a massive log with a shoulder-shaped depression carved into the center with iron handles nailed to it, the log was set into two massive iron stands by a team of ten men. And roughly twenty yards away, another set of stands. The announcer explained that the contestants would take turns carrying the log from one set of stands to the other; he advised the contestants that if they could no longer carry the log, teams of men would help.


    They began, the third contestant going first, then Will, then the Captain. They went ten times, then the third man laughed, shaking his head, and bowed out to cheers. After many trips, Sir Balefor and Will continued until finally. The Captain fell to one knee halfway between the stands. The teams of men that were lining the course moved, and before they could do anything, Will, who had been following behind, leaned over and lifted the log away from Sir Balefor, placing it on his shoulders, still having the strength to keep the log balanced with one hand and reach down to pull the Captain to his feet with the other.


    Will walked the log the rest of the way to a raucous upheaval of cheering and dropped it into the stands. The announcer declared him the winner and handed him a purse of fifteen gold. The third contestant walked over and congratulated him, as did the Captain.


    The Princess walked over and congratulated Will and the Captain after the crowd had subsided, most heading off to get ready for the feast that would be held at sunset. "It seems that I am in the company of the two strongest men in the kingdom." She said, smiling at both of them.


    Sir Balefor smiled and bowed as the knight holding his armor and weapons helped him don them once more. "Thank you, your highness."


    "Thanks, I guess," Will said, his hatred of Royals wearing with his manners.


    "Shall we then proceed to the palace?" Sir Balefor asked once he was properly fitted back into his armor.


    "Is that acceptable to you, Will?" The Princess asked.


    Will flinched, he had hoped to get out of this without them learning his name, but some villagers knew him and had congratulated him and encouraged him during the completion. "Yeah, I guess."


    The walk to the palace was uneventful. As they approached the gates, a guard called down for the gates to open, and they slid open silently. Will walked with the group, feeling incredibly out of place and feeling anger begin to well up. "Not now, Will," he berated himself mentally, "get whatever she wants to give you and get out. Now is not the time to try and fight the entire Royal Guard."


    They finally entered the palace, where the Princess was announced. "Her royal highness Ilicia Ter Koltshelg, Princess of Kolt." The Royal Crier broadcast to the room of nobles and other dignitaries who were engaged in their pompous variation of the harvest festival. Will followed the Princess, who led him directly to the King and Queen and the Wizard from earlier.


    "Father." The Princess said with a smile, "Mother." She curtsied slightly to both of them.


    "Ah, here she is!" The King said, smiling widely at his daughter. "Alkard told me you found something interesting and had a run-in with some unsavory types." The King cast appraising eyes that seemed to radiate dislike across Will.


    "Yes, I did," Ilicia said. "Lucky for me, Will here was nearby and quickly dealt with them."


    "Yes, Will." The King said, looking like he had just swallowed an egg several years out of season. "I can''t help but notice that you have not offered the proper greetings or manners, young Will."


    Will''s mind was working a million miles an hour, and before his mind could make any decisions, his mouth made one for him. "Well, like my father always said, Walk like you are the king, or you don''t give a fuck who is." The words left his mouth, and his mind felt like it was beating him up from the inside as the entire room and hundreds of royals and their guests went quiet.


    "I''m sorry, but what did you just say." The King said, his tone was strange.


    "Father, Will is tired. He competed in the..." Ilicia said, silenced by her father raising his hand. Guards had quickly moved to be closer to the King.


    "Say it again." The King said.


    "I said like my father always said, walk like you are the king, or you don''t give a fuck who is," Will said, doubling down on his stupid mouth and quickly looking over the room, noting exits, guards, cover, and anything else he could absorb quickly.


    The King looked at the Queen, who nodded, then shouted at the top of his lungs. "Everyone out!"


    Without a moment''s wait, the entire room, minus the royal guards, the King, the Queen, Ilicia, Alkard, and Will, moved for the nearest exit. After a few moments, the formerly bustling room was silent.


    "Will Garrow is your full name; then I take it?" The King said, his tone and body language much more relaxed than it had been moments ago.


    "Yes," Will said hesitantly, as he had no idea how the King knew his name.


    "Your majesty," Alkard said, stepping forward and bowing, "this is just another example of what I explained earlier. I think that you should..."


    "Silence, Alkard; you should thank the Gods that he let you walk away." The King said, glaring at the Wizard. "Have a seat, everyone, Sir Balefor; you can dismiss everyone but yourself."


    The Captain nodded, confused but did so. The King gestured for everyone to sit, and Will did so hesitantly. "So, Will, Alkard here tells me you hate Royals, you hate me, and you especially hate wizards. Is that true?"


    Will ground his teeth together. "Yes."


    "Why?" the King asked, looking directly at Will.


    Will could not contain it any longer; he slammed both his fists into the surface of the table as he bellowed at a volume that made everyone at the table jump. "Because of you, my father is dead! It is your fault! And the filthy slimy Wizard that abandoned him. I should kill you now!"


    With those last words, Sir Balefor stood drawing his sword and focused on Will.


    "Sir Balefor, please sit," The King said calmly, "if what I know of this boy is true, you would prove to be little more than a minor inconvenience before he beat me to death."


    The knight captain looked shocked but bowed to his King, sheathed his sword, and sat.


    "Thank you." The Kings said and then took a deep breath, seeming to deflate. "Will, you are not wrong, but I ask you to hear me out."


    Will nodded, not trusting himself to speak.


    "Your father, Brock Garrow, was a friend, he told me after we summoned him here from the other world and he defeated the black dragon Julxion that if I were ever in need, I could call on him." The King sounded like he was half the man he had portrayed when Will first walked in. "When my eldest son, Kale, was captured by the remnants of Julxion''s forces, I sent hundreds of knights to retrieve him; none ever returned, so I finally called upon your father."


    Will knew the story; the King could tell him nothing he did not know.


    "Your father came without question, and when I told him the situation, he left immediately with one of the court mages." The King continued, pausing for a deep draft of wine from his cup. "He was gone for two weeks, and finally, he stumbled into this very hall, supported by my son. He handed me two letters and the ring that you now wear, if I am not mistaken, before dropping dead at my feet. The first was to you, his son. The second was to me; he told me that you would probably seek me out for revenge and that if ever you should appear in front of me and give me a chance to speak, I should tell you the family passphrase so that you would know that I was not responsible."


    Will had frozen, the only people he knew who knew of the family passphrase, as his father had called it, were his grandmother and grandfather on his mother''s side, as they were the only family he had still alive. Still, they lived many months of travel from the Kingdom.


    "The passphrase, though I have no idea what it means, is marines don''t die; they go to hell and regroup." The King said and saw some tears spill from Will''s eyes as the boy chuckled. "He also explained that he had taught you everything he knew and sent you to live with your grandparents, who no doubt taught you even more. He assured me that you were probably the most dangerous being in the Kingdom, and he asked a favor of me besides delivering the ring and the letter to you. He begged that if ever you showed up at my Kingdom, I take care of you and ensure you could live your life."


    The King stood and gestured for everyone to follow him. Will stood and seemed to move in a fog as his brain worked overtime to process the information. The King led them to a door that had guards, the door was marked with the King''s seal, and when they opened, they revealed the King''s private garden.


    The garden was beautiful, but that was different from what Will saw. He saw a statue of his father in one of his favorite fighting stances, a smile plastered across his face. The plaque on the statue made him burst into tears.


    Ilicia read the plaque. It said, here lies Brock Garrow, A hero summoned from another world, a true friend to King Argont the Fourth, master of combat, and Marine. May all those who follow know and aspire to be a man like Brock. She glanced at Will, who was wiping tears from his face.


    "Your father was my dearest friend," The King said, reaching up to gently place a hand on the giant Will''s shoulder, "he is the reason that I met my wife and the reason that this Kingdom is as prosperous as it is. I would never intentionally send him into a situation that I thought would get him killed. I understand your anger, and if you still feel that I need to pay for his life with mine, I will not resist. I only ask that you leave my family unharmed."


    Will, his eyes red from crying, looked down at the King. "You may not be to blame, but the wizard, who is he?"


    "His name was Viltar; when my son relayed how Viltar had betrayed us and left Kale and your father to die, I put out a reward. Anyone who brought him to me would be rewarded with 10,000 gold. But so far, none have been able to. He was, unfortunately, the most talented Wizard we have ever seen."


    "Very well." Was all that Will could bring to mind.


    "Will, I intend to make good on the favor requested by your father and the reward for protecting my daughter. If there is anything you want, please tell me." King Argont said.


    "If it is okay with you, I would prefer to speak of this tomorrow; I will return from the inn I''m staying in. I need time to process this." Will said.


    "It is fine, but please, I insist, stay in the rooms your father used whenever he visited." The King said.


    Will nodded, and the King showed him to a room where Will cried a little more for his father before falling asleep.

 PART 2

    The next morning Will was awoken by a hand on his shoulder. Not fully awake and acting only on instinct and training, he grabbed the hand and rolled, using all of his considerable muscle and mass to roll into the body of the person who had grabbed him. When his mind finally caught up to his reflexes, Will found himself straddling a person with one hand on their chest, the other cocked back in a fist, ready to deliver a downward strike.


    "I''m sorry!" A panicked voice said from the person below him.


    Will noticed several things at once, firstly, that his hand was on a very well-endowed and supple chest; secondly, that the face of the woman beneath him was of Elvish ancestry; and thirdly, that the woman seemed to be wearing what he recognized as a maids outfit.


    Will jumped to his feet and took his hand from where it had been resting. "I am so sorry." He offered his hand to the young woman.


    "It''s fine." She said, blushing red and accepting his hand.


    Will pulled her to her feet. "Truly, I apologize and ask forgiveness for my¡­transgression," Will said in Elvish, blushing his shade of red as he gestured to her slightly disheveled bodice, trying to fumble his way through the apology.


    "You speak Elvish?" The woman responded in the same language turning away to fix her dress top.


    "Yes, my grandmother forced me to learn it, along with several other languages," Will said, looking anywhere but the maid.


    "Well, it is good to hear my native tongue." She said, turning back to Will. "I accept your apologies. My name is Ilvara," she had switched back to common at this point and gave Will a curtsy, "I have been assigned to see to your needs as long as you remain in the castle."


    "Ah, well, thank you, Ilvara. You did not need to wake me, though." Will said, realizing that he had yet put on his pants and shirt. He quickly moved to his clothes, folded neatly near the head of the bed.


    Ilvara saw what he was moving for and moved as if to help. "Oh, I''m good, Ilvara. Thank you, though. I never really understood the idea of someone needing help getting dressed. And just out of curiosity, why did you wake me?"


    "Oh! Yes, I did have a reason. The King has asked that you join him for breakfast.


    "Alrighty then," Will said, finishing lacing his pants and pulling on his shirt, "just in case you have to wake me again, I wake up pretty quickly if you call my name at a normal level. I don''t want to repeat the earlier¡­ mistake." Will and Ilvara blushed, and she nodded, leaving to show Will where the King was dining.


    Will sat down across from a young man who looked at Will like he was glowing with divine light. "Ah, Will," the King said, looking up from his plate and a pile of papers on the table next to it, "this is the First Prince of Kolt, and my eldest son, Kale."


    "Will, I just wanted to say that I am sorry for your loss, and if you ever need anything from me, do not hesitate to ask," Kale said, bowing his head to Will as Ilvara placed a plate of food on the table before Will.


    "Thank you," Will said as the young man finished the eggs on his plate.


    "Very well, Will, Father, I will be off now," Kale said, standing and bowing to the two of them before he departed.


    "He seems like a good person," Will said. He was unsure of how he should interact with the King after the revelations that changed one of his driving goals, namely, to kill the King.


    "He is," The King said, looking up from his plate once more, "ever since your father''s rescue of him and his subsequent death, Kale has trained with the guard daily to ensure that if he is ever in a position like that again, he can do more to assist. He blames himself for the death of your father. But enough of that, I wanted to speak to you about what we spoke of last night, ask you some other questions, and answer any questions you might have."


    "Okay." Will said, still trying to figure out what he should call the King, as parts of him still refused to call him ''your highness.'' Just then, Princess Ilicia and The Queen came in and sat down.


    "Morning, Father, Will," Ilicia said, and the Queen nodded to Will and then gave her husband a quick kiss on the cheek.


    "Morning." The King and Will said in almost perfect unison.


    "Now, as I was saying, I have some questions for you, and I''m sure you have some for me." The King said as more servants and maids appeared with food for The Queen and Ilicia.


    "Yes, um, could I ask the first question?" Will asked.


    "Of course, go ahead, Will." The King said.


    "You said that my father came to visit you frequently. How did I never know that the two of you were friends?" Will asked.


    "Well, that can be answered with a couple of reasons. But firstly, I assume that you are roughly nineteen years old?" The King asked, intonating that this was pertinent to the question.


    "Twenty, actually," Will said.


    The King nodded. "I assume your father sent you away to live with your grandparents when you were around fifteen or fourteen?"


    Will nodded, and the King continued speaking. "When your father married your mother, and before you ask, I know very little of your mother or how the two of them met, he stopped coming by as often, and the day after you were born, he stopped by and  said that it would be several years before we saw him again."


    Will was listening intently, he knew little of his father''s history here in Kolt, but he knew the reasons that The King did not know about his mother. "It was as he said, seven years passed before we saw Brock again, though it was not for good news. That night he told me that his wife had passed, and he would be unable to do what he had wished; one such thing was bringing you here to meet me. He said that if an emergency ever arrived, I could contact him, but that other than that, he was retired, and his total energy would be devoted to raising you. He told me a little of you and said you could probably beat a young knight at seven years old."


    Will chuckled. "That was probably true; many of my oldest memories are of training with my father. To hear him tell it, from the moment I took my first steps, he started training me, and I would mimic him going through his daily training."


    "Somehow, that does not surprise me, Well, several years later, you were sent to live with your grandparents, and Brock came to visit. After the typical reunion of friends, he and I sat drinking, and he told me something," the King said, looking as if he were reliving the moment, "He said that he had given you everything he could. You could best him in several fields, and it was only a matter of time before you surpassed him in all fields. He said that he had sent you somewhere where you could learn even more. When I pressed him, he would only say that your mother''s parents would be teaching you."


    "I remember that day vividly," Will said, his emotions threatening to get the better of him, "Dad had told me that it was a day of testing. We fought from sunup to sundown, one match after another, each in a different style, some with weapons, others with only our bare hands. At the end of the day, I had won twenty-seven matches and lost twenty-two. My father had smiled, given me a sword and a pack, and sent me to see my grandparents. I remember it well because it was the last time I saw my father."


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    The King was silent for a moment. Mostly because he could see that Will was emotional, but also out of shock, he had assumed that his friend had been exaggerating about his friend. He knew that Will would be well trained and probably one of the best in the kingdom, but the idea that someone had fought for a full day against Brock, the undisputed best in the kingdom, and come out ahead still seemed impossible to him.


    The King shook his head and then continued. "Yes, so I would assume that you did not know about me or my friendship with Brock because you were far more important to him, and he put you first. Now if I could ask a question, in continuation of my thoughts yesterday, I do intend to do everything I can to make good on the promise that I made your father and grant you a reward for saving Ilicia. So my question is this, what can I do for you?"


    Will composed himself. "Honestly, I don''t know; I won''t lie; a large part of my plan in coming here revolved around finding a way to kill you and every wizard in the city." Will noticed the single guard, not Sir Balefor, in the room pale noticeably at this.


    "I imagine it did, though I have to ask, you had a prime opportunity to kill not only my daughter but also Alkard. Why did you not take it." The King asked, his tone indicating that he genuinely wanted to know.


    Will grew uncomfortable; he knew why but had hoped he would not have to admit it in front of the Princess. "Um, being honest? At first, I was helping a stranger on my way to the festival. But after I saw her, I thought that she was quite attractive. So when the guards came and made me realize she was a Royal, I had conflicting emotions. And as far as Alkard, I did not think that killing him outright would have been conducive to my plan."


    The Princess looked up as he spoke and blushed slightly when he said he found her attractive. She would never say it out loud as brashly as Will had, but she had decided in the festival that Will was indeed attractive.


    "Ha!" The King chortled in glee. "So I guess no matter how well trained, men will always be men."


    Will had to chuckle at that as well. "Though I do have a question for you, Princess," Will said.


    "Yes?" Ilicia said, setting aside her fork and wiping her mouth with a napkin.


    "How did you even get into that situation?" Will asked.


    "Ah," The Princess said, her cheeks glowing brightly with embarrassment, "well, to be quite honest, I snuck away from my guards and went down the alley looking for something to hide my face so that I could enjoy the festival as anyone else, and not as ''The Princess.'' While I was searching, those three you first encountered around me came down the alley, and you can imagine what they suggested."


    The King and Queen both looked frustrated, and Will had to chuckle. "I take it that this is a fairly common occurrence?" Will asked the King quietly, and he nodded. Ilicia was receiving a quiet reprimanding from her mother on the other end of the table.


    "Anyways," Will said, clearing his throat.


    But before he continued, The King asked another question. "Might I ask what was your plan, at least so far as you had developed it, for killing me?"


    "I''m sorry?" Will said, genuinely stunned. The guard in the room had perked up at this as well.


    "Well, call it morbid curiosity, but I always used to ask your father how he would get into the castle to kill me. Mind you, I don''t want to die, but how your father''s mind worked was always fascinating. And now I am genuinely curious how you would do; I wonder if you have the same flair for it as your father did?" The King said, sounding genuinely happy.


    Will shrugged and laid out everything he had figured out. The loose window grates on the ground floor, which gardeners could be bribed, he had tried to bribe most of the guards, but they were stoic in their refusal.


    "That was you!?" The guard asked loudly.


    "Yeah, I''m pretty good with disguises," Will said with a smile.


    "I never would have known." The guard said.


    Will continued, laying out elaborate designs about every option he came up with. Strangulation, poison, fire, acid, and countless others. "It all depended on getting into the castle, though."


    "And how did you plan on that?" The King asked, sounding excited. Will noticed that the Queen and Princess had both gone quiet, listening to his detailed plan for assassination.


    "I thought of several methods; I even scaled the walls a couple of nights to try and make my way through the courtyards to get inside. But the guards were too good; I had to leave unsuccessfully every time. So I finally determined that the easiest method would be to get a job in the castle." Will said with a shrug.


    The King nodded and then gave a meaningful look to the guard in the room. Will had thought as much, but this confirmed that The King would have the issues in his security that he mentioned fixed by the end of the day. "Get a job in the castle, hmm." The King seemed deep in thought.


    "Will, I have a proposition for you. Let me offer you a job to reward you for saving my daughter and start making good on my promise." The King said after a moment.


    "I don''t think that I would be suited, I was driven by rage and would have taken any job available, but the only one that I would be interested in now is as a guard, but since they have to work in close proximity to the court wizards, I don''t think I could do it for long," Will said, trying to decline the offer politely.


    "Well, before you reject me completely, hear me out." The King said. "There used to exist a position, many years ago, in the time of my grandfather, I believe, that was handpicked by the King. It has not been used for some time now for one simple reason, Ilicia is the first Princess of the Kolt Royal family in two generations. The position was usually filled by the captain of the guard or someone else that the King trusted."


    The Princess had perked up at this and listened intently with as much curiosity as Will. Neither had heard of such a position in the castle staff before. The King continued. "The duties of this position were simple, to protect the Princess and be her constant companion. As I have it, Princesses tend to be a security problem for all their fathers." The King cast a meaningful, yet playful, glare at his daughter.


    "Regardless, the way that this position has worked in the past is that the Princess agrees to take this person with them at all times, even if she sneaks out to see a man or to do anything else. In exchange, this person is exempt from reporting what the Princess does to anyone. However, if the Princess leaves this person behind to go off on some adventure, the one who fills this position is honor-bound to report everything that the Princess has done during his time in the position."


    Will thought about this for a moment before the King continued talking. "The position also came with special permissions, good pay, and quarters adjoining to the Princess''s so that she can easily notify him of a need for his accompaniment. You would also report only to the Princess."


    "So essentially, I would be the private bodyguard of the Princess, beholden to no one other than her, and only required to report to you if she were to vanish?" Will asked, ensuring he understood the general idea of what the King was suggesting.


    "Yes." The King said and then turned to his daughter. "I will only offer this office if this is something that you agree to, Ilicia. If I offer and if Will accepts, can you swear that no matter what you are going to do, sneaking out, running away for a week, anything, you will take him with you?"


    Ilicia looked from her father to Will, her eyes seeming to seek something from him and then back to her father. "If Will were to accept the position, this is something that I could agree to." She said with confidence in her voice that seemed strange to Will.


    "So, Will," The King said, turning back to him, "I am offering this job to you. Do you want it?"


    Will''s mind was spinning at a million miles an hour. He wanted to leave to hunt down Viltar, but he also knew that even if he left now, he had no idea where to begin. "I will focus on three conditions."


    The King nodded. "I assumed you would have at least two."


    "First," Will said, laying them out in his mind as he spoke, "if any information on the location of Viltar is discovered and it is proven to be reliable, I will be permitted to leave and hunt him with no penalty if when I return, you allow me to continue in the position I will, but if not I understand."


    "I assumed as much, granted." The King said, nodding.


    "Second, and this one is for the Princess," Will said, turning to the young woman, "you will promise that for two hours every day, you will not make me leave the training grounds so that I can keep up on my training."


    "So, for two hours a day, you want me to sit in the training yard?" Ilicia asked.


    "I''ll teach you to fight if you want or just sit there. However, Two hours is the bare minimum that I can train and maintain my skill level." Will said, nodding,  wanting to make sure that he maintained his skills in the event that information on Viltar arrived.


    "Very well," the Princess said with a nod, "I can do that."


    "And thirdly," Will turned back to the King, "I request that the Princess and I both be granted rooms on the first floor or, even better yet, ones on the castle''s outer wall with their own entrance. If her sneaking away is common, minimizing the risk of exiting the castle is an easy step to assure her safety."


    "That¡­" The King said thoughtfully, tapping his chin in thought for a moment. "That is an excellent point; I will guarantee rooms on the first floor and see what I can do about the second half of that. Is that acceptable?"


    "Yes, I accept the position," Will said with a smile.


    The King stood and offered his hand to Will. Will shook his hand with a firm grip.


    "Very well!" The King said with a smile. "Will Garrow, I hereby name you The Princess''s Man!"

 PART 3

    Will''s head was spinning, as it had been for the past two weeks. After the King named him the Princess''s Man, word had quickly been distributed to those who lived and worked in the castle that he was not to be bothered or stopped for any reason, and from there, the news quickly spread to the surrounding town.


    At Will''s request, the King had not passed on that he was Brock''s son, as most of the Kingdom knew Brock, and he had a reputation even outside the Kingdom. Will did not want any fame getting in the way of fulfilling his new job and, frankly, did not want to be famous.


    The King had fulfilled his promise and moved them both to the first floor for the first two days of the week and then had announced that if the Princess and Will were both okay with it, they could move into the old messenger gatehouse on the northwest corner of the castle grounds.


    The Princess jumped at the opportunity, and Will was also happy. The one stipulation for this was that Will be the only one with a Key if the Princess decided to ditch him for something; she would still have to get past guards. Will and The Princess agreed, and Will was granted three days to return to where he was living and bring his belongings.


    It only took Will two days to return with a large pack that seemed to bristle with weapons and other goods. They settled into their new rooms, and Will found that he was still greeted by Ilvara''s voice calling out to him in Elvish most mornings. The first time he had thought that something had happened, but it turned out that the King had asked Ilvara to make sure that Will knew all that he needed to interact, at least minimally, with the other Nobles and Dignitaries that the Princess would have any need to interact with.


    For the next eight days, that is all that happened; at the first bell, Will was awoken by Ilvara. He would spend the next few hours studying with Ilvara, and then the Princess would awaken. Depending on the Princess''s mood, the next two hours or more were spent in the training yards. As early in the morning as it was, very few guardsmen were present except for Sir Balefor and, surprisingly, Prince Kale, who apparently spent every waking moment not filled with other duties sparing with any who would or working on some combat skill or another.


    After his workout, the Princess would take her normal bath. Will would take a quick dip in the conjoining bath, separated from the Princess by a false wall of shaved wood no more than a quarter of an inch thick. Should she be attacked or require him, even in the bath, Will could easily run through the wall in a moment. From there, Will would spend the rest of his day and night going where the Princess went and ensuring that nothing happened to her.


    Will was surprised when he found that almost every night, the Princess would sneak out to spend time with several women who ran a home for orphaned children. The Princess would sit for hours chatting with the women and talking with the children that could not sleep. She would patch clothes, help prepare food for the following day, and do anything that needed doing.


    It was on the ninth day of this, with Will sitting in the corner of the room with a whetstone and sharpening the variety of bladed weapons he carried. A loud pounding was heard on the front door. Will looked up, and at a nod from the Princess, Will followed the woman that moved to open the door.


    The woman opened the door. "Hello, how can I help you." She said sweetly, and from what Will had seen, it was the only tone the woman had.


    "Well," a slimy voice said as an arm appeared to push the woman to the side; six men entered the entryway, "See, whittlers end has fallen under new management. And we came to discuss the new taxes we will collect." The men all had smiles on their faces.


    Then the Princess, having heard what was said, stepped into the doorway from the entryway to the room where she and the women took their rest. "That''s strange, I am unaware of any new taxes that my father has imposed, and he would have sent an official from the treasury, not some thugs, to notify anyone in person. But considering that this particular facility and those who dwell within are exempt from taxes, as they provide a function essential to the Kingdom, they would not be here."


    By this time, all six men had managed to enter without noticing Will as he had pressed himself to the wall on the other side of the door. When the last man had pushed the door closed, Will stepped in front of it, silently sliding a second knife, the pair to the one he was still holding from sharpening, out of its sheath.


    "I know you!" one of the men said. "You''re the Princess!"


    "Indeed I am." The Princess said. She smiled a vicious smile. "And look at you! I remember you from several days ago when a bunch of your friends tried to assault me. Let me introduce you to someone. Will these be thugs, thugs? This is Will, the newly appointed Princess''s Man."


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    The six men turned to look at the man standing behind them, and the one the Princess had been talking to took one look at him and dropped his weapon. The Princess even felt her blood go cold and had to stop herself from taking a step back. Will''s face had contorted itself from his usually calm and collected demeanor into a mask of wrath that seemed to forbode nothing except death.


    "Thugs, my name is Will. As you heard, I am the Princess''s Man, which means that I report to no one other than the Princess, and I have the full backing of the King to do as I see fit in all things regarding her safety." Will looked at the Princess. "Princess, I don''t think they need all their limbs if all they are going to use them for is committing crimes, do they?"


    As Will spoke to her, The Princess realized that the look of furry was purely for the benefit of the thugs in the room. "No, Will, I do not think that they do."


    The thug who had faced Will before and already dropped his weapon could be heard quietly begging his compatriots to give up. "You should listen to him," Will says and steps forward. "If you drop your weapons and leave within the next ten seconds, I will assume you made a mistake."


    Will stepped to the side of the door, pulled it open, and began counting. "One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­¡±


    Two thugs dropped their weapons and ran out the door, following the one who had already dropped his weapons. "Five¡­ Six¡­¡± Two more dropped their weapons and ran out. "Eight¡­ Nine¡­¡±


    "Alright, alright, you win." The last thug said, dropping his weapon and moving to leave. He was stopped by Will placing a hand on his shoulder.


    "I know what you look like now," Will said quietly to him. "If I hear that anyone comes back to this place wanting taxes, protection money, or anything. I will find you, and I will not have to answer for any crime because there will not be a body. Do you understand?"


    "I do, don''t worry; I will make sure that everyone knows." The thug said, gritting his teeth through the pain as Will continued to tighten his grip beyond what should have been possible for a normal human. "I promise."


    "Good!" Will said with a smile and then bodily threw the thug out the door. "Now, ladies, I think you were having tea."


    The night finished smoothly, and the Princess told the woman who ran the home that she would see about having her father set up some funding for the home. Then the Princess and Will began walking back to the gate of their entrance to the castle.


    "You can be incredibly terrifying; you know that right, Will?" The Princess said, walking silently next to him.


    "I know; one of the things that my grandparents taught me was the proper application of fear and how to do it," Will said, thinking back to his time with his grandparents.


    "You are not entirely human, are you?" The Princess asked suddenly.


    "No, I am not Princess," Will said stiffly.


    "You know you don''t have to call me Princess. You can call me by my name." The Princess said.


    "Very well, Prin¡­Ilicia." Will said, hoping that she would not prod farther into his lineage.


    Luckily the rest of the walk home was silent, and they arrived safely back in their quarters. They both went to bed and woke to a flurry of servants. Ilvara woke Will as usual but spoke before he could say anything. "Will there be a delegation of Elves and Drethi and a single Orc approaching? They are bearing a banner of peace, but the King wants everyone prepared, which means the Princess and you."


    "Understood," Will said and jumped out of bed, quickly strapping on a fitted leather chest plate that would not show under his clothing. Will did not complain as Ilvara laid out his clothes. While she did that, Will slipped dozens of blades into their hidden sheathes. And then slipped his clothes on over the top of everything.


    It took an hour for the delegation to finally arrive. However, from what Ilicia said, it was intentional so that the King and his people would have time to prepare for them. Will was interested to see who the Elves and Orcs were as he was familiar with some of them. What walked through the door, though, he was not prepared for.


    The tallest female Elf and the Orc were arm-in-arm. It was Yilan and Got''Ro. Yilan caught his eye and made a sign in the elvish hand code that told Will to stay calm.


    Whatever was happening, Will felt as if his whole world was about to change. A Drethi stepped forward with a staff and tapped it on the ground. "May I present Yilan and Got''Ro Valdesh, leaders of the Gob''Ran collective?"


    "It is my honor to welcome you both and your entourage." The King said from where he stood next to his throne. "Please allow me to introduce my wife and daughter. Firstly the Queen, Ilica, and our daughter Ilicia."


    The two women curtsied to Yilan and Got¡¯Ro. They bowed their heads slightly before turning back to the King. "Your majesty, we have something to discuss with your family that concerns ours. May we speak to you in private?" Yilan said.


    "Of course, though, I will ask that you understand that the captain of my guard, and young will there, will be staying." The King responded as he made a gesture that sent every other person out of the room.


    When they left, Yilan and Got''Ro remained the only ones of their party, and they seemed to relax visibly. "Firstly, Your Highness, I must ask your leave to greet someone I have not seen in several years."


    The King nodded, and Yilan and Got''Ro both turned to Will with loving smiles, or at least their racial equivalent of one. "Will, it is good to see you," Yilan said.


    Will smiled at them, knowing that even if the King and the royal family no longer wanted him around after this, he would always have his family. "Grandmother, Grandfather, it is good to see you both again," Will said, hugging Yilan and giving Got''Ro the formal handshake that Orcs reserved for family members.


    "I''m sorry for interrupting," The King said, surprised in his tone, "but, Grandparents?"


    "Yes, your majesty, my grandparents," Will said and then shrugged. "I think it is time for me to tell you about my mother and when I went to live with my grandparents."

 PART 4

    "I''m sorry for interrupting," The King said, surprised in his tone, "but, Grandparents?"


    "Yes, your majesty, my grandparents," Will said and then shrugged. "I think it is time for me to tell you about my mother and when I went to live with my grandparents."


    "Wait," Sir Balefor said as the blood drained from his face, "you are a mixture of three races and trained by the Gob''Ran?"


    The disbelief in his voice made Will chuckle. "Yes, Sir Balefor, I am half-human, one-quarter Elf, and one-quarter Orc, and trained by the Gob''Ran on top of the training that my father gave me."


    The captain muttered quietly to himself. "I''m glad you''re on our side."


    Will smiled at this and then turned back to the King. "Sir, my mother was Yilnar Valdesh; my father met her on a mission."


    "I believe it was the diplomatic mission that you sent him to establish contact with the collective on," Yilan said, her voice filled with that strange melodic tune of the elves.


    "Yes," Will said and continued, "he met her, and they rapidly fell in love. This is what my father told me; when I was born, he pulled back from others and focused on his family. Apparently, when I was five years old, they tried for a second child, and both my sibling and my mother died in the attempted labor. I don''t remember much of her other than her laugh and the lullaby she used to sing to me."


    "When our daughter passed," Got''Ro said, his voice trembling in anger, "we wanted to be a larger part of Will''s life, but as per the wishes of her last will and testament, we stayed away, letting Will and his father decide when would be best for our families to reunite."


    Yilan placed a hand on her husband''s shoulder, and the Orc seemed to take a deep breath. "It is as my husband says, other than letters a couple of times a season and on special occasions, we had no contact with Will until he was about fourteen; we received a letter from Brock that he was sending his son to us, and that Will would stay with us until he returned."


    He took over to tell of his time with his grandparents. The first few weeks were an adjustment phase, with his grandparents catching up on what had happened in Will''s life. This all changed when a letter was delivered via magic to Will; it was the letter from his father, telling Will that he had died in service to the King and that the ring that was Brock''s was Will''s to do with as he pleased.


    On that night, Yilan and Got''Ro had received reports that Will had forced his way through the gate into an enchanted forest currently ruled by a pack of black drakes. Thinking the worst, Yilan and Got''Ro had assembled a group to go with them and bring Will back. Instead, they found a sobbing Will amidst a group of five dead drakes; the others had fled.


    Yilan and Got''Ro knew that Will needed something to focus on and had hoped to divert his wrath from the King, as Brock had told them some details of Will''s ability and of his own friendship with the King. So towards that effort, they had set Will to train with their best warriors.


    By the time Will had turned nineteen, he was widely respected throughout the Gob''Ran Collective as the foremost warrior ever to walk our lands, but his anger and rage had not cooled; it was then that he turned his eyes to the Kingdom.


    The rest of the tale was told by Will as he laid out his journey, how he had traveled the four months from the Gob''Ran Collective to the Kingdom, set up shop as a day laborer, and then began forming his plan.


    All told, it took two hours to tell the tale, with Yilan, Will, and Got''Ro telling different parts.


    "Well, that is quite the tale." The King said, his hand stroking his beard as he processed everything that had been said.


    "Surely you don''t believe this?!" A voice said from one of the servant''s doors. Will turned to see Alkard.


    "Alkard, you were not bidden to enter this meeting!" The King exclaimed, rising to his feet.


    "It''s quite all right, your highness," Yilan said, and Will''s eyebrows shot to his forehead. He knew that tone from his grandmother; she was furious. "Tell me, you magical imposter, what about that tale is so unbelievable? And why did you see fit to sneak into a room of your betters."


    The King''s eyes fell on Alkard, demanding answers to the questions. So Alkard spoke. "As the court wizard, it is my duty to be available to the King to answer any questions that pertain to magic and to aid in his defense should peaceable communication break down. As to what is so unbelievable, you expect me to believe that a boy of fourteen years singlehandedly took down five black drakes with no magic; they are almost impervious to physical attacks."


    "I must admit I was curious about that as well." Sir Balefor said, but his eyes indicated he was as upset with Alkard as the King.


    Yilan''s eyes widened as she rounded on Will. "You really did it, didn''t you?"


    "I told you I would, didn''t I?" Will spat back with a venom that caused his grandmother to flinch. Will felt bad about that. "I''m sorry, Ye-wa, but I said I would do it."


    The use of the elvish pet name for Grandmother softened her hurt look. "That explains why I could not sense you either," Yilan said, thinking to herself.


    "What did Will do?" Ilicia asked, curious as to what would shock Will''s grandmother so.


    "That is¡­" Got''Ro said, stepping forward, "A delicate matter. If you wish to hear the full accord of the events in detail, we will require you to all agree to a piece of blood magic called a pact."


    Will saw the eyes of everyone in the room widen. Blood magic was something that only Orcs could use, and it was vicious. The pact spell was known as well; if you violated the agreement tied to the pact, your own blood would become poisonous and kill you instantly.


    "To make up for my rude subordinate, I will agree to this." The King said, but Will could see the thirst for knowledge in his eyes and knew it had far more to do with wanting to know at any cost.


    "Your Majesty, you can''t!" Alkard said, and Will could see that Sir Balefor wanted to agree.


    "I will do as I please. But I will not make anyone do the same. Will you permit them to leave if they disagree with this?" The King said, asking Yilan, who nodded.


    Ultimately, The King, The Princess, and Alkard were the only ones who remained. Got''Ro stepped forward and spoke. "As a courtesy to you, as the King of this land, I will allow you to tell your family members of what is spoken here, but if you tell them, they will become bound by the pact as well."


    The King nodded, and, Got''Ro raised his hand to his mouth, biting his flesh and bringing forward his blood; he took an untouched goblet of water and let three drops of his blood fall into the water and then spoke an incantation; the water turned black then a deep ocher red.


    "By drinking this, you agree never to share the information that you learn pertaining to myself, Yilan, or Will, to any other outside this room. Save for you, your majesty; you may tell your family members, so long as they agree to be bound by the pact as well." Got''Ro spoke the words, and the letters for them seemed to form in the goblet he spoke.


    Got''Ran offered the goblet to Alkard, "State your name and then drink."


    ¡°Alkard Yintrell Jagsmon.¡± Alkard said and then took a drink from the glass. His name appeared etched on the side of the goblet.


    The Princess took it next. "Ilicia Ter Koltshelg." She drank, and her name appeared.


    Finally, the King took it, "Argont Ter Koltshelg the Fourth," he said and then quaffed the rest of the goblet.


    "The pact is sealed. Invictorum Exeos," Got''Ro said, and in his hand, the goblet transformed from a metal cup into a clear crystal ball, upon which the oath and the names of those who had drunk were inscribed.


    Got''Ro handed the crystal to the King. "Let this serve as a reminder of your pact."


    "Very well, I can say this then," Yilan said, waving her hand, and a shimmer of magic transfused the air around her, "I am the last of my kind. The last of the Gilsheribrum, you call us Arcane Elves."


    The magic seemed to peel back an illusion on her skin; where once had stood a typical elf by anyone''s standard, there now stood a being that had the shape of an elf but whose eyes, nails, and teeth seemed to be made from some kind of crystal, and who skin was almost black, with glowing blue lines of runes running down her face and across most of her exposed flesh.


    "Will is one-quarter Gilsheribrum," Yilan said, waving a hand at Will, "he has access to magical powers that seem to outstretch even my own."


    The change that came over Will was less dramatic than it had been for Yilan. The fingernails on his hands appeared to be made from the crystal, and running up from his wrists, several lines of runes faded into his skin before they reached his elbow. Lines of runes emanate from his eyes, fading into his skin mere inches from them. His eyes which had previously been a pleasant hazel now looked to glow with a cold blue light around the golden iris.


    Alkard fell to his knees. The Princess found it, embarrassingly enough, to be a good look for Will, and the King began laughing.


    "Well, that answers a lot!" The King chortled, wiping his eyes. "So what did young Will do?"


    "I sealed my magic," Will said, stating the fact. "My magic will still feed active enchantments upon me, and anyone with less magical power than I will find it exceedingly difficult to cast magic on me. But other than that, it will remain sealed; I can not cast magic."


    "Is that why I could not affect you?" Alkard muttered to himself. "I thought for sure that it had to be some enchantment on your ring with how you fiddled with it when I first met you."


    "I was ensuring that it was not broken," Will said, holding up his hand with the ring on it, "when you cast your spell on me, it affected the ground as well as me, tripping me into the ground. Had this ring broken, the illusion that my grandmother is temporarily suppressing would have been shattered. The ring has other uses, but that is its primary purpose.


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    "Yes, he has sealed his magic, but what he is not saying is that this is very dangerous for anyone who is as innately magical as Will. If I were to do it to myself, I would most likely die; it is a testament to Will''s power that he is still alive if nothing else." Yilan said, waving her hand and reinstating the illusions over herself and Will.


    "Can you unseal it?" Ilicia asked, genuinely curious.


    "I could forcibly unseal it, but by doing so, I would most likely be bedridden for a year or more," Will said.


    "Ah, but you used the conditional seal that I taught you, did you not?" Got''Ro said, giving Will a look that promised a beating if he had not.


    "I did; upon the condition of my seal, it will be broken, and I will once more have access to my magic," Will said.


    "And what is the condition?" The King asked, caught up in his thirst for knowledge.


    "The condition of the seal is two-fold, firstly, if one I love is in danger, and secondly, if I engage in combat with the traitorous wizard that left my father to die," Will said with a tone that told everyone in the room that he fully intended for combat to take place between himself and Viltar.


    "You managed the multi-conditional binding of a seal?!" Got''Ro said, sounding angry and impressed at the same time.


    "Yes, I did, grandfather, I worried that if I should marry, for some reason, before I could face the wizard that betrayed my father, the wizard might send minions after my family, so I did what I could to ensure that this was not a problem." Will looked sheepish, but Got''Ro nodded and clapped him on the back, reassuring Will that he had chosen right.


    "Very well," Got''Ro said and then turned to the King. "Are there any other questions you wish to have answered regarding this before we move on to why we are here?"


    "I am content with the knowledge that I have," Alkard said, his eyes still darting from Yilan to Will and back.


    "As am I." Responded the King.


    "I have one question," Ilicia said. "I have heard legends of the Arcane Elves; I know that your people were hunted for various reasons. But all the legends agreed that, unlike many other races, your people were incapable of intermixing with other races. How is it that your daughter could come about, let alone Will?"


    "I like her," Yilan said to Got''Ro in Elvish, smiling at the Princess and continuing in common. "You would be right, Princess, if the circumstances that allowed for my daughter''s conception were anything akin to normal. It was a particularly rare set of magics and powers that aligned to make it happen. While Got''Ro and I have tried since then, and it is incredibly pleasurable, there has not even been a hint of the growth of life in my body. Will that be a sufficient answer to the question?"


    "It is, but it also raises the question of if Will is bound by the same limitations and if his mother experienced a similar alignment of power to conceive her children." The Princess said.


    "Careful, boy, she might be looking to get a child off you," Got''Ro said to Will in Orcish, a harsh and guttural language.


    "We could only hope," Yilan said in Orcish as well before switching back to common again after a short laugh at how red Will''s face had grown. "I apologize; we were poking fun at Will. And no, Princess, Will is not limited by this, and neither was his mother. I suspect that her ability to become pregnant was roughly halved from a normal Orc. Still, I suspect Will is not impacted in any way as his heritage is half-human and only a quarter of the others. As it is commonly known, humans are by far the most¡­Um, shall we say compatible with almost every species?"


    Yilan gave a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows that made Ilicia blush, the King laughed at this, and Alkard looked as if he was going to die from the disrespect of someone speaking to the Princess like that.


    "Forgive my wife; she is most outspoken, especially regarding humans, who are known to be quite prudish compared to the elves and Orcs. If that is all, may we invite our respective retinues in again?" Got''Ro said, looking around the room and receiving nods from all around, moving to open the doors that the Drethi stood behind.


    Sir Balefor also moved to allow the other guards and servants back in.


    "Very well, back to business," Yilan said once the room was filled once more. "As established in the charter of alliance, The Gob''Ran Collective would hereby request and call upon and request the help of the Kingdom in a diplomatic venture. Our territory, as you know, is to the north, or yours, and further north of us is a land you call the magic wilds. A Small land, not even half the size of the Gob''Ran Collective, has petitioned us for an alliance. They control a swath of the Magic Wilds from the Gob''Ran Boarders up the coast to the Sheildspire mountains."


    The meeting droned on and on until finally, the King called for a conclusion of talks until the following day. Will spoke quickly with his grandmother and grandfather before walking Princess Ilicia back to their quarters.


    "So you are quite the special person, aren''t you, Will?" Ilicia said playfully.


    "I guess you could say that Ilicia," Will said, nervous under the scrutiny.


    "Your grandfather said that humans are prudish; is that accurate?" She asked.


    "Yes, Elves and Orcs both tend to be far more abrupt and upfront with the things on their minds," Will said after a moment of thought.


    "Can you give me an example?"


    Will thought for a moment. "Well, the best one that I can think of is that after graduating from my training with the Gob''Ran Ogdeshi, my instructor told me quite blatantly that should I wish to, she would willingly serve as a source for my sexual release. I am paraphrasing, as she was far more, shall we say, suggestive with her words."


    "No!" Ilicia said, covering her mouth in slight embarrassment.


    "Yes," Will said, laughing at the Princess''s reactions, "She was quite clear that she would submit completely to my will."


    They both laughed and then continued their walk in silence. As they approached the doors to their respective rooms, Ilica stopped and turned to Will. "I assume that you learned to be as blunt as any Orc or Elf, so I have to ask, what would you say to me if I were not human? What would you say to me if I were simply an Orc girl, or an Elf girl, from the Gob''Ran?"


    "Ilicia, that is not appropriate; I really don''t think that.." Will began but was cut off.


    "Oh, nonsense, I am the Princess, and you are the Princess''s Man; there are to be no secrets between us. Tell me, speak to me how you would any other in the Gob''Ran." Ilicia said with a self-satisfied smirk.


    Will thought for a moment. "Well, I will assume that you would be an Elf in this exercise, as Orc women, despite their particular charms, are just not on par with your beauty. If you were an Elf that I knew well, I might say that it is my deepest wish to be shown to your chambers and be allowed to undress you. If you were someone who I was not interested in a long-term relationship, I would be far crasser both in words and actions."


    "Really?" Ilicia squeaked out, blushing brightly at what he had already said. Being the Princess, not a single man had ever spoken to her like this before. Ilicia found it exhilarating. Ilicia took a breath and then cleared her throat quietly. "Show me."


    Will stopped in his tracks where he had been about to open the Princess''s door and ensure that the room was as empty as it had been left. "I''m sorry, what, Ilicia?"


    Ilica steeled herself, embarrassment and excitement warring inside her. "I said show me. Treat me as you would a woman who you wanted little more than a pleasant encounter with."


    "Princess, I can not, you are the Princess, and I am your protector; it would be beyond inappropriate," Will said; despite the offers that he had received from countless Orcish and Elvish women, he was finding this more intimidating than any other interaction with any other woman.


    Ilicia surprised him then, pushing up against him. Will backed away from Ilicia but came up against a wall. "So big man," Ilicia said in a tone that could only be described as husky, "I haven''t seen you before; you looking for a good time?"


    Will knew what was coming, and Ilicia could not have known, but Will knew that his libido was incredibly influenced by his Orcish heritage. His mind was flooded with intoxicating want, the Princess was beautiful by any standards, and here she was, pressing herself against him for a game.


    It was the Princess''s turn to be surprised as Will''s massive hand closed gently around her throat, and the rest of his body moved to reverse the pinning; now Ilicia was pinned to the wall with a hand at her throat; it did not squeeze, it was pleasant in an intoxicatingly sexual way.


    Will spoke then, leaning down so that his lips brushed her ear as he spoke. In his mind, his responsibility battled against the overpowered orcish sexual drive. "I''m always looking for a good time. The only question is whether you can provide that good time."


    What happened next shocked them both. Princess Ilicia moaned and whispered out instinctively, "It''s all I want."


    The Princess''s eyes widened as the words left her mouth, as did Will''s. Will''s mind asserted control over his libido, and he released the gentle choke the Princess had been leaning into. Will moved quickly, unlocking the door to the Princess''s room and stepping inside; he quickly but thoroughly ensured the room was secure.


    Will stepped back out. And stood more than an arms-length from the Princess. "Your rooms are secure, Princess Ilicia. I apologize for my actions; my biology is tumultuous at best in matters of sexual origin. I will ensure that you are safely in your rooms and then take my leave to my rooms."


    "Thank you Will." The Princess squeaked out, embarrassment like nothing other she had ever felt coursing through her body. She covered her face and disappeared inside. The door closed, and Will heard the door lock.


    As Will opened his own door, closing it to flop onto his bed. He could not help but hear the words of his grandparents from an earlier roll through his mind. ''Careful boy, she might be looking to get a child off you.'' Got''Ro said, ''We could only hope.'' Yilan said


    The next morning, Will awoke early and stepped outside to find his grandfather sitting on the ground smoking half-leaf.


    "Still an early riser, then?" Will asked his grandfather.


    "Of course. I know you can''t stray too far from the Princess, but I figured we could spar and still be in the range of hearing if she calls for help. I will even set one of the Drethi to listen if you wish." Got''Ro said and waved his hand. A Drethi disengaged their initiate power of invisibility and stepped up to the door, giving the formal salute of the Bog''Ran.


    "Very well," Will said, taking a stance across from his grandfather. "At your mark, old man."


    "You brat," Got''Ro said with a smile and then launched himself at Will.


    Almost an hour later, Ilicia awoke to cheers outside her door. She quickly dressed with the help of a handmaid that had entered, allowing the sound inside. "What is going on?" Ilicia asked.


    "Master Will and the Orc are sparring; I have never seen anything like it, your majesty. And it doesn''t hurt that Master Will is shirtless and a mighty fine specimen to look at." The maid said.


    "He is, isn''t he?" Ilicia said, and the maid smiled at the comment.


    As Ilicia walked out, she noticed the scaled Drethi nod to her and then shimmer and disappeared. Then she took in the fight. Despite herself, she felt her blood rush to her cheeks at the sight of Will shirtless and drenched in sweat and trading blows at an insane speed with the Orc, who was not as fast but clearly more than a match for Will''s strength.


    "Ah, there you are, Princess," Yilan said, moving to stand next to Ilicia. "I feel as if I should tell you something."


    "Oh yes, Madame Valdesh, what is that?" Ilicia said, falling naturally into the diplomatic role she had used hundreds of times.


    "First of all, call me Yilan, I may be centuries old, but I do not enjoy being addressed as such," Yilan said, then turned and faced the young girl. "That was quite the show you put on last night outside your quarters."


    Ilicia looked up to the elven woman with eyes as wide as saucers. "I¡­You¡­How?"


    Yilan smiled at her and placed an arm around her shoulders. "My dear, I am old, beyond old to humans, and I know a young woman with eyes for a young man when I see one. I was going to talk to Will after he made sure you were safely in your room. But then I saw your little show and how desperately you wanted what was suggested."


    "I¡­" Ilicia had no idea how to deal with what was going through her mind. She stopped and turned to face Yilan and then bowed. "I apologize, Yilan; I was out of line; I should not have pressured your grandson like that. I ¡­¡±


    Yilan cut her off. "Girl, it is none of my business what you do or who you do it with. By all means, if it is your desire, have Will take you every night and revel in it. Gods know the boy could use it. I only want to tell you that the Orcs and the Arcane Elves share a common trait. Intense and unrelenting sexual drives. You got a taste of that when you threw yourself at him like that. So I offer you this: if you want him, take him. But know what you are dealing with, and don''t toy with my grandson."


    "I¡­I understand." A highly embarrassed Ilicia stammered out.


    "This next thing I tell you as a grandmother and nothing else," Yilan said, placing a finger under Ilicia''s chin so she could not look away from Yilan''s eyes. "My grandson is the only hope of the Arcane Elves, and I love him more than I could ever explain to you, as he is my only family outside of Got''Ro. If you intentionally harm him, I will level this Kingdom, even if I have to do it alone."


    Ilicia felt the blood drain from her face. She knew that one of the reasons that the Arcane Elves had been hunted was that they were an army unto themselves. Power beyond recognition. Ilicia nodded. "It is not my intention to harm him. I rather enjoy his company."


    "Good!" Yilan said, smiling kindly at the Princess. "Now it looks like the boys are done. Let''s gather them and convince your father why you and Will should be our representatives. That way, the two of you will have some alone time, and you can play that fantasy out some more if you wish."


    Ilicia turned bright red, and Yilan laughed as she pulled the young Princess toward the castle.

 PART 5

    Ilicia was still blushing as she and Yilan walked up to where Got''Ro and Will had just finished their most recent match. Both men had bruises on their bodies from where direct blows had landed. Around them, many soldiers, and even Ilicia''s brother Kale, clamored for the next round of combat.


    Ilicia watched as Will and his grandfather begged off fighting them, gesturing to Ilicia and Yilan as an excuse. Yilan waved her hand at her husband and grandson once they had dressed. Ilicia watched the sweat, dirt, and bruises vanish from their bodies and clothes.


    "That''s a convenient spell," Ilicia said, eyeing Will''s chest as he finished doing up the laces of his shirt.


    "It is," Yilan said. "Tell me, Ilicia, do you have any talent for magic?"


    "The court wizards say that I don''t; they say I have the ability, but it is not prominent," Ilicia said. "Why do you ask, Yilan?"


    "Oh, human wizards seem to think they are the authorities on magic; give me your hand, girl," Yilan said, taking the offered hand of Ilicia into her hands. Yilan closed her eyes, and Ilicia could feel the power flow through her as the old woman spoke. "I ask because if you have some magic abilities, there are some simple spells that humans don''t know that I can teach you should you ever need to defend yourself and Will is not around."


    Yilan''s brow wrinkled. "Deep breath, girl."


    Ilicia took a deep breath and suddenly felt something burst inside her. "What did you do to me?" Ilicia said in surprise as Yilan released her hands.


    "I tried to force the pathways in the body that allow magic to be cast to open up more. It did not work." Yilan said. "You can probably use simple cleaning spells and maybe a very low-tier healing spell using human magic. However, suppose you convince Will to teach you some elvish magic. In that case, you might be able to cast a few middle-tier spells as the elvish spells are highly refined and efficient."


    "Thank you," Ilicia said, not understanding what she was talking about but making a mental note to ask Will about it later. She looked back to see Will talking with Kale and Got''Ro packing a new bowl of half-leaf as the crowd began to disperse.


    "Now, we should get back to trying to get your father to agree to send you and Will on the mission we need help with," Yilan said.


    "Yes, though I am curious why you need help from us with forming an alliance between whoever these beings are and yourselves. And that is another thing, what race are the beings that inhabit this land that you are trying to align yourself with?" Ilicia said as Yilan walked with her; Got''Ro and Will followed behind as they made their way into the castle.


    "We need your help because we would like you to form an alliance with them as well; it will make them feel better. As to who they are, let''s wait, and we''ll tell you and your father all at once."


    About an hour later, thanks to the King insisting that they all eat with him before any business was conducted, Ilicia, Will, Yilan, Got''Ro, and the King and Queen were seated around a table to discuss the mission.


    "We would very much like it if we could send both Will and Ilicia to act as an ambassadorial team to the small country that has been speaking with us," Got''Ro said.


    Yilan nodded. "We think it would be much better for both of our countries if we could make a peace agreement at the very least, if not a trade agreement."


    The King looked confused. "I am still confused about who these people are and why you feel so strongly about this."


    Got''Ro looked at the King. "The beings who have established this small country are Grenga."


    That caused a sharp intake of breath. The Grenga are a race with no solid form; they appear as a cloud of black mist. Though they could take the forms of other races, they could only do so for a short period of time. The other shocking part is that the Grenga were typically some of the evilest and most aggressive creatures ever. What made this so valuable an opportunity was the innate magic that the Grenga held that allowed them to fabricate any desired non-magical object out of the dirt.


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    It is one of the reasons that the Grenga are so hard to fight. If you think you have disarmed one, it shifts to a different form and materializes a new sword out of some of the dirt it is standing on. This combination of attitude, magic, and ability was also why Grenga were generally hunted on sight, as they were technically magical beasts rather than sentient beings.


    "How many are there in this? What is it, a small kingdom?" The King asked after he had regained his composure.


    "Near as we can tell, there are nearly twenty thousand in the one city they have constructed," Yilan said.


    "Why haven''t they begun killing?" The King pondered out loud.


    "That''s what I wanted to know when we first heard of this," Got''Ro said, "so Yilan and twenty of our best warriors went to make contact. Apparently, the Grenga we have encountered are part of a highly fanatical military belonging to the ruling class. This Grenga society apparently resides between planes of existence. The Grenga here are a group that has existed on that larger society''s fringes. Apparently, there has been a regime change in Grenga politics. The new leader gave them a choice, integrate into the society or move into this plane, as it is supposedly very difficult for them to live here."


    "So these Grenga are peaceful and have been banished here to live out their lives?" The King said, sounding as if he were mulling it over. "But how could they have built a city so quickly?"


    "That is one of the things we want to know," Yilan said. "We hope to establish a trade relationship with them to learn how to use their methods, or if it is something to with their abilities, we can at least hire the Grenga."


    "These are all good points, and I would assume that you want to send Ilicia, but who would represent the Gob''Ran?" The King asked.


    "We were hoping we could let Will fill that role, as he will be going anyways," Yilan said. "And before you raise any objections, part of his training when he lived with us, was diplomacy and espionage, so he is fully capable of performing these duties."


    "May I ask what Will was meant to be to the Gob''Ran?" Ilicia asked, wondering at the breadth and depth of Will''s training.


    "Will was, and is, meant to be the next leader of the collective," Got''Ro said with pride in his voice.


    "Very well, I am content they go, so long as I can send one other." The King said and then glanced over his shoulder to where Sir. Balefor stood by the door. "Sir Balefor, if you would, I ask that you accompany The Princess and her man on this diplomatic venture."


    "Of course, your highness." Sir Balefor said, bowing slightly from his position.


    "I would ask that they travel with you back to the collective and then go on their own from there." The King said, turning to look at Yilan and Got''Ro.


    "Of course," Yilan said, smiling.


    "Very well, it is decided then." The King said. "Knowing the Gob''Ran, you probably want to leave tonight?"


    Yilan and Got''Ro nodded. "Very well," said the King, "Prepare a grand lunch at least so that you may travel well-fed."


    The rest of the morning was spent packing by Will and Ilicia; Ilicia wanted to take a lot of stuff. And Will was against it.


    "Princess, I''m sorry, but I think it is not wise to bring seven dresses from a logistical standpoint," Will said, his frustration growing; he would protect her, but he would not carry chests of clothing from here to the Gob''Ran.


    "And I am telling you that it is needed!" Ilicia said back. "And how many times do I have to remind you that you don''t need to call me anything other than my name?"


    Yilan stepped into the Princess''s room. "Will, why don''t you worry about yourself and let me help the princess."


    Will simply nodded and left to take his single bag to the area where the Gob''Ran''s party was assembling.


    "Now then, though Will is right to a certain extent, I know that you are right as well, so let''s get you packed, and then I can do something about the quantity or weight once we get on the road," Yilan said, and Ilicia thanked her. "Don''t forget that it will just be you, Will, and that captain, so feel free to order the captain to stay behind in the Gob''Ran so you can snuggle up to Will."


    Ilicia blushed, and Yilan laughed. "Why is it that you are so desperate for me to make a move on Will?" Ilicia asked.


    "We can talk about that later; for now, just know that I think you are an excellent match for Will," Yilan said, chatting about benign things until they had finished packing.


    An hour later, they were eating a grand lunch, and two hours after that, they were on the road.


    Ilicia looked around as the cart she was seated on with Yilan passed through the outermost gates of the city. Yilan noticed and spoke. "You nervous, Ilicia?"


    "Not nervous, just curious. I have done diplomatic service for my father before, but never outside the Kingdom. And now my father agrees to send me away to meet with a group of beings who, as far as we know, are only ever aggressive." Ilicia said. "It''s just interesting to me, is all. And it will have been the farthest I have ever been from home."


    "Well, don''t worry about that; as long as Will is The Princess''s Man, you are welcome to the Gob''Ran anytime you want," Yilan said. Ilicia smiled and looked ahead at where Will was walking alone.


    Will was scanning the horizon. He knew that at the moment, between himself, his grandmother, his grandfather, and the others in their party, they were arguably the strongest military force for several hundred miles. But something didn''t sit right. Will was worried; he looked back at Ilicia and his grandmother, hoping to draw strength, but instead found despair.


    "Well, time to soldier on," Will said; he looked once more at Ilicia and resolved then and there that nothing would hurt her. "Here''s to hoping that my gut is wrong."

 PART 6

    Several hours had passed since the party had headed for the Gob''Ran, and despite the almost jovial attitude of the others, Will could not shake the feeling that something was incredibly wrong. It must have shown on his face.


    "What''s wrong, Will?" Ilicia asked. Got''Ro and Yilan looked back as well.


    "I don''t know. I have a bad feeling, and it''s been with me since we left the castle." Will explained.


    Yilan and Got''Ro looked at each other and then began speaking to the Drethi captain, who rushed off to give orders to the others. Yilan asked Will a question. "Is there a direction to it?"


    "When we left the Kingdom, it was ahead of us, but now I feel like something bad is all around. I think¡­" Will stopped speaking as he moved inhumanly fast, snatching a knife from the air just inches from Ilicia''s face.


    "Gob''Ran! Dem cheq Nok!" Got''Ro bellowed out, and more than thirty Drethi suddenly disengaged their innate invisibility, surprising Ilicia with their numbers. The Drethi were encircling Will, Ilicia, Yilan, and Got''Ro.


    "What? Why did they try to kill me?" Ilicia said, somewhat in shock with everything going on.


    "Look," Got''Ro said, a tone of rage in his voice. "The filthy bastards."


    "What are they?" Ilicia asked, taking note of the humans covered in strange bones.


    "They are hunters," Will said. "They typically come from the east to hunt bounties or magical beasts."


    "But these are a special kind of hunter. They call themselves elfslayers." Yilan said with a sad note in her voice. "They believe that humans are the rightful rulers of the world and that elves of any kind are simply a poor mockery of humans. The armor that they wear is of elves that they have killed. This particular group hunts Gilsheribrum. We have dealt with them before. They know I am the last, so they do not give up."


    Ilicia looked closer at the humans and realized the bones that they were wearing were composed of the same crystalline stuff that Yilan''s nails had looked to be made of. Will spoke then. "Ye-wa, please look after Ilicia for a moment."


    Yilan nodded as one of the only female Drethi in the group quietly set out two chairs and began to pour water into a cup for both Ilicia and Yilan. Ilicia sat and looked around in confusion. "Yilan, I am sorry, but I am confused. Aren''t you going to help them?"


    "No, as a matter of fact, if I were to help them, it would be more of a hindrance than a help," Yilan said as she and Ilicia watched Got''Ro begin chanting. Suddenly he and Will seemed to flush a bright red across all their exposed skin.


    "Orcish blood rage?" Ilicia said with slight fear in her tone.


    "Yes, it is a strange thing to see, isn''t it, a human with that tint," Yilan said with a smile. "But long story short, if you treat the bones of one of my people in a special way, they become shields against magic, taking all magic cast at them and absorbing it in a way that anyone with magical talent can tap into the magic and cast it right back at them. On the other hand, bones with the right runes can be used to great effect in various ways."


    Ilicia wanted to ask more questions, but she was too engrossed in watching the enraged Will and Got''Ro charge at the group of seven humans covered in bones. As she watched, Will leaped forward the last ten feet, grabbed the faces of two hunters, and then slammed them downwards with sickening cracks.


    To Will''s left, Got''Ro had pulled up short and engaged three of the humans at once, quite effectively driving them back. The two remaining hunters had stepped away from Will and raised their hands, chanting.


    The air seemed to pulse violently around Will, and while it did not damage him, it prevented him from moving. Will noticed something and smiled, pointing to the air behind the two. They laughed and ignored him until the first one died, and the Drethi Captain dropped his invisibility.


    Will grabbed the remaining caster and quickly incapacitated him with a chokehold. Sir Balefor spoke then for the first time since leaving the castle. "The Gob''Ran is scary, it''s bad enough that I don''t think I could do anything to stop Will if I needed to, but these Drethi are sneaky. I thought you only brought 10 of them."


    Yilan looked up to where Sir Balefor was standing back to the left of the Princess. "We did; these others waited outside the castle and the city, so don''t feel too bad. I am sure that if you want, we can find an Ogdeshi for you to train under. You could stay at the Gob''Ran while Will and Ilicia do what they must to fulfill their obligations. That would give you plenty of time to learn new skills."


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    "I thank you for the invitation." Sir Balefor said, eyes widening; few, if any, ever trained with the Gob''Ran Ogdeshi without taking some form of a magical vow of fealty to the Gob''Ran. "But I don''t think that I should abandon my duties¡­."


    Sir Balefor was interrupted by Ilicia, who spoke up after a meaningful look from Yilan. "Nonsense, as you know, Will is the primary person responsible for me. You could serve my father better by learning as much as you can to take it back to the Kingdom. You would make it worth his while, wouldn''t you, Yilan?" Ilicia said with a look that was a mix of hopeful and scared, as she was wondering how Yilan could have such a relaxed conversation while her husband and grandson fought.


    "Oh, of course," Yilan said, turning to speak with Sir Balefor. Still, Ilicia ignored the conversation turning her attention back to the finish of the fight that was happening.


    Out where Ilicia was looking, Will, Got''Ro, and the Drethi captain had each taken one of the melee fighters that had initially engaged Got''Ro. The Drethi captain killed his opponent quickly with the slash of a sword across the throat. Will''s opponent also succumbed to the frighteningly rapid assault of blows that poured forth from Will.


    Got''Ro subdued his opponent without killing them. Got''Ro waved his hand and said something. Ilicia could only guess that it dispelled the spell invoking battle rage as Will''s flesh faded to its normal pinkish hue.


    Will and the Drethi captain quickly and efficiently stripped the bones, weapons, and equipment from the bodies of the hunters, tossing the bodies into a pile that Yilan set ablaze with a wave of her hand. The final hunter, the only survivor, watched in horror as all this happened.


    "Ho¡­How?" The hunter stammered, looking from Will to Yilan and then Got''Ro.


    "He still does not inform you lot what it is that you are hunting," Yilan said to the hunter.


    "Who would tell us? And what do you mean what we are hunting." the hunter stammered out.


    "The man who started the Elfslayers, the one who trains you all and shows you how to fashion the bones of my dead brethren into these misguided things. I believe that you call him father, master, or something equally deluded." The tone of Yilan''s voice spoke to a deep hatred of this person.


    "You know of Father?" The hunter said.


    "HA!" Yilan said, "Know of him? I trained him. I showed him the ways to fashion bones into something more. He hates elves because he hates that he has learned so much from us. He hates me in particular because he realized that he was inferior."


    "You lie, filthy elf!" The hunter snarled.


    "Watch your tongue, or I will cut it from your head." Got''Ro snarled with equal aggression.


    "I lie. Yes, sometimes I do, and I wish I had never shown that simpering man the things I did." Yilan seemed to lose herself in thought for a moment before she turned back to the hunter. "If you are so confident, return to Father and ask him about me; tell him that Yilan of the Gob''Ran claimed to have taught him everything he knows of magic. But I warn you, young man, he will kill you. If you have faith that I am wrong, by all means, go to him and declaim me to him. But if you think I am right, I would take this opportunity to start life anew."


    As Yilan spoke, the Drethi holding the young man removed the bones he was wearing and took all his weapons. And then they dropped his arms, letting him turn and leave. "I am done with this trip. How far from the elf stones are we?" Yilan asked.


    "Not far, ma''am." The Drethi captain said and took a small bag that expanded and began filling it with the bones and equipment of the hunters before shrinking it back down and returning it to his pocket.


    They traveled silently for another hour despite the questions burning in Ilicia''s mind. Then they approached something that Ilicia had heard of, the Elfstones. What she had read of them and what others had said did very little to aptly describe the massive stones.


    Each stone was roughly fifteen feet tall, two feet thick, and five feet wide. Each and every one of them was clearer than the finest glass. The scholars who had studied them believed the circles of stones to be places of worship for an ancient race. Ilicia counted the stones. There were forty-seven of the imposing monoliths in a nearly perfect circle. Inset into each of the stones was a small white circle ranging from less than a finger''s width in diameter to almost a full foot in diameter. The ground inside the stones was hard-packed sand as black as midnight.


    Will hesitated to step into the circle. "What''s wrong, Will?" Ilicia asked


    "I just hate the reaction that happens when I enter the Elfstones," Will said before ushering Ilicia to go with Got''Ro as Will and Yilan waited outside. After everyone else had entered the stones, Yilan entered, and the stones seemed to glow. The sand inside the stones seemed to pull towards Yilan, but she walked normally.


    When Will entered the stones, the illusion was stripped away from himself and Yilan. Any other magic was canceled. Where there had been about twenty Drethi, every single one who was still invisible was suddenly visible. The stones all seemed to be trying to shift themselves toward Will.


    As Ilicia watched, Will spoke to her. "This is going to be scary, but just breathe, and you will be fine."


    "What will be scary," Ilicia asked, walking with Will towards a clear stone in the center that she had not noticed before. As soon as Will set foot on the stone, the black sand rose around the legs of every person present, the horses, wheels of carts, everything. Ilicia suppressed a frightening sound.


    "Now, the scary part," Will said, more to everyone around him than Ilicia. Will clapped his hands in front of him, and a sound that Ilicia could only describe as the hammer of the gods striking the Earth echoed through the air.


    Ilicia looked for Will and saw him slowly sinking into the sand, and slowly she started to sink as well. Will locked eyes with her as he got to his shoulders. "Remember. Breathe." Will said just as his mouth and head disappeared.


    Ilicia struggled not to panic as the sand rose. First to her waist, then her chest, and just as the sane covered her mouth, Ilicia shut her eyes and felt tears run down her face as she slipped into darkness.

 PART 7

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 PART 8

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 PART 9

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 PART 10

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 PART 11

    As Will and Ilicia followed Yord toward his home, Will could not help but notice how the feel of the villages seemed to have shifted dramatically from indifference toward strangers to a carefully reserved caution. The feeling seemed to worsen as they moved closer to Yord''s home.


    "They really are putting people on edge, aren''t they?" Ilicia asked, catching the looks on people''s faces.


    "Yes, they are," Yord replied, "and honestly, they are calmer than I had anticipated. Once news that the Grenga were in town, I expected panic, but several people noted Will''s arrival, which seemed to mellow out the response."


    "Will, are you such a threat?" Ilicia said quietly.


    "Ilicia, don''t forget how we met." Will said, "I was fully intending and capable of killing your father and anyone who got in my way."


    Ilicia thought about how ironic it was that a man as powerful and seemingly motivated as Will would go from trying to kill her father to being her personal bodyguard and potential lover. She blushed at the thought, and Will smiled at her as they walked.


    "Well, here we are," Yord said as he gestured for Will and Ilicia to enter his home. He followed almost hesitantly. Inside were two beings who wore a strangely humanoid shape composed of dark shifting skin that seemed to encapsulate a mass of smoke. Both beings were sitting on ornate chairs that appeared to be composed of gold, but when they stood, the chairs melted back into the dirt they had been formed from.


    "Greetings," Will said, attempting to perform an introduction for himself and Ilicia, but he was cut off.


    "Silence, bodyguard." One of the Grenga said. "You will not speak in these proceedings. We await the Princess of Kolt and the representative of the Gob''Ran. We ¡­¡± The first Grenga trailed off as the second Grenga placed a restraining hand on the first''s shoulder.


    "Greetings, Princess of Kolt. Greetings, Will Garrow. we are Likva and Meftar of the Grenga. More accurately, we are of the Jilnary Grenga. We welcome you and look forward to your visit to our city and the potential allegiance you represent." The second Grenga said in a clearly more feminine voice.


    The first Grenga, Meftar, seemed to pale, realizing what he had done. Will spoke before Meftar could say anything. "Greetings Likva, Greetings Meftar, I am Will Garrow, grandson of Got''Ro and Yilan. This is Princess Ilicia Ted Koltsheg, Princess of the Kingdom of Kolt. We are here to represent our peoples in the coming meetings and to determine if an alliance between our three peoples is possible."


    Will made a point to stare intrusively at each Grenga as he said their names, and Ilicia was thankful for it as she was somewhat flustered. Thanks to Will, though, she regained her composure and stepped in without a reintroduction or some kind of offense given to the Grenga. ¡°Greetings Likva and Meftar. As Will said, I am Princess Ilicia Ted Koltsheg of Kolt. It is a pleasure to meet you."


    The pleasantries continued for some time, both parties asking how the other had fared on their way to this meeting place. Finally, Will seemed bored of the games and looked from Ilicia to the two Grenga. "Well, I don''t know about the three of you, but I am ready to get this show on the road. Shall we?"


    All three stared at Will and his strange colloquialism before the assumed meaning seemed to reach them. Ilicia nodded, and the Grenga rose to follow them out. Yord, who had stepped outside to let them talk, saw them leaving and smiled at Will, who nodded and began to walk out of the village with Ilicia, Likva, and Meftar trailing behind him.


    The trip was quick. When the sun started to set, and the three moons began to rise, the strange group of four made it to the city gates. But the apparent friendliness that Will and Ilicia had come to expect from Likva and Meftar was not given by the guards at the gate to the inner city.


    "Only those who are supposed to be here are permitted entry." One of the guards said.


    "We are supposed to be here," Ilicia said, her voice carrying a note of annoyance at the disregard that Likva and Meftar displayed at this confrontation.


    "If you were supposed to be here, we would know. Please move along." The guard reached out as if to push Ilicia on her way and found his wrist enclosed by the massive hand of Will.


    "Do not touch the princess." He said, his tone dropping to the dangerous and icy frequency that Ilicia had come to recognize as a warning Will would use toward those who are deserving.


    "You will release me." The guard said, somewhat taken aback at the fact that he could not pull free from the hand holding his wrist.


    "I will, but first, you will acknowledge what I said. Do not touch the Princess." Will said, his eyes never leaving the guards.


    Ilicia was panicking and did the only thing she could. "Will, please release him." Ilicia locked eyes with the guard and spoke again. "I am Ilicia Ter Koltsheg, Princess of Kolt and ambassador of his royal highness the King of Kolt. This is Will Garrow, representative of the Gob''Ran and Princess''s Man, son of the champion Brock Garrow. We are here at the request of your leaders, and this is how we are greeted? I will inform my father and the leaders of the Gob''Ran Collective that if the Grenga come forward with requests of trade or assistance, it is your fault we do not have an alliance. So please, tell me your name, guard."


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    Will smiled internally, watching the blood drain from the face of the guard. And then Ilicia and Will were shocked to hear laughter. A hooded Grenga stepped out from the shadows. "Well, met the Princess. I am Halfax, leader of the Grenga, and I apologize for my little test. I just wanted to see if the two of you were anything more than figureheads. And you passed easily, Princess."


    The old man looked from Ilicia to Will and locked eyes with Will. "You, however, young man, I am unsure of. You grabbed a Grenga and acted like you could have stopped him had he chosen to harm the Princess. Do you know why that is foolish?"


    Will looked at the old man and smiled. "Because even if he had gotten the help of the entire guard, it still would not have been a fair fight."


    The guards looked as if they were about to explode in anger. But the old man simply smiled and laughed. "You are confident, and I can see from your size, and how you carry yourself you are assured in your abilities. So show me, young man, pretend these two guards attacked the Princess; show me how you would deal with it."


    The two angry guards smiled, thinking the old man was allowing them some redemption. They both hefted their spears and made as if to attack Will. But before they could finish the movement, Will grabbed their heads, each head in a massive hand. He was squeezing hard enough to make them cry out. He lifted the two Grenga guards off the ground, powerful muscles rippling under his shirt, as he turned to the old man with a disturbing lack of emotion on his face or in his voice and spoke.


    "Shall I continue, or are you satisfied?" Will squeezed a little more, eliciting more screams from the two guards.


    The old man looked at Will with a slight fear, but he still smiled. "I am satisfied; I apologize for aggravating you so. But it has been long since I met someone designated a princesses man, and I wanted to know if the title was just for show."


    Will set the two guards down, and they scrambled away from Will. The old man shook his head. "I guess I will have to compensate them somehow. Well, another problem for another time. Please, Princess Ilicia and Will Garrow, follow me. We would like to meet briefly with you before we show you to your rooms for your stay."


    Will and Ilicia nodded and followed Halfax. They were quickly introduced to a ruling collective and made small talk for a short while before being shown to two richly appointed rooms. The rooms were a suite connected to each other. Ilicia thought, "I wanted to lay with Will" while she slept. But, for appearances, Will insisted they both rest in their own beds.


    The next day Will and Ilicia spent most of the day speaking with Halfax and several others in the collective. They learned much, but the day ended with Will and Ilicia understanding the Grenga were seeking the alliance for several reasons. Primary among them was the fact that a wizard of vast power had started enslaving the lower casts of Grenga, and their leadership had done nothing to prevent it. This was also what brought them to this reality.


    Several days passed, with results that all parties found acceptable. The Gob''Ran and Kingdom of Kolt would sign non-aggression agreements and mutual defense pacts. In return, the Grenga would assist with major construction projects and trade deals.


    Promissory documents were signed, and a month from the day, the leaders of the Gob''Ran, Kolt, and Grenga would meet to sign the official treaties. Will and Ilicia went to bed, staying up for several hours and discussing what they had managed to work out with the Grenga. Just as they were about to drift off to sleep, a horn sounded.


    As the horn sounded, Will felt every instinct he had told him to be ready. Then a voice that seemed to emanate from the very walls spoke. "Traitors and betrayers of the true Grenga, rejoice! I am here on behalf of the great and powerful wizard Viltar. I am here to force you to realize your folly and allow you to relearn your place in this world. Do not resist! Resistance is death!"


    The voice faded, and Will looked to Ilicia. Even the name of the wizard nearly drove Will into a frenzy. Then he looked at Ilicia, remembered he had to protect her, and found his feelings for her overpowering his rage. So he took a deep breath and began dressing and strapping on the weaponry he always wore. "Pack your things, Ilicia. We need to leave."


    "No," Ilicia said, looking out the window. "We just got done promising to help them. We can''t simply leave them to rot in this instance. I am staying, Will, and as your friend and as your charge, I have a request for the Princess''s man."


    Will was slightly surprised. The Princess had never asked him anything so formally before. He was about to speak when a knock on the door stopped him. Will stepped to the side of the door as it started to open. Halfax walked in, and Will relaxed.


    "Will, Princess Ilicia, I am glad you are well." Halfax seems to be understandably disheveled. "I have a request. We can deal with almost anything they can throw at us. But not mages. Please call for aid."


    Ilicia smiled, stepping forward to take Halfax''s hand in hers in a reassuring way. "Of course, we will help you." Ilicia dropped Halfax''s hands and turned to Will.


    Will smiled and bowed slightly. "Your request, my princess?"


    Ilicia''s face became the stone face of a royal issuing orders. It was chilling for Will to see it on the face of the woman he cared for. "Will Garrow, I order you, as the Princess''s man, to hunt the mages of the force assaulting this city. In the meantime, I will remand myself to the protection of the Grenga."


    Will bowed low. "Yes, princess." Will turned to face Halfax. "Please look after the princess."


    "Yes, of course." Halfax seemed flustered. "But Will, how do you intend to hunt them? Won''t they kill you with their magic? How would you even find them?"


    Without saying anything, Will removed his father''s ring and watched Halfax''s eyes widen in awe and a little fear as Will assumed his natural form, the ring no longer drawing off his sealed magic to power his grandmother''s enchantment. "It''s all rather simple, Halfax. Hunting mages is easy once you make yourself a target."


    Will turned and walked from the room. His hulking form seemed even more, imposing now that his heritage was laid bare for all to see. Halfax looked after Will and then turned to Ilicia shaking his head as if to clear it. "Shall we adjourn to the keep, Princess?"


    "Yes," Ilicia said, praying silently. "Please, gods of the world, let him be safe. Let him come back to me."

 PART 12

    Will felt the rage inherent to his orcish heritage begin to well up. Anytime he was walking into a fight, he felt it, and more often than not, he had to suppress it, but this time he knew it would be needed. While Will doubted there was much the mages could do to directly harm him, there was plenty they could do to hurt everyone else, so Will decided to fall into the rage.


    Orcish blood magic forced a blood rage, but Will had learned to do it naturally after sealing his magic. He fell into a trance of anger, his heartbeat pounding in his ears as if it was a drum of war calling to him. He strolled through the city. Grenga guards, civilians, and others took one look at the massive slab of meat coated in runes with eyes that pierced the heavens, bathed in the typical red flush of Orcish blood rage, and got out of his way.


    The first enemy Will encountered was a wood elf magi with a long flowing staff. Upon seeing Will, the wood elf cursed him in elvish for being a ''half-blood bastard'' and threw a fireball at Will. Will smiled and moved, seeming to disappear and reappear behind the magi. Will clapped, his arms swinging quickly enough to hear a faint whistle from his fingernails. The Elf died with a half-crushed head.


    Will washed through the city like a cleansing fire. Slaying Magi, man, and monsters alike. When he reached the city gates, the city was oddly quiet. He stepped out and immediately felt a web of magic fall over him. He felt it slip from his body, but he guessed it was a web of paralysis, so he froze, letting whoever had cast it think it was successful.


    ¡°My¡­My¡­My¡­What do we have here?" a voice said from above Will.


    "I do not know, brother." a second voice said as Will watched three robe hems descend from the sky.


    "He looks like an orc." The third said.


    "Wait a moment. Look at his face. Look beyond the runes, beyond the blood rage." The second said.


    "He is the son of the other-worlder!" The first said.


    "Well, what a lucky day." The third said, and the three of them circled in the air slowly. "We must take him to the master."


    "Yes, master Viltar will be quite pleased with this one." the second said and floated down to look Will in the face. "You will be a good little slave, aren''t you?"


    The next moment was one of fear for the second. Faster than he could react, Will grabbed his throat and crushed it. At this point, the other two realized he was not detained as they thought. Quickly they began to float up and away but not quick enough.


    Seemingly from nowhere, Will pulled two knives and sent them flying with extreme force. The first knife pierced the neck of the third brother, and the second knife caught the first brother in the eye. Letting out howls of pain, both brothers dropped to the ground. The knife in the throat of the third brother caused his breathing to come raggedly before ceasing a few moments later.


    With a knife still protruding from his eye, the first brother rose to his knees from where he had fallen, only to feel Will''s massive hand close around his head. He began to whimper as Will lifted him to his feet.


    "You know healing magic, I assume?" Will asked through gritted teeth in a voice that was little more than a growl. The first brother nodded. "Good, now heal it before I decide to send you on your way after your brothers."


    Quickly the first brother cast a healing spell that ejected the knife and restored basic health to his eye. Will spoke again. "Now, you will deliver a message. You will return to your master Viltar and tell him I am coming. Tell him he will pay for the traitorous acts he committed against my father. Tell him the only salvation he will have is death."


    Will stared at the brother until he was merely a dot in the sky. Will then spent another hour sweeping the city once more, killing any remaining enemy troops. In total, Will had been fighting for more than five hours. When he finished and slowly made his way back to where he had last seen Ilicia, he let the rage drain from him and felt his body begin to slow down. He stumbled through the last door into the rooms he had shared with the Princess, finding her with Halfax and two other Grenga.


    Will stumbled over to the bed he had slept in the night before, noting a scrying dish between the four of them. Will knew what was coming and knew he only had a moment or two. He sat on the bed, exhaustion seeming to radiate from his body. "Your orders are carried out, Princess," Will said.


    "Thank you, Will. I¡­¡± She was cut off as Will continued to speak.


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    "I am about to pass out. Forgive me, Princess, but I must trust your safety to Halfax until I wake." Will said, using sheer willpower to ensure he heard her answer.


    "Of course, Will, you did an immense job just now. Sleep, please." Ilicia said with a smile to him.


    Just as Will''s eyes closed and his head hit his pillow, Will heard Halfax speak. "Rest well, Will. When you wake, Ilicia will be safe. I swear it."


    Ilicia watched as Will, normally a bastion of strength and power, collapsed into what could only be described as sheer exhaustion. She smiled at the giant man and gently slipped the ring onto his finger. As she watched, the illusion cast on the ring began to once more feed on Will''s sealed magic and washed over him, changing him back into the man she knew and cared for.


    When Will came to, his head was resting on something soft. He opened his eyes and found Ilicia''s head over his. "Good morning, Will." She said with a smile.


    Will smiled at her and had to admit this was a good way to wake up. "How long was I out, Ilicia?" He asked, sitting up and taking a drink from a glass of water that awaited him.


    "A little over 9 hours. But I think it was rest well earned." Ilicia said.


    "They worked for the traitor," Will said with venom in his voice.


    "I know," Ilicia said quietly, "I watched you with scrying. That''s how we knew to meet you here rather than to stay in the keep. I''m sorry, Will."


    Will looked up at Ilicia. She seemed unsure, as if she didn''t know how to deal with what was going through her mind. So he did the only thing he could think of, he sat up and pulled her under his arm, encasing her in a cocoon of muscle and warmth. Then he spoke.


    "I know you don''t fully understand my rage. I know you understand being angry at losing my father, but not the rest. And I think you want me to stop pursuing Viltar, don''t you?" Will asked and chuckled at the meek nod he felt from the Princess. "And that is fine. You can wish for those things and tell me to calm down, but I need you to know I will hunt Viltar for all my days if that is what it takes. If you can''t understand that, it''s okay. I just ask you to be supportive if you want to be." Will said, stumbling through the last part, finding his own awkwardness.


    "Thank you," Ilicia said. "I didn''t know how to phrase it, but I think you understand."


    "Anytime," Will said, standing up and stretching before turning back to Ilicia. "So, are you ready to head out? If we leave now, we can return to the village tonight and then take our time getting back to the Gob''Ran."


    "I am," She said, standing and straightening her skirts. "I am ready to be home."


    "Verry well, princess," Will said with a smile. In total, it took them twice as long to get back to the Gob''Ran as it had taken them to get to the Grenga city. The pace they set back was much more leisurely.


    When they returned, they relayed what had happened to Yilan and Got''Ro. Got''Ro laughed. "Already, they call on us for aid. How weak are these people!" He exclaimed.


    "Dear," Yilan said sternly, "What did we discuss about referring to current or future allies as weak?"


    "Sorry, my love," Got''Ro said with a smile and a wink at Ilicia and Will. "I will send a battalion of Orcs and any of our magi that would like to go just in case Viltar strikes again.


    "Yes, a good call," Yilan said thoughtfully, then focused on Will and Ilicia. "Will, Ilicia, you will remain here at least for the next few weeks. We can send your knight back with the news and an escort. Will you will be given training by the shadow guard for your duties as the Princess''s man."


    Ilicia looked at Will, wondering what he could possibly have to learn. Yilan caught the look, smiled at Ilicia, then spoke a word in Elvish. Ilicia was shocked as seven beings of various races seemed to pull themselves into reality from the walls. Ilicia was shocked, and Yilan could see that. "Will is a warrior. He is a blunt weapon who uses raw power and sheer overwhelming force to achieve what he wants. These men and women are weapons of focus. They have only one purpose. To protect us. The training they receive is different than what Will has already received, and he will not need most of it, so it should only take a month or two."


    Ilicia nodded and noticed Sir Balefor being led in. Ilicia smiled at him as he bowed. "I am glad to see you back in one piece, Princess."


    "As am I," Ilicia said, "how does your training?"


    "I realize now how little I knew of combat and would relish the opportunity to return and train here again." Sir Balefor said with a smile. "When do we depart to report to the King."


    "You leave as soon as you are ready, and I have been informed you will have an escort, Will is going to receive some specialized training, and I will be here," Ilicia said, giving him a quick rundown of the events that took place in the Grenga city. "So I wish you luck, Sir Balefor, and please let my father and mother know I am perfectly fine."


    Sir Balefor knew the tone she had used signaled no argument would be permitted, So he bowed once more and nodded. Clapping Will on the shoulder as he left. Ilicia turned back to Yilan. "So what do you have for me to do? I assume you have something in mind?" Ilicia asked.


    "Of course, my dear," Yilan said with a smile taking Ilicia''s arm and walking to where an Orc woman and an Elf woman stood waiting. "Ilicia, meet Yav''Nara and Elithana. Yav''Nara is one of the Ogdeshi here, and Elithana is a mage I have personally trained. As per our earlier discussion, you will be learning magic, as much as Elithana can teach you, and Yav''Nara will teach you how to fight in concert with Will so that if a dangerous situation arises, you are not simply dead weight to slow him down."


    Yilan looked back and was relieved to find an excited look on Ilicia''s face. "I must warn you, Ilicia, the next few months will probably be the hardest thing you have ever done. You will end every day tired and sore. Will you accept this, and do you agree not to seek punishment against these two women for striking royalty?"


    "Yes, of course," Ilicia said, excited, mostly at the fact that she would no longer be a dead weight to Will.


    "Good," Yilan said and turned to leave.


    "Very well, princess." Yav''Nara said with a smile, "Let us begin." Yav''Nara wound up, and quicker than Ilicia could react, she knocked the Princess unconscious.

 PART 13

    It was day seven of her training, and Ilicia now wondered how people like Will and Sir Balefor put up with it week after week. The initial welcome she had gotten with Yav''Nara had knocked her unconscious and had been Ilicia''s first real sense of physical pain other than accidents suffered as a child. It had been a living hell thus far, and Ilicia questioned if she could keep it up.


    She rose before the sun every day and went through weapons training with Yav''Nara. Essentially she was learning how to keep people away from Will''s back as he did a demon''s load of work. She ended her training with an hour-long soak in the communal baths, then usually ate lunch with Will, who was often more bruise and bandage than flesh and bone.


    After lunch, Ilicia would train with Elithana to use highly efficient magic. So far, she had learned several simple defensive spells that were deceptively powerful and used hardly any magical power. This was perfect for Ilicia and her meager magical abilities.


    She thought after the first day or two, she would grow to hate the brutish orcish woman who was currently the bane of her existence. Ilicia was surprised when she found herself enjoying the grueling tasks Yav''Nara set out for her. She also noticed how many female eyes lingered on Will when he walked by. This only seemed to drive her to work harder.


    Will had just walked past, chatting with two of the Shadow Guards. Ilicia watched him with hungry eyes, as did every other woman in the training ground. One, in particular, saw how Ilicia looked at Will and snarled at her. When Will was out of earshot, the woman spoke.


    "The soft princess has eyes for Will." The voice called out to the crowd of mostly women who remained at the training grounds, "She thinks herself capable of handling him as a woman should handle a man."


    Ilicia looked at the woman speaking and recognized Agrana, Will''s original Ogdeshi. At Agrana''s words, Ilicia smiled at the orcish woman and quietly gestured for both of her teachers, who had begun to turn towards Agrana, to relax.


    Ilicia spoke, "You know, I think you may be right, Agrana; I do have eyes for Will. But what of you? What do you have for him? While I may have eyes and not ''handle'' him as you think I should, I have many things to provide him, especially as Princess of Kolt." Ilicia never took her eyes off Agrana, "So tell me, Ogdeshi Agrana, what can you possibly provide him that I can not?"


    The entire training ground waited silently, and Ilicia felt her blood pounding. Agrana''s mouth worked for a second, and then she lunged for Ilicia, only to be brought up short by an invisible force.


    "Yav''Nara and I may be exempt from punishment for harming the Princess," Elithana said, her hands held up and slightly glowing, "but I would remind you to remember your place, Agrana. Ilicia is the first princess of Kolt and therefore protected under the laws of the Gob''Ran."


    "If you ever move to strike the princess again¡­" Yav''Nara began to speak, and Agrana laughed.


    "You both think you could stop me if I actually wanted to kill this annoying human?" Agrana asked, and then the reddish flare of blood magic played across Agrana''s face, and she was moving freely again. Agrana looked at Ilicia, "Just because you play at learning our ways, do not think to step above your abilities. As to what I could provide him, the answer is simple, I could provide him with strong children."


    Agrana smirked and left the training grounds, taking several other orc women with her. Ilicia smiled despite how she felt and finished her training for the day. After eating, she sat in a secluded corner of the public bath, silently wiping the tears she had held back from her eyes earlier in the day.


    "You know you do not need to cry." an elderly voice said, and Ilicia jumped and turned, expecting to see Yilan having snuck up on her once again, but instead, she found herself faced with an ancient-looking Drethi woman.


    "Oh, I am sorry." Ilicia said, moving to get out of the woman''s way, "I didn''t mean to¡­"


    The woman simply smiled and touched Ilicia''s shoulder, "You have done nothing wrong, Princess. As a matter of fact, you have displayed nothing but courage since arriving here. It is Agrana who is cowardly."


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    Ilicia stared at the woman she had never met before and smiled in thanks, "I know. I am doing everything I can; I just¡­" Ilicia said and paused, "What if Agrana is right? What if I can not give Will strong children?"


    The old woman laughed. "I do not know you well, Princess, but I would like to think I know young Will quite well. So let me ask you a couple of things."


    Ilicia nodded, wondering again who this woman was, and then she spoke again, "Have you asked Will what he wants as far as children? Have you been with him? Do you even know why Will turned away from Agrana?"


    The questions were good ones, Ilicia had to admit, and they were embarrassing, but she answered anyway. "No, I have not asked him, and I have not been with him, at least not all the way. I also have no idea what happened between him and Agrana."


    The old woman laughed, laying back so she floated chest-up in the water. "Then it sounds to me like you don''t know a lot of what you should. Will may appear human in many ways, but he was raised by Orcs, Elves, and Drethi. We are not shy about these things, but we also do not volunteer information unless it has been asked for. So before you stain your pretty face with tears, why don''t you ask that big Lummox some of these questions?"


    Ilicia smiled and soaked for several more minutes, idly chatting with the woman. Ilicia rose and stopped just before pulling herself free from the embrace of the warm water, "May I know your name? You helped me, and I appreciate it."


    The old woman cracked open a single eye, looking at Ilicia appraisingly. "I am Karva. I wish you luck, Princess."


    The next day was the end of the week for the Gob''Ran. Ilicia was excited. The following day was a holiday for the Orcish people, so no training would be conducted; she and Will would finally have a day with each other.


    On the holiday morning, Ilicia woke early and moved to enter Will''s room. When she opened the door, she found Will fast asleep. She lay on his bed beside him, snuggling up to him. Ilicia felt his massive hand move to rest on her hip, and his lips pressed against her neck.


    "Good morning Ilicia," Will said, pulling her close and snuggling into his bed.


    "Good morning Will." Ilicia said, reveling in his closeness and pressing herself against him, "I have some questions for you, Will."


    "Oh really?" Will surprised her then by lifting her as if she weighed nothing. He rolled, bringing her over himself so that she lay with her back to the wall; in front of her was the wall of muscle that was Will''s body. She found herself face to face with him. She wanted nothing more than to kiss him, but she wanted to get her answers first. "So then ask me, Ilicia."


    "What happened between you and Agrana?" Ilicia said and felt his body tense.


    "She was my Ogdeshi," Will said, "as you know, Orcs and Elves are not as, shall we say, reserved with sexuality as most other peoples. As an Ogdeshi, she felt distractions were unacceptable, and I was distracted by a lot, especially when I was younger. Any hint of cleavage or a curve of flesh I had not felt or seen before, and I was distracted. So once I came of age, Agrana grew bored of the games her other students played with me, trying to tease me with less and less clothing. Agrana''s solution was to show me everything, let me feel everything, and let me exert my sexual energies with her to my satisfaction. For several months my every waking moment was spent with her; when we were not training, we were in her home."


    How Will said ''in her home'' left nothing to the imagination about their actions. Ilicia said nothing waiting for Will to continue, so he did. "She thought this meant she was my prospective mate, and in all honesty, I did not know she had approached my grandmother and grandfather about contacting my father to try and arrange the match. Then my father died, and I received the letter."


    Will''s tone had grown cold for a moment, and he seemed to shudder and smile at Ilicia simultaneously, "As you know, I had plans to kill the royal family of Kolt. When I told Agrana, she laughed and said my father dying was for the best, as now there would be no need to worry about any strange human rituals or requirements for our joining. She told me she would make me forget all about my anger, even if it took her a whole week spent on her back."


    Will smiled at the aghast look on Ilicia''s face. "I mean, to be fair, fighting and fucking were the only ways we had ever interacted with each other, and I think Agrana cherished that. But hearing her say my father being gone was good and implying that sex would solve the pain I felt nearly drove me into a rage. I left less than an hour later, then the next time she saw me, I had you in tow with me."


    Will looked sad, "I think maybe Agrana has not quite accepted we are no longer an item."


    Ilicia smiled, "I don''t think so either. She said some hurtful things to me yesterday, but knowing what happened, I might do the same if I were in her place."


    Will frowned, "What did she say, Ilicia?"


    Ilicia smiled and shook her head. "Don''t worry about it. I will deal with it." Ilicia leaned in and kissed him playfully. "Now, for the remainder of the morning, you are to do that thing to me."


    Will smiled at her commanding tone as she pulled his hand down from where he had rested it on her shoulder to cup one of her thighs, "Of course, Princess."


    Ilicia moaned slightly, deciding that the feeling of Wills''s fingers teasing her body was far more important than any other question she might ask at that moment.

 PART 14

    Ilicia was in ecstasy. She felt her eyes roll back into her head as she focused on the feeling of Will''s fingers caressing her nipples while his tongue played between her legs. Her fingers tangled involuntarily in his hair, pulling his face flat against her. In response, Will gripped her nipples and twisted lightly.


    "Oh, Will. I¡­ I..." Ilicia gasped the words out and cut off as she felt her body convulse as waves of pleasure coursed through her. She nearly screamed when Will did not relent. One of his muscle-bound arms snaked around her waist to prevent her from pulling away, and his tongue continued working its magic with even more energy than before.


    Several minutes later, Ilicia was panting and Will lay next to her. He smiled and gently grabbed the nape of her neck to pull her close and kiss her passionately before speaking. "I must admit, Princess, I am surprised you asked for that. I thought you wanted me to tease you like I did last time."


    "I want to please you," Ilicia said and then smirked at the surprised look on Will''s face when he felt her hand encircle his throbbing manhood. "You pleased me; now let me please you."


    Will lay back, watching the top of Ilicia''s head as she trailed kisses down his chest, finally planting an oh-so-gentle kiss at the crown of his cock. Surprising him once more, she opened her lips and let her tongue slide down the bottom of his manhood as she took as much of him into her mouth as she could.


    Will could tell she had not done this before and offered gentle suggestions and guidance that Ilicia seemed almost eager for. Before long, Will was panting as Ilicia worked him closer and closer to the edge.


    "Oh fuck, Ilicia, I am going to cum." Will panted out and was shocked into orgasm when Ilicia grabbed the base of his cock and forced herself as far down on his pulsating manhood as she could stand.


    Ilicia held herself there as she felt Will throb inside her, his hot seed spilling down her throat. She liked the feeling and could feel Will holding himself back from thrusting into her mouth. She wanted to pull off and breathe, but she felt her job was incomplete. She held tight, pulling him deeper still into her mouth.


    When his cock stopped pulsating in her mouth, she pulled off and breathed. "I want that in me next time," she said to herself. She looked up and locked eyes with Will. The look there told Ilicia that if she said nothing, the next time would be in about twenty seconds. To encourage him, she touched his sensitive cock and began stroking slowly.


    "Where the hell did you learn that?" Will said, his body quivering in anticipation as Ilica felt his cock growing hard once more in her grasp. Will returned the favor by reaching between her legs to fondle her clit as they both took a moment of lesser pleasure to recuperate.


    "After my little run-in with Agrana, Yav''Nara, and Elithana could see I was upset, so they asked me how far we had gotten, and I told them," Ilicia said, taking a breath and moaning as she began to rock her hips in time with Will''s fingers dipping inside her. "When I told them what I had planned for ''next time,'' they suggested some ¡­pointers."


    Ilicia said this last word with a sense of mischief, and Will laughed, his hips bucking upward of their own volition as she stroked. He took a breath and spoke. "Well, Ilicia, what now? Seems we both want more. Do you want more of my mouth, or¡­"


    The way he trailed off left little to the imagination, and Ilicia was about to beg him to take her when the door opened. One of the Drethi handmaids who had been helping Ilicia walked in, saw what was happening, and took on a most stunning shade of red before apologizing profusely and walking out the door.


    "Well," Ilicia said, embarrassed, "As much as I want to continue this, I think now we need to go eat, and I need to apologize to my handmaid."


    "I suppose so," Will said, giving her clit one last caress, causing a shiver to ripple through her body before he pulled his hand from between her legs. She released his manhood and leaned down to kiss him before they both rose and dressed.


    Illicia spoke to her handmaid and ladies-in-waiting about making sure to knock. Ilicia made her way to the hall where she, Will, and his grandparents ate breakfast.


    Yilan smiled at Ilicia, who smiled back as she sat beside Will. They ate a full breakfast, chatting with each other. As they enjoyed a hot cup of tea while Drethi cleared the plates, a commotion in the entry hall gained the attention of Yilan, who went to investigate. When Yilan opened the door, the words being yelled were finally made clear.


    "Where is the whore!" Agrana''s voice yelled. "That little slut thinks she can¡­"


    Agrana''s voice trailed off as Yilan''s quiet voice spoke. "I am sure I do not know who you are talking about, Agrana. Please tell me who this whore you speak of is, and I will do my best to find her."


    "You know damn well who I am talking about. The dirty little slut that seems to think your grandson is hers." Agrana pushed past Yilan and into the hall where Will and Ilicia sat.


    Got''Ro appeared to have teleported to Agrana and had her by the throat, holding her off the ground with one hand as his voice came out in a low growl. "You forget yourself, Ogdeshi; you come into my home, cause a scene, and shove aside my wife. You would do well to remember who we are and why we are in power."


    Agrana''s eyes darted from Got''Ro to Yilan before she managed to squeak out an apology. Yilan placed a hand on her protective husband''s shoulder. "Got''Ro, I think she understands; why don''t you put her down before she passes out."


    Got''Ro''s entire demeanor changed to a smile that radiated love for Yilan. "Of course, my love.


    After taking a moment, Agrana spoke more calmly. "Once again, I apologize Got''Ro, Yilan, Rulers of the Gob''Ran. I did not mean to insult you or your home. But I do have business with the who¡­"


    She caught the raised eyebrow Yilan directed at her before continuing her sentence. "with the Princess of Kolt."


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "You have business with me?" Ilicia asked. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the handmaid who saw her with Will bowing in apology with a look of utter fear on her face.


    "Yes," Agrana said in front of Ilica, Will had a weary eye on her and hoped she would not be foolish enough to strike the Princess. "Ilicia Ter Koltshelg, Princess of Kolt, I, Agrana Nar Grosh, challenge you to Ur''Na Jihn."


    The room was silent for a moment before Will spoke. "Agrana,  you need to stop now and apologize."


    Ilicia was confused, she did not know what Ur''Na Jihn was, but from the looks on Will''s face, it was nothing good. Agrana smiled viciously. "Why should I do such a thing? You were promised to me first, so I have the right."


    Ilicia looked at Will and saw rage course through his eyes. His tone could have frozen magma as he spoke. "I was never promised to you. You made it clear that with my, and I quote, ''stupid human father'' out of the way, you thought my grandparents would give me to you as some kind of reward for good service. Not once did you ask what I wanted, nor did you show sympathy for my father. On top of that, as per the laws of the Gob''Ran, I could not be forced to marry you no matter what orcish customs or any other customs had already taken place."


    Ilcia was stunned. She had never heard Will speak this way. He was hurt and doing his best to cover the pain in his voice with anger. It made her sad when she realized Agrana could not understand this or hear the pain in Will''s tone. Ilicia was stunned as Agrana laughed.


    "Of course, I am glad your father is gone. The only good thing he ever did was produce you and remove that bitch Yilnar from the picture." Agrana said. Her eyes widened as she realized what she had said.


    Yilan and Got''Ro looked deeply hurt, and Yilan seemed to be whispering calming words in Got''Ro''s ear, his face was red, and he was near tears. Ilicia spoke, hoping to draw attention away from what Agrana said. "Can someone please tell me what Ur''Na Jihn is?"


    Will spoke in a monotone voice, clearly keeping a herculean grip on his emotions. "Ur''Na Jihn is right of the promised. In orcish culture, a man can have many potential mates. If he does not wish to take them all, the women promised to him may take it upon themselves to determine who will be his wife. This usually takes the form of ritual combat, often to the death."


    "Exactly," Agrana said aggressively, ignoring that she insulted almost everyone in the room. "As one who seems to have a claim on Will, you are subject to Ur''Na Jihn."


    Before anyone else could speak, a wicked look crossed Got''Ro''s eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this, Agrana? Absolutely sure?"


    Agrana seemed to hesitate but finally nodded. "I am sure."


    "Very well," Got''Ro said, an evil smile growing on his face. "As you addressed her with her titles, I assume you understand she has certain rights. Not only under the laws of her kingdom but also under the laws of the Gob''Ran, as she is the diplomatic entourage here on behalf of the King of Kolt."


    Agrana''s face paled somewhat. "Yes¡­"


    "And as such, she is permitted in all rituals and customs that require combat to elect a champion, someone who may stand in for her in combat," Got''Ro said.


    "I.." Agrana said, realizing her mistake Got''Ro cut her off.


    "And as Princess of Kolt, she may make that request of any in the Gob''Ran, and not just Will. Will is the male in the Ur''Na Jihn and is also assigned to the Princess as The Prinecss''s Man, which includes being her bodyguard." Got''Ro said, turning to Ilicia. "Princess Ilicia of the Kingdom of Colt, I Got''Ro of the Gob''Ran, first Ogren of the Ogdeshi, protector of the Jok''Na-ra clan, and mate to the last of the Valdesh Family of Gilsheribrum offer to stand in as your champion in place of your Man as he is subject to the Ur''Na Jihn."


    Ilicia was frozen. She knew this was Got''Ro''s way of getting back at Agrana for what she said, but she did not want anyone to fight; this was not supposed to happen like this. She was panicking and was about to burst and say something she might regret when Will spoke.


    "Before we go so far as to start killing each other, why don''t you tell us what made you come here all in a huff, Agrana?" Will asked, still using the monotone voice that Ilica guessed helped him suppress whatever rage he was feeling.


    "I heard this woman was seen doing¡­ things¡­ with Will," Agrana said, seeming to be disgusted at the idea that Will and Ilicia would be intimate.


    The handmaid stepped forward and bowed deeply as she spoke to Ilicia. "I apologize, miss; I had just left and was in the bath. I hate to admit it, but I was gossiping about what had happened; because, well, all of the lady''s maids and many of the members of Gob''Ran think you and Will are a great couple. But anyway, I was talking about what I saw, and Agrana overheard, and that led us to here and now."


    She bowed deeply, and Ilicia smiled at the Drethi woman. "It''s fine, though I wish you would not gossip about me."


    Agrana was nodding. "Exactly. I heard what was going on and decided I could not let anyone else have you, especially since we were promised to each other."


    "Agrana," Yilan said with a slightly disdainful look. "Where did you get this idea of being promised to each Will?"


    "Before Will left and came back with her," Agrana said, gesturing at Ilicia, "you and I spoke, and you agreed to a promise. "


    "I think you misunderstood me," Yilan said. "If I promised you anything, I would remember. I think I said that if Will and his father were amicable about it, there could be a promise. I think I did say I would arrange the meeting with his father for you."


    Agrana seemed to shrink at Yilan''s recounting of what was said. "Well, I still have a claim to Ur''Na Jihn," Agrana said dejectedly.


    Will stepped forward and looked into Agrana''s eyes. Agrana looked as if she was hopeful he would agree with her and claim her as his. Instead, Will''s words crushed her as surely as if a boulder had fallen from a great height.


    "Agrana let me make this as clear as I possibly can," Will said and took a breath. "I want to thank you for teaching me everything you did, from combat to love, to sex. You taught me much. But I could never love someone who hated my mother and father. You and I were never promised and never will be. I will never pick you over Ilicia."


    Ilicia could not help but feel sad for Agrana, who looked nothing like the strong and powerful woman she was. She looked more akin to a scared child. Agrana looked around the room, hoping to find a bastion of support somewhere, and found none. She fled, running from the room and out into the streets.


    The rest of the morning was relaxed, at least for Ilicia. Yilan and Got''Ro retreated to their private chambers, and Will asked Ilicia if he could train for an hour or so to get his mind off everything. Ilicia smiled and nodded, giving him a loving kiss before he left.


    After being alone, Ilicia and her handmaid decided to go to the baths. Surprisingly, The baths were deserted, with everyone getting ready for the evening celebrations. As she scrubbed her hair with a lovely foaming soap the Drethi produced, she heard a strange sound and called out to her handmaid. "Are you all right?"


    When she got nothing back in response, Ilicia quickly dunked her head under water to clear the soap from her eyes and opened them to find herself face-to-face with a furious Agrana. The look on her face scared Ilicia, and she opened her mouth to call for help, but she was slammed under the water with a quick toss from Agrana.


    Ilicia quickly swam to the surface and came up to find Agrana in the water next to her. Agrana grabbed her shoulders and pinned her to the wall separating the men''s and women''s sides of the bath. Over Agrana''s shoulder, she could see her handmaid lying on the side of the bathing pool, unconscious or dead.


    Iliicia saw the anger on Agrana''s face. She closed her eyes, wishing Will a good life, as she felt one of Agrana''s hands draw back to deliver a blow.

 PART 15

    Ilicia felt Agrana draw her hand back to deliver a blow that would surely end the fight before it began when a voice rang out.


    "I don''t know if this is the move you want to make, Agrana." An elderly and familiar voice said.


    Ilicia opened her eyes when the blow did not come and saw Karva standing beside Agrana with a disapproving look in her eyes. Agrana looked as if she desperately sought a way to justify the blow.


    "If this is the move you want to make, then by all means, please go ahead, Agrana." Karva said, "But remember, if you do this, I must report all you have done here to Got''Ro, Yilan, and Will. And before you even suggest it, we both know you can do nothing to stop me."


    Ilicia heard Agrana''s jaw click shut. Then she felt Agrana release her, and Agrana stormed out of the bathing area. Ilicia nearly collapsed in the water and suddenly felt strong hands supporting her. Karva was next to her and guided her to a seat near her handmaid, who was stirring.


    "I¡­ What did I do?" Ilicia asked numbly. She thought she had a pretty good idea of what she had done but did not understand why it had gone this far.


    "You did nothing, child; Agrana is in the wrong. And even then, it''s not truly Agrana''s fault." Karva said, taking a deep breath, sinking into the warm water up to her shoulders. "If you want to blame anything, blame Orcish culture and heritage. Something like this would be normal in a standard Orc clan and encouraged."


    "Trying to kill each other over a broken heart is normal?" Ilicia asked in disbelief.


    "Oh yes, but again it is not the fault of the individuals. There was a time when the Orcs roamed the wastelands to the southwest; it is where they are said to have originated from. In those wastelands, having the most powerful mate could be the difference between barely surviving and having all your children grow up strong. So for generations, the women of the Orcish clans killed one another over the strongest males."


    Ilicia looked at Karva in disbelief. Karva continued speaking. "However, if I may make a suggestion. I presume you are not willing to share Will with another woman?"


    "No!" Ilicia said, surprising herself with the anger she brought forth with the thought.


    Karva laughed. "I thought not. And this is appropriate for one in your position. A Princess should not share a mate unless it is with another princess. So instead of having to watch your back for Agrana your entire life or having Will kill her, as I am certain he will after he hears about this, make her your ally. Make her loyal not to Will but to you. Make Agrana loyal to protecting you and maybe even one day your children."


    Ilicia was stunned. The thought was alien to her. In her father''s kingdom, such actions as Agrana had taken would result in death. But maybe Karva was right¡­


    Karva smiled at the young woman whose brow had wrinkled in thought. She stood to leave and felt Ilicia grab her wrist. Ilicia spoke. "Thank you, Karva; I appreciate everything you did today. Can I ask what it is you do here in the Gob''Ran?"


    Karva smiled. "I am Karva Battleborn, first among the Ogdeshi and leader of the shadow guard. You could say I am the strongest fighter in the Gob''Ran, other than the leader''s family."


    Ilicia was shocked and thought to ask more questions, but by the time her mouth caught up with her head, Karva was gone. She sat on the shallow stairs with her handmaid, waiting for the drethi woman to regain consciousness. When she came to, Ilicia helped her to her feet, and they both returned to the rooms she had shared with Will earlier in the day.


    The other maids saw Ilicia supporting her handmaid and rushed to help. As per their conversation on the way back, the handmaid said she had simply stayed in the heat of the water for too long. Ilicia dressed in a simple tunic and trousers and went to find Yilan.


    Ilicia found Yilan sitting in her private library. Yilan smiled and looked up when she saw Ilicia. "Sweet child, you look like you have a great deal on your mind."


    "I do," Ilicia said, looking Yilan in the eyes. "Yilan, I need to tell you what happened, but I would appreciate it if it stayed between you and me; not even Got''Ro or Will can hear of it, or someone will die."


    Yilan got a serious look on her face and nodded, waving her hand. Ilicia felt a cold wave of magic wash over her and assumed she was free to talk. Ilicia told Yilan what had happened, every detail of her conversation with Karva, and what she had suggested Ilicia do.


    Yilan let her finish, then laughed humorlessly. "Well, I guess it makes sense for Karva to suggest that path. After all, it is the path I consigned her to several hundred years ago."


    Ilicia''s eyebrows shot to the top of her forehead. "I''m sorry, what?"


    Yilan smiled at Ilicia. "Ilicia, I am near to a thousand years old; Got''Ro and Karva are close to 600 years old."


    "That makes sense for you and Karva, but Orcs are lucky if they live to 300. They are the shortest-lived race other than humans."


    "Correct. To satisfy your curiosity about his age, he and I are bonded in ways no others have ever been. It is a result of the magic which allowed our daughter to be born. As such, If I live, so shall he. If I die, so shall he." Yilan let Ilicia process for a moment and then continued speaking.


    "When I first met Got''Ro, he was only a young man of one hundred, but already he had amassed a strong clan and laid plans to lead his clan and anyone who would follow him from the wastelands to a better home. He lacked only one thing, magic."


    Ilicia settled in to listen to a story she felt not many knew. Yilan continued. "One day, he rescued me from a tar pit I had slipped and fallen into. I offered the magic he needed to pull off his plan in exchange. For the next two years, I wondered with the assemblage of clans he had led from the wastelands. Finally, we settled here. And almost instantly, the women of the clans began vying for Got''Ro''s attention. And it shocked me how much it hurt to watch an eager young woman pull him into a tent. Even more shocking was how relieved I was when he appeared moments later, begging his leave before taking off from said tent. After I watched the third woman try this, I knew he was waiting for someone and hoped against all hope it was me."


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Yilan smiled at the giddy look on Ilicia''s face as she paused for a breath. "So the next day, I went to his tent and waited, naked and with bated breath, hoping he would not send me away. When the tent flap opened, I expected Got''Ro, but the one who I threw my arms around was Karva. She flipped me onto my back, and I blasted her and the tent sixty feet into the air to land at the feet of Got''Ro. Got''Ro took one look at my naked form with a dislocated shoulder, and Karva''s naked form tangled in the tent and growled in disgust. ''I will not be fought over like some prize buck if you want to win my hand, win my heart.'' was all Got''Ro said before disappearing into the dark."


    "You are far bolder than I," Ilicia said with a smile. "What happened next."


    "I helped Karva to her feet, and we treated each other''s injuries, and I made her a deal. We would both attempt to win his heart; in the end, whoever lost would serve the other until death. For several years, it looked as if I would end up serving Karva until she died, but in the end, Got''ro asked for my hand on the night he was named ruler of the Gob''Ran Collective. After our first night together, Karva came to me, pledged her loyalty, and formed the Shadow Guard. Both of us thought there would be spite and anger, and for the first decade there was, but afterward, it was as if being angry was too taxing. And when my daughter was born, well, suffice it to say, had anyone ever tried to harm my family, Karva would have done horrible things to any who tried. Karva loved my daughter as if she were her own, and that was all I could ever ask for." Yilan spoke the rest in a way that told Ilicia she was getting a deeply abridged variation of what had happened.


    "So then, how can I do that with Agrana?" Ilicia asked.


    "I don''t know if you can." Yilan sighed, "Agrana, for all her skill and ability, is about as stubborn as I have ever seen someone be. If you can think of a way, then I would try; who knows, you and Agrana may end up the best of friends as Karva and I are. Or things may come to a point where Agrana needs to be killed, in which case, just tell Will, and it will be done."


    "Alright," Ilicia said, surprised at how easily the idea of Will killing for her just because she said so flowed through her. "Thank you for the advice, Yilan, and thank you for the story; I am grateful to know more about you and Got''Ro."


    "Not a problem; now go and rest, child; you start your training again tomorrow, so enjoy the day off," Yilan said, waving her hand to dismiss the magic protecting their conversation.


    Ilicia stood and went to find Will. She found him lying in the sand, sunning himself at a nearby river. Several other people, mostly women, were sunbathing as well. Ilicia sat down next to Will and felt the sand between her toes.


    "When I was younger, not many knew of this place, but I can only guess I got followed here a couple of times, and now the news has spread," Will said without opening his eyes.


    "It is a lovely little beach," Iliciai said, casually reaching forward to tousle Will''s hair. "Will I am going to do something I think you might not be a fan of? I just want to know if you would still support me even if you disagree with me?"


    With one massive hand, Will opened his eyes and shaded them from the sun. "I don''t know what you are going to do, but yes, I think I would. I don''t honestly know and can''t until it happens."


    "That''s fair," Ilicia said and then stood. "Alright, well, come back soon so we can have an early diner."


    "Yes, princess," Will said, laying back and closing his eyes again.


    Ilicia walked back towards the center of the collective she was about to pass through the gates which would take her to the main street when a hand darted out of the undergrowth and pulled her into the bushes.


    Ilicia found herself in a small clearing ringed by high bushes and trees. Pinning her to one of the trees was Agrana. Agrana''s hand covered Ilicia''s mouth, and she spoke quickly. "I will not hurt you, but I need you to listen, okay?"


    Agrana pulled her hand back, and Ilicia spoke. "As long as you listen to me after you are done."


    Agrana nodded, and Ilicia sat on a tuft of grass, gesturing for Agrana to sit next to her. Agrana did, grudgingly, and began to speak. "Princess Ilicia, I¡­"


    "Ilicia, please just call me Ilicia. After being nearly killed by you and threatened, I feel we can forgo the pomp." Iliciai said, getting a small flinch from Agrana.


    "Very well, Ilicia; I wanted to first apologize to you for my behavior in the baths. I realize what is normal for me and my people is not even recognized as acceptable in your world." Agrana looked down at the dirt.


    "I also want to explain why I have been adamant about making Will mine." Agrana looked up and surprised Ilicia, as she had a look of ultimate vulnerability on her face. "Will is nice, and I don''t mean nice as in polite; he was the first person I was romantically involved with who treated me as just another partner. He was not concerned with my strength or worried if I was stronger than him or made him look bad. He only wanted my body, he needed me to please him, and we shared a closeness and sensuality that we both needed."


    Agrana took a breath. "I know in human cultures, a man only wanting you for your body is not wanted, well, at least most of the time, but in Orc culture, where so much revolves around strength and combat ability, it is incredibly rare to find a partner who wants you just for you, even just your body, rather than how many victories you could bring to the clan, or how strong the males of your line are. He just wanted me."


    Ilicia was surprised. Agrana''s tone was as harsh as ever, but there was a look in her eyes Ilicia knew to be the soft woman who just wanted to be loved. Ilicia waited for more, but Agrana sat there every inch, the warrior on the outside and a scared, lonely maiden on the inside.


    "Thank you for telling me those things," Ilicia said.


    "You are welcome; I also wanted to tell you, you don''t have to worry; I leave tomorrow to travel to the ancestral home of the Orcs and find what fate has in store for me." Agrana sounded angry at this, then took a breath. "But after how insulted you, Will, Got''Ro, and Lady Yilan. Well, what else can I do."


    "I have a suggestion," Ilicia said, smiling at her current chance.


    Agrana looked at her in surprise and waited. Ilcia spoke. "Instead of leaving, become a member of my personal guard, come and train Sir Balefor and the other knights. In this way, you can still be a part of Will''s life. It''ll allow you to find a mate as well because if there is something I have realized, it is Will seems to attract great and strange people to him."


    Agrana was flabergasted. "You would want me as a guard even after I tried to kill you?"


    "I would. How better to know a warrior''s capabilities than to have them attempt to kill you." Ilicia said with a smile.


    "If you are sure, I would be honored, though I must first be relinquished from my post within the Gob''Ran. If it can be arranged, I will take you up on this offer." Agrana said, sounding like a strange mix of thankful and awkward.


    "Well then, let''s talk to Yilan and see what we can work out," Ilicia said, turning her back to Agrana, and for an instant, she wondered if she had made a mistake.


    Ilicia held her breath until she heard Agran speak again. "Yes, Princess."

 PART 16

    Will was excited; the past few weeks seemed to herald a new change in Ilicia''s and Agrana''s relationship. He had been surprised when he returned that first day to find Agrana eating and chatting idly with Ilicia. He was more surprised when Ilicia told him what had happened and when Agrana came to him to assure him of the end of her attempts on Ilicia''s life. Will had nearly exploded, trying to contain his shock.


    It was now commonplace to see Ilicia and Agrana chatting when Will was not around. Will suspected his grandmother did something to facilitate this, but she assured him she had done nothing but explain her relationship with Karva. Will was suspicious by nature, and as the Princess''s Man, he was obligated to be wary of everything concerning the Princess. And an Ogdeshi taking a sudden interest in the Princess and serving her was suspicious.


    Will knew Agrana was a woman of her word. But he also knew her as a master manipulator, and he had confidence that Agrana would see little wrong with killing a large number of humans to get what she wanted. The thought of Ilicia coming to harm sent blood rushing through him in a way that threatened to bring on the natural occurrence of the Orcish blood rage.


    Will was excited. All of this rushed through his head as he walked with Ilicia. He knew he was worried and hoped today would provide some reassurance for his ever-active imagination. Today was the day after he completed his training, and he was to spend the entire day with Ilicia. She walked next to him, her arm through his, as he led them both through the twists and turns of a forest path that ended in a strange building seeming to grow out of the wood of a gargantuan tree.


    The door opened automatically as they approached to reveal a wood elf-man in clothing that seemed to emanate a sense of regal energy. The elf smiled at them and bowed. "Master Will, Princess Ilicia, welcome, and please do come in."


    Ilicia smiled back at the man. "Thank you, sir."


    "How is the family, Jullian?" Will asked as he stepped through the door, making it feel three inches too small in all directions.


    "My wife is well; she is in the kitchen cooking as usual. I will serve you today as my children are not here now." Jullian said with a quick bow. He led them through the building, which Ilicia realized was far larger than it appeared from the outside. They passed several other couples and groups seated at different tables as Jullian led them up a sweeping flight of stairs and onto a balcony that appeared to be several hundred feet in the air and protruding from the tree.


    "Will, what is going on with this building?" Ilicia asked, getting a twisting feeling in her stomach as she looked over the railing.


    "That would be my wife''s fault; she does as she will," Jullian said to Ilicia with an apologetic smile. He bowed once more and then turned and walked away.


    "What is this place, Will?" Ilicia asked, looking around and noting more and more things that simply felt off. She opened her mouth to speak again as a silver platter with water goblets floated over and unloaded its cargo before vanishing into thin air.


    Will laughed at her shock. "Jullian is a wood elf."


    "Even I noticed that," Ilicia said, wondering where Will was going with this.


    "His wife is a goddess," Will said with a smile at how quickly Ilicia''s jaw dropped. "We are not sure what she is a goddess of, but she has a penchant for cooking and brewing, and she loves Jullian wholeheartedly. She fell in love with him when he found her wounded in the woods and stayed by her side, talking of his home in the woods of his youth; he cooked for her and cared for her for three weeks before she could rise on her own."


    "Wow." Ilicia said, "Do you know how she was injured?"


    "No, and I am not sure anyone knows except Trina. That is the name she has chosen to go by. She also tells people that she is simply Jullian''s goddess when asked what she is a goddess of. She is a rather interesting character; if she ever comes to say hello, I am willing to bet you will like her."


    Ilicia smiled at Will, and Jullian reappeared. "So, what would you like to eat?"


    Will smiled and rattled off a list of food which all sounded strange. Ilicia looked around to see where he had selected, but Jullian simply smiled and told her to ask for anything she desired. Ilicia realized what was going on and ordered her favorite food from home. Jullian smiled, bowed, and vanished through the doors once more.


    "Anything we want, huh?" Ilicia asked with a mischievous grin on her face.


    "She is a goddess. But I will warn you, Ilicia, last time I started trying to challenge her in her ability to cook anything, let''s just say she is willing to humor most things. If she feels you crossed a line, she will tell you by making your food so spicy you taste it for weeks, and that''s only after the second or third bite." Will said, his tone indicating he was speaking from experience.


    "What did you ask her for?" Ilicia asked.


    "My dad told me he used to eat at a place called ''Micky dees,'' so I ordered one of everything from their menu, thinking I would have her stumped with food from another world," Will said and then looked up. "She made it all and delivered it to me, told me to enjoy, and told me if I ever asked her to make such ludicrous and disgusting food again, I would be unable to eat solid food for a year."


    Ilicia laughed and smiled at Will as Jullian brought out a small cart loaded with plates of food he began to lay on the table.


    They ate their food and talked about various things. When they were finished eating, Jullina brought them dessert. Will turned to Ilicia and broached the topic of Agrana.


    "Ilicia," Will said in a serious mood now, "why did you take Agrana as a member of your staff?"


    Ilicia was caught a little off guard. "What do you mean? Why would I not take her onto my staff? Her skills are self-evident."


    "Oh, I know. I remember well who first taught me other than my father." Will said this with no anger, simply curiosity. "But I would still ask why you did this. Is the protection I provide lacking? Do you anticipate me leaving you anytime soon? I simply want to know your reasoning in making this decision."


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    Ilicia thought for a moment and then spoke. "I had several reasons; mostly, I wanted her to not want to kill me. But since then, I have come to some conclusions as to why having her around will be better than not."


    Will nodded, and Ilicia leaned forward, taking his massive hand into both of hers. "I do not think your protection is lacking in any way. I am certain that should I ever be kidnapped, you will tear apart the continent one rock at a time, laughing the whole way."


    Will shrugged. The noncommittal way he agreed with her reminded her just how powerful Will was. Ilicia continued. "The short answer is, you can never have enough bodyguards. The long answer is that while you are the Princess''s Man, you will begin to fulfill a far more important role in political functions once we return to the kingdom." She finished her thought in her head, "Hopefully, that position is as my fiance or husband, and you can leave all the bodyguard work to Agrana."


    Will thought about this for a moment, his eyes never leaving hers. Ilicia knew he was probably mulling over important thoughts, but a part of her wanted him to look at her like that as he took her to the table. Ilicia shook her head and spoke once more. "So, in addition to helping with my safety in that regard, if you leave to deal with the man who killed your father, I will still have a guardian."


    Will nodded at this and seemed to relax. "Very well, but I want you to know if she ever makes a move against you again, I will kill her on the spot."


    Ilicia nodded, knowing from his tone that this was not a discussion but rather a statement of fact. That mischievous voice in her head also wanted him to command her in that tone. Ilicia blushed at the thoughts she was having and looked away from Will.


    Will smiled at her when she finally got her blushing cheeks to cool. "So, we have eaten and have a whole day to ourselves. What would you like to do, Ilicia?"


    "Well, I would like to visit your grandmother''s library if she will let us," Ilicia said, remembering the room of books she saw Yilan in earlier.


    "Of course," Will said with a smile.


    Jullian appeared. "Is there anything else you would like?"


    "No, Jullian, it was fantastic as always," Will said with a smile.


    "Thank you," Jullian said and turned to Ilicia. "If you have a moment, my wife has requested a moment of your time."


    "Of course, Jullian." Ilicia said, turning to Will.


    "I will wait for you outside." Will head downstairs on his own.


    Ilicia followed Jullian through the building, which only further exemplified how incredibly large the building was compared to its looks on the outside. When he finally led her into a kitchen that could have fed the entire castle she grew up in, Jullina bowed to her, smiled at the glowing woman standing behind a counter, and then turned to grab a tray of food and leave.


    "Come, Princess," the woman gestured to a stool beside her. "Have a seat and talk with me for a moment."


    "Of course," Ilicia said, falling back on court manners in this rather strange incident.


    "Firstly, call me Trina," the goddess said, "and secondly, what do I have to do to make you forget your love of Will?"


    Ilicia''s jaw almost hit the counter. "What do you mean? Why would I ever do such a thing?"


    Ilicia was angry, a deep anger that burned deep in her gut. Trina stopped what she was doing, knife paused mid-cut. "I care for Will. His father and mother were my dear friends and always treated me no differently than anyone else. As a divinity, I have some small gift of foresight, and you need not be in love with Will. More importantly, he needs to not love you."


    "I see why you wanted to talk to me only," Ilicia said indignantly. "Will would kill you."


    "I spared with the boy once, and he might be one of the very few mortals who could kill a god, but that is beyond the point," Trina said with a calm voice of understanding. "I need to know what I would have to do, to what I would have to give you, to get you to remove Will from your life."


    Ilicia panicked. She hated this woman. She looked into Trina''s eyes. "You will have to kill me. I love him; there is nothing you could give me that could replace Will."


    The goddess stared hard at Ilicia, who did not back down. Trina chuckled. "Those Garrow men sure do pick firecrackers. You know there was a time when Will''s father took one of my daughters on a date? She came home and said she would bless whoever he married because he was a handful. Then he went and married Yilan''s daughter, and they gave birth to a man who is by rights almost a god in terms of his ability and power."


    Ilicia''s head was spinning as she tried to follow Trina''s words with her ears and with her eyes, the flurry of time-defiant movements her hands made. Trina paused again and looked Ilicia in the eyes. "You are a brave woman, and you will need to be. A time will come when the love you hold is used against Will; I hope you are strong enough to face the repercussions. Will is getting anxious, and I can not warp time any more than I already have without causing you harm. Take this and go to him; cherish him while you can, Princess."


    Trina handed Ilicia a sweet roll and then hesitated before placing her hand on Ilicia''s head and bowing hers for a moment. Ilicia felt a wave of energy wash over her. "Go forth with my blessing, child."


    Ilicia stood and left the kitchen to find Jullian waiting to take her outside. The sun was setting, where it had been morning just an hour or two ago. She looked back to the building and then to Will. She shrugged and slipped her arm through his. Trina''s words echoed through her mind as she shared the sweet roll with him.


    One phrase, in particular, rattled her to her bones as Will guided her back to Yilan''s library. "...I hope you are strong enough to face the repercussions."

 PART 17

    The next morning Will and Ilicia awoke to find a messenger waiting for them. With the help of her lady''s maids, Ilicia dressed quickly and stepped out of the room and into step with Will, who now wore the black form-fitted leather of his armor. Agrana fell in behind them.


    "What do you think it might be?" Ilicia asked, placing her hand in the crook of Will''s right arm.


    "I don''t know, but the fact the messenger was sent to both of us tells me it''s probably from your father. Maybe he has another mission for us." Will said.


    They walked in silence until they got to the audience hall at the front of the home. There waited Got''Ro and Yilan with a man wearing a livery of the Kolt Kingdom. When the messenger laid eyes on the Princess, he dropped to one knee.


    "Princess Ilicia, it is good to see you well. I will be happy to tell your father as much." The messenger said.


    "Is my father well?" Ilicia asked. "You may rise."


    "Thank you, Princess." The messenger stood. "When I departed, the King and Queen were both well. Prince Kale also asked to wish you well. But this is all in addition to the reason why I was dispatched. The King has requested that the two of you return with all haste. There have been several attacks on the kingdom, and with the capture of several of the enemy, new information on Viltar has come to light."


    The entire room suddenly felt icy as Will''s gaze sharpened to a blade''s edge, and he stared at the man with a frightening intensity. "What exactly was said."


    Even Ilicia felt a shiver run up her spine as Will spoke. She could only guess how the messenger was feeling.


    "Umm, well, the King told me there had been a development and that he now has some solid information regarding Viltar''s possible location. Otherwise, he said very little to me. Sorry..." The young man was almost cowering as he finished.


    Will''s gaze held the man for a few more moments before he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Will opened his eyes once more and patted the messenger on the shoulder. "Thank you, I am sorry for how I reacted."


    "No problem." The messenger said as he recomposed himself. "I am to accompany you back to the kingdom if you are ready to depart."


    Will turned to Ilicia. "Well, Ilicia, it''s up to you; my training is complete. If you wish to remain for a while, I will do my best to let you take your time, but I cannot promise that I won''t pressure you to head out." Will said all of this very bluntly. "If you are ready to head out, I will take us via the elf stones, and we can be back in the kingdom in three days."


    The messenger''s mouth fell open. "Three days! Wha...." His voice faded to silence as he remembered who he was in the company of.


    Ilicia thought for a moment, then nodded. "I am ready; I have learned all I can. The remainder is just practice, and I can do that anywhere."


    "Thank you," Will said, the relief in his tone betraying how much he wanted to be off after Viltar. Will turned to his grandparents. "Ye-Wa, Grandfather, we will be departing."


    "Tomorrow." Yilan interjected, "You must pack and give Agrana time to get her things together, and I need some time with Ilicia. So you will leave tomorrow."


    "I..." Will began to object, but a look from both his grandparents took the wind from his sails. "Very well. Tomorrow."


    The day was spent in hurried preparations. Will went to each of the Gob''Ran''s best smiths and got their finest weapons, and then spent the remainder of the day talking with his grandfather as he packed. Ilicia packed first, leaving out traveling clothes for tomorrow''s journey, and then was summoned to Yilan''s library.


    When Ilicia sat across from Yilan with Agrana standing outside the door to prevent anyone else from entering, she suddenly felt her stomach flips.


    Yilan smiled at her and then asked a simple question that Ilicia would have given anything to not answer. "Ilicia, I hear that you spent a fair amount of time chatting with Trina in her kitchen the other day; what did she tell you?"


    Ilicia felt bile rising as she quickly told Yilan what had transpired between the goddesses and herself. She looked up at Yilan with tears in her eyes. "I swear I won''t hurt him; please don''t do anything to make me leave him."


    If there was one thing Ilicia had learned in her time here at the collective, it was the simple fact that Yilan Valdesh did not trifle with the protection of her family or her people. So her response surprised Ilicia. Ilicia felt Yilan''s arms wrap around her. "Oh, child, I would not do such a thing. I know how you feel. You would not have come here to be beaten up for weeks simply for the experience. I also know that, unfortunately, Trina is right more often than not. So in return, I offer you this."


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    The object Yilan placed in Ilicia''s hands was familiar enough: a ring with several keys. However, as she looked closer, she realized each key was made from a bone. Yilan smiled at the stunned look on Ilicia''s face as she explained what the keys were.


    "They are called wish keys; each is carved from the rib of a Gilsheribrum by another Gilsheribrum. The magical power stored in each key is enough to open a portal from this plane to the next. If the need should ever arise, use these keys to summon demons. They will obey you for about an hour before they return to the plane of fire."


    "Yilan, I could never accept these; they are..."


    "Oh, nonsense. This is the best possible use for them. Bone magic goes to waste if it is not utilized out of some sense of propriety," Yilan said with a smile, closing Ilicia''s hand around the keyring. "Take these keys to protect yourself, your family, and Will."


    "Thank you, Yilan," Ilicia said, tucking the keys in a small pocket on her dress.


    "You are welcome! Now, about the real reason I wanted time with you..." Yilan said, her grin turning mischievous, as several handmaids entered the room with boxes and bags.


    After a long and very revealing conversation with Yilan, Ilicia felt nothing could surprise her as she walked from the library to the hall, where a small feast had been prepared in honor of her and Will''s departure. She was, however, wrong when Will seemed to step out of the shadows next to a door and fell into step next to her.


    "So, how did the conversation with my grandmother go?" Will asked.


    Ilicia''s face turned so red that Will worried another demon had come for him as he laughed quietly to himself. "It was...educational?"


    "That is fair," Will said, choosing not to press the issue further as Ilicia desperately tried to relax. "Let''s eat and have fun tonight; we will worry about everything else tomorrow. Deal?"


    "Sure," Ilicia said with a smile.


    "Good, now either get a room or walk faster. I am hungry." Agrana said from behind them, eliciting a chuckle from Will, who began walking faster.


    <hr>


    The next morning, the handmaids helped Ilicia dress and then gave her a tearful goodbye as they left her at the entrance to where she was meeting everyone for breakfast. She ate and then moved with Will and Agrana to the Elf Stones, where she quickly swore the messenger to secrecy as to what was about to happen.


    The party that was departing was larger than Ilicia had thought. Will was standing outside the stones waiting for the others to be ready. Inside the stones, Agrana, Ilicia, the messenger, three Ogdesh and their cumulative twelve students, and three members of the shadow guard. All of this was discussed last night at dinner and was expected.


    "What are we waiting for?" The messenger asked.


    "That," Ilicia said, nodding toward Will as he entered, and the illusions around him have stripped away.


    "Gods above." The messenger said, his mouth falling open.


    "You need to remember one thing," Ilicia said as the black sand rose up their legs. "Breathe. Don''t forget to breathe."


    The messenger screamed as the sand rose over his head.


    What felt like moments later, but Ilicia knew to be closer to a day, she felt the sand begin to draw down from her head. When it cleared her head, she looked to the side where the messenger stood and saw him still staring at Will.


    "Remember, you swore to secrecy," Ilicia told the awestruck messenger.


    "Oh, I remember, princess." He said as he watched the sand carry Will to the edge of the stones, and the illusions rebuilt themselves. "Wouldn''t matter if I did talk anyway; no one would believe me."


    The remainder of the day was spent traveling back to the castle. By the time they got there, it was just past sundown. Had the Princess not been part of the party, Will wondered if the guards would have opened the gate.


    After they got settled, Sir Balefor came to get them. "Princess, Will, seeing you both safe and sound is good."


    "You as well, Sir Balefor," Ilicia said, and Will clapped him on the shoulder.


    "I wish it were under different circumstances. We should go. I am sure the King will want to explain what is going on to you." Sir Balefor turned and walked quickly toward the King''s reception hall.


    As they walked, Will''s brow furrowed, and his eyes seemed like a storm was brewing behind them. Illicia decided something at that moment and took his hand to give it a slight squeeze before placing her hand in the crook of his arm as was proper.


    "I''m going with him," Ilicia said to herself, "I''m going with him no matter what anyone says."


    They composed themselves and walked into the room where the rest of the royal family waited.

 PART 18

    When Will and Ilicia were seated at the table with the royal family and Sir Balefor, much to Will''s distaste, Alkard, the King, spoke. "Well, firstly, it is good to see you both again. We have already received messages from the collective and our new allies, the Grenga. So thank you both for your efforts in this. I also heard from the Grenga that you apparently removed several wizards from their city, and they apparently served Viltar."


    "It was purely a pleasure," Will said, that dangerous tone creeping into his voice.


    "I''m sure," the King said, "Well, those events started us wondering what Viltar would want with the Grenga, so we started digging to see if we could find him. We didn''t find him, but we found where he was born. We have solid reports he visits his hometown frequently for some reason. The only issue is that the place he was born is in Nortum."


    Will''s eyebrows shot to the top of his face. "Well, that is a problem. I am surprised he ever made it to this kingdom."


    "I''m sorry, I do not recognize that name. Where is Nortum?" Sir Balefor asked.


    "Nortum is on the continent that most call the magi-plains," Will said, thinking back to what his grandfather told him about the place. "It is said to be the source of all black magic, curses, and monsters. It is also the only place where adamantium is mined."


    "Correct, Will." The King said, "So I would ask a favor of you, Will."


    "Ask away, your majesty," Will said, a strange sense of apprehension in his gut.


    "Would you please join a group I am assembling to establish a mining colony on Nortum? You would, of course, be permitted a respite from your duties as The Princess''s Man..."


    The King would have continued, but Ilicia interjected. "No, where Will goes, I go as well."


    Ilicia was surprised and embarrassed by how adamant she sounded on this topic. The King looked at his daughter, meeting her eyes. Then smiled and passed a gold coin to the Queen. "Very well, Ilicia, you will act as my eyes and ears to this mission. And assuming you follow young Will, maybe you can act as a restraint for him if it is needed."


    Will smiled good-naturedly at the gentle barbing. "I will be sure to return her safe and sound, your majesty."


    "See that you do. I will provide you with all the information I can gather on the village you should investigate, as well as all the information I can gather on Nortum as well." The King said to Will, then turned to Ilicia. "My daughter, I will leave it to my advisors to gather miners and those who wish to move to Nortum, but you should gather a team of your own to assist with the things you will have to do."


    The Queen held her daughter and Will in her gaze. Then, for the first time that Will could remember, she spoke. "I do not need to tell you both that a trip like this is potentially life-changing. You could both die or decide to start a new kingdom on Nortum and never return. You can only depend on one another over there, so take good people with you. Make sure your bonds with each other are strong enough that nothing will break them."


    Will nodded and noticed Ilicia blushing as she nodded. Then the King spoke once more. "Very well, you shall both depart in one month, leading the expedition to establish a mining colony. Work well, work hard, and bring success to the kingdom and your endeavors."


    <hr>


    The first week of preparations was a blur of interviews as Ilicia and Will worked together to find the skilled laborers and leaders they would need to help establish a new town. Now they were focusing on finding their own personal group who would ideally leave and return with them.


    Their party consisted of Will, Ilicia, Agrana, the three Drethi Shadow Guards, and one of the Ogdeshi who had come with them, bringing their total to seven. Ilcia was attempting to select handmaids and staff for herself and Will. Will was insisting on not needing any such help.


    "I will be fine," Will said. "You should bring a handmaid or two, but I don''t think I will be dressing up for much."


    "I know, I just think ..." Ilicia said, only to be interrupted by knocking on the library door where they were seated, eating as they worked.


    "Enter," Ilicia said, noting how Will suddenly appeared next to the door.


    In walked Ilvara, who had worked with Will when he first came to the castle. "Princess, I would like to volunteer for your expedition if I may. I know you probably want staff, and I have no family to worry about me, so I would very much like to go."


    Ilicia smiled at Ilvara. "Of course. See Will? People even want to come with us."


    Will smiled at Ilicia. "Very well, Princess. I will cede this decision to you and your superior judgment."


    Ilvara turned and spoke to Will in Elvish. "I want to serve you, Will Garrow, Princess''s Man. If I may be so bold to offer."


    Will looked at her appraisingly and then responded in common. "I am fine with it as long as the Princess is okay with it. For all intents and purposes, she will be the ruler of this group, so clear it with her. I will leave you two ladies to discuss it."


    Will smiled at Ilicia, then turned and left. Ilicia smiled at Ilvara. "So what was it you wanted?"


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    Ilvara seemed flustered. "I merely suggested that I could serve as Will Garrow''s maid."


    Ilicia looked at the elf girl, her eyes quickly taking in the luscious figure hidden behind the layers of cloth that made up the royal servants'' attire. Ilicia could not help but be jealous. Where Ilicia had a slender body and was not beautiful, this woman''s body looked built for pleasure.


    "Why would I ever let this woman near Will? I want him to use my body, not be treated by you every morning." The thought popped into her head before Ilicia could even register another thought. She shook her head to clear it, reassuring herself that Will was not the type to sleep with the servants.


    "Well, you may join our household staff, but Will has made it clear he has no desire for a designated servant. So, if you would like, you may serve me or our household if you would still like to come." Ilicia said, cringing slightly at the diplomatic but still obvious way she had steered the woman away from being alone with Will.


    "Of course, Princess, I would be honored. Please feel free to assign me anywhere in your household as you see fit." Ilvara smiled and turned to leave.


    Ilicia sat back, sighing when Agrana seemed to materialize out of thin air. "Well done. Now do you want me to disappear her?"


    "No!" Ilicia said forcefully so there would be no mistake in her interpretation. "No, please don''t hurt her. She has done nothing wrong."


    "Yet," Agrana said, disappearing to her hiding spot once more, keeping an eye on Ilicia.


    "God''s let her be wrong, and I will be right. I can not lose him." Ilicia thought to herself and set to work out who else needed to come.


    <hr>


    With one week remaining before the expedition departed, the castle and surrounding villages seemed to be humming with excitement as those going began to filter into the city. Nearly five hundred families had volunteered to move to Nortum and live there. But only forty-seven had been chosen. The final number of people, including Will and Ilicia, who would be leaving on ships was brought to four hundred and seventy-seven individuals, filling four ships with another two for livestock and supplies.


    Ilicia was panicking; she felt as if she would lose Will in some way along this trip. So she made a decision and asked the castle chef to prepare a special dinner for her and Will. Will arrived per her request, and they ate their fill. Talking about the upcoming trip and the massive undertaking that would potentially change their lives for better or worse. When they finished their meal, which Will could not stop complimenting, they sat on a balcony overlooking the castle gardens, sharing a bottle of wine.


    "Will, I need you to know something." Ilicia stared at the wine in her glass, feeling her cheeks burn and hoping Will would think it was the wine.


    "And what is that, Ilicia," Will said, his eyes meeting hers.


    "You know, I never properly thanked you for saving my life that first time you met me. My father gave you a job; you have done so much for me. But I never thanked you properly." Ilicia said, building her courage for what she had to do.


    "It is not a problem, Ilicia. I was ..." Will was stunned when he was interrupted by Ilicia standing and coming to sit on his lap, then planting a long kiss on his lips. When she finally pulled away after several moments, Will was out of breath. "Well, consider me thanked, Ilicia."


    "I love you," Ilicia said, her voice almost squeaking with how nervous she was. "I love you so much, Will Garrow, and I think I have ever since you stepped into that alley. I want you to know that no matter what happens on this trip, I love you and think I always will."


    Ilicia took a breath to continue speaking and was surprised when Will''s lips met hers, his tongue ravishing hers, and a moan escaping her mouth as his massive hands pulled her into him. When he finally let her come up for air, Ilicia was thoroughly turned on. Every part of her body was aching for him.


    Will leaned back in his chair and pulled her close as she sat atop him. "I know you love me. You are adorable, and I like that about you. But you are terrible at hiding your emotions. I want you to know something, too, Ilicia; I love you. I love you with my whole heart. But a part of me can not give up the hunt for Viltar."


    The venom dripping from his voice added to the resolve she felt from him.


    "I wish I could just give it up. I wish I could let it rest and have a happy life with you, Ilicia." Will''s mouth worked as if searching for words.


    "I understand," Ilicia said, touching his cheek. "I really do. That is why I will help you see this through. Then, after all is said and done, you are mine, Will Garrow."


    "Yes, Princess," Will said mockingly and kissed her again.


    <hr>


    In the days after their confessions to one another, Will and Ilicia seemed to grow infinitely closer. And on the day of their departure, she looked out from the ship''s railing and found herself sad to see her family and the life she knew fading into the distance. But she was even more excited at the prospect of building a new life with Will.


    Will looked about the ship that would be his and Ilicia''s home for the next month and a half and made himself a promise. "No matter what happens, Ilicia gets home safe, even if I must kill everyone else with my bare hands."

 PART 19

    The journey onboard the ships had been uneventful, and with the help of the mages that came against Will''s urging, they even managed to shave several days off their trip with a bit of wind magic. Will had begrudgingly admitted it was better to have them along. When they finally heard the young man in the crow''s nest calling out the sighting of land, an audible relief of tension washed over everyone.


    "Alright, Ilicia, you are now essentially the Queen. Will is to protect you and do what you wish, but from here on out, you are the one who makes decisions, so work hard." Illicia said quietly to herself. And Will smiled at her when she looked up, slightly embarrassed.


    "That is all true, but remember, the one thing you are not in charge of is landing the ships, so let us stay out of the way of the sailors," Will said, and Ilicia nodded. Across all the ships, anyone who was not a sailor made their way to their designated quarter below decks as the sailor began to swarm about the sails, heeding calls to furl and unfurl sails, as well as the thousand other things required to get into range for the final jaunt to shore in a row boat.


    Several hours later, the Captain of their ship came and knocked on their cabin door. "Princess Ilicia, we are anchored and await your orders."


    "Thank you, captain," Ilicia said, and she and Will made their way onto the ship''s deck. "Let''s get everyone ashore and begin seeing about finding a good spot for a town and then eventually getting a pier set up."


    "Aye, Ma''am," The Captain said and then turned away, bellowing orders that resulted in a series of rowboats being lowered over the side of the ship with leaders down to each. "ten to a boat, not counting the two sailors. Boatswain, you''re in charge of securing things on landfall. Make sure the sailors return to get more supplies and people."


    "Aye, Sir." The boatswain, a gruff man who looked as if he ate rocks for breakfast, and smashed them with his arms for fun, said before jumping over the side of the ship to land in one of the empty rowboats."


    "Now jump to it!" The Captain shouted, and sailors echoed back and scrambled down to the rowboats, the cargo holds, and various other tasks needing to be done.


    Ilicia and Will, along with the three Drethi, the Ogdeshi, Agrana, two sailors, and three men who were young and single skilled workers hoping to make their fortune on this trip, climbed into a boat, and Will smiled at the sailors. "Mind if I row?"


    Both of the sailors looked up at the towering form of Will and shook their heads, both lads squeezing into Wills''s now empty seat next to the princess, who smiled kindly at the clearly terrified young men. Then Will took an ore haft in each hand and began to row with long deep strokes that quickly brought the boat to a speed that Will was sure the two young men could never hope to achieve.


    The trip from the ships to the shore took five minutes with Will rowing. When they looked behind them, it seemed like it would be half an hour or more until the other rowboats made it to shore. Will stood and jumped over when the water was only a couple of feet deep, taking a rope from the lead end of the small boat, putting it over his shoulder, and casually dragging it and its passengers several feet past the high tide line.


    "You can head back now," Will said to the two sailors, who looked completely flabbergasted, "or you can wander around here for me and see if there are any potential dangers until the others arrive."


    The two young men brightened at this. "Of course, Sir!"


    Both young men took off together and began scouting out the beech. Will, on the other hand, turned and looked up at the trees further inland. "They are massive."


    "Larger than anything I have ever seen, even in the Collective," Ilicia said as she took in the trees that, from a distance, looked to be nearly fifteen feet thick and hundreds of feet tall. "Imagine the ships we could build with those."


    "Imagine indeed," Will said, "I''m more interested in what kind of pier we could build and how quickly if we felled a couple of those."


    Ilicia nodded and began walking with Will, inspecting the shoreline while they waited for everyone else. The next few hours before sunset were busy, with the sailors rotating who rowed, who took breaks on the shore, and who loaded from the ships to the rowboats. By the time night fell, nearly everything that could be moved without a pier had been moved, and all the personnel, except for a skeleton crew that would be rotated once a day, were off the ships, and a temporary camp had been assembled.


    Bonfires had been built, and celebratory food had been brought out. Ilicia stood tall on a stump holding a stein of ale up. "The first and worst step in our adventure is over!"


    Cheers roared out from the group. Ilicia continued when they had quieted down. "It may have been the worst, but it was not the hardest. Now begins the hardest; we must scratch a home from this strange new land and find ways to either survive, dominate, or coexist with any locals. So celebrate tonight; we have seen to the safety of everyone here with the help of The Princess''s Man and our allies from the Gob''Ran Collective, so drink and be merry!"


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    Another cheer roared out, and Illicia clambered off the stump and took a swig from her stein. "Now, Will, I think I will drink and celebrate not being on a blasted boat anymore."


    Will smiled and nodded, letting Ilicia have this celebration as much as she let the others have it.


    <hr>


    Two months had passed since the arrival of the expeditionary group, and a lot had changed. Firstly there was a reasonably decent palisade constructed around the landing site. After the attacks by wild beasts on their fifth night, it had seemingly only gone downhill. But despite it all, they had progressed. Ilicia had asked Will to forgo some of his protection duties, leaving her safety to the Drethi, and lending his incredible strength to the building efforts, first in building an incredibly rough pier and then everything to follow.


    Will had done so, and with the help of the skilled craftsmen they had brought, quickly gotten a rudimentary set of homes to build; multiple families were sharing each home, but each day lessened this, as the entire group would work together on a single building, and like clockwork, a new home would be completed within twenty-four hours. None of it would have been possible without Will and Agrana both putting their orcish sides to the test and performing feats of strength that would have humbled the strongest of men.


    <hr>


    Today was the seventy-third day of the expedition, and it was time to build the home for Ilicia, Will, Agrana, the Drethi, and the twelve household members they had brought. When they finished two days later, the manor that had been built far exceeded anything Ilicia had expected, further demonstrating the abilities of the people she had helped select.


    That night another celebratory feast was had in what would eventually become the town square. Ilcia once again stood above the rest, this time on a dais built for such things. "In less than three months, we have built a home!"


    A thunderous roar of approval came from the crowd. Ilicia gave them a moment, then raised her hand for silence. "We have made it a point to ask everyone to avoid the deep woods for now, and we have been cutting only the smallest of trees near the shore. While you have worked, I have had our hunters and the Three Drethi who accompanied us to do some exploring, and as best as they can tell, the forest is uninhabited, so starting tomorrow, we will begin expeditions deeper into the woods to look for mineral deposits, as well as a proper stone quarry so we can work on proper walls and roads for everyone!"


    The crowd looked apprehensive because of a promise she had made them before leaving. Ilicia nodded. "I promised you all that if you stuck around until this point, and everyone had a home built, I would offer you all a chance to return and that you would not be punished for departing."


    Ilicia looked out over the crowd of four hundred and fifty-three. She remembered each of the twenty-two dead. "I offer it to you now. If you would leave, please gather your goods and go to the pier. The ships return to Colt in the morning. The sailor will board tonight and leave before the first light, so you must go with them. If you leave, know that you do so with my thanks and with my blessing."


    Ilciai held her breath, half expecting everyone to turn and leave. Three families did, and they were no surprise. Each had lost the man of the house or a child, and Ilicia only wished them well. Ilicia let them leave and then turned to the sailors who were present. "To you men, who may or may not return, I thank you and wish you a safe passage. Captain, if you would see me before you depart. If there are no others who wish to leave, then revel one and all; tonight, we are complete, a new town in a new land!"


    Cheers burst forth, and music began coming from a trio of people who had brought instruments. The Captain approached Ilicia. "Princess, you asked to see me?"


    "Yes, captain, I wanted to thank you and ask you to deliver this to my father personally." Ilciai handed the man a letter. "If you are to return, I would greatly appreciate a response, but I would understand if you are not returning."


    "Very well, your majesty." the Captain said, bowing and then turning to leave.


    "One more thing Captain," Will said, producing his own letter. "This can be given to any messenger, as I expect you will not be going to the Gob''Ran Collective anytime soon. I have friends there who should hear some of what has happened."


    "Of course, sir." The Captain made as if to leave, then looked at Will and Ilicia. "I have never had much interaction with the royals. But if the two of you are any example, I am sorry I did not meet any sooner."


    With that, the Captain turned and left, leaving Will and Ilicia dining on the dais. Ilicia turned to Will, knowing his patience was nearly inexhaustible when it came to her, but it was time. "Alright, Will, tomorrow, we can begin planning the expedition to the village my father told you about."


    "Thank you, Ilicia," Will said with a smile that excited and terrified Ilicia as she wondered what kind of monster she was about to unleash on the poor village of Arvardum.

 PART 20

    Illicia was somewhat worried. In the five weeks since the ship had departed, Will had seemed to be building towards something. A couple of times, he had informed Illicia he was departing on a scouting mission. She looked down at the map they were slowly filling out. She could not deny the efficacy of Will''s scouting. In the few trips he had taken, he had covered more ground than most of the other scouting missions combined.


    While he was out, Illicia spent long hours working side by side with the settlers. On the sixth week, Will went out for another scouting mission and returned only hours after sunset on the first day.


    "Illicia," Will said with a smile as he came in the door, looking as if he had spent the day rolling in bushes and mud.


    "Will, what happened?" Illicia said, walking to him to hand him a towel as he began to wash his face in a bowl of water the house staff kept full for Illicia.


    "I fought something. I am unsure what it was, but it looked like little more than an exceptionally thick grouping of shadows. Before I knew it, I felt the claws and teeth trying to take chunks out of me. So I fought back. I slashed and hacked at everything around me as I fought to get away. When I finally struck something, the shadows seemed to dissolve and flee." Will said all of this as he finished washing his face.


    "We had something similar happen," Illicia said, causing Will to stop and focus on her. "While we were outside the walls looking at a route for a proposed road towards the forest, all three of the Drethi were engaged by one shadow. I fought to get through them to me, but when the Drethi finally struck it, the beast fled, and as you said, seemed to dissolve into the shadows."


    Will was silent for a moment. "We should be getting some magical communication soon, the next ships are meant to arrive at any time. Once that happens, we can reach out to my grandmother, she is the only person I can think of who might know what is going on. Until then I am going to put off any further scouting."


    Illicia nodded, and the two of them went to the ocean so Will could clean the mud from his body. After a refreshing dip, Will and Illicia went to sleep. The next three weeks were draining. At least once a day, either Will or Illicia would be attacked by the shadows. They had conclusively decided that there were two shadows, rather than one fast entity.


    The boats had finally returned, this time with fewer people and more supplies to help prepare for the third wave, which would have more ships and many more settlers needing homes. The captain, the same one who had brought Will and Illicia, stepped off his ship onto the makeshift pier, and saluted Illicia. "Princess, Princess''s man, I apologize for the delay, we were held up waiting for the additional personnel that was added. Some more allies from the Colective."


    The captain gestured up the boardwalk as six people descended. Will heard several sailors make disapproving gestures at the group. They came and the three Drethi bow to Will and Illicia. "Greetings Princess. Greetings Will Garrow. I am Genduri, a mage specializing in defense magics. The leaders of the Gob''Ran Collective wished me to bring my skills to aid you. With me are my sister, Tarrani, and our close friend, Paratha, They are both mages as well, with one specializing in communications and the other in support magics, respectively."


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    "Well met," Will said nodding, "and who are the others in the group?"


    "Ah," Genduri said, "these others are..."


    "I can speak for myself young pup." An ancient-looking Grenga said to Genduri, whose eyebrow seemed to twitch. The Grenga turned to face Will. "I am Gix. With me are Tarkin and his wife, Wentil. We are here to support your construction efforts at the behest of the leaders of the Gob''Ran Collective, in return for several services rendered since you brokered our alliance and protected our city."


    Will nodded. Illicia smiled and spoke. "Well, I, for one, am glad that the six of you are here, and I welcome you all. If you have any troubles settling in, please do not hesitate to ask for help."


    The six bowed and made their way down the pier. Will turned back to the captain just in time to see him take off his captain''s knots and hand them over to his first mate, who smiled and thanked the mad before slipping the knots on over his own shoulder. The captain heaved a waterproof sack onto his shoulder and then headed to follow after the six.


    "Captain," Illicia said as he passed, "what is happening."


    "Well, princess, I had a wife when I left last time, but apparently, she couldn''t wait for me anymore. I thought that since I didn''t have much to go back for, I could stay here and help out, maybe do some fishing to help alleviate any food problems."


    Illicia smiled at the man and nodded. "It would be fantastic to have you join us. We welcome you."


    The captain bowed to Illicia, nodded to Will and went on his way. Wil smiled, "seven new settlers, and a plethora of new supplies. Let''s get the ships unloaded tomorrow, then we..."


    He was cut off by the call of attack going out and a strange shadow slipping over the wall heading straight towards Will and Illicia.


    "Why are those here?" Gix said in shock.


    "I could not tell you, but the fact that you know what the hell they are is rather interesting. Hold on a moment." Will said, turning to drive his fist forward into the approximate center of the shadow. A sharp crack and the rapid retreat of the first shadow were Will''s reward. He turned to see Gix and Agrana beating the shadow back.


    The old Grenga moved with a fluidity that spoke to a life of fighting, and he was fast. Fast enough that he was interspersing his strikes with Agrana''s so effectively that they quickly sent the shadow packing. Gix smiled, "Ah, it has been a while since I fought next to someone so skilled. Thank you, young lady."


    Will shook his head, and Illicia chuckled as Agrana blushed at the Grenga. Will stepped up and offered his hand to the ancient warrior. "Let''s try this again. I am Will Garrow, Princess''s man to Her Highness Illicia Ter Koltsheg and warrior of the Gob''Ran Collective."


    Gix looked Will over before taking the offered hand and shaking it. "Well, Will, I am Gix Vathrond, currently a builder here in service to the Gob''Ran Collective, but in another life, I was once Warlord of the Igvari berserkers. However, I prefer to build now. It''s more peaceful."


    Will smiled at the man and opened his mouth to speak, but Gix cut him off. "Will, I don''t mean to worry you, but you should deal with this problem before you or the beautiful princess here get killed."


    Will frowned. "What is my problem?"


    Gix nodded. "Well, that explains why you are having trouble. Let me tell you about the problem at hand. Let me explain the strange entities known as Shary''In to you.  Will nodded, and the entire party followed as they moved down the pier, Gix talking the whole time.

 PART 21

    The small group sat around a table in Will and Ilicia''s home. They were eating as Gix told them of the Shary''In.


    "The Shary''In, or shadow stalker, share the same home as the Grenga," Gix said, taking a swig from a mug of ale. "They thrive there because their natural weakness is sunlight, and there is no sunlight in our home realm. They scale in strength with how dark their environs are and are a force to be reckoned with. I am quite frankly surprised that you have lasted."


    This last comment he directed to Ilicia. Gix looked to Will. "However, if the rumors floating around about you are true, maybe I am not as surprised as I thought. Long story short, the Shary''In are monsters that, on this plane, mean one thing: someone has summoned them and sent them after you for some purpose."


    Ilicia nodded as if this were par for the course. "Well, it would not be the first assassination attempt I had faced. Thank you for the information. Let us all eat now, and then I will ensure you are housed. Tomorrow, the work begins in earnest."


    A small cheer went up around the table, and the rest of the night went smoothly. After securing her room, Will had gone to his room to sleep, and instead, he had been joined by Ilicia, who now lay next to him with his arms around her. "Will, do you think this is because of ... him?"


    "Probably, but I am not worried." Will shrugged, shifting them both on the bed. "It simply means I have another reason to hunt him down."


    Illicia turned to face Will. "I know that you want this, and you have waited a long time and changed since I first met you."


    She trailed off as she touched his cheek and kissed him gently. "I will support you in this hunt, Will, but I will not lose you to this revenge."


    Will locked eyes with her for a moment. Part of him, the angry part, wanted to tell her that it did not matter what she wanted. Will found much more of himself agreeing with her. "I know, and you shouldn''t worry. You won''t lose me."


    She opened her mouth to protest more and found her tongue battling his. When he pulled back, he smiled. "I will kill the Shary''In, and then I will go and track down Viltar."


    "Very well. First the Shary''In, then Viltar." Illicia leaned in, kissing him with more urgency. "Before that, though..."


    Will chuckled and began to pull her clothes from her body.


    The next day was filled with busy work. The two newly arrived younger Grenga began working to strengthen their defenses. While they did that, Gix, Will, and the defense mage worked to come up with something that would prevent the Shary''In from entering the village.


    "I don''t know how you would do that?" Said the defense mage, who Will had come to learn was called Genduri.


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    "Just pour power into it until it produces enough light to trigger their aversion to it," Will said, looking at the rune circle that Gix had scratched into the dirt. Will looked up to see both Gix and Genduri staring at him with open mouths.


    "What?" Will asked.


    "That would kill me!" Genduri said angrily.


    "The amount of power that would be needed for a rune circle encompassing the whole town. It... I... I did not come here to die."


    Will flinched. "Genduri, I am sorry. I did not mean it like that. I am just used to my grandmother, who is, um, uniquely situated as far as magical power. Wait a minute, so am I. Could you take power from me and use it to power the spell."


    Genduri snorted. "Will, I remember how powerful you were when we were younger in the collective. But I have surpassed that. I..."


    Genduri faded off as Will simply grabbed his hand. A moment later, Genduri ripped his hand out of Will''s. "But... But how! That much... I... No, I could not do it, no matter the amount of power. I am not a channler. But... I will think about it, Will. Please excuse me."


    "What did you do to the poor lad?" Gix asked when Genduri was far enough away.


    "Gix, what do you know of my grandmother?" Will asked, nodding when the older Grenga said she was an elf. "I trust you, so I will tell you, she is a Gilsheribrum. An arcane elf. I am one quarter Gilsheribrum. I simply let Genduri feel the raw power I have access to."


    Gix stared at Will for a moment. "Well, I guess that explains a lot. One-quarter elf, one-quarter orc, and half-human. Son of the human hero if the rumors are to be believed."


    When Will said nothing, Gix simply laughed. "Remind me never to piss you off."


    "Fair enough," Will said, turning to Illicia, who was approaching. "Illicia, what can I help you with?"


    "I am going to reach out to Father and wanted you to be there for the conversation." She said, smiling up at him.


    "Very well, Gix, thank you for your help," Will said, turning to walk with Illicia.


    A few moments later, Will, Illicia, Tarrani, the communications mage, and Paratha, the support mage, stood in the reception wing of the house Illicia and Will shared. The two mages nodded and began chanting over a broad, flat dish of water on the table. After the culmination of their chant, an image of the throne room in Kolt seemed to shimmer into existence.


    "Ah, Illicia! Will, it is good to see you both. Give me a moment, please." The king said, turning to tell everyone else in the room to leave. "So what can I help you with, my daughter?"


    Illicia ran through a brief summary of everything that had happened since her last letter. The king smiled at his daughter. "It seems I chose well to send you to lead this expedition."


    The smile faded from his face, and then he turned to lock eyes with Will. "Regarding the Shary''In, there is something that has happened here that you should know about. We have received word on what it is that Viltar is trying to do. He is trying to get access to your father''s homeworld, Will. You must be careful. To do this, he must sacrifice..."


    As Will and Illicia waited to hear the rest of the words, Tarrani''s eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she collapsed to the ground, ending the spell. Illicia and Paratha rushed to the collapsed woman as a guard burst in. "Princess, they are back! We are under attack!"


    Illicia nodded to Will and then left the unconscious Tarrani in the care of a maid. Will began issuing orders to the soldiers, and Illica began issuing orders to the household staff. When they had a moment alone about ten minutes later. Will turned to Illicia, "I have a bad feeling about this."


    "Me too." Illicia said, hugging Will for a moment, "But remember, you promised I would not lose you."


    "I did promise, didn''t I," Will said, smiling at Illicia as she left to take upon her post.


    "I''ll keep that promise," Will said to himself as he walked out the door to see what he needed to do.

 PART 22

    As Will and Illicia rushed outside each heading to their own tasks. Will began looking around at the people rushing to and fro, and something inside him made him want nothing more than to scoop Illicia up and run away from it all as fast as he possibly could. But he had a duty, something Illicia expected of him, and he could not disappoint her.


    "Well, she is helping the Grenga and the mages try to block off the Shary''In. I guess I should see what else is stirring up trouble." Will said as he took off at a flat sprint for the wall and quickly climbed to the top. What he saw made him grateful he had pushed for the completion of defenses before anything else.


    Two Shary''In, a Grenga, and twenty strange demon-esk creatures were arranged before him on the ground just beyond the effective range of magic or bows. Will grabbed the nearest person on the wall. "Go and fetch any of the Grenga who are in the village. On the double!"


    The young man took off shouting at the top of his lungs for people to move out of his way. Moments later, Will, keeping his eyes on the enemy in case they initiated battle, saw the young man appear with none other than Gix.


    Gix scrambled up the wall to stand next to Will; he quickly took in the sight before him before a snarl left his lips. "Damned bastard. This explains a lot. These Shary''In are not natural. They are summoned, most likely by that man over there. And he also managed to summon a good number of imps. This will not be a good fight then."


    "Gix, I would appreciate an explanation," Will said with a hint of impatience.


    "Of course," Gix said, turning to Will, "The Shary''In are native to the same realm of reality my people are native to. The same goes for the imps. As magical creatures, they can only exist in this realm of their own free will once they reach a staggering level of power. A level that I wonder if even you could face. However, If one of my people, who are not bound by these rules, were to summon the Shary''In, it would have several hours, or as long as the summoner''s mana lasts, to carry out its master wishes."


    "So, long story short, if we kill the summoner, we solve our problem?" Will asked.


    "That is the general gist."


    "I feel like there is a catch."


    "There is always a catch, Will," Gix said with a smile. "Those Imps, even at your level of physical power, would overpower you through numbers alone; if there were three, then I would say it might be a fair fight. But I am guessing the summoner knew you were here and will not keep fewer than five of the imps at his side."


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    "Well, we will just have to work even harder than normal," Will said, watching the Shary''In and ten of the imps rush forward all at once. As he watched, he noticed Illicia step onto the wall with her team, and the mages began to chant; suddenly, a bright flash burst forth, sending the Shary''in fleeing into the shadow of the woods. The Imps, however, kept coming, reaching the wall, and began using claws to scale the walls.


    The fighting that commences is brutal and goes on late into the night. After losing seven young men who had volunteered to man the walls, the Shary''In and the Imps suddenly vanished. Will quickly looks to where he last noticed the summoner, but they are long gone, not wanting to provide Will with any opportunities.


    Will and Illicia quickly began working with those skilled in medicine to fix what they could on those injured. After that, Will quietly went to where the Graveyard had been established and threw himself into digging the holes of the seven young men who had died at his side.


    Silently, Gix joined him, taking up another shovel and beginning to work. They passed the time in quiet labor for an hour, and as they both worked to complete the last grave, Will suddenly spoke. "You are a veteran of a war I know nothing about. And as such, I may have no right to ask this, but will you take up the mantle of soldier once more. I have a plan, but I need someone who has fought the Shary''In before; as far as I can tell, you are the only one who fits the bill."


    Gix stopped digging for a moment. "I will do this for you, as you have already shown yourself to be a brother in arms when you first visited our city."


    Will nodded, and the two men finished their solemn duty, laying the young men to rest, letting families say their goodbyes, and then filling in the holes they had just dug.


    Will stood near a watch fire on the wall. Almost an hour later, judging by his internal clock, there were three hours until sunrise. He turned to Gix and said, "You should get some rest. I will rest in an hour."


    Gix nodded and departed. One of the four night watchmen, an old man who looked grizzled, stepped up to Will. "You should take your own advice, lad. The others and I can keep watch, go, and sleep. I can yell real loud if the need requires."


    Will was about to argue when he suddenly had to stifle a yawn. "Very well, thank you."


    The old man laughed, "It''s the least we old men can do."


    As Will walked off the wall, he realized that every one of the night watchmen was one of the village elders. People who Illicia had specially instructed Will and the other combatants to keep out of the direct conflict. Will shook his head, remembering something his father had said to him, "You can command people if you want, but trying to stop someone, especially an old someone, from doing something they want to is tantamount to fighting a god. So just let it happen."


    Will chuckled as he fell asleep. The next morning, nearly five hours later, Will was awakened by the calls from the wall. The old man''s voice was raised and projected loudly through the village. "TO ARMS! THE ENEMY RETURNS."


    Will sat up, nearly rolling out of bed in the same movement, and quickly made his way to the wall. He got there simultaneously with Illica, the mages, and Gix. Will gathered them quickly. "I think it''s time we change this up; I don''t want to play defense anymore."


    The smiles that spread across their faces as Will spoke told him all he needed to know was what they thought of his plan.

 PART 23

    Will, Paratha, and Genduri stand at the center of the village.


    "You understand that this is crazy, right?" One of the villagers says louder than he probably intended, "Our best asset in a fight is standing here with a couple of mages to do nothing?"


    Will chuckled under his breath, the two mages somewhat uncomfortable, and the three Grenga stand silently. Across the village, on the walls they painstakingly constructed, Illicia and Agrana, along with the three shadow guards, are commanding the field.


    "I hope this works," Agrana mutters, "I understand the logic, but it still seems like a mistake."


    Ilicia knew why Will had suggested his plan. She knew his true heritage. Agrana knew as well, so her lack of faith in Will was surprising. Ilicia smiled at her bodyguard. "He has never once failed me, so let us do our best and let him do his."


    Agrana nodded, and Ilicia sent a small prayer to the gods before raising her hand and using a small burst of magic to increase the volume of her voice. "My people! My friends, stand with me, stand and fight!"


    A roar of approval washed over the crowd, and Will heard it even from where he stood. He turned to his two childhood friends and said, "It is time."


    "Will, I still don''t think this is a good idea..." Paratha, the support mage, stated once more, droning on about how there was no way that Will could provide the amount of mana that would be required.


    Genduri, the defense mage, on the other hand, simply began chanting and grabbed Paratha''s shoulder. Will smiled and then placed his hands, one on Genduri and the other on Paratha, and both of their eyes slammed open in shock. When growing up, Will''s father and his grandparents, had gone to extreme lengths to hide his abilities from the children he called friends. Genduri began to falter in his chant. Will nudges him, "Keep chanting, and remember you both promised never to speak of this after this."


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    Without breaking his chant, Genduri nodded, and then Paratha nodded, closing her eyes and beginning to transfer mana from the vast ocean that was Will into the small pond that was Gendrui.


    Red waves of power began to surge out from the circle that was Will, Genduri, and Paratha, and they stayed there for hours, not moving, simply providing magical assistance. With the red magic permeating the entire village and even a little beyond the walls, the effects were obvious. Those on the defending side were strengthened, their abilities brought to new heights, and their speed magnified; those on the attacking side were slowed and weakened.


    It was not until a little after three hours when the Shary''In showed themselves that the other effect was revealed. When the Shary''In set foot into the area of effect for the magic, a red line was formed between themselves and the defense mage. The magic forced them to ignore commands and only focus on the defense mage, forgetting all the prey in front of them in favor of this one target.


    Will sees the Shary''In, bound with red magic, begin to charge, "Genduri, Paratha, take as much magic as you can. It is time."


    Paratha shoves as much magical energy into Gendrui as she can and then strains her own body to contain even a fraction of Will''s power before the connection is broken by Will stepping away. Will smiles and then turns to the two married Grenga, who are builders. "Wall it up, don''t come out until you have to."


    The two Grenga nod and step up next to Genduri and Paratha, holding their hands out to the sides. A dome of dirt rises from the ground and then, before everyone''s eyes, transforms into metal of some kind. Will turns to face the onrushing Shary''In, and Gix steps up beside him. Will smiles, "A good day to die, old man?"


    "I have faced far worse than the Shary''In boy." Gix laughed coldly, taking up a practiced form with a spear he had acquired from somewhere. "Pray that the Shary''In is the worst you have to see."


    Will chuckled coldly as well. "Let us fight well then, as we both know the gods will not concern themselves with the prayers of simple soldiers."


    "For honor," Gix said, saluting no one in particular.


    "For friends and family," Will said.


    Together, the two men finished the simple soldier''s prayer as they braced for the first strike of the Shary''In, "But most of all, for the death of the enemy."

 PART 24

    Across the village from where Will and Gix faced the Shary''In, Illicia was hard at work fighting the rest of the monsters and the lone Grenga.


    "How many more of these things does that bastard have?!" Agrana exclaimed, driving a blade through the head of one of the strange demons. "They just die and seem to be replaced the moment they are gone."


    As Illicia and Agrana took a quick breather and watched the demon''s body fade into smoke, Illicia could not help but cast a worried glance to where she knew Will was fighting the Shary''In.


    "I wouldn''t worry too much about him." Agrana said, catching her look, "You know he is strong, but I think you don''t quite understand how much of a monster he is."


    Illicia chuckled lightly at that. "I think I do. He singlehandedly removed a threat from an entire city while I waited for him. If that is not a good indicator, then I don''t know what it is."


    "You forget that he did all that without any of his magic." Agrana said, looking out over the wall where four more of the strange demons had formed next to the Grenga, "Imagine what he could accomplish with it."


    Illicia paused at that as Agrana set to work with the shadows to deal with the new additions to the top of the wall.


    ***


    As Will and Gix worked, they quickly realized it would be a war of attrition. The Shary''In could take damage better than most. But thanks to their enforced attention on the dome of stone assembled by the two builders, Grenga, their strikes at Will and Grenga were slowed. So they exchanged blows. Will and Gix would rush in and deal as much damage as they possibly could before dodging a swipe from one of the Shary''In, who would then turn back to the dome of stone and slash at it in anger, desperately trying to reach the two mages inside.


    ***


    Several hours of this left Illicia ragged as she and Agrana watched the lone Grenga out in the field spread his hands before him to summon more of the strange demons. "This is not sustainable."


    Agrana nodded, "I agree, we need a different plan."


    "I have one, but you won''t like it," Illicia said, and Agrana and the three shadows gave her quizzical looks. "You four go out there and remove our friend from the equation, leaving me and the rest here by ourselves. We count on Will to do what he does if anything goes wrong."


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    The shadows look like they want to protest when Agrana raises a hand. "Just to be clear, you want him dead, not captured, right?"


    Illicia nods. She has had enough of the games this particular enemy has played. "I want that Grenga dead, and I would give you four this task. Will you accept?"


    The three shadows dropped to one knee in unison, clapping their hands to their chests in salute before turning and wordlessly leaping over the wall. Agrana smiled at Illicia before leaping over herself. Illicia watched the four move at a speed that was beyond most, and when they got to within a hundred yards of the Grenga, Illicia suddenly felt as if they had made a massive mistake.


    The Grenga smiled viciously, then clapped its hands together above its head. The sound echoed out louder than anything Illicia had heard. And several things happened simultaneously. Firstly, Illicia saw Agrana, and the shadows dropped to the ground, unconscious. She also heard Will Cry out behind her.


    Illicia turned just in time to see the dome that had protected the mages from the Shary''In drop as two Grenga, the ones who were supposedly a married couple, leaped through the fighting towards her.


    ***


    Will was fighting when he heard a loud snapping that shocked him with its volume. At the same time he watched the dome collapse, the defense mage Genduri fell to the ground dead from a spear of stone formed from the dome. "No! Gix, Kill them now!"


    He and the Elderly Grenga jumped in between Genduri and Paratha and the Shary''In, and over the heads of the beasts, Will watched as the two builders rushed towards Illicia atop the wall.


    ***


    "What is happening?" Illicia asked the two Grenga as they approached. She was surprised when they grabbed her together and leaped over the wall. Running to meet the Grenga out in the field who was casting a spell. Fear ran through Illicia. She knew that she could call for Will, and he would abandon everyone to come to her. So she bit her tongue.


    As she neared the Grenga, she passed the unconscious form of Agrana. She silently said goodbye to the woman. Illlica wondered if she would ever see any of these people again. But she only cared about Will. She wondered what would happen, and as she felt a wave of magic wash over her, She and the three Grenga rose into the air, floating over the village and into the sky. Illicia looked back to catch one final look at Will with tears streaming down her face.


    ***


    As Will fought, he felt someone looking at him and glanced up to see Illicia, restrained by the two builders, in the company of the lone Grenga, floating through the air. Will locked eyes with Illicia, and he saw tears stream down her face as she was rushed away.


    As she drew further away, something inside Will snapped. And he unleashed a primal roar that scared everyone around him and made the Shary''In pause. Suddenly, before the Shary''In can respond, one of their heads falls to the ground. Will moves quicker than most can perceive and slams his bear hand into the chest of the second Shary''In, ripping its heart free of its chest.


    The red tint of Orcish blood rage floods Will''s flesh, and he turns to run after Illicia. Paratha stops him. "Will please, help us, I can not maintain this magic like Genduri could. I..."


    Paratha cries as she looks at Genduri who is beyond help. "Please Will."


    Will, still in the throws of the blood rage, unleashes a primal yell. In response a wreath of divine light slams into the ground around him. A woman''s form steps out of the light. "Well, if it isn''t my favorite mortal, Will Garrow. I take it you want to make a deal."

 PART 25

    <div>


    "Will Garrow, if it isn''t my favorite mortal. I take it you want to make a deal." The Goddess said.


    <div>


    "Eventris, we already have a deal, and I have held up my end. It is your turn to hold up your end," Will said with gritted teeth, his barely contained rage boiling just under the surface of his control.


    <div>


    The Goddess, Eventris, Goddess of the Cycle, looks at Will. "Truly, you have upheld what I asked, but are you sure? Is this person worth it? Is it..."


    <div>


    "Yes!" Will snarls out, looking at the Goddess, "We have a deal, and you will uphold it, or I will have compensation."


    <div>


    The Goddess grows pale. She knows what he is threatening and knows the compensation he would demand is not something she can afford to pay right now. "Very well, Will. Consider our bargain complete. Your power will be yours once more, and our deal is done. Fight well, young man, don''t lose this person you care so much for."


    <div>


    Will nodded, and the Goddess leaned down to kiss his forehead in an almost motherly fashion. To anyone close to Will, it suddenly looked like the sun was standing where Will had been. But to those further away, a wave of blue light and an indescribable feeling of power emanated from Will.


    <div>


    That wave of light and power caught up to Illicia and her captors.


    <div>


    One of the Grenga was almost knocked out of the air by the power, and the leader of the Grenga grew pale. "What is that?"


    <div>


    Illicia had a pretty good idea as to exactly what it was. She thought to herself silently, "Please hurry, Will."


    <div>


    [Moments before Eventris''s appearance]


    <div>


    Paratha was crying, Genduri was dead. There was no denying it, and suddenly, the mana strain shared between Genduri and Paratha was slammed solely onto the woman, who felt bloody tears roll down her face.


    <div>


    Will suddenly bursts into motion after Illicia is taken away, crying out and killing the Shary''In in a display of blood rage unlike any that Paratha has ever seen before. She can feel the emotions rolling off of Will but needs help.


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    <div>


    "Will, please help us; I can not maintain this magic like Genduri could. I..."


    <div>


    Paratha cries as she looks at Genduri, who is beyond help. "Please, Will."


    <div>


    Will looks as if he is completely lost in the rage. But suddenly, he unleashes a primal roar that sends shivers down Paratha''s spine as she can feel the mana message he somehow encoded into the frightening noise.


    <div>


    And then divine light, wreaths Will. Paratha is stunned; never before has she seen a divine being appear at the behest of a mortal; she watches for a few moments, unable to make out what is said between the two, but noting that even the Goddess looks as if she chooses her words carefully. Finally, the Goddess kisses Will as a mother kisses a babe, and the world is engulfed in a light, unlike anything that Paratha has ever felt or seen before.


    <div>


    [ Moment of unlocking ]


    <div>


    Will was impatient, and when Eventris finally removed her hold on his power, Will was flooded with it. Two years ago, Will sealed his power with some divine assistance, and in those two years, Will transformed into an even more powerful warrior, and his power grew with him. Will gasped and suddenly felt alive, unlike anything he had felt in a long time. Will took a deep breath, drawing in the magic in the air around him. He felt the ring that cloaked his looks shatter, and he also felt the magic in him and around him, eager to do his bidding.


    <div>


    He saw Pratha crying tears of blood next to Genduri, and his grandmother''s words flowed through his mind from a magic lesson when he was first awakening his magic. "Part of the Gilsheribrum were so feared because magic was willing to help us, but you are something even more. I don''t know what bloodlines your father possessed as a hero, but it feels as if reality wants to lend you strength. Be careful with this, Will, as it can be a great tool and a terrible curse."


    <div>


    Will stepped forward and looked down at his two friends, one dead, one barely holding on, and spoke a single word, pressing his magic into it; that word seemed to echo through the souls of those who heard it. "HEAL."


    <div>


    Genduri, who had been dead, sat up, the speed wound sealed, and gasped a breath wide-eyed. "Paratha, what the hell happened?"


    <div>


    Paratha, who felt better than she had in years, said nothing. He just stared at Will, and his true form was revealed. "It''s Will. He had a Goddess sealing his powers, and now they are not sealed. He brought you back from the dead, Genduri."


    <div>


    She spoke quickly, and Will waited, his eyes closed as he used his power to get a good idea of what was happening. He opened them and locked eyes with his two friends. "I will be leaving momentarily; I have taken the spell load from you, Paratha. It will be self-sustaining for the next six hours. Work with the household to get everything under control. I will be back."


    <div>


    Will stepped back and closed his eyes before taking a breath. Paratha and Genduri looked on in wonder as the very air around Will seemed to vibrate in anticipation. An unprecedented amount of mana gathered around Will, who suddenly opened his golden glowing eyes and shot into the sky.


    <div>


    As Will accelerated, he had only one thought. "Hold on, Illicia, I am coming."

 PART 26

    <div>


    [Viltar]


    <div>


    Viltar was content. Well, as content as an evil magician working towards his goals can be. He had grown tired of playing the good servant to the King. He had been planning to kill the King and take over the kingdom, but a sudden opportunity presented itself: the Prince was captured by the remnants of the Dark Dragon''s army.


    <div>


    Viltar had been plotting how to slip away and take control of the army when the King and none other than the legendary Hero, Brock Garrow, had come and asked him to accompany Brock in an effort to save the Prince.


    <div>


    Viltar smiled upon his luck and followed the ''hero'' with gusto. Their trip was rather quick; with Viltar''s magical abilities and the shocking powers Brock wielded, they had located the wayward Prince and the remnants of the army.


    <div>


    Viltar rubbed his shoulder, feeling where Brock Garrow had caused damage that still had not healed.


    <div>


    "Don''t you worry, Brock? I will be sending your son to join you soon. No matter what he is, I am sure he is nothing I can''t handle." Viltar muttered to himself.


    <div>


    Viltar has wanted revenge on Brock ever since the blasted Hero had gotten in the way of his plans. Viltar had even offered Brock a place in the empire that would be built in Viltar''s name.


    <div>


    "But nooooo," Viltar muttered as he walked the partially constructed fifth wing of his illustrious noble manor, "had to go and be so much of a hero. Grabbing the Prince and shielding him from damage with his own body. Bah!"


    <div>


    Viltar made it to the tower where the fifth wing was to connect to his manor; inside were people, only peasants, who he used in his latest experiments. He walked around and suddenly froze.


    <div>


    Viltar''s magical senses were some of the most powerful in the known world. It helped him achieve the heights of magical power he had achieved. If you asked anyone who knew him quite well, his magical senses were also what had driven him so far up the wall, turning him from an odd wizard into a truly mad individual.


    <div>


    These senses had allowed Viltar to sense that somewhere, within a hundred or so miles, a god had set foot on the world''s surface. Then, these senses let him sense something that inspired fear and excitement all at once.


    <div>


    The strange power began shooting towards him, and Viltar began to laugh. "OH, I do not know who or what you are, but come to me, and I will play with you. Just before finding the upstart Will Garrow and sending him to see his father in the afterlife."


    <div>


    [Illicia]


    <div>


    The three Grenga were panicking. One of them cried out, "What in the Hells is he!?"


    <div>


    The three had pooled their combined magical power and were still not outpacing Will; however, they were not letting him gain rapidly.


    <div>


    Where Will had initially been roughly a thousand feet behind them when they started pooling their magical powers, he was now only seven hundred feet back. And every minute, he drew closer.


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    <div>


    "It''s fine," The leader of the Grenga panted, "We will reach the master''s keep before he catches up. And then that freak will not know what hit him. No one is more powerful than the master."


    <div>


    The three Grenga, instead of talking more, continued to pour their power into moving as quickly as they could muster. Finally, a strange building grew on the horizon, and the leader of the Grenga chuckled.


    <div>


    "We made it, and look, there is the master. We have nothing to worry about. Just a few more moments."


    <div>


    The other two grumbled and poured on the coals for the last part of their trip. As they touched down, Viltar was waiting.


    <div>


    "You have the princess?" Viltar asked with disinterest, his eyes never leaving the rapidly approaching Will.


    <div>


    "Of course." The lead, Grenga, said, "We will need to talk about our pay. The things...."


    <div>


    Viltar waved a hand dismissively. "Yes, yes, you want more money for betraying your people. You will have it. Tell me, what is that?"


    <div>


    The lead Grenga looked at Will, who was only a couple hundred feet away. "That is the Princess''s Man, son of the Hero. His name is Will Garrow."


    <div>


    Viltar was in extasy. "It is him, isn''t it. Very well, take her into the manor, and we will discuss things later."


    <div>


    The three Grenga and Illicia disappeared into the massive structure of the manor. Viltar stepped off the elevated platform he had been waiting on and floated to the ground.


    <div>


    [Will]


    <div>


    Will could have caught the Grenga instantly, but he was also unsure if his method for catching them would put Illicia in danger, so he simply followed them. He went just fast enough to push the three Grenga into exhaustion by the time they landed.


    <div>


    Will had not expected them to lead him to a massive, sprawling manor with multiple wings and even one under construction. He also did not expect a wizard, especially one with the massive mana presence that this wizard had.


    <div>


    If this was a kidnapping attempt by someone who was an enemy of the kingdom, it made more sense than any other option. The only other option was for this to be Viltar.


    <div>


    Will hoped it was so he could rescue Illicia and kill the filthy bastard who had killed his father all in one day. But he would wait and see.


    <div>


    Will landed just as the strange wizard finished floating down from where he had been standing. The wizard spoke first.


    <div>


    "I am quite curious what you are. I can see that you are a magic user of quite prodigious power, but that does not explain your rather unique look. I know who you are, Will Garrow, son of the Hero Brock and Princess''s Man to Illciai Ter Koltshelg. But what are you."


    <div>


    Will''s blood began to boil; no one could know who he was here unless it was someone who used to live in the encampment or someone from Kolt.


    <div>


    "I am Will, but you seem to have me at a disadvantage; I do not know who you are. Please, tell me what is your name?" Will asked, barely containing his emotions, as he felt he knew the answer.


    <div>


    "Oh, forgive me," Viltar chuckled, "you have manners even though your father was a bit of a heathen. My name is Viltar. You might know me as the man who killed your father."


    <div>


    Viltar smiled as the mana around Will seemed to fade. "Good, whatever boosting skill he has is wearing off; now, I will end the meddlesome Garrow bloodline before taking my rightful place as king of Kolt."


    <div>


    Viltar thought that to himself as he quickly drew in mana to compress it for a spell that would strike Will down. But he faltered as Will locked eyes with him.


    <div>


    "Viltar." Will said, taking a long, shaking breath, "Finally, we meet."


    <div>


    Will let the breath out, and mana exploded from him, denser than anything Viltar had ever seen.


    <div>


    "You asked what I am, so let me enlighten you," Will said, drawing closer steadily with every word. "I am Will Garrow, son of Brock Garrow and grandson to the leaders of the Gob''Ran Collective. I am the Princess''s man to Her Majesty Illicia Ter Koltshelg. I am the lover of the aforementioned princess. I am the grandson of the last Gilsheribrum and a True orc. But most of all..."


    <div>


    Viltar was sweating as he watched the mana increase with every step Will took toward him. Will locked eyes with him, staring down at the small man who thought himself worthy of killing Will''s father. Will smiled.


    <div>


    "But most of all, and most importantly to you. I am the last thing you will ever see."

 PART 27

    <div>


    Viltar was sweating as he watched the mana increase with every step Will took toward him. Will locked eyes with him, staring down at the small man who thought himself worthy of killing Will''s father. Will smiled.


    <div>


    "But most of all, and most importantly to you. I am the last thing you will ever see."


    <div>


    That sentence caused Viltar to pause in his momentary fear, giving him something to focus on other than the sheer overwhelming force of Mana, who was the young, glowing man standing in front of him.


    <div>


    "The last thing that I will ever see?" Viltar asked, regaining some of his earlier bravado. "What makes you think you can kill me? You are the son of the Hero. Not the Hero himself. I already killed him. How do you think you are any better. I heard all your titles, but all I heard was a bunch of trumped-up excuses."


    <div>


    Viltar chuckled but let the sound fade when Will did not get angry. He simply waited. So Viltar lashed out once more with his tongue. "Your father made some bold claims, too. Stating that I would never get away with it, I let him be attacked while I laughed. But I seem to be doing well. Look at me, building my kingdom, and I have quite a nice manor, don''t I?"


    <div>


    "You have prattled long enough, Viltar. Though I will be the last thing you ever see, I want Illicia back. Return her to me, and I shall leave you be." Will said, despite his soul crying out for the death of the man in front of him. But he knew that he needed to protect Illicia.


    <div>


    "I simply want Illicia back," Viltar said mockingly. "Well, unfortunately for you, I need that particular brat to get her father to give me some things. Maybe I will kill her, or better yet, I will give her to my men to be roughed up a bit before I send her back. I..."


    <div>


    Viltar tried to continue, but a massive hand with crystalline nails was wrapped around his throat. The hand was inescapable. Viltar''s eyes bulged at the rapid onset of pressure that Will was able to apply. Will''s next words came out in a primal roar that cracked the stone around them: "WHERE. IS. SHE."


    <div>


    With each word, the hand tightened, and Viltar felt nothing but fear once more. Before he could think of anything, his body, desperate for air, betrayed his mind and pointed before he could stop himself.


    <div>


    Rather than release the man, Will simply walked where Viltar pointed, dragging the wizard by his throat.


    <div>


    [Illicia]


    Illicia was sitting in the corner of a room where the three Grenga stood, talking quietly to themselves. Illicia had given each a nickname in Will''s style.


    <div>


    The leader of the three, who had been channeling the flight magic and attacked from outside the town, was Limper, as he now had a limp in his left leg from several kicks to the leg that Illicia had delivered with all the strength she had.


    <div>


    The male of the two traitors was Tipless, as Illicia had just bitten off the tip of his finger when he had grabbed her to shove her into this room.


    <div>


    The woman of the two traitors had yet to earn a name. "I wonder what I can do to her. She needs a name. But other than being a traitor, I have not done anything to her yet. Maybe I could scratch her face or..."


    <div>


    Illicia paused in her thoughts, realizing what she was thinking. "Oh gods above, I have definitely let Will rub off on me too much."


    <div>


    As she thought this, the two males sent the female to Illicia. "Get ready to move, try anything, and I..."


    <div>


    As she was speaking and leaning down to where Illicia was to pull her to her feet, Illicia snapped her hand out quick as a snake, striking with extended fingers just as Will and Agrana had trained her. She slammed her fingertips as deep as she could into the point where the throat met the jaw.


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    <div>


    "What the fuck!" Tipless said, rushing over and tossing a kick at Illicia, who was punching at the downed woman over and over.


    <div>


    Illicia dodged and slunk back down into the corner to provide them with as little target as possible. Limper came over and tried to help the woman, but Illicia had practiced that strike thousands of times on Agrana''s insistence.


    <div>


    Even now, Illicia could hear the woman talking as Illicia slammed her hand over and over into a training dummy. "Remember, Princess, Will can and will fight armies for you, but if someone catches you alone, you must fight. If done well and with one hundred percent of your strength, this strike can and most likely will collapse the windpipe of whoever you strike. They will then suffocate to death. It is not a pretty way to go. But your life is worth more than theirs. Never forget, you are the one who decides if you get to go home or someone else gets to go home."


    <div>


    As she watched, the female died, clawing at the arms of Tipless. Tipless had tears running down his face. "What the fuck! I''m going to kill this bitch!"


    <div>


    Limper stopped him in the middle of a lunge towards Illicia. "You and I both know that would only get you killed by Viltar. No way that piece of shit faces the Boss and lives. Just wait; when he gets what he wants, I''m sure that the Boss will let you get revenge. I..."


    <div>


    Limper trailed off as they heard a voice that Illicia recognized cry out in a rage that sent shivers through everyone in the room and seemed to vibrate the building.


    <div>


    "WHERE. IS. SHE." Will cried out, and Illicia stifled a laugh. Each word carried a wave of power that even Illicia could feel and told her all she needed to know.


    <div>


    Limper and glanced down at the dead woman. "We are moving; get the bitch; if you want, knock her out; I am done playing her stupid games."


    <div>


    Tipless stood and nodded, taking a cloth from a pouch on his belt, and quick as a flash, he slapped it over Illicia''s mouth and nose. She tried to struggle, but almost instantly, she was unconscious.


    <div>


    Tipless kicked her in the gut, then scooped her up over his shoulder, casting one last tearful look at the dead woman on the floor before he and Limper, with an unconscious Illicia, rushed off down the halls, away from the approaching calamity that was the Princess''s man.


    <div>


    [Viltar]


    <div>


    Viltar was screaming in his mind, even as he struggled for every breath in the hand of the man who was dragging him around like a doll. "What the hell is he! How does he have this much power? What did he say, Grandson to a true orc? Who did that blasted Hero have a child with? And why does he claim the Gob''Ran Collective? They were nobody to be concerned with!"


    <div>


    Viltar was still pointing the way to the room where he assumed the three Grenga had taken Illicia. He did not know if he could take Will in this moment; being choked as he was, it was hard to focus on breathing, let alone whatever great work of magic he would need to fight Will.


    <div>


    When they got to the door. Will opened it and looked down at the dead woman, a smile playing across his face as he recognized the telltale bruises under the woman''s chin. "She killed one Viltar; I wonder if she escapes alone. Then I get to kill you as I wish."


    <div>


    Viltar was shocked. The Princess of Kolt had killed this woman. Will''s simple smile, as if he expected it, made him wonder what had changed since his departure from the Kingdom of Kolt.


    <div>


    "On to the next place," Will said, turning to leave the room. Suddenly, he and Viltar felt an accumulation of Mana that had a pattern any magic-sensitive person would recognize. Will gave up on using doors and simply ripped apart walls with brute force as he ran headfirst through the many rooms and hallways comprising Viltar''s manor towards the accumulating magic.


    <div>


    With a final burst of strength, Will burst through a wall, only to see Illicia unconscious and draped over Grenga''s shoulder. The two Grenga and Illicia vanished in a final wave of Mana, the single-use teleportation stone crumbled to dust, and Viltar was forced to lock eyes with Will.


    <div>


    The glowing eyes of whatever Will was drove fear into Viltar as he realized what he had done to this man. He also realized he had soiled himself, and his bladder was barely holding out.


    <div>


    Will spoke, a calm blade of magic backing every single word. "Where did they take Illicia?"


    <div>


    The question was simple, and in any other context, Viltar would have happily answered the seemingly calm-sounding question. But he could see the rage and power broiling in Will''s eyes, so he gave the only answer his panicked and oxygen-deprived brain could come up with. Viltar Pissed himself then passed out.

 PART 28

    <div>


    Will was flying back to the village, dragging a bound and gagged Viltar with him. He felt a panic setting into his very soul. He brought the hammer of his will to power down on the feelings.


    <div>


    "Calm down. Remember what dad used to say. Slow is Smooth, Smooth is fast." Will spoke quickly to himself as he took a long breath, touching down onto the central gathering area in the walls. He tossed Viltar to a couple of guards. "If he so much as wiggles his fingers, beat him until his joints no longer work."


    <div>


    The Guards looking shocked but saluted and Will stormed off to find Paratha and Genduri. The two were sitting in the home they had been given by Illicia. Will knocked, and was promptly let in.


    <div>


    "Will, I... Thank you." Genduri said rubbing his hand on the back of his neck awkwardly.


    <div>


    "It is no problem," Will said, with a quick smile, then his face became serious, "I need your help to contact the King, My grandparents, and to track a teleportation spell."


    <div>


    The tone of his voice told them everything they needed to know. They both nodded and set to work. The King immediately set about having his court wizards do what tracking they could. Will called in every favor he had with his Grandparents and anyone else they could reach out to in the Gob''Ran and surrounding areas; with that, there were hundreds of methods of tracking being applied.


    <div>


    While he waited to hear from his grandparents or the King, Will flew Genduri and Paratha to the location of Illicia''s departure. Neither of them were spatial magi, but where Will achieved things through a sheer unbridled overpowering force of magic, both Genduri and Paratha dealt with nuance, their spells requiring great control and focus. Will hoped it was enough to get a feel for where Illicia had been taken to.


    <div>


    Will found himself ranting in his mind once more and shook his head before muttering, "Calm down, Will, and don''t stop fighting Illicia."


    <div>


    [Illicia]


    Thwack "Gods Damn it!" bellowed Tipless; this was the 3rd time she had gotten a solid hit in on one of his joints. Illicia kept a small smile to herself. When she had come to after being knocked out, she had not recognized where she was, but she had decided that even if Will was not on the way to save her, of which she had no doubt, keeping her hostage would not be something that was worthwhile for the two idiots who had taken her.


    <div>


    "Stay the fuck away from her." Limper said, "I don''t need to be left in her daddy''s kingdom all alone."


    <div>


    "you think that Viltar is going to follow?" Tipless asked after a few moments of silence.


    <div>


    Limper shrugged, "I have no idea, whoever the hell that was fighting Viltar, it didn''t seem like a fair fight. Viltar is a monster when it comes to magic. I''m sure that he won out."


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    <div>


    Illicia smiled silently to herself as she imagined how outclassed Viltar was. If Will''s physical abilities were anything to go by, she was sure that there were maybe one or two other mortals who could even come close. She thought this to herself as Tipless walked towards the window near her once more. With a self satisfied grin, Illicia wound up and kicked him in the side of his knee as hard as she could.


    <div>


    "Gods damn you, woman!" He bellowed as he jumped away on one leg.


    <div>


    [Will]


    Will was waiting patiently. It was all he could do as magical investigation was about as far outside his wheelhouse as you could get. Suddenly, a scroll appeared from a burst of magical fire, dropping onto the ground next to him.


    <div>


    In his grandmothers flowing hand, a list of tasks that had been accomplished in the efforts to find Illicia were there, a note in the brutish hand of his grandfather reminded him to focus only on what he could do and to let others help him.


    <div>


    Will was grateful for the help they had agreed to provide and slightly shocked at the number of things his grandmother listed as having been done already. He was trying to remember the correct incantations to respond to their message when Paratha called him over.


    <div>


    Will walked quickly to the two who were standing next to a chalk circle they had drawn to try and divine the destination of the teleportation spell that had taken Illicia.


    <div>


    "What did you find?" Will asked.


    <div>


    "This room looks like it sees a lot of teleportation magic, but it all seems to send and receive to the same place," Genduri said, his eyes glazed in magic as he looked at something only he could see.


    <div>


    "So does that mean that you can tell where they took her?" Will could not stop the faint tones of hope from creeping into his voice.


    <div>


    Paratha flinched slightly, "No, the distance that they traveled still lends a certain level of obscuration, but we can tell you one thing. She is back on the continent. Most likely within the Kolt Kingdom."


    <div>


    "So I need to go home." Will said, turning to head to entrance of Viltar''s manor.


    <div>


    Paratha and Genduri rose to follow him. Paratha was doing her best to try to soothe what she thought was frustration in Will''s voice. "If we hurry back and get a ship ready, as long as they haven''t all left, you should be back in the Kingdom in no time. I have heard that the return trip is faster than the trip here, something like a month."


    <div>


    Will shook his head, "too long, I have to find another way."


    <div>


    "What other way?" Paratha asked, confused.


    <div>


    "I think we should go find a woods spirit, or if either of you have any divine favors you want to call in." Will missed the looks of consternation that he got at the casual mention of divine favors.


    <div>


    "A woods spirit it is," Genduri said, pulling a stick from the weeds just outside the gate that marked the edge of the manor grounds. "Mind telling me why it is that I am now looiking for a woods spirit?"


    <div>


    "Well I fgure that one of two things, happen." Will said stepping back to let Genduri lead the way with his now mana imbued stick, "Either they can point us to the nearest elf stones, and I can get home that way."


    <div>


    "Not a bad option," Paratha said, falling in next to Will as they followed Genduri.


    <div>


    "Right, that''s the best option." Will said, then his face seemed to cloud somewhat, "But in the worst case, a woods spirit would be able to lead me to the nearest fae, and I could make a deal."


    <div>


    Genduri and Paratha stopped and stared at Will, wondering just what kind of trouble they were going to get themselves mixed up in.

 PART 29

    <div>


    As Will, Paratha, and Genduri trudged through the woods, they all felt the presence of natural magic increasing steadily. Paratha was the first to say anything, "Will, I don''t like this, it seems... Strange."


    <div>


    A voice that none of them recognized responded. "I have been called strange before, but never by anyone other than the than that filthy man Viltar."


    <div>


    Will turned to look at the massive Creature curled up in the clearing. He smiled and bowed his head. "My apologies, great one. It was not meant to offend."


    <div>


    The Creature looked like a dragon composed of vines and roots. It chuckled. "Great one, you call me. Yet I can feel waves of power coming off of you that rival even the divine. Shall we agree to simply be blunt with one another? Or do you want to play the games that mortals and elementals usually play?"


    <div>


    Genduri and Paratha looked like they had just walked into combat. The combined magical pressure from Will and this Greater Earth elemental was oppressive.


    <div>


    Will locked eyes with the Creature. "I will be blunt then. I seek the nearest elf stones. I had hoped to find a lesser spirit or a lesser elemental that I could bargain with to have them lead us. I am willing to barter with you as well, but I wonder what I could have that you might want."


    <div>


    "You came from that new settlement that has been chopping trees, didn''t you?" The elemental asked.


    <div>


    "I did. The Princess of the Kolt kingdom was tasked by her father to establish a port town..." Will trailed off as he felt a wave of annoyance from the elemental.


    <div>


    "You mortals are always destroying things and brutalizing nature. It makes me sick. If I am to lead you to the elf stones, I ask that you stop defiling nature with your incessant destruction."If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    <div>


    Will thought for a moment. "I can not promise that, but I can offer you something else that hopefully achieves an alleviation of your concerns if you are open to it."


    <div>


    The elemental raised a root eyebrow, looking down his long snout at Will. Will smiled and continued speaking. "Instead of just cutting as we have been. Once per month, you can come and lead us to the trees that you are open to us taking down. Also, if you are willing to help us grow two small groves in the town, one can be a lumber grove, and the other can become a focus for you. That way, you can ensure that you have a natural anchor in the area."


    <div>


    Paratha, who knew more of elementals than Genduri did, shot her eyebrows to the top of her head. The elemental thought for a moment. "This is something that I would be willing to discuss with you. But I can sense that you grow somewhat impatient. So I will offer this for now. I, Jennden of the Arganthor Wood, offer to lead you three to the nearest elf stones. In exchange, I ask that you make your best efforts to reduce the damage to the woods around your new port town and come to me again at a later date to discuss the other things you mentioned. What say you?"\


    <div>


    "I, Will Garrow, son of Brock Garrow and representative of Princess Illicia Ter Koltshelg, agree to your terms and swear by name to uphold them," Will spoke, and the whole clearing pulsed with magic as the inherent nature of the Greater Elemental sealed the deal with magic.


    <div>


    Jennden nodded, rising to his full, nearly twenty-foot height. "Very well, follow me, mortals. If you can not keep up, well, that is not my problem."


    <div>


    They began running, and the elemental began moving at speeds that were only possible because the very forest around them seemed to aid him in pushing forward. Will began channeling magic into the air, pushing himself, Genduri, and Paratha forward on a cushion of air. Jennden led them nearly a hundred miles away in only two hours. They entered a clearing that pulsed with magic, and Will laid eyes on the familiar ring of strange stones.


    <div>


    "Thank you, Jennden." Will said, walking towards the Elf Stones.


    <div>


    "You are welcome, Will Garrow. May your enemies wilt and wither." The elemental faded into the dirt beneath him.


    <div>


    Genduri and Paratha walked into the sand and waited for Will to join them. Will stepped into the sand, and the stones seemed to shake. His power, formerly suppressed, made the stone hum with the sheer amount of mana he was providing them.


    <div>


    They began to sink into the sand, and Will had only one thought as black filled his sight.


    <div>


    "I am coming Illicia"

 PART 30

    <div>


    As the magic thrummed around him, Will''s head broke the dark sand of the Elf Stones near the castle. He and his two friends, after brushing off the last of the dark sand, rise into the air on a wave of magical power and shoot off at speeds that most would balk at. Will was a focused man, and when they arrived at the gates, the guards took one look at Will, who was not wearing his enchantment to conceal his strange looks and panicked.


    <div>


    An alarm bell rang, and several wizards and knights descended upon him, only to be pressed to the ground on their stomachs through sheer force. Will grit his teeth and spoke, "I am Will Garrow, Princess''s Man. You are impeding my duties. Do so a second time at your own peril."


    <div>


    He then swept away at speed, dragging his friends with him. The guards and wizards rose to their feet, and one who had seen Will in the harvest festival contest of strength prayed for the poor bastards who had angered the Princess''s Man.


    <div>


    [Illicia]


    <div>


    Illicia''s ears perked up as she thought to herself, "I know that sound! Those are the guard bells for the castle! I''m home?!"


    <div>


    As she walks, Tipless and Limper are walking behind her. She feels a pulse of energy that tells her one thing. Will is near. She knows he is probably unable to sense her, but both Tipless and Limper notice the wave of energy as well; Tipless speaks first, "Fuck me, how in the hell did he get here so damn fast. What kind of monster is he."


    <div>


    Illicia chuckled, "He is not a monster, at least not to me. He is simply the Princess''s Man, and he is going to find me. You should probably let me go; that way, he has no reason to find you."


    <div>


    Limper prodded her with a stick they had been using to guide her so that they stayed out of her range, "Not happening. We already let our boss know, and now that Viltar seems to be out of the equation, well, he is stepping up his game, even arranged transport for us."


    <div>


    They led her down a tunnel that sloped deeper and deeper underground. At the end of the tunnel stood a door. Tipless knocked, and a slot opened up, and two deep black eyes stared back for a moment, and then the slot closed, and the sound of many mechanical locks disengaging could be heard, then a creature that Illicia had only heard of in legend stepped forward.


    <div>


    He looked like a dwarf, but his skin seemed to absorb light with how pitch black it was. Illicia gasped, "Nighthammer Dwarf!"


    <div>


    The Dwarf looked at her and smiled, its teeth a deep shimmering white that contrasted intensely against its skin, hair, and eye color. Its voice was as deep as she had ever heard and sent a shiver down Illicia''s spine, "Aye, lass, we exist, though we don''t advertise it much. Many of our brethren were hunted for various reasons. We don''t want to end up like the Gilsheribrum, so we remain hidden. I personally have taken to working in transport for certain people."This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    <div>


    "Fair enough, when I get out of this, I would love to chat with you and see some of the cities that you and your people have built. In the legends, you are stone masons of unparalleled skill." Illicia said excitedly, forgetting she was bound and a prisoner for a moment.


    <div>


    "Oh, aye, Lass, if you ever make it back to Kolt, find my tunnel, and I will happily have a chat with you." The Dwarf chuckled darkly, "For now, why don''t you focus on staying alive. Now, everyone in the cart."


    <div>


    As they walked, the Dwarf led them to a large cart with many seats set on dark metal rails. The Dwarf spoke once more, "It''s a day and a half, but unless you have a transporter or enough magic to access the Elf Stones, this is the fastest way. All aboard."


    <div>


    They climbed into the cart, and the Dwarf threw a lever, and suddenly, they were moving rapidly in pitch-black tunnels.


    <div>


    Roughly thirty hours later, the dark, queasy movement that had become her normal was interrupted by the sudden light, and the cart rolled to a stop. The Dwarf let them all off and then jumped back on his cart and surged off again. Illicia looked around at the well-lit tunnel she was now walking up. At the end, there stood another door, which Tipless knocked on and opened. She now stood in a hall with nearly twenty people in it.


    <div>


    Tipless and Limper lead her forward, with Tipless speaking to the person on the throne at the end of the hall. "Mardok, as we stated in our communication, we have..."


    <div>


    The man on the throne interrupted. "Princess Ilicia Ter Koltshelg, it is an honor. Gentlemen, I thank you now as to the payment we discussed."


    <div>


    Two arrows sprouted from each of the men next to Illicia, and Tipless and Limper dropped dead. Mardok stepped forward and cut the rope from Illicia, "Now, princess, I think that you know that only bad things will happen if you fight. So, for now, why don''t you consider yourself my guest and go along with what I say."


    <div>


    Illicia nodded, knowing deep down that any chance of her making her own way home had just gone out the window. She wished Will would hurry up.


    <div>


    [Will]


    <div>


    It had been nearly thirty hours since his arrival in Kolt, and he had been unsuccessful in finding any more leads on Illicia.


    <div>


    "Your majesty, I wish to reach out to my grandparents to see if they have learned anything new," Will said to the King.


    <div>


    "Of course, Will," The King said, gesturing to a mage who stepped forward and cast a communications spell. An image of Will''s grandparents filled the air in front of the King. "Greetings Got''Ro, Greetings Yilan."


    <div>


    "Your majesty," They said in unison, and then Yilan caught sight of Will, "Will, I have no news."


    <div>


    Got''Ro interrupted whatever the next expression from Will would have been, "Will, I have some, shall we say, less than legal, and less than savory friends that I can reach out to. If I hear anything, I will pass it on. Do not give up; we will find her. If the entire collective must come forth to scour the continent, I will make it so."


    <div>


    Will nodded, and the magic was terminated. Will looked at the King and nodded before heading out to search farther afield for Illicia.


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>

 PART 31/36

    <div>


    Will rushed through the castle with a spread that left windows cracked and maids holding down their skirts as his wake tried to blow them up. After a week, they had finally found something. The King summoned Will, stating that he had a lead. So he was headed to the audience hall.


    <div>


    When he arrived, he found an angry, red-faced king facing a man wearing the colors of the Kingdom of Herzinia; this man also bore the official courier pouch of a diplomatic envoy. Will ignored the man and spoke to the King. "What is the news?"


    <div>


    The King, not taking his eyes off of the Envoy, who looked even more nervous about his situation, spoke, "Repeat what you just said to me, Envoy."


    <div>


    The Envoy cleared his throat, "My liege lord wonders why you would have a third party peddling the sale of your daughter, and if you needed the funds that bad, why you did not approach him directly."


    <div>


    Will''s head, his eyes radiating cold intensity, snapped onto the Envoy, who stumbled backward. Will stepped forward, "Explain."


    <div>


    The Envoy stuttered before finally getting words out, "Roughly a week ago now, someone approached the King of Herzinia asking if he had need of a royal concubine. I..."


    <div>


    "No!" The King barked, "You say exactly what was said, say it to this man; you clearly fear him more than you fear me. Say it."


    <div>


    The Envoy gulped, then lowered his eyes, unable to Will in the face, "My King was offered a well-trained royal slut by someone claiming to represent Thief King Mardok. This message was sent to confirm if it was Illicia as the man claimed."


    <div>


    The room grew physically colder as waves of wrath and mana rolled off of Will. He roared mightily, and several of the fine windows in the hall shattered. Will seized the Envoy by his neck. "You will contact your King using whatever means you can; tell him that he has only a short time before I arrive there and that if the man who is selling Illicia is not there, I will kill him instead. Tell him that any of his men that attempt to stop me at the border, or the castle gates, or anywhere along the route will be killed. Pray that he listens."


    <div>


    Will tossed the man in the direction of the door and then turned to the King. The King smiled the smile of a man who wanted vengeance. "Bring her back to me, Will. I can not go with you, but I promise you this, even if you have to raise the world to cinders, I will back your play."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    <div>


    "Understood," Will said, turning to leave; he rushed through the castle, getting what he needed and turning down offers of assistance. Within twenty minutes, Will was at the edge of the city and knew where he was going. He remembered lessons with his father about air resistance, and so he stood for a moment, gathering mana in a rush. He began; as he ran, he forced a cone of air to begin rotating in front of him; he added mass and gravity magics to the cone, pulling himself along behind it. Then he channeled mana at levels that would kill most, pushed it into his body, and called upon the earth around him. The world seemed to respond and push him along. Suddenly, Will was moving faster than he ever had before. His only thoughts were of pulling more and more mana into his spells as he continued to increase in speed.


    <div>


    [Mardok]


    Thief King Mardok was perplexed. He had hoped that getting this pampered princess to agree to be his plaything would be simple. On the third night, he had tried to push the matter, and she had very nearly castrated him with a knife that he had no idea where she got it from. So, he decided to give her an ultimatum. Every day, he went to the princess and made her an offer: come to his bed or the bed of one of his officers or fight.


    <div>


    The princess had chosen to fight every single time. And that was what had him so perplexed; she was winning. The first fight had been a give for the princess to build her confidence; some random boy from the streets had been tossed into a ring with her, stating that if he fought her for five minutes and then lost, he would get a gold. The boy had done as told.


    <div>


    Then Mardok asked one of his better fighters to crush her will and make her realize that warming his bed might not be so bad. She had carved the fighter''s eye from his head with her fingernails and thrown it at Mardok. This continued; each day, she got to choose fuck or fight, and with every day, she chose to fight. Today was her fourth fight, and she was quickly working toward victory using a fire poker that she had somehow gotten her hands on. Yesterday, on the day of her third fight, Mardok had begun to wonder if she was worth the effort and sent a message via his network of spies and criminals to several kings that he would be auctioning the princess off. He expected to hear from them soon, but in the meantime, he wondered once again why a princess was fighting using an orcish style of combat that was only taught in the Gob''Ran collective.


    <div>


    [Illicia]


    <div>


    Illicia panted as she drove the fire poker forward once more, killing the man in front of her. She would fight every day. She had lost yesterday, but she had taken at least one of the man''s testicles with her as she faded into unconsciousness. She knew that she could not win forever. Eventually, they would get sick of her and simply kill her with numbers, no more one-on-one battles.


    <div>


    "Hurry up, Will. But know that I will fight till I die until you get here." Illicia thought as she was led back to the cell she had been given. Illicia smiled and tossed the bloody fire poker towards Mardok. She walked with the guard to her cell, sank down to eat her meager meal, and then passed out to sleep until her next fight.

 PART 32/36

    <div>


    The wave of magic that Will had built up and that he was riding as he sprinted across the countryside was titanic in size. He was moving at speeds that his father would have said were reserved for something called an airplane. As he burst through the border station and neared the Castle, his wave of power slammed into the magical defenses of the building and shattered them, Will skidded to a stop steps away from the throne, where a terrified King of Herzinia cowered behind a line of guards who looked equally terrified.


    <div>


    Will barked out one word, his mind still pulling in massive quantities of mana, "Where?"


    <div>


    The King squealed out an order, and a guard tossed forward a bound and gagged man who looked mortified and had pissed in his sackcloth pants. Suddenly, all the mana that Will had been gathering began to rush into his body as he stepped forward to undo the bonds and gag on the man. He knelt and gently grasped the man''s face. His next words were filled with enough mana that reality bent, wanting to work to his words. "Tell me where Princess Illicia is."


    <div>


    The man stuttered out several things, and many of the guards collapsed. The King fled, and only the court wizard was left, staring in awe at Will.


    <div>


    [Gruben the Spy]


    <div>


    Gruben, or Grub for short, had been tasked to take a message to the King of Herzinia. It was known that Herzinia''s King was a pervert on several levels and had been known to buy the daughters of noble houses just for those girls never to be seen again. Grub had thought that he had an easy assignment. The King had dispatched a message to Kolt just to verify and count on the protections for Envoys. He had given Grub a room and tasked him to wait the 4 days it would take. Grub had found a maid who needed some extra cash and taken her to his room for some evening fun.


    <div>


    That had been nearly five days ago. Yesterday, while he wandered the castle grounds, looking for another maid, he had been summoned to the King''s reception as the Envoy had signaled he would be contacting the King shortly. When Grub arrived, the King had been in conversation with a panicked Envoy. The Guards had seized him, bound him, and then gagged him. He had spent the next 18 hours on the floor of the reception.


    <div>


    Now he was staring down a creature that had mana that Grub could only assume was on par with the gods. Grub felt his bladder empty and felt panic rising in his chest as his meager mana detection ability told him that untold vast quantities of mana were suddenly being sucked into this being. Grub felt himself being tossed forward, and then his bonds were removed. The man reached down to lift Grub''s eyes to meet his own. Then he spoke. Grub felt power in this man''s hand, but it was nothing compared to what was in his voice.


    <div>


    "Tell me where Princess Illicia is."


    <div>


    Suddenly, Grub was a prisoner in his own mind, as his body and the magic of the world tore the knowledge from his lips; no matter what Grub did to fight, his body would not respond. When the strange man had everything he wanted, he spoke once more.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    <div>


    "Thank you, now perish."


    <div>


    With that, Grub was dead.


    <div>


    [Will]


    <div>


    Will could feel the death of the dirty little spy. He turned to find that the only person still in the room and conscious was the court, Wizard. Will faced him, "You should know that I have heard of the predilections of the King of Herzinia."


    <div>


    The Wizard gulped. He knew exactly what Will was talking about. Will continued, "If I hear of it ever happening again, I will come back and ensure that the Kingdom of Herzinia needs a new royal family. I suggest that the King abdicate in favor of his daughter and that you teach her to be a good person. Then I suggest that the King suffer an accident."


    <div>


    The Wizard nodded his voice horse when he spoke, "I understand."


    <div>


    "Good, now, I must go meet this supposed King of the Thieves, Mardok. Send word to the leaders of the Gob''Ran Collective and inform them of what is happening here. Do you understand everything I have said?"


    <div>


    The Wizard nodded, and Will turned, mapping in his head where he needed to go and beginning to build a wave of magic that would rival the one that had brought him here. He knew his goal was far, even with Elf stones, so he had to get moving.


    <div>


    [Got''Ro and Yilan]


    <div>


    As Got''Ro and Yilan worked to go through all the data that they were aggregating to try and collect any tidbits about Illicia, one of the mages rushed in. "A connection to the Court Wizard of Herzinia has been established."


    <div>


    Got''Ro and Yilan stepped into the other room and listened to what the Wizard had to say.


    <div>


    "I have been tasked to tell you what just happened by a man the likes of which I have never seen before." The Wizard said and relayed exactly what had happened.


    <div>


    Yilan nodded, asking several questions. With her questions, she was building a picture of several things, not the least of which was exactly how powerful Will had become. She did not know who had been exercising his magic for him while it was sealed, but they had unleashed truly unheard-of power on Will when they returned it.


    <div>


    Got''Ro interrupted, "Did you happen to catch where the boy was headed?"


    <div>


    The Wizard nodded, "The fortress of Gor''An Wat. One of the twelve ancient demon kings."


    <div>


    Yilan cut the connection and followed Got''Ro as he walked towards the open doors of a balcony that overlooked the collective.


    <div>


    When he stepped out, he took a deep breath and unleashed a roar that silenced everyone for nearly a mile. They all rushed to the courtyard under the window.


    <div>


    "Vem Bak! Gob''Ran Gurdan Na!" Got''Ro was furious, and Yilan translated using magic for any who could not understand Orkish.


    <div>


    "Clans Gather! The Gob''Ran goes to war!" Got''Ro said, "Someone threatens Will and Illicia. While that is enough for me. These people have made a home in the halls of Gor''An Wat! They desecrate our sacred dead."


    <div>


    Instantly, every Orc in the courtyard grew furious. Got''Ro continued, "I march to Gor''An Wat. To assist my grandson and to show these fools that they should not disturb the sacred dead of the Orcs."


    <div>


    Got''Ro jumped from the Balcony and headed out, and almost every Orc in attendance followed. Yilan quickly coordinated with several others to get enough food and equipment on the road as well before she floated to the ground, catching up to her husband.


    <div>


    She looked at the army that had formed up and was marching. Even for the spur of the moment, there were three thousand orcs, with more streaming in as runners spread the news. Yilan shook her head and thought to herself. "Oh, you poor fool, Mardok. If only you knew just what you had unleashed upon yourself. The Orcs are bad enough, but I suspect that the one you should worry about more is Will."


    <div>


    With that, she continued marching with her husband and quietly used a message spell to call in an old favor to a shady friend.

 PART 33/36

    <div>


    [Will]


    As Will moved, coming up on the third day of constant moving, he was concerned. The wave of magic he had built up was altering reality in its vicinity. The only saving grace that Will had was that he was moving so fast that the reality-altering effects didn''t have a chance to take permanent hold. As he moved, pondering this and how he should deal with the potential effects when he assailed the Keep that was rapidly approaching, Will felt a mental touch from someone he knew, smiling and accepting the offered psychic communication.


    <div>


    "You," Trina said, her tone filled with a sense of awe and appreciation, "are a monster of unprecedented proportions."


    <div>


    "It''s good to hear from you as well, Trina? Still cooking? And how is Julian?"


    <div>


    "Julian is fine; he is cooking for the army we accompanied to Gor''An Wat. Turns out when bandits defile Orcish holy ground, it gets quite the response." Will could hear the laughter at the understatement that was implicit in Trina''s voice. "You are roughly a day out at your current speed, which is insane, but I could finally contact you. I have tried to reach Illicia, but the Fortress prevents it."


    <div>


    "Good, I will not be stopping. Let the Fortress stand and test itself against me. Trina, I need a favor."


    <div>


    "I will clear a path. Just run straight for the gates. And I will contain the strange anomalies that your mana is generating." Trina said, "You really are a monster, Will. Fight well, and fight hard."


    <div>


    With that, Trina cut the link that she had established with Will. Will smiled and, bracing himself, poured on the coals, gaining more speed.


    <div>


    [Trina]


    "Your grandson," Trina said to the leaders of the Gob''Ran in the command center they had established to siege the Keep, "is a monster."


    <div>


    "I could have told you that," Got''Ro grumbled, remembering even his first spare with Will.


    <div>


    "No, you do not understand," Trina said, her tone holding a no-nonsense tone, "I am not a powerful Goddess, but I am of the divine. Will is terrifying, and he is on the way here with a wave of mana that is bending reality to his thoughts. He treads on the path of the divine in a way that I have never seen. But he comes, he will be here within the day, and plans to slam that magical wave he is riding straight into the Keep. I get the feeling that he is not intent on anyone surviving except for Illicia."


    <div>


    "Do you know where he will strike?" Yilan asked.


    <div>


    "Clear a route to the gates; I will hold off any ill effects of the magic he brings," Trina said, and Got''Ro bowed to the Goddess and then turned to start giving orders.


    <div>


    [Illicia]Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    <div>


    As Illicia finished her fight for the day, she felt something massive approaching. And judging by how his head jerked up, Mardok felt it as well. She walked back to her room with two guards following warily behind her. She was trying to feel what it was when she overheard a call to go out through the Fortress.


    <div>


    "To the walls! Something is approaching the gates!" A voice called out.


    <div>


    "The Orcs are clearing a path! It''s going to hit the gates!" A second called out.


    <div>


    The guards tossed her into a storage room and locked the doors behind her before sprinting to arms.


    <div>


    Illicia realized what the feeling was, and her eyes widened; it was Will''s mana.


    <div>


    She smiled as she heard men screaming, asking what was approaching them.


    <div>


    [Will]


    The gate was in sight, and were it any other day under any other circumstances, Will would be impressed with their sheer presence. But Will was on a mission and had untold vast quantities of mana backing him. To him, the gates looked no more imposing than a single man would be to him normally.


    <div>


    Will watched as he neared, and the bandits who had taken up residence in the fort deployed some sort of magical barrier in his path. Will simply smiled, lowering his shoulders amidst the cheers of the troops of the Gob''Ran, and slammed into the shield, shattering it like sugar glass and then hitting the gates, which groaned an ungodly ugly sound and held for the barest moment before shattering into little more than dust.


    <div>


    Will skidded to a stop, but the wave of magic washed over the Fortress, and at that moment, many of the weakest on the outer walls died. In the interior of the Fortress, the ancient walls absorbed enough of the mana that no one died, but everyone was aware that something of colossal power had just appeared.


    <div>


    Will began to stroll casually through the Keep, and each man or woman who stepped forward to challenge him simply perished. As he worked forward, his magic was searching. And as he entered a simple hallway. Will felt two things happen.


    <div>


    Firstly, he felt Illicia and his heart sang in relief. He had been so worried, wondering if he would be in time. Secondly, he felt another strong-ish mana signature activate something that caused the doors and windows to the exterior to fill with pitch-black mana that Will felt was dangerous.


    <div>


    [Mardok]


    Mardok knew that the mage who had just entered the Keep was someone sent to recover the princess, and he figured it was the strange beast of a man that he had been warned about by others. So when he felt the origin of the searching waves of magic pass into the hallway, he triggered the only of the ancient defense of the Keep that he had been able to bind to his will.


    <div>


    When he felt the magic slam into place, isolating the interior of the Keep from the exterior, he smiled and then used magic to broadcast his voice. "Welcome to my kingdom. I am Mardok, King of the Thieves. Come to the throne room. I would love to talk to you, though I must say, the damage you have done to my Keep is just rude."


    <div>


    [Illicia]


    Mardok suffered from what many would call justified confidence. She had seen him fight and train and had to grudgingly admit that the man was talented at fighting and incredibly powerful. But he was no will.


    <div>


    Where Mardok was a storm of slashes and quick sword strokes, Will was a hammer-shaping metal to his will. Where Mardok was a sneaky bastard likely to stab you in the back, Will was a titan of integrity and fully capable of taking any hit you dish out. Where Mardok was powerful, Will was a monster. Illicia smiled at these thoughts, Will was a monster. "Will is my monster."


    <div>


    She smiled as the door to the storage room opened, its lock simply breaking at the forces exerted on it. Illicia locked eyes with Will, and he smiled, his true form making the smile seem arcane in itself. "Hello, Princess."


    <div>


    Illicia said nothing and leaped forward to kiss him deeply.

 PART 34/36

    <div>


    "I am sorry," Will started, and Illicia Silenced him with another kiss.


    <div>


    "You have nothing to be sorry for, Will. We were betrayed." Illicia said, poison dripping from her voice at that statement.


    <div>


    "Yes, and they were dealt with." Will said, proffering his arm to Illicia, who took it, "Now I must be a good guest and go see our host. I have things to say to him."


    <div>


    Even Illicia shivered at the notes in Will''s tone as he said that, but she walked arm-in-arm with him nonetheless, knowing full well that there was no safer place for her than at his side. They walked down the hall, and Will pushed open the doors to the hall where Mardok waited, sitting on the ancient throne that once belonged to a demon lord.


    <div>


    "Welcome, Princess Illicia; thank you for continuing to be my guest. Who is your escort? He seems rather strange; I see notes of Human, Orc, and Elf? But he has to be more than that. You are a special kind of mutt, aren''t you?" Mardok said with a smile at Will.


    <div>


    "Hello, Mardok, you must be the pretend King of the Thieves that I have heard so much about," Will said.


    <div>


    "Well, I don''t know about pretend, but I am the King of the Thieves."


    <div>


    "Well, of the two or three that will be left after today, maybe." Will said, "But you were never a King and never will be now. I intend to deal with you. And my grandparents will ensure your men outside die."


    <div>


    "You are the grandson of someone outside?" Mardok asked, seemingly unconcerned. "Well, I do hope they can figure out how to get through the isolation barrier before you die, young man."


    <div>


    "Oh, I am not worried." Will stepped forward. "I heard that you were making Illicia fight."


    <div>


    "Oh, I was," Mardok laughed, "every day I gave the little tart a choice to fuck or fight. She chose to fight every day. I have to say she surprised me, winning more often than not."


    <div>


    Illicia could feel every muscle in Will''s arm tense. Will smiled. "Well, it sounds like I need to give you a choice then."


    <div>


    "Oh really, boy?" Mardok was amused, and it showed that he did not understand what was happening. "And what choice would that be."


    <div>


    "The oldest choice. One that is hardcoded into humans. Fight or Flight. You can fight or run. I would suggest running, but I don''t imagine that you can outrun me. I know that you can''t outfight me, so I will give you a different choice instead," Will had stepped forward from Illicia, and mana was gathering around him and welling up from inside him, "Do you wish to die slowly, painfully, or quickly and in agony."


    <div>


    Mardok wanted to laugh, but he could feel the mana that this boy was gathering. "You are the one who arrived and broke the gates? It was all you? I thought it was a group of mages working together."


    <div>


    "I don''t need help," Will said and then plodded forward, his mana growing denser with every passing moment.


    <div>


    Mardok chuckled when Will stuck an invisible barrier. "You see, the demon lord who ruled this place had a last-stand spell that I was able to trigger. It makes it so the keep is isolated from the rest of the fortress, and the throne is isolated from the rest of the keep. You think that..."The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    <div>


    Mardok''s voice trailed off, and he began to sweat when Will stuck out a hand, closed his eyes, and then began to pump insane amounts of mana into the barrier; the barrier and the building itself seemed to shudder. Mana seeped out of the building, and the defensive spells flowed into Will, who was compressing the mana more and more into himself.


    <div>


    Mardok panicked and pulled up the hidden trap door at the foot of the throne, jumping down the escape hatch and running along a familiar tunnel. Will watched this happen calmly. Illicia was distraught, "He''s getting away!"


    <div>


    Will chuckled as he felt the defensive spells shatter and absorb into him along with the residuals of the magical wave he had ridden here. "If these buildings are in the way, then they should simply VANISH."


    <div>


    Will spoke, and the world seemed to freeze for everyone in the keep and the entire fortress; at that moment, the stones of the buildings vibrated and then vanished. Those on walls fell to the ground. The ancient fortress of Gor''An Wat ceased to be. True to Will''s intent, no subterranean structures were harmed, and Will led Illicia into the hole that was all that remained of the plinth the throne had been on.


    <div>


    [Got''Ro & Yilan]


    The fight was going well. Will had shattered the gates, opening a way for the Gob''Ran to take the fortress when Orcs had fought tooth and nail to slay the Demon Lord, who was mutating their people into monsters. They were working to break the defenses that had been activated on the inner keep when the spells shattered, and an incredible amount of mana had rushed inward toward where Yilan detected Will.


    <div>


    "Will is doing something," Yilan said to her husband.


    <div>


    "That boy is always doing something," Got''Ro said, punching through the shield of a thief that had picked the wrong Orc to attack.


    <div>


    "No, he is..."


    <div>


    Yilan froze as did everyone at the sight of the ancient fortress, and the only thing that could be heard was a single word spoken in Will''s voice, and it held enough power that many trembled to behold it.


    <div>


    "VANISH."


    <div>


    That was all that was said, and the world responded, removing the fortress and all its above-ground structures in an instant. Got''Ro looked at his wife, "Should we be worried, my dear?"


    <div>


    Yilan was pale, "I choose to ignore what I can not understand."


    <div>


    "Understood," Got''Ro turned to yell at those under his command and began rounding up the thieves and bandits one by one.


    <div>


    Yilan saw Will and Illicia disappear into a tunnel and smiled, glad she had called in the favor she was owed.


    <div>


    [Will and Illicia]


    Will walked with Illicia behind him down the tunnel. Two voices could be heard in the distance.


    <div>


    "What do you mean, you stupid dwarf!" Mardok screeched.


    <div>


    "I mean that you have angered the wrong people, stupid wanna-be king." A nighthammer dwarf replied. "The last of the Gilsheribrum has called in a favor. We are not to help you. I came to collect what was due from you and to terminate our agreement."


    <div>


    Will smiled as he listened while he walked, reminding himself to buy his grandmother something nice. Mardok spoke again, panic rising in his voice. "You fear this Gilsheribrum more than me?!"


    <div>


    "Infinitly so." The Dwarf said, "You might kill one of us; she would kill all of us. And to hear it said her grandson is a monster, unlike anything you have ever seen."


    <div>


    Will chose that moment to step out from the last corner of the tunnel. "Well, I don''t know that I''m what I would call a monster."


    <div>


    The Nighthammer dwarf took one look at Will and Illicia, and his eyebrows shot up. "It''s you, lass!"


    <div>


    "Hello again, Mr. Dwarf," Illicia said with a tired smile.


    <div>


    Mardok let out a frustrated scream. "Take me away from here this instant!"


    <div>


    The Dwarf looked at Mardok, and then looked at Will, and then turned his back on Mardok. Will moved and had his hand around the neck of the wanna-be King of Thieves. Mardok scratched at Will, but Will did not care.


    <div>


    Will smiled and squeezed tighter, "You lose."


    <div>


    The crack of bone signified the end of the Thief King. Will looked back at Illicia just in time to catch her as she collapsed. Her body finally let her fall into a deep, well-earned slumber.


    <div>


    Will turned back to the Dwarf. "Good day, sir."


    <div>


    "Stones be with you and the Lass; tell her to seek me out in Kolt." The Dwarf said, starting to go through the pockets of the dead king.


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>

 PART 35/36

    <div>


    Illicia was having good dreams, mostly featuring Will and the adventures that she had been on with him. When she woke, she expected to be in a cot in some military camp, but she was surprised to find herself in her bed at Koltshelg Castle. She stretched and groaned as she did so, which prompted several maids to come in.


    <div>


    "How did I get here?" Illicia asked as the maids helped her dress and prepare for the day.


    <div>


    "Your man brought you in about five hours ago." One of the maids said.


    <div>


    "It caused a right commotion when he showed up," the other maid said, "The court wizards started panicking, stating that there was a massive wave of mana coming to destroy the castle. But then Your man skidded to a stop about a mile out from the castle, with you sleeping in his arms. He carried you here, and droped you off."


    <div>


    "where is Will now?" Illicia asked wondering just how Will had been able to get them here so quickly.


    <div>


    "As far as we know, he is with his majesty." One of the maids said, and at the same time a knock on the door silenced them all. The door opened to reveal the head maid.


    <div>


    "Princess, your father has requested your presence." The older woman said before leaving.


    <div>


    Illicia smiled, "Well I guess it is time to go play my part in whatever conundrum Will has cooked up."


    <div>


    Roughly twenty minuets later, Illicia walked into the audience hall of the King, and both her parents rose to hug her, asking if she was alright. Will was there, wearing nicer clothes than she had ever seen him wear. She looked between her father and Will, "What happened to Viltar."


    <div>


    "We received a report that he was executed for trying to escape after Will departed after you." Her father said, with a smile, "I think that he knew anything that came back to him would be worse than simple death."


    <div>


    Illicia shrugged, to be honest she was surprised Will had not crushed the man the moment he laid eyes on him. Her father gestured for Illicia to take her seat and she did so. Will stood in front of Illicia and her family facing them, and the court was present.


    <div>


    "Will Garrow, son of the Hero Brock Garrow," Her father was speaking in his official voice, "grandson of the rulers of the Gob''Ran collective, and Princess''s Man to Illicia Ter Koltshelg. You have performed a task for the kingdom, and for me personally that I doubt I can ever repay, but I must ask, what would you have as a reward?"The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    <div>


    Illicia looked at Will with curiosity and saw the mischievous smile on his lips. Will bowed slightly and spoke, "Your majesty, I would ask for the hand of the princess if she will have me."


    <div>


    A gasp ran through the assembled nobles, as even though he was the son of the hero, and related to the leaders of another country, he was still technically a commoner. The King raised his voice, "Silence! Will, are you sure that is what you would ask for? I could give you nearly anything."


    <div>


    Will ignored the King and knelt on one knee before the princess. "Illicia Ter Koltshelg, I am not much, but if you would have me, I would ask you to marry me. So will you make me the happiest man in the world and be my wife?"


    <div>


    Illicia was suddenly out of breath, and unable to speak so she simply nodded her head yes as tears of joy formed in her eyes. She looked to her father expectantly, and prayed he would try to contest this. Illicia was surprised when her father smiled at her, tears in his eyes, "Is this what you want my daughter?"


    <div>


    Illicia nodded fervently and her father chuckled. "Very well. I announce the betrothal of Will Garrow and Illicia Ter Koltshelg!"


    <div>


    A roar traveled up the crowd, the guards who had all spared with Will were cheering, the nobles were not happy. Cries of dismay rang out. The King raised his hand for silence. "I will hear two complaints, make them good."


    <div>


    The nobles quickly clustered and muttered amongst themselves for a moment before a man who looked ancient stepped forward. "Your majesty, we have come up with the two complaints we would have you hear. Firstly is the complaint of many of the nobles who have young sons that would have had the opportunity to court the princess, will they be able challenge for this right?"


    <div>


    The King looked like he wanted to laugh. "I suppose that until they are wed those who are willing are allowed to challenge Will to single combat."


    <div>


    Will spoke up, "I intend for us to be wed within the week so I will give you seven days. Send your children to me, and I will send them back to you in at least one one piece."


    <div>


    His comment was not missed by several nobles who had looked excited at the prospect, but now feared for their children more than worried about any accolades. The ancient man nodded. "We accept this, and any challenges will be delivered before seven days are up. Now our second complaint is that one of the primary duties of the princess if she does not wed into the nobles lines of the kingdom is to secure relations with a kingdom through marriage. If this needs to happen and she is married, what will happen?"


    <div>


    The king sighed. "I tasked this young man with retrieving my daughter, and he blew through at least one kingdom, and wiped one of the ancient forts from the face of this world. I challenge you to find a more tactically sound asset to secure than Will. Will do you have anything to say to this?"


    <div>


    "Should they wish to offer a challenge, I will accept, but know that if anyone should threaten me or my family, which will include the royal family of Kolt after our marriage, I will treat it as if I have been personally attacked." Will said all of this letting a chilling wave of mana pulse out from him, "but I am not an unreasonable man, and I am willing to forge alliances just as I am willing to enforce those alliances."


    <div>


    There was silence after that and the king rose smiling. "Well then, in seven days, return here for a royal wedding!"

 PART 36/36

    The week flew by for Illicia, who was rushed from place to place, fitted for a dress, and asked her opinion on a thousand things. Will was there for much of it, an ever present shadow of protection and power. But on the day of their wedding she could not find him and instead several maids were rushing her to and fro, first to be bathed, then to be dressed.


    As the bells tolled, and the great doors opened into the massive temple where they were holding the wedding, Illicia caught sight of Will standing tall with his unnatural looking eyes emitting a golden light that seemed to radiate the joy he was feeling. The musicians played a slow moving march for her to walk down the isle escorted by her father, her brother was easily sighted with a beautiful young woman to the side of the isle.


    On the podium next to Will stood Trina, in full goddess mode, with divine light radiating from her. As her father gave her a loving hug and she stepped up next to Will, the goddess leaned down and, in a low tone, spoke only to her. "I am glad that I was not right and that you did not listen to me."


    Illicia smiled as the goddess straightened and called for silence. When she had it she spoke. Like every royal wedding there were many speeches made by the King, and priests of different gods and goddesses. Finally Trina spoke the lines that illicia was waiting for most.


    "Will Garrow, do you take Princess Illicia Ter Koltshelg to be your wedded wife. Do you swear by the gods and by your mana to care for her and those you both hold dear? Will you cherish and love her with all your heart? Do you Swear to love her and only her for as long as you may live?"


    "I do," Will said with a smile that seemed to radiate light.


    Trina smiled and turned to Illicia. "Princess Illicia Ter Koltshelg, do you take Will Garrow to be your wedded husband? Do you swear by the gods and by your mana to care for him and those you both hold dear? Will you cherish and love him with all your heart? Do you swear to love him and only him for as long as you may live?"


    "I do," Illicia said with butterflies in her heart.


    "Then, with the blessing of the King, and by my own divine right, I bond thee. Forevermore, you will be Will Garrow and Illicia Koltshelg Garrow. Let it be known from this moment to the end of time." Trina clapped her hands together, and a wave of power washed outwards from her hands, blessing the union of the two young people.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    A cheer washed over the crowd as flower petals rained down from the roof of the cathedral. Will leaned forward, lifting the veil from Illicia''s face, and kissed her deeply. They walked out of the cathedral to an assembled mass of people numbering in the ten thousands, and a massive roar of approval washed over the crowd. They made their way back to the castle, waving to well wishers and anyone who called out to them.


    By the time they made it to the castle, the sun was setting, and it was time for bed.


    <hr>


    Several days later, after the couple had only surfaced for food and the occasional moonlit walk around the gardens, Will and Illicia went to see the King.


    "Father, Will and I intend to head back to the settlement," Illicia said.


    "So soon?" the King said with a slight frown. "But I guess you were interrupted in what you were trying to build."


    "We will leave on the next ship if it is alright with you, Sir," Will said.


    "I am fine with it. The next ship leaves in four days, I believe." The King frowned and looked at his daughter, the facade of royalty falling away, leaving only a Father who loved his daughter. "Will you return home, Illicia?"


    Illicia smiled and hugged her father, "Of course I will. One day. I promise."


    [4 days later]


    Will and Illicia waved to the crowd of people who had come to see them off. They smiled at their friends and family, knowing that it might be many years before they return this time. Illicia placed her hand on the rail, and they watched the sun set behind the Kingdom of Kolt as it sank into the distance.


    "Do you think that we are making the right choice?" Illicia asked.


    "As long as I am with you, it will always be the right choice," Will said, placing his chin on top of Illicia''s head.


    "Well I guess if you are my husband now, I am stuck with you." Her tone was teasing.


    "True," Will shrugged, "I wonder what that means for the future."


    "I guess I will be needing a new bodyguard."


    "Oh, I''ll guard your body," Will said with a seductive tone, and they both laughed.


    "I love you, Will. I think I loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you." Illicia said, hugging the massive bicep of the arm Will had wrapped around her.


    "I love you too Illicia," Will said, his smile evident on his voice, the sun dipping lower on the horizon, "And you need to remember one thing."


    "What''s that?" Illicia said, turning to look up at Will.


    He smiled a cheeky smile, kissing her before he spoke, "I will always be thankful for my time in the past and in the future as The Princess''s Man."


    FIN