The Woodward Academy, Year 8

Chapter 6: November

"It looks like a cauldron," Btlt. DeSantis said.

"It is a cauldron.  They were the easiest things for me to use to make these out of," David replied.

"To make what out of?" a commandant asked.

"It's a time bomb."

"Perhaps you'd better explain," DeSantis said.

"Okay.  We're supposed to destroy the food supply, but we don't want to be noticed while we're doing it, right?"

"Right..."

"So, my thought is, what if we're not actually there when the food supply gets destroyed?"

"How would we-" DeSantis started.

"We go in, we plant these, and we leave.  They won't go off for a while, so we'll have time to clear the area.  With the infantry distracting them, chances are, they won't even know we've been there until it's too late."

"You say they won't go off for 'a while.'  How long is 'a while'?"

"I made these adjustable, from about two minutes, to twenty minutes."

"Adjustable?  I don't see a knob or anything.  Is there a spell that you have to cast?"

David lifted off the top of the device.  Inside, there were three layers of material visible, all in concentric circles.  The one in the center was largest.  The one on the outside was next.  In between them was a thin layer of something that resembled concrete.  In the "concrete" layer were ten holes, spaced evenly around the circle.

David explained, "This is basically a potion that explodes when finished.  In order to be finished, the inside and outside materials have to mix.  This middle layer prevents them from doing so.

"Into each of these holes, you can drop one of these vials," he said, holding up a glass test tube with a green liquid in it.  "Depending on how many of these vials you put in, you can make the explosion happen more quickly, or more slowly.  The stuff in the vial eats away at the plug separating the inner and outer materials, so the more of these vials you put in, the faster the bomb goes off."

"You've tested this?"

"And I'm about to do so again," David confirmed.  He loaded ten vials into the bomb, and pulled the stoppers off each of them.  He turned the lid over, to show them.  "These spikes on the inside of the lid will break the bottom of the vials, allowing the liquid to pour out.  All the soldier has to do is prep the bomb, set it down, and then slam his hand down on the lid, like so."

David carefully put the lid down onto the bomb, and then slammed his hand onto it.  They could hear the glass inside cracking.

"We should move back now," David said.  They all ran a few hundred feet away and sheltered behind a coach.

"How volatile are these things?" the commandant asked.  "Can they go off on their own?"

"The bomb would have to be crushed in order for that to happen.  The top of the materials is solidified in the process of making the bomb, so they can't slosh back and forth, mixing that way.  The only way for the two materials to mix is through the plug.  If the plug is damaged, then the materials will mix, and the bomb will go off, but in order to damage that plug, you'd have to crack open the cauldron, because it is almost at the very center of the cauldron."

"And how quickly would it go off, if that happened?"

"Two, three seconds," David said.  "You wouldn't have any real warning.  But chances are, you'd already be dead, from whatever broke open the bomb."

The commandant nodded.

"Ten seconds to plug destruction."  David counted down in his head, then said, "three, two, one...one, two, th-"

At that moment, the cauldron vaporized in a blast of light and sound.  The coach they were standing behind rocked as the shock wave went past.

"Great griffin goats," the commandant muttered.

"As you can see," David said, "This will completely destroy their supplies, and we won't have to be anywhere near them when it happens.  It allows us to be covert about our real purpose."

The commandant nodded.  "How many of these can you make in three days?"

"Me personally?  Two dozen or so.  If you can find me a few decent potion makers, we can probably give you about a hundred."

"Are these expensive?" DeSantis asked.  "I mean, yes, we're on a war budget, but we can't be breaking the treasury..."

"the most expensive part of this is the cauldron."

"Cauldrons are cheap," the commandant pointed out.

"I know," David said.

"Why has no one built this before?" the commandant wondered.

"They probably have, and just never wrote it down.  I mean, we haven't had a major war in a thousand years.  Who knows what the hell they had back then that we don't even know about?  Since that time, the only people who would want something like this are criminals."

The commandant nodded.  "Good point.  Did you have anything else to show us?"

"Two things," David said.  He pulled out a small cylinder, about five inches long and three inches in diameter.  "I think we can have the infantry use these to help distract the weres during the placement of the bombs."

"What is that?" DeSantis asked.

"It's a smoke grenade," David said.  He pulled the lanyard on it, and it started smoking.  The other two looked rather distressed.

"Is it going to explode?" DeSantis asked.

"No.  This is all that it does.  It produces smoke.  It's designed to reduce the enemy's visibility."  This was not, strictly speaking, true.  The smoke grenade David was holding was actually sold to the public for parties and theatrical effects, but that wasn't important.

"Why red?" the commandant asked.

"Werewolves are green-deficient color blind," David said.  "They see best in the red colors.  This will cause the most difficulty for them to see through it."

"And so... you want the infantry to do what with them?"

"Just ignite them and throw them into the enemy's midst.  It will cause a smoke screen, preventing them from seeing what's around them."

"Couldn't we achieve this with some kind of potion or spell?" DeSantis asked.  "I hate having to carry around all this Earth junk."

"We could, but a potion would be just as bulky, and these are already made, whereas making the potion would take a couple days, to make enough.  And doing it with a spell would mean training the infantry to use the spell.  And while they're doing that, they're not fighting.  This takes them two, three seconds to rip the cord and throw it."

"How do we get these?" the commandant asked.

David motioned to twelve large crates sitting alongside the building.  "They're right there," David said.  "I bought them myself."

"Why?" the commandant said.

"Because even if you don't want to use them, I know that I can make use of them on my own missions."

"Several hundred of them?" the commandant asked with a raised eyebrow.

David shrugged.  "It's not like I was worried about the cost."

"In any case," the commandant said, "You said there was something else?"

"We'll have to go inside."

David led them deep into the building.  He took them to a room with no windows.  There was a table in the middle of it, with a strange object sitting on it.  There was only a single firefly in the room.

"What the hell is that?" DeSantis asked.

"These are called night vision goggles," David said.  "Also Earth tech."

"What do they do?" the commandant asked.

David picked them up and turned them on, looking into the goggles to make sure they were working.  Seeing that they were, he looked up at the firefly and said, "Off, please."

Suddenly, the room was plunged into total darkness.  There was no light at all filtering into the room.

"Now what?" the commandant demanded.

David put the goggles into the commandant's hands.  "Put it up to your eyes."

"Holy mother of dragons," the commandant said in awe.  "And this is not magic?"

"No, this is technology."

The commandant passed the goggles to DeSantis, who was likewise impressed.

"You'll want to take them off before I up the light level," David warned the batalisto.  Once he had gotten the device back, David said, "Okay, normal light, please."  The firefly reignited itself, lighting the room once more.

"But... techno stuff uses power sources, does it not?  What powers that?"

"Things called batteries.  They're a portable power storage medium.  They go in this little compartment here."

"You said power storage.  That means they eventually run out of power?" DeSantis asked.

"Yes."

"And then what?"

"Well, normally, you'd have to throw away those batteries and put in new ones.  But we have an advantage.  One of my best friends is obsessed with Earth tech."

"How does that help?"

"She invented magic batteries.  This is being powered by them right now."

"So they never run out of power?"

"They do, but they can be instantly recharged with a spell.  It's a very simple spell; she's not encountered any licensed wizard who cannot successfully perform it."

"How often would that need to be done?" the commandant asked.

"Best to do it once a day.  So, each morning, as part of their routine, they could recharge these batteries.  Or at some other time, but doing it on a schedule would be best.  Please remember that casting spells can give away your position, so this would need to be done at a 'safe' time."

"Speaking of that, if these use a magical power source, can even using these give away our position?"

"You held it in your hand, sir.  Did you feel any magic coming from it?"

"No, but I wasn't really paying attention."

"Gwen and I tested this.  It can be detected from a range of no more than two feet.  At that distance, your enemy already knows where you are."

"What if there are a thousand of them operating, though?"

"Then it's two feet from the formation of them.  The power signature is so small, they really can't add up together, because they'll be more than two feet apart when in use.  Oh, if you piled them all up on a table or something, you might be able to detect it out to five, maybe ten feet.  But it's never going to matter."

"And how hard are these to get a hold of?" the commandant asked.

"I bought fifty of them myself.  If the army wants them, they're going to have to reimburse me for the cost."

"Oh?  Why concerned about these?  You weren't worried about the smoke grenades..."

"The smoke grenades don't cost seven thousand granas apiece," David said.

"Flaming Phoenix Feathers, man!  What the hell?" DeSantis exclaimed.

David shook his head.  "This is expensive technology.  That seven thousand was discounted for the bulk order of fifty.  Normally, these would be in excess of ten thousand."

"Why would you risk spending that much money without knowing if we'd use them?" the commandant demanded.

David shrugged.  "I know I can sell them off back in Earth, if I need to.  Might not make all my money back, but close enough not to matter.  Um... I should point out, I guess, that I had to sort-of violate United States law to bring these here."

"Oh?"

"This technology is so important that it is export-controlled.  It is technically not legal to export these outside the United States.  But, since US law doesn't really "understand" magic and travel gates, I decided not to worry about it too much."

DeSantis snorted, and the commandant smirked.  "Very well.  How did you intend on us using these?"

"Well, my thought was to give them to the scout company.  That way, they wouldn't be stumbling around in the dark, depending on flashes from wand fire to see where they're going.  They can wear these, and it'll almost be like walking around in the daytime."

"Can you pull off the mission with only fifty men?" the commandant asked DeSantis.

"I had planned for seventy-five, with the other seventy-five in reserve," DeSantis replied.

"But can you do it with fifty?"

"I don't think so.  Not easily."

"Can we get more of these?" the commandant asked, motioning to the goggles.

"Depends on how fast you need them."

"Three days."

"Not a chance.  Took me two days to get the fifty I've got, and that was their entire stock.  I'd have to find another source."

The commandant grumbled.

"Sir, we'd intended to do this without this fancy Earth tech, anyway.  I say we use what we have, and those who don't have it will just have to make do," DeSantis said.

"And those in the dark are likely to take higher casualties.  How do we pick those who receive the goggles?" the commandant demanded.

"By lottery would be the only fair method," DeSantis said.

"Just so you're aware, the first three pairs go to Troop 42.  I won't make you pay for those," David said.

The commandant snorted.  "All right.  Distribute them, and get the men trained on them.  The operation is set for Saturday night.  Have your men ready to move out at fourteen hours."

"Yes, sir!" both David and DeSantis said, snapping to attention.  Salutes were exchanged, and the commandant left.

"You want to do the picking, sir, or you want me to do it?" David asked.

"You do it.  I don't want to have to look people in the face and tell them they're screwed."

"Gee, thanks, sir," David said.

"XO's are supposed to be the heavies, or didn't anyone tell you that?" DeSantis said with a grin.

"They must have left that out of the briefing," David said with a grumble.

"Carry on, then," DeSantis said.

David nodded, then left for his own office, to pick those who would have the best chance of surviving the upcoming battle.

Fun.

 "I know I've made fun of you over this, David, but seriously, aren't you supposed to be a staff officer now?  Why is the charge officer of the company taking control of this operation personally?" Vivian asked.

"Because the entire company is here.  The higher-ups want to make sure nothing goes wrong.  Of course, apparently none of them really pays much attention..."

"What do you mean by that, sir?" Giendia asked.

"What the fuck do I know about coordinating a company-sized attack?" David asked.  "I was trained for small-unit tactics."

"Well, the scout company's a fairly small unit," Vivian said, trying to be supportive.

"Yeah, compared to a US Army Brigade," David retorted sourly.

"They must figure you can do the job," Giendia offered.

David harrumphed.  "Thankfully, what we're doing isn't really combat.  It's sabotage.  Or, let's hope it doesn't become combat."

Vivian grunted in agreement with that.  She said, "These goggles are awesome."

"I can't aim properly with them on," Giendia complained.

"Hopefully you won't have to do any aiming tonight," David said.  "Once this mission is over, you need to practice with them on back at base."

"I can't even recharge them," she objected.

"Yes, well... that's why you have one of us.  The benefit of working in a team is not everyone has to know everything."

"How do we know when to start?" Vivian asked.

"It'll be fairly obvious," David assured her.

With that, they lapsed into silence, staring at the base and just waiting.

Twenty minutes later, wand fire was seen in the distance.

"Now?" Vivian asked.

"Let's give it a few minutes for the battle to get fully underway," David said.  "Since when are you so eager to rush into battle?"

"I want this over with," she admitted.

David grunted and continued to watch.  He suddenly saw a billow of red smoke fill the air where the battle was going on.

"Come on!" David said.  The three ran out of the tree line, and as soon as the other scouts saw them, they followed suit.  Each troop acted together, and David had made sure that each troop had at least one member wearing the night vision goggles.  Most troops were carrying three bombs.  A few, like David's troop, were carrying more.  Because he had Giendia along, he had taken five bombs, which he'd strapped to her horse back.  The timer vials, he was carrying in his coat pocket.

The three moved quickly to their assigned location within the depot, and they placed the bombs in position first.  He handed timer vials to both Vivian and Giendia, and together they loaded the bombs, setting the lids down gently.  Crouching, they waited for the signal, which would be given by the assault commander.

It seemed the longest wait in the world, just kneeling there, waiting.  The assault commander had expected this to take much longer.

"Oh, shit.  Soldier coming... it's a were!" Vivian said.

"Giendia, try to take him down.  Your weapon's invisible."

Giendia nocked an arrow, and let it fly.  For the first time since she entered the military, she missed her target.

"These goggles, sir.  I can't shoot with them on."

"Well, you won't see him with them off.  I'll take care of him."

David made himself invisible, and moved over toward the werewolf.  He walked as silently as he could.  Drawing his sword, he stepped in front of the were, and faded back to visibility.  The were, as expected, jumped back in surprise.  It was the last thing he did, as David's blade was already moving, and the werewolf's head went sailing through the air as his body collapsed to the ground.

Nodding in satisfaction, David made his way back to his troop.  Shortly after he did, a star-shaped burst filled the air.

"That's the signal," David said.  "Slam 'em!"

They moved along the area where they'd planted their bombs, and they each got to activate the timer on at least one.  That done, they raced back to the tree line.  They didn't stop there, but moved southward, toward the battle line and safety.  They weren't supposed to enter the battle themselves, but instead, they would continue moving past the attacking battalion and let off a signal of their own.

David waited until everyone had gathered.  A count showed no one missing, and there were only two injuries, caused by people tripping in the dark.  Raising his wand, David let off a bright blue star into the sky.  That was the signal to pull back.

With that done, the scout company took up their positions, waiting for the battalion to meet up with them.  It was their job to discourage anyone from pursuit.

"Any second now," David said.  He'd not been counting down the time, but knew that it had been close to twenty minutes.  They'd set the timer for the longest amount so that they had a chance to get clear.  It was a risky move, as it gave the weres more time to find the bombs, but it was necessary.

Thirty seconds later, the trees in front of them lit up as bright as the sun.  A rumbling thunder rolled over them as bomb after bomb went off.

"Movement at one o'clock," Giendia said. 

David looked.  "Appear to be friendlies.  Hold fire," David said to those nearby.  The order was passed along the line until everyone heard it.

The scout company remained silent and hidden as the battalion moved past them.  For another twenty minutes, the scouts waited to see what would happen.  No one showed up.  With that, David pulled the scout company out of their positions and moved south to rejoin the battalion and head for their pickup spot.

"Think it worked?" Vivian asked.

"Sure looked like it," Giendia opined.

"But will Stage 2 work?" David asked.

"Stage 2?" Vivian inquired.  "I didn't know there was a Stage 2."

"Neither does Btlt. DeSantis, yet."

"What're you planning, David?" Vivian asked.

"Nothing, without permission," he assured her.  "But I've got an idea that might... well... pay the fuckers back a little for the shit they've done to us."

Vivian looked over at Giendia, who had a worried look of her own.

 "Miss Talisman?" David asked, to get her attention.  He was in the Bolmont branch of the Royal Archive.  The building was very familiar to him, as was Patricia Talisman, the archivist.

Patricia looked up.  "Yes, can I help you?"

"You probably don't remember me.  We met a couple years ago, after the theft of the Journal of Aleutia."

After a moment, her eyes showed recognition.  "Oh!  Yes, Officer, what can I do for you?"

"I need you to do some research for me."

"Generally, I only do research for the government, Officer."

"Yes, well, I'm a government employee these days, so..."

"Oh?  I thought you were a Rimohr officer."

"I am.  But I was conscripted into military service.  I am the second in command of Scout Company 1."

"I see.  I must tell you, we don't have a lot of military information in the archive..."

"I don't need military information."

"What are you looking for, then?"

"This is a bit hard to describe.  I am looking for records we might have of... groups throughout the world with strong ties to the five elements."

"Everyone has strong ties to the five elements, Officer.  We live among them."

"As I said, it's hard to describe.  Do you understand the nature of Diva Devata Jumala Zot?"

"As much as any other non-believer, yes..."

"I am looking for other similar groups.  Groups that celebrate or worship according to the elements, or those that have other... element-related ethical systems."

"I see.  You want groups that have a strongly established system based around the elements."

"Yes.  Or, really, any group that is known to be very strongly tied in any way to elemental thinking.  For instance, a group that is known for exceptionally strong elemandy might also meet my requirement."

Patricia nodded.  "I understand.  I can name one off the top of my head, but others will require research."

"Oh?  Other than the Mirelians, you mean?"

"Obviously," she said with a grin.

"Who?"

"The mermaids.  While their focus is heavily skewed toward the water element, for obvious reasons, their belief system focuses on each element as a sort-of god to be appeased.  Tiamat is their water god, and is the strongest, as you would expect.  But they have a god for the other four elements, as well."

"Okay.  Thank you very much.  If you find anything further, please send the information via courier to Scout Company HQ."

"I'm sorry, I don't remember your name," Patricia told him.

David grinned, and told her.

"And how urgent is this?" she asked.

"It's not an emergency, but please don't put it on the back burner."

She nodded.  "I'll let you know what I find."

"One other thing," David said.  "I will pay you for this personally, since I don't think it's actually going to result in anything."

"What's that?"

"There is, as I'm sure you know, a legend that the Journal of Aleutia contains a secret among all the random markings on the back of the scrolls."

"I'm aware..."

"I want to check that out."

"Why?"

"Because the lunatic who tried to steal the scroll thought it had something to do with controlling the elements, and so might have something to do with the research I'm having you do."

"I see.  What would you like me to do?"

"Make a copy of each of the scrolls' backs, and send them to me.  That way I can play with them, and see if anything is actually there."

"There are several dozen scrolls in the journal.  It will be expensive."

"I'm not concerned about that.  I doubt your version of expensive and mine are anywhere near each other.  How long will it take?"

"A few days."

"Okay.  If you could send those down to HQ when you have them finished, along with a bill."

"Certainly.  Well, I'd best get to work on this, so if you'll excuse me..."

"Yes, ma'am.  Thank you for your time.  And good luck."

She smiled and nodded, and David left, considering how he would get to talk to the mermaids.

Guess I can go visit Shell.  Maybe she can at least point me in the right direction...

 "What in the world is that?" Giendia gasped.  They were standing on a tall hill which looked down on a wide path through the forest, cut by the Vrudenans.  Coming along that path was a series of glidecarts.  They were so close together that they were almost touching.  If one stopped fast, a major accident was going to occur.

After a good long look, David realized what he was seeing.

"It's a train," he said, looking at Vivian.

"A what?" Giendia asked.

"In Earth, trains are used to carry large loads of cargo.  There's an engine up front that provides all the power, and then there are cargo carriers attached, one behind the other, behind the engine.  It pulls them along a special path designed for them."  David knew this was over-simplifying, but there wasn't any point getting into it too deeply.  "Well, it looks like the Vrudenans have gone a step further.  All of their cargo carriers are also engines, but I'd bet they're all connected either by actual physical ropes, or a magical tendril, to keep them under control from one spot."

"This is going to make our mission harder, isn't it?" Vivian asked.

"Nope.  Easier."

"How do you figure?"

"Take a close look.  Not every glidecart has weres on it.  The benefit of this method is that you don't need as many troops.  They've got a couple guys up front, and a couple guys in the back, and a couple guys that go back and forth, I'd imagine.  It's going to be easy to avoid them in the short time we'll be there.  Giendia, can you carry both of us?"

"Easily," she confirmed.  David climbed on her back, and Vivian got up behind him, holding onto him very tightly.

"Let's go," David said.  He motioned to the other three troops that were with him.  They were the only scout troops with centaurs who would consent to being ridden.  The centaurs galloped down off the hill and into the trees.  In short order, they were waiting just inside the tree line for the lead glidecart to pass.

"I thought these were a lot faster than this.  Your truck whizzes along," Vivian said as the fifth glidecart trundled by, connected to the one in front and behind by an energy link.

"I imagine they don't want to move too fast with such a heavy load.  Plus there may be a limit to how fast the magic controls can react.  Okay, Giendia, go for it."

Giendia bolted out into the clearing, running along beside the train.  Vivian adjusted her night vision goggles, and then she rather clumsily climbed aboard.  Once he was sure that Vivian had made it, David moved his feet onto Giendia's back, and hopped across.  Giendia broke away, re-entering the tree line.  She would rejoin them in about ten minutes, after the train had gone around a curve in its path.

David looked into the glidecart, and saw no weres present.  He motioned Vivian to join him, and they entered.  Inside, the cart was filled with boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables.  This train was the resupply convoy for the depot they had destroyed a few days before.  The weres needed this food shipment to keep their units fed.

"This is going to make this a lot easier," David said.  The boxes of food weren't solid, but were instead made up of slats, with fairly large spaces between the boards.

"Yeah, no opening boxes, we can just kind of slosh it in-between the slats."

"Don't even need to do that.  Are you any good at aeromandy?"

"Nope.  The only mandy I was any good with was Jeff Mandy, from high school."

David chuckled.  He pulled out several vials, and then he conjured their cooking pot from his Conjuring Room.  He poured all of the vials into the pot.

"Remind me to make damned sure we clean this when we get back," David said.  Vivian grunted in response.  David set the pot on the floor and tucked the vials back in his coat.  "When I nod at you, I need you to aerosolize the juice."

"No problem," she replied.

David moved his hands in the appropriate manner, and then blew outward.  A strong wind came up, rushing across the top of the pot.  David nodded to Vivian.

"Kychnuti!" Vivian said sharply.  The liquid in the pot - it was Maliramo Juice, the same food-poisoning potion that the Vrudenans had used previously - seemed to dissolve into nothingness, but a light mist rose from the pot, and was carried away by the wind David was creating.  It filled the glidecart, permeating every single box.

"Gesundheit," David said with a grin while they were waiting for the toxin to do its job.  Vivian giggled.

The two were about to enter the glidecart behind them, when they heard a were moving around inside it.

"Quick, climb up!" David said.  He grabbed a fixture above the door and hauled himself upward.  Another pull, and he was on the roof.

Vivian was having a greater difficulty, however.  David took out his wand and growled, "Sem!"  Vivian blasted upward into David's chest, nearly knocking both of them off the glidecart.  Vivian wrapped her arms around David just as the door to the trailing glidecart opened.  They both held their breath for a long moment, until they heard the other door open, and the were go inside.  As the door closed, they both let out a sigh of relief.

Vivian went to kiss David, but he stopped her.

"Huh," she said, offended.

"Sorry, but we were both just misted by Maliramo Juice.  We should NOT be doing anything with our mouths."

"Oh," she said, blushing furiously in embarrassment at having forgotten that.

"C'mon, we haven't got a lot of time to finish up."

They luckily ran into no other weres before completing their task.  The two held on between two glidecarts as Giendia galloped into position.  David slid deftly onto Giendia's back.  Vivian, on the other hand, missed her landing and fell off, landing on her shoulder as she hit the ground.  She bit off the scream of pain that wanted to split the night.

Giendia immediately turned around.  David pulled his wand, and once again Vivian slammed into his chest.  She wrapped her one good arm around him and held on for dear life.

"Get us out of here, Giendia," David ordered.

Giendia swerved into the woods.  She slowed, because she had much less space to move now, but she didn't stop for a solid hour.  The other troops had met up with them briefly, but they had all then moved apart, to perform other tasks.  Troop 42's only task at this point was to make it back to HQ.  That would be more difficult with a wounded member.

"Wish we had a falconswift handy," David said to Jailla.  "We could get her out of here in a snap."

"What am I, chopped prembat?" Jailla sniffed.

"No, and I'm going to ask you to take a message.  But I don't like losing you as part of the team, and I also don't like sending you off alone like that.  Since I have no choice, though, get yourself back to HQ as fast as you can.  Her shoulder's not life-threatening, but us sitting in this neighborhood is."

Jailla nodded, then took wing.  They weren't a horrible distance from HQ, so it would probably be less than a day for him to make it there.  David frowned; if anything happened to Jailla on one of these trips, he'd never forgive himself.

Trying to redirect his thoughts, he decided to check on Vivian.  He found her lying on her sleeping mat, wincing in pain.

"Acetal sali sili cassid," David said, very gently resting his hand on Vivian's wounded shoulder.  She sighed softly at the relief the spell brought with it.

"How bad is it?" David asked.

"You've had worse," she said with a grin.

"Not reassuring," David said, smiling back.

"I'll live," she said.

"No you wo...er, oops.  Yes, you will," David corrected, completing the joke.  "Seriously, how bad?"

"I can manage, but I do appreciate the pain-relief spells.  Don't you have some pain potion with you?"

"You used it all already."

"Oh.  Sorry."

"Not your fault.  I guess I just didn't really expect you guys to be the ones getting hurt."

What he had really thought, but wasn't about to say out loud, was that he figured any injuries they might receive would probably result in death, and so he hadn't foreseen the need to carry a lot of healing supplies.

"So... was Stage 2 a success?" Vivian asked.

"Yes.  The other troops said they managed to spread the juice, as well."

"I assume there's a Stage 3..."

"Yes, but you don't look like you're going to be up for it."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

 "Vocator," David said in greeting as he and Giendia arrived at the jump-off point for the attack that was about to happen.

"Sir," the vocator said in reply, saluting.  David saluted him back, but had a quizzical look on his face.

"I don't outrank you..."

"Time in grade, sir," the vocator said.  "I've only been a vocator for a week."

David nodded.  "You look troubled," David said, pushing through.

"Yes, sir.  I'm having a leadership crisis."

"Huh?"

"I'm having a lot of trouble convincing the men to handle this mission.  Most of them see it as cold-blooded murder.  They know those weres are in the midst of a serious illness, and won't be able to fight back."

"And if they don't try, then they will live," David said.

"Sir, they're werewolves.  You know they're going to try..."

"That's their choice, not ours.  You mind if I try to... encourage the men?"

"By all means."

David moved to the head of the group as the company commander shouted, "Ten-hut!"  The company came to attention and faced David.

David amplified his voice, and looked out at the gathered company.

"As I understand it, many of you are having trouble with this mission.  I have a few things to say that will hopefully help you through.

"First, let's remember who started this little problem.  The Vrudenans attacked first.  The Vrudenans invaded our home.  The Vrudenans drew first blood.

"Next, I'd like to point out that we're borrowing this particular tactic from the Vrudenans.  They have done this exact same thing to us four separate times that I know of.  If we are not willing to fight just as hard, and just as dirty, as they are, we are going to lose.  Ideals are great, but they generally do not win wars.  War is nasty, ugly, and brutish.  It's about killing people, plain and simple.  There is no civility in this process, and the best thing we can do is to make this war as short as possible, to save our colleagues, our friends, and our families.

"Now, I want all of you to look to your left.  Now look to your right.  Statistically speaking, if both of the people you just looked at are alive this time next month, you won't be.  Now, if you want to risk your own life, the lives of your family, because this doesn't seem 'fair' or 'proper', then you may sit down, and wait for us to come back.

"At which point I will arrest you and have you tried for treason," David snarled harshly.

"Now, we are going to go in there, and we are going to defeat the Vrudenan company in front of us.  If they choose to surrender, we will take them prisoner.  That is their choice to make.  If they choose to fight, even in their condition, then they really aren't giving you a choice.

"And neither am I.  Now saddle up!"

There was a great deal of grumbling among the unit, and one soldier nearby said to a buddy, "Easy for him to say, he's not going in there."

David stepped over to him and said, "If you think I'm letting you assholes have all the fun, you are sorely mistaken.  I intend to be in front."

The soldier looked very surprised, and a little taken aback.

"You're looking forward to this?"

"I've seen the shit these bastards have done to us.  Count your blessings that you haven't.  Yes, I'm looking forward to a little payback."

David turned and moved forward, motioning with his hand for the company to follow him.

It took a half hour for the company to make it to the outskirts of the Vrudenan camp.  There were soldiers at the perimeter, but they were all so weak and sickly that they didn't even have the strength to raise their weapons.

"Where is your commander?" David demanded.

A werewolf, clearly in charge, stepped forward.

"I am here to accept your unconditional surrender of your unit," David said coldly.

"I will eat your heart," the werewolf said, then lunged.  The lunge was pathetically slow and weak, but David acted as if it was a dire attack.  He spun so fast that his actions weren't able to be followed by the humans or the werewolves.  His foot connected with the side of the werewolf's head, throwing him to the ground, blood oozing from his ear.

David reached down and pulled the were up.  "Last chance.  Surrender, or die."

"Kill them all!" the commander yelled as loud as he could.  It wasn't impressive.

David drew his sword.  He then looked the commander in the eyes, and replied, very coldly.

"As you wish."

With that, David gripped the top of the were's head, and slowly drew his sword across the commander's throat, severing the head from the body.  He stood up straight, and held the head aloft.

"Your final chance!  Surrender to us now, or pay the price for your crimes against the Callamandian crown!"

The werewolves all snarled, and started toward the humans.

David looked over his shoulder.  "Up to you.  Kill them, or let them kill you."

Turning back forward, David decapitated three werewolves and disemboweled four more within the first half-minute of the battle.  By the time it was done, he had racked up a third of the kills.  As they left, there wasn't a werewolf left alive.

David stopped at the edge of camp, turned back, and then incinerated the entire field.  He didn't bother with the consideration he would have given to fallen Callamandian soldiers.

"Why?" Giendia asked.

"To prevent disease, the same reason I did it to our own men."

Giendia nodded.

"Let's get back to headquarters and see how Vivian is doing."

"Yes, sir."

 "What are you complaining about?  I got you some time off..." David said to Vivian.  They were standing in the yard at Pendergrast Manor.

"Yes, but then you go off and leave me here with nothing to do!" she fumed.

"You're recovering, remember?"

"Hard to forget," she muttered.  Her shoulder was still hurting, though the break had healed fully.  It would be a day or two longer before she was back to normal.  For all that, she was lucky that she had not landed on her neck when falling from the glidecart.  That could have been fatal.

"I have to do this for the king, and I don't think you want to have to worry about drinking a potion every fifty minutes or so for... well, hell, I have no idea, really, how long this will take."

"What are you doing, Master?" Olissa asked.  She was, of course, at her master's side, since he hadn't given her a task to do.

"I'm going to visit Shell."

"In the middle of the war?" Olissa asked.

"It's a business visit, trust me.  Hers is just the closest mermaid colony to us."

"How far away is it?"

"Four, five hundred miles.  Something like that."

"How do you plan on finding it, if you're not even sure where it is?  I doubt there's a welcome mat..." Vivian objected.

"Actually, there is, if you know what to look for.  But I know where it is, just not the exact mileage.  What, did you want me to tell you it was 438.6 miles from here?"

"Is it?" Olissa asked with a grin.

David shrugged and made a noncommittal noise.  Olissa grinned wider.

Turning to Vivian, David said, "If you're bored, you could play with Jailla.  He's just as annoyed as you are.  But, since he can't exactly dive, I can't take him, either."

"How are you getting there?" Denise asked.

David just motioned.  "Cupcake can fly that far.  She'll drop me off and come back here."

"And how will you get home?"

"I have a way to call Cupcake when I need her help."

"I see.  Well, have a good trip.  Don't get eaten by any sharks, okay?"

"Okay, but just 'cause you asked," David told her with a grin.  Denise blushed.  She kissed him, then moved off.  Vivian did likewise.

"Good luck, Master.  Please say hello to Shell for me."

"I will.  I should be back in a couple days.  I mean... today to get there, probably tomorrow to visit with... well, whoever... then the next day to get home."

Olissa nodded.  She gave him a long, soulful kiss, then stepped back to watch him leave.

David got up on Cupcake and said, "Okay, girl.  You know where we're going."

Cupcake whinnied in pleasure, and leapt into the air.

The trip over the sea was somewhat arduous, since the November weather was blustery and cold.  It had taken an extra hour to find the spot in the ocean they were looking for.  The mermaid colony wasn't marked visually, but there was a magical marker on the surface of the ocean.  It was there as a side-effect of the magical beacon each colony used to allow its members to easily find their way home.

As Cupcake flew lower and lower, David focused his attention on the water.  It took him a long time - the ocean, being so huge, absorbs magical energy very easily - but he managed to form the water into the shape he wanted.

"Friej fraxis!" he shouted, pointing his wand.  The water he had shaped froze instantly into a barge.  Icy outriggers would keep it stable.

Cupcake landed gingerly on the barge, but David had made it big enough that her weight didn't even shift it.  David slipped down off her and walked around a bit.  He was sore from the long ride, but that was hardly Cupcake's fault.

"I don't want you to go back just yet," David said.  "I want you to rest.  I'll stay up here until it's time for you to go back."

Cupcake just nickered in agreement.  The flight back would be easier, as the wind would be aiding her, rather than fighting her, but he was still concerned about her making the trip.

The two stayed on the barge for almost an hour before David felt she had gotten as much use out of the stop as she could.

"Okay.  I'm going below now.  If you need more rest, this barge should last for a few more hours.  I'll see you soon."

Cupcake nickered and nuzzled him.  He stepped back, and she immediately leapt into the air, swinging around to head west.

David didn't spend time watching her, but took out his Merlung potion and drank it down.  The amount he'd taken should last him a solid eight hours.  After that, he'd have to take more.  He donned a ComfortCloak bathing suit before diving in, and so the shock of entering the Northern Abaian Ocean wasn't as bad as he had feared.  He didn't try to swim, but just let himself sink.  

It took a little over two minutes to sink the six hundred feet to the ocean floor.  He was glad the colony was on the continental shelf: a dozen or so more miles out to sea, and he would have had a much longer trip to the bottom.  The merfolk colony was perhaps a mile away according to his magical sense.  He started to swim in that direction.

It wasn't long before he had company.  Three mermaids joined him, swimming along beside, a bit befuddled by his complete lack of panic at being submerged on the bottom of the ocean.  Since they weren't quite close enough to talk to, he signed to one of them, mimicking drinking a liquid, and then moving his hands in and out on his chest.  She got the idea, and nodded with a smile.  She motioned with her hand, indicating they needed to turn left slightly.

David followed them for about a half-hour, and they reached a cave entrance.  The mermaid motioned him in, but didn't follow him.  He swam forward, and had to swim upward, as the cave turned in that direction.  Shortly, he was shocked to break the surface of the water.  He was nowhere near the ocean's surface, he knew.  He had to still be at least five hundred feet down.

He climbed out onto the rocky ground.  He wondered, briefly, if he'd just been imprisoned.  If they were to place a large boulder over the cave opening, he'd supposedly have no way out.  At least, a normal wizard wouldn't.  He didn't worry over it greatly, but decided to first dry his clothes with a spell, and then sat down to wait.

It was an hour before someone else joined him.  When she did, it was the person he was hoping for.

"David!" Shell screamed in surprise.  She morphed into her human form - sans any clothing - and came over to him.  The two embraced for a long time, and then kissed passionately.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Oh, you know, was in the neighborhood, thought I'd drop in..."

Shell giggled.

"Nice to see you, by the way," he said, leering at her nude form.

Shell blushed, but kept her smile.  "You've already seen it, no need for me to hide it."

"Amen," David said in agreement.

"So, what are you doing here?" she asked

"Well... I'm not even sure how to explain that, exactly.  I'm looking for something, and it was suggested that some mermaids, somewhere, might help me find it.  Your colony is the closest to home, plus you're the only mermaid I know personally, so I came here."

"What is it you're looking for?"

"A piece of the primal aegis."

"The... what?"

David grinned.  "That's what it was called in the old documents.  The Mirelians translated that for me to 'elemental shield'."

"Something to do with the elements?  That would be the responsibility of the Delphinium."

"What's that?"

"They're our religious leaders."

"Where do I have to go to find them?"

"Southern Sopasante."

"Oh, hell," David said.  Then he realized Shell was giggling.

"You got really lucky, David.  Our colony is the home of the Delphinium most of the year."

"Most of the year?"

"They spend the winter months further south."

"Well... are they here, then?"

"Winter, for us, means January through March.  Actually, what ends up being the day after Yuletide ends."

"I thought you guys didn't celebrate Yuletide."

"We don't, but our traditions still follow the ancient calendar, and the new year starts right after Yuletide."

"Oh, I get it.  So winter for you is just the first three months of the year."

"Right."

"So... is it possible for me to speak to the Delphinium?"

"I will ask them to come here and talk with you.  You're not allowed in the colony proper, since you're not a mer.  Can I bring you something to eat or drink?"

"You know I don't need food."

Shell blushed.  "I forgot."

David leaned over and kissed her.  "How did your research go, anyway?"

"They're still debating it all."

"Well, I assume they know that now is not a good time to send students to Callamandia."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, why?  We're in the middle of a war!"

"You are?"

David looked at her in shock.

"We don't get land news down here, David.  How bad is it?  Who are you warring with?"

"Vrudena.  It's pretty nasty.  I'm stuck in the army now."

"So, this elemental shield... it's some kind of weapon?"

"No, it's a shield.  A defensive measure."

"Oh... that makes sense.  Silly me.  I'll go and tell the Delphinium what's going on.  Someone will be back to let you know what they said."

"Not you?" he asked.

"It might be me.  Is it important?" she asked with a smile.

"Well..." David said with a grin.  "I see you're still wearing the necklace I sent you."

"I love this necklace.  Sometimes I hold it and listen to it as I fall asleep.  Thank you."

David kissed her again, and she held him for a long moment.  Finally, they parted.

"I'll be back later," she said.  "Don't go away, now..."

"Where would I go?" he asked no one, as she had already dived into the water and disappeared.

 Shell was not actually the next mermaid that David saw.  About two hours after she had left, seven new merfolk broke the surface.  The obvious leader was a merman wearing bracers of gold on his wrists and a broad necklace of gold, engraved with various symbols that David couldn't immediately interpret.

"Hello," David said.

"My name is Marlin," the man said.  "I am the leader of the Delphinium.  You are called David?"

"Yes, sir," David said.  He knelt down, because the merfolk were all still in the water, and he didn't like towering over them as he was.

"And you are seeking something," the man continued.

"Yes."

"Can you describe it?"

"Not in the slightest," David said with a slight grin.  "I have no idea what it looks like."

"That could make it hard to find," one of the other merfolk - this one a woman - said.

"You have no idea," David agreed.  "I know that it is being protected by... something.  I was told you might know what the something is that possesses it."

"What is this thing called?"

"It is a piece of what was called the 'primal aegis'.  Or you might know it simply as an 'elemental shield'.  It is supposed to be a device that uses the elements to form an impenetrable barrier."

"And why do you want this shield?"

"Well, frankly, I don't.  But my king would like to use it to help us win the war we are currently fighting."

"You don't want the shield?  You have no use for it at all?"

"Sir, I am a demighost.  I am in no danger from war, or anything else, really.  I have no need of a shield, except to protect my friends."

"Very well.  Let us begin.  Shell told us that you are comfortable beneath the water?"

"I do not need to breathe.  I also have a potion that will let me talk, if that is necessary."

"It is not.  We will bring you back here for discussion afterward.  Please come with us."

David jumped into the water and swam.  The Delphinium was polite enough to swim slowly, so he could keep up.  They led him to a deep depression, almost a well within the ocean floor.  As they sank down into it, there was a narrow spire inside the wall, with a top that had been obviously flattened.  The leader of the Delphinium motioned him to rest on it.  The Delphinium members all moved back, coming to rest in various nooks of the wall of the well.

David could not make out what Marlin was saying, but it was clear that it was some kind of invocation, not meant to be directed at David.  As Marlin finished, a soft orange light shot out from each Delphinium member, and engulfed David.  It was slightly warm, but not unpleasant, and David merely sat and waited.

This took much longer than he had anticipated it would.  Two hours later, the orange light finally faded.

Marlin approached and motioned David to follow, and they all returned to the cave where David was being housed.  He climbed out of the water and dried himself, then sat down upon the rocks and waited.

"Recently, you committed an act of mass murder," Marlin said.  It was surprising to David that there was neither horror, nor accusation, in the man's voice.  It was said very matter-of-factly.

"Murder would be, I think, a strong term, given it was done during wartime," David objected mildly.  "I admit killing a great many people, however."

"People who couldn't fight back," Marlin pressed.

"They had the chance to surrender.  They refused.  They paid the price for poor decision making."

Marlin stared at him for a long moment.  "You continue upon your path."

"I know."

"Is this by choice?"

"By ignorance," David replied.

"How so?  You know you're on the path.  You've been told more than once."

"I don't know how to get off the path.  I am oath-bound to continue fighting the war.  I am duty-bound to continue to do my best in that effort.  Given that, I have found no way to... save myself, without destroying my future in another way."

Marlin nodded.  "But you're trying."

"The issue is ever-present in my mind, sir."

"You enjoyed killing those men," one of the women said.

"They weren't men," David replied coldly.

"I will give you this one piece of advice, young man.  You are in serious danger, so long as you believe that.  Werewolves they may be, but they are sapient people, just like you and me."

"So were the barbarians," David muttered to himself.

"Excuse me?" Marlin asked.

"Sorry, thinking out loud.  I understand your point, and intellectually, I can agree with you.  Emotionally, it is very hard to attribute humanity to a group that acts as they do."

"Did you act any better than them when you slaughtered them?"

"I didn't eat anyone," David replied before he could stop himself.

"A fair point, from your perspective," another merman said.  "But it is part of their culture."

"Which is why I'm not too fond of their culture," David said.

"Do you see hope for yourself?  In defeating your darkness, I mean?"

"I haven't given up trying yet," David replied.

"Do you think you will succeed?" one mermaid asked.

"I don't know.  I hope so."

"Why?"

"Why... what?"

"Why do you hope you will succeed in remaining on the side of light?"

"Because I know what kind of damage I can do otherwise."

"To whom?"

"Everyone."

"Including yourself?"

"If I go that route, what happens to me isn't really important anymore.  Honestly, I would hope that my banshee would step in and kill me, somehow."

"You feel that strongly about it?"

"I said this to a friend of mine some time ago.  I scare me."

The Delphinium muttered to each other for a moment.

"Let us confer.  We will return shortly."

David nodded, and the merfolk all submerged beneath the water.

David spent his time practicing his combat tactics while he waited.

After further hours, the water's surface was disturbed again.  It was Shell once more.

"Hey," David said, confused.  "What's up?"

"Tomorrow, I will take you to see Tiamat."

"Um... I thought Tiamat was a god."

Shell smiled.  "She'd like being called that.  Tiamat is a water dragon.  A very large, sometimes cranky, water dragon."

"What dragon isn't cranky about ninety percent of the time?" David asked.

Shell giggled.  "True.  Tiamat is often cranky even in dragon terms."

"Yikes."

"Yes.  So be polite to her.  She has possession of the Rain Crystal, which is what you are looking for.  You will have to convince her to give it to you.  That may not be as easy as convincing the Delphinium to let you talk to her."

"Yeah, Ladon wasn't much fun, either."

"Ladon?"

"The dragon who had the first piece.  I'm guessing that all five pieces are held by dragons?"

"I have no idea," Shell replied.  "Honestly, I don't know anything about any of it.  My job, now that I'm back here, is as fisher."

"Is that a... good... job?"

"The job itself sucks.  But it's a highly respected job that pays pretty well."

"Why does it suck?"

"Hard work, long days."

"How come, if you're a fisher, you were the one to come here and greet me?  Not that I'm complaining!"

Shell smiled.  "I have the most human contact of anyone in the colony.  They figured I'd be able to interact most easily."

"Well, I'm glad it was you.  It's good to see old friends."

"Yeah.  So, tell me about the war."

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything.  Everything.  We can't go see Tiamat until tomorrow morning, which is a lot of time to kill."

David chuckled.  "So you're not going to leave me in here to twiddle my thumbs?"

Shell smiled.  "That would be mean.  I'll leave to get my dinner, but otherwise, I'll stay here with you until we leave."

"Thank you," David said sincerely.

"So, tell me," Shell said.

And so David did.

 "She's in there," Shell said, motioning to a cave entrance.  Seeing the look on his face, Shell said, "No, I'm not going in there with you.  I like you, but not enough to risk meeting Tiamat face to face."

David smiled, and gave her a hug.

"I'll be waiting here if you survive," she said with a grin.

David reached into the pouch he was carrying.  His ComfortCloak swimsuit kept him warm, but it had no pockets.  The pouch carried the things he would need.  For now, he pulled out a squeeze bulb.  Inside the bulb was Merlung potion.  He would need to be able to talk to Tiamat.

Sticking the nozzle of the bulb in his mouth, he squeezed hard on the bulb, shooting the potion into his mouth.  He swallowed the potion, and felt it start to work immediately.

"See you soon," he said to Shell, and then he turned to the cave entrance.

"Good luck!" she called before he got too far.

Unlike Ladon's cave, Tiamat's cavern was clearly sculpted to be a home.  Once past the first two turns, light infused the tunnel from various sea creatures that either swam or clung to the cave walls.  The cave was smoothed out so that no jagged points reached out to grab him.  The width of the cave was impressive; David wondered just how big Tiamat was.

The entrance tunnel soon ended, and David entered a massive chamber, the ceiling so far up that it was hidden in the distance haze of the water.  The chamber was even better lit than the tunnel had been, and he almost felt as if he were on the surface.

As he reached the center of the chamber, a shadow obscured an opening in the far wall.  Through it swam a huge reptile, at least a hundred feet long.  It was not pleasant to look at, and the gleam in its eye was unfriendly, to say the least.  The beast swam around David six times, and then settled in front of him.  Though its body was long, and bulky, it was now staring David eye to eye.

"Why do you disturb me, creature?" the dragon asked.  Her voice cut through the water in a way that sent chills up David's spine.

"You are Tiamat, Guardian of the Ocean?" David asked.  He had inquired about any titles she might have, in an effort to get on her good side.

"I am.  What do you want?"

"My name is David Stroud.  I am-"

"I didn't ask you who you were.  I asked you what you wanted," she interrupted.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't want to be rude."

"And you thought the way to achieve that was to ignore my question?" she snapped.

"Well, I had planned to answer your question as soon as I was done introducing myself," David replied gently, trying to get things back on good footing.

"Get on with it, then," Tiamat growled.

"I have come to ask if you would consent to give me the Rain Crystal."

"Why should I?"

"Well... um... why not?" David inquired.

"I am in no mood for your pretentiousness, creature."

"Sorry, ma'am.  It's just... well, I need it, and it's of no use to you..."

"Presumptuous!" Tiamat snarled.

"I'm sorry?" David asked.  "Does it do something by itself?  I mean, the other one sure doesn't seem to...  Is it actually useful to you?"

"That is none of your concern, creature," Tiamat growled.  "And you have not answered my question.  Why should I relinquish my treasure to you?"

David shrugged.  "I have no argument to make in my favor, ma'am, other than I have need of it.  I would offer something in trade, but I doubt there is anything you want that I could realistically provide."

"Actually, there is," Tiamat said, "Given who and what you are."

"What can I offer you?"

"In fifty years, I will give birth.  I want your solemn vow that you will care for my child until she reaches maturity."

"I... don't live in the ocean, ma'am."

"Nor will my child, which is why I cannot raise her myself!  I am an ocean dragon, but her father was a land dragon.  She will not be able to tolerate saltwater until she is an adult, if ever."

"What would I have to do, and how long would this take?"

"Dragons reach self-sufficiency around the age of fifty.  You must house her in whatever environment will make her comfortable.  You must provide her food, shelter, and whatever mediocre teachings your kind can manage.  You must keep her safe."

"Not to get sidetracked, but how do you know it'll be a girl?  And... it takes fifty years for dragons to give birth?"

"I know because I am a dragon.  And I have already been pregnant for two centuries.  Ocean dragons are rare for a reason, creature."

"Wow.  Um... how will I know when you give birth?"

"You were brought here by the mermaids, yes?"

"Yes."

"They will bring the child to you when it is time.  It is your responsibility to make sure they can find you.  If my child should die from a lack of your attention... you shall be hounded by all dragons for ten thousand years.

"Is it a deal, creature?"

"Okay," David said.  He only hoped that Tiamat's baby wouldn't be even worse than Bispy had been.

Tiamat turned with astonishing speed and swam to the side of the chamber.  She reached into a nook and pulled something out.  She swam back and then handed it to him.  It was a blue crystal, in the shape of a raindrop, but about the size of a golf ball.  When David held it, he could feel a sense of its power, but it did nothing.

"I don't suppose you'll tell me where to find the other pieces?"

"You have nothing more to trade for that information, creature," Tiamat said.  "Truly, you should be sad that you have come to me at this point, rather than last."

"Why?"

"Because I care nothing about your intent, as my fellow guardians do.  I do not believe that you will beat the darkness that is within you, and the others will not give you what you seek because of it.  Your mission is doomed to failure.  Nevertheless, our agreement stands regardless!  You have made the commitment."

"But, if I fall to the darkness within me, why would you want me to raise your child?"

"Do you think the evil within you can rise anywhere near the level of a dragon, creature?  You and your kind know nothing of true malevolence!  If any of you truly understood what we dragons are capable of, you would be far more respectful!  Trust me, human, there is nothing you can do around my child that would be in any way distressing to me."

"Even if I turned her into a human-eating battle mount?"

"I would actually enjoy watching that," Tiamat mused.  "You have my permission to try."

David paled slightly.  "Um... I'll try not to, actually.  Thank you, ma'am, for the crystal.  Will I have need to see you again?"

"It would be to your disadvantage if it happens."

"I understand.  I will let you get back to your rest.  Thank you again."

"Remember your promise, creature.  I will."

"Of course."

David turned and swam as quickly as he could out of the chamber.  He had finally been in the presence of someone just as dark and malignant as his dark side.

He was even more afraid of himself now.

"You agreed to raise a dragon?" Shell asked in shock.

David shrugged.  "It was necessary to achieve my mission.  And it's not like I don't have experience.  I've been putting up with Bisperion for seven years now."

"That's true, I'd forgotten about him."

"Lucky you," David said with a grin.  "But he's not really such a problem now.  I think he got over his terrible teens phase."

"Terrible teens?"

"Well, when we met, he was like fourteen or something.  He's in his twenties now, and he's a bit more mellow... and somewhat more menacing."

Shell giggled.  "But... fifty years?"

"It'll be fifty years from now.  Lord knows what I'll be doing, but I have the money to just take fifty years off if I have to.  Assuming we're not still in the middle of this stupid war then."

"You think you will be?"

"No.  The longer it goes, the less likely we are to win.  If it goes fifty years, I'm pretty sure we'll have lost.  We'd have run out of people to throw at the problem."

"Do you think you will?  Lose, I mean?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

"You're just one soldier, though."

"No, I'm not," David said.

"What do you mean?"

"Shell, I'm a demighost.  The only way they can beat me is to overwhelm me with numbers.  And that will only work until I get some rest."

"So... not to be sarcastic or anything, but why don't you just go kill them all?"

"Because my sanity wouldn't survive that.  Everyone who should know is telling me I'm already in danger.  I could do what you suggest, but that would just create an even worse enemy for Callamandia to worry about: me."

Shell frowned, and there was a long moment of silence.  Finally, she had to say something.

"I meant to ask last night... are you expecting to be rained on?" Shell asked, motioning around them.  They were lying inside the tent his troop used in the field.

David knew she was changing the subject, and heartily appreciated it.  "The bedding is stored in the tent, which is stored in my Conjuring Room.  It is much easier to just conjure the whole tent than it is to try to pull something out of it."

"Okay, fair enough," she said.  "So, now that you've got the Rain Crystal, where will you look next?"

"No idea.  You got any suggestions?"

"No, I have no idea how you figured out we could help you."

"The archivist at the Royal Archive said that the merfolk were strongly element-oriented.  That was all I had to go on."

"You came here on that slim thread alone?"

"Yep."

"But you don't know where you'll go next?"

"Nope."

"Well, there is one group I know of that's wedded to the elements... but I don't think it's going to help you any."

"Oh?  Who's that?"

"The werefoxes."

David groaned.  "And they live in..."

"Northern Vrudena.  They are arctic foxes, usually.  The orcans have talked about them in the past.  Elementalism seems to be ingrained into their culture."

"Where do I find them, specifically?"

"No idea.  I've never met one myself.  And the orcans were never specific in their stories.  And, anyway, why would they help you?  You're at war with their nation."

"That's true.  But it's possible, if they live that remotely, that they don't much care about their nation.  They might be tribal."

"All weres are tribal."

"Okay, more tribal.  Tribal enough not to care about the war."

"Well, good luck, but I think you're barking up the wrong tree."

"Do foxes bark?" David asked with a smirk.

"I don't know," Shell said with a corresponding grin.  "But they do yelp... and I want you to make me yelp, now."

David arched his eyebrows lecherously.  "You want to do it in the water again?"

Shell shook her head.  "To tell the truth, that wasn't as much fun as I was hoping for.  It was too much work to keep us together."

David nodded.  "How do you handle it with mermen?"

"Mermen have longer dicks," she said bluntly.

"Oh.  Sorry I didn't live up to the standard," David replied.

Shell wrapped her arms around him.  "I said longer, not better.  They're also fairly thin, unlike yours.  And most of the length is wasted, anyway.  All it does is make sure they can actually stay inside long enough to get the job done."

"Sure, try to soothe my bruised ego..." David said with a grin.

"Oh, shut up and get naked," Shell said.  She, of course, was already naked, since she wore no clothes while in the ocean.

It didn't take David very long to remove what few clothes he had on, himself.  Shell then pushed him gently down onto the sleeping mat, and slipped down his body until she was in line with his dick.

Shell leaned forward and smoothly slipped her lips around the head of David's cock head.  She kept moving, her lips sliding down his length until she'd taken as much as she could.  At that, she started to move up and down his shaft, keeping a smooth motion that nevertheless had him hard as iron almost instantly.  Her pace also meant that he could hold off his orgasm for quite some time.

Finally Shell started to swivel her tongue back and forth across his pole, and David knew the end was now in sight.  He closed his eyes and tried to relax, to stave off the impending blow, but it was no use.  Shell's lips and tongue simply felt too good.  Giving her a couple warning grunts, he let loose blast after blast of jism into her mouth.  Shell took it all, swallowing and continuing to suck on him until his climax had passed.

Once she knew he was done, she let him loose.  She knew he'd need a couple minutes to recover, so she lay down next to him, her hand sliding across his chest sensuously.

David rolled to face her, and kissed her passionately, his hand first fondling her tit, but then sliding down between her legs to slip against her already wet pussy lips.  Feeling that, David gently pushed her onto her back, and slid down her body this time.

"I told you, mermaids don't really like that..." she reminded him.

"Have you ever tried it in human form?" he asked.

"Well, no... not sure it would be different, though..."

"Only way to know that is to try it out..." David pointed out.

"That's true," she said with a smile, parting her legs a little further.

David leaned in and softly slid his tongue across Shell's pussy lips.

"Whoa," Shell said in surprise.

David smiled, but kept up his tongue maneuvers, applying a little more pressure now.  Shell started to moan softly as he worked, her hips rolling slightly as he licked.  Suddenly, he moved his tongue up, slipping it wetly across her clit.

"Oh, shit!" Shell cried out, and bucked her hips strongly, forcing her clit against his tongue more firmly.  David complied, lashing her clit fiercely.  After a few more seconds, he slipped a finger deep into her pussy and started to finger-fuck her.  Shell's cries and moans grew in pitch and volume until she was screaming at the top of her lungs.  Suddenly, her body went rigid, and David's hand was flooded with her juices.  He slammed his finger all the way into her and held it, while his tongue continued to flick over her clit.

Finally, when she couldn't take any more, she pushed David's head away from her pussy.  He left his finger inside of her, because he knew even withdrawing it could be too intense at that point.  Instead, he carefully moved himself up alongside her.

When he was in range, Shell pulled his face to hers and they kissed passionately, their tongues playing back and forth for long moments, until she was able to calm down enough for him to withdraw his finger.

"Oh, damn," Shell gasped.  "Now it really sucks that there aren't any humans underwater!"

David chuckled, his hand running gently across her breast as she recovered.  He could feel her body shiver as his fingers slid across her nipple.

"Oh, Sedna, you need to fuck me now," Shell growled.

David didn't argue.  He rolled on top of her and slid his hard cock deep into her depths.  Shell moaned loudly at the feel of him inside her.

As it was clear she was more than ready, David didn't start out slow, but instead grabbed hold of her hips and started ramming into her hard and fast.  Shell was quickly crying out in pleasure, her heat rising quickly.  It wasn't long before she screamed out another orgasm.  David slowed, waiting for this one to pass.

Once she'd regained her breath, David sat up, lifting Shell's hips off the mat. He held her in place and plunged into her hard, but with a slower rhythm.  This made little difference, as Shell was very soon ramping up to another orgasm.  When it came, she shuddered so hard that David almost dropped her.  He leaned down, setting her back on the mat and lightly pressing his entire body against her.

Shell was in ecstasy, and she never wanted this to end.  She loved that he just stayed planted inside her while she recovered.  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him more tightly against her, and kissed him passionately.

David wrapped his arms around her back and sat up.  She circled his waist with her legs, holding herself tight to him.  David rolled his hips, thrusting into her in short but strong moves.  Shell's body jolted with each thrust, her nipples dragging hot trails across David's chest.  Both of them were now ascending to their peak.  Their tongues continued to dance as their bodies slammed together.

Soon, Shell was right on the knife-edge of bliss, and David held her there.  He wasn't quite there himself, and he didn't want her coming before he did.  She groaned in frustration, but he didn't relent, continuing to torment her in the most pleasant manner.  Finally his body reached the point of no return, and he started to slam into her faster.

In no time at all, Shell was over the edge, screaming out her pleasure into David's mouth.  David grunted as he started to come, and he filled her pussy with his spunk.  For long moments, the two shuddered and grunted together.  Even after their climaxes had passed, they continued to kiss, locked together in that position.  Only when David's cock slid from within Shell did he finally set her gently back on the mat.

Rolling to her side, he took her back in his arms, but softly.  They snuggled tightly, and there, they slept.

"There's no way you can go back today," Shell told him.

"Why not?"

"Huge storm up there.  You said you were getting a ride from a pegasus?  No way he'd be able to fly in that."

"She, but I get your point.  Well, hell.  Look like it's going to last a while?"

"Might be all day," she confirmed.

"Shit.  If it's more than a couple hours, I won't have enough daylight to make it back in time, anyway.  Now what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"I can think of a few things," she murmured as she put her arms around him.

"Hmm," David said.  "Are you sure there's a storm up there?  Or are you just trying to keep me here?"

Shell arched her eyebrows at him.  "I'm just taking advantage of your captivity."

"I see.  Well, I'm at your mercy, sea witch.  What will you do to me?"

It was aggressive and noisy.

"Hey, David," Gwen said brightly upon seeing him enter the main room.  "I figured when Cupcake was gone you'd be home sometime today."  She gave him a strong hug, then a short kiss.

"Hey!" Denise said accusatorially from the doorway.  "That's my boyfriend!  Don't be getting all your girl cooties all over him!"  She grinned widely as she crossed the room.  Gwen snickered as Denise wrapped her arms around David.

"Hey, there," Denise said, then kissed David passionately.

Once they broke the kiss - which David did not attempt to shorten in any way - he said, "We're not supposed to be playing kissy-face in front of your daughter."

"You note she didn't so much as turn her head," Denise said dismissively.  "I think she likes to watch."

Gwen turned purple in embarrassment.  Denise giggled.  David just shook his head.  He finally disentangled himself from Denise.

"How's everything going here?"

"The natives are getting a little restless," Denise said.

"Oh?"

"They're bored," Gwen explained.  "They don't have all the entertainment options here they'd have in their own homes."

"Such as?"

"Mirrors, games, magical objects that entertain... just, you know, stuff to do."

David nodded.

"So you going to be here just for the rest of today?" Denise asked.

"No, I'll be here at least today and tomorrow.  They approved a ten-day leave, and I'll be damned if I'm not going to take every minute of it.  I figure I'll go visit with Zyla and Grace on Sunday."

"When would your leave be up?" Gwen asked.

"I have to be back to base next Friday."

"That's a full week from now.  And we only get to see you for a day?"

David snorted.  "I don't think Zyla would want me around for that long.  I'm sure I'll be here for a fair portion of the week."

"Good.  Maybe you can help us figure out how to handle the boredom."

"Uh-huh.  I know how you want to handle the boredom," David said to Denise, who blushed.  Gwen got to giggle this time.

"Now let me go find Olissa and check in, see what's going on.  I'll catch up with you guys later, okay?"

"What's up?" Gwen asked.  David had pulled her aside after dinner and escorted her into the library for a private conversation.

"I wanted to apologize for your mother.  You know, when I got here?"

Gwen blushed slightly and giggled.

"I made you a promise, but she's making it difficult to keep," David said.

"Don't worry about it too much," Gwen said.  "The really disturbing thing is, she's partly right."

"About?"

"Me liking to watch."

"What?"

Gwen laughed at him.  "Your face!  Priceless!  No, I don't want to watch you, or worse, Mom, having sex.  But it turns out I kind of do like watching someone treat her nice for a change.  I mean, Dad's never been mean, as such, but he kind of ignored her, you know, physically.  I understand why, now, but it was one of those things that I always used to worry over when I was living at home."

"So you're not upset?"

"Nope."

"So if we keep being affectionate in front of you..."

"Just make her keep her clothes on, okay?"

"...I can't guarantee that!  I was trying to keep her kisses in check, and you see how well that worked!"

Gwen laughed.

"I'm really uncomfortable out here," Zyla admitted to David quietly.  They were in a local park, at the playground area.  Grace was playing with two smaller children and having a lot of fun.

"I know.  But facing that is good for you," David replied gently.  "Besides, Grace needs to socialize.  She hasn't been exposed to a lot of new kids.  She'll be heading off to pri school next year or the year after, and if she's not used to meeting strangers, it's going to be very scary for her."

"I know you're right.  And I appreciate you bringing us out here.  I just... too much has happened, too fast.  This all feels like I'm waiting for something bad to happen to one of us."

"You can't live your life that way."

"You do," she objected.

"I'm a soldier.  People are trying to kill my friends and colleagues every day.  I have to think that way.  You are safe.  The fighting is nowhere near here.  How often do you feel this kind of fear?"

"At least once a day.  It's a lot worse when I venture out of the house."

"Is it getting better or worse?"

"A little better over time.  I admit it's easier to deal with when you're around.  There's no way I'd be out here without you."

David nodded, but didn't respond.  He watched the children playing, instead.

A slightly older child was moving through the playground, picking on younger kids.  He pushed two, and stomped on one's sand castle.  David frowned and looked for a parent to be intervening and stopping the troublemaker, but no one was coming forward.  Other parents seemed to be doing the same thing he was, though the parents of his victims were snapping at him.  This, he ignored.

In due course, the boy made his way toward Grace, who was still playing with her new friends, oblivious to the belligerent boy who was bearing down on her.  David tensed, but forced himself to remain still, not wanting to overreact... or to preempt something that wasn't going to happen.

As David watched, however, the aggressive boy shoved Grace, who fell to the ground and started crying.  Zyla immediately went over to her to make sure she was okay.

The boy started laughing and began to walk away toward another child.  David's restraint ended at that point.  A quick spell from David, and the boy was suddenly floating three feet off the ground, struggling in mid-air.  David marched over to him.

Looking the boy straight in the eye, David asked, "Do you want to apologize to the little girl, or would you like me to show you how it feels to be harassed by someone bigger and stronger than you?"

"Hey!" A man screamed as he approached.  "Let my kid go!  He was just having some damned fun!"

As David turned to look at the man, the man grabbed David's coat by the lapel.  "I said put him down," the man snarled.

"You're wrinkling my coat," David said calmly.

"I'm going to do more than wrinkle your coat if you don't let my kid down, asshole!" the man seethed.

David stated calmly, "Sir, I am a combat soldier."  Pausing, he stepped closer to the man, and the rest of his words were far more malevolent.  "So if you don't wish your son to witness your violent and bloody death, I would advise you get your motherfucking hand off me."

The man released his grip on David instantly and stepped back.  "You can't just go around picking on kids for the fun of it!" the man demanded.

"I did what I did to instruct, not to have fun.  But even if I was just amusing myself, what's the problem?  That's exactly what you were letting him do..."

"He's only six!"

"And she's only four," David retorted.  "And your child didn't push her because of a mistake, or because they were playing, or even out of anger.  He pushed her because he thought it was funny.

"Your son is a spoiled brat, and that is your fault.  You chose not to discipline him, and this is what you've ended up with.  But don't act all offended, or even surprised, when he gets stuck facing the consequences for being a jerk, because you're the one who stuck him there."

With that, David thrust the child into the father's chest.  "Take your son and go home," he said.

"This park is free for everyone to use," the man sniffed.

"Let me rephrase," David said darkly.  "Take your son and go home while you can still walk."

The man backed away, clutching his son.  After he got far enough away, he set his son down, and the two of them walked quickly out of the park. David turned and went over to Grace, kneeling down to talk with her.

"You okay, Gracie?" She nodded tearily.  He pulled her to him, and she hugged him as tightly as ever.

Zyla said, "You were a bit harsh.  What were you going to do to the boy, anyway?"

As he let go of Grace, he said, "Nothing serious, just kind of dangle him upside-down for a few minutes... maybe 'accidentally' drop him when I was done...  He'd have landed on something soft."

Like his head... 

"I admit he was out of control, but why was it necessary for you to confront a six-year-old?" Zyla wanted to know.

David looked at her seriously.  "Nobody hurts my family and gets away with it, Zyla.  Nobody."

"But we're not your family.  Well, I mean, not really..." Zyla objected.

David looked at her for a long moment, then rose from his kneeling position.  He didn't say anything further, but walked off toward the edge of the park.

Zyla looked after him in dismay.  She wasn't sure which landmine she'd just stepped on, but the look of pain in David's eyes would haunt her as she tried to sleep that night.

"She's out like a light," David said softly.  He had just put Grace down for bed.  He remained standing.  "I should probably head home."

Zyla rose from the couch.  "Do you have to go?"

"I should," he repeated.  "There are a few minor issues back at the house, and we need to have a kind of family meeting to try to find solutions."

Zyla nodded.  She didn't believe this was the real reason he was leaving.

"David... about what I said at the park..."

David raised his hand.  "Forget it.  It's my issue to deal with.  Sorry if I got a little overzealous."

"It's not... I just..."

David shook his head.  "Anyway, I won't be able to be here tomorrow, Olissa tells me there are some things that I just have to deal with."

"Okay," Zyla said.

"I was thinking, though," David said.  "There's a concert on Thursday night.  I have to be back to HQ Friday morning, but I wondered if you might want to go?  It's the symphony orchestra, and they're going to be playing... well, the poster said the music would be uplifting and peaceful.  I figure we could both use some of that."

"Sure.  That sounds nice."

"Okay.  I'm sure I'll see you before Thursday, but if for some weird reason I don't, the concert's at seven."

"Okay."

David paused for a long moment, then finally said, "Anyway, I should get going.  I'll see you in a couple days."

"David, are you sure..."

David looked at her, and the look was disturbing.  It wasn't cold, but it was somewhat distant, which was something he'd never been toward her before.  "I'll see you in a couple days," he repeated, his voice still polite, still gentle.

Zyla nodded, and then she stepped forward and gave him a hug.  He hugged back without any hesitation.  They stayed that way for a long minute, and then they parted.  Zyla stayed where she was as David left the house.

Zyla then went to her room, closed the door, sat down on the bed, and cried.

"Master?" Olissa asked.

"What is it, Little One?" David replied.

"Do you want to talk about it?  I know something's bugging you."

David sighed.  "It's just something between me and Zyla."

"Did you two have a fight?"

"Fight?  No, I wouldn't call it that.  I just made an assumption, and she let me know I was wrong."

"I don't understand," Olissa admitted.

David explained about the little boy.  "When she asked why I did it, I told her that nobody is allowed to hurt my family.  At which point, she promptly told me that they weren't part of my family."

"Ouch," Olissa said softly.

David shrugged.  "I guess I have no right to think of them as such.  It's not like we're even in a relationship... well, you know, not that kind of one, anyway..."

"I don't think she meant any real harm by it, Master.  I think maybe she doesn't understand how much you care about her and Grace."

"I guess."

"Can I ask what was it about that, that bothered you so much?  Was it just because you're becoming close?"

"No.  I mean, I don't think we're really any closer now than we were a few months ago.  Well... maybe, I don't know.  Anyway..."

David took a deep breath before continuing.  Olissa could tell the situation still bothered him.  Finally he continued.

"When she said that, I felt like I was right back in my old house, my mother screaming at me that I wasn't her son.  It's the second time I've basically been kicked out of a family.  It hurt."

Olissa came and knelt at David's feet.  "Master, I really don't think she meant it that way.  Maybe she just doesn't understand why you feel so protective.  I don't think she has a real grasp of what you mean when you call someone family."

"Maybe not," David admitted.  The tone of his voice was not happy, however.

"You should talk to her about it," Olissa said as forcefully as she would allow herself.

"Not sure I want to give her an opportunity to confirm things outright," David replied.

"So you're... what, going to avoid her?"

"Can't do that.  I have a promise to keep.  No, I'm just going to do what I do, and expect that she won't necessarily understand why.  If she asks me again why I'm defending her or Grace... I'll just leave it as, 'because'."

Olissa frowned, but she didn't say anything.

"You're supposed to be making me feel better, not worse," David reminded her.

"Sorry, Master," she said seriously.  "What would you like me to do?"

"Well, you're already on your knees..." David pointed out.

Her mouth was surrounding his dick in seconds.

"So the real problem is simply boredom?  They're just bitching because there's nothing to do?"

"That's about it," Denise confirmed.  Denise and Olissa were at the table with him.  Gwen and Jess were there, as well.

"Well... give them something to do, then," David said with a shrug.

"Such as?"

"Chores.  Make them clean the place."

"That's mostly done by the brownies, Master," Olissa said.  "What isn't, I do myself."

"Make them do your part."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Olissa said with a grin.

"Bitch, bitch, bitch," David said with a grin.  Olissa giggled.

"How much room do we have left downstairs?"

"All sorts, for the moment.  You've only got about thirty guests."

"Okay.  Clear out... say, twenty of the room-spaces.  We'll get a pool table, a couple card tables, and make a play-area for the kids.  You mentioned entertainment items... why didn't they bring those with them?"

Gwen said, "I don't think a lot of them understood how long they'd be here."

"Well, tell them to go home and get stuff.  It's not like it's unsafe to walk the streets of Bolmont.  Just tell them that whatever they bring has to fit within their little room-space."

"What about outdoor things?  Games and such?"

"Sure.  I think I know a shop where we can get some stuff," David said, eyeing Gwen down at the end of the table.  She grinned.  "The other stuff, go ahead and order from wherever.  Olissa can sign for it."

"That should solve the problem pretty well."

"In the morning, I'll order four more sets of the Eternal Compendium."

"Four?" Denise gasped.

"That gives us books for sixteen people.  Maybe give them access to the library, too."

"What if someone damages one of your books?"

David shrugged.  "I don't even know what's in the library.  They're all obviously old, since Jacob put them there.  I'm sure they've been charmed to protect against basic damage."

Denise nodded.

"So that should handle that."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Anything else?"

There were shakes of the head.

"Okay.  Now, I know this is seemingly a long way off, and I haven't confirmed this plan with her yet, but just to make everyone aware ahead of time, my plan for the moment is to spend Yuletide with Zyla and Grace.  I have a feeling that is going to be a really rough time for both of them.

"Of course, if Zyla doesn't want me there for that, this plan will change."

"When will you ask her?"

"In a couple weeks.  Probably around the first of the month."

"Why wait so long?" Gwen asked.

Olissa shook her head at her friend.  She knew that David wanted to put some distance between what Zyla had said to him, and his asking, essentially, to intrude on a family time.

David said, "I'll ask her when I think it's a good moment.  Asking at the wrong time can trigger unpleasant emotions."  For one of us, at least...

Gwen just nodded.

"So what's on the agenda for tomorrow?" Denise asked.

"Wow," Zyla said.  "You clean up nice."

David was wearing dress clothes, since they were going to see the symphony play.  Zyla, too, had gotten a bit dressed up, and had even done her hair, which David had never seen her do before.

"You're looking awfully elegant, yourself," David said.  She blushed.

David greeted the babysitter and accepted a vigorous hug from Grace, who had already gotten ready for bed.  She had finally learned not to get on David's bad side about making a scene when they were going somewhere, so she just frowned a lot.

David saw the look.  "It's gonna be boring, Gracie.  Just a bunch of people playing music."

"Then why you go?"

"Your mom is making me.  She likes that kind of thing," David said, winking at her.  Grace giggled.  "You be a good girl."

"'kay."

David rose, and Grace flumped down on the couch.

Zyla told the babysitter, "We shouldn't be too late.  About... two hours, David?"

"Probably two and a half.  If we're running late, I'll ask Jailla to chirp at you."  David motioned to his familiar, who was resting on the back of the couch, watching over Grace.

The babysitter nodded, not exactly clear how David would do that, but not worrying about it too much.

David escorted Zyla outside, to the waiting carriage.  He had opted for a topless carriage, instead of a coach, to prevent her from remembering the time she was trapped in a burning one.  They rode to the auditorium in peaceful silence.

Once they were seated in the music hall, Zyla asked, "Have you ever heard this symphony play before?"

"No.  You?"

"Symphonies weren't Joe's thing," she said, then frowned.  The frown was short-lived, but David noticed it anyway.

"Not sure they're exactly my thing, either," David admitted.  "But I don't mind going once in a while.  It'd be better if Olissa was playing."

"What does she play?"

"The crystal melodium."

"Is she good?"

"She was one of the school's musical ambassadors a couple years back."

"Wow.  You don't play an instrument, do you?"

"No.  I played French horn for a year when I was a kid, but hated it.  After that, I never bothered again."

Zyla nodded.

"What about you?  Any musical talents?"

"I can hum in key, that's about it," she said.  David grinned.  "My mom - my real mom - had a great voice, and Dad used to play the harmonica like you wouldn't believe... I think he cheated."

"Cheated?"

"Used magic."

"That's not cheating, that's just using your talents," David said.

Zyla smiled.  "Anyway, he did things I've never heard anyone else do with a harmonica.  But the busier he got with the business, the less he did of that kind of thing."

David nodded.

Their conversation ended at that point, as the house lights dimmed, and the concert began.

The advertisement wasn't wrong; the music played was very soothing, without being dull.  It kept a lightness and an almost fun feeling, without becoming boisterous.  David and Zyla sat side by side, enjoying the music.  Occasionally, David would look over to Zyla, to see how she was reacting.  He was relieved to see that she was smiling, taking in the music and relaxing.  After their last outing together, he'd wanted her to have a positive out-of-the-house experience to balance things out.

Once the concert was over, the two of them sat still, just waiting for the auditorium to mostly empty.

"That was a nice concert," Zyla said to him.

"Yeah," David agreed.  "Glad you came?" he asked.

"Definitely.  Thank you."

"No problem.  Come on, I think it's empty enough we won't get trampled now."

The trip back to the house was as peaceful as the trip to the music hall, and just as silent.  Zyla was lost in her thoughts, and David really just had nothing to say.

The carriage waited as David escorted Zyla back into the house.  Zyla then turned to him.

"Thank you, David.  I needed that.  Like I said the other day, too much of life right now feels like waiting for bad things to happen.  For a little while, I could just forget about all of it."

David nodded.  "I'm glad you liked it," he said.

"You're going back on duty tomorrow, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yeah.  My leave is up."

"Please be careful."

"I always try."

"Please... don't be evil."

David frowned.  "I always try at that, too."

"When will I get to see you again?"

David shrugged.  "I don't know what's coming up.  I'll be back as soon as I can get a day off, but I'm unsure when that will be."

"Okay.  Take care of yourself, and tell Vivian I said hi."

"Will do."

Zyla hugged him tightly, and he returned the embrace.  They stayed that way for a long moment, until finally they separated.

"Good night," David said to her quietly.  She nodded, but didn't speak.

David turned and went back to the carriage.  He was going to head back to HQ that night, actually, so he needed to pack.

 "Must be nice, taking two weeks off whenever you like," Vivian said from the door to David's office.  Her smirk belied her words.

"Yeah, sure.  Next time, I'll let you face down the sea dragon."

"Um... no, that's okay.  Facing down boredom is dangerous enough for me."  She came in and sat down across from him.  "Did you get what you went for?"

"Yeah, I got the second crystal.  I'm guessing they're all crystals.  What you're supposed to do with them after that, I have no idea."

"They don't tell you?"

"They tell me very little beyond the fact that I'm a danger to the world and probably won't complete the shield."

Vivian frowned.  "And it took ten days?"

"No.  But they approved ten days of leave.  Wouldn't you have taken them all?"

"Bastard," she said with a grin.

"Zyla says hi, by the way."

"How's she doing?" Vivian asked, suddenly serious.

"Up and down."

"I can imagine," Vivian said.  "And Grace?"

"Grace is fine.  She rarely mentions Joe anymore.  A couple months back, she had a really bad spell where she was mentioning him every other day.  After that, Zyla says it was almost like some kind of switch got thrown in her head.  She just doesn't talk about him.  Maybe once a week or so, Zyla says."

"Well, for a girl her age, that's probably best.  I mean, it's not like her mom won't tell her about her dad when she gets bigger."

"Yeah.  So anything happen while I was gone?"

"Nothing unusual.  We lost some battles, won a couple, people died... that's about it."

David frowned.  "Dammit, we've got to find a way to get one up on these assholes."

"If you've got any ideas, I'm sure the king would love to hear them."

"If I had any ideas, the king would have already heard them," David retorted.

"Right.  Well, I'll let you get back to that mountain of paperwork you've got to do."

"Gee, thanks.  I think I'd rather face the damned dragon again."

Vivian chuckled and waved as she swept out the door.

"Swift for you, sir," Toni said as she handed the parchment over.

"Thanks, Toni," David said.  He opened the parchment, then swore.  He crumpled it, then stepped into the outer office.

"Toni, tell Vigax Dorn that he'll be in charge for a couple days.  I've got another of those damned after-action investigations to do.  I'm going to take Ginger with me."

"Yes, sir."

David collected Vigax Herminny, and they headed out to his glidetruck.

"So what have we got?" she asked as he pulled out of his parking spot.

"A company of soldiers was nearly wiped out.  They know they were flanked, but not how.  They had people watching for wolves, werewolves, werecats, the lot.  So they're not at all clear on how someone snuck up on them."

"Sounds like a tricky one."

"Could be."

After several minutes of silence on the road, David asked, "You making any progress with the portal stuff?"

"I've confirmed I have a grasp of the equations."

"How?"

"I was able to calculate the positions of the portals in your house."

David nodded.  "When we get done with this crap, I want you to show it to me.  That way, we can both work on it."

"Okay.  It's actually not that hard, but that Giselle woman didn't know how to organize her thoughts."

"Well, keep in mind, she was having to invent it as she went."

"True, I suppose.  I'm rewriting it to make it easier to work with."

"I hope you're keeping those notes under lock, key, and hexes."

"They're in my Conjuring Room, actually."

"You can conjure?"

"For basic stuff.  I got as far as the CR, but didn't make it past that."

"Still better than most," David pointed out.

"True enough.  Not like some level 7 Conjuring Master I know of..."

David smirked.  He had been promoted to the highest level when the RCA had learned he could teleport.

"How much further to the battle site?" Ginger asked after another few minutes.

"We're going to the field infirmary first.  It'll be another hour or so."

"Kind of a long way from home.  Why did they send you instead of someone closer?"

"I'm a Rimohr officer.  I don't think they ask for anyone but me on these stupid things."

"Oh."

"Can I help you, sir?" the capadra at the desk asked when David came in.

"I need to speak to the wounded from 3rd Company, 25th Battalion."

"Oh... I'm sorry, Vocator, but none of those men are still here.  Those that survived have already returned to their base."

David growled under his breath.  "Do you know where they're located?"

"No, sir, that information would be classified."

David tried very hard not to snap at the woman, who was just doing her job.  "Okay, thank you," he said shortly, then turned and left the building.

"Now what?" Ginger asked.

"Well, as I have no clue where the soldiers are, but I do know where the battlefield is, I guess we'll go see the battlefield.  Jailla, fly back to HQ and get someone's attention for me, would you?  Vivian or Giendia would be good enough.  Just someone who can pass along a message."

"This will take several hours," Jailla warned.

"I'm sure we'll still be evaluating the battlefield."

Jailla chirped and winged off.

"Come on, let's go see what we've got."

They got in the glidetruck and drove off toward the battle site.

"Well... this isn't as bad as I'd feared.  Not much blood.  How many men died here?"

"One-hundred eighty-seven," David replied.

"Wow.  There should be way more blood here for that, shouldn't there?"

"Yes.  I'm gonna guess that the battle was spread way the hell out, so the blood stains are scattered."

"Wait... where are the bodies?"

David looked around and saw signs of what he feared.  "Don't ask."

"Oh," Ginger said, knowing enough not to inquire further.

"So have a look around.  If you spot... well... anything you can't immediately explain, let me know."

"Like what?"

"Like anything.  I mean, obviously we expect werewolf prints, wolf prints, human prints... possibly were-raptor and raptor prints... blood stains, gore, and lots and lots of disturbed ground.  Pretty much anything else would be unusual."

"Okay."

"You go that way, I'll go this way."

"Wait... what if we're attacked?"

"They've been pushed back from this particular area, and they're attacking in a different zone right now.  We would have warning, unless a small unit ambushes us."

"And if that happens?"

"Run in my direction as fast as you can."

"Yes, sir."

"And don't call me sir," he growled.  Ginger snickered.

David had been scouring the ground for hours when he felt a tingling in his head.  He straightened up, and saw that Jailla had landed on Toni's desk.

Someone must have let him in the door.

Taking out the small piece of parchment he had already written the note on, he concentrated, and conjured the note in front of Jailla.  Toni looked a bit startled, but she picked up the note and read it.  She verified the recognition code he'd written at the bottom, and then went over to a filing cabinet.  He saw her pull out a folder, check something, and put it back.  She then returned to her desk.  Taking an InkyQuill, she wrote some coordinates on the paper, then scooted it back toward Jailla.

David concentrated again, and soon the paper was in his hand.

"What do you wish me to do now?" Jailla asked across their connection.

David said out loud, "Might as well stay there.  We'll probably be leaving here in a couple hours, and those coordinates would take you half a day to get to."

"Very well.  I'll stay in your office, in case you need further information."

"That works.  Thanks.  Oh, by the way, Toni usually has some lagoonberries in her lunch."

"We'll see about that," Jailla replied with obvious mirth in his voice.

David smirked, but then returned to what he was doing.

After another two hours, he met back up with Ginger.

"Anything?" he asked.

"Not that I noticed.  You?"

"Maybe.  Did you see a lot of deer prints?"

"Don't know if I'd call it a lot.  I saw some, yes.  But... it's a forest.  Deer live in the forest."

"The ones I saw seemed fresh."

"I don't know how to judge that."

"Were they deep, or worn away?"

"Seemed pretty deep... well, I mean, I guess."

"Fresh tracks, in a battle area.  I doubt you're going to see any deer in this neighborhood for a few more days.  Certainly you shouldn't have had deer here anywhere near the time of the battle.  Even if the humans didn't scare them off, wolves would have."

"So what are you saying?" Ginger asked.

"Remember who we're fighting."

"Werewolves."

"No, Vrudenans.  Not all Vrudenans are werewolves."

"So... you're suggesting they were attacked by deer?"

"Weredeer.  I've never seen a weredeer, but if they have antlers, consider how nasty they could be..."

Ginger nodded.  "I see your point.  How would we confirm?"

"We'll have to talk to the soldiers."

"We don't know where they are."

"We do now," David said.  "But it'll take us a while to get there.  We're probably gonna have to camp out for the night."

"Fun."

"I have a tent with me, so it's no big deal."

"Does your tent contain a shower?"

"No."

"Hmph," Ginger said with a smirk.

David just shook his head at her.

"What have you got, David?" Batalisto DeSantis asked.

"This one's pretty straightforward, sir.  The unit was outflanked."

"They said they were watching for that."

"Yes, but they were watching for the wrong thing."

"Explain."

"They were watching for werewolves, or wolves.  They failed to realize that not all weres are wolves.  While the werewolves had their attention at the front, a troop-sized unit of weredeer attacked from the rear.  The soldiers admitted they saw deer pass by, but didn't think anything of it.

"Sir, this point needs to be hammered home to all units.  Anything that looks suspicious needs to be investigated, even if you think it's harmless.  I don't care if you see twenty squirrels running up a tree, that needs to be watched."

DeSantis chuckled at the image that conjured up.  "I get your point.  I'll make sure to pass that up the chain of command.  Anything else to learn from this one?"

"No, sir.  The battle itself was a normal slugfest, just like all of them are.  No new weapons employed, no special tactics.  They just took advantage of the... well, the stupidity of their enemy."

"I don't think I'll phrase it that way to the arkigo."

David shrugged.  "It was a dumb thing for our men to do."

"Maybe so.  I'm still not phrasing it that way."

David smirked.  "Yes, sir."

"Anyway, good report.  The new assignment list should be on your desk in a few minutes."

"Yes, sir."

"Sir... three swifts for you."

"Three?"

"Yes, sir.  They all arrived within two minutes of each other."

Toni handed over the messages, and headed back to the outer office.  David quickly read all three of them, then he walked out to the outer office and took out his wand.  He aimed it at a circular decoration on the wall, and fired a small amount of energy into it.  Suddenly, an alarm sounded throughout the building.

"Sir?  What's going on?"

"The weres just broke through at Treacle.  They're coming our way again."