Chaos God 5, page 10
part #5 of Chaos God Series
“Welcome home, love,” Freesia said as she sipped a glass of water.
Shalanna blew a little kiss at me as she chewed her meal, and I mimed catching it out of the air for her.
“Are we to hear what you found on your journey?” Shalanna asked.
“Yes, please,” Freesia added with excitement in her eyes.
“Well, the smoke was definitely from a village…” I started with the most exciting news because I knew that’s what they’d want to hear first. “I saw stone houses, and people with hooded cloaks walking around, but I couldn’t see if they were humans or elves or what.”
“Stone houses?” Elora repeated with interest.
“Yeah.” I nodded and raised my hands to mime the shape of the village’s position between the mountains. “The town’s nestled in a valley, and it looked like they used the natural stone around them to build with.”
“Did you encounter more wind?” Elora asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “I was about to fly toward the village to get a closer look, but this huge gust of icy wind slammed me back. I got stuck in the currents for a bit before I could right myself. It was so powerful. I tried to increase my size twice to work past it, but it was no use. Then I started getting that numb, tingling feeling of frostbite, so I went down to check on Hezzig at that point.”
“This wind is so strange,” Shalanna mused.
“I’m not so sure it is,” I said. “I think all that Asgard has been through since Ragnarok has really done a number on the climate. I wouldn’t be surprised if our proximity to the shore has helped to stabilize everything in this area and make the weather more consistent for us.”
“You are right,” Elora agreed. “There has been so much change since Ragnarok.”
“Yeah, it’s not that crazy to me for the weather to be so all over the place,” I said with a shrug.
“So, what do we do now?” Freesia asked. “About the village?”
“We should try to help them,” Shalanna said with conviction.
“What if they are close to starvation?” Freesia worried.
“That’s a good point,” I agreed. “The area didn’t exactly look great for farming, and with the cold weather, anything they might be growing would be killed by the frost if it’s not a hardier plant.”
“We must help them if we can,” Shalanna insisted.
“I agree.” Freesia nodded. “They may need more than just food. They could have injured or ill people among them. They may be in danger of more than just the environment.”
“I am still nervous about who they may be,” Elora said as she chewed on her lip. “We know nothing about them. They could be hostile. They could challenge Levi for leadership.”
“We should not abandon them because of such unknowns,” Freesia insisted.
“I agree,” I said firmly. “If we can help them, we should try to. Besides, that would be the best and fastest way to win their loyalty. Which needs to happen for me to fulfill my destiny, right?”
I gave my ladies a confident smirk. Deep in my heart, there was a desire to help as many people as I could, and Njord’s words rang through my mind again.
Protect the people…
I knew “the people” included even those I hadn’t yet met.
Elora nodded slowly, and I knew she saw the truth in my words.
“We’ll be cautious, of course,” I assured the women. “And we’ll take a good force with us.”
“I will accompany you,” Elora insisted.
“Of course, you will.” I smiled lovingly at my badass Valkyrie. “We’ll bring several other warriors with us. Enough of a force to ensure we’re safe from whatever threats we come across, whether they come from the villagers themselves, or whatever dangers they may be facing.”
“Let us go to bed,” Shalanna suggested. “I am exhausted.”
“As am I,” Elora agreed.
“Yeah, we can figure out the rest of the details in the morning,” I agreed.
My ladies and I headed upstairs and piled into our bed together in a tangled pile of limbs, and I could tell they longed for the comforting closeness as much as I did.
Then I tumbled through a strange kaleidoscope of mixed-together dreams. The land around me shifted from flowing lava fields to the cool Black Plains, to thick evergreen forests, and back again. The land switched like someone flipping through channels on a television, and I fought a rush of dizziness as I tried to keep up.
All around me there were people of every shape and size, but none of them had faces. I thought I spotted Freesia’s bright red curls and Elora’s shining silver locks, but they shifted again into different lengths and textures.
I couldn’t make sense of any of it, and I woke up in the morning with a sense of confusion in my head. I rubbed my hands over my eyes and took a few steadying breaths, and I was relieved to feel the confusion quickly fading away.
My ladies roused with more elegance beside me, and I wondered how they looked so incredible this early in the morning.
“Good morning,” I yawned and stretched in the middle of the double-bed. “You all look beautiful.”
“I am certain that is not as true as you believe.” Freesia smirked and shoved a mass of thick red curls away from her freckled face.
“I beg to differ on that point,” I chuckled.
“Levi is heavily biased in our favor, Freesia,” Elora giggled. “We have blinded him with love.”
“Hey, blinded by your love is a good way to be,” I laughed.
“I hope you enjoy a safe and productive journey, love,” Shalanna murmured as she rolled over. “And I hope you can forgive me for not seeing you out the door, but I intend to lounge here for a while longer until my breakfast is delivered.”
“Good.” I leaned over and kissed Shalanna’s sleep-flushed cheek. “Get all the sleep and relaxation you want, and then have a little more.”
“Happily.” My very pregnant lover smiled sleepily and closed her silver-flecked blue eyes to snooze a bit more.
I moved quickly to get dressed in my thicker traveling clothes, and I slung my more leather-based armor over my body. Due to the length of our journey on foot, I wanted to travel a bit lighter if we could. I knew I could use my shifting magic to enhance any physical protection needs I might encounter once we were in the village.
“I will meet you downstairs in a few minutes,” Elora assured me as she debated between calf-length leather pants and a long, pleated leather skirt.
“I’d go with the pants,” I suggested. “It’s probably going to be cold there, and you’ll want the extra warmth.”
“Excellent point. Thank you.” Elora nodded thoughtfully.
“I will join you in the entrance hall momentarily,” Freesia murmured.
Alright,” I said. “You have a little time before we leave. I still need to recruit some warriors to go with us.”
“Give them one of your best speeches, my love,” Elora said with admiration in her amber-red eyes. “They will jump at the chance to accompany us.”
I winked confidently at my ladies and headed into the hallway. Frida was awake and waiting for me, and her huge shark tail wagged with excitement when she saw me.
“I know you want to come with me, girl,” I said in a gentle voice. “But I want you here with Shalanna. Besides, I don’t know how your furless body would react in the cold.”
Frida whined at me as she nudged against me, but she sat back down on the floor obediently.
“Good girl,” I praised my loyal pet. “I’ll try to bring you back a special treat, okay?”
Frida stared at me with love in her beady black eyes, and her huge tongue lolled out over her lower teeth.
“I’m sure Shalanna gives you plenty of spoiling, too,” I chuckled and gave Frida another good petting.
Then I headed down the stairs and went into the dining hall to see who was awake. I was pleased to find most of the castle’s inhabitants were present and a good way through their breakfasts.
“Good morning, everyone!” I spoke loud enough for everyone to hear me.
The idle morning conversation died down at my obvious intentions of an announcement, and everyone’s eyes turned toward me.
There were some cheerful good morning greetings spoken in return to me, and I paused for a moment before I spoke again.
“I’m sure the news has spread by now,” I began. “I’ve located a village far to the west beyond the Black Plains. Lady Elora and I are leading a company out there today, and I need volunteers to join us.”
Several hands rose before I’d even finished my sentence. I was totally unsurprised to see Ayen’s hand as the first in the air, and a moment later, the tall, white-haired elf named Sontar joined him. His perpetual partner in battle, Vulmar, also raised his hands, and I happily accepted the two warriors into my group. Four dwarves, four humans, and two more elven warriors raised their hands to join me as well, and I counted a group of fifteen including myself. I was pleased with the dispersion of strong fighters in my group and the ones who would remain behind at the castle.
“Thank you, that’s great,” I said, and I caught Finnern’s moss-green eyes. “As usual, Chancellor Finnern will be left in charge while I am away.”
“Aye, King Levi.” The former dwarf king nodded dutifully.
“Excellent.” I nodded back. “Everyone who’s coming with me, gather your things and pack enough food and water for the journey. We have to go through the Black Plains first, and they’re still warm, but then the village seems to be a colder area, so bring layers. We’ll want to be warm when we get there.”
My companions nodded their understanding, and I trusted them to prepare as well as they had in the past for longer journeys. Then I headed out of the dining hall and made a quick pit stop in the kitchens to speak with Ingrid.
“Good morning, your majesty,” the older elf greeted me as she hurried around the kitchen like a busy squirrel preparing for winter.
“Hello, Ingrid.” I smiled at the woman who I thought of as our mother hen. “I wanted to thank you for helping take such good care of Shalanna lately.”
“Oh, certainly, your majesty,” Ingrid murmured. “It is an honor and pleasure to serve such kind and good rulers. We are all grateful to have you and your ladies keeping us all safe from the still-present dangers of this world. Our warriors are strong, but even the best warrior can falter without good leadership.”
“Elora and I are taking a group out to this new village,” I said. “I know you’ll keep everything running smoothly while we’re away.”
“I will not fail you, King Levi.” Ingrid nodded, and there was a motherly glint in her pale green eyes. “Safe travels, my king.”
“Thanks,” I said over my shoulder as I walked out of the kitchen.
Then I hurried down the hall to the storage rooms, and I grabbed a full water pouch. I slung the heavy sack over my shoulder and picked up another bag to stuff with food for the journey. I hoped that if we left in the next ten minutes and moved quickly, we could reach the village by nightfall. I knew the place was closer than Freesia’s village was to the castle, but we were also going to have to navigate the three mountains to get into the valley.
My mind replayed what I’d seen of the landscape during my flight as I packed my provisions. Once my bag was satisfactorily stuffed, I went back out to the entrance hall to await my companions.
Elora and Ayen were standing together, and they looked ready to go as the others began to trickle into the room. My silver-haired beauty wore leather pants that hugged her legs down to her supple-looking leather shoes that came up to just below her knees. Her little belly bump was hidden in the looser hem of an airy cotton shirt, and she’d selected a leather corset top that came down to just below her magnificent breasts. The leather top was one of my favorites, and it doubled as arm protection with leather half-sleeves that covered her upper arms. Her metallic wings added a huge dose of badass to the look where they were tucked behind her shoulders.
Ayen was clad in much thicker and heavier clothing, and I grinned at the man’s choices. He wore leather pants that went all the way down and tucked into his boots, and a long-sleeved shirt that was woven with intricate knotwork along the collar. Ayen had equipped the fine plate armor that Hezzig had custom-made for him over the top, and he had a well-crafted leather bracer on his bow hand.
I knew he would probably be a bit too warm as we traveled across the Black Plains, but he’d be plenty happy once we reached the colder areas of the village. I also knew it was entirely intentional because it left his back loaded with his quiver of arrows and a huge sack that was so stuffed with food, I could make out the shape of an entire roasted chicken through the material.
I walked over and stood with my winged lover and my mohawked best friend.
After about five minutes, the rest of our company were present in the room with leather sacks of extra clothes, food, and water on their backs, and weapons on their hips.
“Alright, everybody,” I said to the whole group.
But my brain went fuzzy as Freesia came skidding into the room in travel clothes that were pretty much the opposite of her usual peasant-style dresses.
She wore a pair of leather pants that hugged her curves so completely that I nearly lost my mind. The tops of Freesia’s breasts threatened to spill over the top of her leather bustier that also cinched in her waist exquisitely. A touch of her usual style was present in the flowy sleeves of her cotton top and the way its hem flared out around her hips. Her bright red curls were pulled away from her face and fell in a heavy braid over one shoulder, and her other shoulder was weighed down by two large satchels full of supplies.
“I am coming, too.” Freesia squared her shoulders like she was ready to fight for her right to accompany us.
Chapter 8
I worked to smother a lovesick grin as I walked over to Freesia. I could smell the distinctive scents of Freesia’s healing and pain-numbing balms, and I figured one of her sacks was medicinal herbs and the other was food and water.
Before I could say anything, Freesia pointed her little chin up in that stubborn way of hers.
“I am certain my healing skills will be useful during this journey,” my half-elf lover said simply. “I cannot stay behind when my presence in the western village may be the single most important difference between someone’s life and their untimely death. Everyone in the castle is in good health, and they are well taken care of. Shalanna is still weeks away from the baby’s arrival…”
Freesia’s freckled nose crinkled up adorably as she tried to come up with more reasons why she needed to come with us.
“Alright, alright,” I chuckled. “I’m not going to stop you. I know I couldn’t even if I tried, and your huge heart is part of why I love you so much.”
“Good.” Freesia nodded confidently, and then an almost bashful smile crossed her lips. “I must admit, I am very curious about another village that has survived Ragnarok.”
“There it is,” I laughed. “But you’re right about the rest, too. I’d be stupid to try and leave my healer behind on this journey.”
“Exactly right.” Freesia smiled with a loving smile on her full lips.
“Alright, is everybody ready?” I asked the group of fifteen who were coming along with me.
“Aye, King Levi,” Ayen declared, and several other voices agreed.
“Good, I want to try and get there before dark,” I announced. “So we’re going to be going at a good, steady pace.”
Several heads nodded in agreement, and I led us out through the castle’s front doors, where we ran into Hezzig and his group.
“Good morning, your majesty,” the bald blacksmith greeted me. “We are about to head out to mine more of the tustrium.”
“Excellent,” I chuckled as I looked over his group of about a dozen miners. “We’re heading that direction for a while. Do you mind if we walk with you?”
“Of course not, my king.” Hezzig grinned and slung a pickaxe onto his shoulder. “Let us head out, everyone!”
Our group of almost thirty started down the pass that led south to the newly-formed Black Plains. Casual conversation started to rise around me as Hezzig led our group, and Elora, Freesia, and I fell toward the middle.
“It is quite an appropriate name,” Sontar commented as he raked a hand through his spiky white hair.
“The Black Plains?” Vulmar asked.
“Yes,” Sontar confirmed. “It is quite straightforward, and it also has a taste of foreboding that appeals to me.”
“I’m glad you like it,” I chuckled, and then I gestured out to the dead volcanoes that loomed north and west of our current location. “I was thinking we should name these mountains, too. Does anybody have any suggestions?”
“Perhaps we should name them in honor of Njord?” Elora suggested.
“Oh, that is a wonderful idea,” Freesia murmured.
“Njord Mountains?” I suggested. “‘The Mountains of Njord.’ How about that?”
“I prefer The Mountains of Njord,” Ayen said. “It has a more noble sound to it.”
“Me, too,” I agreed. “Alright, The Mountains of Njord it is.”
A swell of gratitude for the Vanir’s sacrifice washed through me, but then a pleasant feminine presence breathed through my mind like a puff of smoke.
Sylmarie? I thought the seeress’ name. I could almost see her pleasant smile in my mind’s eye, and I got the sense that she approved of the mountains’ new name.
“There are three specific peaks that boarded the village on the southeastern side,” I commented. “I’ve been calling them Three Peaks in my mind since I saw them.”
“Sometimes the best names for something are the simplest descriptors,” Hezzig mused. “I quite like this name.”
“Yes, as do I,” Elora agreed. “But it is possible the inhabitants of this village have their own name for the mountains around their valley. In which case we would be prudent to adopt them as well.”
“Good point.” I nodded. “Well, we’ll see what names they use when we get there.”
