Chapter 8

Jewel worked with all the women in my life, inside and outside of the plane, with what was going on and how to deal with it. As Grendel and I began traveling I realized I wasn’t able to go home. That meant staying in inns and taking travel gates as we moved towards the coast.

Along the way we talked about all the things were going with him, how he felt about setting up a shop in Allfolk, and why he was avoiding being a part of dwarven society. “Son, you have to understand that one of the reasons I went to the human nations, despite all the nasty things going on there, was that I found them a little better than dwarven society.”

That caught me off guard. “The caste system among the smiths makes it almost impossible for a young dwarf to break into the craft. Here it is so restrictive, that what the human’s would call a good smith, wouldn’t qualify to sweep the floor of a forge. I left because even though some judged me as talented, the system forces you into being almost a slave to some master smith till you are well into adulthood and have the money to give the old bastards for the privilege of not learning anything.”

Grendel took a cleansing breath. “That is why I left, and why I still don’t show my face there very often. Dwarven men do have a bit of wander lust, but not more than any other race. What we have is a system so shitty for smiths that we have to leave in order to do what we were made to do.”

I had to poke him a little. “It’s too bad there isn’t someone with the power and influence to change things. If only there was someone that holds the authority of someone like an elder dwarf.” Grendel glared at me and sighed again. “I know boy. Yes I could go in there and start smacking heads, and maybe that is the whole reason the hammer came to me, but I also know there are other changes in the wind I need to deal with first.”

I looked at him and he smiled back at me. “Me?” I asked and he nodded. “You are a force of change son. In the few years I have known you, I have seen things happen that have never happened. You are as powerful as a noble, even though you are still barely into adulthood by human standards.”

I had to give him that I guess. “In many ways you seem almost as old as I am when it comes to knowledge.” I sure didn’t feel that way. “Even if you won’t admit it or acknowledge it.” I kept quiet. “I say this because you seem to know things even I have no clue about. You gained, and then built, a territory filled with good and happy people. That alone is remarkable.”

“You have an army of women that are absolutely dedicated and devoted to you. An army better trained and better armed than any other army I can think of.” I nodded because after seeing the girls in the dungeon I knew, if they were challenged to, could wipe out a force at least twice their size without breaking a sweat.

“People don’t really have faith in any gods. “By the gods” is just a saying rather than having any kind of faith or testimony of them” The he looked at me. “That is until I met you, now I am beginning to wonder. You break all the rules without even noticing there were any rules to begin with. Your strength and ability break all bounds.”

He walked with his hands behind his back. “And it’s not just strength of body or magic, but of heart and mind. You don’t have to tell people what to do, they follow your lead and do their best. Why? It’s because you inspire them.” I didn’t see that in myself.

“Since we met you have no problem showing me when you are out of your depth. That alone is inspirational. So, as we have the time I figure it’s time for you to experience the most arrogant of all the races.” He looked at me and frowned. “I don’t say that lightly or from malice. The ancient high elves saw themselves as gods. They twisted nature to fit their desires, saw all other races as animals to serve them, and even after having their population nearly wiped out still feel the rest of us are cattle.”

I gave a bitter laugh. “You don’t have to tell me Grendel. I’ve seen the way the way they treated elvin women that had been raped. The idea you can look at a victim as lower than the criminal showed me what some are like. Then again, I also see the love and strength of those women.”

Grendel smiled at me. “To me the best of the elven race are currently living in my town.” I said with conviction. “You know what an elf hates more than anything?” he asked and I looked him and smiled. “A bad haircut?” Grendel’s eyes bulged and he burst out laughing so hard he almost fell over. We stopped and I laughed together.

“Ah you almost killed me boy, I can hardly breathe.” He stood up and took a few deep breaths. “You know the charm that allows you to have a child across race?” I nodded. “Did you know that an elf can bare a half elf child with that charm?” I shook my head. “Same goes with Dwarves, thought the few instances of that happening are lost to time.”

I looked at him and wondered. “If that knowledge is lost, how do the dwarves know?” He smiled at me. “Because I have the knowledge of the elder dwarves and an ancient salamander bouncing around in this old head of mine. The magic the high elves used to create the beast folk is in the charm humans use to make more beast folk.” I was stunned.

“Now because beast folk are unnatural, they can only make new beast folk.” If felt wrong to hear him say that even if it was true. “But there are enough natural connections among the three races, that if the magic that allows human energy to blend with animal energy exits, then the same mixing will happen between the races.”

Grendel chuckled. “Now we know humans will mate with just about anything, the possibility of a half elf half dwarf is almost nightmarish.” Then he because thoughtful. “Though I wonder if humans aren’t like a base material and the elves and dwarves are actually specialized alloys. Maybe the gods created humans and then added magic to us to create something different?”

“Is it possible that magic created the two races? Humans exposed to pure earth magic became dwarves and humans exposed to some other form created elves?” I said it lightly, but it stopped Grendel in his tracks. “Both elves and dwarves are stronger in certain magic than humans. We have an innate knowledge of its nature and flow.” He looked at me and looked me up and down. “Like I said you have a deep knowledge you don’t even know you have. You son, you give me faith that there is more to this world.”

We kept marching along at his unwavering pace as we both became lost in our thoughts. Then something hit me I hadn’t thought of. I stopped and brought up what I called my fertility page. Something I hadn’t paid attention to other than choosing to give my beat folk human babies. I did a little looking while Grendel was still marching off. There it was in a separate setting. Now that I had elves and dwarves in my harem I was able to make human, elf, dwarf, and half with my ability. I would have to think about this more as things evolved. I shut it all down and had to run to catch up with the dwarf.

We were near a town when Grendel looked at me. “So, what did you learn from your magic?” he asked and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Like with the beast folk I can give them any kind of child of either race or a half if they want.” I gave a big sigh and he looked at me. “For our safety we better not speak of this to anyone, not even your women. This isn’t a little secret, it could be one that starts a race war like this world hasn’t seen since the death of the high elves.”

I nodded and thought about these things as we approached the border town. For some reason I didn’t doubt that the place was all dwarven population. As we walked the streets you could tell they weren’t used to seeing humans there, but because I was with Grendel I guess they allowed it. We headed straight to the border gate and waited for the guard to come talk to us.

“So what are you doing heading to the elves?” we were asked and Grendel looked him and rolled his eyes. “Well I’m taking my buddy here to see what elves are really like. He’s only seen the few that live near the capital and I figured he ought to see them for who they really are.” The head guard chuckled. “Well if he’s only seen diplomats and their ilk then he will have a real eye opening won’t he?”

We left the gate house and kept on walking till we reached the gate on the other side of the border. As I knew there were only elves in this town. We went into the gate house and were met with glares and frowns. The guard looked at us with distain. “So what business do you have in the elven nation?” he asked and I stood quietly by and waited.

“My boy here has wanted to see the elven nation. As a human the only thing he knows is from all the elven slaves that keep being sold to the human nations.” You could see the flush of anger building. “Humans don’t hold elven slaves. They can only hire them.” Grendel shrugged. “Slave or life time bound servant, that can never return, is a matter of semantics isn’t it?”

The guard seemed on the edge of violence and threw two wooden markers on the counter. “Don’t lose these. If you do you will be taken prisoner and sent back to the shit holes you came from.” We picked them up and Grendel smiled at him. “Ah, I had forgotten the kindness and graciousness of the elven race.” He said as we left the guard house and into the town.

The people of the elven town smiled happily as they walked along, until they saw us and their noses went up in the air. “Grendel, I think I understand now. If these are the people the high elves came from; it’s no wonder they were wiped out. Their egos alone make them nearly impossible to stand.” Grendel nodded and we headed to a place to get some food.

We entered a place of what I would consider moderate looks and found a table. There was easily more servers than customers yet the staff seemed to not see us. I waited till a lady working there was putting food on another table before saying “Either we order someplace else or the service here is worse than that beast folk town we stayed in.” Grendel looked at me with a tight face. “I mean those people were illiterate and over worked and gave better service than here.”

Grendel scowled at me, but I knew it was because he was holding back laughing out loud. A few moments later a male elf came over and asked for our order. When it came he dropped the plates on our table and it didn’t look very good. “Wow. I’ve seen cow flop that looked more edible than this. If this is what the elves consider food I will definitely let people know how vile elven cooking skills are.”

As the man heard this he glared. “Human’s and dwarves don’t deserve better.” I shrugged and opened a pouch of gold in front of him and tossed a few silver coins on the table. “I can see you were right, the elves sell their best and brightest to us as slaves.” Then we stood up as his face grew redder. “Too bad that is the best these people can do.” I said over my shoulder.

The elf grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. “Who do you think you are?” I shrugged. “I’m just a traveler of no consequence. However, I do know that even in either the human or dwarven nations a place of business does it’s best for all customers to make an impression of quality. Your presentation is one that doesn’t make me look down on me, it makes me look down on you.”

I looked around. “Even a beast folk tries to make a good impression. Not to grovel, but to prove they are more than people take them for. When you throw garbage on plate: I don’t think I am low, I consider it as what elves think is normal, the pinnacle of elven service and food.”

His eyes narrowed. “It also puts in my head that elves are self-deluded. That they are a race that considers themselves to be wise and powerful, but can’t prove it to anyone but themselves.” That was the real gut check and he swung at me clumsily. I easily avoided it and watched him fall to the ground. “Thank you for proving my point.”

A guard walked over after watching this and demanded to know what was going on. “We went in here to eat, found the food of inedible quality, paid for it, and answered a few questions he had for me. It looks like he didn’t like my answers and, like some animal, decided to lash out in violence.” The elf stood up and glared at me. “He insulted my food and all elves!” the man declared.

I guided the guard into the inn, handed him the plate I was served and looked at him. “If this is quality elven food then you eat it.” The guard looked at the plate and then the cook. “I think the cook was insulting you.” I shook my head. “He was the one insulting all elves. This leaves me with the impression elves would consider a plate of filth a good meal.”

I let out dramatic sigh. “I had such high hopes. I was thinking I would come to the elven nation and be blown away by the people, the quality of the foods, the beauty, and the majesty of the elven culture. Instead all I have seen are scowls and filth. To be honest I have a much higher opinion of beast folk now thanks to this town.” I said this because I know that beast folk are a sore point in their culture.

Grendel came over at that moment and took my arm. “Well boy, don’t let it bother you. Let’s go back and have a good meal in the dwarven nation.” He stated with assuredness. I looked at the guard and he was red in the face. “I take it I am free to leave?” The elf nodded without looking at me so we headed out.

As we passed through the guard house the man there gloated at us. “Enjoy your visit?” he asked and I shrugged. “Well it did prove the dwarves point. The people are crude, the manners horrid, and it seems the food isn’t fit for animals. I can see why elven slaves never wish to come back to a place like this.” I said as we walked out of the building.

I felt magic being summoned and even Grendel turned to face the threat. The officer was standing there with a small ball of lightening in his hand. “You dare to say such things to a power like the elves?” I lifted my hand over my head and began summoning a ball of lightening that grew till it was the size of a small car. He fell to the ground looking pale. “What power? That little trick of the light? Do you want to see real magic elf? Do you want to be the cause of this town being removed from the world?”

The elf shook his head rapidly and I could see a stain as he pissed himself. “Then be very careful how you speak to travelers, they may not be as understanding as I am.” I then absorbed the energy back into my body which caused an even greater fear to grow in his eyes. He scrambled away and his screams could be heard as we walked off.

We were almost back to the other side when Grendel cleared his throat. “Son, you may not know this, but what you did was on the level of a noble. Not only the power of the spell, but being able to absorb the energy back into you.” He looked and saw dwarves looking at us warily. “We may just have to go somewhere in the wilds and see just what that dragon stone did to you.”

We walked into the guard house and the dwarf officer seemed quite wary. “So I take it the elves gave you their usual kind welcome?” Grendel laughed. “Oh, the boy here got a belly full of their shit very quickly.” The dwarf nodded and looked at me. “We saw. Now you aren’t in that kind of mood with us are you?”

I looked at him aghast. “Are you kidding? I was presented a territory by the dwarven council, I consider councilor Catharine one of my closest friends, and founded two towns here. I love the dwarven nation and consider it my true home.” The dwarf blinked a few times before smiling at me. “You’re the one who eliminated Bilson’s disorder?” The man reached over and pumped my hand. “Sir please let me tell you, as someone who has seen what that did to people, you are a true hero of the dwarven nation.”

After that the dwarf made sure who we were was well known. People shook my hand and mothers showed off their babies to me. Talk about going after my biggest weakness, how could I run off when pudgy little baby faces were presented? As I did this I missed my own children more and more.

I called Jewel and she told me that the women were showing improvement, and I let her know how I was feeling. “Husband, I know this is a trial for you as well as us. The powerful feelings we are having for you and each other is hard to get a hold on. We had to move the seating in the living room and put all the bedding on the floor so we could all be within touching distance.” I nodded.

“My love, could you do me a big favor?” I asked and I could hear her desire through the line. “Anything master.” I gave her a list of food and drinks, including sodas and beer, into my vault so we could eat without going into a town. She told me she would do that and more for her husband.

We headed to the farthest western point in the dwarven nation and found another small border crossing. It was about the size of Allfolk and the dwarves seemed friendly as usual. The difference was their opinion of the elves. “Well they are snooty bunch, but we mostly get traders through here, so they are a better hearted lot.”

That was a very good estimation as when we entered the elven side we were treated as just another group of people from the dwarven nation. We had a nice lunch at a small place and I made sure to give a nice gratuity to the server. There I learned that a large amount of seafood was shipped through this town and that it came from a nearby fishing village.

We headed to the village only a day away and found welcoming, if not friendly, people everywhere we went. I remembered that the elves in my family talked about how much they missed fresh fish and shell fish. With that I headed out and looked for a nice batch of both. Then I remembered the number of women still in the plane and looked for something more.

I found a group of fishermen packing live fish in to wooden barrels filled with sea water. “Can we help you?” one elderly looking elf said. “Have these fish already been sold?” I asked and he looked at another man. “Not yet, they were going to be hauled to a market nearby.” I nodded. “How much per barrel?” I asked and he seemed to think. A man in the wagon shouted out a price and I nodded. “Then I’ll take your catch, I have quite a crowd to feed.”

They lined the casks on the dock and looked at me. I opened a gate and Grendel walked in. A few minutes later he came out with a dolly and smiled at them all. One by one he took the barrels of fish into my plane and the elves stood there and watched.

As I waited there Jewel came out ran over and kissed me deeply. “I love you my husband.” She said and I hugged her as tight as I could and not hurt her. “And I love you too my wife.” She pulled back and her eyes were filled with love and joy. “All this sea food will help keep everyone busy and filled with love for a few days.” She tilted her head and inhaled. “It all smells so good.”

The old man looked at Jewel and then me. “Elder, this is my wife Jewel and one of the people I am buying this for. They live in a new town called Allfolk in the dwarven nation.” He looked and bowed his head politely. “It’s good to see a happy beast folk. If you live in the dwarven lands why do you wear a slave mark?” She stood a little taller and explained that to her and our family it’s not a mark of slavery but of family.

He nodded and looked at me. “So you keep the mark to keep the family under control?” I shook my head. “What man could ever really control his wife?” I joked and the old man smiled. “Fair answer.” He replied. “Again thank you for all of this, husband. I need to get back to the family soon or I won’t be able to go back; I miss you so much.” She gave me a kiss and then left.

Grendel came back without the dolly and closed the gate. “If any man has ever loved his family, like you love yours, I haven’t heard of them.” He said as he came over. “They were looking in those barrels squealing and bouncing all over the place. I must have heard about twenty favorite dishes as they looked at them all.”

The old elf looked at me carefully. “A human that takes a beast folk for a wife is unusual. Why would a human do so?” I shrugged. “She began as my slave to help me as a dungeon diver. The thing is I hate slavery. So by seeing and treating her as my partner the barriers people put out faded away. We battled our way into the dwarven nations and now enjoy life as equals.”

The old elf looked at me and shook his head. “You expect me to believe that? The humans don’t let slaves out of the human nations and do so with great magic.” I shrugged. “The dungeons are a strange and powerful magic all their own. They can bend time and space. So if you know the right time, and the right space, anything is possible,” was all I said.

He scowled at me and then I know I saw his chin shake. “Do you think you might look for an elven maid that was sold to a human?” I shrugged. “Depends how long ago.” He frowned and then spoke in a tight voice. “She’s my granddaughter who was born to worthless parents. They sold their little Cassandra a few years ago and it tears me apart thinking what has happened to her.”

I looked at Grendel and he gave me a tiny nod. “What would you do if I found her?” He shrugged. “Die happy if she is safe.” I took out my phone and made a quick call. “Old one, is your name Caron?” he looked at me curiously and then nodded. “If you are willing to trust me I may be able to help you.” He looked at me long and hard and then nodded.

I opened a gate and told him to go to the other side. He looked at the men sitting there and then hopped down and walked through. I got a call and a few moments later the old man came through with tears pouring down his face. “Sir, could you let me go home and get my things? I would like it if I could move to the dwarven nation.” I nodded.

As he moved away others came to him and he told them his granddaughter was a free woman living in the dwarven nation now and he was moving there to live out the rest of his days. They all knew that she could move back, but she would never have a good life among the elves.

When he returned he shook a lot of hands and then handed a document to a younger elf. “She’s all yours now Glef. Care for her well and she will give you and yours a good living” Then he came to me with a smile. “I’m ready to go sir.” I opened a gate and he waved goodbye to his friends. I closed the gate and everyone looked at me.

The man called Glef walked over and looked me up and down. “If you saved his girl we are grateful. Because you gave him peace of mind and a new hope we cannot express the debt the men of this town owe you.” He then bowed to me and so did the others.

“I saved her for the same reason I have saved every Elf I could find. She is now a part of my family and I care for her as I would my own blood. As her grandfather he will live a life better than he may understand, but he is now a part of my family as well.” They all nodded and went back to work. “Human, know that if you ever need fish you will have the best we can offer.”

We decided to stay there and found a slightly welcoming inn. The next day you would almost think we were elves in how our treatment had improved. We shopped and I was actually beginning to enjoy our time when a young boy came running through town screaming “Leviathan”. I looked at Grendel and he nodded.

We ran down to the docks to see many fishing boats looking worse for wear. I found our friend from the previous day and he was sitting with his head in his hands. “Elf is your ship ok?” Grendel asked and the man lifted his head. “We lost two men to that damned hell beast. It came out of nowhere and popped up in the middle of the flotilla as we were heading home. Lasner and his whole crew were swept beneath the waves in an instant.”

I looked out to see and wondered what the hell could do that. The elf looked out to sea. “I fear the beast will follow us here and attack.” I looked out as well but I was focused on the huge causeway that stuck out into the sea for easily a half mile. “Were you north or south?” I asked and he looked at me suspiciously. “North.” I nodded and began to head north along the causeway. Grendel and the captain followed at a distance.

“You were getting close to shore when this happened?” I asked and he nodded. “It was still deeper water, but a Leviathan won’t let that bother it for long. As long as it has deep enough water to float it will follow its catch.” I nodded and kept looking to see if I could see anything abnormal about the water on the north side of the causeway.

I noticed a strange wave formation and pointed. “Well it looks like your friend has come for a visit.” Was all I said as he looked out and nodded. “We are doomed.” Was all he said with an odd finality. “Stay here with Grendel, and I will see what I can do.” Glef tried to stop me but Grendel stopped him. “Stay here youngster, you’ll only get in his way.”

I jogged out and then I knew what this was, a giant squid. Ok it was a Godzilla sized squid. I pulled out the elven bow I had been keeping and prepared to shoot. I had learned that the arrow effect could actually be increased by feeding magic into the bow. Now I gradually fed power into the bow till I felt it vibrate in my hand. I compensated for visual distortion and released the shot.

A column of water shot into the air about twenty feet and then collapsed. A little while later the body came floating to the surface, but it didn’t feel quite right. I readied another shot when I saw a massive tentacle rising from the water. I let my shot go and then gated out of range. When I stepped out I found Grendel covering his ears and then felt the shockwave of sound. It was the death cry of the leviathan.

Well after that I was a local hero to the small town. Boats were manned and headed out to pull the corpse into shore. People of all walks were assembling on the docks, and shore, armed to the teeth with all manner of blades. Then a crowd of men came marching up carrying thick ropes. Soon after were two wagons with teams of horses.

I sat on the same barrel the old elf had been and watched this show. When the boats couldn’t get the body any closer smaller boats were sent out dragging the ropes behind them. It took quite a number of people to do it, but eventually I could see that the ropes had been attached to the head and the horses began to pull it shore.

It seemed that everyone here was, or had been, in the business of butchering as the beast was dismantled with true efficiency. As the body seemed to have been cleaned up two men came walking over to us carrying a bundle. “Once we are done preserving the meat we will present you with a share, this however is your prize.” They uncovered the prize, and it was a magic stone almost as big as the Salamanders.

I sighed and smiled at them. “I will take that share of the meat, but how about you turn in the stone for the town. Use some of the money for the families of those lost, and use some to have the boasts repaired and upgraded. I have little use for it or gold, but goodwill and friendship are priceless.” The elder of the two looked at the other and said “bring the elder”.

A little while later an elf that didn’t seem that old came walking up with a concerned look. “They tell me that you don’t want the magic stone?” I nodded and said the same thing I did before. “I don’t mean to offend but you are the oddest human I have ever met. Rather than take what is clearly your right to take, you offer to help those you have no reason to.”

“I have no need for wealth, but the people here have been very welcoming to me. To your town this stone means recovering from this attack, to me it means problems. While I would love to come back for more of this wonderful town, I would love it even more if people forgot I was ever even here.” I explained to him simply.

“I’m sure you can understand that if someone displays real power there are those that would want to attack me, imprison me, or bring me to the attention of the nobles. I prefer to avoid all of those possibilities. I like my quiet life, but I couldn’t stand the idea of standing by while good people got hurt. So if you really want to pay me back, then let everyone know I wasn’t here.”

The old man seemed even more confused. “You don’t wish to be a noble if you have the power?” I shook my head. “I am saying that I have a nice quiet life with my family. To me that is far more important than sitting in judgement of people just trying to live in this sometimes savage world.” His face cleared a little and nodded.

“If I would ask for one thing it would be able to bring my family here, though that would be very hard for the people here.” He looked at me and frowned. “Did you know that after an elf is bought as a “servant” they are raped? It’s to break them forever. They know that they can never return to the elven nations after that so it doesn’t matter if it’s a servant mark or a slave mark, they are dead to their own people. After that there is no more resistance and no thoughts of serving their contract and going home. It kills any hope they have.”

The elders face grew stern. “You are not making a good image of humans you know.” I shrugged. “I’ve spent my life hating the human nations. That is why I live in the Dwarven lands with the family I have created.” He nodded. “In my time I’ve worked hard for them, and with them. I’ve also worked hard to save the elves I have found as well. Not to just get them away from slavery, but to give them hope again. This trip here was to make them happy. To give them a treat by getting them the seafood they dearly missed.”