87. Mother pt. 2

“It’s good to see you,” I said.  “I missed you, Mother.”

“I missed you as well,” she said once we had parted.  “And I have been so worried ever since the gruesome events with Nial Kingslayer.  I wanted to return immediately to comfort you, but Valerio has pointed out how dangerous of a move that would have been.  Repeatedly.  Every single time I so much as think of returning home he’s there, cautioning me against the dangers of travel ‘in my condition,’ and the threat that the current political climate would add to my safety.”

“I haven’t said anything on the matter which isn’t true,” my step father said seriously.  He was a tall, muscular man with a mane of blond hair.  His beard was well trimmed, a feat which was impressive because it looked too thick to be manageable with anything other than a hacksaw.  I knew that he was a Leonid, but he presently had all of his spirit animal’s aspects suppressed, presenting himself entirely in human form.  “Besides, you are Eolstrian now.  While your love for your homeland does you credit, it is no longer your place to be poking around in Yuikonese politics.”

Mother sighed, and we all took seats.  Well, me, mother and Lord Valerio sat.  The room didn’t have the furniture to accommodate all of my Traveler friends present, so they remained standing in the background.

“I’m sorry that I haven’t written more,” I told Mother.

“I’m just as guilty of that as you are,” she reminded me.  “Although I confess to a bit of spying on you through my old friends at the castle, before the disaster turned it into a crater.”

I blushed, seeing as I was responsible for that disaster in its entirety.  “I’ve seen the plans for the new castle.  It’s really quite nice.  Better than the old one.”

Mother chuckled.  “Yes, well, that’s not much of a race.  Zhesa castle was old, drafty, and mostly unwelcoming.  It was built in a harder time, before the travelers came, when the possibility that we might actually be driven back by a siege of darkspawn.  Times have changed since then.  I think it’s time to start building for beauty again.”

I smiled.  That would be nice.  “I should introduce you to Randal.  He’ll be building my palace in North Shire.  You’re invited to visit when the construction is finished, of course.  I’ll build an entire wing for you and the baby, so you can tell him your preferences.”

Mother smiled.  “I think I’d like that.”

Lord Valerio Wildeheart, my step father, cleared his throat.  “Before we get much further, Hail, I believe we should address the jackalope in the room.  I’m fairly certain you’re aware that, in the distant past, it was a standard expectation that the men of my tribe would, well, they would be expected to ensure that their wives had no children from any other lovers than themselves.  Through any means necessary, including, unfortunately, outright murder.  I just want to make it clear that I consider this tradition a barbaric remnant from a much darker time.  I will not deny that the practice was part of our history, but it is a tradition best left in the past, serving only as a reminder of how far my people have come in conquering our bestial and baser natures.”

I nodded to him.  “Thank you.  I was pretty sure that Grandfather wouldn’t have allowed the wedding if you were the sort of Leonid who clung to the old ways.  I do have enough knives aiming for my throat that your assurances are actually quite reassuring.  I seem to have blundered into having a number of enemies recently.  I could use a few more alliances to balance them out.”

Valerio coughed gently.  “Who said anything about an alliance?” he asked.  “I simply said that you’re safe in my house, no more than that.  Your mother may be my bride, but it is still on you to stand on your own feet.  Or to fail to rise to prominence.  I will not stand in your way and mean you no violence, but that does not make us natural allies either.”

“Oh hush,” Mother said, swatting his arm.  “Don’t listen to him, Hail.  I have him wrapped around my finger.  Whatever you need from him, I’ll make certain you get it.”

I blinked in surprise.  “Oh.  Um, thank you, but didn’t come here to beg favors or anything.  I really just missed you, Mother.  And with recent events in the lands Grandfather gave me, I sort of needed to lay low for a few days, so I thought I would use the time to make a social visit.  That’s all.”

Valerio turned serious.  “By ‘recent events,’ you are referring to the creation of the battleground, yes?  That was you?”

“It was,” I admitted.  Every Traveler in the world knew as much, there was no point in denying it.

Valerio nodded, and he stood to pour three drinks.  “I’m very curious to know where you got your hands on a Dungeon Core at your age, Hail.  You realize that they are generally considered to be national treasures, yes?”

I accepted the drink when it was handed to me, but I took a moment to seriously consider how to address this topic.  “I’m not certain that is a matter that I should be discussing with a noble of a foreign nation, Lord Wildeheart.”

“I won’t ask you how many you have or what you plan on doing with them,” the Leonid man assured me.  “Although I would remind you that using them in any hostile way against the people or lands of Eolstree would be considered an act of war.  But I’m certain you already know that.  No, the question I would like to know is whether the core was given to you, or whether you gathered it yourself.  I know that you have an extremely rare and powerful Class.  With a proper team I could see you rising to such a challenge.  Are you a burgeoning Dungeon Buster, Hail?”

I sipped the drink after discretely casting [Detect Poison], and tried not to choke when the liquid burned my throat.  I’d never been served hard alcohol before.  It was a compliment, by Eolstrian standards.  My step father had given me an adult’s drink to say that he considered me an adult.  I sort of wished that he had given me juice, like he’d served my mother, instead.  Or even Leicha.

“I busted [Gemos Cavern],” I admitted after several moments of consideration.  I decided not to share more information than that, including the fact that I was able to take Travelers with me into core instances.  But I did need to explain how I was claiming possession of Dungeon Cores eventually.

“I see.  Quite an accomplishment,” Valerio said.  “Are you, perhaps, looking for another challenge?  I imagine that it must be quite difficult to get permission to bust dungeons in Yuikon, especially given the current state of its government.  However, it just so happens that there is a rather unpopular dungeon on my land which I would, quite frankly, like to be rid of.  Few travelers ever delve it unless we assign extravagant quests for its completion, and it has been threatening to spit out dungeon spawn for some time.  Add to the matter the fact that it is a wild dungeon which spawned on top of a productive mine sixty years ago, and I would appreciate the ability to resume mining operations in the area.  If you would be willing to settle the matter for me, I would happily consent to you retaining the possession of any Cores you reclaimed through your efforts.”

I spent a moment taking in the offer.  I glanced at Malkios, who nodded.

“It’s actually a very generous offer, letting you keep the Cores.  Normally they would be sold to the nation the dungeon formed in, or at an auction, and the Dungeon Buster would claim a portion of the profit.  This is, of course, in addition to any drops or rare items you will receive from the dungeon itself, which are naturally your property,” Malkios explained.

“I’m not quite certain how I feel about you giving my son a task which might very well see him killed right after you spoke about how you have no ill intentions towards him,” Mother said, scolding her husband.

“I’m certain he’ll be fine,” Valerio said.  “It is a level thirty to thirty-five dungeon, and he is level thirty-two.  And Mikal Mine doesn’t have a reputation as a particularly difficult dungeon.  It is simply unpopular because it is long, with a confusing layout, and the standard rewards are only middling quality.  It is a fine whetstone for him to sharpen his skills as a Dungeon Buster, if that truly is a road he intends to go down in the future.”  Valerio paused dramatically for a moment, then he continued in a different tone of voice.  “And if he’s going to continue to spend Dungeon Cores, it would be best to have an explanation of where they are coming from, wouldn’t it?”

I almost jerked in surprise, as Valerio’s words forced me to reevaluate his offer from a fresh angle.  I didn’t actually needany more Dungeon Cores.  Not at the moment.  But it was not widely known that I had received one hundred of them from the destruction of Zhesa Castle.  If that news were to spread, then it might create even more pressure on me.

While I hadn’t shied away from using the Cores in my possession, I did intend to return them to the government of Yuikon at some point, probably once the next king was crowned.  Assuming that it wasn’t Storm who ascended.  I didn’t feel guilty about the ones I had spent, as I had spent them in ways which benefited the kingdom of Yuikon in one fashion or another.  But if the existence of so many cores became widely known, Noble and other Native factions would likely want some input on how they were used, and they might not wait until after the matter of succession was resolved.

Valerio had clearly seen to the heart of the matter, despite my attempts to obscure the picture from him.  And he was offering me both his insight, and an opportunity to get in front of a potential problem before it blew up on me.  I decided to trust him a step further.

“I can bring Travelers into the core instance with me,” I informed him.  “They cannot interact with the core while they’re there, but I can.  Grandfather said that this ability grants me the potential to be the greatest Dungeon Buster ever born.  I’m not certain I agree with him on that assessment.  But it is how <The Endolphins> managed to destroy the raid that formed on Zhesa Castle.  And where all of my current cores come from.  I would like to keep that a secret for now, if possible.  But you are family, so I will trust in your discretion.”

“Oh my,” Valerio said, sipping his drink.  “I believe I owe a few of my spies in Yuikon some very fine scotch.  I hadn’t actually believed that their information was accurate.”

“You knew?” I asked.

“It was one of several theories regarding the destruction of a red raid mere hours after it had formed.  I thought it was outlandish, as do most of those who have heard it.  But no more so than the other theories on the list,” Valerio explained.  “I will endeavor to keep you secret safe, but you must know that this sort of information is difficult to keep contained.  It is very likely that before long, nobles throughout the heartlands will begin to hear the same rumors that I heard, and if you continue to feed that fire, they will begin to believe them.  It will not be long after that before you begin receiving envoys, requests, demands, and even threats insisting that you deal with dungeons deemed inconvenient to the locals throughout the Heartlands.  I suggest you prepare for the inevitability of that eventuality.”

“Yeah, well, that’s just one more problem.  I have a stack of them already.  At least that’s something for another day,” I said.  “I think I will try to help you with your dungeon problem, Valerio.  It actually sounds like fun, I’ve been so busy with political bullshit lately that I’d love a chance to fight some darkspawn instead.”

“Wonderful!  I’ll give you a map to the location,” he said, and he promptly left the room.

Mother shook her head.  “He is a good man, Hail.  He treats me well.  And he is really looking forward to being a father.  I wished so much that you could have come with me when I moved here, but the political implications were difficult to manage with you simply being alive.  Traditionalists would have been calling for your blood if you had moved here when you were eight years old.”

“And that’s not a problem now?” I asked.

“Actually, no, it’s not.  At this point you are considered an adult,” she explained.  “In fact, the Leonid tribe would say that your success would reflect well on your future siblings, and therefor they would reflect well on Valerio as well, despite the fact that you share no blood with him.  I think that might be the real reason that he’s given you this task.  I know you’ve already accepted it, but I wish you’d reconsider.  I worry for your safety.”

“I’ll be fine, Mother,” I assured her.  I glanced at my Traveler companions, and said “Is there somewhere we can go to be alone for a while?  I want to tell you everythingthat has happened over the last few years.”

Analise Teoran-Wildeheart smiled at me, and motioned for me to follow deeper into the house.  We found our ways to her private room, and spent the next few hours simply catching up with each other on her balcony.  I told her everything, the unblemished truth.  Even the parts I was ashamed of.  She listened to it all and smiled, reassuring me that she loved me even for my follies.

The servants brought us Liecha and cake for a light midday meal, but otherwise we were undisturbed until evening, when I finally made my excuses to say goodbye.