Chapter 98. 'The Welcoming Committee” (Part2)

Chapter 98. “The Welcoming Committee” (Part2)

Our conversation didn’t last much longer afterwards — if one could even apply length to what was essentially less than a blink of an eye for everybody else — and I once again had found myself in a saddle. The ride to the camp was both uneventful and awkward since, after a quick deliberation, I decided to refuse the horse offered to me by Lita’af. Both to subtly remind her that I wasn’t letting Kamshad off the hook and to avoid riding on a fresh, eager warhorse. Not after I learned about the battle between Irje and Muramat. Meanwhile, my stomach, full of wine and food, didn’t improve my equestrian skills either.

Judging by the sway of her tail and the tilt of her ears, Lita’af wasn’t particularly fond of my decision but she didn’t press me further. Not with Albin Chasya breathing down her neck with his sheer presence, all while whistling a catchy tune. Instead, she offered me one of her cloaks and pushed the procession toward the camp.

I spent the ride mostly by myself after that. Neither I nor Albin were particularly eager to restart our conversation in public — he said what he wanted to say and I was busy digesting the news. On the other hand, Lita’af was busy maintaining proper appearances in front of so many Dominas and the rest wisely chose not to comment or intrude into our matters.

By now, I was more than certain that I was going to accept Albin’s demands. Now that Irje dispelled my previous fears and showed a surprising aptitude for my gear, it was no longer a question if I was going to experiment further but when. Not even ‘when?’ but ‘how soon?’ and ‘why not yesterday?’, at that. But that was exactly why Albin rushed all the way out here just to wine and dine me.

It wasn’t just his warnings that steered my thoughts right now. Any other would’ve simply preened at the Manor attestation, but I heard the subtle reminder that our continuous growth had wide-reaching consequences. A single glance at Lita’af told me that I wasn’t the only one who saw Dominas in my wives anymore. Not Aikerim-level Pillar Dominas — not yet, at least — but more than the average Ladies from the periphery with but a handful of villages around their Manor. With my relentless quest to make sure that me and mine were safe from any threats thrown at us, I missed the point when we stopped being ‘the sadaq with the Sparkless daimon’ and became ‘the Manor with three Dominas’ instead.

Three Dominas, a Navigator, an estate of half-trained servants and a couple of master artisans... What a Manor that was!

An incomplete one.

We entered the camp but quickly turned away from the towering arusak in the middle of the camp. “We are not meeting the General?”

My sudden quip earned me a few looks and scowls but Lita’af was quick to reply. “As the Censor of Emanai, Sophia Shebet Chasya was summoned to witness the Goddess. In her absence, the Manipulars of both arms had agreed to prorogue her brother and a well-renowned General in his own might, Albin Chasya, as the interim General. Despite him graciously coming to meet the Bayan Gol delegation... and his personal acquaintance, the proper reception can only happen in his quarters.”

I nodded in acceptance and glanced around. Yes, Dominas expected to be dined and wined as well, while their servants needed time to set up tents and other accommodations, but none of that concerned me in any way, shape, or form. I was likely a half-dead man walking for my sudden disappearance already. If my wives found out I was entertaining guests with Albin while they still had no idea whether I was dead or alive, I wouldn’t see the next sunrise for sure. “Albin? I believe I am needed elsewhere.”

He glanced back at me but there was no surprise on his face. “Running away from a chatrang match, are you? I will take it as my win.”

I scoffed. “You cheat anyway. Delara Kamshad? I thank you for your horse, will you take the reins?”

The guard captain froze in place, glancing between me and her Domina, Shireen Inayat, for help but Lita’af was quicker once again.

The white tail imperiously swished. “I will vouch for him. Your horse will be returned by tomorrow morning.”

Shireen gave me a nod after a long, scrutinising glance. “The Lady of Kamshad House is beyond generous. You seem to be held in high regard by many but make sure not to get drunk on that influence and test her good-will too far; every Kamshad Domina will defend the honour of our silver wolf. Delara, let him go.”

Slight posturing and face-saving, but I wasn’t expecting anything less by now. Giving her a curt smile, I nudged the horse to exit the group. “Your silver wolf is both shrewd and perceptive to know that my expediency is for her sake, as well as mine.”

After building our camps daily for many weeks of marching, I knew the layout as the back of my hand. A few turns to get me to the tents of the first maniple, a startled servant staring at the reins of my horse that I slapped into his hand, a familiar curtain that I pushed aside and I found myself in the suffocatingly-strong embrace of four arms.

After the initial scuffle of shouts and a trove of messengers sent everywhere — from informing Hajar of my arrival, apparent injury, and expected absence until tomorrow, to fetching clothes and food — I was finally allowed to be released from their hands and to sit down.

“Who was it?” Anaise gave her pillow a glance and sat beside me instead, wrapping her tail around my waist.

I gave her ear a gentle stroke and leaned back on my cougar already sitting on the other side. “The enemy General himself, Bragge Archomilea the Third. Rest assured — my actions ensured that he paid dearly for it. The rest is Albin’s responsibility as he was the real target of Bragge’s plot.”

Albin was rather vague on Bragge’s fate, as it was probably still being decided up in the sky, but I made sure to leave a neat gaping hole in his memory when it came to my sadaq as my parting gift. Even without Albin’s promise, I knew I had some time before he learned of us again — especially if we wouldn’t cross paths again. Or maybe that was exactly why Albin made that promise in the first place.

Irje cracked her fingers. “Next time anyone dares something like this again, I will grind them into dust!”

“Irje,” Anaise murmured while inspecting her fingernails, “turning our enemies into dust is the speciality of my magic.”

“Then I will punch them eight times with every swing!” my cougar thundered, undaunted.

I couldn’t help but admire the blueish ephemeral arms floating behind her back. Each one of them graceful and full of power, magical copies of Irje’s corporeal arms. Forget Dominas — I had the undefeatable Mother Goddess by my side!

But I was also curious. “Irje, why are you still holding the trimmer?”

“Erm,” she yanked her hand behind her back and glanced at Anaise, “I was about to mention that...”

“Right,” Anaise sighed and turned toward the silent pair quietly sipping their wine. “Kirana, Huare, would you offer us some privacy?”

“They could stay this time,” I leaned forward, catching everyone’s attention, “As long as they swear an oath of fealty, that is.”

The two pairs of antlers swivelled toward me as the Kausar twins gawked at me in astonishment.

“Fealty?” Huare asked. “You wish that we would join Aikerim’s Manor? I was expecting you to ask for a concubinage.”

“Huare.” Kirana hissed.

That last part was mumbled quietly but not quiet enough for me or for her sister to overhear.

I shook my head. “No, not to Aikerim Adal.”

“Erf,” it was Anaise’s turn to hiss as her fingers pinched my ear, “what are you doing!?”

I reached out and squeezed her hand. “I want both of you to swear fealty to Anaise Kiymetl Hilal. I want you to swear fealty to Irje Kiymetl, to Yeva, and to me. And I want you to do it now, while the Divines are directly above us to hear your Oath.”

“You are forming a Manor all by yourself,” Kirana summarised, staring at me.

I shook my head again. “You saw my wives in battle, Kirana Kausar, I know you have been watching us. Do you truly believe that they would return to Samat with their feats and accomplishments and simply stay as untitled wermages? Look at me — I have broken down one of the enemy fronts, forced a chunk of their forces to withdraw from the battle — all but assuring an enemy rout on our flank — and then I sabotaged the plot against the Speaker of Shebet by refusing to be a willing bait for the enemy. Albin Shebet Chasya is aware and so will be his sister.

“During my abduction, I was stripped of my armour, lost Chirp, and had one of my lashes ripped apart before I was dumped alone and nearly naked into the Forest,” I felt Anaises’s tail grip me tighter. “To survive, I had to best two Creatures that came after me, with one of them dragging me across mountains, hills, and valleys using its teleporting magic, until I finished it for good above the roofs of Bayan Gol. All because there was an enemy spy among the Kamshad. I came back here on the swift galleys of the Bayan Gol delegation, rushing to meet our Goddess. They will certainly inform Lita’af Hikmat about the manner of my appearance in their city. How do you think the Kamshad will respond to the current conundrum? Roshanak Gulnaz can deny all accusations and simply weather the storm from her untouchable position as the Kamshad Matriarch, but I have a feeling that she would prefer to keep this away from the public eye — and avoid having one of her sons humiliated for being a love-struck fool that he was — by making us whole, placated, and silent. That means favours and riches. Influence.”

“You killed a Creature that can jump!?”

“What can I say? Sometimes, being a murk can have its benefits, especially if one has proper tools at their disposal. But back to the main topic — what does a Manor need to exist? I just showed you we have plenty of power and influence. Wealth and land? I don’t think I need to insult you by explaining why it is not an issue for us either, with Aikerim Adal as our patron.”

Huare smiled. “A Manor needs people.”

I nodded. “And our estate is bustling with hundreds of workers. There is no need to form a Manor because it already exists.”

Anaise furrowed her brows. “My mother might not receive the news of this well.”

“Your mother knew this for a long time, love, if not in her mind then inside her heart,” I murmured straight into her ear. “She wouldn’t have allowed you to join our sadaq otherwise. She would’ve tried to either dismantle it like Sophia Chasya or blundered through it like Roshanak Gulnaz. Instead, by ‘giving you away’, she made it yours.

“Isra Haleh, Shahin Esca, even the wer potter Keivan and the slave wer bodyguard Viter — Aikerim had been doing what I am doing right now from the very beginning. An isolated estate, deep within her Manor, only beholden to us and through us to her? How is that anything else but a creche for a nascent Manor? A school for a naive Navigator, so that he doesn’t fail her daughter when his time comes.”

The ear rapidly gained colour. “Naive Navigator, my tail.”

I chuckled and nibbled the tip of her ear. “She had to be certain that I had the necessary skills to care for her precious daughter.”

Anaise squeaked and pushed my face away.

Allowing her to squirm in peace, I turned back to the twins. “Despite my recent achievements, I am not gathering a band or warriors for a campaign. I am not offering you battles to wage, enemies to defeat, or spoils to plunder. I want not your war spells but your earth magic so that I do not wonder if the House of Samat is sending yet another Collector among their builders to ‘assist’ me in building the next project. I seek legitimacy for our Manor that Pillar wermages in our retinue would bring forth. I seek people to walk the Daimon path with us that I can trust. The path of creation and growth.

“The question is — will you come along?”

Before her sister could say anything else, Huare got up from her seat. She untied her kattar from her sash and presented it to me, still in its sheath, as she went down on her knee in front of me.

I rolled my eyes without stopping. “Worry not, I know enough about pleasure nor was I simply playing with her antlers before. It will make her experience more vibrant but won’t overwhelm her senses to the brink of addiction. It will enhance the colours of her daily life rather than make them dull and grey in comparison. Now, let us return to the topic we put aside for all this time — Irje, it is stuck isn’t it?”

Irje glanced at me, sighed, and presented her hand. “Yes... I am sorry, Erf.”

The connection looked clean, even if the locking jaws couldn’t latch on her wrist properly — wermage resilience to blame, no doubt — but the umbilical entered well, without obstructing her range of motion. I could also see it pulse with her heartbeat while the recent breakthrough as well as her ability to control the trimmer indicated a well-established connection with her nervous system. Good. It could stay in place for a while.

I shook my head. “Don’t be. Technically speaking, I asked you to hold on to it, which you are still doing as we speak. Does it interfere with your duties and day-to-day activities?”

Irje tilted her head. “Without it, I have two hands. With it — I have one hand busy and seven free.”

“You will probably have eight hands without it too,” I mused as my finger drew the first moan from my interloper. “Just as Anaise said, it was a breakthrough. The trimmer might make the spellcasting easier in general, but it won’t take away what is yours in the first place. Nor would it grant the same six arms to everyone who wears it.”

“But it will grant something?” Anaise pressed.

“Not sure. It is possible that the only reason it affected Irje to such an extent was due to her not having a formal training in the first place. But that would be a question for another day and another place. The reason I was wary of simply giving that weapon to any of you is that it needs to delve into your flesh to ‘wake up’. And it does not know what a Spark is. Or where it is located. It knows how to avoid lungs and heart but it could blindly sever your connection to magic just as quickly as a well-aimed stab of a Collector. Among other things.”

I glanced at my cougar. “This is also why I want you to keep it for now. In fact, consider it yours from now on. Use its strength if someone dares to attack us, just as you did against the foul accusations of Muramat. With it in your hand, I don’t have to worry about sneaks trying to steal yet another one of my weapons. But be sure to hold it tightly — it is somewhat loose.”

Irje’s brilliant grin was quickly replaced with a frown. “Loose? But I can’t get it off, and Muramat Nishad wasn’t able to pull it away with his magic either during our fight.”

“Well, it isn’t holding to its maximum strength. Besides, magical strength is relative — Lita’af wasn’t able to pull my lashes away, but Bragge did so with ease. Don’t try to forcefully pull it out either — that might have issues of their own. I will detach it and try to make it more usable for you once I have all the necessary tools and facilities to immediately fix anything, if something does go wrong. That means our estate, at the very least.”

I glanced at Anaise. “Or, better yet, our personal, secure manor, away from prying eyes.”

The two large ears flipped upright in surprise. “You want to ask my mother for land as soon as possible, right after declaring your Manor? Think of how that would look — not only would it make my mother appear weak and even subservient to you but many, especially among the rest of my House, might see it as a growing schism between you and her. Or even worse — a schism between you and the Kiymetl at large.”

I nodded. “I know, I am voicing my plans for the future and the reasons for doing so. You know how many eyes are watching us already, making sure we don’t grow too strong or too big. It will get worse once we return to Samat. Besides, I am not planning on asking your mother for anything big — a small villa, a retreat, nothing more. I believe some Samat Dominas complained about the noxious fumes coming from Aikerim’s manor, did they not?”

Anaise scrunched her nose. “It is a yearly ritual with their ilk. Political posturing, no more. They grimace and turn their noses up, but, once the next day comes, their servants are at our doorstep, asking for our woollen fabrics. Yes, it is a convenient excuse for us to take, but even a shepherd on the Babr slopes will know we are plotting something.”

“Why don’t you ask Kamshad?”

I turned toward Kirana. “Hmm?”

She shrugged. “You are planning to demand concessions from Lita’af Hikmat? Ask for land. Kamshad has plenty of it. I am certain she wouldn’t be surprised by such a request.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything decent,” Anaise tapped her chin in thought, “They will not relinquish anything that brings them money.”

“Does an alchemist that can turn lead into gold need fertile fields to make profit?” Huare whined. “Trade the quality for the things that you actually need and claim more land than you could otherwise...”

I glanced downward and shook my head in exasperation. It took Huare little time to figure out that my gel had a body-wide effect at enhancing her sensations and even less to start exploring its effects for herself. Her sash was loose just as the tie-string of her pants and her hand had found its place between her legs. Judging by the flush of her cheeks, she was getting close. Until my strokes turned languid and erratic from me focusing more on the conversation and ruined her rhythm.

“Irje,” I nudged my wife, “could you help me out a bit? I am somewhat... short-handed here.”

When Huare glanced at me in question, I gave her a wink. “Six, not one. And she is quite adept at handling those shapes. I know from experience.”

“That one was good too,” Huare murmured.

“Seven.” I put my finger in my mouth.

She looked at me for a second, glanced at Irje, and closed her eyes, settling in as six magical hands descended on her antlers.

“Ooh fuzzy!” Irje cooed. “And warm!”

Kirana mumbled something and covered her face. There were gaps between her fingers, however.

“It is a good strategy,” I agreed, pulling the finger out with a wet pop. “Ask for land and then give away concessions that I do not care about to demand more. Not too much, lest they grow suspicious, but enough so that they are willing to offer plenty.”

Anaise tilted her head. “What would you seek?”

My hand covered Huare’s forearm, making her body twitch in surprise. “Access, first and foremost. While we can make do without local food production, and still make great profit, we would still need to eat and trade. That means a navigable river or a seashore. And in a place where other Houses can’t easily restrict travel either. I have no desire to get embargoed just because some Domina woke up in a grumpy mood and decided to close the river for traffic. Roads... nice to have, but not important — our main imports would be in bulk anyway.”

“That is us.” Kirana nodded but quickly scratched her ear. “Well, Enoch, that is. We do the road projects in Emanai, but we know the rivers too. If only to plan where the roads would be well-placed. Sometimes, you can’t build one without a river nearby too.”

“Splendid. If we chose to take that route, I would rely on your expertise in deciding whether the area is suitable or not.” I gave her a nod and turned back to Anaise. “The rest is... less certain. Mines are likely not in our future with the recent Divine Decree but lumber would be nice to have. Proximity to Samat, for legal issues and to stay close to your mother. Not much more. What do you think?”

Meanwhile, my hand kept sliding downward. My fingers trailed Huare’s stomach, sending shivers across her body, until they reached the hem of her pants. Feeling her arch upward and into my hand, I pushed further, slowly sliding her pants down to the blatant disregard of the onlookers. Despite her rapidly reddening face, Huare didn’t stop me nor did she shy away from my touch, only cupping her mound once it became clear to her that I had no intention of stopping midway. She often cast propriety aside and so did I.

It took some time for Anaise to pull her eyes away. “...in principle, asking for land is not a bad idea, but it has its limitations. It is very easy to ask for too little or too much if you can’t estimate its value well. I am sorry Erf but estimating values is not one of your strong sides.”

I cupped Huare’s hand, feeling the intense heat barely contained by her trembling fingers. My finger gently tapped her knuckle, as if knocking on the door. “Value is subjective.”

“It is,” Anaise allowed. “But if you wish to win, you need to know both your value and theirs.”

“That’s... an unusual way to phrase one of Mansiya’s postulates,” Kirana murmured.

I nodded. “Business and war have many overlaps.”

“What I mean is that you will need assistants for such a deal. Knowledgeable enough to estimate the land’s worth. And then I would still suggest sending one of your Chirps to survey the land. Moreover, Lita’af does not have the authority to distribute the lands of her House and what she does own herself is squarely in the ‘too profitable to trade’ category — if you are willing to go this route, you will be dealing with Roshanak Gulnaz.”

I shrugged. “I wasn’t expecting this to be resolved by tomorrow either. And we were dealing with the Kamshad Matriarch from the beginning, even if through her agents. But what do you think as the daughter of Aikerim Adal? Would she approve?”

Anaise smiled. “She would be exasperated, without a doubt. But she will approve. If only because the sold land wouldn’t create a lasting connection between you and Kamshad in the same manner their owed favours could.”

“Then we have a general course of action, for now. Tomorrow, I can inform Lita’af about our... considerations and we can work from there. If everything goes well, we might have our land not too long after our return to Samat. Who knows, maybe she will give us a tour on our way back home to see any potential locations.”

Under my gentle coaxing, Huare slowly spread her folds apart. My wetted finger hovered above it just as my palm kept her from pleasing herself. I let her simmer in the knowledge that I was right there while Irje expertly adjusted her rhythm and, once I knew Huare was on the cusp, my fingertip kissed her swollen nub. Irje had to hold her antlers as Huare’s body arched further from her release, pushing and grinding her mound into my palm. I let her ride the first wave until the second one caught her completely unawares, once the chemical cocktail I left with my saliva finally reached its intended target and ignited the new fire in her loins. The concoction wasn’t as complex as what my lash created prior, but it got its job done — Huare choked on a moan as her pants ripped apart, unable to hold her legs in place. I watched her bask in pleasure for a few seconds, waiting for the second wave to go down. Then I slid my finger across her folds and plunged it deep inside her core, spreading the inferno across every surface it touched.

“-uuuuuuck,” Huare groaned into my lap as her legs clamped over my hand. I could feel my augmented bones groan and creak as the wermage thighs squeezed them with abandon.

“You are not the only one who can be bold, Huare,” I murmured. “But just as you asked — your antlers were kept safe.”

“W-with his fingers?” Kirana stuttered. “What manner of Companion sorcery was that?”

Anaise glanced at Huare, smirked, and summoned a blanket to cover her body. “Shenanigans, Kirana Kausar. I told you, you will be learning that word quickly.”

I watched the other sister squirm in place, casting furtive and frustrated glances at her grinning but barely sensate twin, then I leaned forward and stretched my arm. “Do you wish to know for yourself? You swore the same oath as she did — it would be untoward of me to satisfy the request of one and leave the other without.”

Kirana bit her lip and scooted closer, avoiding my gaze. “Just my antlers... and just your hand.”

Letting Irje pick Huare up and quickly wiping my hand clean, I brushed my fingers across the warm velvet of the other sister as I laid her head on my lap.

“Welcome to our Manor.”