The three of us nodded in agreement.

  The dark elf melted into the alley and disappeared.

  I said, “Let’s go home. It looks like things might actually work out in this case.”

  Regina and Saria claimed a hand, and we moved back toward the keep before the crowd broke up.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Tam looked rather irascible but also intimidated as he joined Saria, Jaren, and Krenum on the dais. He nodded at me and Regina before he focused on the rest of the council.

  Jaren said, “I’ll get you up to speed, and I also have new news. Several people came forward last night about the famers. It looks like they packed up their families and headed west after the battle, afraid the king’s soldiers would make an example of them all after we were finally put down. So, we’ll have to see about getting some people working those farms before we lose their current crops.”

  Tam grumbled, “I can take care of that, several of the farmers come in the city for a drink in the evening. I know a few farmer sons who’d jump at the chance for their own stake, and to earn the coin to support a wife.”

  Jaren nodded, “Great. So…”

  Jaren took the time to update Tam on the current status, what we were thinking the king might do next, and what plans we had in place for it which weren’t great. I felt a little guilty about not telling them about my magical grass mine field idea, but it would be disastrous if the truth about that became general knowledge.

  Saria didn’t lie, it was all the truth if misleading, but she laid a little early ground work for our deception.

  “Karana may be able to help with that when she gets back. Maybe set a surprise of another kind? Like a trap? We’re also hoping she’ll bring more of our people back with her.”

  Before Jaren could ask too many questions about magical traps, she expertly changed the subject and misdirected away from it. She laid out the whole idea I’d given them yesterday about a more sustainable peace through the trade of rare magical plants and herbs from their forest.

  Jaren nodded, “You seem pretty sure we’re going to win, and as long-term plans go that sounds like a good one.”

  Tam interjected, “You’ll need to be careful who you deal with, most of the humans out in the city don’t trust elves, and fear makes people do stupid shit.”

  Tam frowned and looked at Saria and Krenum.

  “I’m not one of them. I’m grateful you’re helping us, and I also know a curious merchant or two, or maybe one of your ex slave guards is familiar with being a merchant? I assume once our freedom from the king is assured, the guard numbers will change significantly? We can’t afford for over half the population to be soldiers. The numbers don’t work, and the economy will collapse.”

  Saria said evenly, “We already have plans for that, and a lot of the soldiers already work other jobs. It’s a good idea though, we’ll make sure to pick humans we can trust, and that trust us. Your input on who has the knowledge for it would be appreciated, maybe we can make them our factor here and hire a couple of the guards to man the store and protect the merchandise.”

  Tam grunted, and then nodded.

  Jaren nodded, “There’s one more thing to talk about before we open the doors.”

  He turned, and looked over at me suspiciously, “Why didn’t you tell me you could change a person’s magical talent? We’d be a lot more secure if more of the human soldiers had war abilities. One of my men told me he saw those women we rescued from the tunnels training and throwing around fire.”

  Well, fuck. I supposed it was too much to hope for that wouldn’t come out.

  “It’s not something to do lightly. I did it for two reasons, the first being to help those women recover and feel like they were more in control of their lives, the second being to enhance our abilities to defend this city. The original flesh sculptors made the original changes to defend against disease, both virus and bacteria. There’s a balance, if I change too many of the population we might win easier, but we’ll also be dooming the city’s future health wise. What good is earning peace, if people start to get sick and die because of unsanitary conditions?”

  The viruses wouldn’t be a huge issue, every human on this world had an enhanced immune system and recovered quickly from colds or the flu. Bacteria was another matter, as was mold. This world had no safe food practices, but food didn’t go bad because of all the people walking around and killing bacteria and molds with just who they were. Not to mention the people with macro-cleaning abilities, there was no sanitation department in the city either.

  “I also worry about jealousy. People probably already envy those around them with stronger magic, how much worse will it be if it’s another person making that decision, as opposed to nature and random chance? Maybe I shouldn’t have done it all, going down this path would be a mistake.”

  Jaren grunted, “You don’t get to make that decision, things are hanging by a thread and we need more men with power over one of the elements on the walls. Right now, we have about ten percent of our soldiers with power, I’d like to make that fifty percent.”

  I frowned, “And have the other fifty percent angry with you? Wondering if they were trusted, or why their buddy deserved the power over them? That would be foolish, hurt morale, and be far more damaging to our cohesiveness than anything else you could do. And yes, I do decide, you’re paying me to heal your soldiers, not hand out magic like candy. You don’t mind my decisions not to be an evil dick like the king and enslave people, but you don’t trust that either, do you. Your self-righteous anger isn’t about magic abilities, and your guilty of fearing me, of not trusting me. This is about you trying to control me. You’re a good man Jaren, I’ve seen that in this room every day, but you’ve never given me a chance, or the benefit of the doubt, have you. I’m doing everything I can here, and if I’m not doing something I have a good reason for it.”

  Jaren turned red in the face, and looked like he might explode, but Saria cut the wind from his sails.

  Saria said, “He’s right. He’s never grasped for power, but you’ve done everything you could to put him in his place since this started, and ensure his influence was constrained. You’re a good man Jaren, he’s right about that too, but what did Tam say earlier? Fear makes people do stupid shit. Don’t for one second forget you’d still be a damned slave if it wasn’t for my mate, don’t risk our bright future with your fear and mistrust.”

  Tam chuckled.

  The tension in the room was rather high, the guards all tense, and Jaren blew out a breath.

  “Fine,” Jaren said, “Clearly I’m outvoted, and my emotions were running high when I suggested we order him to do it against his will,” he turned to me, “I do ask though that you reconsider. All our lives and future depend on your fragile heartbeat, and while you’re well protected I’m sure the king already sent his best assassins to take you out. If that happened, our only chance at succeeding would be more war talents on the walls.”

  I couldn’t argue with that, I also couldn’t tell him I was doing more than he knew against the future assault the king would send against us. But I was also right, the balance of magical abilities in the whole community was there for a reason.

  I said, “I won’t do that Jaren, but I promise I’ll look for an alternative.”

  I also knew then that once this was over I’d have to move out of the city, claim and build my own estate. Attitudes like Jaren’s would only get worse over time, especially when they noticed Regina and I weren’t aging all that much. I’d heal whoever came, and charge what they could afford. I might also visit the city at times, but it would just be better to get away from the halls of political power when the time was right. I’d start now, if I wasn’t needed in the center of things right now.

  Jaren asked, “Alternative?”

  I already regretted saying that. He feared me already and really had no idea what the scope of the magical power a flesh sculptor with my education was capable of doing. He’d be really terrified if he did. But, maybe if I could arm all the ones without war powers in a safe way, one that wouldn’t last much past the battle, I wouldn’t have to do the magical minefield thing. I’d still be responsible for the deaths, second hand, but I’d also be responsible for saving many soldiers.

  The trick was figuring out how, and the even bigger trick was not giving the king any new ideas. It was that second one that was the true problem. I could easily create a wand that used the wielder’s magic potential to shoot balls of fire, they’d have to aim but it should do the job. The wand would also stop working after a few days to a week, when the unfed cells of the freshly pruned branches died. No life, no more magic. That meant I wouldn’t have to worry about the weapon being abused later on, if some disappeared or one of the soldiers were untrustworthy or had a hidden evil.

  No, the big trick would be preventing the king from finding out about it and start experimenting on his own.

  “I’ll let you know in a day or two.”

  Krenum narrowed his eyes, “I have a compromise perhaps? And there might be a way around the morale problem.”

  Jaren turned toward the dark elf, “What?”

  Krenum said, “I assume the ones with war abilities will be guards even after we’ve freed ourselves?”

  Jaren nodded.

  Krenum continued, “Well, with my people leaving when Eastguard wins its freedom, you’d need about a hundred right, to defend the city and farms, and for patrols. About a hundred, or a third of your current human forces. What if we held an arms contest for the ninety percent that don’t have magical war abilities. The best seventy warriors among them will be added on as permanent guards, and could be given powers perhaps? The others might be a little jealous, but they’ll have lost the chance at greater magical power by their own lack of ability, and not at the random whim of their leadership.”

  He turned to me, “Would that change your mind?”

  Fuck, it was a good plan. I still didn’t like the idea, but it was definitely the lesser of evils.

  I turned to Jaren, “It’s a good compromise, and it addresses my greatest fear about tearing our forces apart because of human nature and jealousy. It’s also more balanced than half the people, so sickness and disease shouldn’t be a huge issue, but at the same time it will still triple the human magic potential on the walls.”

  It also addressed the other problem, I wouldn’t have to worry about the king experimenting with magic in non-human biological organisms. No wands of fireball for the troops. He might start experimenting with human powers, but that damage was already done, so what was the point in holding back?

  Saria gave me a look, as if to ask if I was sure.

  I gave her a subtle nod. In truth I wasn’t sure, but the horses were already out of the barn, no point in closing the doors just to be stubborn. The king would hear about those six women, it was an error in judgement, one made out of compassion because I’d wanted to help them heal. Krenum had come up with a good compromise.

  Saria said, “I’ll approve that compromise.”

  Jaren said, “Me too.”

  Tam said, “Sure, why not?”

  Jaren said, “Thank you Krenum. It’s not as many as I wanted, but it’s much better than what we have now.”

  The dark elf nodded.

  Jaren asked, “Shall we open up the doors, and start our day?”

  Chapter Twenty

  The next five days passed quickly, and nothing much of significance happened.

  I missed Karana, her playful attitude, beauty, and being around her. More than on a personal level as well, which was significant enough. I cared about her and missed her, and it wasn’t her seductive exotic beauty I thought of, it was the way she’d made my days better. But, more than myself, it wasn’t until she was gone that I realized how much she’d played the foil on the council. She was outgoing, friendly, and seductive, her often sharp observations had been blunted by those facts and had helped keep things peaceful.

  I loved Saria with all my heart, but in public she could be a little stiff and uncompromising, and frustratingly hard to read for most. I was good at it, but I knew her much better than the other councilors. Without the counterpoint of Karana, the council sessions were a little tenser. Krenum and even Tam helped with that at times, but not nearly as skillfully or transparently. I couldn’t help either, I hadn’t been making up what I’d accused Jaren of. He was a good man, but he really didn’t trust me with anything resembling political power. Like he was afraid I’d become the king and try to seize power.

  It was a foolish emotional thing, and I knew he tried, but he couldn’t get past it.

  The contest of arms was set up in bouts, until two thirds of the human forces were eliminated, just over two hundred soldiers. The seventy remaining were split up into fourteen groups of five, and each group was given power over all four elements and telekinesis. They’d train as teams and would work together to learn how to create devastating attacks by combining the elements and telekinetic force, much the same way the six women I’d upgraded in power did.

  Given all that, I’d come to the decision with Regina’s and Saria’s council, not to do the grass minefield thing if the king only sent a thousand soldiers. With our new much stronger military, we’d win quite handily unless their mages came up with something new and nasty that Karana couldn’t counter.

  Not out of misguided morality or doubt, but because if he only sent a thousand we strongly suspected there’d be a larger third wave. Better to hold back that devastating trap to when it would be most needed.

  I’d also definitely given up on the idea of making organic weapons like wands, though I was tempted to make one just for myself, my magical ability was deadly enough on its own, if short on range. A wand of fireball might be useful for dangers at a farther range, but I decided it was better to depend on Saria, Oceana, and our guards for keeping us safe. The negligible difference in protecting our lives wasn’t worth the king finding out about that potential.

  If he did, he could arm tens of thousands of his commoners, and neither we nor Gritor would stand a chance of defending against that. The risk verse reward was just too unbalanced to risk it.

  Saria, Regina, and I continued to grow even closer, and while we all enjoyed the greater level of pleasure Oceana brought to our bed, we were often alone together as well for the increased intimacy of lovemaking. Saria loved my idea of making our own homestead or mansion and would hunt for our meats and keep us protected. She also believed her parents would make sure there were visitors often, for further protection if the human community ever turned on us.

  Regina would assist me, and keep our household running. Her ambition was to be a domestic goddess, and I wasn’t going to try and talk her out of it. She was intelligent, sneaky, and would probably make a killing as a merchant, but that wasn’t what gave her joy. She really was a marvel.

  My job would earn us the coin to buy veggies, spices, and everything else required to run a home and family. I would also plan out house plants, without a lot of other humans around to keep bacteria away and things clean, I’d make plants capable of doing what we needed to stay healthy and clean. They would be for us only, and I wouldn’t be sharing that knowledge. I was sure I’d sneak in a few protections as well, though probably ones that were passive in nature and didn’t give themselves away. Last, but certainly not least, I’d do my best to spoil the both of them, and make sure they’d never regret choosing me as their mate.

  We all hoped Karana would join us, but it was too early to tell, and she had a big decision to make. Her joining us would also enable me to be a bit freer in my use of plants for defenses idea, any magic would be attributed to her if we were attacked. In truth, I wanted to get to know her better as well before moving forward with anything like that, Karana’s decision was all about whether to allow me to court her or not, given the complications of such an endeavor and what she’d give up. At that moment, we were really just good friends who enjoyed each other’s flirting, and company. I wanted more, but there were so many things I didn’t know about her yet, but what I did know was very encouraging.

  Of course, none of that would happen if we didn’t succeed in avoiding the king’s intentions for both punishing and reclaiming the city, and in simply killing me.

  If I’d thought Saria was alien in nature when I first met her, Oceana put that difference to shame. I liked the water nymph, but I didn’t really understand her motivations at all. I trusted the basic facts, and believed what I learned about her, but she was just too alien to really connect to on a deep emotional level. It was more of an alliance and maybe a light friendship than any other type of connection. She got experiences out of the deal, and a connection to the physical world, where as we got her magic and strength on our side. Both of us got pleasure out of the deal, she was always up for sex, but didn’t push for it outside her naturally seductive nature. That was pretty much the extent of it, and I didn’t imagine at that point in my life, that it would ever change.

  It was on the sixth day from that morning meeting, the seventh day after the first battle of Eastguard, that a few major things happened all at once. Wasn’t that always the way with life?

  It started out as a typical morning, and the council morning review was just a regurgitation of our status, which hadn’t changed. We were still waiting for the king’s next punitive attack to put down our little rebellion.

  As usual I was doing more woolgathering than paying attention to the council as it dealt with the concerns of the citizens. Saria was a warrior who’d probably forgotten more about fighting than I knew, but that didn’t mean I didn’t take the idea of protecting my family seriously. Much like the armor, I was planning out several things to protect that theoretical manor house we had planned, if we lived that long.

  A couple of men walked in, and moved to the side of the room, and then along the wall toward me. I didn’t think much of it, most of the healing I did was five to ten people first thing in the morning when the doors opened, but there were usually two or three late arrivals staggered throughout every morning session as well. It didn’t alarm the guards either.