Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2021 17:20:10 +0400
From: Nell Bas <helledon12@gmail.com>
Subject: the last feres/ the feri war 14

Happy reading!

                 The feri war
                  Chapter 14

'Where to now?' Wren asked.

'We can't leave yet,' I said to which Stryker halted in his track.

'Do you know something we don't?' He asked.

There were too many eyes and ears at the entrance of the Guild
headquarters, so I used telepathy.  "The Guild masters may be assholes but
I caught a few errant thoughts from the commanders. Some of them are
sympathetic to our cause. Give then time. They will come around."

Stryker's face visibly brightened. 'That's good news.'

'That is truly good news,' Malik echoed. 'Follow me. I know a place we can
stay for the night.'

Wren laced his fingers with mine and we followed Malik through the city
streets. It looks like Roccia had been one of these places that hadn't
known hardship. The streets were clean, the buildings were pristine and the
people were well dressed. Well, maybe this is where the wealthy people hang
out.

We arrived at a beautiful three story house. Malik knocked on the hard wood
surface and a beautiful woman opened the door.

'Malik!' She exclaimed. She pulled him in for a tight hug. She then ushered
us inside.

'Your Majesty, this is my sister Una.'

We exchanged hugs and kisses before she led us to the living room.

'Rye, what you did back there was freaking awesome!' Connor said.

'Don't encourage him, Connor. It's not even funny. Rye, you do realise you
just caused us a shit load of trouble. You threatened their livelihood for
Great Feri's sake,' Eric said sternly.

'I do realise that. Perhaps you didn't notice, they've been discussing us
before we got there. And they've already made their decision. As you heard,
they have no intention of backing down.'

'Still, you could have chosen a more diplomatic approach. What's going to
stop them from coming after us now?' Eric countered.

'Eric, you were the first person to teach me that to create allies one has
to impress the intended party with your wealth, your existing alliances and
above all your power,' I replied.

Wren chuckled. 'Uh, yeah. You taught him that brother.'

'What is done, is done,' Stryker said. 'Now let's hope His Majesty's
strategy works.'

I didn't regret what I said ... and did. These people were assholes, and
you reward assholes by being assholes to them.

Malik's sister Una wasn't mated. She lives in that big house alone. She
didn't have any servants. She took care of their late elderly father until
he died last year. Shyly, she barely made eye contact with any of us.

Maya went to help her cook dinner. Connor followed them.

As I predicted, one of the commanders showed up shortly after we arrived
there. She met with Stryker in the living room. Eric and Malik were there
too.

It was now late afternoon, Wren, Rhett, Ferard and I were on the rooftop
terrace. There was no sunset on the horizon but it was still bright enough
to see the city from way up here. It was truly beautiful. Few trees, as
expected from a city, but the architecture was spectacular. Since space was
limited, houses stood shoulder to shoulder. And since there were no garden,
all houses had a rooftop terrace.

We marvelled at the sight. Except for Rhett. He was looking but he wasn't
seeing. I think he was too anxious to hear the verdict of Farren's
trial. He went downstairs a while later.

'Hey! Where are you going?' Wren yelled after him.

'Leave him be, atsa.'

'Another commander just entered the house,' Ferard said after some time. He
was leaning forward against the balustrade.

'That's the third one. Do you think we'll get more?' Wren asked. He
positioned himself behind me and enveloped me in his arms. He kissed my
neck.

I hope there will be more but we would be leaving tomorrow. Charlie is
still waiting for us to rescue him.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, an animal jumped on the balustrade from next
door. It startled me.

'It's only a cat, atsa. Look how cute it is,' my mate said. He reached out
and scratched the animal's back. It purred its appreciation.

I sniggered. A wolf calling a cat cute. Bron will have a field day with
that comment.

The cat was black as night, and in the human realm, such a creature
crossing your path is a bad omen. I wasn't superstitious but I sincerely
hope it wasn't a harbinger for something darker.

Wren picked it up and cradled it to his chest.

'You should get rid of that pest,' Ferard said with disgust.

He jumped a metre away When Wren came close to him with it.

'What's up with you?' Wren asked. 'It's only a harmless cat. Look, you're
scaring him.'

'I don't like cats. My mom had one when I was little and it clawed my face
off because it was jealous she was paying more attention to me.'

Wren and I laughed, with me the loudest.

'What a coincidence. The same thing happened to me when I was little. But
I've learnt to love them since.'

Ferard shivered when he looked at the cat and bolted downstairs.

Wren laughed his ass off.

We each took a chair and chatted about trivial matters, mostly concerning
our group of friends.

After a while, we grew quiet. I glanced at Wren and he had his eyes
closed. Although, he was still stroking the cat.

'Do you think Charlie is doing ok?'

'It's hard to tell really,' he said. Then elaborated when I said
nothing. 'Well, I guess it all depends on his captors. And to what purpose
he is being detained. If it's information they want from him then torture
will be their method of choice. But I doubt he's sleeping in luxury.'

I sighed. 'Hang in there, Char. We're coming,' I whispered.

'Your Majesty,' Maya said approaching us, 'dinner is ready.'

'Maya, how many times do I have to remind you to call me Rye? Enough with
the formalities, we're friends.'

She flushed. 'It's hard to do that, especially with a title like yours,'
she said.

'Yeah. I am the High King of the Feres. You should respect me or else I
will smite you ,' Wren teased in the same voice I used on the Guild
masters.

'Shut up,' I said laughing. If it wasn't for the cat, I would have thrown
something at him.

Maya giggled.

Dinner was uneventful, save for the conversation about the four commanders
that came to enlist.

The cat had followed Wren inside and was now rubbing against my mate's
legs. Periodically, Wren would feed him scraps from his plate.

Wren and I were not intimate that night. Ferard was sharing our room. Not
that it would have mattered if we did, but I wasn't in the mood.  Like the
night before, I couldn't sleep. I was too unsettled. If I was in the human
realm, I would have made a trip downstairs, raid the fridge and binge-watch
movies, but here there's nothing to do after sundown.

Wren was fast asleep next to me. I debated whether I should wake him so he
would distract me. I did that the other night and I felt guilty
afterwards. Ferard was snoring across the room and I also didn't want to
disturb him.

After a while, I got up and went to the rooftop terrace with a blanket over
my shoulders. I knew it would be cold out.

Surprisingly, Roccia was well lit at night. Streetlamps dotted the streets
and one might think they've discovered electricity. They haven't of course,
and I wondered what they were running on.

Sitting on the cold chair, I made myself as comfortable by drawing my legs
to my chest. Leaning my head back, I gazed at the night sky. It was a
miracle to be seeing stars. Ever since winter began, there has been nothing
but angry dark clouds up there. It was refreshing to have this at least.

After some time, I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply.

Once again, the cat startled me when he meowed. He must have followed me
out.

'Well there,' I said in a gentle voice. 'You couldn't sleep either, huh.'

He meowed again as if to say he wasn't bothered. I grinned.

'Of course, you're aren't sleepy. You're a cat. And cats prowl during the
night.'

I created a space between my legs and chest. I patted it, encouraging the
cat to jump up. He must be a clever cat because he did exactly that.

Instead of curling up into a ball, he just sat staring at my face. I
supposed he needed a distraction as well.

I call three ferilights from nearby. The cat watched as they flew towards
us. His eyes stayed fixed on them as I made them dance above our heads.

Cats loved chasing lights, this one didn't seem to share that passion. He
just sat there and watched.

I was beginning to feel that there was something odd with that cat. Leaving
the ferilights unmoving above I gently cradled its face between my palms.

I stared into his eyes.

The mental image of a pair of human eyes stared back at me.

'Definitely odd..." I thought. I didn't release the cat though.

Then, I remembered something Farren told me once. In Targeten not all
animals are what they appeared to be. Some were familiars like Pitch,
Amegra's crow.

"I believe my friend, you are an animal familiar," I projected into the
cat's mind. "Whoever you are watching me, I can see you."

The minute I said that the cat got agitated. He scratched at my hand and I
had no choice but to release him. He darted towards the neighbouring
rooftop terrace and leapt.

I grinned.

I didn't need the cat to find the perpetrator. I took a good look at his
surrounding and I can be there within seconds. However, I had a better idea
instead.

Gather ferilights around him, I teleported him to me.

As the ferilights faded, a boy faced me with apprehension in his eyes.

His surprise was short-lived because within seconds blue sparkles were
forming around him.

'Trying to escape? I wouldn't do that if I were you.'

I sent the three light spheres I played with earlier to circle him. His
blue sparkles dissipated.

'Who are you? Who sent you to spy on us?'

'No one sent me.' He was scared. And he was telling the truth. I was
already in his head.

'And your name?'

'Silas, Your Majesty.' He spied on us, so obviously he would know my title.

'Well, Silas. Let me try and guess what you were doing. You sent the cat
through this rich neighbourhood to case the houses so you could come to
steal from them later.'

His eyes grew big, wondering how I got this information. He told me
himself, unknowingly from his thoughts.

'I only steal food. They have plenty of it. They won't even miss it,' he
said. Was that contempt in his voice?

Food isn't the only thing he had stolen. So, that statement was a lie. My
little friend here was a pretty crafty pickpocket as well.

So, there were poor people here too after all. I should have realised that
all these rich people would need lower-class people to work for them. How
could I miss that?

'If it's the food you're after then come. I'll feed you.'

I teleported us to the kitchen. The ferilights from the ceiling came to
life and I could see Silas more clearly.

He was wearing a typical Targ garb; a long tunic tied at the waist with a
belt and long tight pants.  Over them was a travelling coat with a
hood. His assemble were clean and new, I'm guessing he might have stolen
them, except for his coat and boots. They were old and worn.

I sat him at the table and fished a bowl from the cupboard. I served him
some vegetable stew. I also placed a piece of bread and some grilled meat
on a side plate before him. After, pouring him some water, I joined him at
the table.

Elbows planted on the table, I support my chin with both hands. I watched
him as he wolfed down every morsel.

I heard the front door opened and closed. Who could that be? Then I
remembered not seeing Rhett at dinner.

He must have picked up our scent because he sauntered in a moment later.

'Who is this?' He asked pointing to the boy who was busy eating.

'A little thief,' I said. 'Silas, meet Rhett.'

Hunched over his food, Silas barely nodded his acknowledgement. And when
Rhett's stomach growled he comically pulled his bowl closer to him.

I laughed. 'Sit, I'll get you something to eat,' I told Rhett.

'Where did you go?' I asked after serving him.

'I wanted to go for a run, alas this place doesn't have a park big enough
for such activities.'

I watched him intently. 'Any news?' I didn't elaborate but he knew what I
meant.

'No. I'm worried sick that something might have happened to him.'

It was perfectly understandable. Farren was his bondmate. He was worried
for him.

I wanted to ask him some more questions but judging by his aloofness, I
decided not to.

I turned to Silas. 'So, tell us your story?'

'There's nothing to tell,' he said, to which I gave him an incredulous
stare.

He put down his spoon and wiped his mouth with a napkin. 'I grew up in an
orphanage somewhere outside Seaport city. When I turned fourteen two years
ago, they threw me out and said I should learn to fend for myself...'

'You're sixteen? I thought you were twelve,' Rhett said with a grin. And he
wasn't wrong. Silas did look twelve; short, skinny with a boyish face.

Silas reddened. 'Anyway, I went to Seaport to find work but I didn't have
any skills that could be useful. The tradesmen didn't want to invest time
and money on a street urchin so they all turned me down. At the orphanage,
I assisted master Tyron as an assistant animal trainer.'

'Of course, that was where you learn animal familiar magic,' I said.

'Yes. Unfortunately, it's a dying profession. People no longer need
familiars anymore. So I had to develop other skills to survive the
streets. On my very first try, I was caught picked pocketing by a guy and
he almost beat me to death. I was saved by Dorian. He nursed me back to
life and took me under his wing. He showed me the ropes. He became my big
brother.'

'Dorian is an orphan?' I said.

Silas shook his head no. 'He had family in Pixan but he never talked about
them. He got involved with a street boss and stowed away on a ship bound
for Seaport when he lost an expensive bag of dream berries he was supposed
to deliver.'

I know of dream berries. Kane used one to neutralise the warg venom in his
system to heal. It's a powerful drug. The catatonic state Dale and I found
him in was scary. Huh! Targ communities weren't any different from that of
the human community I grew up in. Crimes and drug dealers, nothing new.

'Where is he now?' I asked.

'He turned eighteen last summer and wanted to join the Guild as a
warrior. He moved here to Roccia for the opportunity. Although he was of
age and possessed elemental power, no squad wanted him.  He was untrained
with magic and his combat skills were acquired in the street. I stayed at
Seaport because I didn't want to move here. At least there I had my little
shack. After a month in Roccia, Dorian stopped sending me whispers. He
wouldn't do that unless something happened to him. So it's been a month and
a half now since I've been searching for him.'

'And you haven't found him yet,' Rhett said.

'Yes. And I fear his former boss might have caught up with him.'

'What made you think that?' Rhett asked.

'Another orphan told me he heard it from a guy called Trash.'

'And where is this Trash now? Maybe I can interrogate him for you,' I said.

He grinned knowingly and then grew sombre. 'He's in the wind. He stole
something valuable from someone extremely influential.'

His situation reminded me of Dale and Eva. They were living in the streets
before Niall, the Redhurst clan alpha took them in. They were fortunate to
have been found by a kind and generous soul. I wanted to be that person for
Silas. There were plenty of rooms at Notwitt and plenty of people to love
and care for him.

Am I ready for this kind of responsibility? Well, I wasn't alone. I'll have
to discuss it with my bondmate.

'Ok, here is what we'll do. You can accompany us to Pixan and I'll help you
look for him there.'

Silas gave me a face widening smile.

Rhett sniggered. "Your generosity knows no bounds," he was thinking.

Generosity may be, Charlie raised me that way. Although, I am not doing
this for praise nor out of pity. Silas, himself won me over. He's kind,
caring and loyal to the point of leaving his comfort zone to go in search
of a missing friend he'd known but for a short while out of concerns. He
didn't know what he would find in Roccia, yet he went there anyway. That's
bravery.

The question now was how will I be able to convince Eric that the boy was
coming with us.

As it turned out, Eric didn't need much convincing. I sat him and Wren down
and told them Silas story and predicament. Eric was sold the moment I
mentioned Silas' ability to train familiars. He said it was a skill that
might come in handy in this war. He wasn't being selfish or cold-hearted,
he just was thinking more like a war general.

Late morning we left Una's home in Roccia via shallow pool to the witch
city of Soren. Stryker stayed behind with Malik's sister. He will remain
there a few more days just in case more commanders showed up.

If I found Roccia beautiful, then Soren was breath-taking. We got access to
their pool because of Ferard. Wren told me the wencher was rich in passing
but he didn't say how rich. Ferard was the nephew of the Lord of Soren, the
most powerful and influential person in the city. The pool sentry
recognised him instantly and allowed us through.

'Master Cummore, welcome home, sir.' A male servant said at the front door
of his family mansion.

'Ferard Cummore,' I whispered candidly to Wren. He sniggered. How ironic he
has a last name that matches his thirst for cum.

'Rolf, these are my friends. Prepare the guess chambers, they'll be
spending the night.'

Rolf scanned us with appraising eyes. He was the kind of person that always
has a gentle caring smile that made you feel welcomed. He was a bit
surprised when his eyes fell on me. He recognised me.  For a minute there I
thought he was a telepath, and I wondered how he got past my mental shield.
Then I realised my glyph-less wrist was on display.

He inclined his head in acknowledgement but didn't betray what he knew.

'Where's my mother?' Ferard asked.

Before Rolf could reply, a female voice shrieked from the balustrade
above. 'Fayfay you're home!'

The chubby yet elegantly dressed woman in her late fifties came flying down
the stairs into her son's arms.

'Fayfay, you bad boy. It's been five years since you visit your poor
mother.'

Silas and Connor sniggered each time she said Fayfay.

'I'm fine, mother.'

'I know dear but your poor father was so worried.'

It was strange to see Ferard this way. He was a completely different person
from the Ferard I've come to know.

'I'm sorry, mother. How is father, by the way?'

'Much better than before. You should go and see him. He has been waiting
for you.' That was when she realised she had company. 'Greetings. I'm happy
to meet you all. Any friend of Fayfay is welcome in this house. Please, do
feel at home.'

I don't understand how she could have a son like Ferard. The guy obviously
was raised in luxury, pampered by dotting parents and surrounded by
love. How did he end up in the filthy state he was in when Wren and I found
him in Theran?

'It's a good thing you showed up when you did. Your cousin Roland is
throwing a witnessing ceremony tonight. You and your friends can
attend. Rolf, give him the invitation, will you?'

'Yes, my Lady,' Rolf said

'Mother, please. I don't feel like going to a party right now.'

She placed her hands at her waist and stare sternly at her son. 'Fayfay,
you've been gone a long time and people are starting to gossip. You will go
tonight and represent your father and me.'

Whatever she was asking of him was important to her. And she wasn't giving
him much of a choice.

Ferard sighed. 'All right, mother. We will go.'

'Wonderful! Rolf will get your friend something proper to wear.' Her happy
face returned and she was even more elated.

She led us to a luxuriously decorated family room and have the servant
served us tea with some finger food. Then she and Ferard left to visit his
father upstairs. The older man was bedridden and not in the best of health.

Wren, Connor, Rhett and Silas laughed when they left.

'Did you know Ferard was this wealthy?' Eric asked Wren.

'Yes, but I didn't know he was Lord Cummore's nephew.'

'What's a witnessing ceremony?' Maya asked to which Eric chuckled.

'It's a thing wealthy people here in The Sear does. Normally, when a
same-sex couple takes a breeder to start a family, they perform the
breeding publicly to acknowledge the legitimacy of the child they are
siring,' Malik explained.

'You mean they copulate in front of everyone?' Maya exclaimed. I felt she
was both appalled and intrigued.

'Yes, but only people of similar status as them will be invited. Usually
family, friends and equally wealthy neighbours.'

'You don't have to go if you don't want to Maya,' Connor said.

It was early in the afternoon and our sleeping quarters weren't ready
yet. So we had some time on our hands. Well, not exactly. We didn't come to
Soren to be with Ferard's family. We came to meet a contact of Malik's that
can give us more information about The Sear and the witch council. We're
heading to Pixan, so we need to know who we're up against.

'Malik and I are going to meet his contact. Rye, you should come with us,'
Eric said.

'What will we do here then?' Connor asked.

'Why don't you and Maya take Silas for some shopping. He needs better shoes
and travelling coat,' Eric said.

Maya liked the idea. She get to do some sight seeing. Silas did too by the
looks of him.

'I'm going to find a park. I need a run. My beast is agitated,' Rhett said
to which Eric nodded.

'I'm coming with you,' Wren said to Rhett.

'It's not fair,' I whined. 'They get to have fun and I get a boring
meeting.'

They all laughed. They knew I was joking.

We left before the others. We hired a coach because the man we're meeting
with lived on the other side of the city.

'Rye, Soren might be friendly, but try not to reveal who you are to
them. Like Helding, many nobles here has ties to Pixan. We don't want news
of our whereabouts to reach the capital,' Malik said.

I nodded in agreement.

The man we were meeting was a former council member of the witch
council. Malik used to work for him as a junior assistant. As a junior
assistant, he wasn't privy to confidential documents. So, the man was
invaluable to our mission.

Frankly, when Charlie spoke of his sister's bondmate, I thought he served
as a member of the council. But now I knew better.

The coach halted in front of a cosy little cottage with a beautiful flower
garden all around it. As we got out, an old man came out to meet us.

'Lord Henry.' Malik bowed to the man.

'Malik, come in son. Come in.'

We followed the old man to the back porch where he had prepared some hot
beverages for us.

'Today is a beautiful day. The sun is finally out. For days I've been
depressed with those winter clouds and the cold,' the old man said.

'Sorry for asking. Will Master Gregory be joining us?' Malik asked as we
took our seats around the table.

A dark veil came down over the old man's face for a microsecond before he
brightened up again.

'I know you came all this way to see him, but I'm afraid Master Gregory
won't be joining us. He passed away three days ago, not long after you
contacted him.'

'I'm so sorry for your loss. You know, Master Gregory was a good man. And
he loved you very much, he never shut up about it at work,' Malik said.

Lord Henry chuckled loudly.

'That bondmate of mine was everything I could have wanted. We were the same
age but somehow he knew he would die before I did. The man spent every
waking moment making me happy so I won't miss him when he was gone. And I
don't, because we have so many joyful memories together that would last me
a hundred lifetimes.'

He revelled in the memories of his mate. And I was there with him. I
couldn't help myself, his thoughts were so loud.

One particular memory made me gasped.

'Oh my God! He bought you this cottage just because he wanted you to have a
garden with as many flowers as the days you've been together. That's so
romantic.'

He laughed, while Eric and Malik frowned at me.

Oops! I just broke my promise to them about not revealing my identity.

Lord Henry caught on the exchange between us. And he smiled.

'Malik, I know who he was from the moment you showed up here. Gregory never
told you, but I am a telepath. If you want to blame someone then blame
yourself. By the way your Majesty, your mental shield is flawless. I
couldn't get past it without being detected,' he said and winked at me.

'Thank you, I guess,' I said shyly.

Eric was disappointed we wouldn't be getting anything from the late master
Gregory, and Henry just scanned him.

I need to teach them how to shield their thoughts, from people like Henry
and me.

'Gregory and I had a mental bond as well. We often shared thoughts. I could
tell you all he knew about the council.'

Mental bond? I was fishing for answers in his mind as soon as he said
that. He knew I was in his head, but he didn't fight me. Instead, he pulled
the memory I wanted to the surface so I could get easier access to it. He
did that without even tripping over his words in the oral conversation with
us.

Extraordinary!

'The council is being led by a man named Callum Hunter. He was appointed as
the leader after Lord Baxter died. Be careful with this man. He is very
crafty. He is a narcissist with a god complex, who also happens to be a
duo-powered warlock. That's a witch who had inherited powers from both
parents. He is both a strong telepath and a fire elemental. This is a
deadly combination of powers because he worked out a way to combine them
both.'

Eric was intrigued. 'How so?'

'With this secret weapon, he can create an explosion with his mind. Now
think what he can do with such a power. He once killed a man by creating a
mini-explosion directly into his heart.'

Wow! 'Is that why Master Gregory left the council?' I asked.

Henry laughed. 'Great deduction, your Majesty. And the answer is yes. When
the man died, Gregory led an investigation. An autopsy was performed and
the physicians were baffled and couldn't tell how the victim's heart just
burst open from the inside without an apparent source. Without a reasonable
explanation, they ruled it out as death from a natural cause. Gregory knew
better. He figured it out from a confrontation with Callum.'

Eric went quiet. He was assimilating the new information. 'If Callum was a
powerful telepath, how did Master Gregory flew over his radar?'

Lord Henry grinned. 'I told you already.'

'Because of the mind bond, your mind shield extended to him as well,' I
said.

Henry answered with a grin.

'Who was the man Callum killed?' Malik asked with curiosity.

'The former council leader, Lord Baxter.'

..................................

End of chapter 14