Project Reconnect- Chapter 3

Chapter 3

         It took a few days before the Holland manse in Teagarden was habitable. It wasn't decrepit, but the house in the Noble district hadn't been maintained in years. Getting the mansion up to the typical standards of nobility would have taken a month or more, but Niko assured the castle staff that assisted with the cleaning that "livable" was good enough.
That staff consisted of three individuals: an older married couple to act as steward and housekeeper, and a cook that was a cousin to the wife. The latter two were of Gaitran descent, and quite obviously so: they were tanned with matching brown eyes and hair, and shared the same bright intensity in their stares. From what they told Nick, their family- the Thornes- hailed from lands under Holland jurisdiction. The steward was born in Gaitra, but his ancestors- from whom he'd inherited green eyes, a wiry build, and the name Mard Briller- had immigrated from Plint many generations ago.
         Nick was excited to be living in such grandeur, if only for the experience; he couldn't believe that, in the countryside to the west, they owned a building twice the size of the four-story villa. He didn't quite run down the hallways, but he did let himself get lost in the wonder of something so grand.
         There were plenty of thing in Teagarden that he found wonder in, too. It was, after all, the capital city of a country in another world. As they traveled back and forth between the castle and their estate, he took in the sights of construction and people that were similar, and yet completely different from everything he knew. His father had prepared him for the formalities- impressively, he was only half a step behind people who had known the proper etiquette their whole lives.
         That was what intrigued him the most: the people. He was already quickly learning to discern the difference between Gaitran stock and people from other lands. Despite relatively easy lives, Gaitrans were hard-working people, and that work firmed their bodies. Even those of the aristocracy routinely took part in combat training; though most preferred to stick with magical training, Queen Eugenia had decided that every able-bodied citizen should at least be capable of wielding a sword to defend themselves, and nobility was no exception.
         The Hollands had thus far been the talk of the town, and news of the upcoming celebration for the Twin-Blade Hero's return had already spread to much of the world. Dignitaries, notable adventurers, and other famous individuals were already making their way into Teagarden, half to see the return of the Twin-Blade Hero, half to see the hero's young son.
         Nick enjoyed the attention as he strolled through the streets of town. He'd expected his popularity to carry over with the city's kids as it did. What he had not anticipated- especially after his interactions with Gardenia- was that there'd be so much interest from members of the opposite sex. At every turn, some young lady or another was smiling kindly in his direction; not all of them were human, and that only intrigued him more.
         He had taken to sparring with whoever would take him on in the castle courtyard in front of the knights' barracks, and seeing him in action always drew interested crowds. After having sparred with his father for years, Nick's skills were good enough to hold his against and even best a good number of knights. Even most of the nobles and adventurers- of which there were a few- found themselves struggling to beat him; most resorted to magic, something he wasn't yet well-versed at countering.
         He was just about to call it a day when a girl he didn't recognize stepped out of the crowd. "Try me on for size?"
         She was taller than he was, maybe a few years older; Nick found it hard to tell with Beastmen, who often looked older than they were. Unlike many of the others of her race that he'd seen, the young woman wasn't covered in fur, or if it was, it was so fine and short that he couldn't see it. He could see a lustrous, golden mane of hair that shone in the late afternoon sun like a light source of its own, with big amber eyes that sparkled playfully, fiercely at him. Ears like those of a lion or other big cat could just be seen protruding from her hair.
         There was confidence in her motion, a slightly seductive bounce to her step that had the effect of drawing Nick's eyes to certain well-developed, well-tanned places, and a smile that kept pulling him away from those areas.
         "Never turn down a challenger," he said with a grin, pointing to the blunted practice sword his previous opponent- a knight ten years his senior who had conceded- had left on the ground.
         Pausing next to the mostly harmless weapon, she appeared to consider it: from behind her, a tail about three feet long and the same color as her hair twitched, and she tapped a long-nailed finger against the light leather or hide that wrapped around her from waist to thigh, the only protection she wore. The black leggings and red tube top completed her clothing, with Nicholas not surprised to see her feet unclad.
         "I suppose you could do with a handicap." She laughed and picked the sword up.
         Nick noticed that when she bent to arm herself, it was only from the waist, and yet she never took her eyes off him: she was flexible, powerful, and careful. "I appreciate the consideration."
         His new opponent tested the weight and balance of the fake weapon with a few slow practice swings, then took a light-footed stance. "Ready?"
         "Whenever you are," he said, his own training blade in a loose grip at the end of his relaxed right hand.
         The blonde sprang at him almost before the words were out, and the first clash of their weapons sounded like the clear ringing of a rather unmelodious bell. A bit surprised by the force of it, Nick was pushed back some, but kept his balance and repelled the blow. His hand stung some, a sign he wouldn't be able to win this fight with one arm, so he grabbed hold with his left hand and swung at her from an overhead position.
         Whoever she was, the young woman came to understand that she, too, would have to use both hands, and did so to defend. This time, she was the one forced back. Instead of trying to hold fast against the attack, however, she opted to tilt her blade and let Nick's own momentum carry him off to the side.
         It failed.
         Nick had learned in the first day or so how to discern when his opponent had more experience than he did, and the young woman he faced far surpassed him in that regard. To make matters worse, she'd also had the advantage of seeing him fight a number of times before stepping forward, herself, giving her yet another advantage.
         She had expected Nick to be a straightforward fighter, charging relentlessly, but not blindly, ahead. After all, that was what he'd done in the fights she'd witnessed thus far. He hadn't let anyone get beside or behind him- which was commendable on its own- so it was natural to guess he wouldn't be adept at fighting an opponent in that position.
         Just as she was intending to throw him off balance, Nick pulled back. The result was that the young woman's own balance was destroyed, and she was left defenseless to a follow-up.
         He couldn't help himself. Nick readjusted his stance and swung again, aimed at her midsection. The blow might crack a rib or two, but it wouldn't be serious, and there was usually a healer nearby who could take care of the more painful injuries.
         Like the young woman, however, his plan fell through. He noticed it too late, the sinews of her legs tensing, muscles in her calves bulging. Had he looked away for even a split second, Nick would have missed it all. As it was, he nearly missed it anyway. He definitely missed his target, as it just wasn't there anymore.
         Over the next few seconds, Nick found himself bombarded with strikes he could barely see, from angles he could hardly adjust to. He only just fended off the majority of attacks, but some rather strong ones got through, and the lack of any protective gear meant they stung quite a bit.
         Eventually, however, the blonde blur stopped being such a blur and coalesced into a form he could keep up with. The strikes of her sword stopped reaching him through his defenses, and they were face-to-face more often than not now. Unable to see most of the battle by this point, most onlookers would only have noticed that he was no longer being flanked.
         Nick's opponent, however, knew that he had rapidly adapted to her speed, and that was somewhat frustrating. Most people she'd faced had quickly folded under the pressure of so many attacks; the son of a hero was special, after all.
         Outside his father, no one had pushed his physical capabilities this far, and Nick was rapidly beginning to understand that he needed more training in that area. Sure, he could keep up with this woman, but the faster they moved, the sloppier his movements became, and he was forced to focus more on every movement or risk careening into a wall or crashing into the crowd.
         Because he also wasn't used to moving at such a pace- even going against Niko, he hardly lasted more than a few seconds before being defeated- he also felt a strain on his body starting to build up. If he needed to, Nick knew he could just ignore that, but this was just a sparring match, not a life-or-death situation.
         He didn't want to lose, but if he didn't do something soon, he surely wouldn't win.
         Nick decided to shift from defense to offense. He was already using the basics of the body strengthening his dad had taught him; pushing it just a bit further would give him an edge without adding too much more damage to what he was already building up. All he needed was an opening...
         ... and there it was.
         The young Beastwoman hadn't expected the use of the strengthening skill on top of acclimating to her own increase, and the sudden- if moderate- increase in power behind her counterpart's blows threw her off her ability to respond to each swing. To make matters worse, the strike came while she was airborne: though only a few inches off the ground, the offending blow kept her there a beat longer than usual, and even she was aware of the opportunity it presented.
         Planting his rear foot, Nick pulled his blunted practice sword back and prepared to shoot forward with all his remaining strength. Just as the blonde was at the furthest point from the ground and would begin her descent, he dropped his sword.
         Reacting to the instant his body betrayed the intent to move, the young woman twisted in air, completely moving her body out of the area the attack would have struck.
         "I give," Nick said, smirking at the movement that would have made his last attempt useless. "You win."
         "Huh." Touching down, the woman took a moment to catch her breath and saw that Nick wasn't even breathing hard. So they'd both still been holding something back. "Why concede?" she asked.
         Nick took turns showing the soles of his boots, which were beginning to crumble away from the leather. "I wouldn't have hit anything with footing like this."
         Around them, murmurs of excitement rose as the two combatants closed on each other: this had been the most thrilling match they'd yet seen, and it hadn't involved any well-known knight or noble or adventurer.
         "And now you see why I rarely wear such things." Her accent was intriguing, the first of its kind Nick thought he'd heard. Measured, a little airy, with rolled r's and slightly drawn-out w's and esses. She turned that smile on him again, one corner a bit higher than the other, those golden eyes shining again. "Good that you learned it, too."
         Nick took the now empty hand she extended and shook it, the grip every bit as strong as he'd expected. "I wouldn't go that far just yet. I'm Nicholas Holland. People call me Nick."
         "Thought so. Aurlyon Shell."
         A different sort of energy coursed through the crowd at the sound of that name as Nick heard "Aurlyon" repeated multiple times, often accompanied by the word "hero." For Beast people, their surnames came first, so he guessed she was or was related to someone famous, but he decided to ignore it for now. "I take it you're in town for the festivities?"
         "Well, that, too, but," and though she lowered her voice, her words were perfectly clear, "I mostly came here to see you."
         *
         "I'm glad you're deciding to trust me."
         Niko sat in a conference room with the Princess, Captain Forey, and a handful of other notable military persons. Most of them, he noted, were people he remembered, men and women he'd fought alongside in the past. He thought it was good that their experience was being put to use.
         At the head of the long, dark-wooded table, the Princess regarded him coolly. "Don't misunderstand. You are a noble of Gaitra, as well as a former military commander with extensive experience; it's only natural, Baron Holland, that you sit in on such a meeting as this."
         "Understood." Inclining his head, Niko chose not to push the issue further.
         He noticed that, although she brooked no disrespect, Princess Gardenia was generally lax on formalities. Under certain circumstances, she expected them to be followed, but where they got in the way, she assumed everyone would skip as much as possible. That practicality was something he knew she'd picked up from her mother.
         Thus he wasn't surprised when, after just a moment of silence, the Navy's High Admiral- a grayed and grizzled old sea dog Niko recalled was named Barton- launched right into his report. "Ship movements from Plint been odd of late," the man growled out, gravelly voice almost grating on the ears. "Nothin' outright sketchy, just more laden ships than usual takin' off for this time of year."
         "Were you able to track their destination?" the Princess asked.
         "Nay, not directly. Thing is: the ones we do find comin' inta port be less burdened than when they left."
         This struck everyone as odd, but no one quite knew what to make of it. Were they dumping cargo while out at sea? What would be the purpose of that?
         "Has the opposite been happening with any other nation's ships?"
         It was the Princess who asked the question, and Niko thought she might have been the only person in the room- besides himself, of course- to consider that possibility.
         The Admiral, looking as if he wished he were out on the waves at that moment, took a thoughtful moment to answer. "Dunno, Highness. Hadn't thought ta' look yet. Only noticed the Plint oddity some weeks ago."
         "Hmm."
         Strewn about the table in a slightly less-than-haphazard way were a number of papers of various kinds, and Niko spotted what he confirmed as the corner of a map under a few pages not far from him. "Admiral," he said, "do you have any sea charts with shipping lanes marked on them?"
         "Not here. Why?"
         "And how far out can you observe their vessels before it start looking obvious?"
         "Couple miles, depending on the destination." The old man peered at him. "What're ya getting at, son?"
         Niko slid the map as far out onto the table as he could, and placed his finger at random: it struck water. "Unlike my home world, which is covered seventy percent by water, Keiylam is closer to sixty. Still, there's a lot of open ocean out there. It's possible they could be transferring the supplies to some other ships while out at sea. If we can figure out where that's most likely to be happening, we might be able to find out where the seemingly missing supplies are going."
         Admiral Barton studied the map for a quiet moment, as if he could see the lanes that weren't there. "Huh. Yeah, might be some spots fer that. I'll order some crews out ta' have a look."
         Princess Gardenia nodded her assent, and the next subject was immediately brought up. "According to the Adventurer's guild," she said, "the Elves in Sandel are dealing with increased beast activity. So far, they aren't asking for assistance, but there have been reports of larger than usual numbers crossing over into Trieon. Thanks to that, there's been an increase in demand for iron ore, as well as already-crafted weapons and armor."
         An older gentleman cleared his throat. Niko was fairly certain from his practical but fashionable dress that the man was likely a merchant, but the Gaitran was otherwise unfamiliar to him. "For the moment, the price of metals out of Sagiete haven't changed, but if this persists, it's only a matter of time. Fortunately, we don't have a pressing need right now."
         The merchant gave the Princess an expectant look, but as she simply stared- and, somewhat, unnerved the man- he ended his contribution and things moved on.
         The meeting continued in this way, with subjects that could potentially affect the kingdom's security or require military action being brought up and addressed as needed, including the heavy migration of Feituli that Ghid had mentioned before, and spanned roughly two hours.
         When it was over, everyone but Niko was dismissed, and he tried not to lose his patience: Princess Gardenia had taken to using up as much of his time as possible, despite her claim of not liking him, in what seemed to him like an attempt to annoy him as much as possible without appearing to be doing so.
         Once the room was cleared of everyone but the two of them, she relaxed visibly, yet still gave off an air of being uncomfortable. "I take it the estate is to your liking?" she said without preamble.
         Nick took his cue from the Princess and was equally casual. "Nick and I are used to far less splendor, so the accommodations are more than adequate. It's a bit big for a staff of three to maintain, but we're pretty self-sufficient, so I don't think we create too much more work."
         To the crown-supplied chef's surprise, the two Holland men spent fair amounts of time in the manse's kitchens, both more than capable of preparing satisfactory meals for any time of day. Even more surprising was that Niko expected everyone present to partake in all meals, when they were able. The staff found it a pleasant, if somewhat disconcerting, surprise to not have to look after the nobles' every want and need.
         Gardenia nodded. "The staffing and restoration of the Holland manor proper should be complete by the end of the festivities here. I imagine you'll want to visit soon, though I hope you'll stay in the capital a bit longer."
         It was hard to tell whether or not she was being genuine, or merely playing politics, and Niko decided not to choose one. Instead, he said, "If that's what Your Highness wishes, I'll be glad to do so," and tried to sound like he meant it.
         The Princess shifted in her seat. "There is one other thing that I thought I should bring to your attention."
         "Oh?"
         Niko noticed the presence in the room just before the Princess did. "Some old acquaintances of yours have made their way here for the celebration. One of them, in particular, wished to see you as soon as possible."
         Like every other human he'd met, Niko had never learned how to discern between individuals based on their Flame, or their mana; that seemed destined to be an ability primarily in the realm of Demons and Elves. There were other ways, however, to tell the difference between people.
         Ways a certain assassin had taught him.
         "You're right about the ships, by the way." Duetto emerged from a darkened corner of the room as if he'd been there the whole time. Cloaked in black, Niko couldn't really tell, but the voice he heard hadn't changed much in two decades. "The resources are moving into Demon land."
         For a moment, a feeling of happiness had come over Niko, but those words from his friend had quickly washed them away. "Demon territory? Neffem?"
         Princess Gardenia interjected herself before she was completely forgotten. "I had a hunch, even before you returned, and sent Duetto to investigate. Those reports about unruly beasts I mentioned earlier strengthened my suspicions, and now...?"
         Duetto, his voice soft but clear in the nearly empty room, nodded from his position a few steps away from the table. "At first glance, if one is looking closely enough, it appears to be the birth of a Demon King affecting beasts and other creatures. But if one knows the signs, it's clear that the Lost Malefect is behind the current troubles in the west."
         Niko's stomach turned, bile rising in his throat. He grit his teeth, whole body going taut, before he managed to force himself to relax. "The bastard survived. Broke my sword off in his chest after I buried it there, and he's still alive."
         The Princess resisted the urge to say "Next time, bury it deeper." Instead, she said, "From what we've been able to tell, he became active again some seven months ago. There don't seem to be automata among his forces at this time, but that would be too obvious."
         "Of course."
         The speed with which Duetto moved startled the royal and brought back memories to the noble, who hadn't seen such quickness in a very long time: in an effortless blink of an eye, the slight assassin had gone from a few paces from the table to sitting on it, at the Princess' side. "Our work is not done," he said, simply.
         "No," Niko agreed. "No, it's not."
                                                           *
         "Dad, I met this girl today."
         The two Hollands talked that evening over a simple dinner: roast chicken stuffed with vegetables. Nick was proud that he'd had a hand in its preparation, and the made had praised his efforts.
         His father, between forkfuls of the well-seasoned bird, glanced over the sizable table at his son with a half-smile. "You mean another girl?"
         The size of the manor was great, but the little group of five had chosen a smaller room to take their meals in. It was cozy and comfortable, but also intimate. Nick was glad he shared his father's darker skin, as the adults couldn't see his skin flush. He still felt the heat in his cheeks, though, well aware of how much he'd been talking about the opposite sex recently.
         "This one's different," he said around his embarrassment, having hardly touched his food. "She's a fighter, a Beastwoman, and strong. She was the last person I fought today, and she beat me."
         Niko blinked a bit, forked carrots paused in midair, and the servants chuckled. This was different. It was rare for Nick to lose- though he certainly had his fair share of defeats- but this was the first time that he'd taken interest in someone who wasn't a noble. "Oh?"
         "Yeah. Her name's Aurlyon Shell. She's beautiful, and funny, too. We spent the whole day together."
         He might never get to eat those carrots. "Aurlyon, huh?"
         "You know her?"
         The elder Holland hesitated. "Maybe." Niko decided he might as well grab another bite while he could. When he finished, he said, "She blonde? A little older than you, maybe?"
         "Yeah."
         "A lion type Beastwoman?"
         "Mm-hm."
         "I know of her. I know her father quite well."
         Nervousness wrote itself on every line of Nick's body. He swallowed hard. "Who is he?"
         "Aurlyon Gram, my old friend and ally." Nick stared, slack-jawed, and his father hid a smile. "Yes, the hero I fought beside all those years ago. Seems like he's in town, too, so you'll be meeting him soon enough."
         When he was younger, Nick had wanted to meet Gram more than all the other heroes combined. The way his father had put it, the man was an incredible, imposing figure that was larger than life in every way possible.
         ...not the sort of person whose daughter he'd want to admit he was making out with. "Oh, shit."
         "Mm-hm." Niko had to admit he was enjoying himself at his son's expense. And it would be a good learning experience for the boy if things didn't go as planned. Privately, he was happier to hear about this girl than the others, since he was at least on friendly terms with her father. "So you better be on your best behavior, got it?"
         More soberly, Nick decided to give his food some attention. "Yeah, Dad. I got it."
         The conversations for the rest of the meal were more standard fare for aristocracy. Since nobles had a responsibility to the nation, Niko filled his son in on much of what was discussed in the meetings he'd been having with the Princess and others. He left out, though, the information about the Lost Malefect being alive: he had a suspicion that Nick finding out he'd failed in actually being a hero would destroy his reputation in his son's eyes, and that potential scared him.
         By the time dinner was done, Nick's trepidation had faded. So Shell's dad was a renowned hero? It was his dad's friend, so surely things would be alright? If worse came to worst, the Twin-Blade Hero would be on his side, right?
         Well, he didn't think there was anything to worry about. They may have only just met, but Nick was certain: Shell was special. He was sure she felt the same way, too.
                                                 

Puppy Love- Paul Anka