Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 09

We have over 200 enchanters in the house who could aid her and a library the Academy is envious of with close to 100,000 books. Do I have your permission to take her to the capital, Silvertree Estates? There are plenty of rooms."

The mother nodded, "Yes, let her meet your family."

They walked out of the house and stood next to Wistara'Mika. They waited a few minutes for her to come out with a few belongings. He teleported to Melody's home. They walked inside. Melody pulled the supplies.

Mercian looked over, "Melody helped to find another wife candidate as I am considering the option of taking on 2 wives. I wish to take them to the city. I already have Kazzara's parent's approval to have them meet with my family."

The father looked concerned and started to speak. Mercian cut him off, "I know of your money issues, she did not tell me. I told here based upon your inquisition of my finances. I also told her I would get an accounting of what you owe. IF I paid this off it comes with strings attached. The first is your wife manages all finances.

Your pay goes to her to manage. Second, you will never borrow money ever again. Else I will, as part of my family, be forced to put you down and then every one of these money lenders. Your wife is to periodically check by any means she can find."

Mercian finger waved her mother to him. She walked over and he held her hand, "See what I did to a group of creditors for my Uncle Ferin when they killed my mother and asked me to come and see them about this debt. This was shortly after getting the sword."

She sat there and watched from the time he caught his Uncle Ferin steal, the gambling, and the people that held debt that they could not have worked to pay at that time. Then the day they killed his mother and invited him to the Roc District alone. She wanted to pull away and he had her watch the entire thing. Mercian released her hand, "When I say that I will make them pay am I wrong?"

She shook her head. Then in a barely audible whisper, "No, he is deadly serious."

Mercian looked at her, "How did he accumulate so much debt?"

She swallowed hard, "Like your Great-Uncle. Gambling. They still let him accumulate debt he could never pay back."

Mercian looked at her, "Show me everything you know about this group."

She did. It tore him up inside. He sighed and looked at the father, "You saddle up now."

Mercian looked at them, "We will be back shortly. Show her around what my home looks like."

He stuck out a hand and opened the portal. They walked in and Mercian got up on Wistara'Mika. He looked at him, "She told me she is dying. She worries about her daughter because of you. Stealing from her future. The last time you were considering taking your daughter for half of your debt; to turn her into a whore.

She told me you were considering it until you found out who I was. You figuring I was the answer to all of your gambling needs. You would just borrow against my family name; that is not happening."

He looked at Mercian, "He has 20 men in there; 4 are battle sorcerers and you will not walk out alive. Hells, I probably won't."

Mercian nodded, "You are half right."

They rode up to a small estate. The two guards out front merely chuckled when they saw him, "Back to lose more."

Mercian looked at them, "Besides consuming oxygen what purpose do you serve in life?"

They went to draw weapons and Mercian had his in hand. He dimension doored behind them. "Over here. You might want to ask for a raise in pay. Then again incompetence is seldom rewarded." One guy went for a crystal. Mercian sent his arm in three pieces. Mercian looked at him and his friend, "I draw weapons and it is to the death."

The one guy stood there screaming at his lost arm. The other guy backed off. Mercian took the head off the screaming one. He looked at the man, "Who is going to lose the most today?"

He went for Melody's father. Mercian rolled in and cut out his throat before he could get near him. He sheathed his swords after wiping them clean. He looked at her father, "Caron is it. That leaves 18."

There were 4 at the front door and two were battle mages. Mercian got down as did he.

The mage on his side looked at him, "No weapons inside."

Mercian opened his cloak so he could draw Varus' Nor. "He started screaming and Mercian swung around and cut the head off the other guard. Mercian looked at the other two. One was a big elf-blooded with a two-handed sword. The mage hit Mercian with a scorching ray.

Mercian rolled between the two and flipped the mage across his back as the two-handed sword came in and chopped the mage in half and cut into him. Mercian ran up the wall, summoned Varus'Nor, flipped back over, and landed before his headless body hit the ground. He looked up, "14. Get down, Caron."

They walked inside. Varus'Nor alerted, "Danger!"

He thought spell turning. A scorching ray came in and reflected back at the caster who screamed as he burned. Four others rose up and he drew his sword. He pushed Caron to the ground under a table. He fought with the four of them for less than a minute getting hit a dozen times before they were as dead as the smoldering corpse outside. He left his swords in hand, "9 left. Get up."

He used the wand in his bracer and several charges later and he was healed up. He altered form to look like the elf-blood out front. He pushed him through the next set of doors. One of the guards sighed, "This one was causing all of that trouble?"

Mercian rolled forward and ran both blades threw him and into the wall. He got hit by two arrows as guards came in from side rooms. He left his blades and flipped his bow around. He put one arrow into each of the guards above. Guards came from the side rooms and 'patrons' fled.

Mercian pulled out the two arrows from him, he fired a dual shot into two coming in from the right using those two arrows. As the lighting plasma took hold.

He thought, "Varus'Nor right hand."

He rolled and blocked the door as the Coran tried to flee. He knocked him out cold. He thought, "Four left and the asshole."

He heard a chuckle from Varus'Nor. One came forward. Swung wide. Mercian jammed his blade into his foot and pinned it to the floor.

Mercian rolled over and shot three arrows in rapid-fire into the other guard. The arrows shattered as they went into him. Caused him to stutter step back. He moved like he got punched repeatedly, only deadly. Mercian went and pulled his vorpal from the wall as Varus'Nor killed off the one who tried to pull him from his foot. He slung his bow around, used several charges of his healing wand.

He went over and woke Coran, "Lead the way. 2 remain. Plus, the guy who holds this debt. Take me to his office as I am sure you have been before."

Mercian turned on the teleport blocker and hung it from his weapon's belt. They walked down a long hall. There were women naked and chained inside the rooms. Some beat on pretty bad. Mercian pushed him through the closed door and into the room.

He thought, "Spell turning."

Varus'Nor chuckled, "Danger. Like you did not know."

One of the sorcerers disintegrated the father while the second shot at Mercian and his ashes fell as it went straight back at him. Mercian leaped forward and cut the head off the other remaining mage. He looked at the man who seemed shocked he could not teleport away. Mercian cut off one hand and then the other. Burning the stumps with Varus'Nor as he finally turned Moon Fire on.

He looked at him, "Point at your records for who owes you debt and for how much." He nodded, He pointed to a bag at his side. Mercian opened it and stuck one of his stumper hands inside and he screamed the bag bit off the stump. Mercian threw it on the floor. He burned the wound and destroyed the bag. Mercian looked at him, "Try again you fuck."

He pointed at a desk drawer. Mercian pulled it open and it was filled with poisonous snakes.

One reared back and bit Mercian and this elven pimp laughed. Mercian stuck his blade in and burned them all up. There was a false bottom with a journal and several bags of holding. Mercian dumped all of the bags in the room and then put them into his non-magical bag. He incinerated the book. He looked at him "Use that stump and undo all of the manacles of the girls." They walked from room to room. He had put his swords away and still looked like the elf-blood outside.

He released all of them and he pointed them toward the office. Mercian asked, "Can any of you heal?"

One girl raised a hand, "Was a ranger in training when my father sold me to this fuck."

He pulled 5 wands and handed them to her. "Heal up all the girls here. There are weapons, armor, and money on the floor." He broke the fucker's knee cap and turned off his teleport blocker. Mercian looked at him, "For the snakes which do nothing to me."

He then healed his leg while it was broken off to the side. He looked at Mercian, "You did not set the bone!"

Mercian smiled, "Once they are ready, they will rebreak your bones. Girls, whoever sold you into this find them and make them pay. Any other women, here?"

One nodded, "Another 14 in the basement. All from the same house. Formerly with Silvertree. He's been 'breaking them in.' to make them compliant."

---

He sighed and went to the basement and released them all. He showed himself to them, "I did not know you were here until now. There is money, healing, and weapons upstairs. Your brother came at me in the city and killed 3 children claiming you were all dead.

Take a fair share of what they have upstairs. Find any others who were captured and rescue your own House. Your mother took 5 million from me and I told her to leave the Kingdom. She did not listen and you got raped and tortured for what your father did. Find peace, and know I worked to save you twice now.

They killed my mother in your absence and I killed 72 of them, not counting the 24 upstairs to get to the fuck that owned this place. The father of one I am looking to marry had gambling issues. He's dead now as well. Find happiness, and don't come after House Silvertree, we did what we could for you."

They all nodded at him. The eldest in the group named Gornna looked at him, "Mother buried half of that in the garden. I know where, as I was the only one she showed. We will be alright, eventually.

Thank you for freeing us and we will look to leave the Kingdom, together. Once we find some of the others or kill them off if we have too if they joined them. As a few of our brothers and cousins did, how we ended up here."

He sighed and nodded, "Do what you must but know I have suffered from Uncle Ferin just as you have and I made those people pay. The weapons and money are yours. As is the satisfaction of killing that fuck upstairs. Do not tell the others who I am. If they have not killed him, then you do it."

He handed them the bag with over 400,000 gold pieces in it. "In case it is missing, get armed, get revenge, and make them pay."

She hugged him, "Thank you for this, and we will."

He walked back and teleported out front before any more tried to thank him. He mounted up and rode away. He teleported back to the house where he left the ladies. He got down and walked inside. They were eating at the table.

Mercian looked at her mother, "He stepped in front of a disintegration ray. There is nobody to collect the debt or any record of it. The 14 girls he had chained up as whores are freed and taking their pound of flesh from the leech and killing him as fast or as slow as they wish.

The 14 in the basement are former members of my house, sold or traded by some of their own brothers or cousins in that line. They will seek revenge on them as I did. You are coming with us. Please pack."

She nodded and then hugged him, "Thank you."

Her daughter stood there in shock, "She just thanked you?"

Mercian looked at her, "Your father was looking to sell you to that fuck to be a whore in his business. Like those cousins of mine who formed into a new house. 2 were underage but that did not stop the twisted fuck that ran the place.

All of them were chained up and several beaten black and blue. I freed them, left them all of the weapons, armor, healing wands, and money in the place. Including the money, I had on me in that other bag to those former house members.

Your mother worried for you because of his debt and her failing health. I can see she had not told you that last part. Now you know why I acted. To alleviate the fears of a dying woman concerning the future of her daughter. I did not kill him, I just did not stop one of the battle sorcerers from doing it."

She nodded and hugged him, "Then you came to me at the right time."

He thought, "Apparently."

He heard a chuckle from the Lady of Dreams followed by a sigh, "I am sorry about those cousins of yours in the basement. They will be guided to get what was left behind and to get revenge against what befell them. You got the main gang, they will get the others. I promise you that as I know when they will die."

Mercian pulled Melody from him and then grabbed the back of her neck. He kissed her while she moaned into his mouth and his hand ran over her breast. He turned and caught Kazzara as she jumped at him and he kissed her and moaned out. She shuttered as his hand ran over her breast. He held the two of them "Your turn."

The two of them giggled and started kissing and rubbing each other. He pulled them back.

They smiled at Mercian and he kept it simple, "Will you two marry me?"

They shouted, "YES!" into each ear.

Mercian grabbed his ears and they looked at him as they could see he was in pain from that. They looked at him and it took a few seconds for his hearing to return to normal. Melody looked at him, "What happened?"

Mercian looked at her, "I was not set for combat to protect my hearing. I have extremely sensitive hearing. My hearing is enhanced. Kazzara, walk down there, turn away from me, and whisper a number as big or as small as you want. She walked down and Mercian whispered it into Melody's ear and she ran down. They looked at him. Melody asked, "How good is your hearing?"

He smiled, "I could listen to both of your hearts beating when you were trying to decide who would go first. I agree. You each want me once to yourself. The other watches though."

Melody smiled, "Then you watch when it is just the two of us."

Mercian nodded. "But I expect I will throw a few surprises at you."

He walked out with one under each arm. He saw the mother was not looking so good. Mercian went over to her, "Tell me."

She looked at him, "It is coming faster than I thought it would."

He looked at her, "How long?"

She looked at him, "Not long enough to see her get married I fear."

Mercian smiled, "Would this be the last request you would want?"

She looked at Mercian, "What?"

Mercian smiled, "Besides taking great care of your daughter and the children would that be your last request to watch her get married?"

She nodded, "There is too much to do. They have not even met your family."

Mercian smiled, "That was not a requirement. Wedding dresses? There is probably a selection of two thousand to choose from in the Silvertree Estate's storage area. Rings I have, created by the gods. Asking them? I already did."

She looked over and they both nodded to her. She sighed, "I do not want to put her through a funeral while she is getting married."

Mercian thought, "How real is her concern?"

Mercian heard her sigh, "Very. She will be gone by morning."

Mercian thought, "We got married here in the shelter by the falls she could rest better knowing she finished this task. When the shelter goes, take her body with it. I will take the ladies home if that is what she wants."

Mercian looked at her, "I have the rings and we could be married here in the shelter."

She sighed, "Then she would still have to deal with a funeral?"

Mercian shook his head, "No she would not. When the shelter disappears tomorrow your body could go with it. The Lady of Dreams told me you would be gone by morning. I think the threat of your husband has kept you going on this long.

They can stay with you or they can help you to bed and I can take them to the city. Talk to your daughter. We will give you a few minutes."

Mercian took Kazzara into the shelter. "Do you want your parents there for the wedding?"

She smiled, "Thank you for asking but I think they will be just happy to know when I am pregnant with grandchildren. My mother told me to marry you and not to look back before we left. My mother would insist on staying with her until she passed. My father would get pissy about her daughter not doing it. If she wants to stay and they agree then that is fine. Finding a cleric will be a problem."

Mercian smiled, "No, The Lady of Dreams will do it."

She looked at Mercian, "Seriously?"

Mercian nodded, "She has done most of the champions weddings."

Melody came in with her mother.

She looked upset, "She wants you to disintegrate her after the wedding."

Mercian thought, "Lady can you just not take her with you after the wedding. Give them a moment to say goodbye."

Mercian heard her sigh, "Yes, a little early but she has been fighting so long for this day."

Mercian waved them back to the falls, "I will not have to disintegrate her. Have faith."

Mercian walked them back to the falls. She was already there. She held up a hand, "Please walk forward."

Mercian walked over toward her with the other ladies. He put the rings into her hand, "Charlus was in hiding. I am not. Could you change them back?"

She smiled and closed her hands. And opened them to three bands and placed them in his hands. He looked over and both ladies were dressed in wedding dresses. The mother in formal dress attire. She had turned on all of his house insignias on his armor. It was shining. He nodded at her.

She looked at them, "He has requested a partnership of equals so I will forgo the first wife duties and say they will work to be responsible for taking rings to be purified at the falls when you find them. You can take them there when you take them to get horses. One black and one brown saddle for each of them."

Mercian nodded at her. "He will show you the ritual with the few he has gathered. They have become fewer with Charlus's work which I am extremely thankful for.

Melody and Kazzara, do you take Mercian to be your husband, to share his and each other's hearts and bed. To be totally faithful to the bonds of this marriage? Do you promise to take care of your children in an elven home, in elven lands, and to encourage him to add another wife when and if the need arises?"

They both said, "I do!"

She looked at Mercian, "Mercian, do you take these two lovely ladies into your heart and bed. To be totally faithful to the bonds of this marriage? To listen to your wife or wives when they advise you? To consider their words, feelings, and requests in regards to another wife when and if the need arises?

Mercian smiled, "I do. Nice changes by the way."

She smiled, "Place the rings on your brides and they can put yours on. Mercian put them on at the same time. They put Mercian's ring on.

The Lady of Dreams looked at Mercian, "You may kiss your brides in the order in which you found them."

Mercian smiled, "Ladies you found each other first."

They kissed each other. Mercian kissed Melody and then Kazzara.

The Lady of Dreams smiled, "I pronounce you married. Your attire will change back when you leave here. If something happens to any of you the others will know. Your rings will let you know."

She looked over, "Please say your goodbyes to your mother. I will take her with me when I leave."