Amazon Apocalypse 5: Chapter 2

Cyra seemed pretty nervous when I mentioned wanting to meet her family.

“A-are you sure?” Cyra asked.

“Yes, I’m sure. Aren’t I supposed to be the one nervous about this sort of thing?” I chuckled.

“But...” Cyra looked left and right. “They’re... nosy. They’ll want to know all about what you do and what your plans are.”

“I want to go and do just that. This whole auxiliary force thing is something I’m doing on their behalf, after all. The least they could do is offer some support.”

“Every time I go there, I end up signing up for some job I didn’t want. Like winning that tournament,” Cyra sighed.

“Is that so? Sounds like a lot of people are asking favors from you, but you’re never cashing in. I think I have a similar problem. Just follow my lead, and we’ll face them together. I bet that the two of us can figure out a way to get more than we give. Besides, last time I was there, everyone seemed nice enough.”

“Okay...” Cyra’s shoulder slumped in defeat, and I kissed her on the cheek. Thanks to her recent size change, I no longer had to stand on the tips of my toes to do so.

Cyra and I did one quick loop around our usual places to ensure everything was running as intended and would continue doing so even while I was absent. Once we left the Mucaria pocket realm, we’d no longer be under the effects of its threefold time dilation. Odds were good we’d have to spend the night at the Samhain estate in the imperial capital of Glacia, which meant we’d be missing three days here. Perhaps longer if wrangling some goodies out of the Samhain Clan took longer than I thought.

While it would be nice to bring Myrina to see her mother, I wasn’t sure how happy people would be that I claimed both heirs to the Samhain main line, so I figured it’d be best not to rub that in until I knew better. So instead, I put Myrina on training duty. She didn’t have Cyra’s instructor job, but she did a good job at motivating raw recruits and coming up with creative training exercises that were only a hair away from torture.

With everything taken care of in Mucaria, Cyra and I left for Glacia. I flashed my badge and we crossed the bridge, and then we were in a bustling imperial city. From there, it was just a matter of finding a place to be teleported to the imperial capital. With the wizard’s tower piercing the moon overhead to orient us, we found our way to the Samhain Estate. The guards stopped us as we arrived, but they recognized Cyra quickly.

“Cyra Samhain, returning from Mucaria,” Cyra said with an air of formality in her tone.

“You failed your task, little cousin,” said the big woman guarding the door. She was also C-Grade but looked much older than Cyra and wore visible scars from who knew how many battles.

Cyra shot a brief glance toward me, then met the larger Amazonian glare for glare. “I found another way to complete my task. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to speak with my mother and great-grandmother.”

While the two warriors glared at one another, I peered around them to the estate grounds. Ahead of us, I could see one of the women we were looking to meet, Kyrina Samhain. She was Cyra and Myrina’s mother and my mother-in-law.

I used Shadowrealm Stride, bypassing the remaining wards the Samhain Clan had in place to protect their estate. They were surprisingly easy to bypass, given the clan’s wealth and influence. Then again, maybe the Samhain’s wanted it that way. It wasn’t like they ever left their estate undefended. They might welcome the arrival of the occasional burglar who they could transform into a volunteer punching bag. Despite their wealth, this would be one of the last families any sane person would want to rob.

I appeared next to Kyrina with a bottle of wine in hand. I wasn’t sure if the custom of housewarming gifts was common here, but I doubted it would hurt.

“My apologies for barging in. Cyra’s having a little trouble at the door. I hope you don’t mind an unexpected visit.”

Kyrina jumped, startled, and blinked in surprise at me. Her eyes widened as she realized who it was, and for a second, I feared she’d be angry at me for swiping a second daughter of hers. But the surprised expression faded a moment later and was replaced by a smile.

“Carter! You know, I was just figuring out a way to see you. I’m glad you dropped by. Your last stay here at the estate was far too brief. Grandma Luthrin! Carter’s here.” Kyrina turned, calling out into the open courtyard of the estate between the collection of buildings tucked away on this little slice of Themyscira on a world far from their original home.

“Huh? Who? Wait... ah, I remember you!” Grandma Luthrin, Cyra and Myrina’s great-grandmother seemed to appear out of nowhere. She didn’t look at all like I’d normally expect somebody’s great-grandmother to look like. She looked more like Cyra and Myrina’s sister than someone several generations older than them.

But appearances could be deceiving. She was a powerful warrior and well into her hundreds. The Samhain Clan considered her one of their fabled ancestors, the individuals of incredible power that made the Samhain Clan as influential as it was. Grandma Luthrin had chosen to settle on the world of Glacia, where her branch of the family wielded considerable influence.

“Wine?” I asked, holding my bottle aloft.

Grandma Luthrin snatched the bottle, cracked the top off it with her thumb, and held it to her lips like a water bottle as she guzzled half the bottle in a few big chugs.

“Not bad,” she shrugged.

I was glad the bottle went down smoothly. I’d bought that bottle for several hundred contribution points in Mucaria after asking a high-end liquor retailer what Amazonian warriors at C-Grade and above might favor. It looked and smelled like wine to me, but it was undoubtedly more potent.

As before, I still wasn’t able to get a good gauge on Grandma Luthrin’s power. She was at least B-Grade, which I knew before. But if she’d been a weak B-Grade, I should have been able to tell by now. That I couldn’t suggest she was either well into B-Grade, or perhaps already into A-Grade.

Kyrina and Grandma Luthrin went with me to the front gates to retrieve Cyra, which scared the C-Grade, who exchanged glares with Cyra half to death. She made some hasty excuses about returning to her post and scampered away.

“So Cyra,” Grandma Luthrin swung one arm around Cyra’s shoulder. The other still held the wine bottle I’d gifted her. “How’s married life treating you?”

“Uh... good. It’s... nice,” Cyra replied clumsily.

“I remember my man. Those were the days. Sadly, I wore him out centuries ago.” Grandma Luthrin sighed.

I was a bit morbidly curious about what Grandma Luthrin meant by wearing out her man, but there were more important topics to discuss. Who knew how much longer I’d have the ears of both Grandma Luthrin and Kyrina?

“So I won the tournament. The one for the auxiliary forces in Mucaria. I know the Samhain Clan has been after that,” I began.

“So you did. I’m glad it was you. We really should celebrate. After all, you’re part of the family too, so you winning it is just as good as Cyra doing so,” Kyrina replied, giving my shoulder a comforting squeeze.

“A feast! Sounds excellent. I’ll let the chefs know.” Grandma Luthrin smiled widely.

“We’re already having a feast tonight to celebrate Cyra’s marriage duel, Grandma,” Kyrina said.

Grandma Luthrin scratched her chin. “Alright, let the chefs know there will be a second separate feast tomorrow to celebrate Carter’s tournament victory.”

“Come to think of it, we never had a feast for my other daughter, Myrina. Perhaps we should have a third?” Kyrina suggested.

I cleared my throat before the Samhain’s committed to a full week of feasting and partying during a time I sorely needed their help.

“I was thinking more along the lines of helping me hire some help,” I replied.

“Huh?” Grandma Luthrin glanced at me quizzically.

“The situation with the recruits is dire. There’s only a single soldier among them. Everybody’s untrained. They might be C-Grade wizards, but I doubt a single one of them will stand their ground when enemies rush them down.”

Grandma Luthrin laughed. “Ha! Yeah, it’s always funny when you get in a magic user’s face. They’re deadly from afar, but once you get up close they’re done for, with few exceptions. From that fight of yours, it seems like you're one of them. Damn impressive for a sparkly spellcaster.”

“I’ve already hired a few instructors for the army, so all those inexperienced wizards can pick up a few basic survival skills. But your Samhain Clan has a lot of warriors who could help teach them not to run at their own shadows. It would be a big help.”

Kyrina nodded along with the idea. “It’s the Samhain Clan’s tradition to reward success. And you have succeeded where many of our younger generation have failed. I think you’re entitled to a few rewards. What you’re asking for seems easy enough, but it’s a bit too selfless for my tastes. Surely there’s something more personal the clan can do for you?”

“Oh, well...” I sheepishly scratched the back of my neck. “Since you’re offering...”

A few minutes later, I felt like a kid awkwardly standing there after I handed my parents my Christmas wish list. After I decided to ask the Samhain Clan for some help, I brainstormed ways they could help me. I’d expected to pick one or two items off the rather extensive list, but when Kyrina came out and asked me what they could do for me, I ended up just giving them the whole list I'd written down.

Had I asked for too much? Hopefully not. Cyra looked pensive, and I grabbed her hand while we waited.

Eventually, Grandma Luthrin snatched the paper out of her granddaughter’s hands and scanned through it herself with a snort.

“I like your balls, kid,” Grandma Luthrin said, turning back to me. Then she glanced at Cyra. “It’s a figure of speech, Cyra. Don’t look nervous.”

“You don’t need to get everything on the list. Anything you can do would be a tremendous help...” I said, still shifting in place.

“Nonsense! We’re the Samhain Clan! What’d we be if we couldn’t grant a few favors for a C-Grade who’s earned them? We can handle some of this. Others will take time. I’m sure you know by now we’re a bit lacking when it comes to magic, but a lot of our girls have husbands from mage families, especially those of us here on Glacia. I’ll lean on a few of them to tutor you and get spells matching your descriptions. As for advice before and after breaking through to B-Grade, I’ll have to find somebody.” Luthrin shrugged.

“I can take care of that part. I know a man interested in seeing you, and I doubt anyone you have access to is more knowledgeable about magic than him,” Kyrina said.

Grandma Luthrin tossed my sheet of paper aside.

“Alright, boring stuff’s over. Feast time!”

I let out a sound halfway between a sigh and a chuckle. “Alright, we can have a feast. But just so you know, I’ve already sworn off Amazonian ale.”

“Don’t worry about that. I got some special brew you should try. It’s much better than the swill the girls usually drink, and I owe you since you gave me some of yours!” Grandma Luthrin smiled widely while hefting the wine bottle I'd given her, and I immediately got a bad feeling.

***

I spent a few hours at Cyra’s side chatting with her cousins. A few I recognized from the tournament, and besides the large Amazonian with dragon scales, there didn’t seem to be any sore losers among them.

I felt it important to introduce myself to everyone since a few of these warriors would hopefully join the army I was building out of the recruits the Dragon Lodge gave me. I needed quality warriors I could trust. The fact that most of them weren’t wizards was a negative, but getting a few of these ladies would be better than what I had.

The party slowly took shape around us, and before I knew it, Grandma Luthrin declared a feast. After introducing me to everyone I hadn’t already met, she pulled me off to one side for that drink she promised me.

“Here. This is a special brew. It isn’t cheap, so make sure you savor it,” Grandma Luthrin said.

I scrambled for a way to turn her down nicely. If I had any positive thoughts about Amazonian alcohol, none of them were coming to mind. But one didn’t turn down a gift from somebody as powerful as the woman before me.

Grandma Luthrin handed me a tiny fist-sized drinking horn. Then, she pulled out an ornate vial no bigger than my hand. She poured a thimble’s worth of whatever mysterious alcohol she had into the horn.

“Try that. Might hit you too hard if you drink too much, but if you like it I’ll give you more,” Grandma Luthrin said.

I took a sip and was immediately greeted by a flash of notifications.

You’ve consumed a Supreme Elixir of Gregarious Fortune!

Your Charisma has increased by 50.

Your Luck has increased by 50.

You are now intoxicated.

My eyes widened. Luck and Charisma were two of the hardest stats to increase. I took back my earlier plans. I could survive a bit of alcohol if it gave these kinds of benefits. I gulped down the rest of the drinking horn.

“You like? Good. Let me fill you up. Go on and drink!” Grandma Luthrin poured from the tiny bottle until my horn was full to overflowing, then pulled out a second horn for Cyra, which she filled up as well.

“Thank you, honored ancestor,” Cyra bowed as she accepted the cup and took a slow sip.

“This truly is good stuff. Thank you for sharing it,” I said, though my words were already coming out a bit more slurred than I’d like. This stuff worked fast. I took a few tiny sips until my cup was no longer on the verge of spilling in my increasingly shaky hands.

“Nonsense. You’re family now. Don’t be a stranger.” She ruffled my hair like she was my grandmother, then went off to join the rest of the partygoers, leaving Cyra and me to finish our drinks.

Your Charisma has increased by 40.

Your Luck has increased by 40.

You are now highly intoxicated.

This stuff seemed to give diminishing returns with every sip, which was why people didn’t chug them down daily. Still, that one potion Grandma Luthrin had so casually poured out for Cyra and me had to cost a fortune. Just a few months ago, I’d nearly bankrupted myself at an auction with Myrina buying a potion that could potentially add five points of luck. And here Grandma Luthrin was pouring out something where every sip was twenty times as valuable. No doubt whatever I was drinking was far rarer than the wine bottle I’d given her. I’d have to thank her when I could.

Grandma Luthrin must have underestimated the number of stat points I already had in Charisma and Luck because by the third sip, I received a never-seen before.

Your Luck has increased by 35.

Warning! You’ve reached the legal upper limit of Charisma for your grade and class. Future Charisma stat points will be held in abeyance until you have advanced to the next grade.

Apparently, the System had decided I was approaching dangerously high levels of Charisma. Absurdly high charisma stats could exhibit an effect like Lisette’s powers, which had been strong enough to practically be mind control.

I sipped a while longer before receiving the same notification about my Luck stat. It was disappointing to be artificially limited by the System, but at least the extra stat points weren’t lost. They just wouldn’t come to me until I’d reached B-Grade, which was something I’d been planning on doing anyway.

By the time I finished the drinking horn, I was no longer walking properly without leaning on Cyra for support. Nor was I doing much talking.

“Good stuff, right?” Grandma Luthrin said the next time she saw me. “I’ve got more good stuff too. I’m sure it’s around here somewhere. You seem like you’d appreciate this...”

She poured me something else this time, now from a blue bottle.

“Huh? Hmm... herrr...” I muttered eloquently as I tried to protest having another drink. And yet, a few seconds later, I found myself drinking it anyway.

Your have drunk an Elixir of Vigorous Constitution!

Your Vitality has increased by 200.

And so the cycle began again. After that, I lost track of what Grandma Luthrin was feeding me, and I became so drunk that she managed to talk me into dancing with Cyra.

“Go on, young man. And you too, young lady. Dance!” Grandma Luthrin pushed the both of us into the estate’s central clearing, which had just been cleared for dancing.

I grabbed Cyra’s hand and tried to take the lead in a half-remembered waltz, but if I’d been in my right mind, I would have realized Cyra would have no idea what that was.

I wasn’t sure if Cyra tackled me or simply fell on top of me, but the sudden motion was enough for the last of the alcohol in my stomach to reach my brain and put me down for good. The last thing I saw was a familiar notification flashing in my head.

You are now blackout drunk.

Awareness faded from the world, and one last thought ran through my sluggish mind.

I better not wake up tied up and half naked again.

<Note>

Hey guys, wanted to do a quick update and figured I might as well drop another chapter of book 5 while I was at it.

Work is proceeding smoothly. Book 4 is looking pretty good. Some of the formatting isn't coming out right, but that's something I just need to go through one at a time and fix.

I'm hoping to send it to my kindle and do a full readthrough to catch anything I might have missed, then ship it sometime next week. There will be a brief preorder to make sure it launches on time, maybe 3 days or a week.

After that's done and I do all the usual launch stuff like posting everywhere on social media, then I can buckle down and really get to work on this book. For now, it's still sporadic chapters here and there with no real schedule.