LV6 Ch1

Chapter One

The car purred with power as it flew down the dark road… except it wasn’t a road. The car was driving through space. The bright lights of worlds still safe from the encroaching Darkness went by in a blur. Doc looked away from the window to find Lady Luck beside him in the driver’s seat.

“Lilly? Am I dreaming?”

“It’s not a normal dream, Doc. You’ve garnered enough faith, so we have a brief moment to talk.”

“It’s good seeing you again. I’m doing my best.”

“I know. You’ve faced troubles already, but have overcome them. Even raised up a precious little one to help keep my name going in Deep Gulch.”

“Posy,” Doc smiled. “She’s a good girl.”

“Devoted to you, and now, to me. We don’t have terribly long to talk. Faith isn’t unlimited, nor will these moments come often.”

“Tell me what you need to, Lilly.”

“Your plans look good. Bringing David Roquefell into your circle will be a major boon. He opens many doors that will benefit your endeavors to ensure the financial security of your plans.”

“I told him I’d ask—”

“My equals know about my gamble to save the world. Trade will be contacting him much like this in the future.”

“That’ll cement him as an ally, then.”

“More than you know. Trade and I have agreed to aid each other in this world. You are to aid each other in your endeavors to spread our names; neither of us will look kindly on either of you turning on the other.”

“Not my style.”

“I know. David isn’t prone to such, normally, but he’ll be told just as explicitly as you are.”

“Thank you.”

“Doc, I should be the one thanking you. It’s a drop in the well at the moment, but it’s clear progress… enough progress that others besides Trade are now looking this way.”

“I’m happy to hear that.”

“Also… thank you for what you did before you left Deep Gulch. I know it gnaws at you, but leaving children behind gives me the chance to impress upon your descendants if the worst comes for you. They will be divine-touched, making it easier for myself or my contemporaries to reach out to them.”

Doc exhaled slowly. “I wasn’t sure, but I thought it might be that way. That’s why I agreed, as you obviously know.”

“Decisions where you call out to me to help choose, I will always know about. I know why you agreed, even with the hesitation and doubt.”

“Because hard paths have to be walked…” Doc murmured. “Leaving kids behind… that’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But it leaves a net for you and the others, so I put one foot in front of the next.”

“You’ve been the best gamble I’ve taken in eons, Doc. You’ve done exactly as you said, time and again: taking the boons you’ve had and using them to help others. Many others would stop at this point, letting the word grow slowly as they enjoyed the wealth and love of their wives.”

“Would it be enough to save the world if I did?” Doc asked.

“I can’t see the future, Doc. I can judge odds, though, and right now, the odds still look terrible.”

“Then I can’t stop.”

Lilly reached over to take his hand. “Thank you.”

Doc met her eyes. “You might not see the future, but what odds did you have for my life being like this?”

“All the ladies who love you, you mean?” Lilly giggled. “Oh, the odds were good you’d end up with one, at the very least, but since you did the right things at the right times with each of them, you made this come to be. Sonya had the chance of hating you, even trying to kill you. Rosa might have sucked you dry— and not in the way you like— if not for you breaking her during her first encounter with you. Sophia wouldn’t have done as much if you hadn’t selflessly tried to help her father. Lia wouldn’t have loved you if you’d asked for her body when you helped her. Fiala would’ve been hurt if you’d accepted Sonya’s life debt when it was offered to you. Even Ayla would’ve gone down a worse road if you’d taken up her offer of her body to repay her debt.”

“Guess I was lucky, then.”

Lilly laughed. “Maybe, but not as much as you think. You stayed true to those you cared for in each instance… like when Sonya offered to let you touch her in the steam room. You declined because it might lead to more, but it was mostly because you hadn’t discussed it with Fiala.”

“True. I won’t cheat on them.”

“Even when they give you carte blanche to enjoy the Iniquitous Den?”

“Even then,” Doc shrugged. “Some might call me an idiot, but they aren’t me.”

“You have no idea how much your wives love you for that.”

“Hopefully as much as I love them.”

“Hmm… I will stay out of the eternal war of who loves who more.”

“Smart,” Doc chuckled.

“You should also cash in your belief for more gifts from me, Doc. You haven’t done more than briefly glance at the options since you got to Furden.”

“I was saving up to get more clerics, priestesses, or whatever the gift calls them… but now, I might need something else sooner.”

“To return souls from the stones. It is there. You can afford it, though it will almost completely deplete your stored faith. Before you leave Furden, you should have enough for your other choice, too.”

Doc exhaled slowly as he looked back out the windshield at the glowing planets. “Hard roads… I can’t leave them to suffer at his hands.”

“Some would ignore their plight.”

“That’s not who I am.”

“I know. It’s one of the reasons I asked you to be my Voice.”

“Every day, Lilly… every single day, I thank you for this chance.”

“I know. I feel that prayer, my Voice. Sadly, it’s nearly time. Walk your own path, Doc. Your family is beside you, and you have friends and allies. You’re not alone in this world.” Her smile was bright. “I’m proud of you.”

Her smile and words reminded him of Theresa, his foster mother, for a brief moment. Warmth suffused his chest as he watched her vanish from the driver’s seat. His eyes grew heavy, and he slipped away into sleep.

~*~*~

Blinking slowly when he woke up, Doc saw Rosa watching him with wide eyes. “Creepy Weed…” Doc murmured.

“You spoke with her,” Rosa whispered in awe.

Doc grunted as he sat up. “Lilly, yeah. You saw that?”

“Yes. I’ve seen all your dreams.”

Doc looked around. “Where’s Lia?”

“On my way back. Is something wrong?” Lia asked, coming their way from the trees.

“Doc had a dream with Lady Luck,” Rosa said, her emerald eyes still wide.

Lia slowed, tucking a few strands of blonde hair behind her sharply-pointed elven ear. “Just a normal dream, or more?” she asked Doc.

Doc met Lia’s jade eyes. “More. We didn’t talk very long, but she said it was because I’d accrued enough faith to speak with her.”

“She must’ve had something important to tell you, then.”

“She did, though mostly it was to thank me. The rest of it was to tell me that David would become Trade’s Voice.”

Lia closed her eyes for a moment to say a silent prayer herself. “Another god is going to help us?”

“Yes. She made it clear that neither of us are to turn on the other.”

“You wouldn’t, and as long as Trade tells David the same, then we can put any lingering doubts about him to rest.”

“Makes it easier to trust him to handle the business side of things,” Doc nodded, “especially with everything we have going on.”

“You have taken on a lot,” Lia said softly as she finished crossing over to the bedding. She slipped her green-scaled boots off before joining them.

“I want to secure things so we can keep pushing forward,” Doc shrugged.

“None of us is speaking against it.”

“Doc, we’re all with you,” Rosa murmured. She shifted closer to sandwich him between Lia and herself.

“Okay,” Doc murmured as he put his arms around their waists. “Guess it’s time to get up.”

“Hmm… maybe in a bit,” Lia murmured with a smirk. “Rosa, will you catch Doc a fish so he can prepare breakfast for us? I’ll make sure he’s ready to give you what you need when you come back.”

Rosa was out of the bed in an instant, going toward the river at a near sprint.

Doc laughed as he watched his beautiful dryad do what Lia asked. “She’s always eager to please.”

“Especially when it comes to you,” Lia whispered, kissing his neck. “Now, recline for me. I’m going to make sure I can fulfill my promise to her. You can play with my ears, but you aren’t allowed to control my head.”

Doc flopped onto his back as he met Lia’s eyes. “As my dear wife wishes.”

Lia leaned over him, nose-to-nose as she stared into his steel-gray eyes. “Thank you, Doc, for choosing this world. I would never have thought I’d love again. Now, every day is filled with love. More than that, thank you for accepting my needs.”

Doc reached up to push some hair behind her ear, as it had slipped forward. “All of my wives have their own needs, Lia. I’m happy to meet them for each of you.” His fingers lightly traced the sharp point of her ear. “Giving in to you is love, just as Ayla giving in to me is her love.”

Lia’s lips met his, silencing him, the passion between them growing. Rosa’s eyes blazed green as she walked backward into the river, watching them while still doing as she was asked. She could have a fish in seconds if she wanted, but doing so wouldn’t give Lia the time she wanted with Doc. In the end, Lia would make sure to let Rosa be the one to finish Doc, so she could wait until she was called for.