WW6 -ch 15-

“Blessings to Vince.”

Grunting, Vince ignored the voice.

He felt warm and comfortable right now.

The last thing he wanted to do was start the day.

“Vince, we need to talk,” came the voice again.

Except he wasn’t hearing it with his ears.

The voice sounded a lot like a prayer.

In fact, now that his brain was turning on, it sounded like Dea.

Letting out a soft groan, Vince moved deeper into his blankets.

Or what he thought were blankets.

The warmth he was experiencing was Renata beneath him. His head was pillowed on her shoulder and her arms were around him.

“You can hear me, I assume. I’m not sure if you can communicate back though. Could you pray to me so I know you hear me?” asked Dea.

Renata let out a soft sleepy moan, pulled Vince closer, then pushed her cheek to his temple. After a few seconds her hold slackened but she didn’t let go.

“Blessings to Dea, my wife. I’m here,” Vince tried, praying to Dea in his head. “I heard you. What do you need, my pretty Dryad goddess?”

“Oh! Ah… hmm… mmm… what I need?” Dea said, her words growing into a slow purr. “I could certainly use your attention. In person. Several times.

“This isn’t my poor Dryads trying to do things on the side either. This is my genuine feeling.

“I may not actually be a Dryad, but I certainly feel like one as of late.”

“I mean… happy to, but you’re not here. That leaves other things that I can help with,” Vince prompted, trying to redirect Dea.

“Yes. We’ve reviewed everything you sent over with Sam. She’s running messages for us on the front line and… well, it’s unlikely she’ll make it back to you any time soon,” Dea explained. He was thankful for that, he had no idea where Sam had actually gotten off to. “So… yes, we reviewed everything that’s happened.

“We spoke with Farris and formally summoned the Tri-Lliance ambassador. After denying the situation, they were dismissed and we’ve asked for a new ambassador to be dispatched.

“We’re honestly stalling for time to figure out what the possibilities are on our end, rather than theirs.”

“Our possibilities?” Vince replied and closed his eyes. He snuggled in close to Renata and relaxed against the beautiful Dragon.

“We have no troops to spare. Legion has no troops to spare. There are no resources to spare,” Dea stated in a way that left no room for interpreting the statement else-wise.

These were just the current state of affairs and reality.

“Alright. So we’re looking for time, here,” Vince replied. “Everywhere?”

“Yes. That-yes. In the west, we’re pulling out all the troops we can afford to, and working toward a diplomatic solution, but we still need some troops there,” Dea confirmed. “In the east, it’s practically a wild waste all over again. All our soldiers out there are to keep the peace.”

What Dea didn’t say was “put down bandit revolts” which from what little Vince had heard, was a near constant thing.

Given their troops were spread too thin, and without the proper resources, quelling this situation wasn’t an immediate possibility in the longer-term.

They were working with more of a “tamping down” result that only lasted a short while.

Spain was in a similar situation, and the front-line in Europe was quite large.

This was to say nothing for the Legion troops that were all tied up with their own needs and requirements.

The simple fact that Felix hasn’t needed to touch Yosemite in any way is likely a blessing.

“Right, well… how about—” Vince began, his mind going in an odd direction. “How about I play ambassador.

“Paper me up with credentials as the lord of Yosemite, send me south into the Tri-Llliance with a good amount of body-guard forces. Along with an emergency portal team to get out if I need to, and I’ll stall for time.

“I can run them around in circles promising nothing, doing nothing, offering nothing, while getting information. I’m sure I can plant a bunch of sneaky Legion stuff all over so our thinkers and the like can get information.”

“Let me talk to everyone. That’s a really good idea. I’ll get back to you,” Dea said, then he felt as if her presence faded away.

Sniffling, Renata turned her head, put her face in Vince’s hair, and inhaled. Then pulled him closer to herself.

Vince went back to sleep.

He didn’t see a reason to do anything at the moment.

Rubbing her face against Vince’s brow, Renata held to him.

There wasn’t anything to do, and Renata felt amazing to be held by.

***

Standing on the bow of the ship, Vince looked to his left.

They were being paralleled by a patrol boat of the Tri-Lliance. Upon reaching Tri-Lliance waters, the boat had come out to meet them.

A brief conversation and handing over documents ensued by Ynes and the Tri-Lliance boat captain. There was pause of several minutes before Vince’s ship was invited to proceed further.

Likely just long enough of a delay for the captain to read said documents.

Yaris and Berenga had agreed with his suggested action. In a matter of an hour he’d been in the gulf off Texas and then heading south by boat.

It was a Legion type ship that was a floating armored vehicle rather than what Vince tradtionally thought of as a boat. Doubly so when one considered the massive cannon on the front and back of it.

“It’s like watching a cat stalk a tiger,” Renata murmured from where she was sprawled out on the deck. She was nude and sunbathing.

Where they were hidden from prying eyes of the sailors and she’d quickly taken the opportunity to do strip.

As if laying in the sun was the most natural thing in the world for her.

“What, the enemy boat?” Ynes asked from Vince’s other side.

“Technically they’re not our enemy,” Vince muttered.

“Yes. It’s amusing. They have no idea what they’re going on about but they’re pushing in awfully close,” Renata continued, as if Vince hadn’t interjected. “That’s just talking about the boat since that’s all they’d likely know about.”

Letting out a soft exhale, Renata rolled over onto her front and then arranged her hair so it wasn’t laying across her neck. She shifted around and went still there.

“We should make more sea trips,” the Dragon murmured. “This is lovely. I love the smell of the air and being on a boat. The sun is wonderful.

“If we had more time I’d want to see if we could catch some fish. That’d be rather nice.”

Vince raised his eyebrows at the thought and considered it.

“There’s some islands we could explore. Even a big continent that’s like an island,” Vince suggested. “Maybe do that during the winter in Russia? That could be a fun distraction. Do ranger work and the like in Russia, leave for winter, hit the other side of the planet and hit the seas?”

“I still find it odd to hear the lord of Yosemite planning his retirement,” Canae called from behind them.

The elves, the original two, plus two more that they’d picked up at the harbor, were all on the mid-deck. Forming a type of cordon around the front of the boat to keep everyone else back.

Vince had yet to learn the names of the two new ones, but he was hoping to avoid all four elves for the most part if he could.

Safina was with them as well as, surprisingly, Zathira.

Johanna was somewhere else but Vince wasn’t too concerned about her. Last he’d seen her, she’d been working on some type of spell construct to assist with Red.

The two of them had grown close, rapidly, and were more often than not discussing Red’s curse, or magic.

In the end, Red had decided to go join Leila and Blue. Apparently the Undead had missed the Dryad and wanted to see her.

“I mean, I’m just a figure-head,” Vince asserted. “I’m just there for everything to stay together. I did the early work and pulled it all together.

“Now I’m rapidly heading towards retirement. I’m looking forward to it. I’m sure I’ll have jobs that they need me to do but… I’m a smart man.

“Or at least, smart enough to know there are those more qualified to lead than I.

“That means my goal is to put myself out of a job because I’m smart enough for that. Fill Yosemite with leaders, minds, and fighters, and get the hell out of the way.

“Now… we’ve talked about this enough. Let’s not bring it up again.”

“See, Claudia? I told you,” whispered one of the elves. Vince had only barely heard it and couldn’t figure out who it was. None of them were wearing their helmets at the moment as everyone was enjoying the “sea air” as it were. “You too, Aliza.

“Told you. Off the lines and eventually with him when he leaves. Best kind of retirement.”

“Cause he’ll get bored of everyone else, and eventually look to his elves,” added a different one.

There was a sudden bout of laughter at that from all the elves, and Safina, but Vince found he couldn’t really argue it. He grinned in fact.

Good plan.

“They’re sending more boats out,” Ynes remarked. “They seem like they wanna talk more. That or something else.”

“Mm? Do I need to end up my dozing session and fly up?” Renata asked.

“No,” Ynes answered after a long pause. “No, I think we’re alright. Let’s just see what happens. Maybe it’s an honor guard of sorts.

“It’s something we’d do for an incoming diplomat. I can’t imagine they wouldn’t do the same thing. The question becomes, how did they communicate it ahead.

“Thoughts?”

“Magic,” said Dalia immediately. “I’m sure they have some type of magic they can use. They’ve already demonstrated they have a fair hand at it since they made those stones that repel the water monsters.”

“Oh, yes. That’d be my guess as well,” replied Canae.

“I saw several birds flying in that direction,” Safina offered. “That’s a possibility isn’t it? I didn’t think anything of it at the time. I’m sorry.”

“Even if it was a bird, I don’t think attacking it, or capturing it, would have been a good idea,” Ynes said with a sigh. “That’d just have made them extremely wary of us and perhaps hostile.”

Vince took in a short breath and let it out.

There wasn’t much to be said further.

He’d just wait.

When the other ships reached them, nothing happened.

They circled up around them and joined the original Tri-Llliance patrol boat.

Nothing changed otherwise, though their original destination was no longer the current one. The ships all circling Vince had moved ahead and to the sides.

Clearly guiding them further to the south rather than the port that they’d originally been heading to.

Hopefully, Vince was being conducted elsewhere, though he was somewhat concerned. He’d picked the port he had in the hopes that he could travel along the Tri-Lliance territory.

The Legion tech the elves were carrying with them would have been gathering data the whole way.

Ah well.

Best laid plans and what ever.

***

Stepping off of the ship and onto the pier, Vince found his breath of Tri-Lliance territory to be somewhat foul. Reeking of fish-guts, trash, and stagnant water.

Not far away, where the pier met land, there was a congregation of people all standing around. Clearly waiting for Vince and his people.

“It’s terrible,” Ynes murmured in French. Peering into the water below them. “I’m no Nyriad but I can tell you right now, this is… very… foul.”

“I wonder if it was always like this,” Renata questioned, also in French. They’d agreed that their conversations were best done in French, since English and Spanish were common in the Tri-Lliance.

“I’m not sure, though I would hazard it’s those magic stones they stuck in the piers,” Johanna theorized. “The piers of Yosemite did not have such stones. They only exist on the boats.”

“Meliae and Yarris were concerned about long term effects. Seems they were right,” Vince allowed.

“Ah, distinguished guests!” called the person in the lead of the group of people waiting for them. It’d been spoken in english. “Welcome, welcome, please, come this way. We’ve already prepared quarters for you!

“We didn’t think it would be right to host you in the Yosemite embassy so we put you into the winter palace which is only a single hour ride from the capital itself.

“After all, you’re a visiting head of state, you deserve courtesies unique to yourself.”

“My thanks,” Vince said after coming to a stop in front of the man. Having chosen to speak in language spoken to him, Vince felt that it was appropriate.

Without really looking at the speaker, Vince dipped his head to the functionary.

It was a show of acceptance and acknowledgment from a king to a lesser individual.

While Vince didn’t like to ascribe to the stylings of nobility, here, in the Tri-Lliance, these types of things were quite expected.

The functionary bowed deeply at the waist to Vince. It wasn’t quite the same as kneeling before a king, but it was close enough for someone who might rank high in the Tri-Lliance.

As he lifted his head, Vince noted that it was a male human whom he was addressing and re-thought a few things as he did so.

The man was overly dressed, fashionably so, with dark brown hair, pale blue eyes, and a refined look to his features. Vince had the impression that there was more in his lineage as well by the way he smelled.

That and he looked at Vince with a look that most humans didn’t have.

As if they were a small predator sizing up a larger one, realizing they wanted none of it, and were ready to happily run away or hide. All the while putting on a brave face and smiling at Vince form ear to ear.

Perhaps he isn’t a low level functionary or someone sent out in a hurry to greet me.

Maybe this is someone who holds some sway after all.

They’re certainly not trying to insult me or demean me.

I think that’s likely a good thing.

“Thank you. That’d be wonderful. I’m admittedly rather tired and I’m not very well suited to the sea,” lied Vince, returning the smile to the ambassador. “Having a chance to refresh myself, have a lie down, and a light… a very light… meal, would be well met.”

The man blinked, the false smile on his face remaining frozen as if it were a mask. Then he dipped his head fractionally, turned to several people with him, and gestured at them.

As if they were the answer to Vince’s statement.

Then the man started, his body jumping as he looked back to Vince.

“Ah, that is, yes! Yes. Not a problem,” the man murmured. “I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten nearly everything it seems!

“My name is Harvey Bist, Chancelor to the Supreme Tri-Council. I’m here at their direction of course and they wished to extend every courtesy to you.

“These here are to be your personal servants for your quarters and will take care of anything you need. Food, drink, or otherwise.”

As the man said otherwise, he shifted where he was pointing to a beautiful woman with black hair and bright blue eyes. She was short and more geared towards a Dryad’s type of figure, though not as extreme.

For a human, she was incredibly pretty.

Ah.

Yes.

I can understand the implication.

“Many thanks. Please convey my sincere thanks to the Supreme Tri-Council for their generosity,” Vince confirmed. “Would it be possible to be conveyed to the location I’ll be staying at?”

“Yes, yes, of course, of course,” Harvey assured him. “Just right this way. We’ll be heading down this boulevard here. We’ve prepared a number of very splendid coaches for you to travel and arrive in.”

“Smells like a trap,” whispered what felt like Canae somewhere behind him in french.

“Helmets on, shield deployment, foreign land, foreign threats,” warned Ynes also in french.

“Ah?” Harvey asked, sounding very confused at Ynes’ words.

“Do forgive us,” Vince said with an easy smile in english. “We’ve picked up a lot of people that speak different languages. I’m sure you can relate in some ways given how large of an area the Tri-Lliance spans across.”

Harvey’s smile went from fake to real in that moment. The man had a genuine look of joy at the words. As if Vince were complimenting him directly.

“Ah yes, we have four spoken languages! You’re quite right, quite right,” Harvey said and then began walking away down the boulevard.

The mannerisms of the man spoke to not deferring to many, and those he did, didn’t include Vince or foreign dignitaries.

Felix would probably be trying to figure out if it’s insult or accident the way Harvey’s acting. To figure out if it’s a case of them sending someone they didn’t want to due to my sudden appearance, or if they wanted to make a point by sending them.

Well… doesn’t matter.

It honestly is irrelevant given that they’re the enemy. I’m here to waste time and cause problems, really.

Vince followed along without a word, though he did glance back to the Legion ship. It bobbed along in the water while the crew watched.

He made a hand signal to them and put his attention ahead.

The captain saw it, put the boat into motion, and left the pier quickly. Not bothering to wait for permission from the other ships or to give them any opportunity to say otherwise.

It wouldn’t be coming back given that the elves were carrying the pieces of a portal. They’d be putting that together and then traveling back that way.

The gateway itself would self destruct and “melt” after it was used.

He had no idea how that was possible and once more, didn’t ask.

Far simpler to never question the Whites and simply send another thank you note.

“Ynes?” Vince asked even as the two Dragons bracketed him.

He could feel Johanna directly behind him, even as the four elves fanned out and made a square around him.

“No concerns,” Ynes answered, though once more in french. “Johanna, would you please?”

A shield of elven magic sprung up around him in the shape of a square. He couldn’t see it, but could only feel it. It was clearly created between the elves, moving from one to the other.

Just outside of that, a nullification shield formed. Also in the shape of a square as well as also being invisible to the eye.

Harvey was standing next to an overly ornate and gaudy looking coach.

I wonder if someone will try to kill me.

That’d be interesting.

It’d also give me cause to stall for more time.