Warlock of Omaha Squared
By Hemaccabe
Chapter 6: Ring of Fire
I got home. Jake was in Chicago becoming a better Jake. Travis was off doing what he was supposed to for everyone. Tamar was away on business. I had Chebelforth breathing down my neck for the statuette. Whatever the hell she was, Novi was laughing at me and apparently well out of my league. Facing what was likely the largest and most immediate crises of my life, my main magic casting implement was now in two pieces.
When I peeled out of my armor, I found my chest piece was cracked in half. Luckily, it still concealed the huge bruise underneath.
I had two choices. I could hide. I didn't think that would work out well. Or I could do what I could to see if I could come up with a better round two with Novi and maybe, eventually, Chebelforth.
I kept tailing the credit card, but no further charges came up. I did some searching and data mining to see if I could come up with any other leads for Novi but came up goose eggs.
I left searches in place and, with nothing much better to do, I went to the forge. I moved the Ulfberht to the side and started a new project. I would make something from canister Damascus. I pulled out a likely canister, lined it generously with liquid paper and started by adding my old axe head. Then I added a few bolts. Then I went to my metal library. I knew a lot about metallurgy. More importantly, I also knew what Mr. Guna had taught me. So, I pulled out samples and tried to use my magic to feel the virtues of the metal and which should be added to this project. I found small amounts of several metals which I would have never guessed, including copper, tin and rose gold, and put them in the canister.
I put the canister in my medium forge and let it sit. Two hours later, when I was very sure everything inside was good and melted, I pulled it out. The billet solidified quickly, and I started cutting off the canister. Thanks to luck and copious liquid paper, the canister popped right off. I drew my billet out by hand hammering it into a bar, fighting the metal's desire to set hard, and folded the bar into thirds twice. All the while, pouring myself and my magic into it. My forge hammer was getting a work out but seemed to be enjoying it. With my billet ready, I set to and shaped a new hatchet. This one, like a combat hatchet, would have an integral handle, which is to say, the handle would be part of the head and the head part of the handle. Thirty-six hours later, I quenched in a very satisfying, no tings, kind of way. I did some decorative pins and sandwiched the steel handle between hickory on both sides almost up to the blade. The pins gave me the option of putting more magic into it. The hickory was still present as well, lending it's virtues. Sixty straight hours of work and I had a new axe. I suspected it would be a substantial upgrade on what I had before.
I was coming up, axe in hand, having just finished cleaning up and shutting down my forge, to find Tamar in the kitchen.
"Welcome home." I said.
Tamar turned and looked at me, she had apparently just got herself a glass of apple juice. We made a point of keeping really good apple juice around the place. She still had her airport bag next to her and professional clothing on. I could smell airport and airplane on her. Underneath was Tamar. I had missed her smell.
"Did you make yourself a new toy in my absence?" She asked looking at the axe.
"Yeah, the last one broke. This one's a rush job, but I think it turned out pretty good." I replied.
"Anything happen while I was gone?" She asked.
I had been wanting to suggest we go up to my bathroom and give each other a nice long shower, followed by bath, followed by all sorts of other good things. I couldn't do that now because I had to tell her the truth. Better sooner than later.
I sat down at the kitchen table, gesturing for her to sit as well, then said, "Yeah," and then explained in painful detail the last few days. I was about to explain Chebelforth when Tamar interrupted me. "You have to stop being so oblivious, it's dangerous. Halloween is a dangerous day. You're lucky this Novi didn't eat you."
"Okay." I said a little startled.
Before I could say anything else, she asked the very welcome question, "Why don't you take me upstairs? We can give each other showers, then a bath, then get a little together time before the other girls get home."
"That sounds like a great idea." I replied.
After dinner Tamar looked at the video footage and then checked her bungalow.
"Nothing else is missing and based on the smell, what I've seen and what you've described, Novi is a Yaksini, likely in the service of Kubera." Tamar stated matter of factly.
"Well okay." I said having no idea what those words meant.
After a few moments I was able to add, "Does that present any options for dealing with her?"
"She is much more powerful than you, so if you confront her again, you will be lucky to escape with your life." Tamar explained.
I hadn't really discussed my meeting with Novi at the hotel.
"Any suggestions how we can get that statuette back from her?" I asked.
"I have one idea, but I have to make some calls." She answered and headed off to her bungalow.
Only after she walked out did it occur to me to ask about what she meant by "Fox People."
So typically Tamar.
I waited for Tamar in the kitchen. I ate a second dinner. I sent all the girls to do their homework. The girls did their homework and went to bed. After a while, I was nodding off sitting on the couch.
Around midnight Tamar came back in, "We need to catch a flight, I hope your passport is up to date?"
It was. I hadn't slept in sixty hours of intense physical and mental effort. I had just been trying and failing to fall asleep when Tamar came back. I packed quickly. International travel is tricky. I can't bring all my toys. There's also a consideration that my home could be infiltrated in some way in my absence, a weakness which Ha had just demonstrated so clearly not so long ago. On the other hand, I was in a bad spot and listening to Tamar seemed like a good idea.
We flew commercial. I guess Tamar didn't realize I had access to private jets. At least it was first class. I placed my axe in my checked luggage and my coat has enchantments that keep my pistol and four spare mags discreet, but that's all I had. We switched planes in LA and got on an Air China flight to Beijing, which was not what I expected.
Once we were on the Air China 747, ensconced in our first-class seats, Tamar began to talk. "I pulled some strings. We will appear before a judge who has the power of binding arbitration."
"Between us and Novi?" I asked.
"Yes." Tamar answered in her typically terse way.
"And if this judge so rules, she will have to give the statuette back?" I continued.
"Yes."
"Why would this judge so rule?" I prodded.
Tamar sighed, seeing that I was just going to keep asking questions, explained, "In our world, Novi has done something bad."
"Yeah she stole from us." I interjected.
"No stealing is okay," Tamar continued, "her crime is that she violated the hospitality of your home which you had offered."
"I see." I said not seeing at all.
"At the normal, human, mortal level, violating hospitality is bad manners. As you move up the food chain to powerful spiritual entities, it becomes more and more important. Novi is pretty high up the food chain. My guess is that she was trying to get this item, along with some of Chebelforth's other things, and offer them to her master, Kubera. Then she was hoping to knock the current Riddhi out and take her place." Tamar explained opaquely.
I nodded and then shook my head showing I was totally not getting it.
"Riddhi is the title of the current chief wife of Novi's master. She is another Yaksini. If Novi can get enough favor with her master, he will remove the current chief wife, or Riddhi, and make Novi his chief wife. You can think of it as a big promotion with lots of extra pay and perks."
"Okay, that makes some sense." I said.
"But Novi, which is not her real name as I think you can imagine, broke hospitality to get the statuette. Now that's bad, but if she did that to a normal ignorant mortal, she'd probably have gotten away with it. However, she did it to you, and you're close enough to an ignorant mortal that she almost got away with it." Tamar continued to explain.
"Why didn't she get away with it?" I continued befuddled.
"She didn't get away with it because you have me, and I know enough to demand a neutral judge for this transgression. By the way, the Judge is in China, which is why we're going there."
"and this judge is named…?"
"Gao Yao. He is held in high esteem by many of the Chinese people." Tamar replied.
"Okay." I answered starting to have some comprehension.
"Fortunately, the current Riddhi is a friend of mine, owes me a favor and not so interested in being knocked out of her current cushy spot. So, she helped me get an early hearing."
"How long does it normally take to get a hearing?" I asked.
"A few millennia."
"Well, than this is better." I said.
"Try to get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day." Tamar warned me.
Tamar then fell asleep. I tried to sleep, but I was scared and tense. I may have caught a few winks, but not much.
We landed in Beijing. I got our bags and we got a limousine. The limousine took us to a luxury hotel. I got my axe and put on all the gear I had been able to sneak along. Tamar put on a Chinese gown which was tight and showed a lot of leg. She seemed like she knew what she was doing.
We got another limousine which took us through a city covered with brown clouds to the now infamous Tiananmen Square. We walked across the square to a park which separated the square from the Forbidden City, the ancient seat of Chinese Emperors. We walked through a building called the "Jian Lou," crossed a street and went through another building called the "Zhengyang Men," then we walked the length of the rectangular shaped square, crossed another street, and entered the biggest building yet, called the "Tian'an Men." One would guess the square was named for it. Tamar seemed to know where she was going, and we weren't here to be tourists.
I generally respected the Chinese people, but I hate the Communists, particularly Mao, who was a monster in the class of other great monsters like Hitler and Stalin. That we can't label Mao the most evil monster of all time, because there is such strong competition, is something of a stain on all humankind. Of course, this "Tian'an Men" had a big picture of Mao on the outside.
As we entered the large structure, now mostly a museum and tourist attraction, there was a large open area with many other tourists milling about. In the middle was a large glowing gate. The gate was open, but the tourists didn't seem to notice it. Tamar led me right through.
We were immediately someplace else. Clearly, this had been some sort of magical portal that allowed us to get to this new place. We seemed to be at the bottom of a long staircase made of wide stairs that seemed to travel through an idealized blue sky with fluffy white clouds. The stairs were constructed from some sort of beautiful white stone. About ten steps up was a platform. On the platform was a group of six guys lounging about.
We walked up side by side, I was on the right.
All six guys seemed Chinese but had a definite red cast to their skin and all the skin that showed had some sort of marks on it. They all wore Chinese military BDU pants and shiny black combat boots with thick hard soles that looked sharp at the corners. Their shirts varied, but all showed a fair amount of well-muscled skin. They also all had a "Bull" motif from one guy with just short bull horns all the way up to another that was a full-on minotaur. The minotaur was also big, I'd guess he stood over seven feet tall and he was ripped. They also all had glowing red eyes.
Short horns started talking in Chinese, I think, I had no idea what he was saying. I don't speak Chinese. I don't know any magic tricks to translate. I would bet good money Google translate was not going to work here either.
Tamar started to reply. As soon as she started to speak, I immediately knew that what the guy said was, "This is not a place you belong. What are you doing here?"
Tamar was saying, "We're here to…"
As she was talking, her knife was suddenly in her hand and she stabbed short horns in the eye with just no warning.
I drew and fired my pistol at another one, but I was a tenth of a second slower or he was a tenth of a second faster, and they were all fast, so I missed.
Tamar was then dueling, with her knife, against the one I think was their leader. Even with everything else going on, I noticed she was using the stiletto I had made for her. I was gratified.
My shot missed but my new axe was in my other hand and I threw magic. My favorite magic shot is a bolt of pressurized air which I feel delivers maximum kinetic force to the target. Based on what I could do before, I threw something that should have been able to hit one guy and knock him on his ass. Maybe break a rib.
The bolt hit all three guys on the right side of the platform and slammed them hard into the steps behind. Even with their speed, and assuming they weren't much harmed, they would be out of the fight for seconds.
That left minotaur who had, despite his size, snuck up behind me and slammed his two, apparently rock-hard fists right down towards me and hit the step two feet to my right.
Minotaur was now at point blank and he was off balance, there was no way to miss. Two rounds in the head and two in the chest. Huge globs of him flew off and he just faded away. I turned to the three I had knocked to the steps. The one in the middle was just finishing fading. I shot the one on the right and that was all for him. The one on the left bounced up and was so coming for me right where I was standing and was so surprised when my axe head met his face.
All those defensive drills with axe and pistol had actually just paid off. I was so gratified.
That just left the one Tamar was facing. They were doing a dance, his size and reach balanced by her speed and blade. I didn't want to do too much, if I did it wrong and hit Tamar it would be bad, and they were moving fast. I carefully aimed and pulled the move just right. I nudged his foot with force from my axe.
He was off balance for a split second and that was all it took for Tamar's knife to go through his stomach and into his chest, three times. That was it for him.
"Okay, that went well." I said wondering what the heck had just happened when I threw that first bolt.
"They were here to delay us. Tire us. We must minimize the distraction." Tamar explained brusquely then continued up the stairs.
I followed Tamar jogging up the stairs. There were a lot of stairs. From that first platform, I couldn't see the top of the stairs. Every few hundred stairs there would be another platform. After a few hours of jogging upstairs, I was really hoping Tamar would call a stop for rest. She never did. None of my many electronic chronometers worked so I have no idea how long we jogged. I can say it was more than an hour and less than a year. We never stopped until we reached what looked like the gateway to a massive palace. I had, maybe, got a couple hours of uncomfortable sleep on the plane. I'd been up for about seventy hours prior doing intense physical and mental activity. Between the traveling, the moving across Beijing, the fight and the steps, I felt pretty shot. Tamar smoothed her dress. At that moment, I noticed she had never taken off her high heels.
We stood and waited for a long, long time. It was better than jogging, but my feet already hurt.
"So, is this Chinese heaven?" I asked.
"More like their pearly gates." Tamar replied.
Somehow, I also got the message to keep my big yap shut, so I did.
Eventually, the gate started to open. The gate opened ever so slowly. Opening ever so slowly while my feet already hurt. When the giant gates were finally fully open, a chunky cross between a goat and a Shetland pony came out and announced, "Welcome to the Palace of Divine Justice."
He said it in a tone that sounded reasonably normal, but somehow his speech was powerful, it seemed like a great wind was either pushing me down or back into the air and I was leaf. I held my place, that seemed like a major accomplishment. He gestured with his head for us to follow, Tamar followed, and I followed her.
We walked through a garden that seemed to go on forever. It definitely felt like miles. How long had we been doing this already? When was the hearing? Would my feet need to be amputated? I desperately wanted to complain or beg for a stop and rest but managed to keep my big yap shut. Then we got to another, even larger gate. We eventually would pass through seven gates, each one substantially larger and grander than the last. Each taking substantially longer to open. The distance between the gates seemed to at least double.
When we passed through the seventh gate, I could see a palace before us. I could simultaneously tell it would shame Everest in size and that it only appeared small because it was so far away. I wanted to feel hope, but hope was long gone. Tamar still had her heels on.
Another eternity of marching and we were at the gate to the palace. The opening of the palace gate was by far the slowest of them all, but when it did, we were finally inside. The chamber was huge, like the size of a major indoor arena, the kind that could seat a hundred thousand people, and opulent in ways that were beyond mortal dreams of avarice.
In a moment of exhaustion and shock, before I could stop them, the words, "What an amazing palace," spilled out of my mouth.
The goat laughed and said, "This is but the first and most humble antechamber."
There were seven antechambers and seven very slow opening huge doors. The first set of huge doors seemed to feel the palace gates were far too hasty. An opinion apparently shared by each subsequent set of doors about the set of doors prior.
Each chamber, of course, also got bigger, a lot bigger and a lot more ostentatious. I was too tired to look around much. I'm sure I was missing divine mysteries, laid out simply before my eyes, that had vexed Chinese theologians for millennia.
When we were through all the doors and chambers, I was too tired to talk, and we were in the main palace. Yes, seven more halls, the smallest of which dwarfed the biggest antechambers and the universe would die if one stinking door didn't open like molasses.
The last door opened into a vast chamber that looked too big to fit inside Everest. As we entered, I think there was some formal protocol, luckily Tamar handled it. I just had to focus on not falling down. We were finally brought before a very well-dressed Chinese mandarin looking gentleman who was sitting on a great throne. He was probably about the size of Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial.
"What has brought you to my Hall?" The mandarin said in a tone that I was grateful was pleasant, gentle and didn't make me wish to fall down any more than I already did.
Tamar made our reply. By the way, the heels, still on. "The hospitality of my Master's home has been violated. I come seeking binding neutral arbitration as is our right under the Unseelie Accords and by conventions many times older than they."
"I expect the one you accuse shortly." The Mandarin replied.
With that statement, there was a blue vortex and Novi appeared. She was dressed in some very elaborate costume which seemed, to my unsure eye, to be of ancient Indian style.
"I am at your convenience O great one." Novi said with a graceful bow.
The Mandarin replied graciously to Novi with a nod, "Welcome back to my home my friend of many years. A petition has been made for arbitration." Then he asked, "Do you accept my neutrality and the binding nature of my judgment?"
"Of course, O Great One, who could ask for a wiser decision?" Novi answered with another deep, graceful bow.
I didn't like the way this sounded. This Gao Yao definitely seemed far nicer and more welcoming to Novi than to us.
The Mandarin turned back to Tamar and said in a cold tone, "Make your accusation."
"This creature," Tamar began gesturing to Novi, "came as a guest into my Master's home and accepted his hospitality. She then abused his hospitality and stole from him. We ask no penalty, only the return of that which has been stolen."
"These are serious charges and, if substantiated, you ask for only a very small penalty." The Mandarin observed. Then he turned to Novi, "Do you have a defense?"
Novi bowed again. I noticed Tamar had yet to bow. I suspect the bowing was somehow ingratiating. I wondered why Tamar didn't bow? Then Novi looked up and said, "Oh Great One, it is well known that if one is a guest and one admires a possession of one's host, the host, by all standards of hospitality, must offer it as a gift. My host had invited me into his home and gave me hospitality of his own free will. Surely, he does not claim to be so ignorant of the basic rules of hospitality that he did not anticipate I might admire a trinket in his home as he had admired me. Having accepted my gifts, he fell asleep. I sought to give him kindness and courtesy by not waking him before his rest was completed. I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he was a good host by accepting a very minor trinket that had pleased my eye. My actions all must be seen as reasonably expected courtesy exchanged."
Then there was a long exchange as Tamar and Novi cited various parts of the Unseelie Accords, other legal precedents and conventions and Gao Yao weighed them. I didn't follow most of that.
Finally, the Mandarin looked at me and said, "Had you been awake, and she had admired something in your home, would you have offered it?"
I had been thinking on this very issue since I had heard what Novi said. My inclination was to yell, "Hell no!"
I took a deep breath and replied. "It is not easy to give a simple or straight answer to such a question. In truth, there are many things in my home that if she had admired, I would have been happy to offer. I also have many possessions that are very dear to me. If they had been admired and she wanted them? Would I have been able to do the right thing? That's hard to say. I don't think anyone knows what they will truly do until they are actually put to a real test. As for the item in question, I have many other guests in my home who have their own possessions. I am responsible to them to protect the security of their persons and their possessions. The item in question belonged to a guest in my home so I would not have been able to offer it. Further, it's loss has caused me great embarrassment before this other guest. It is this misunderstanding that results in me only asking for the object's return."
The Mandarin leaned back when I finished. "It seems we are at an impasse. What say you Xiezhi?"
The pony goat who had been standing in attendance of this entire hearing looked up at the Mandarin and said, "I feel this can only be resolved by challenge."
The Mandarin nodded, "Always my wise and true helper, Xiezhi. Too true. Let stages be brought forward," at which moment, two small stages appeared, "and musicians brought forth," quickly musicians appeared as well, "and let the two champions compete in a real test. To the victor will go the object."
I looked at Tamar confused, "Am I supposed to go on that stage?"
"No, I am the champion. You just stay here, remain calm. Await the outcome." Tamar explained.
Tamar then went to one stage and Novi to the other. They both came out and stood in the middle of their own stage. What were they supposed to do?
Then the Mandarin announced, "Let the Challenge begin! Musicians play!"
With that, the musicians, who looked like traditional Chinese musicians, began to play slow jazz.
Then both Novi and Tamar began to dance. They moved slowly, but they certainly both knew how to move. I found my eyes going back and forth. I was so confused. "How is this a challenge? Shouldn't they fight?" I kept thinking. Then I realized, "This is a dance off!"
Tamar and Novi continued to dance and the tempo of the music slowly increased. I realized the music they were playing was burlesque and as soon as I realized it, I noticed both Novi and Tamar start to lose clothing!
They danced and my eyes snapped back and forth. Anyone who has seen the pilot for Star Trek knows how compelling a green skinned dancing girl can be. I can assure you blue is at least equally compelling. At the same time, Tamar could focus her sexuality to mesmerize one's attention in the most intensely compelling way.
The pace of the music continued to slowly speed up. The level of clothing slowly drew down. The intensity of their movements increased as the suggestion in the twisting and spinning became ever more explicit.
I was exhausted and in substantial physical pain. My life and the lives of everyone I held dear were on the line. I was deeply afraid. This was an intensely unsexy situation, but watching them, I became very aroused. The way they were dancing could have gotten a rise from stone. My eyes kept snapping back and forth.
Finally, it seemed as if the contest could go on no longer. The intensity of the music was at it's peak, much further and it would become noise. Both women were nearly completely nude. Tamar was wearing only her stockings and heels. Novi still had some things on which covered nothing and only served to emphasize how exposed she was. I was watching Novi, but a sudden movement from Tamar made me glance at her. As Tamar's arms waived, her knees were bending forward in alternating motion as she pranced in place at incredible speed as her body glistened. I would not have been a man if I had not thought, "If I was in her right now, those fast back and forth movements would probably destroy my member and kill me in great pain, but it would be worth it."
I was so busy watching Tamar, I didn't see Novi's climactic move.
They stopped dancing. Everyone clapped. Including me.
Then the Mandarin announced, "The Judge has made his decision and he has decided in favor of the Fox woman. Congratulations. I make this judgment. The Yaksini must meet the Fox people at their hotel room and return the object. Then she must serve the Fox man in his household for one thousand years. Done."
I was about to say something, ask what was going on, but I was standing in our hotel suite staring at a wall about one foot in front of me. I looked around and managed to fall on a bed.
There was Tamar, her dress restored, still wearing the heels. She managed to sit gracefully on a very comfy looking recliner. Then she kicked off her shoes.
"You never took of your shoes." I mentioned.
"As my mother always said, 'A Lady doesn't remove her shoes when she's out.'"
Couldn't argue with that.
Novi then appeared in one of those vortexes, holding the statuette.
"Thank-you." I said.
Then Tamar and I rested for a long time. Finally, I was ready for a soak in the giant whirlpool bath our most premium suite in this, one of the most luxurious hotels in Beijing, had come with.
"Tamar, would you like to join me for a bath?" I asked.
"Yes, that sounds pleasant." She replied.
"Novi, stay out here and guard the statuette." I ordered.
"Yes Master." She replied.
That sounded so nice coming from her.
Tamar and I went in the bathroom for a soak together in the whirlpool.
"How did you learn all that about legal processes of the supernatural community?" I asked totally amazed by what had just happened.
"If you live long enough, you learn things." Tamar answered cryptically.
"Did you know what kind of challenge it would be?" I asked.
"Yes, that judge has quite the reputation as a lech. I expected something like that."
"I noticed Novi bowed but you didn't?" I asked.
"We worship a jealous God. We can't bow to a phony make believe god like that." She explained.
"He seemed pretty real." I pointed out.
"He does exist, but he's just a powerful spiritual entity. Certainly, the prayers of many people also enhance his power. The true God's power does not depend on anything but his truth." She explained.
"So, Novi is also a 'spiritual entity' like this one?" I asked.
"Yes, on a lower level, but still quite powerful." Tamar explained.
"I know it's not polite to ask, but I'm wondering how old you are?" I asked.
"A little over two hundred years. I was born in Vienna, Austria. My father was a lord of our People and I was his only child. He taught me of such things." She answered.
"Do you have any other surviving family?" I asked.
"No, in 1940, one of the ancient enemies of our People, the Mitzrim, came and murdered them. My father sacrificed his life to help me escape." She answered.
"I'm sorry for your loss." I apologized then continued, "You mentioned 'Fox People' are those our people?"
"Yes." She answered.
"I thought I was a human warlock?" I asked.
"You are." She answered then continued, "All those human mages that sit on the White Council, they are all something else as well, whether they know it or not. Humans have no magic. Something happened in the past which gave those humans magic. For most, it was interbreeding with something that is powerfully magical, and then perhaps breeding those half-breeds together that produces 'human' mages. Our tribe was imbued with this gift thousands of years ago. Most of the clans of the tribe did not receive the gift. Only a few in our clan got this gift. Of those that got our gift, most were female, and they became expert spies and courtesans. Very few males got the gift, which meant if a female with the gift wanted a male with the gift, which we do very much, she had to accept she would most likely not be his only mate. The males with the gift were generally master crafters."
That was a lot to take in.
"What am I going to do with Novi?" I asked.
"I won her for you. Think of her as a dowry." She said the second with a bit of humorous snark. "Handling her is your problem."
I did not look forward to handling Novi. She was an ancient, powerful being who had probably been tricking mortals when humans were chimps.
"Can you give me a sense of the parameters of her service?" I asked.
"She must serve you in your home. You can use her as a maid. She can be asked to fight and defend the home. You can have her run mundane errands in the vicinity of the home as well." Tamar answered.
"No using her as, say, a body guard when I'm out and about?" I asked.
"No, she is not to be made into some sort of soldier. In theory, you could bargain with her to gain service not specifically included. Also, if you abuse her, she can appeal to the one who just sentenced her, her master and many other powerful supernatural beings. On the other hand, if she performs poorly, you could complain to the one we were just at." Tamar further explained.
"I assume she could twist my commands and be magnificently passive aggressive?" I asked.
"Of course." Tamar replied.
I nodded.
I had played Advanced Dungeons and Dragons in the first edition back in the days of my youth in that college town and when I went on to university elsewhere.
In AD&D, as it's called, one of the great goals of the player's character is to obtain the ability to cast wish spells. There is little in the game environment that will allow a player to change the terms of the game more. In turn, the referee, or as they were unfortunately known, the Dungeon Master, had an investment of many hours and days in the current terms of the game. So, the 'DM' had great incentive to thwart the players when he arbitrated the use of their wish spell. A classic was the player wishing, "I wish for a ruby as big as my head!"
The DM would respond by having the wish spell reduce the size of the player character's head to the size of a typical ruby.
That lead to players becoming ever so lawyerly and careful as to how they would cast their wishes and DMs becoming ever more demonic in thwarting them.
I had the idea this experience would be good training for dealing with Novi.
I came out of the bathroom wearing one of the very nice complimentary towels.
Novi was still standing there in the room next to the statuette.
I addressed Novi. "Soon we will leave for home. You are to meet us at my home within 20 minutes of our arrival. You will do nothing to delay our travel. In my home, you will serve. You will obey my commands and obey Tamar's too. Only my commands will supersede Tamar's. You will make your best good faith effort to obey commands and be pleasing, not frustrating. You will never try to thwart our commands or, by cleverly trying to parse obedience, cause us to be displeased.
"Should I die, your service will go to the one I dedicate, currently that is Tamar. Should I have a male heir, it will go to him and his male heir. If I have no male heir, to the eldest female heir with strong magical talent. However, if the current master, currently me, orders you to a specific heir, that overrides these instructions. If your current master dies without heir or designated heir, your service will belong to whichever being you most wish it would not and you will have to explain the terms of the service to them clearly.
"When before non-magical humans, even in my home, I wish you to appear human like," I then named a particular brunette Sports Illustrated model from the late eighties.
"You will learn the tasks of cooking, cleaning and gardening so you will be prepared to take over those tasks. You will assist in those tasks until the girls currently serving in my home move on, then you will assume them completely.
"You will defend my home from invaders.
"You will always be honest. Not simply to the letter, but to insure I have clear understanding of the issues at hand as much as possible within the framework of time available.
"You do not have permission to become pregnant by me, or anyone else. You do not have permission to keep samples from me or any other members of my household.
"Lastly, we will be stuck together for a very long time. We have not met under the best circumstances and I expect you are not happy about the outcome of the recent trial. I'm sure if you motivate me, I can find ways to make you suffer. I will try to treat you with courtesy, respect and kindness to the best of my ability. If you do the same in return, it will probably be the easiest and most comfortable route.
"Now take the statuette and go straight to my home. Meet us there." I finished my commands.
When we were on the airplane, I asked Tamar, "Did you know why we went to get the statuette?"
"No, I did it because I knew it was important for you." Tamar answered.
So, Tamar had risked her life, traded in valuable favors, publicly humiliated herself, just because she knew something was important to me. I had never loved, trusted, cared about a person like this in my whole life. I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.
I took a moment for me to regain my composure so I could explain. "I need it because Chebelforth is really the mummy that goes with the items in the exhibit. If I don't give him back his statuette, he'll kill me."
"Chebelforth is that one?" Tamar asked.
"Yes." I answered.
"Then we're definitely not giving him back that statuette." She said, her mouth making an angry determined line.
As much as I knew I loved her a moment before, I was frustrated angry with her now.
"That was the point of all this. If I don't give it back to him, he'll kill me." I pointed out.
"He's the original Mitzri. The one in the Bible named, 'Pahro.' He invented the idea of murdering all of our people. I might give that monster a knife in the belly, but that's it. His kind murdered my whole family. Murdered my father before my eyes. I am sure whatever he seeks, his goals are only to do great evil. I will have nothing but odds with him." She replied.
Strangely, in that moment, as much as I wanted to live and as little as the ancient conflict between the Mitzri and my people meant to me, I cared about Tamar more. If she felt this strongly about it, even if it meant my death, I was okay with it.
I checked myself to see if I was under any seeming or glamour I could find. I wasn't. It was very possible Tamar was a better weaver of such glamours than I was a detector, but I'm pretty sure that it was really just love.
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