sorry so long hit a wall on next chapter and was deciding if I was going to drag out visit to Zhou's
as always S.M. has all rights hope you like it
Chapter 16
Well it was done, Lillian had just had her 25 birthday in her new life. We only needed an 8'x8'x4' crate to fit all the girls things. With the old group plus one from Aro's coven a vamp named Elezar we headed back to Rome. The men took turns 4 at a time carrying the box. The girls were just as strong but in this time men were expected to do the heavy lifting. Serris and Torrin headed home telling us they would meet us on the outskirts of Zhou's lands. I had drawn a map showing where we cross at the land bridge so they could find us. The roman delegation was all but silent during the conference coming to me in privet to voice any concerns. They were a little bit rudderless with out there leader and I felt a little bit responsible so I tried to lend a hand, they mainly sat and watched. Apollo was elected to continue after we stopped to get the bigger box. The little one was unpacked and repack in the cargo box now 2/3 full with one more stop to get Kat's promised silk. We had lost four of our traveling buddies. Zeus told Hermes to come with us as we left Rome. As luck would have it Ass-hat was there from the Greek coven waiting for us stirring up shit. I got his shield and pulled Zeus aside.
"You know he is not long for this world. Don't bring him to my home he won't last a day."
"I know, I know Mac. I am afraid a lot of my coven will have a hard time with this new rule."
I look him in the eye. "Do you mind if I give you my two cents?"
Giving me a smirk; "Why stop now my friend."
"Pick an example, tell Aro, and let him come down hard on them. If the others don't get the idea the second time they fuck up you handle it with utter destruction then burn them. Then tell the rest of them you don't need to be embarrassed by Aro again. It could help the others get it. We both know you have one immortal that fits the bill." As I say that I am staring at ass-hat.
"Boy you really have a hard on for him don't you."
"He comes a close second to vlad's mate."
Zeus barks out a laugh. "Enough said. Safe travels look for me in a hundred years I look forward to seeing your home." He clasped my hand and we parted as friends.
Kat runs next to me as we leave, "you like him that's a nice turn."
I can tell the rest of our travel group is listening in "I know, after our rocky start you would think we would hate each other but Zeus has a remarkable ability to adapt. God knows I am not infallible but with what I know I have the advantage of knowing what will come. He understands that. I must say he was one of the first to get it."
"Well Dad we will have to do some building when we get home if our new friends will be dropping in."
We ran and talked without missing a step. Sometimes I love what I have become, I look forward to seeing my old friend Emmett. Would I wait till after I disappeared to see him not wishing to alter my own future by meeting him before I was changed? I have given it a lot of thought but I still had almost 2000 years to decide. To lighting up my mood I thought about the first time everyone had seen Kat's new box.
There was some grumbling when some of Kat's haulers saw the new box. Elezar looks at me.
"What the fuck Mac! I thought this was over the top!"
I smiled; the usual reserved, proper man had just lost his cool. "Talk to Kat, I have given up that fight it was all I could do to keep it that small and that was when it was going to be just her and I carrying it back."
"What, a big strong bull of a man like you can't help a poor, defenseless, weak, slip of a girl move a few small bobbles home?" She flutters her eyes at him.
A few of the group that have not had to run with a corner of the small box laughed.
"I guess Lillian and I will just have to do it ourselves. As you strong men think it's too much for you."
Elezar gives her a dark look. "Defenseless and weak nether of you are. Hell I've seen you mop the floor with every single one of us." He looks at me for help but I just shrug. "Fine whatever." The rest not wanting to look a fool shut up and Kat gives Lil a wink.
We ran for three days the cargo container slowing us down. We were a sight seven disco balls and one big box flowing in through Zhou's gates. He had sent Toa ahead to gather his coven. All 16 of his immortals present. His was the largest coven at the time. Toa had made sure that the feast was ready as soon as the container had hit the ground. As always we would have an exotic cat or bear brought to us at the feast.
Kat smiles at Lil. "You have not lived to you sample Lord Zhou's table." She bows at him after given him the respect of "Lord".
"Please Tiger you are my guest not a vassal what is this Lord stuff." I could see that he was pleased even as he protested Kat's actions making him look good in front of his people. "After the feast you must pick what you want to fill your box." Some gave him dirty looks but stayed silent.
She takes his arm. "My cousins the Inca coven will be over joyed, they asked me if I could accrue a few bolts for them."
He taps her hand as we walk into his home. "I will make sure to fill every inch of your box." He throws a smile at Elezar.
The feast was amazing as usual. We had a choice of panda or tiger. The girls could not eat the Pandas they were just too cute to watch eating there bamboo. I later told Zhou that not being meat eaters the bears though big would be less tasty than the meat eating tigers.
He was as good as his word and right after the feast Kat left on his arm again to pick out what she wished to take home. Lil was also invited and took his other arm I swear he had the biggest shit eating grin on his face as he left the hall with all eyes on him.
It took almost a year to fill that cargo container. Some things had to be made and some color the silks needed you could only get in the spring. He had rugs made and tapestries woven. Dressing screens made of woven silk on ebony frames. Fine china vases with golden bases, copies of scrolls from his personal collection were crammed into every nook or open space. He made sure you could not slip a piece of paper in there before he let his little Tiger close the doors for the last time. With a big smile on her face she through her arms around his neck "thanks uncle Zhou" she and Lil had started to call him that shortly after arriving. Lil gave him a hug right after. Zhou had showered the girls with gifts, they just fell together fitting like puzzle pieces snapping together. Nothing was too good for his nieces. Paints for Lil in colors we had never seen; Fighters from all over his realm to show Kat other stiles of fighting and throwing. They only had to look at a thing and it was in there room that night waiting to be added to the box or not as they saw fit. "You spoil them rotten Zhou. I may have to build a palace as big as yours to display all the things you have given them."
He waves me off, "please these little bobbles are hardly a hardship." Kat's frown at me turns to a beaming smile at her Uncle Zhou's words.
I grasp his arm. "I look forward to your visit brother."
"Safe travels all, you all are welcome in my realm again" he tells the group and with that we leave.
Our group consists of Apollo, Hermes, Elezar, Toa, Kat, Lil, and I. I had asked Elezar if he wanted me to take his place he just growled a little and picked up his corner. Kat just smiled at him over the last year the girls had been entertaining all of the boys as they called them. They had my 20th century values and saw nothing wrong with having a good time, trading them out to each other. I myself would miss a rather young immortal of Zhou's, Teals was only 2 hundred turned since my last visit. I was her first immortal lover, friends with bennies. Zhou was not one to force himself on a woman even though he told me he found her attractive.
As we ran Kat was none stop telling anyone in the group about the massive bears she was going to eat.
"Kat we will have to run strait through the others will not be able to hunt till we get closer to home."
"We may see them on the way dad." She tells me with a pout on her face. Elezar barks out a laugh then tries to cover it up. Kat throws an evil look his way. He will not be welcome in her room when we get home unless he kisses some major ass.
Elezar being the smart man that he is tells her, "Kat you could run ahead and look as we are moving at a slower rate maybe you could find them."
He may be smarter than I thought or Kat is just playing with him like her name sake. She smiles at him as if all is forgiven. I know my daughter she never forgets and she seldom forgives anyone that is not family.
Its slow going the terrain is uneven even for immortals we have to scout out the best route. It takes two days to meet the Romania's. Torrin and his mate Serris wait on the next hill he is almost rolling on the ground and you can hear his laughter for miles. As we reach them he pulls himself together "y y your b b box seams t t to have g g gotten a little bigger" he finishes in a giggle. Serris has her hands covering her mouth holding in her laughs.
Elezar knowing he is the butt of the joke looks at the smirking couple "no it's the same size when we left." The other three just nod refusing to admit to the bigger box.
Torrin burst out laughing and Serris asks "are you sure?"
At that Kat and Lil lose it to and before you know it we are all laughing at the enormous box we have moved all over the known world. We have a meeting, and all the people drinking vamps will fill up now. It could be weeks before we reach home or see people again. The rest scatter and leave only my coven. Lil rolls a few boulders over scooping them out and making a few seats. Kat smiles at her sister "thanks" and sits. I give her a nod too as I take my seat, she is always trying to make the family more comfortable.
"Well girls we will be home before you know it."
"I can't wait to see it, I have seen it in Kat's mind. You and Kat have told me so much about it I almost feel like i've been there."
"We will have to do some building when we get home, even Kat never helped me with that." Then I turned to look at Kat with a sad face. "We will have to destroy the city next to our home." We lived in a mountain valley with her people's first city, the city she was born in. "It's too close to our home. I will not give up our home for humans and we must follow the same rules as the others."
Kat scuffs the ground with her bare foot. In a small voice she asks "must we kill them."
Over the years Kat has kept in contact with descendants of her family, children of cousins. As she was the last of the pure line, from father to eldest son all the way back to Torick. There were only 2 or 3 hundred when we left. I gave her a hard look "we will have to move them only family though. We will put them on the peninsular at the western sea. We will keep them isolated and apart from the rest for I fear we will lose most of my herds."
Kat nods, a smile back on her face "thanks daddy I will ask the others to not eat them and I will pull them away from the city before they feast."
Lillian looks at Kat "I will go with you so you can make sure that any I gather are not yours and we will bring them back home for the others to eat." Lil knew the importance of family; she had been thrown out of hers only to find her way to ours.
All there was to do now was wait. We had fed only two days ago on a wolf pack. Food would not be a problem for us and I was sure all of our guest would have to try our way before we saw humans again.
will she see the bears what will the others think of eating veggie?
tell me your thoughts. :)