CHAPTER 509: MORE LIKE YOUR PATRON EVERY DAY

Mason stood around the map of the world in his Scout’s Enclave, listening to his human, elven (and goblin) scouts argue.

“Elves so stupid about simple things,” Cliknik the goblin grumbled and glared at Orlon. “Underground goes under big sea. Seen maps of far-lands. Mountains are here.” The goblin jabbed a finger at the mostly grey-filled continent on the elven map. “Have cousins. Maybe second cousins. But there is mountains! And goblin tribes.”

“My people lived on the prime for thousands of years,” Orlon said. “Unless the Doom made mountains, which I’ve never heard of. Anywhere. Then you’re mistaken. Maybe your second cousin lives to the south. Here.” The elf pointed.

The goblin hissed and muttered something unpleasant, and Mason took a breath. He was looking for entry points that lined up with the teleportation beacons. It was reasonable to assume that every beacon was part of some kind of settlement, or area of significance. He wanted an idea of the terrain before he chose.

He was also concerned that some of them might have been taken by demonic invasion. Popping up in the middle of some kind of ‘abyssal’ zone with all his people wouldn’t exactly be the best start. Though it brought a bit of a smile to his face when he trusted them to handle it, whatever it was.

“OK,” he said. “I’m pretty sure I can solve this with a feywalk. That’s the closest and best portal to where we want to go. I’d rather not pop up in a mountain full of goblins, but we can handle that.”

At least it’ll protect us if, you know, the entire player army of the east attacks, he thought.

But that seemed extremely unlikely. First of all, even if they were found out, Mason and his people would have surprise. It would take Jeong and his loyalists time to decide how to react. Getting several hundred players of questionable loyalty to leave the city and charge out together wouldn’t be so easy.

“Just be careful, kid.” Carl stood with crossed arms staring at the map. “Should we wait here?”

“No.” Mason turned and glared. “Go tell Sylvie about your elven wife. She’s gonna hear it from the other women soon. You really don’t want that.”

“I…I don’t even know who the elf is yet! I mean…” Carl scoffed. “Do we get to pick, or something?”

“Better if you don’t. Makes it impersonal. Like you don’t really care. A key fact I’d use while catching whatever hurled objects are coming at your head.”

“Oh Jesus.” Carl ran a hand over his head. “Do you think maybe…I mean what if Haley were to…”

“You’re superhuman, Carl. You can probably juggle whatever she throws. Now you’re my God damn Chancellor, you speak with my authority. You’re a dracolich murdering glassassin, and you’re going to do your duty and impregnate at least one elf. So go on and tell Sylvie.”

“Right.” Carl stood a little straighter, wiping some sweat off his forehead. “I’m off. Wait, did you say at least one? What does that mean? Nevermind. I’m going. I’ll probably be sleeping in the enclave tonight, Orlon, make me up a bed.”

The elf frowned in confusion, then Carl marched off. Mason held back his grin. He nodded to his trio of scouts, reminded there’d be a centaur version arriving in a few days. Apparently he was creating the UN of scout teams.

“Wait, mighty warlord.” The goblin literally dropped to all fours and crawled up to Mason like a dog. “Cliknik was thinking…he might go across big sea. If there is mountain, and goblins. Maybe he…useful. For talking, yes?”

Mason expected the creature might scamper off if he got the chance. But then at least he wasn’t his problem anymore. Did the goblin know things it shouldn’t? Maybe. He stared, bouncing between cutting off the thing’s head right there, agreeing, or just telling it to get lost. But something tweaked in his brain.

He clicked open his profile, and pulled up the Haley ‘button’ he’d recently discovered. OK that Haley told him about.

“This on? You hear me? I need you a sec.”

He heard a crackle like a radio receiver, then Haley materialized out of thin God damn air. She clicked up beside him in some kind of strappy shoe, wearing a long blue dress and a grin.

“I have no cooldown in the settlement. You can call for me whenever you need.” She winked, then looked at the scouts and smiled politely. “Though Carl was just asking to see me.”

“What? Did he warp on cooldown? He literally just left. And I told him…God damnit.” He cleared his throat, trying not to get distracted by Haley’s curves in that dress. “I want a contract. Bonded. Can we make those with goblins?”

“We can.” Haley looked at the creature and frowned, her eyes glazing as she pulled up the system’s interface. “It’s more like indentured servitude with non-humans. You’ll have to offer it something for a defined period of service. There’s no ‘join or die’ provisions. Not allowed.”

Mason snorted and knelt down, looking the goblin in the eye.

“I can’t trust you, Cliknik.” He expected it to deny it and tell him how trustworthy it was, but it just met his eyes and said nothing, which he appreciated. “I want the gods to seal our bargain. For one year you’ll serve or deal with them. For that you can ask me for something, as your lord. If you won’t agree, you’re free to go, but you can’t stay here.”

Cliknik scratched his chin, looking down in thought. But he eventually grinned with that big mouth full of fangs.

“Man-scout, clever Kiaan, he says he takes elven beauty. Maybe Cliknik could…”

“No.”

Mason just stared until the goblin withered, floppy ears drooping.

“Then, place of own, yes? Dwelling. Honor. In mighty lord’s house. Master Scout of Goblins, Cliknik Mason.”

“You want to join my house?” Mason raised a brow, and the goblin nodded enthusiastically. He fought the sigh, the…distaste for the creatures. They didn’t seem evil so much as…opportunistic and greedy. Which didn’t exactly make them different than men, did it?

And a contract was a contract. Bad things would happen if the goblin tried to break it.

“Agreed.” Mason held out his hand, and the goblin stared. Then he spit a wad of phlegm in his palm.

“That’s…really not…”

The goblin squished their palms together and shook with a solemn expression, like he was agreeing to take care of the crown jewels. Mason sighed.

[Lord of goblins. Temporary title. Obtain a goblin retainer. Slightly increased relations with the world’s goblin tribes.]

The goblin’s eyes glazed as he interacted with the system, too. Mason wondered what ‘objectives’ the creature might have, but with the contract formed it didn’t worry him. At least not for a year. He stood up and glanced at a grinning Haley.

“Oooh.” The goblin smiled. “Many good things, mighty lord. Yes. Cliknik is pleased, and eager to serve.”

“Great. Haley will…work out any details. I’ll be back, then we’ll see if I need you across the sea.”

The goblin nodded and wandered off with its eyes still glazed. Mason took Haley aside and handed her the Life Seed. He was beginning to realize ‘highest level civilian’ actually meant something, and that here in Nassau she really was safe.

“Hold this for me. It’s a problem in the fey.”

She nodded and took it, magically appearing a purse to set it inside like a perfect fit, then draping it across her shoulder.

“Were you…Jesus Christ, the bag even matches your dress.”

Haley tossed her long hair.

“Of course it does. Anything else I can do for you?”

“Yeah. Tell Carl that Sylvie is his problem to deal with. You aren’t to…”

“I’ll give him some advice. The rest will be up to him.”

He nodded, about to leave before he stopped and kissed Haley on the cheek. Without another word he walked out from the enclave, shaking his head as he saw Haley just vanish again in the corner of his eye.

He supposed that’s what he looked like pretty frequently, including in the next few seconds. But it was still hard to get used to seeing it.

When he reached the great tree he vanished into the fey with the barest flick of mana, then mentally called for his bonded immortal Stag.

You were wise not to bring the seed again, it said, stepping from the trees and staring with those deep eyes. Word is spreading across the plane. Expect to be followed even without it.

“Great. Think I should put a few arrows in the gawkers until they get the message?”

You are more like your patron every day, Ranger.

Mason frowned, not bothering to say it was a joke. Especially because the idea did appeal to him…

“I might need your help,” he said. “I want to cross the continents. There’s an ocean in the way on the prime, though I don’t know what that means here.”

Very little, said Stag. Except the area you speak of is in Unseelie controlled territory. And covered in ice.

Unseelie. He’d heard the word before. Though it was all fantasy nonsense to him. Fighting the impatient urge not to give a shit, he gestured with a hand.

“OK. Explain Unseelie to me.”

The Unseelie are to the fey as fall and winter are to the prime. They are cold and decay, death and disease. They are far more dangerous for most living things. But…perhaps not for you.

Mason nodded, not hearing anything to frighten him. He also wondered if it was the ‘Unseelie’ who were more associated with Demi and her magic, which was why the nymph was surprised they got along.

“Lead me, then. I’m looking for another mountain range. At least I’m told it’s there. I’m hoping I can use the ocean to at least get some sense of where we are. I don’t suppose you know where the teleportation beacons are in the prime?”

Stag gave Mason that familiar ‘no, you idiot’ stare again.

“Right. Unseelie lands will do. Off we go.”

The ancient animal turned and bolted at a speed through the fey that would have been impossible for Mason in the past. But not anymore. He smiled and concentrated, chasing right on Stag’s tail.

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