A Soldier's Life

Chapter 324: I Am Your Father

We dressed in our best available clothes. I had my clothes from Telha and the Manticore cloak, while Raelia had a shirt she had purchased during the shopping spree and comfortable blue linen pants. She added something like subtle rouge gloss to her lips, the only makeup she wore. She had pulled her silky dark hair back and braided it. She wore a gold necklace with a thumbnail-sized emerald, complementing her eyes. Her ears were showing prominently, and she had sapphire earrings shaped like hummingbirds from the chest I found with the werewolves.

I admitted to myself that the jewelry looked good on her. Even in common clothes, she looked regal. “Why are you staring?” she asked demurely.

I inhaled sharply in appreciation. “If you looked like that when we first met, you might have frozen me in my tracks and been able to put your blade through my heart.”

She slowly turned red and covered her face to hide a smile. “I will remember that next time I am trying to kill you.”

“You say the most romantic things,” I cooed at her. “We should hurry. Even though he had brought back Zorana, Maveith was apprehensive about seeing his father again.”

We warned the innkeeper about entering the room with the griffin guarding it and made our way through the city. The city streets were immaculately clean, and all the structures were simple stone, with some ornate, realistic statues scattered throughout. The statues might be an educational tool with all the script at their bases. They could be a way to tell the history of the people and what dangers lurked beyond the walls.

Konstantin appeared at my side, clean-shaven and not wearing armor or a sword. “What?” he asked, noticing my scrutiny of his clean appearance. I didn’t respond, just shook my head, and we continued to the Council Assembly Building.

Each goliath village was a separate government, usually run by a clan, but they functioned as a cooperative nation on the island. Goliaths had a different outlook on power and wealth, much of which I already learned from my time with Maveith. They didn’t crave wealth either, as goliaths focused on family and achieving a quality of life.

This was one of the reasons they looked down on the Adventurers Guild and adventurers in general. By nature, an adventurer sought wealth and power by risking their life. Something goliaths generally frowned upon. Maveith had also told me that the goliaths used to serve the Titans, the stone giants in particular. They assisted in building the wonders of the world back when the Titans ruled Desia. I assumed some of that subservience had carried down through the generations and that was why goliaths were the way they were as a society.

Nothing was ostentatious in Eternis, not even the Council Assembly Building. It was made of large blocks of stone, carefully laid, and had only a single story. Unlike most buildings designed to symbolize authority, it didn’t try to dominate the surrounding buildings. Pristine white stone statues surrounded the building. They all depicted goliaths larger than life, probably past heroes or leaders. Maybe Maveith’s statue would join them one day for bringing back his people.

As we approached, Konstantin put his hand on my shoulder to get my attention. “Gilda says the families are reunited at the feast every night. I don’t know where Gilda is, but the members of the Stoneskin Clan arrived this morning. I am guessing Maveith has not seen his father yet. You shouldn’t tell him he is here, or you may anger the Council.”

“Anger the Council?” I asked, confused.

“They want the emotional spectacle to play out publicly,” he said with distaste, as if emotional displays made no sense to him. It made some sense to me, and I thought it would benefit Maveith’s standing with his people if executed well.

“Thank you, Konstantin. Are you joining us?” I asked the veteran as we approached the structure.

“I heard the food was good,” Konstantin grunted noncommittally. “I’ve been talking to the goliath hunters about hunting manticores.” I looked at him to continue. “The other end of the island has the largest population— as many as a hundred, if that’s to be believed. They hunt the shallow waters for fish, the jungle, and the slopes for goats. Not ordinary mountain goats, either—the ones here are massive and aggressive. What I don’t understand is how the island supports so many manticores.”

“How many do the goliath hunters kill annually?” Raelia asked, walking in step with us.

Konstantin appreciated the question, nodding at Raelia. “There are two goliath clans that focus on hunting them. One only hunts during the birthing season, in hopes of stemming the population by killing the pregnant females. The other focuses on hunting in areas where the manticores are encroaching on goliath farmlands and attacking livestock. From my conversations with the local hunters, the two clans combined kill less than twenty a year.”

“How many manticores on the entire island?” I asked. It seemed like they should have exterminated the manticores by now.

“It’s a big island, but the hunters I talked to think there are fewer than two hundred, but there are some smaller islands in an archipelago,” Konstantin said, which made me nod in relief.

From what Zyna had told me, I estimated Castile needed between nine and twenty-five apex channeling essences to heal her burnt aether channels. Not that it was guaranteed the manticores would give channeling essences—or even apex essences. It took ten major essences to equal an apex essence, so 90 to 250 major essences would be needed. The two adults Maveith and I had killed had given major channeling essences, but the juvenile one had given a lesser air essence.

We reached the Council building, but there were no guards outside the large entrance. Walking inside, a pair of goliaths guarded an inner entrance in black leather armor studded with polished copper rivets. “State your business with the Eternis Council,” one of them bellowed at us as we approached. They did not look concerned or threatened by us.

I hesitated, trying to think of the right thing to say, so Konstantin spoke on our behalf. He spoke with surprising formality and pose, “We are invited guests of Maveith of the Stoneskin Clan. He summoned us to attend him.”

“Eryk of Marco?” the guard asked politely in a deep baritone.

“That would be me,” I interjected before they assumed Konstantin was me. The goliath nodded and blew a low-pitched whistle. A young goliath came scampering down the hall. His blue pastel robes were oversized, and he was practically tripping on them.

The guard issued an order, “Honored Maveith has requested his human and elf friends attend him. Escort them to his chamber.” The young goliath nodded enthusiastically.

We followed the impatient youth down a granite-tiled hallway, passing a few goliaths in robes interested in us on our journey. The youth stood erect and knocked twice on the door before announcing us. “Friends of the Honored Maveith have arrived to attend you!”

There was a slight commotion inside before the door flung open. Maveith stood in white robes with a silver sash, wearing a massive grin. He embraced me in a huge hug before I could react. “Eryk, I was worried about you when you didn’t come.”

I found myself being mashed into his chest, taken aback by such an emotional greeting from my friend. At least he had a clean floral scent to his robes instead of the travel stink I was used to from him. Eventually, I pushed him away. “Maveith, it was less than two days; surely you couldn’t have gotten into any trouble in that time?”

“Trouble?” he asked, confused. “No, not trouble, but they won’t let us leave.” He moved aside, and I found Zorana and Myra standing on the other side of the room in front of a buffet table. They were also dressed in similar white robes, but the sashes around their waists were white.

Zorana smiled contentedly and looked good. She appeared well on her way to recovery. “My brother does not want to be the center of attention. He would prefer to spend the day rutting with Myra.”

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Myra slapped Zorana’s ass playfully. “You should try rutting yourself,” Myra teased.

Maveith blushed. “It is not that. I kept trying to say it was your efforts that freed my people. But the Council decided that if you were not here, you couldn’t be given any recognition.” He exhaled a relieved breath. “Now that you are here…”

“No, Maveith, I am not here to claim any of the honors. If there are any rewards, however…” I started to say. Raelia pushed me into the room so we could close the door. Konstantin followed us in and made his way to a large table laid out with fruit, smoked and salted meats, and cheeses.

Myra greeted us with a formal wrist shake before speaking. “Much of what has been given is clothes, food, and promises of a large house if we settle in one of their villages. Many of us who were captured do not come from wealthy families or clans, but I am sure if we ask, we could collect a large bounty for you.” Her tone was not such that she was trying to make me feel guilty or decline a reward, but rather stating the truth.

I lamented all the wealth I spent to sail the goliaths home. Maybe in the back of my mind, I was hoping my investment would return more than I put into it. “No, it is fine. I will just enjoy the food. And please, let us not complicate things at this point by trying to give me credit. You are already the symbolic figurehead, Maveith.” I smiled and tried some of the cheeses on the table.

“But Eryk…” Maveith started to complain, but I held up my hand to indicate I didn’t want to argue.

“When it comes to the rescue, I’m Robin and you are Batman,” I said to Maveith. Maveith’s brow furrowed as he tried to puzzle out what I meant. It was clear that Maveith and Zorana were not aware that their father had entered the city. I hoped it would be a beautiful reunion. A good mix of cheeses was on the table, from soft and savory to sharp and hard. Based on the array of flavors, I guessed none of them came from cows’ milk. As I sampled them, I took the entire wooden serving tray into my space if I liked them. I wouldn’t leave empty-handed.

I moved onto the meats, amused at my antics, Konstantin chuckled. “There are fifty gold bounties for manticore wings,” he announced.

Maveith jumped in, “Yes, there is! You only need to present them as proof of a kill! You can still sell them, along with any other parts you can harvest. Besides the bounty, you can earn a small fortune for manticore parts. An intact, undrained venom sac will sell for a hundred gold alone. Eryk? Where is your belt pouch?” Maveith said accusingly, just noticing I wasn’t wearing it.

I sighed, finding it superfluous since I had my artifact belt with many pouches. I pulled it from my space and attached it. Right now, it only contained a few dozen coppers. Maveith nodded contentedly. “Make sure you wear it at the feast tonight; it will prove to others that you are a formidable warrior. If someone asks to compare pouches, just agree, and if theirs is bigger, compliment them.” I paused to consider his words, chewing on something that tasted like salted pork before finally nodding and not making another quip.

“That is two hundred and fifty gold from a single manticore,” Konstantin said appreciatively, doing the math.

“It is challenging to get an intact venom sac. If they spray their quills, then they have usually drained their sacs in the attack. I don’t know how long it takes to replenish, not that you would wait around to find out,” Maveith said jokingly. “Eryk, I don’t understand why a man bat gets the credit over a bird?”

I sighed and tried to explain it as best I could and decided not to use Earth mythology again to confuse my friend. We discussed hunting manticores for a time before Zorana told us what had happened since they arrived. In goliath culture, Maveith was given a position called Honored. This was both a title and an honorific, showing that he had performed a great service for his people. Every goliath would extend their hospitality, offering him a safe refuge and sustenance. This was no different from how they treated anyone of their own race, so I was unsure whether the title offered any real benefits.

When the time for the feast arrived, the young attendant knocked on the door and told Maveith it was time for the evening celebration. Maveith appeared hesitant to go, and having lived as a hermit for years, I could tell he was less comfortable in crowds. I took two trays of meat into my dimensional space, along with a pitcher of something that reminded me of pulpy mango juice.

The hall spanned about one hundred feet across, featuring a softly domed ceiling adorned with skylights. As the sun set, bright glowstone sconces were uncovered along the walls, reflecting light off the glass skylights. Despite the room's plainness, the lighting imparted a shimmering, otherworldly ambiance. Along one wall, tables were lined with fragrant, succulent, steaming food. Konstantin made a beeline for the feast, and to my surprise, Gilda emerged from the crowd of goliaths to accompany him, likely bringing him a report.

Dozens of goliaths in robes and light armor mingled in the room, and Maveith was quickly swarmed by several of them. I recognized a few of the freed goliaths moving through the crowd as well, and some approached me to thank me again. Zorana stayed back while Maveith was swept away by his celebrity status.

“They will soon bring in family for the reunion. Then there will be dancing, singing, and plenty of eating and drinking,” Zorana said, lacing her arm through mine. “I’m claiming your first dance,” she declared, leaving little room for argument.

“It would be my pleasure,” I returned, smiling. I had danced with Zorana in the dreamscape, so I was actually a little familiar with the goliath dancing—as long as Maveith had properly recalled the dance in the dreamscape, I shouldn’t embarrass myself too much.

The evening dragged for me as Raelia flitted among the goliaths, engaging in conversation with the goliaths towering over her. Zorana stayed by my side, assisting me throughout the evening, and I could understand why Maveith dreaded the event. My grasp of the language was weak, but I understood enough, and I was asked twice to compare manticore sacs; both times, mine was bigger, and it felt good to be complimented on the size of my sac.

It at least gave me something to pass the time as I talked about hunting manticores with the goliath hunters. Maybe two hours into the feast, some drums and a chime sounded. Zorana whispered in my ear, “The families are going to be presented. There is usually a lot of crying—I usually cannot stop myself from joining them. I wonder if our father will be among…” She trailed off as thirty-plus goliaths entered the hall. They all appeared tidy in their fresh clothes. Zorana squeezed my hand so tightly I felt my joints pop.

Zorana strained her neck to see the family members as they entered. Someone broke away from our side and ran toward one of the goliaths. A collision of bodies and sobbing erupted, followed by cheers and clapping from our side of the room. I suddenly felt my hand go slack as Zorana rushed forward. I tried to guess who she was running toward, but I was wrong.

She targeted a thin goliath with a hunched back and weathered face. When he opened his arms to receive her, the embrace took them both to the ground hard. I looked for Maveith, who stood alone, his admirers having given him space.

Zorana and their father remained on the floor as he hugged her, and she sobbed uncontrollably. I might have shed a tear, but would never admit it openly. Maveith watched uncertainly, and I moved to him, encouraging him to join them. “Maveith, go to them,” I said, getting an eyelash out of my eye. He shook his head uncertainly. Myra approached and pushed him, tears already streaming down her face. I didn’t know whether Myra had any relatives coming today or if they had already come.

Maveith’s steps were uncertain as other goliaths recognized family members and reunited. Some cried, some cheered, and others looked less happy. I guessed that some families had lost members after they were taken. Raelia found a spot beside me to watch while her tears looked adorable, and she smiled up at me. We shadowed Maveith as he moved closer.

Maveith fell to his knees, joining Zorana and his father. Tears streamed down his face as he reached out. We were just close enough to overhear. “I am sorry, Father. I failed to protect Zorana. I fled in shame without telling you. I don’t deserve to be an Honored.”

Zorana helped their father up, who looked grandfatherly and frail. Maybe he had given up on life when he lost his children, but there was a light in his eyes now. “You have both returned when I thought you were dead or lost all these years. You are my son, and I am your father. Nothing can change that, Maveith.” Maveith leaned in and embraced his family.

I watched the reunion briefly, and Raelia snaked her arm inside mine. She was crying silently as she watched. I had stopped my tears and held back more. “I don’t think Maveith needs our support. We can go back to the inn,” I said with my throat a little tight.

After hearing my words, even though I thought I had whispered them, Maveith helped his father to his feet. “Father, this is my friend, Eryk Marco, and he is largely responsible for Zorana and me being able to return to you. Eryk, this is my father, Lorodhan of the Stoneskin clan.” Maveith was shaking slightly from emotion, but presented me proudly to his father.

The ancient goliath reached out his hand, and when I went to shake it, he pulled me in for a hug. “I cannot express my gratitude for your deeds, Eryk Marko. What is mine is yours, and you are always welcome in my home.” I returned the hug, and after introducing Raelia, I turned toward the exit. This emotional outpouring was enough to fuel me for a month—maybe a year.

Zorana caught me. “You promised me a dance!” After that, I tried to let the night take me where it would. The celebration extended well into early morning, and I think I danced with Raelia a half dozen times and more goliath women than I could count. Apparently, I was a good dancer compared to goliath men. Or perhaps they liked a partner smaller than them, so that they could take the lead in the dance.

Once the dancing started, I didn’t see Konstantin, but I knew he would find me tomorrow. It was time to start hunting manticores.

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