Beyond?

Zero more chapter, now I go on my quest.

“My doll is power. My needles are pain. My hat is in vain.

I am permanently trying to help the younger shamans by sharing my godly knowledge. Unfortunately no one seems to understand the great wisdom behind my verses.”

-The Great Shaman.

***Free City States of Nict, Capital***

***Azir***

“The woman experiences uncontrollable urges, like eating bones and other organic matter with high contents of calcium. In rare cases of deficiencies, it is reported that pregnant females fall into a feeding frenzy, not remembering their actions afterwards. In cases of severe malnutrition, there have been deaths. It's advised to treat such individuals with great care and to ensure that help is close by.”

Deaths... whose deaths!? Tell me that before I fuck the praying mantis!

My species is scary... maybe I should have paid more attention to the biology lessons during school? But I don't remember that we had something like a lesson on the facts of life. Probably my mother was supposed to do that. She forgot to teach me an important lesson!

Damn, why can't I summon any interest for subjects like this. If someone explains to me how a cell works, it goes into one ear and straight out of the other.

I wonder why Stella didn't tell me? Did she get cold feet when she started the discussion about children? I suppose I wasn't exactly suggestive about being happy with kids. Jeez, I don't think that she did it on purpose. Probably the contraceptive failed.

The healer said that there isn't a one hundred percent safe drug to stop it from happening. Stella isn't the type who would trick me in a matter which is obviously in her hands alone. Let's be realistic, this matter is in her hands alone. I would never take something that kills off my libido... or other stuff.

Maybe her hormones made her brain short out... can I use that to my advantage? I mean, the longer she waits without telling me... hmmm. I could play the angry betrayed boyfriend and get a few bonuses in our relationship. Of course I am still not happy about a baby, or that she is hiding it, but what's done is done.

Let's hope that she waits long enough until she can't hide it any more. Right now, I have only clues, but no proof. The healer said that she can only verify a pregnancy with a scrying glass or a urine sample. I certainly won't stalk her in the toilet!

And the scrying glass is no good. I could try it when she sleeps, but what if she wakes up? Any attempt of mine to verify the situation is a risk. I can't play the unknowing betrayed partner if I get caught, so it's better to do nothing. Verification won't change my plan to gain benefits, nor would it change the situation.

Making sure that she always eats enough is of the essence, I don't want to wake up and find her chewing on me.

***Free City States of Nict, Capital***

***Helen***

“Did it work out?” I ask the healer who is bowing in front of my office. Her report is a little late.

“I exchanged the contraceptive with vitamins, like you ordered. Today Azir visited the healing institute, he borrowed medical books on pregnancy and the female body.” She bows deeply.

I think for a moment about what she said. Then I smile and throw a small sack, filled with gold, into her waiting arms. “You did well. You may leave now. Inform me of interesting developments.” The Eddin bows and leaves, tugging the sack of gold to her chest.

“Kekekeke.” I can't wait to see my grandchild. Speeding up the process a little should be okay. It has been a long time since the bloodlines of the Zait and Gejene were crossed between high ranking members of our clans. I wonder how it'll turn out?

***Free City States of Nict, Capital***

***Adala Colte***

“It has been three weeks since we arrived here, so it's best to share our impressions of these people. Deciding on how to proceed is also an important point of this gathering.” I sit down on the sofa and take a look at all the people who are present.

This time it's just the four of us who are playing students and Saana. Our servants are out in the city to get some needed supplies.

I turn my attention towards Padma, the techno mage looks really tired and has dark shadows under her eyes. “You wanted to give us an update regarding the strange devices which keep popping up?” I eye the big pouch, which she brought to the meeting.

Padma nods and pours the contents of the pouch onto the table between us. It's a strange assortment of small artefacts. “The last three weeks I kept fighting against all the bugs and listening devices, which keep popping up in our house. It's infuriating! I find and remove them, then I go to sleep and the next day new ones are in their old places. Someone is sneaking in and out of the mansion without anyone noticing. I guarded the entire mansion with state of the art detection magic, but so far the one who deploys those devises evaded everything.”

She starts making wild gestures with her hands. “I even cut back my own sleeping time to keep the mansion free of those artefacts, which is really hard since they don't use magic. I can't even find the one who is receiving the signals, since all those emitters are multi-directional devices. Even more so, they are hard to find, since they don't use magic to send their signals.”

Nikita picks one of the crushed metallic artefacts from the table to inspect it. “Someone is going to great lengths in order to listen in on us.”

Padma hits with her fist onto the table. “That's what's troubling me. My antagonist isn't taking this seriously at all! Each time the microphones are replaced, they have a new little tweak or improvement, which makes them harder to detect! I'll be at my wits end soon enough if this goes on. Actually he has me already far enough, that if he simply stops deploying these things, then I'll believe that I am too stupid to find them. He is playing mind-games with me!”

Saana grumbles. “Then if you can't keep the whole mansion safe, concentrate only on this room. Lock it down with everything you have. We just need one room to talk openly.”

“So assuming that our dear hosts are placing these devices, they are testing how long we can keep up.” I shrug my shoulders. “It's not necessary to talk permanently of our agenda. So what did you find out Nikita.”

“Their culture is a little strange in some areas, but they are nice people. I am also learning a few new things in regards to their magic system. It's faster than our rituals, but it also wastes a lot of mana and offers less power. So far I've seen or heard nothing which supports the rumours.” Nikita stops her explanation.

Eliot continues. “It's the same for me, though I find that they are a little too stiff. I persuaded Azir to go drinking with me, but he isn't someone who drinks more than he can take. My plan to loosen his tongue failed miserably. And I still haven't found a good brothel. Plus the girls on this academy don't even pay me a second glance.”

This idiot. I told him that all of them are nobility. Why should a girl who has much to lose go for you? You won't even stay in the country. I blink and shake my head. “As for my personal assessment, it's much the same as yours. I spent much time with Stella and Sola. Plus I befriended quite a lot of people. There is nothing which hints at a danger for Dwem.”

Saana steps in. “We, who are playing the servants, weren't idle either. We can move much more freely since our role as servants allows us to walk freely between the commoners. This society is built around the great clans and the City Gates. It's because of the Gates that I am assured that the people of Nict aren't planning anything right now. I strongly doubt that a mobilization could be kept a secret.”

“So right now we are all of the opinion that our so called allies tried to pull us into a war against Nict?” I growl, it was clear to me that these barbarians from the southern nations are just a bunch of warmongers.

Saana lifts a finger. “Not entirely. We got a hint which could help us. There is a group which is called the black magicians. It seems like they are a bunch of terrorists and hunted by the authorities. Maybe we can find some answers to our riddle if we seek them out.”

.