AO 7 Ch 17

I let out a sigh of relief and laid back in the carriage, folding my hands behind my head. Of course, this carriage had been modified by Missy to be plenty spacious for us. It even had a kitchen.

"Why aren't we taking Cyam again?" 

"Because, if we travel too fast, we'll—" I hesitated, searching for an excuse. "Fine, I want to relax and travel slowly. There is something fantastic about traveling," I admitted and closed my eyes again, feeling the bump of the carriage beneath me. Having enough space to stretch out made this even better. 

"Sir," Maribelle's voice cut through the carriage. "There's another carriage, flying down the road, heading straight for us." 

I groaned before sitting up. "Maybe just a merchant in a rush?”

“It's far too early in the day for any merchant to be pushing his team that hard."

I squinted at the carriage that was flying along. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a view of its side to know who it might belong to. Though there was a small itch in the back of my head that I was forgetting about someone. 

"If it's such a worry, just pull our carriage off to the side of the road," I gestured to the side. 

"Of course, Sir." Maribelle steered the team of horses appropriately.

I was eager to get to Zenovia, but a week or two wouldn't make a big difference. Besides, maybe this whole battle for succession might blow over by then. I certainly don't need to be involved with that. I just need answers for what happened to my father. 

"Sir, the carriage is veering off the road, heading straight for us," Maribelle informed me, and this time I couldn't ignore it. 

Going to the door and opening it, I readied my magic, only for Zuri to slip out around me. That was just the way of things now. I put it aside, preparing earth magic to stop this runaway carriage.

Only for it to get close enough that I could see the driver pull back on the reins and their horses began skidding to a stop as the heavy carriage behind them threatened to crush them and pushed them forward.

I reached out with a touch of earth magic and pressed a wave of soil against the base of the carriage to help it slow down before they ran into us. It didn't even come to a full stop before the door on the side flew open and a white-haired Vivi shot out from the side and raced into my arms. 

Without thinking, I grabbed onto her as she excitedly hugged me.

“Ard! I thought I was going to miss you," the merchant's daughter said with a bright beaming smile. 

"That was a little reckl--," Maribelle started to say before Viviana swept away from me and towards the murder maid. 

"You are just beautiful," she grabbed my maid's long blonde curls. "You can just tell by how good of care Ard takes of you that he must truly love you like that." 

Viviana had somehow won over Maribelle who began nodding rapidly in agreement. "He cares for me quite a lot," Maribelle said clearly. 

Viviana tutted, giving Maribelle a once-over. "Do you think he'd give me a few modifications if I asked? My skin is lovely, but it is nothing compared to yours, so pure and flawless." 

Viviana pinched at Maribelle's face and I braced for her to kill her or something, but instead, Maribelle was like an obedient puppy in Viviana's hands, especially as she continued to both compliment Maribelle and her relation with me.

Emlyn cleared her throat and Viviana switched on a dime.

"Ah, Emlyn," she sighed, "as beautiful as always. I can see why Ard pined after you for so long. Don't let him ever deny it. Even when I was trying to flirt with him, he'd occasionally look mopey-eyed at the window, hoping for you to come back. Aurelia, any new beasts? And Zuri, I am certain your tactical mind has only grown since being at war. Please, I'd love to hear your perspective on some of your engagements. It would be far more informative than the gossip I pick up."

I turned to the others in disbelief.

Quickly, all four of my anchors. We're like dogs greeting their master, wagging their tails, and eating out of Viviana's hands.

I ran a hand over my face. Viviana just had a way of controlling any and every conversation. 

Ditzy stepped out of the carriage next, and Viviana gasped. "Oh my, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were the goddess of beauty herself." Viviana covered her mouth. "And let me guess, Ard is being obstinate as always?" Viviana glanced at me.

"You don't need magic to know, Ard will always be obstinate." Emlyn clearly picked a side, and it was not mine, which she was supposed to be on my side.

Ditzy beamed and flipped her hair. "I'd pretend I didn't know you, but obviously you must be Vivi." Ditzy held out a hand that Vivi ignored and instead wrapped the goddess in an exuberant and friendly hug. 

"Well, I'm just happy to know that I'm still on this group's mind. I wasn't able to make the ball, but I'm so excited to at least get the chance to catch up with you. Do you mind if I ride with you? Where are we going?" She asked already, stepping into the carriage. 

"By all means, make yourself at home," I said slowly as she took over my carriage. 

Emlyn shot me a look of warning. "You should be nicer to Viviana."

"I am plenty nice to her, thank you. I didn't even utter a peep as she took over everything," I gestured.

She was marveling at the size before peeking her head out and back in. “It’s bigger on the inside!”

"This is Missy's magic," Ditzy gestured to the other goddess.

"You must be incredible." Vivi said excitedly. "I bet even better than Ard. And he's a four sphere mage."

Missy's grin couldn't have gotten wider. "I would say that I am fairly skilled with magic," she said, not meeting Viviana's eyes and looking down into the corner with a smug smile. 

"Viviana, we're heading to Zenovia," I said. 

"Oh, then we can stop by your village," Viviana clapped excitedly. "After all, that's one of the easiest routes if you're going by land. Honestly, by sea would have been easier."

I scratched my cheek. "Even coming from the capital?"

"Of course. Swinging down by boat would take you maybe a week. This way, you might reach your village in two, but crossing the bog is no easy feat," only for Viviana to slap her forehead. "Who am I talking to? You're a four sphere mage? And I hear the hero of the entire war." 

I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. "You're damn right I am."

"Well then, come in, come in. I want to hear all about it from your mouth. As a merchant, I do trade in gossip just as much as I do wares. But hearing it from the hero of the war himself? Well, that's not something even a merchant like me can trade for."

"So you're doing well, working under the Aldis name?"

"Fantastic," Viviana's eyes lit up. "Me and my grandfather already have eight caravans under our company. The terms your mother gave us were...fantastic. You'd think she gave me the family deal." 

I scratched my cheek. "Well, I'm sure our relation accounted for something," I said. "But you said caravans? Why were you traveling on your own?" I asked, glancing behind us as I noticed two men get out of her carriage and try to get it back on the road. With a gesture of my hand, stone rose up, gently lifting the carriage and setting it back where it needed to be.

"You made that look like nothing," Vivi said, her bright smile infectious. 

"Well, I've certainly grown a little more powerful," I replied.

"Obviously, you'll have to show me everything that you can do." She said only to get distracted. "And who is this?" she asked.

Bad Kitty prowled into the room like she finally couldn’t resist staying away from the commotion.

"They're so cute!" Vivi squealed, grabbing Bad Kitty by the hand and leading her over to the couch. She plopped her down and then ran around back behind the couch. "Can I touch them?" Viviana asked. 

"Go right ahead," Bad Kitty sounded confused. 

Viviana very carefully ran a finger along both ears before letting out more squeals of excitement. "Ard, did you give her cat ears? Do you think I could get white ones?" Viviana then mimed having two ears atop her head. "I always thought those white foxes you see up north were the cutest things ever. Of course, second to you lot," she glanced at the ladies all around. "No, that's not fair. You're all far more beautiful than cute. It's not possible to compare the two." 

Somehow, every word Viviana put out of her mouth just made the group like her more and more. 

"Well, Vivi, is it all right if I call you Vivi?" Ditzy asked, coming around and taking her hand. "Come sit, join us, and dine. Is your caravan by chance going the same direction?" 

Viviana smiled, "It is now. When we get back, when we pass by the temple, I'll have to get out and make sure they have the proper instructions. Of course, we wouldn't pass up having such a delightful companion." Ditzy patted Viviana's hand. 

"I understand next to Emlyn you might know him best. My grandfather and I passed through his village often. Truth be told, my grandfather was trying to get Aard into our family, with me." Viviana tutted several times. "My grandfather and I both pegged Aard for a diamond in the rough, the kind of ware that you could buy for a copper in the village and sell for a house in the city. But I think even our greatest expectations dwindled before reality." 

Viviana gestured at me with open arms. "He ended up being a four-sphere mage and a member of House Aldous. Even just the help with our family's business has already repaid all of our kindness several fold." 

I gestured dismissively at her. "It wasn't a business transaction. You were good people, and I do feel bad that your grandfather invested so many hours discussing trade with me, only to not get his investment back out." 

Viviana scoffed. "Oh, he got his investment back out ten-fold. If he tries to ever say that you have a debt to him, send him my way, and I'll make sure the ledgers are square." 

Viviana crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks out. She was a beautiful young woman, and if I hadn't been so mopey about Emlyn, or perhaps been just a smidge wiser, I would have taken her father up on the deal. Viviana had soft, white hair and brilliant green eyes. Their merchant family had been struggling. Their family's mercantile company had been struggling, thus why they had ventured out to the boonies to make deals in our village. That and her grandfather had been sincerely hoping to sway me into their family. 

"But enough about me, and stop trying to make everything business," she waved a hand at me. "Let's swap stories. Is it true that Aard struck down the King of Aventi when he started using some magical artifacts? I simply think that can't be. He must have had some support from all of you."

I puffed myself up. “I did defeat him, and it was mostly one-on-one," I said.

"One-on-one," Emlyn scoffed. "It was in the middle of a battlefield, and the rest of us cleared the path so that he could fight the king unimpeded."

"Well, me and the king fought one-on-one," I retorted, narrowing my eyes at Emlyn, daring her to refute that.

"Wow," Viviana said, all smiles. "No one is telling the stories of your anchors." She tapped a long, delicate finger against her lips. "But I recall there were other stories of that battle. There being horrifying monsters in human form that were tearing through our forces. Does that mean your anchors stopped an entire army of them?"

"You bet," Emlyn sat up straight with a smug smile on her face. "Those were vampires and that was not the first nor the last time we fought them. King Martin was doing strange experiments, turning serpent mages into a type of corrupted that he could control."

Viviana gasped and covered her mouth. "What happened to all the serpent mages?"

"Gone. Garrish is going to be... Garrish is going to have a severe lack of healers, likely for at least a few generations," I sighed. I could already see the wheels turning in Viviana's head. That medical supplies might become significantly more valuable along the border.

"Well, then that just won't do. Avente will send some aid, right? Mercy of the victor?" She asked.

I shrugged. "With the royal family not much more than a rotting carcass, Avente is going to have its own challenges here, as it looks inwards rather than outwards. And it sounds like Zenovia is having similar issues."

As I said that, Eva appeared. She and Uncle Valken had been working on the book that I had retrieved from Carmilla's tunnels under the palace.

"Viviana," Eva said, dipping her head.

But the merchant was already out of the chair, spinning Eva around. "You look even more beautiful than last time. Don't tell me that wicked man got you too?"

"Guilty," Eva grinned.

Viviana gasped. "Emlyn, you really need to put a bell on him. No, a belt, one that he can't get off without your help."

The ladies in the room all laughed.

"I think even if they put a belt on me made of bluesteel, I'd find a way to get it off," I said.

Viviana rolled her eyes. "Men. Am I right?” she said to Ditzy. 

"I am with you, sister.” Ditzy shook her head in mock exasperation.

"So, Eva, how is the book going?” I asked, quickly trying to shift focus from burying all of mankind's sins myself.

"Good. We are working through it. I think Uncle Valken has figured out which cipher it is. Just a matter of taking the time to work through it. It's not one he's used in a long time," Eva replied.

I was practically giddy in my seat, unable to sit still.

"Ciphers? That's like... Cipher Ard, have you become…” Viviana paused for dramatic effect, “a spy?' 

"I wouldn't call myself a spy," I said, brushing off my shoulders with a massive grin.

"Well, you're certainly something,” Eva added. "I don't know if Art has told you, but while he was fighting in the war, he played the role of saboteur, and tried to foment rebellion."

"Well, now I know you're just fluffing his ego using big words.” Vivi laughed, "But that's also probably the easiest way to his heart, is it not?' She looked around the room for support, and found it easily amongst my ladies.

"I'm going to take a break,' I said, with a sigh, and pushed off against my knees to get up. 

"Oh, no, don't do it on account of me,” Viviana stuck her lip out and gave me a pair of puppy-dog eyes that would break a palace executioner.

"I won't be gone long, just stretching my legs is all,” I lied, and quickly scurried to the back of the massive carriage. It was a tactical retreat.