{"id":4022,"date":"2021-05-21T10:19:29","date_gmt":"2021-05-21T14:19:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/?p=4022"},"modified":"2021-05-21T10:19:29","modified_gmt":"2021-05-21T14:19:29","slug":"3-realms-4-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/3-realms-4-14\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Realms 4-14"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As the Endeavor<\/em> waited for marching orders, Denstra looked out the window of her quarters. One of her spouses, Twansa the Succubus, was cooking and humming to herself. Their husbands were busy with their own jobs on the ship, so it was the two of them alone. Twansa\u2019s tail was swinging from side to side slowly, a tell that she had something on her mind despite her happy humming. \u201c\u2026Do you ever worry about your past?\u201d Denstra asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat brought that on?\u201d replied Twansa as she added some spices to the meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust\u2026thinking about my own.\u201d Twansa thought about the question as she stirred the pot of noodles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026I used to. I thought me being an orphan would turn people away from me. Heck, I thought me WANTING to be a Second Age Housewife would turn people away from me. Thank goodness you and our favorite boys proved me wrong on both counts.\u201d She then started plating up the spaghetti and meatballs. \u201cLunch!\u201d she called. Denstra made her way to the table and sat down while grabbing the cheese and shaking it all over her meal. She then handed it off to Twansa. The Succubus shook only a small amount, compared to the mountain of cheese on Denstra\u2019s plate. \u201cSomething about your past bothering you now?\u201d asked Twansa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026Someone, actually,\u201d answered Denstra. \u201cA woman that mistreated me is now a Privateer!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd under YOUR command, strictly speaking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe hadn\u2019t been punished enough, as I was! After I parted company, I turned myself in to Realmfleet, in some form of penance for what I had done. After that, I reconnected with my parents. When I came home, my other relatives were there! They screamed and heaped abuses at me, despite my parents trying everything in their power to stop them! They refused to stop, even ordering my parents to disown me! \u2026As you can see, my parents refused, at the cost of their reputation. No one wanted to associate with someone with a daughter that was a pirate. So\u2026I joined Realmfleet to continue my penance. I\u2019m the master of my life, not Reb Rojam! \u2026I\u2019m the master of my fate, not Reb Rojam!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026Forgive me for sounding this way, but it sounds to me that, as long as you say nothing to her, she IS master of both.\u201d Denstra looked in shock at Twansa. \u201cI made the same mistake, believe it or not. Remember when you and the boys found me? I allowed the orphanage to make me believe that choosing to act as a Second Age Housewife makes me worthless and cheap. I only revealed my choices two years into our marriage, remember? It was when I opened up that I REALLY became the master of my fate and life. If you don\u2019t do say something to Reb, she\u2019ll ALWAYS control you.\u201d Denstra considered her wife\u2019s words as they ate their lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

\u201cApproaching the island,\u201d reported a Vampire helmsman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSet us down,\u201d replied the helmsman\u2019s Captain, a purple legged Cecaelia woman with a patch over her right eye. The ship set down near the Endeavor<\/em> and deployed a landing ramp. Arsha approached the woman and shook her hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGreat to see you again, Captain Looden,\u201d she greeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe pleasure is all mine, Your Highness,\u201d returned the Cecaelia woman, Patrica Looden. \u201cI heard there was another Protectorate Pirate on their way here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIndeed. And\u2026here she comes now.\u201d Patrica\u2019s smile vanished as Reb approached them. She then curtsied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood afternoon, Arsha,\u201d purred Reb. \u201cMy apologies for this HEINOUS delay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cArsha, if I might be so bold,\u201d hissed Patrica, \u201cwhy is that woman not in chains?! She should be manacled!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour thoughts match my First Officer\u2019s,\u201d remarked Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDenstra\u2019s right! We both once served under her!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026You served under Reb?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnly for ONE job!\u201d snarled Reb. \u201cQuite frankly, I\u2019m amazed her TATTERED ship is still flying. The last I saw of the Sailing Patch<\/em>, she was on fire, a CHARRED hulk sinking beneath Over-realm waves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA soldier from the Regalin Sea Merfolk kingdom found the ship,\u201d answered Patrica, \u201csaved my entire crew, and got the Royal Family to organize repair efforts to make it sky-worthy again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had a deal, she and I. I contracted her to deliver VALUABLE cargo on my behalf and she chose to dump it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLiberate it! People aren\u2019t cargo, Reb! I won\u2019t be part of a kidnapping ring!\u201d Patrica was looking at the ship Reb came in on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have the Black Money<\/em> in my possession, DEAR Patrica.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen what\u2019s become of that ship?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt MUTINIED against me when it came to life!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a Mechanica?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAye! A Mechanica that threw in his lot with that VILE Dr. Borg! All thanks to what you did! Your \u2018Good Deed\u2019 cost me MIGHTILY, Patrica.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd you have spared me ANY possibility of being anything other than what I am. And, for that, I AM grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCaptains, I get that there\u2019s bad blood between you two,\u201d interjected Arsha, \u201cbut each second we spend here arguing gives Oyed more time to permanently outdistance us. Now, I have every confidence that we will prevail and you two will be rewarded with the high station you so desire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNay, to serve doth suffice, Your most GRACIOUS Highness,\u201d replied Reb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re looking a little sick there, Rebby,\u201d muttered Patrica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026Sick?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, a real bad case of Brown Noser Disease!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cENOUGH!\u201d Arsha\u2019s sudden shout startled the two privateers. \u201c\u2026Now, here\u2019s what we\u2019ll do; Reb and Partrica, you two are to remain here as backup for the external fight against the Manticores while I take a team inside their defenses to see why they\u2019re pressuring the Sphinxes into serving Oyed and how they\u2019re doing it. Aldarval has told me that I\u2019m leaving the position of the mission\u2019s Head Protectorate up to you two.\u201d The two rivals looked at Arsha in horror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEr, my DEAR Arsha, is that REALLY wise?\u201d asked Reb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReb and I would probably kill each other over the position,\u201d supplied Patrica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is forbidden, both by Aldarval and I. You are ordered to settle the matter peacefully. No physical combat. Not even a small catfight is permitted. Understood?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026Understood, Your Highness,\u201d grumbled Reb and Patrica. They then took one another\u2019s hand and smiled while shaking them, but the smiles did NOT reach the eyes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the Endeavor waited for marching orders, Denstra looked out the window of her quarters. One of her spouses, Twansa the Succubus, was cooking and humming to herself. Their husbands were busy with their own jobs on the ship, so it was the two of them alone. Twansa\u2019s tail was swinging from side to side […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1687,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,237],"tags":[482],"class_list":["post-4022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-three-realms","category-the-three-realms-book-4-trials-of-light-and-dark","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4022"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4022\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4023,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4022\/revisions\/4023"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}