Death Hunters 19: Byron Lia

    A long red carpet down the middle of a wide room fit for a king. The interior looks very similar to descriptions of castles Hollia has heard about belonging to various kings up north in the land of a million lakes and two million kingdoms. The man however is not at all what any of them would have expected, this man sitting on a throne with two petite juggernaut guards on either side of him, in a mansion in the middle of a preserve filled with the most exotic, lustful yet deadly creatures is not a fur faced man, nor a large man like Magistrate O’Bish as Cata and Betty had imagined him to be; even Hollia is a bit surprised, after all she hasn’t seen her brother and over two years, or around two years or so, possibly closer to three, two and some months, something like that. This man looks a lot like Hollia, if Hollia had short hair, was a boy, and stood about a foot and a half taller. The man, Byron-Lia is wearing the long white robes of a traveling scholar monk with an ornate green scarf with strange symbolic writing on it. At his side where most men would carry a sword he carries a rolled up green cased scroll.

   He steps off his throne and greets them warmly, “Sister Hollia…you still go by Hollia correct?”

    Hollia steps forward, Lin Lin on her shoulders and her own robes, although not as thick, giving her an appearance like a smaller doppelganger of her brother, “Yes,” she says calmly and trying to keep a regal tone.

    Her brother however shows no signs of wanting to keep a regal tone as he smiles broadly looking at the three women behind his sister, “You have good taste in travel companions sister, you know I wouldn’t hold it against you if you decided to take FiFi up on her offer.”

    “Brother!” shouts Hollia in surprise breaking the tense air she had but a moment before.

    “My apologies,” he says with a smile, “An older brother really shouldn’t talk that way to his younger sister, but kiddo you really looked like you needed a tension breaker, you’re too stiff. But I guess that comes with staying in Stratalia all the time, all school and no play as they say. Or perhaps I’ve been away too long, not much of a prince am I? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.”

   He shrugs, “But I’m not really welcome back so long as grandpa is there, which is pretty much all the time.”

   He looks at his sister quizzically, “No offense,” he says after a brief pause, “but grandpa is a real hard ass, and far too strict, you’d think since advocating the throne to serve only as dean he’d calm down some, but to no avail. He has this tendency to interfere with matters he really shouldn’t these days.”

    Hollia thinks about it for a moment and says, “I…will admit he did try to force me to return to Stratalia despite….”

    Byron’s eyes narrow, “despite an oracle or two saying otherwise, yes that, and the incident with O’Bish. I have been in contact with our parents.”

    “The instant communication device.” Thinks Betty.

    “How’d he know about what FiFi said in the carriage?” thinks Cata

    “I wonder why Hollia hasn’t picked up on any of the royal descriptions?” thinks Rhulan.

    “Oh you don’t know the half of it,” says Byron, “Did I ever tell you about my adventure on Asta? Yeah I was only fourteen at the time, it was supposed to just be some scientific mission to study the people there and their culture. But of course like what always happens with our family, I got drawn into some big save their world quest. Grandpa really didn’t like that, and especially didn’t like how popular I was with the ladies.”

   He sees his sister’s expression, “don’t get me wrong,” he says in mock defense, “I didn’t try anything, I was still just a kid, although to the people of Asta fourteen is fully grown and eligible for both war and marriage. I mean those people are lucky to live forty five years…”

    Hollia interrupts, “Surely none of that would be why grandfather would break off contact with you brother. Asta was so long
ago.”

    “Look around,” says Byron, “grandpa has always been so black and white about his beliefs, that’s why he wont talk to his own mother.”

    “Because she’s a Kuhrai.” says Hollia.

   “That’s part of it,” says Byron, “grandpa thinks its wrong to consort with, let alone sleep with what he considers monsters. Add to that the fact that Hyatha-Aria is both our great grandmother and our great-great grandmother and it makes it that much
worse to him.”

    Hollia’s eyes shoot wide open and she looks back at Rhulan who nods her head and says while looking forward at Byron, “Hollia, you are fully aware of the stories of your family correct, the legends and adventures.”

    Hollia nods as Rhulan continues, “Then you know the story of the Dragon War, particularly about your ancestor Gino-Lee correct?”

    “Yes Miss Rhulan.” says Hollia.

   “Then,” says Rhulan with a voice of authority, “you know about Harley the White Priestess…she was Hyatha-Aria.”

    Hollia looks back and forth between Byron and Rhulan, the other two keeping their mouths shut and a bit embarrassed to be present during such a sticky family revelation.

    “Hollia,” says Rhulan drawing her attention fully to her, “when she returned she had no idea Stratos the Sky Warrior was her son, she didn’t learn of that until the marriage. If you want to blame anything for such a strange situation occurring then blame Kuhrai law.”

     Hollia looks back at Cata who pretends to be distracted by something on the wall.

    Rhulan smiles, “Ah the history of kings and queens of kingdoms is always such a sticky one.”

    “Huh?” says Hollia, “why do you…”

    She thinks back to what Byron said earlier, “Wait,” she says, “Brother, why’d you call yourself a prince?”

    Byron looks at Rhulan and smiles and says to his sister, “I take it grandpa has sheltered you more than he should have, lots of family secrets in the closet. One big one kept from you, which honestly given all the people coming and going from Stratalia one of your friends should have told you this.”

   She looks at the floor and back at her traveling companions before looking back at Byron, Lin Lin chirping a little in concern, “Aside from a few people in the local towns and markets I don’t really have any friends back in Stratalia, I mean aside from Miss Rhulan of course,” she pets Lin Lin, “and Lin Lin of course.”

    “I see,” says Byron clapping his hands and a map of Eastern Ravashira comes down. He points at the area they live in.

    “Tell me something sister,”

    “You have a map behind your throne?” blurts out Betty.

   “It comes in handy when talking to merchants about trade routes with out having to call for a map or go to another room.” he says before turning back to Hollia, “okay, tell me something Hollia, what is the name of the place we live in?”

   “The Merchant Confederacy.” she answers.

   “True,” says Byron, “But internationally, and more logically its called the Stratalian Neutral Zone. As far as international politics are concerned this is one big, and complicated kingdom, the king being our father, the queen our mother, grandpa is like a instructional figure head, and that makes me a prince and you a princess.”

   “but…but…” says Hollia, “I’ve never,”

   “Haven’t you?” says Byron, “gigantic castle like home surrounded by a walled in self sustaining town, the people living there pay tuition rather than taxes yes, but you get it all for free, our father is the political leader, and the succession of both the political and financial leader is decided by heredity, and even the role of dean is handed down to family members. By any definition we are royalty. Just a very unusual and from what I’ve heard from traveling royals from up north, considered a very eccentric one.”

   He gets serious as he turns to Hollia, “Make no mistake, as far as anyone anywhere else in the world would be concerned, you are the princess of Stratalia, for better or worse, that is how the world will look at you when you go past the ocean, hence why our uncle of all people is going to escort you past the desert through the lower kingdom of Sae and out of sight hopefully of the Magnus Empire, I know the propaganda back east is calling them a militia.”

    He points at a large area on the map nearly as large as the Stratalian Neutral Zone, “this is the area they control,”

    “I won’t be talked out of this brother!” says Hollia with authority.

   He looks at her and at her companions and back at her, “Huh? I wasn’t trying to talk you out of anything. Just wanted to make sure you understood you’re a princess, and the responsibility that will carry outside our borders, regardless if you’ve been raised to just think of yourself as the dean’s granddaughter or the daughter of a wealthy merchant.”

   He rubs his chin, despite a complete lack of facial hair, “really not a back idea, raise nobility to think of themselves as something less than that and when the time comes to fill on the ole throne you’re mentally set to not be another stuck up spoiled brat princess who gains control of an army and the financial future of the kingdom.”

    “But we don’t control any of the towns,” says Hollia walking over to the map, “It’s a confederacy of city states, each city has its own laws.”

    “And?” says Rhulan stepping forward, the petite juggernaut guards getting a little un-easy by this un-expected move, “What else?”

    “Huh?” says Hollia.

   “She’s right,” says Byron, “What else do we control that is in each town…and between each town.”

    “Well,” says Hollia, “the field laws are passed down by Stratalia and enforced by the Adventurer’s Guild which can be found in almost every town…and there is also the Merchant Guild which controls the transport and sell of goods in and out and between the towns and…”

   She looks between them, “We have complete control over all this wilderness space even having to give permission for a new town or any other structure to be built, the Adventurer’s Guild controls and regulates both travelers and local military forces, the sell and regulation of weapons and armor, The Merchant’s Guild controls commerce and taxes and goods and transport of them…
and city laws can’t contradict field laws or interfere with the actions of the guilds.”

    The sudden realization hits Hollia, she can’t believe she hadn’t noticed it before. It’s all tightly controlled, has a monarchy at the top of the control system, but has the appearance of being completely free to a casual observation as the laws tend to be pretty loose except in a few areas.

    “Any who,” says Rhulan, “Back to the family troubles issue.”

   Byron looks genuinely surprised, he could have sworn she intentionally ducked away from the topic to distract Hollia with something else.

    “You know Byron, Jinron hasn’t just been a jerk to you just because of your extra curricular activities, or in other words, totally debauched sexual escapades with humanoids, not that I myself really care who or what you decide to share your bed, or tuft of grass, or a nest, with. But Jinron’s vein popping aggravation ties into this whole monarchy issue, that being Jedah.”

    Byron walks back over to his throne and sits down, Hollia walks back to the steps before it, Rhulan following.

    “Really?” says Byron thinking hard about it, and seeing the confusion in his sister’s eyes.

   “Well,” says Byron after a moment of thought, “That would explain the timing of his more, or should I say increased attitude problem with me. About three years ago, a little under it maybe, since before my last visit about two years ago. I had meant to secretly tell mom and dad about it.”

    He looks up, “I mean I had intended it to be a secret rendezvous to inform them of the momentous event. However this means grandpa knows about Carla.”

    Hollia is very confused.

    Byron smiles and whispers something to the petite juggernaut next to him who bows and leaves. He smiles back at Hollia.

   They wait a moment, just as Hollia is about to speak a women in a hand maiden’s uniform enters with a small two year old boy at her feet, who looks a bit nervous because he’s never been in this room before while other people are in it.

   “This,” he says to Hollia, “Is Carla, we met back when I was on Asta, she is in fact the younger sister of a princess.”

    Carla looks surprised staring wide eyed at Byron, who turns to her, “Carla, this is my younger sister and her companions, my sister of course Hollia, the one next to her Rhulan, and…the other two back there guarding the door.”

   Cata and Betty exchange glances; this is just not a scene for them.

   Carla curtsies, “Please to meet you Princess Hollia.”

   Hollia is about to say she isn’t a princess but instead curtsies as well, “the pleasure is mine…fellow princess. But If I may ask why are you dressed like a hand maiden?”

   She looks over to Byron who answers, “Politics suck.”

   He smiles, “Like I said we met back when I was on Asta, I saved the land, fell in love with the princess and we came back home. But thanks to gramps and all that political crap the guys who went with me decided to say she was a hand maiden promised to me by the kings there rather than a wife to be, so we got stuck in this irritating lie. We fully intend to reveal the truth in the near future, after all can’t really keep a son a secret for too long you know, the problem is the scandal and the hell grandpa would raise about it.”

    Byron looks over at Rhulan, “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised you knew, I’ve heard the story from my parents about the whole ghost spying on everyone, and that you’re really the ex-empress from a thousand years ago. You know I honestly was starting to think that was just a bed time story, but here you are in the flesh standing right in front of me.”

    Hollia looks at her nephew, and her sister-in-law (even if it is just Asta law), and back at her brother, “I really hope you intend to tell everyone soon,” she says with a surprising authority, “Because I don’t appreciate not knowing that I had a nephew and a sister-in-law, or that your wife is pretending to be your maid while everyone else knows you sl…” she looks at Jedan, “I mean, you know its not right.”

   “I know, I know,” says Byron.

   Hollia crosses her arms, “If you don’t tell I will,”

   She points at Carla, “She should be in a throne next to you, and wearing proper attire for at least the magistrate’s wife. Even if you tell people she isn’t a princess, you can at least do a local marriage, I mean really, with all the scandal around you already what’s one more?”

    Byron is taken back; he never expected his sister of all people, that quite student who would wonder off to be alone and study back in Stratalia, would actually confront him like this.

    Byron looks at Carla and his son Jedan, “come up here,” he says much to there surprise.

    As they stand next to Byron at his throne, Jedan hides behind his mother’s legs.

   “You know what,” says Byron, “Carla, you do most of the financial book keeping as it is, you keep this town organized, and I take all the credit. And come to think of it, I don’t know why I’ve been so nervous about this, guess I just got used to it.’

    He smiles and laughs a little, “In fact, I’m going to have a second throne put up here right away, and you’re going to be able to wear your real dress even when others come here. No more hiding away by beautiful princess or my handsome son, in fact I can’t wait to see the look on tomorrow’s appointment’s face…uh, baron…oh yeah Baron Ferdinand from up north’s face when he sees a princess sitting next to me.”

    Carla looks ready to tear up but has enough royal restraint from doing so, and looks at Hollia with an appreciative glance, she has for some time wanted to confront her husband about this, but they had grown complacent and comfortable with the pattern they had been living in all these years. She already has the story worked out, that Byron fell in love with his long time hand maiden and married her in secret, a plan she will tell him in detail later. A brave new world, but she knows he would still be comfortable with the old pattern of her only whispering in his ear when no one is looking or speaking to him in private about her plans and ideas, as she has been doing for years; a secret power behind the throne, now to be revealed, her own mind reels at the various possibilities to work out regarding this.

    ******

    However all this, and the break away from the formal, Hollia meeting her nephew, his taking to her and Lin Lin, everyone having dinner later, FiFi showing back up and trying to proposition Betty, Betty now having a spell on her hat to keep on her head much to FiFi’s dismay as she teases Betty, is not as private as they think. Just as Byron has spy spells in place in his coaches, so too does someone else has spy spells in place in Byron’s home.

    Across the forests, the lakes, the rivers, clear across the continent back in Stratalia in an office, Jinron-Lia has been watching and listening to everything since Hollia arrived at Byron’s home, some trip line spell he placed on his already present spy spells to activate and alert him to when someone else enters Byron’s home so he can spy on any dealing he might have going on, not trusting his grandson; a spell that watches through mirrors.

    “I already know all this,” he says watching the conversation between Hollia and Byron, “My family is filled with sin, even my dear little Holly has forgiven both Byron and my…that thing, that calls its self my mother.”

    “The sins of the son are born from the father,” comes a woman’s voice as Sally in a black dress from the shadows behind him, “Or rather I should say they shouldn’t even exist.”

    She walks over to him and stares down at him with black demonic eyes as she places her hand on his shoulder, “You vowed you would be the last in your line, and you kept up your promise until you were one hundred and forty seven years old. A mere moment of weakness and a son was born.”

    She takes her hand off his shoulder and walks around to the front of the desk crossing her arms and smiling at the look of distress and frustration.

    She continues, “A son who wed a demon calling its self an elf, who then bore son themselves who sleeps with monsters and bore a son out of wedlock. Your son by dear Jinron also bore a daughter, you vowed you would raise her with the same principles that I taught you in secret as a child. Instead she awoke an evil goddess, who will undoubtedly try to take over the world.”

    She scowls at him, “and on top of that, I can sense an attraction between them.”

   She calms her tone and smiles as she walks over to him, “After all I did teach you as a child, trained you in secret, guided your adventurers as the Mushroom Magician, taught you the absolutes between right and wrong…”

   She clutches his shoulder, “I was molding you to be the perfect guardian of this world, instead you have filled it with more sin. I how many times must I correct you?”

    She walks back to the front of the desk and looks at a picture at a mirror on the wall, changing her eyes from black to red.

    She turns to Jinron and says, “You should have just listened to me and allowed Croix to take over Stratalia.”

    “I can’t do that,” he says exasperated, “I’ve told you before, my son and his wife hold political control. My word means nothing, my son is the head of the Merchant’s Guild and his wife…the head of the Adventurer’s Guild.”

    “Yes,” says Sally, “The man who would bed a demon is king, and that same demon is in charge of your army.”

    “Its not that simple,” he pleads.

    “Yes it is,” she says, *blah, blah, blah,*

   Her words turn to gibberish in his ears as he’s heard it numerous times before, once again she berates him on matters out of his control, insisting he do something, commit some act, rise up against his own family. He stares into the mirror on his desk, his spy spell showing him Hollia leaning down to his grandson’s level inviting the timid lad to pet Lin Lin on the head. Just as the child is putting out his hand Rhulan walks in front of what must be a wall mirror on their end, smiles into looking directly at Jinron and snaps her fingers leaving Jinron to stare back at his own reflection in the glass.

    “See,” says Sally putting the mirror face down on the desk, “She is a threat, the greatest sin so far and one you can deal with.”

    He gets up and walks over to a picture on the wall, removing it an opening a safe behind it. He removes a medium sized circular mirror from the safe with a silver bar like frame.

    “The mirror of Syris.” he says looking at his own reflection in it.

   “Good,” says Sally, “I would hate to have to take matters into my own hands again.”

    With that she fades away leaving Jinron alone with the mirror and his thought, he remembers the attack on the school, the monstrous creatures called Dah-Hoth, and the blast that came through the ceiling of the coliseum. He had talked with her a month or so before the festival urging him to hand over control of Stratalia to the Croix Empire, and even the day before in a more secret meeting where she had before said to him, “The one who freed Rhulan, who knows what other evils she could awaken.”

    Sally had gone after Hollia directly and attacked the school, he knew once it happened that it had been her who had done it. It was a show of force on her part to remind him of his vows to her so long ago in his youth. He stares into the mirror at his own reflection, “Evil…I will…save the world.”

    ******

    In the home of Byron-Lia the hour is growing late, Jedah has long gone off the bed, his mother excusing herself from the dinner table to tuck him in and prepare her and Byron’s own bed for the night. Over dinner many interesting revelations have taken place, Byron has learned that Hollia has never met their uncle Gold Wolf before and provides her with a picture of him, his appearance even more astonishing to her despite the description given to her by her mother. Cata has enjoyed a nice meal, her first in some time that wasn’t almost raw. Betty has had an un-expected companion sitting next to her during dinner, the bunny-girl FiFi who has been trying to play footsy with her the whole time. However now its time for sleep, the rest can be taken care of in the morning. They each head to their guest rooms.

    Rhulan, Hollia, and of course Lin Lin, are given a large room with a massive bed covered in lacy linen, blankets, and pillows. The air in the room is strangely cool, almost insisting the occupants bury themselves under the blankets and get close for warmth despite the season outside the walls. In their black and white respectively nighties they head off to sleep, spooning with Rhulan holding on to Hollia and Lin Lin above their heads on the pillow, after all they keep waking up this way might as well cut out the middle-man as they say. In this comfortable position they drift off to sleep.

    Cata examines her room, with the rumors that abound about Byron-Lia she makes certain the room isn’t bugged, or has any mediums such as mirrors known to be used for spy spells. She removes her gear, she has grown accustomed now to sleeping with her only covering being her own fur, and on top of the blankets curled up like a cat.

    As Betty sheds her orange pirate costume, or rather transforms it into a shimmering white gown a knock at the door draws her attention. She finds FiFi standing on the other side with a big grin on her face and light in her eyes. Betty ushers the extremely exited smaller woman into her room closing the door behind her.

    ******

    The next day in Betty’s room one would find FiFi’s blue and pink dancer costume folded neatly on the table with a goodbye note on top as Betty prepares to leave. She looks back to see FiFi asleep in the bed, a smile still on her face, her ears and body twitching as though dreaming a memory of the night before. Betty remembers back to the night before Cookie left the party, she had been the one in the bed while Dark Cookie was leaving. They had become closer than she believes any of the others had realized and had gotten in the habit of sneaking back into the house each night so they could be together. That night Dark Cookie, as usual leaving before sunrise to prevent Cookie Clean from finding out, had told Betty there was a good chance Cookie Clean was going to leave the next day.

    Betty smiles, the bunny-girl was different, she had wanted to have fun, “bunny-girls and angels are very different creatures.” Betty reminds herself as she straightens her hat and walks out the door.

    As Betty descends the wide stairs leading to the great double door entrance of the mansion she finds the others waiting for her however something is different. Hollia’s outfit has changed, she is now wearing a white version of Rhulan’s outfit, the pants, booths, abdomen revealing top and white cape. In essence Hollia has simply removed the outer robe. Given the heat though she’s surprised Hollia didn’t change her outfit sooner, then again as Byron and others have said, they are about to cross the sea into a desert.

     As they leave Byron says to Hollia, “Be careful sister, our uncle’s presence in Sae-Rin is not just to wait for you, he has been helping the king there recently to deal with terrorist attacks by the Magnus Empire.”

     He turns to Rhulan, “On that same note, I must apologize for not thanking you sooner for your assistance in taking out that Magnus pirate ship. That new weapon of theirs, the…Necro-cannon I believe they call it, has been a huge pain for us, our sorcerers have been looking for a way to counter or protect against it, but to no avail.”

    Rhulan smiles, “No problem, however I did forget myself to mention something; you may want to place seals on your mirrors, we were being spied on during our visit.”

    Byron raises and eyebrow, “I assure you it wasn’t me, which means…”

   He smiles, “Don’t worry, I will make certain to place seals on the mirrors for any spells originating outside the mansion immediately.”

   Carla and Jedah come out, everyone saying their goodbyes as the party now with directions and renewed supplies heads back to Osopika, this time via a carriage, to take them directly to the dock for the boat waiting for their arrival.

     FiFi looks out the window as they leave holding Betty’s note and cocking her head sideways like a confused dog, “Awww, I wanted a good morning kissy, make out, bed shaky…and…” something outside the walls if the mansion grounds catches her eyes a rippling of the air like heat waves going in a circle, the carriage with the party inside it stopping just before it.