TRC Lord of the Glass Desert Ch. 49

"Nervous, Mori?" Kal asked as he, Mori, and Scarlet made their way through the streets of Silvermoon to the offices of Mori's father. Mori had on a green dress that closely matched Kal's shirt but lacked the frills and lace of her dresses at the manor, while Scarlet wore her normal captain's attire.

"My father and I made up, but this is the first time I'm asking him for approval of my... fiancé? Prospective husband? What exactly do I call you in this situation?"

"Handler?" offered Ikuno over the bond.

"Tamer?" suggested Kashka.

"I don't think she'd approve of either of those," he said out loud.

"Future husband?" offered Scarlet.

"Isn't that essentially a fiancé, but without the actual engagement?" said Mori. "What about potential husband?"

"I don't like it. Neither do I like prospective," said Kal

"Why not?"

"Because you are the one with a vested interest in becoming my wife. 'Prospective' or 'potential' implies that I'm trying to prove myself worthy of being your husband."

"You really know how to make a woman feel valued," said Scarlet.

"That's not my intention, and you know it. Saying I'm a prospective or potential husband makes it sound like I'm trying to leverage my relationship with Mori to gain favor with her father. It also implies that his acceptance of me could affect her and my relationship going forward. Neither is true."

"I don't know how to feel about that," said Mori.

"That your father's opinion of our relationship doesn't matter to me?"

"Yes. My father is a powerful man. His opinions hold a lot of weight in this city. I think it may be a mistake to dismiss him so casually."

"I'm not as far as business matters are concerned. But you're a grown woman who has been married and widowed already. As far as I'm concerned, he has no say in what happens between you and me in the future."

"I understand, but please, do me a favor and act like it matters. After how much he hated Darrow, it means a lot to me if he likes you."

"If you're asking as a favor, then I'll try."

"Thank you."

---

They entered the offices of Mori's father to a scene similar to his own offices but about three times the size and twice as busy. The last thing Kal was expecting was a familiar face.

"Master Kal. Good to see you," said Holm. "Just getting some shipping contracts ready for the next ship scheduled to arrive."

"Is this another that needs to be commandeered?"

"It's the Gazelle, Sir. Our next shipment of slaves from the South isn't expected for a few more weeks."

"Didn't the Gazelle just leave?"

"She had a very lucrative time-sensitive shipment to a north-western port in Azumbaho and should be on her way back already."

"How, again? If the winds..."

"They're tacking against the wind to get north of here, then using the usual path across the Great River, Kal. Leave the sailin' to the sailors," said Scarlet.

"Will do. Good to see you, Holm. Mori? Would you lead the way?" said Kal, offering his arm.

Mori took the offered arm and led them through the hustle and bustle of the office to a set of stairs in the back of the room. Upstairs were more desks, but it was much quieter. Most of the workers had their heads down and only gave Kal, Mori, and Scarlet a passing glance before returning to their work. The second floor was divided in half by a wall with three doors. The center door Mori led them toward was the only one with a desk sitting nearby. The man sitting at the desk stood from his chair and poked his head in the door as they walked across the room, presumably to announce their arrival.

"He's expecting you, Lady Mori," said her father's secretary as they approached.

Mori nodded in response before letting go of Kal's arm, taking a deep breath, and opening the door. "It's good to see you, Father," she said, entering the room and stepping to the side to let Kal and Scarlet in. "It's my pleasure to introduce you to Kal Runesmith, who acquired all of Darrow's holdings, and Commodore Scarlet, who is managing his sailing fleet and business here in Silvermoon."

"Acquired all of Darrow's holdings, including my daughter, then just as quickly threw her away," said the man sitting behind the desk, glaring at Kal as he stood up. It wasn't hard to see where Mori's looks came from. Her father had the same dark hair but with a few streaks of silver running through it. He could easily be considered handsome, and his dark gray attire with gold trimmings closely matched the colors of the crest on the front of the building. Kal was mildly surprised by his stature. Mori's father wasn't the imposing figure evoked by everyone who spoke of him and stood a few finger widths shorter than Kal. But there was a shrewdness in his eyes that immediately put the mage on guard.

"Would she be here with me if I had discarded her so casually?" Kal asked as he reached back and took her hand, then pulled her forward to stand beside him. "Perhaps a better question would be to ask if I would be considering letting her run my business in the future if I had merely tossed her to the side?"

Some of the anger in his eyes was replaced by curiosity as he looked at his daughter. "Is this true, Mori?"

"It is, Father. I will be in Silvermoon quite often, learning from Commodore Scarlet in hopes of one day taking over the running of Kal's business."

"You're wasting your time, Kal," said Mori's father as he stepped around his desk with the slightest hint of a smile. "She already knows all she needs and more to run your business. Mannis Fairbo, owner of Fairbo Trading Company," he said, extending his hand.

"Kal Runesmith, mage and new owner of Darrow's holdings, now the Runesmith Shipping Company," said Kal, shaking the man's hand.

"Shipping Company? I thought you were going to be a trading company as well."

"After a discussion with Scarlet and Olvo, they felt that focusing on shipping would be the best direction to take my business in. Commodore Scarlet already has extensive knowledge in the shipping trade, and Olvo mentioned that if we were a shipping company then we wouldn't be in direct competition with you."

"Olvo's a sharp one. Make sure you're paying him well, or someone will steal him from you. Myself being first on that list of 'someone's. You bring welcome news. I'm always glad to hear about less competition, and I often contract out through the city's other shipping companies. A new company will help drive down shipping costs for my goods."

"I wouldn't expect it to last long. It's likely one of the other companies will take up the slave trade in my stead."

"Make hay while the sun shines, my father used to say."

"Sounds like something a farmer would say."

Mannis nodded. "Something we have in common, from my understanding."

"You seem to know a lot about me," said Kal.

"When a new piece enters the board, it's important to learn how they move. The best way to do that is to learn why they move the way they do. It helped that I have been keeping an eye on my daughter since she married Crowell and have heard much of your story already. In fairness and because we both come from humble beginnings. I'll tell you a little bit of my story.

"As I hinted a moment ago, my father was a farmer. My mother passed on giving birth to me and my father joined her when I was a boy. My older brother took over the farm, found a wife, who I, as a young man, became smitten with. Shortly before I came of age, they discovered his wife was with child. With another mouth to feed on the horizon and worried I might try to steal his woman, the moment My brother's obligation to look after me ended, he booted me out the door. It was the best thing that could have happened to me. Now, you're probably expecting a sob story about how I was dying of hunger or the elements and needed to steal or beg for food, but I'd be lying if I told you that. Not even a day had passed before I approached a traveling merchant and said I would work doing whatever he needed for bread and water. Over the next few years, he taught me how to trade, how to haggle, and the value of goods and services. My mentor passed on in his sleep between villages and I took over his wagon, slowly building funds until I could sell the wagon and buy a building here in Silvermoon. I took the knowledge that he gave me and turned it into this." said Mannis, gesturing at the lavish office surrounding them. "Sadly, my brother died from a kick to the chest by his oxen. I inherited the land, which I had little use for and sold, and his wife, who was just as beautiful as the day my brother kicked me out. A few years later, she gave me Mori."

"Where is your mother now?" Kal asked her.

"Gone," Mannis answered for her when she didn't speak up right away. "She became ill when Mori was young, and I discovered that while she said she loved me she never really saw me as a man, just the boy with a crush on his brother's wife, and because I inherited her, it never felt as real as when she was with my brother. Her boys were about to become men and start their own families, and because Mori was mine she never felt the same affection toward her as she did her sons. Mori's mother chose to let the sickness take her so she could be with my brother."

"Father has not taken a wife since. My two older brothers are my uncle's," said Mori, "I'm my father's only child."

"I will not let my brother's sons have what I built, which means that if Mori has a son, he will be the one to inherit my company."

"I can understand why you would have been so upset by her marriage to Darrow," said Kal.

"The man was trash, but smart enough to build himself a lucrative business. I'm just thankful my daughter never gave him an heir. Reports have said that she seems much more keen on giving you one."

"Careful how you answer this one," Ikuno warned him over the bond, but he didn't need to worry about it.

"Reports can go stuff it," said Mori, her voice heated. "When were you going to tell me my maids were also bodyguards?"

"Never, daughter. I'm concerned about how you found out," said Mannis with a pointed glance at Kal. "You should never have known unless you were in some kind of danger."

"Kal and one of his companions noticed they moved like fighters. I haven't seen it myself, but I understand they are all excellent fighters themselves."

"And killers," said Mannis. "A number of the men from The Perdition turned up dead this morning."

"I guess they should have been nicer to the cargo." Kal replied. "Those women are all free now, and I have no control over them. If they want revenge, there's little I can do to stop them."

"Fun as it is to hear about slavers getting their throats ripped out by the cargo. You came here for a reason, Kal," said Scarlet.

"I did, and thank you for keeping me on track," said Kal "I understand that you did business with a tribe of spellsingers to the north. I'd like to know what you could tell me about them."

The question appeared to catch Mannis off guard.

"Are you joking?" he asked.

"No, why?

"Because you look like you changed clothes and walked out of one of their camps."

"It must be coincidence. I'm from a small town on the other side of the world."

"That's quite the coincidence. But first, why do you want to know?"

"Careful," Ikuno warned Kal. "What you tell him will set the price of his information. Be too flippant, and you'll get nothing."

"I hope to learn their spellsinging," Kal answered.

"Then you've wasted my time, I'm sad to say. They won't teach their magic to anyone outside the tribe. If you're from the other side of the world, then you have no chance. However..." Mannis rubbed his chin as he looked Kal over, "the Meekari have a problem. Have a seat, and I'll tell you what I know of their history." He said, offering them chairs as he sat down at his desk. "With how much you look like one of them, you may be able to help in a way that no man from Silvermoon could."

---

The Meekari were a nomadic tribe of people who traveled from the base of the northern mountains, where they hunted large game for food and oil during the summer, to the northern tip of the Boordus jungle in the winter with its warmer winds and plentiful vegetation.

Over a century ago, they discovered droosa. But the drug was different back then, milder, and its effects lasted longer. In its original form, it made a person feel good while also keeping them from feeling tired. The concoction made the yearly migrations easier, and hunters used it when tracking game over long distances to stave off fatigue. It became a part of their culture, and large bowls were passed around during festivals because it was believed to open the mind to the spirit world and deities.

But a small group of boys wanted more. They wanted to feel more than good, they wanted euphoria. So, they began cultivating the plants that produced droosa's seeds. The plants that gave the strongest high were bred together until any more made the elixir toxic. They also discovered that the stronger the effect the shorter it lasted.

The elders were at a loss with the men, many who had grown older and were eyeing up places on the council of elders where they could remove the stigma from growing their modified plants.

Then, one of the men made the silverleaf tea, added the crushed seeds, and poured it out onto a piece of waxed linen stretched horizontally between four poles where he let it dry. The slurry turned into a hard, chalky puck that sent up clouds of powder when it broke apart. His friends found him hours later as he finally started recovering from the intense high caused by inhaling the powder. This is the droosa we in Silvermoon are all familiar with.

Soon after, the tribe's young women began disappearing, only to show up later wild-eyed with noses stained green and showing evidence of a recent sexual encounter.

It became clear that the men were using this new form of droosa to entice the women to sleep with them. The Meekari elders quickly banished the men from the tribe. To their horror, many of the young women they had victimized left with them, seduced by the call of droosa that already burned in their blood.

The banished men and their women seemed to disappear, and the elders believed they had perished during the following winter without the support of the rest of the tribe, but their thoughts were soon pulled from the plight of the banished to their own problems as a new people arrived from the west and set up a quickly growing port in a bay to the east. The town of Silvermoon claimed the land at the tip of the Boordus jungle where the Meekari spent the winter and thought nothing of killing the nomads to keep their trade routes clear.

Forced to stay further north and denied access to the warmer winds coming off the savannah, the following winter killed nearly half of the remaining tribe.

When summer came and they returned to the northern mountains, their troubles didn't end. Young men, the next generation of hunters, started going missing. Those who were banished had not died or disappeared, and their revenge on their former tribe consisted of stealing away the young men with promises of feverishly loyal, drug-addled harems filled with the exotic-looking women of Silvermoon.

---

"Their situation has not improved much over the years," said Mannis. "The Meekari is a tribe of mostly women and so few men that inbreeding is becoming a concern. This takes away a lot of the power the droosa makers have to entice the boys since its all but guaranteed they will end up with multiple wives, but every year, they lose one or two to the banished."

"And your idea of me helping is to inject some new blood that already looks a lot like them into their tribe," Kal sighed.

"You're what? Twenty-one? Twenty-two summers? You should be jumping at the chance to have a whole tribe of women fawning over you."

"I already have a harem of women I love and many others I call companions who I will gladly spend a night with. Two of them are here with me. Not to mention, in the past, I have been called upon to deal with the heats of rescued dog girls and asked to pay my fare on a ship filled with monster girls with what's in my pants. I don't see the situation in the same light as most other men my age."

"Aye, and he said something about not wanting to leave a bunch of children behind him on this journey," said Scarlet. "It seems the fates are working against you, Kal."

Kal grunted with annoyance before turning back to Mannis. "Can you tell me anything about their spellsinging?"

"I cannot, other than it appears to have originated from the songs they sang during their celebrations. I, nor anyone I know, has ever heard it."

"So, I could be wasting the trip up there."

"It's possible, but where there's smoke, there's fire, and the legends of them spellsinging go all the way back to the early days of Silvermoon. One last thing I should add is that they are suffering from a lack of spiritual leadership. Their medicine men and women were chased from the tribe for trying to make the old form of droosa after the elders banned it. If you're a mage, then your power may be as welcome as your children."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you for the information, Master Fairbo. I believe the rest of our business is between you and Scarlet."

"Actually," Scarlet slouched in her seat and crossed her ankles. "Your new woman has been studying the books with Olvo all morning while you were out checking on the freed slaves. I'm letting her have this one."

"Some warning would have been nice," huffed Mori.

"Yer father's not yer father anymore, just a man trying to make money. I've no doubt he'll use his relationship with you to sweeten whatever deal he gets. I'm just here to make sure that you don't let him."

"Testing her loyalty, are you?" asked Mannis, rubbing his chin. "Very shrewd."

"Less about loyalty and more about not being intimidated by her father, who, as she said many times on the way over here, is one of the most influential people in Silvermoon."

"And you aren't intimidated?" he asked

"Not with him next to me," said Scarlet tilting her head at Kal. "He fought with me and my girls when we took The Dauntless. I've seen what he and his women can do, and it would take a lot more than you to scare me as long as he's sitting here. Mori understands a little of what I'm talking about. Remember that during your negotiations," said Scarlet, directing the last part at Mori.

"Well then," said Mannis. As he looked at his daughter his eyes became intense and his expression hawkish. "Shall we begin?"

Mori faltered for a moment under his gaze until she looked up at Kal, then glanced at Scarlet as she remembered what the Commodore had just said. When she turned back to her father, their relationship was unmistakable as she met his gaze with equal intensity and the same hawkish expression.

"Yes. Let's."

---

Kal had never seen the negotiations for a large trade or shipping contract. Over the next few hours, he learned more about shipping and rates and risk adjustments, if transporting criminals or alchemical ingredients, than he ever thought he would need to know.

Scarlet only stepped in a few times to mention that Mori needed to ask for more for cargo going to a particular port because it was difficult to reach or more prone to pirates. Otherwise, Mori handled the rest of the negotiation herself. The last hour, Mannis called in his secretary and had him take down the details of their shipping contract. The Fairbo and Runesmith companies would each be given two copies of the agreement, but the extras would be taken to Silvermoon's administrative offices by their respective companies and checked to be sure they were identical before being registered in case of any future disputes.

The extra steps seemed like an annoyance, but Kal had to assume that something happened in the past for the city to implement such a cumbersome rule.

Mannis sat back in his chair once his secretary and scribes left. "I have often been told that haggling contracts with me is an ordeal. I don't think I ever truly understood what they meant until today. Daughter, I am intensely proud of you for how you handled yourself through all that."

"Thank..." Mori stopped as she tried to swallow the lump rising in her throat and blink away the tears forming in her eyes from her father's praise. "Thank you, father. I learned from the best."

"And learned far better than I had previously thought. You never put up that kind of fight when I was teaching you how to hammer out a contract."

"We were practicing then." She glanced over at Kal. "This time, I had something real to fight for."

"If you are what brought this out in my daughter, then I expect to be calling you son-in-law in the near future. What do you think of her ability to handle your business now?"

Kal chuckled. "I'll be honest with you, much of what happened went so far over my head I can't even give an opinion."

Mannis raised a questioning eyebrow. "I understand that you inherited this company, but you don't know the trade?"

"I've learned some, but not enough to run it on my own with any hope of success. Which is why I'm entrusting it to those far more knowledgeable and skilled than I am," said the mage, indicating the women with him.

"You mean you can't do everything?" Scarlet deadpanned. "Color me shocked."

Kal rolled his eyes. "I never claimed to be good at everything. You know more about all this than I do, what did you think of Mori's negotiations?"

"I think it's going to be a boring couple of years until you get back and officially hand it over to her."

"Why not now?" asked Mannis

"Too soon," said Kal. "We haven't known each other for a full week yet. I've known Scarlet for months, seen what she did with her ship of slaves-turned-sailors, and fought beside her. It's not about affection, or competence, but a matter of trust. I simply haven't known Mori long enough to build the trust I have in Scarlet."

"As a father, I want to say, 'How dare you question my daughter.' However, as a businessman, I understand your reasoning. Also, as a father whose daughter has her eyes set on you, and as a businessman, I would like to get to know you a little better. Would you, Mori, and Commodore Scarlet join me for supper?"

Kal flashed Mori an apologetic smile. "Sadly, I must decline. The Scarlet Bitch is nearly loaded and will be casting off soon. I plan on leaving to find the Meekari as soon as I've said my goodbyes. Yes, I understand that it is only an extra day, but I have already spent more time in Silvermoon than planned."

"Then, at least join me for lunch. This has been a long negotiation, and I'm sure we are all feeling a bit peckish."

Kal conferred with Kashka as to how long before The Bitch set sail before nodding. "That I can do."

---

"Poor Alya didn't know what to do when we all showed up with Red's clothes and such," Tavorah giggled as they stood on the dock where everyone was saying their farewells.

"The poor girl's had a rough day," said Ikuno. "Her new master and mistresses are leaving. Now, she's gained a roommate and will soon gain another."

"You and Kashka went and said goodbye, didn't you?" asked Kal.

"We did, and gave her a little something to look forward to," said the oni, sending him an image of Ikuno looking up at the fox's body as she drove the girl wild with her tongue. Kashka had spent the night and part of the morning with Ratt and wanted her to be the last person she made love to before they left the city. In the memory, the cat still had her clothes on as she pinched and tugged at the fox's nipples, but did little else except for a chaste goodbye kiss as they left.

Kashka was not in a good mood that morning. She had mentally prepared herself to say goodbye to Ratt twice now, once in Soma, then again as they came into Silvermoon. This was now the third time doing this, and after the first two, she was emotionally exhausted. It came across in her sour mood.

Captain Ratt and Kashka stood apart from the rest of them for a more intimate farewell, as did Scarlet and Tavorah after the elf finished saying goodbye to Kal, Ikuno, and Mori.

A few of the others came down to the dock to wish Kal and the others safe travels. It had been some time since he spent any time with any of them, and they had the male crew to take care of their needs now, so none of their goodbyes were particularly amorous. Kal was honestly a little disappointed. He had helped many of these women work through some serious issues on the way over to Azumbaho and their farewells felt a little lukewarm for his efforts.

"You did a lot of good in that short time," Ikuno sent over the bond. "Even if they don't realize it now, they will be thanking you for your help for years to come."

Kolas and a few of The Deliverance's crew showed up as Ratt and Tavorah ascended the gangplank. There was a final quick round of farewells before the Scarlet Bitch's Captain and Navigator boarded, the gangplank raised, and Ratt shouted the order to cast off.

The crew still on the docks untied the thick mooring ropes from the heavy, steel cleats set into the dock and then hung on as the crew hauled in the rope. Ratt called for the bosun to set the jib, and as the sail caught the wind, The Scarlet Bitch began slowly backing out from the docks.

"The Deliverance's hold is nearly full. It'll be our turn at the next high tide," said Kolas as The Bitch furled the jib and unfurled the sails on its aft mast in preparation to turn the ship about and sail out of port. "Thank ye again fer this opportunity, Master Kal, Commodore Scarlet."

Scarlet grunted a response, her eyes still on The Scarlet Bitch as it executed the slow turn.

"You're welcome, Captain," said Kal. "Just don't let me down."

Kolas chuckled. "If I ever did, Hesta wouldn't leave enough left o' me fer ya to be disappointed in. G'day, Master Kal, and safe travels," he said, tipping his hat

"I wish you fair winds and smooth seas, Captain Kolas," Kal replied with a nod.

Scarlet finally tore her eyes from the ship as it turned enough to set the jib again and start making its way toward the mouth of the harbor.

"You're heading out too?" she asked, her expression and tone matching Kashka's mood as the cat sulked near the end of the dock where she said goodbye to Ratt.

"We are."

Her eyes shifted to Mori. "Say yer goodbyes, then meet me back at the office. Thiben, stay here and provide an escort," she told the security officer.

Thiben saluted. "What about you, Lady Scarlet?"

"Lady... pfft." Scarlet glanced back at the ship growing smaller as it sailed away. "I think I'd rather be alone for a little while," she said before tipping her hat to Kal and making her way toward the shore

"We should be going too," said Kal.

Mori stepped around in front of him and took his hands in hers. "I've only known you for a few days. It shouldn't hurt this much to watch you leave. I think--"

"Don't say it," Kal interrupted. "It's too soon for 'I love you.'" He brought her hands to his lips and kissed them. "But there's definitely a spark."

"Fine, I won't say it, as long as you understand that I feel it."

"We'll see if you feel the same after a few years of absence."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Mori wrapped her arms around Kal's neck and drew him down into a long kiss. When they separated, she took a moment to collect herself.

Kal smiled down at her. "Goodbye, Lady Runesmith."

Mori's eyes widened in shock. "You--"

"It's Lady, not Mrs.," growled Ikuno.

"While you were in the restroom at lunch, your father convinced me to let you use my name, and Scarlet agreed that having you do business in my stead while using Darrow's name looked bad."

"I still don't like it," said Ikuno. "But better to be rid of that man and everything he stood for, so I'll concede this until he's gotten properly married to Perra and can do the same with you. When we return, I had better not hear of you using his name to act like his wife, understood?" Mori nodded vigorously, her expression a mixture of elation and fear. The oni's tone softened. "As I said last time we said goodbye, I think you will make a fine addition to our family, and I look forward to the day you join us."

"Thank you, Ikuno. I don't know why, but that means a lot more to me now than the first time you said it. I... I'd better go before I start crying." She gave Kal a final quick kiss then grabbed Ikuno's hand and pressed it to her face before turning to Kashka. Mori decided not to disturb the cat and instead walked over to Thiben, who saluted Kal and fell in step beside her, followed by Shay and the rest of the guards.

Kal and Ikuno watched them leave until they stepped off the pier and disappeared behind the ship in the next berth.

The mage turned back to Kashka standing at the end of the docks, watching The Scarlet bitch turn south as it exited the harbor.

"It's time to go, Kashka," he called.

She took a shuddering breath before saying, "I'm coming," then turned around and walked back to Kal and Ikuno.

------

Author's note:

Hello all of my wonderful readers!

If the end of this chapter seems to have an odd note of finality, that's intentional.

In the future, I will be dividing The Runesmith Chronicles into smaller, separate books, and the end of this chapter will be one of those future divisions, so you can somewhat look at this as the end of the book (Ch. 50 and beyond will likely be the true "Lord of the Glass Desert" once everything is all said and done).

I sincerely hope that you all have enjoyed this story arc and Ikuno's return, and look forward to seeing you in the next step of Kal's journey.

I have some other works written and ready to go, so it may be a little bit before Ch. 50 goes up and kicks off the next story arc.

While you're waiting, keep an eye out for:

Green Dawn (Zombie Survival, Minimal sex)

Fortunate Meetings (Slice of Life, Opposites Attract)

Jenny (Dog Girl, Cat Girl, Post Gene-War, Lots of sex)

The Shell (Space, Sci-Fi, Aliens, Same Universe as Jenny, but far, far in the future)

As well as more Beyond Worlds: Mis-taken Hero and The Witch's Offering!

See You Soon!

-Blu