Sequel

Una likes being able to walk in, say some stuff and leave. He also likes making an entrance. The same entrance. Like. Every time. It gets boring, but mortals only ever see it once so they're all sparkly eyed for some reason. If he's about to save you from a life of abuse and torment, okay, I can understand that sparkly eye. But if he's about to tell you to pay him something for nothing...

No. No sparkle eyes.

Possibly a little god fearing going into you, but gods know the priest lines could use a good dose of that.

I did like the interplay between Illuen and Deun. Deun made a deal and is notorious for breaking deals, but the Illuen who are notorious for keeping deals and sticking to everything by the book, is actually the one to break it. I also hope it makes Mari feel better, though I'm not certain she knew the Deun high priest was her grandfather, that someone she doesn't really know is willing to fight for her.

This is NOT the chapter where Una and Rel discuss the issue mentioned at the start of the last chapter. As I said last night, I have three chapters written ahead of time so... got to wait.

Oh yes, go read Partners' next chapter if you're a reader of that story as well.

Read, Review and Enjoy.



Una was dressed in a baggy shirt and trousers, the man had a fedora on his head, pulled down over his eyes and a cane in his hand. His stance implied that this was how Una was used to looking, to being. The immortal didn’t look about the room, he simply stood, face towards Mari’s back. Mari, as the Rahluen’s laughter died down, turned to Una and went a bit red in the cheeks before she shuffled around Rel.

Standing still, Una was a force. Something about how the man stood, something about the body language and the protective power flowing off of the immortal warned Rel off of speaking or moving. The steps Una took were small and measured to the stride of a people, well practiced and rehearsed. Camouflage. Using few steps, Una came to sit to Rel’s right, setting his cane against the table.

Silence dominated over the table as all eyes watched Una remove his hat. The immortal removed it in such a way that the full view of his face was obstructed for the priest lines until the hat sat on the table. But Rel could see Una’s face and saw the small twitch of the lips as Una opened his eyes a moment before the fedora was set down.

“Gentlemen. Ladies. I apologise, but I do not understand how the power is divided between seven people.”

“We are the high priests,” the Illuen said, motioning to each of the priests in turn, “and they are our women.”

“Women are not property,” Una responded with a sniff, “I refuse to acknowledge the power of slave keepers. Always have, always will. A person cannot be owned by another. Just as land can never truly be owned by a people.”

“We don’t own the women,” Deun muttered, fingers tapping out some rhythm of the table top as is words continued to flow out properly. The high priest was dyslexic and had what, in the real world, was referred to as ADHD. The man was not well known for stringing full, proper sentences together, “they serve us and are … framers.”

“Family?” Rahluen muttered.

“That word.” Deun nodded.

“Very well.” Una responded, “you of the priest lines have monopolised religion.”

“We have not!” Illuen snapped.

“You have and you would do well to keep your mouth shut when I speak to you, child. Listen and be polite to your elders,” Una said calmly.

To a man who looked over twice his age.

“What are your demands, oh ancient one?” Rahluen asked Una.

“Freedom to move amongst your lands. From the Tahluen I have a list of herbs and spices which I want properly tended and prepared for travel. From the Rahluen. I hear you have a nice youngest son about to come to maturity.”

“You want my son?” Rahluen asked in disbelief, “I am primping him to take over for me.”

“Exactly,” Una said quietly, “I also want, along with him, the seal of the heavens. That which Rava put into your care.”

“We. Lost it.”

“How?”

“Poker.”

Una looked down the table at the Rahluen high priest, who tried to look innocently about, “Poker?” the immortal muttered, “to who, a five year old?”

“Technically he was three at the time.”

Una groaned.

“We,” the eldest of the Tahluen women raised a hand, “will offer you a proper healer to go along with the spices.”

“A proper healer? What exactly is your definition of a proper healer?”

The women conferred for a moment before the eldest sighed out and turned her attention to Una, “One who has shown the capability to heal physical wounds via power. She has not reached maturity yet but-”

“I will take her. And her parents.”

“And her… parents?”

“The couple that looks after her. You do have parents, don’t you?”

“She has a nanny,” the woman responded.

“Then I will take the nanny and the nanny’s family.”

“I… don’t know if the nanny has a family.”

“Then. Find out. From the Illuen-”

“You will receive nothing from us,” the Illuen high priest snapped, “we are not a charity.”

“I want Mari, her contract and her children. All of them. Even if you have a,” Una paused and considered for a moment, “test toobay baby.”

“Test tube,” Rel muttered in correction.

“Mari is no longer mine to give away-”

“But her children and she,” Deun interrupted Illuen, “are of mine to give away as contract dictates in clause forty-nine that should Mari be thrown out without due cause she and her assets will revert to Deun.”

“Her children are not assets.” Illuen snapped.

Una looked at Mari. The woman went pale but said, “amongst the Illuen, if one who is not of the priest line wants rank, they must trade seed or child, breeding contracts are as coin to the Deun, chemical formula to the Tahluen or sex to the Rahluen.”

“Thus,” Una said, “I rule that the assets of Mari do thusly include her children. The Illuen are to hand them over to the Deun immediately.”

“Who will hand them over with good timing to the game master and immortal, Una,” Deun responded.

“Very well,” Una murmured, “From Illuen thence comes nothing, I suppose.”

“You have offered nothing in return for the trade,” Illuen hissed.

The other high priests stared at the table a long moment before glancing down at Una hopefully. The immortal simply shrugged and stood, donning his hat once more, “the land of Norash has been kind enough to outfit me with trailers, horses, food and even guardsmen of my choosing to man them. Along with the necessary equipment. I place demands on the temples and the temples deliver. If you do not deliver, you claim me false to the public and to do so is disastrous.”

Una reached for his cane and Rel sat back instinctively. A moment later the table top roiled and bubbled up, making the high priests jump in their seats. The immortal plucked up his cane and the table stopped boiling.

“Not, gentlemen, because I will hurt you, but because I will wait until your children’s children come of age and then I will seduce every one of them.”

“Impossible a straight man doesn’t-” Illuen trailed off at Una’s look.

“I never said I would have them. I said I would seduce them. There are many forms of seduction. Imagine the life you don’t want for your grandchildren. That is what I will do to your children, Illuen,” Una paused a moment as it settled into the minds of the high priests, “if you will excuse me, I have a prior appointment to make. Have your tributes ready by… let us say three days hence, shall we?”

“What happens three days hence?” the Tahluen women asked.

“That depends on if you pay the tribute.”


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