Seventeen #2
Next, they talked about building projects. I'd already noticed a couple of new warehouses in the area. Two of them were finished last year, and two more were under construction. I wasn't quite sure what their purpose was, but apparently, they were important.
After that, they talked about the new cannery, building schedules, and securing their equipment order. That reminded me a lot of the life I'd given up back home, and I honestly didn't miss it one whit.
It was really quite orderly, and everyone was prepared and excited for the project. They were hoping to attract more of Vikoria's followers to start new farms with the promise of community, security, and a large, growing market.
When the meeting was over, I went to talk with Khortz again.
"I guess I need to step up my search to find you an elf girlfriend," I teased.
"And here I thought you were going to set me up with one of your daughters."
"Watch out, or I just might!" I warned, smiling. "But I gotta ask…"
"Hmm?"
"Charity? You're pushing to do charity work? You're not going human on me, are you?"
Khortz laughed. "What, me? Course not! Look, as we get bigger and more successful, the usual group of malcontents is gonna start talking about how we don't need all that food, money, and success.
How we're just greedy and all that. This shows everyone that we're community-minded.
That we care. No one's gonna come around, asking us to tithe or contribute to any disasters when we're already doing it.
It's also good advertising. All those people who get free cans of our food?
Well, when they get back on their feet and go out shopping, who do you think they're gonna choose? "
I had to admit, I was impressed. "Smart."
"Also, it buys us a certain amount of slack from some of the customs officials and other inspectors we have to deal with. When I tell an inspector who finds something that it helps us pay for all the food we give away, yeah, trust me, they become a lot easier to deal with."
"And the truth comes out!" I said, laughing.
Khortz shrugged, smiling. "Hey, I gotta be me, and I gotta play the advantages whenever and wherever I can.
Also, the folks here love helping others out; that's who they are, after all.
As they're my partners, I need to do these things, too.
I know as long as I honor their beliefs and Vikoria the Bountiful, they'll always have my back, no matter what.
If I lost everything tomorrow, they'd still take me in. "
"That's what I like about them," I agreed. "They really are living their beliefs. That's why I'm always down to help them if they need it."
"What about Feliogustus?"
"He was helping them before he became a god."
"He was?"
I nodded. "He was a smuggler when he lived here, and he helped out several gods whenever he could. Vikoria was one of them."
"Well, I guess that explains why he likes smugglers and orcs. Sounds disreputable. Maybe I should check him out?" Khortz said, grinning.
"Maybe I should send a daughter or two out here after all."
Khortz laughed again. "By the way, you were right about this place. I'm still running my territory back in Fayette, but everything here has already surpassed what I have going on back there."
I nodded. "I'm just happy it's all working out. I've had enough wars to last me a while."
"Not a lifetime?"
"I'm gonna be here a long, long time, Khortz. Sooner or later, there's always a fight, and, well, I serve my god, and if he tells me to go out there and fight, I fight. I don't have it in me to shirk my duty, no matter how much it may suck."
"That's the joy of being a male with ethics and honor. But at least they let us drink beer, right?"
I smiled. "Right."
#
A week later, I was getting ready to leave the next morning when Lillis found me on my way back from the cannery after chatting with Hansmith for a while.
"What's up?" I asked, looking at her.
"Vikoria tells me you're heading out to visit The Ulhness and a few other places on Rossiya?"
"In the morning," I said, putting an arm around her as we walked.
"She would appreciate it if you'd go to each of the settlements you helped first, spend a day with the people at each one. She said she'd route you around if you'd let her."
"Why?"
"Because you did all those people a great service, and she wants them to see you.
To know who you are. To thank you. She doesn't feel it's fair for you and Feliogustus not to get the recognition you deserve.
She also said something about helping with your myth, whatever that means? " Lillis finished with a wink.
I smiled and gave her a hug. "I'd be very happy to do that."
It took over two weeks to visit all the places that Adell and I had dropped off rifles. I hadn't realized there were so many of them. It was nice, meeting the people and having dinner with them, being able to actually see the people I'd helped, the people I'd saved.
When I got to Tia's, I was more than happy to sit around and play 'father', and maybe even 'husband'.
"What's got you so mellow and pleased?" Tia asked the first night I was there.
"Vikoria asked me to visit each of the communities I helped by delivering rifles to them. I had no idea there were so many! Seeing all those happy people, all those people Adell and I helped, and having them thank me?" I laughed. "Suddenly, I don't feel like such a monster anymore."
"Well, that was nice of her."
"They were also very thankful to Fel for sending me here to help, so he got a lot of praise and recognition for it, as well. Good thing we're limited to two churches here, or people might start getting jealous!"
Tia laughed. "That's probably true, and probably why Vikoria was happy to send you around to get the acclaim you and Feliogustus deserve.
Which of course helps spread his name, so more people know of him, and perhaps even get curious about him, as the story of what went on here slowly spreads across the Seven Worlds. "
"I'd have figured that would be old news by now."
"Hardly. While a lot of people have heard some of the story, the details, the tales, the lore, and the songs are only now starting to make the rounds."
"Oh, damn, more songs?"
"Don't tell me there are songs about you already?" Tai asked, snickering.
"Back on our homeworld, or home realm, whatever you call it, there's a religious group of minstrels, and oh, how they love to sing about me," I said with a sigh. "At least they know better than to do it when I'm around."
"Why am I not surprised you don't like it?" Tai asked, still snickering.
"If it wasn't for the simple truth that they help Fel, trust me, I'd have put an end to it."
"Hmm, I wonder if Ulhn asked, if she could get Feliogustus to teach us the songs? Then I could organize a choir, an—"
I scooped Tai up off the couch. "And on that note, we're going to bed. Obviously, I'm not providing enough distraction in your life!"
Tai giggled, and I made sure to keep her up very, very late.
When it came time to leave, I remembered that I'd meant to go pirate hunting several years ago, so instead of gating home to Saladin and Hiland, I gated to Juntura instead.
"Will! What are you doing here?" Nue asked, surprised, coming over and hugging me.
"I need to catch a ship to Second Chance on Alturas."
"Why do you want to go there?"
"Because pirates put in there, and I need another cargo ship."
"And you're going to what?" Nue asked, giving me a look.
"Well, after I kill the crew, I'll take their ship and convert it," I said, looking down at her. "What do you think I'm going to do?"
"With you, Will, sometimes I'm not sure."
I laughed. "Oh, do you think I should travel there as a human, or as me?"
"If you're looking to try to find a pirate ship, probably as a human. Too many people around here know you, so word would probably follow you there via the crew."
I nodded. "Well, tomorrow I'll head down to the port and see what's available. For now, how about a little private time?"
"I'd like that," Nue purred.
#
I ended up working as a hand on the ship Dunlop. We made three stops on the way to Second Chance, and I was fairly certain there was a good bit of smuggling going on. I jumped ship at Second Chance, making myself scarce until after the ship left port the next morning.
Then I went down to the same place I'd met Ann and the rest of the Grey Moth's old crew the first time I'd been here.
I spent my money and my time drinking beers and bitching about the tight-fisted captain on my last boat, who paid crap wages and got downright upset when he discovered I was doing a little trading on the side!
This was the second night I was complaining about it. Fortunately, sailors complaining about their captains was a favorite pastime in places like this.
"It wasn't even all that illegal!" I muttered to the old sailor sitting next to me. "Gods, you'd think I was trying to smuggle horse into a human settlement!"
"What were ya smuggling?"
"Just some rostum leaves, nothing really bad."
"Where the hell did you get those? Ain't those things like, expensive?"
"Found 'em," I said with a guilty smile.
"Found 'em where?"
"Oh, let's just say I found 'em where there was somebody who didn't need 'em as much as I did? And after all that hard work, the captain took 'em, and he claims he destroyed them, but I bet he sold 'em. So I left."
"Well, that sucks."
"Yeah, now I need to find a new boat. One with a captain who ain't such a prick and doesn't go getting all high and mighty over a poor sailor trying to make a few bills."
"Ya know, I know a ship that's looking for some hands, though things can get a bit rough onboard. But their captain is quite the understanding type. Pay's good, too."
"Hard work is hard work. I ain't a stranger."
"Yeah, well, sometimes there's fightin', too."
"These swords ain't for decoration," I said, nodding my head to the hilts coming up over my left shoulder. "I ain't afraid of no fightin', especially not if I'm getting paid good."