Seventeen #5
"Will, just call me Will."
It took less than two days to get to Mangan with the help of the extra crew, and the captain was still laughing at my story when Makill found us in the bar.
"You went out and took a pirate ship?" Makill said, marching up to me.
"Who's that?" the captain asked.
"Stepson."
"Ah."
I was shocked when Makill slapped me.
"What the hell?" I said, looking at him.
"If Mom was still here, she'd be doing a hell of a lot worse! What were you thinking?"
"Makill, I'm a champ—"
"I don't care! It was stupid, and it was foolhardy! It's not just taking the ship over by yourself, but then you flew it? Solo? You should have called me on the radio and had me send out a crew! Of all the hair-brained stunts!" He growled at me.
"I'll get it moved over into the yard tomorrow, but don't you ever do that to me again!"
And with that, he stomped off, and the captain laughed all over again as I sat there rubbing my face. "Ah! The joys of family!"
"Damn, he really does take after his mother," I muttered.
"With that, I've got a ship to get back to. Oh, and next time?"
"Yes?"
"Listen to your stepson. Landing that thing solo would have been a complete mess."
Shaking my head, I decided it was time to go visit Kani. Makill obviously had the situation well in hand.
#
"William!" Stepheen's voice said as I stepped into her temple several weeks later. "Making the grand tour?"
I chuckled. "Something like that. Now that it's easier to get here, I'm very much interested in visiting."
"And working on your myth."
"Of course," I agreed with a nod. "It helps Fel out, it helps you out, and it helps quite a few people out. I'm grateful and happy that Fel lets me help the others, as well as you."
"The side benefits help as well, I trust?" Stepheen teased.
"Umm, not gonna lie, I do enjoy it, however…"
"You're worried about what will happen as you lose each one."
"Yeah. On the one hand, I remember that whole 'you only love yourself' line you taught me and the protection that can give.
But—" I sighed heavily and raised my hands in a shrug "—I love people.
I love my people, I love connecting with them, and I love Rachel, and yes, Darlene, and even you.
I know it'll hurt when they go, but I'd be so much less if I hadn't. "
"Yes, you would have been less. A lot less. You definitely wouldn't have made it to where you are today."
I nodded in agreement.
"Well, at least you know that one day, you'll be back with them."
"I will, but my mythic won't. That part of me will always wander the infinite, and sometimes that worries me."
"Ah, but you know what they know, so every time that part of you feels down, dejected, unloved, or misses your women, just send them peace and contentment to remind them that you are with them, and you're loved."
I thought about that for a good long moment.
"There is one other thing to keep in mind."
"And that is?"
"All things end Will. All things. Your myth will one day end, and your mythic will one day cease, and all that they are or were will come back to you. So a part of you isn't being left 'hung out to dry' as you once would have said. It's just taking a longer path through life. That's all."
I smiled as I considered that.
"Oh, I tried to get you a champion, but it didn't work out."
"Why didn't it?"
"Turns out my once-wayward son Jordon, after getting accepted into one of the Mowok tribes, hooked up with a rather interesting Mowok girl, and told me he'd much rather make a life with her than live forever."
"Smart boy."
"Smarter than me!" I said, laughing. "Well, I'm gonna go find Cam and see what he wants me to do. Once I'm done here, I promised Rachel I'd stay home for a good, long while. Maybe even a year!"
"Oh?"
"Well, unless I'm taking her with me, that is!"
Stepheen chuckled. "Go see our son; I'm sure he's got something the two of you can do."
"Later, Steph."
"Later, Will."
Heading out into the daylight, I figured I'd head over to the military headquarters first. If anyone knew where I could find my son, they would.
Things in my life were changing again, and I suspected it would be a few years before those changes shook out.
I also knew I had a few life-changing events on the distant horizon, and that distance was getting smaller every year.
But I still had a duty. I had a duty to the soon-to-be former king of Holden, I had a duty to my wife, Rachel, and our son's kingdom, and even to Suffolk. That was above and beyond my duty to Fel, and now my duty to Stepheen, and to a lesser extent, the gods Fel and I wanted to help.
Somehow, somehow, I'd managed to commit myself to even more work! And that was without taking my women and children into account.
Hopefully, by the time I put Estelya on the throne, things might start getting a little easier.
"Dad! Over here! You're just in time!" Cam called, and I saw he was holding a pair of light machine guns.
I laughed. Then again… I wouldn't want to get bored, right?
End (Book 12)
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