Mike washed his hands, he looked over the pasture, the two foals were stumbling around. The Chief was minding them and getting use to the Dragoons.
The Chief seemed pleased with everything until one of the Alphas returned with a giant rat. It gored its belly with its claws and tore it apart, giving food for the young ones. They ate its innards and were quite messy. He held his tongue and watched, not daring to interfere.
Mike saw his face change and came back. "Don't worry. This is all part of nature. I'll make sure to compensate." Leading the Dragoons to the water after they ate, Mike watched them clean up the newborns after the meal.
"I'm sure you will. There are some matters I have to attend to, the Elders will need to be informed of my decision and we will work out a way to care for these beasts." The Chief began to leave and the foal that he had held for some time began to follow him.
"I told you, I think he likes you. You might be stuck with him." Mike laughed but it was the first baby Dragoon he'd seen. There was still the other foal, he didn't know the requirements for weening them but if they were anything like Horses, in his opinion, they would quickly get to whole foods and having watched them devour a rat, he was confident it wouldn't die.
Baby Dragoons are extremely expensive, they are raised by Kings and they bond at a young age. If captured, they will defend their owner to the death making them a huge score for thieves and bandits or even adventurers. "Attached, but its just a child. Why won't it stick to its mother?" The Chief stopped walking and the foal rubbed its body against his leg, nearly knocking him over.
"If you have business to attend to, then I will take my leave. Before I go, let me deliver some meat to your village, you can decide what to do the next time we meet." Mike flew back to the Chief's house and dropped a dozen large fish in a pile.
When he returned, the Dragoons stared at him flying away and then looked back at the newborn foals. He stopped and told them to stay, their wings were retracted somewhat and they all laid down on the pasture. 'Hmm..' Mike moved closer to the water and spread out his vines into a dome, he covered its roof with vines and very quickly, sunlight underneath was cut off. 'This should give them some shelter, if not at least I got some practice.'
Mike turned away from the Chief, even though the Chief had just watched it happen, he still couldn't believe it. Fish from no where, vines from no where, mysterious medicines and now he had left a group of powerful predators in their care. For Mike it was just another day but for the Nyankin Village, great changes were about to happen.
The Suns were setting and the light from Lonestar city made his heading. There were numerous people swarming the Harbor, all of them seemed very busy. Mike landed at the Casino's back door and went inside. When he got to his office there was a Poocha Messenger standing at attention.
"Sir." He bowed and held a message out in his hand.
"What's this? VELLA!?" Mike called for Vella, she was busy working the floor and took a minute to get there.
When Vella arrived, she saw the messenger holding another letter, she took the one out of storage and handed it over. "Why are there two letters?"
"One was in case, the other is real." He held his head down, prepared to take judgement.
"OH.. very bright of you.. but don't do that again." Vella wasn't bothered, she shredded the letter.
Mike read its contents and stared at the Messenger. "Is this real?"
"I received the message directly from Prince Troeg, there is no mistake on its origin." He kept his head down, unwilling to offend the State Alchemist.
Vella asked what it said, Mike turned to her and read it.
["Mike, things have turned out very badly. If it were not for the circumstances we find ourselves in, I would leave you to your own toils. However, I have a plea. The Poocha Kingdom, is currently under siege, our supplies will not last after the next few months. This is not the reason I have contacted you, I have heard about Lonestar City. You do not do things small. If our nation falls, there is no mistake that the Ornian Military will make its next objective, you and your City. I will arrive within 5 days to discuss specifics, Please consider what I have said."]
It was signed and a bloody hand print was on the back.
"What is with the blood?" Mike asked the messenger.
"It is a sign of sincerity among leaders." He kept his head down. "What will you do with me?" The messenger seemed afraid but resolute.
Mike picked his head up and stared at the man, charming him.
"You will ride north and visit the Nyankin. When there, you will teach them how to stable and raise Dragoons. Once you've completed the job, you can do whatever you like." Mike had mesmerized the Poocha Messenger. "What's your name?"
"Albert" It was a short reply but the man was not really himself in the moment.
"Okay Albert, go now." Mike waved him away and the Messenger disappeared out of the front door and remounted his Dragoon.
Vella beamed at Mike. "Can you explain to me what just happened?"
"I used a charm on him. I don't have time to meddle with him and he seemed ready to die, I have given him a reason to continue." Mike turned to Vella, "Troeg's message says he will come in person and he wants to come to see me. He's expected to arrive in five days time. Make sure the Girls know that a Royal Guest is coming and hire some of the Merchant Mages for Security. I don't want any surprises. Where is your underling?"
"Pilor's busy at the Castle." Vella waved her hand to be done with those matters, she wasn't willing to stay in Lonestar City when Mike leaves.
"Some things have happened, as it turns out, I've found some Ranchers, the Dragoons will be roosting in the North. Oh, and they've been reproducing, there are a lot more of them." Mike laughed and sat down at his desk, pulling out the Dab Rig. "How did the girls do today?"
"March is still singing if you want to go watch her." Vella poured herself a drink and sat at the edge of his desk.
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Five Days passed in a heartbeat, Mike was in the Tunnel tending to the plants. He had been delivering essences to the soil and experimenting. The grow outside was doing well and even the sea of green had grown new shoots. He had to give the Essence credit where it was due, with the addition of it to the soil, the plants growth rate had more than doubled. His seed production was going to be explosive and on a scale he had never done before, it made him nervous with everything that was happening around him.
The Casino was going well, the grow, and even the Dragoons had given birth. Everything was going so well that it was like a bubble ready to be popped by a segment of bad news or happenings. Mike was expecting something terrible to come along and it was grinding away at his patience and mood.
Rather than affect his work, he took a smoke break in the tunnel and stared at the blue glow of the plants. "You're such a beautiful plant." Mike stroked it like a pretty girl's hair and started to walk away.
He heard a noise as he was leaving, turning around he couldn't find the source. It was unsettling and he stuck around waiting for more noise but nothing came.
Mike shook it off and spread his wings, he went to the Casino's back office.
Mona was sitting there outside his door.
"What's going on? Are you alright?" Mike was use to dealing with minor problems for the girls but Mona had an air about her, she didn't seem to be handling whatever was bothering her well.
"... I want a baby." She said it again. It was not the first time she had such conversations with Mike, he sighed, which didn't help things. "Why can't we adopt?"
"Mona, After I settle things here, I'm leaving this place. I might not ever come back, even if we adopt a child, what happens when I leave?" Mike tried to please Mona's sensibilities but she didn't seem to want consoling.
She cried, blowing Mike's high and souring the atmosphere. He took her out back and sat on the porch.
"Mona, you're young. You'll find a strong man. You know, that Prince had his eye on you at one point." He rocked gently against her shoulder. Mike had been dealing with her ticking biological clock since his arrival.
"I remember that he wanted Cara." She sniffled her snot and wiped her face. "I don't know why I feel like this but I can't stop thinking about having babies.."
Mike wanted to roll his eyes, Mona had heard him tell her the reasons, even explained the biological clock theory at one time or another. He was starting to become annoyed and didn't want to take it out on her, even if she was the cause. "Mona, I think you should go adopt a baby. Not for me and you but because you want to raise a child, and to be that child's important person."
Mona cried again.
A few minutes later she had calmed down, her eyes were red but her disposition was much better. She left the backyard and walked around the Casino and down into town.
Mike heaved a sigh of relief. 'If Mona had just made a decision earlier, all of this could have been avoided.'
Vella turned the corner. "You handled that well."
"Shut up. That's not a nice way to put it. She's in pain, I didn't have the heart to discourage her. If she's really set on this, why shouldn't we support her decision. If this Casino isn't destroyed, she could have a hundred children and never worry about financial issues." Mike gave Vella his unfiltered opinion, then, he went out to the Lobby.
Vella stood there speechless while he walked away.
It was still morning, Prince Troeg was due sometime during the day. The Casino staff was very ready to get the formal greetings out of the way but he had yet to arrive in the City.
A few ships were coming into port but they all bore the Empire's banner. Mike did his best to prepare the City, he wasn't sure how the Prince would arrive but since there was a matter of urgency in the letter, he expected the Prince to arrive with lots of security.
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A few hours went by and more ships made their preparations after loading and unloading certain goods or people. Several ships were still waiting to get into port, the Docks were full. Mike sent Vella to clear out some of the Ships that were ready but just wasting time. He had considered increasing the docking fees or even expanding but those were jobs for the people running the City in the future.
An Armored convoy, led by teams of Baeet, broke through the landscape and forest, clearing a wider path while they led another team of creatures. The second wave of creatures carried a coach on top of the four beasts, spreading its load out and guaranteeing its riders comfort. The whole things seemed extravagant but secure. Dozens of dragoon mounted soldiers flew overhead to maintain security.
Looking at the City from the outside, Prince Troeg wondered if Mike would even care to help, having such abundance meant that his priorities were already his own. He jerked the curtain away and laid back against his seat.
"Their gate is not wide enough for our entry, My Prince." The Driver called out.
"Then have the dragoons land and escort me to the City Lords Castle." As royalty he was bound by decorum, Prince Troeg made his way to Lonestar City's Castle. It stood like a footnote to the City's scale, hidden in the back.
Striding toward the Castle, Prince Troeg saw the people. All of them looked well fed and educated, it was a stark difference to the Poocha Kingdom. They had libraries and buildings but nothing as elegant, there was little he could do but admire the craftsmanship, they stood in front of the Castle in a matter of minutes after entering the City. Prince Troeg sighed heavily, after his interactions with Mike he had lost interest in posturing for other representatives or people of influence just because he had arrived. Mike had rubbed off on him quite a bit.
"Please have the City Lord come to greet me." Prince Troeg spoke to one of the guards, his own escort.
Running off to the Castle, the guard soon came back. "The Castle is Empty, Perhaps the City Lord is out."
'This is strange, I sent messages to the City Lord and to Mike.' His guards escorted him.
"MAKE WAY!" They didn't slow down and they didn't care who was in their way, everyone was forced to move. Those that didn't would be trampled and the Citizens of Lonestar City were not that stupid. Jumping to the side, the procession caused a bit of panic.
Vella was still circling the City from above, when she saw the dragoons and armed guards, she landed directly in front of them and ordered them to stop. "What exactly do you think you're doing?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing!" A Mounted Guard jumped down with a Spear in his hand. "You're looking to die." The spear flew out and brushed past Vella's face.
She didn't move.
It startled the warrior, he pulled back. "Don't tell me you're so afraid that you can't even move!" 'Hahahaha' As he was laughing toward the sky, he made a gurgling noise and then he fell down.
Vella held the man's tongue in her hand, she had ripped it from his body. "You dare attack the City Lord!" She spread her wings and launched herself at the nearest of the body guards.
"STOP!" Mike heard the laughing from a distance but was unable to make it in time. He yelled to Vella but she already held the second bodyguards heart.
Crushing it in her hands, she looked at the Prince. "Who the fuc▓ are you?!"
Mike Coughed. "That's Prince Troeg. Greetings, Young Prince. The leadership of this City has changed, While I am the official owner, my subordinate Vella Star, is the acting City Lord."
'Vella Star? I like it' Vella approved the name change, she turned back to Mike and made a flirting gaze. "He's all yours." She spread her wings and said, "The City Lord declines your invitation."
"Go to the Castle, I'll come find you in a bit." Mike shook his head.
Prince Troeg was still in shock. Two of his best guards had been destroyed in an instant, "Mike, what is that woman?"
"She's my subordinate. Sorry about your Men but you really did break the City Rules and endanger the Citizens. In her capacity, you were wrong and she was justified after the threats. Be happy I arrived, she wouldn't have cared what status you hold." Mike said it as cautiously as possible.
"Such brutality is best used in war, she should be a soldier." Prince Troeg spoke, little did he know just how accurate he was.
Mike wanted to laugh but the other guards had already cleaned up the corpses. "Then, please come this way. Your escort is not welcome in the Casino or directly outside of it. You should leave them, I won't allow you more than two. In this City, Vella is second in strength."
"And who is the First?" The Prince took a strong look at Mike, he had changed dramatically and his body looked very different. "Don't tell me you're stronger than she is?"
"None of that Matters, Hurry up and pick your escort, let us move on from this spot. Your troops are scaring the Citizens. If you're worried about them, you can have them rest at the Castle." Mike gave his opinion and led the Prince to the Casino. He had been for waiting him to arrive but the situation a moment ago was far from his list of expectations.
The Stage was set and lights were shining down from the ceiling, it was bright inside. Prince Troeg was use to glowrods, torches or windows for light. The inside of the Casino was lively, the Poocha Troop was still on stage singing. He saw Cara and smiled while Mike led them to the back office to speak.