Chapter 8 Homer's Farewell

One day Andromeda entered Dracon’s rooms to check if her husband had returned from his race across the country. Queen Lexie promised Queen Penelope assistance in liberating the captured king. She sent Queen Dido of the Masha River mermaids to the north of Lotan to locate the king and possible route of travel. Dracon believed the best way of fighting the Varricks was by river. Dracon was not in his rooms. But Homer was in Dracon’s sitting room standing on two stools swinging swords in both his hands. He suddenly stopped and asked what the intruder wanted. He assumed it was one of the servants or guards hearing the clanging of his swords. Stunned at Homer’s shirtless and bootless attire, she stampered out why he was in Dracon’s private sitting room since Dracon had not returned. Homer spun around and addressed the queen still standing on one of the stools. He explained that Dracon gives him the bodyguard privilege of entering his private rooms whenever he wishes and today he needed privacy to practice his swordsmanship for the upcoming war. He further enlightened her that once she has her baby that he will continue his service at Dracon’s side. He plans on invasion after the initial rescue. Andromeda vaguely understood, but didn’t question him further. She left the room and later received a note from Dracon stating he will return in a week. That night she played a peg game with Queen Penelope. Queen Penelope claimed to know a great deal of Dracon’s friends from Oskar. Homer never acknowledged whether Oskar’s stories were accurate or not during their game. All he would say was, “If Oskar said so”.

Andromeda began to be intrigued by these strangers of such high power and authority, but no noble titles. Homer simply stated he just does his duty as bodyguard and never advises the king.
Andromeda soon requested that he take her to Queen Kiara’s estate called Ashleigh outside the city. As they rested the horses by a stream, Andromeda asked many questions about his family’s social connections and how he met the king. Homer gave brief answers while glancing around the trees and bushes. At the sound of a bird’s caw echoing in the trees, Homer quickly strung his bow. Andromeda looked around and saw nothing. A quake of a bush caused Andromeda to step forward to see what was there. Homer pushed her back with the bow warning their was a dangerous animal was lurking in that bush. She heard nothing and saw nothing. Finally he struck an arrow at the edge of the leaves and a dark figure ran away. He retrieved the arrow thinking he saw a cougar scurry away into the forest. They galloped away and arrived at Ashleigh during Prince Donovan’s riding lesson. Homer involved himself in teaching the princling to stand on the pony. Kiara was appalled he would teach him such a dangerous trick and Homer apologized. Andromeda was swiftly invited to have refreshments on the portico. She asked Andromeda how to befriend this new bodyguard assigned to her, he won’t converse with her. Kiara explained how his devotion is to his friend the king, not her, so he is keeping his distance. She recommended asking for a fighting lesson or about the new grassland padded saddlecloths to get him to converse. She also might make the observation that he doesn’t look like the other Blythans in the city, perhaps that would provide the answers to many of her questions. Andromeda pondered on this information as she watched Homer explain the symbols on his bow to Donovan.

Kiara called Homer to the portico to show off her glass goblets. The glassmakers used to make only ornaments, beads, and animal figurines with heated crystals poured into molds. They recently started making containers for perfume, goblets, and vessels. In one dark purple vessel, she placed red bird feathers sticking out of the it. Homer observed her new blue glass goblets and red vases to call them fantastic. She said they could make any color of the rainbow with certain metals and pigments mixed in. Homer asked if she heard about the new padded saddlecloths humans were making on the grasslands. Instead of just a wool or fur blanket tied to the horse, they use stiff leather folded along the edges to make pockets to stuff with wool to even out the weight of the rider. Then they tie the saddle with leather strips to keep riders from sliding off. A third looped strap hangs on the saddle to serve as spare if one around the horse breaks and making a spot to place the foot when stringing the shorter horse archer bow. Andromeda failed to catch the importance of this new invention. It is quite difficult to shoot arrows in full gallop when one needs both hands so a second rider hold the reins of the horse archer. Then when throwing spears, one needs to hang on the horse’s mane for balance. This invention gives the rider complete control of the horse utilizing the raiding effectiveness in battle and this change in warfare may give Dracon victory. Elves on the grasslands are also adopting this technology in trade caravans to defend against human raiders who are nearly always on horses.

Kiara commented how Homer loves to talk about the elves cause his hometown is full of them. Homer acknowledged his hometown is half elf and half human separated by a river, but did not clarify which side his family lived on. Andromeda knew he took lessons from Dracon’s tutor and assumed he lived nearby. Homer excused himself and left to play with Donovan.
Once they returned to the palace, the seamstress was there waiting to fit the queen for her new robes. She insisted Homer stay and tell her about his hometown, Kiara seemed eager to talk about it. What was there to say? Elves and humans live on separate sides of the river and have little contact with each other. His father is a weaver and his older brother was groomed to take over the business when he dies, which allowed him to study with The Wizard. Frustrated, Andromeda asks his heritage for many nationalities live in coastal cities and the fact he doesn’t resemble the Blythans she sees around the palace. He claims to be a weasel. The seamstress laughs. Andromeda demands to know what she thought amusing. The girl explains weasel is a term used to describe people who are part-elf and part-human. They are often trixy and untrusted by humans because they know powerful elf magic, but look like humans. Many elves lived in Illium during Emperor Rurick’s reign, but they left during King Dion’s reign when many blamed elf magic for causing the problems brought on by the war. That explained much to Andromeda.

Dracon was soon home and rested in his private chambers all day. He tapped on the mirror Ricky jumped into and asked him to check on King Oskar’s condition. Ricky cheerfully used any excuse to leave Illium and Layla. It would take three months to gather supplies and troops to invade the Varrick encampment and crush their army. During that time conscription was enacted to fill the forts in Kadacia, Blythe, and Lotan with soldiers ready to fight. Attacks on Lotan brought the enemy closer to the capital until the capital was under seige. Queen Penelope encouraged Dracon to take action and he refused to deviate from the plan to send his navy up the rivers to rescue King Oskar. Ishtar frequently came by to bring Ilio to play with Demetrius and Eiras. Once she was too large to walk, she kept to the house where Queen Penelope visited with the little princes. Refugees from Lotan poured into the neighboring Kadacia and Blythe. Finally, King Dracon ordered three forts of Kadacian troops march east into Lotan to set a battle line to draw the capital seige to them. Next he ordered three forts of Blythan troops northward into Lotan and gather with Lotan forces to keep the army moving any farther south. Dracon sailed away with the navy and mermaids to invade Varrick territory from the east coast. Andromeda was enjoying her new relationship with Homer as he taught her sword fighting and archery. He commented how many of her sword swinging companions simply let the little princess win every battle to give her a deep belief that she was the best swordswoman in Kadacia. He trembled at her ferocious sword with a smile and quaked even more from her strategy skills losing her arrows to the birds. She quickly learned more battle tactics and escape tricks than she ever learned from her Kadacian tutors.

To ease her fears on childbirth, he had her assist a mare give birth to a filly. Andromeda often stole away from her royal duties to watch the horse feed her baby. Then Andromeda came to assist with Ishtar’s delivery to hold the baby girl Marah in her arms. Homer sensed a change in Andromeda as if his joy over his family upset her. With the king away, the queen swelled in her pregnancy and had to rest in bed when needing aide getting up. She had many visitors and was kept up to date on the war progress. The western Kadacian troops were delayed by rain and forced to build a pontoon bridge across a flooded river, but eventually met up with the southern Blythan troops to form the required battle line to draw the capital seige warriors away. The capital never fell and the Varricks amassed to the battle line. Reports came back of victory, but at a great loss. Dracon’s navy invaded Varrick territory by the Masha River and took control of many encampments. Lotans joined the armies to evict the raiders and take back their loved ones forced into slavery. Burning floating tar with flaming arrows proved useful as Dracon sailed further inland and ended river battles quickly by burning the boats. Queen Penelope still waited for news of her husband’s rescue.

Soon Andromeda had a baby boy named Lucius to distract her from missing her new husband. He sent messages assuring his return when he wins this war with the Varricks. She took comfort in the stories about Dracon as a boy from Homer. She took delight in his company and insisted he take her riding every day. She thought he liked her too until she found him in the arms of his wife Ishtar one evening after hearing news of a victory over the Varricks that pushed them northward. Bitterly jealous of Ishtar loving her man when Dracon was so far away, she declared Homer should leave to help fight the war so Dracon can return to her. Homer assured her that he was leaving tomorrow since her and Lucius seemed healthy. Andromeda wept all night as did Ishtar saying good-bye to Homer. The next morning, she found Homer panting and weeping as he wiped off blood from his dagger. He burned the cloth he wiped the knife with and flinched seeing Andromeda awake. His clothes were covered in slashes and smeared blood. He said nothing and continued rubbing oil on his boots to remove the stains. He snifled and wiped off sweat from his brow as he slightly glanced at Andromeda staring at him.

“Who did you kill?” Andromeda asked.

“You will find out soon enough,” answered Homer as he got up to set his clothes on fire. He bent down near the flames and burst into tears. “I didn’t want to but he sent assassins to kill Valnar even after Dracon bought his freedom from him.” He took a deep breathe. “I have to go, Andromeda. It was pleasant knowing you for a while.” He put on new clothes and was gone.

He reappeared inside Dracon’s tent. He dismissed Almar polishing Dracon’s boots and explained to Dracon the murder of his cousin, Lagos. Dracon absorbed the story of three assassins being sent to kill Valnar finishing the new palace in Rikia. Homer discovered the plot while they were drinking at a tavern and later killed the traveling assassins. He then stabbed Lagos in his sleep with a dagger covered in scorpian poison. His guard heard him scream so he had to kill him too after an exhausting fight. Dracon was not pleased at this news. He paid a great deal of money for Valnar’s freedom and was disturbed that Homer simply didn’t have Lagos arrested to await a judgement by a vizier. He demanded an apology for killing his cousin he intended to make a general in this war. Homer declared that he rather spit on his boots than apologize for saving Valnar’s life when the king failed miserably at keeping the peace between the two foes. Dracon understood why Homer did what he did, but could not forgive him. Homer had nothing more to say to him and disappeared. Dracon wept all night over the loss of his friend and his failure to satisfy his beloved cousin Lagos. He had a war to fight and a king to rescue so he never thought anymore of it.

Ricky soon came to report King Oskar was in a nearby encampment across the river. Dracon decided to move the horses fitted with new padded saddles where it was shallow. The foot soldiers moved with the boats while the archers stay behind until the others were assured it was safe to move the supplies forward. Ricky returned to King Oskar to wait the rescue party coming up the hills in a few days. Oskar was moved to another camp further north to keep ahead of the invaders. The chief refused to bargain for anything less than territory to get away from the Dacians pushing their people south from an ambitious leader expanding his territory, or so many elves have claimed as they try to find new homes that were overtaken by the Dacians. Many elves settled in the Amazon Valley to trade with the female warrior culture that live there. Many years Varricks have been trading partners with the Amazons since the Varricks starting raising goats and horses brought by the North Sea pirates based along a bay.

Homer woke up Ishtar and the children to order them to follow him out of their guest house. He packed their belongings and took them to the docks where his crew were readying to cast off. He took his ship to the Mermaid Islands in hope of Lexie’s assistance in finding a new home, she did say when Jax was born to ask any favor of her. Much of their animals and furniture were still in their house in Litsy that he sold to his brother so the ship was fairly empty of cargo. They arrived to the surprise of Queen Lexie swimming in the rivers of Blue Island. Lexie welcomed them and instantly asked what Homer wanted. He asks for sanctuary from King Dracon and a new home for his family. He further described Ricky’s devastion at Layla’s refusal and jumped into the Mirror of Anastia in his sorrow, he was owed retribution when he had to take over as head bodyguard. He assured the queen that her life debt had been paid when she spared his life during the siege, but she also declared when Jax was born that if he ever needed anything to simply ask for it. He is now asking on behalf of himself, Ishtar, Ilio, and Marah. He can not return to any Blythan, Kadacian, or Lotan territory now. Lexie asked what he would do if she refused his service and sent him on his way with his unruly human crew. He declared to go to Circe for sanctuary from Dracon, at least he knows now not to drink the wine. This amused Lexie and confessed that her nephew could use a protector on his impending voyage. Her nephew Addison is going to the Amazon Valley rumored to rich in mineral deposits. They need gold for harpoon points because other metals corrode in sea water. If he was successful, she would grant an island Dracon ceded in their treaty. It once belonged to a royal prince and contains a mighty fortress Lexie has no need of. Homer could give Ishtar a home and use his ship to guard the 23 Mermaid Islands. Homer agreed to be initiated into her service upon his return. They started off bright and early on the Aphrodite. Addison was still learning about godly magic so Lexie thought it best to do things the non-magical way. Her home base island was in the center of the Mermaid Islands to the south of Blythe. Ishtar stayed behind with the children in Lexie’s house. The ship brought the pair to Larissa on the Kadacian side of the Anasazi Mountains. They spent the night on the elf section of town inside a tavern. Addison was quite fascinated at the musicans playing by the fireplace and all the elves being merry clapping along to the musical beats. He had seen elves trading along rivers, but never knew how they lived. The Aphrodite gathered supplies and trade goods on their way back to Lexie’s island. They hopped a raft heading to Rikia to visit Valnar and set to travel north to the Amazon Valley deep inside the Anasazi Mountains. Valnar was pleased to see Homer and quickly explained the city would be complete in a year. The centaurs he hired were laying sea water limestone slabs down to create paved main roads, freshwater limestone travertine slabs for the floors in the temples, and heated limestone marble slabs laid down for the palace floors. Any stone was used to make the aqueduct. Fauns he hired to pave the smaller residential streets with broken seashells. Valnar showed off the completed volcanic tuff stone bridges and wooden docks they finished the month before.

Soon they were on their way to the Amazon Valley in the mountains north of Lotan. They rested in tiny villages and enjoyed the entertainments of simple people living a life without any lords to pay tribute to. Homer explained it was a difficult terrain to govern and instead of tribute to a lord, they pay a protection fee to the general in the nearby forts to escort the farmers traveling along the trade route between Kadacia and Blythe. They also pay a fee to set up shop in the marketplace inside the forts. Some forts are Kadacian and some are Blythan. The soldiers and generals often get rich from the trade in their forts, while paying a tariff to the Blythan king and Kadacian queen when they trade in lowland cities so the kingdoms do get their fair share from the mountian people, just not directly. It was all a little confusing to Addison, but he did not question it. They knew they reached the Amazon gap in the mountains when they heard a waterfall. It is said that the Amazons come to a waterfall to trade with leprechauns of Kadacia. A nearby farm held a small family and they hesitantly let them stay in the barn. Scouts have been coming by the Amazon gap to transport Kadacian troops into Varrick territory to fight the Mermaid Wars. Troops come by to gather supplies by confiscation more than payment. The couple’s son lately had been hunting in Amazon territory because the troops took all their crops and animals. The farmer is afraid to plant anymore crops so his family starves. On one hunt, the son was caught poaching by the Amazons and agreed to take one of them as a partner until she gives birth to a girl. He is allowed to take one deer or two boars per month for his family. He can pick as many mushrooms and berries as he likes. After the birth of the girl, the Amazon can stay with them and the baby will be initiated into the Amazon culture. If the Amazon wishes to leave, he can exchange partners to keep his hunting rights.

Homer explains his reason for coming and Addison listens carefully when the Amazon tells him what to say when they are caught. Amazons speak their own language so they keep a man from a nearby trading center to be their translator and call him The Wolf. He is partnered with the queen so he has much influence on her decisions. Get his approval of their request and the queen will negotiate a deal. She also said elves have been seeking refuge from the fighting and been paying tribute for fishing rights in the form of clothing and weapons. Some pay to be escorted through the valley by the Amazons. At daybreak, they leave the farm and Homer changes into a unicorn so young Addison doesn’t have to walk. They trod past the dolls made of grasses hanging in the trees. The Amazon woman said they mark the border with these magic dolls and guards are usually standing on platforms nearby. Arrows fly by their heads and a horn is blown. Three women dressed in leather and fur scurry down smooth poles attached to platforms in the trees. Addison clasps his hands in front of him and waits for their response. An Amazon approaches speaking a foreign tonguage at her companions while pointing at Addison. Another horn is blown and arrows are lowered on their bows as they wait for the rest of their people to come. A man with a deer skull on his head and a wolf pelt draped around his shoulders arrived with several women behind him. The man spoke to the women in a foreign language and two women shoot arrows at Addison. Homer changes forms and catches them with Addison sitting on his shoulders. The Amazons kneel to Homer and bow their heads. The Wolf touched his forehead and extended his arm.

“They think you are a god in disguise. Unicorns are nature goddesses and their companions. You must be married to a goddess.” declared The Wolf in a Lotan dialect.

“Yes, I am, but I am not a god.” answers Homer in The Wolf’s foreign tonguage. The Amazons gasp.

“You know our secret language, but you say you are not a god. Then you ran into Serena or Ariana who are in living outside the valley.” replied The Wolf in the Amazon secret language.

“Serena never spoke the secret language. I used a translation spell to speak to you that my wife taught me. But Serena did tell us how to greet you. We come with a propostion from Queen Lexie of the North Sea mermaids.”

“Then we shall welcome you properly, Your Holiness.” The Wolf declared with a bow.

They couldn’t understand what The Wolf said to the Amazons, but they knew they being welcomed into the Amazon culture. All the women touched Homer’s clothes and kissed his hands. They were introduced to Queen Zadora in her bark lodge. She made it known that it was rather insulting to be sent a child to negotiate terms of trade and foraging. The Wolf whispered that he believed the older god was the one negotiating the terms, the boy god was just along for the ride. Women danced around the fire. In a corner, musicians played flutes and drums. They were given reed mats to sit on and wool blankets draped over their shoulders. The cool mountian air chilled even the warmest creature, even in the hot summers. Meat and roots placed on sticks were given along with clay cups full of water. Addison negotiated with Queen Zadora for the mineral rights in her land. Homer clapped his hands to make a trunk of treasures appear. Strings of pearls, coral bracelets, seashell decorated belts, starfish medallions, and iron knives. The queen needed time to think over the propostion and offered canoe rides to the elf settlements. Many elves were standing in the river shaking netted bowls looking for gems. Some were making clothing out of mulberry fiber and others were making reed baskets. Their Amazon guide confided to having caches of food hidden around the valley to use during winter. They asked the elves news of the outside world from whence they came. Elves ran away from the battles so they had little information to give. After the evening meal, Zadora appointed an Amazon’s bark lodge for them to sleep in. She would announce her decision in the morning. Three Amazons came in to sleep on the willow branch bed held up by pine bed frame. Homer snaps his finger to make the reed mats and fur blankets offered to sleep on float in the bark lodge for him and Addison. One Amazon tried to climb onto the floating beds and Homer grabbed her hand to assist. Laying on the floating mat, the Amazon tries to kiss him. He pulls away and the mat suddenly lowers to remove the woman. Rejected by Homer of her advances, she cuddled up against Addison sleeping like a baby.

The morning meal of pottage stew was served in wooden bowls. Addison observed the lack of trading in the Amazons’ cooking methods. They used a stomach from a deer as a cooking vessel and dropped heated rocks into the stew to warm it. The only iron they had were their weapon daggers, swords, and arrow tips. Axes were made of bronze or copper while knives were obsidian. The queen alone had a silver mirror. Most of their fancier possessions appeared stolen rather than made. Wool blankets covered their twig beds and horses. Clay pottery had the appearance of animal figures with geometric designs they saw in mountain villages. The few that wore glass, jasper, or amber beads slipped onto braided twine never took them off. Perhaps it was they only jewelry they had. As an act of friendship, Queen Zadora took off her glass bead ankle bracelet from her boot and gave it to Addison to present to his queen. She would allow mineral rights to the mermaid queen provided she does not send humans to dig around her mountains, they often confuse possession with admittance fee. She then pulled an amulet out for Homer to bless. He refuted his blessing could not aid her in battle, but instead gave her a leather braided belt holding the dagger that killed Lagos stating the weapon has killed a traitor and shall serve her well in battle. Addison presented a pewter cauldron and water pitcher in thanks for their hospitality.

They parted and returned to the small farm. Homer offered to help them relocate to another area free of soldiers, perhaps in the Olin Mountains mostly occupied by elves, sprites, fauns, and centaurs. The wife did not wish to leave her home, but the husband knew hunger outweighed sentiment. He promised the wife they would return when the fighting stopped. Serena was eager to see the coast, for she never saw the ocean before. Homer planned to buy a ship to sail back on. On the way, they ran into elves escorting Queen Penelope and Prince Eiras through the mountains. King Oskar returned to his throne and called his family back. Penelope was elated to see Homer. She was disheartened when he disappeared. Queen Andromeda was heartbroken when he left suddenly and refused any visitors for days. Prince Demetrius loves his baby brother Lucius and constantly wants to hold him. King Dracon destroyed the Varrick encampments and Varrick chief was captured. He negotiated a truce to allow forts be built on Varrick Territory to protect trade routes. The Pirate Cove and a new colony have blocked access to the sea for a generation. The pirates and colonists come from Nubia on the South Sea so they protect each other’s interests. Dracon assigned generals and commanders to oversee construction of the forts and left a fifth of his army behind to build them with the Varricks. He left Ricky as a valet to one of the generals assigned to be ambassador and live with in the Varrick encampments. The Chief assigned an orphaned niece and nephew to serve the ambassador so Ricky is busy learning their language and customs. He reported the children were terrified and clung to each other the first day until Ricky dabbed a medicine over their scrapes and bruises. Now, they help him find mushrooms and roots he needs for food flavoring and medicines. Penelope asked if Eiras could be tutored by him in a year’s time, The Wizard is quite busy with Dracon’s son.

Homer left the couple within an elf village and sought out Ricky. Serena and the couple’s son Colby wished to go along with their travels to see the outside world. Addison was happy with the companionship since Homer never let his guard down for a moment. Homer gathered four fallen tree branches and sliced off any bumps to make a pole. With the leafy ends still intact, Homer snapped his fingers to cause the tree branches to float. After a quick riding lesson, the four travelers astride their brooms and took off at dusk. Flying in daylight provokes non-magicians to follow the flyer and capture it to learn its secrets. Penelope and Eiras bid farewell. They flew all night to reach Ricky in the morning. They slept through the morning and conversed at the midday meal. The Chief’s niece and nephew were fascinated by the strangers, especially when Homer declared their tent was chilly and snapped his fingers to make the fire burst. The general was occupied with the soldiers drinking too much wine and demanding the Varricks do all the work building the fort. Ricky pointed out how the Varricks collect freshwater clams in the Masha River and carve the shells into decorations. He was unsure how long this shaky truce between the mermaids and Dracon would last. Many humans viewed the powers of the mermaids and desired hair, seashell necklaces, and seaweed charms to protect them in battle. Homer confided in Ricky that if this shaky truce broke and mermaids being slaughtered started up again that he would buy a ship with an emerald ring he stole from Dracon to destroy human shipping and bring humans down to their knees begging for peace. Humans often believe peace is just space between wars. They didn’t understand that to have prosperity a country needs a stable economy and a stable economy depends on a stable government and stable government needs a unified army and a unified army requires cultural unity and cultural unity demands peace between human settlements. War divides everything.