Ch: 286 Sunshine Superman

Morning came early by the seaside, before any hint of sunrise lightened the sky in the east, as a whole group piled onto Seahorse and set out. Her enchanted running and navigation lights startled the nocturnal wildlife as she slid silently through the calm waters. Pink and gold began rising through the trees as the group set up on the wet and soggy meadow. Camp chairs and blankets began to appear as Gary, Shai and the others roamed the vacant part of the clearing, setting up a pleasant campsite, once Tallum and Dannyl finished mowing the grass and weeds with their scythes. 

The leaders of three veteran warbands joined the comfy little family on the lawn. Old Lubu, the armsmaster and head of the Port Clement Orphans League troop, Runningtree, of the Sparrowhawks, garbed in her tribal finery and colorful beads and Herve, leader of the Fist, in his standard issue armor in the colors of War.

“Well, let’s see what you’ve wrought, youngsters.” Lubu grumbled gently, rubbing his shiny, bald head with a hand the color of varnished ebony.

 

“Gotta wait for full sunrise.” Gary mumbled tiredly. “Then we’ll see how we did. This is really tapping me out.”

 

“Ye’ll get some rest soon lad; I’ll be seeing tae that.” Shai growled unhappily. “Nae more will thee spend thyself so fer a pack of ungrateful…” She snapped her shapely red lips closed and compressed them into a thin, unpleasant line.

 

“It’s ok sweety…” He mumbled, sagging in his camp chair and almost falling asleep in his breakfast sandwich. Scrambled eggs and Wallowbear bacon on a fresh roll, topped with spicy chili sauce were supposed to perk him up, but he chewed and swallowed mechanically. 

“I’ll be fine, once this spell finishes.”

 

Slowly, dawn slipped up on misty, kitty cat feet and jumped down into the little reeking meadow of unclean magic, with a blinding flash of sunshine and warmth. All around the swamp, birds and insects fell silent for a long minute, as something unimaginably immense moved, grumbled like a sleeper gently disturbed… and slowly faded away with quiet sigh. 

A scant second later, the entire world shook under the silent, soul shaking, brazen clang of a slamming door.

#

 

General Anglin was at breakfast with mistress Shenko and Sir Rolf, discussing the day’s plans… with the duke away attending to the mess in Port Fallon, when the world resounded from a mighty and terrible blow. 

Angie and Ester came stumbling into the antechamber of Rolf’s suite still in their pajamas… which gave old Anglin a surprising and delightful eyeful of smooth limbed, scantily clad girls.

He was too busy mulling over the strange sensations in his own heart to savor the display, as spell bonds older than these children’s grandparents began to crack and fray inside him. Compulsions and strictures he’d been held to for so long that they felt natural, drifted away like thistledown on a breeze. 

What flooded in after was a confusing sense of lightness, of freedom… and a quiet tranquil ease he’d forgotten was possible.

“Oh… wow.” Several stunned people murmured in one voice. 

#

 

“What did you do, Mortal?” Someone asked gently in his ear, while Gary was floating in a hazy golden void of warm and comfy pleasure. Nothing hurt, everything was warm and softly relaxed.

 

“What did you do, Mortal?” The voice insisted. It was familiar… warm, feminine sexy and…Joyful? He peeled his eyes open and saw nothing but golden haze.

 

“Hello?” He mumbled thickly.

 

“What did he do, new boy? You should know.” She said, sounding Joyously exasperated.

 

“I don’t know… he’s crazy.” Ward grumbled in annoyance. “Ask him yourself, if you’re so curious.”

 

“I can’t seem to compel an answer from him…” She grumbled.

 

“That’s why I said to ‘ASK’ him… seriously, you’re Contracted to his soul too!” Ward complained.

 

“I haven’t a clue either.” Marduk said softly from nearby in the haze. “I might have been able to help… if you hadn’t started stomping around throwing tantrums, like a bunch of big babies with poopie diapies!” He snapped that last part firmly and addressed what felt like a crowd, gathered around in the misty nothing. At least, a dissatisfied and offended rumble came rolling back from the haze.

 

“I remain unconcerned by your worries.” Brigid scolded the unseen mob firmly. “The summer court remains neutral in the conflict between Gary Ward and the gods Craft, War and Order. Resolve this yourselves.” She barked. “Our concern is what will result from your unconscionable and hamfisted meddling with my servant.”

 

“Gary… Gary, You’ve got to wake up now… You don’t belong here.” Brigid’s warm motherly voice whispered in his ear. “Ward will guide you back, follow him please.”

He felt a warm, familiar and calloused hand grip his… a super familiar hand, just like his own… that was a weird feeling, followed by the sensation of slowly falling for a long, long time. That firm, familiar hand never let go.

#

 

Gary was sprawled in a heap on the grass, drooling and gazing up at the bright blue sky with a dumbfounded smile of idiotic pleasure on his face. Shai knelt beside him, his head resting on her lap, as she gently swatted his red, flushed cheeks. 

“Gary… wake my love, are ye well?” She whispered desperately, While shooting fearful glances over at Becky and the kids, standing nervously nearby.

Becky looked nervous at least. The kids, especially Wilford, seemed more amused than anything else.

 

“He can’t answer you, sweet Shai.” Kree whispered from behind his ear, as she crawled out of his hair. “I had to sting him a little to keep him from injuring himself.” She buzzed apologetically. “He’ll wake before lunchtime…” She pulled a lump of maple candy out of his earhole and began snacking happily. “This is going to be fun!”

 

Shai carefully reached into her connection with her boy and plucked the message she felt sparkling and glittering in his eye, like an amber butterfly in a bottle.

Congratulations! Evolutionary milestone achieved!

New effects and abilities unlocked!

The Sun: mark of the fae, occult, multiple effects. 

‘Radiance casts shadows, dark things linger where they fall; light can dazzle as thoroughly as darkness blinds.’

 

Effect: Daywalker, enhanced ability to manipulate shadows in sunlight. Shades and shadow constructs will consume fewer resources, but require more energy to maintain in direct light, unless hidden in an existing shadow. Shadow manipulation abilities will be greatly enhanced under direct sunlight. Twenty percent complete.

 

Effect: Nature Boy, animals and beasts will be attracted to subject, for good or ill. Interactions with the natural world receive bonus to effect and use Eg: Harvesting Wild Foods. Eighty percent complete.

 

Effect: Sunshine Superman, The following attributes will be enhanced, when in sunlight or brightly lit areas: Might, Agility, Resilience, aura control, vision, hearing, tactile senses and scent. Sensitivity to undead and outsider auras and energies increased passively. Complete.

 

“Ohh! Wow!” Gary gasped as he became alert again.

“That’s a boost in the caboose!” He reached up, grabbed Shai by the shoulders and with startling strength, pulled her down to his lips for a long kiss that lingered on for a while.

 

“Aye!” She gasped, licking her lips and grinning. “It is at that!”

#

 

The mad musician staggered to his feet after lunch and strolled over to the ritual array. The stony mound at the center was gone, leaving a patch of dry, gray soil, bereft of all life behind. 

Not a trace of that low rocky hill remained, but five glass knobs jutted from the turf all around, giving off a lingering malaise that was slowly growing, now that the rift in reality had sealed shut.

 

“Now we pop a few corks and touch off a fireworks show! That’s gonna really make things exciting!” He sang, with a sharp looking bronze spade in his hands. “Let’s dig ’em up!”

 

Sundown was just a half hour off when they finished digging out the soil around the last jug. Five ghastly bottled wights moaned quietly from five shallow, muddy pits in the rank, soggy meadow. Groundwater flooded in, just two feet down, so the faces stared up from mucky pools of still, dark water.

Shai and Liam worked together, using her shovel to crack the bronze seals on the bottles, while Tallum and Gary followed after, heaving the heavy, cut glass stoppers out of the bottles.

Dannyl ran a waxed jute cord into each bottle and handed the loose end to Becky to do the honors at sunset.

 

Gary and Shai danced the house into being over onto a muddy and silty patch across the stream and settled in just as the sun went down, ready for a garden party in the swamp.

“On your call, Becky.” Liam handed her a lit lantern and smiled. “This should be interesting.”

 

She giggled a little madly and did a very excited little dance, as she waited for the perfect moment of full darkness. As the first cry of a nightjar rang out, she touched her lantern to the waxed cordage and watched the flame crawl over to the open bottles… Five quiet sounds shook the stillness, first one, then a sudden flurry. ‘Crump!’, ‘crump, crump-p-p!’

A faint spectral glow and a wash of intense heat poured across the stream, driving away the slowly rising mist. 

 

“You guys missed most of the show last time…” Becky gasped as she waded back across to join the family on the lawn for the fireworks.

#

 

Abel, Maisie and Franklin lay on a blanket, watching the sun set, with Willow, sprawled nearby. “Spending the day with little Frankie is more than I’d hoped for…” She whispered quietly to the young couple, while the babe played with the immortal’s long brown hair.

 

Abel’s wandering mandolin fell silent for a moment, while Maisie carried the ‘Spring Carol’ on her slightly faltering ukulele. “Be welcome, whenever you call… lady Willow. Plumeria as well, of course.” He mumbled softly. “Frankie hasn’t many playmates… yet.” He nudged his wife gently with his shoulder and smiled. “We could work on that project tonight…”

 

“Rascal! Such talk in front of our guest!” She squeaked in false outrage, while sprawling across his lap, still strumming her instrument. That put sweet Maisie Knubbel in line to see the first distant spark rise so high into the sky and detonate in a shower of gleaming, golden motes.

 

Tiny, pudgy hands reached up to grab those shimmering sparkles in the sky, as he giggled and pulled himself closer to the warm, wooden bosom of his new friend. 

Habit and instinct brought his lips to the inscribed bronze coil of her intricately spellwrought nipple, sending a startled shock through dryad and child and a warm comforting flow of life giving energy between the two beings, one barely into the world, another old beyond human reckoning sharing something odd and deeply beautiful.

 

“Well… I never…” Maisie whispered in wonder, as her son began to glow with a soft, warm radiance that seemed less an external display, than a subtle revelation of something internal spreading and growing.

 

“I, Never.” Willow sighed like the wind in the leaves, as she discovered something entirely new inside herself.

With a soft ‘pop’ he released her nipple and licked his tiny pink lips with a radiant, toothless smile and went to sleep in the arms of a demigoddess, beneath the moons, stars and sparkling display of magical pyrotechnics.

#

 

Gary slept dreamlessly in Shai’s lap while the light show thundered above them, shaking the mangrove swamps for miles around with sharp reports and hissing, whizzing screamers. He woke when Shai, Becky and Tallum started dragging the kids to bed. 

What woke him was Tawny, leaning over him and whispering. “Gary… Gary, what have you done? Healer and Order are frantic…” She demanded softly. 

 

“Mmm? You’re talking to me again? Nice. Ask me in the morning… tired.” He mumbled as he slipped away into dreamless sleep, untroubled by gods and immortals. 

#

 

It turned out Tawny wasn’t ready to speak to him again, she spent the morning bustling around and staying busy wherever he wasn’t. 

 

“There’s still a matter to handle out there… I wanna get it settled early.” Gary grumbled. “Lich, out in the swamp. I think he’s supposed to be the caretaker of this little patch of haunted swamp. Who wants to come along and help me stomp a mudhole in his mudhole?”

 

“Gary, a lich is a class B threat…” Liam began.

 

“Not this one. He’s on his last legs, literally. If he had anything mobile he’d have thrown it at us yesterday. I could probably drain his remaining life force away from here… except for the becoming undead problem that comes with.”

 

“Nae more eldritch nonsense… An me husband says we kin smash it, we smash it.” Shai announced firmly, with a hand on Gary’s shoulder. “We kin smash it, aye?”

 

“Baby, he’s trying so hard to hide from me I almost feel bad… Nahh, fuck this guy.” He smiled a hungry, feral and not at all pleasant grin out into the wet woodlands to the east. “Tawny and Liam can watch the house… since I’m on Healer’s shitlist again.”

 

Her mad musician stood up and strolled off into the wetland with Tallum and Ivy following behind her, since she was not letting him out of her sight. “Becky, mind the wee ones please.” She called to her sister, as she followed her madman.

 

The sodden ball of rags and bones he pulled out of a hollow log mewled pitifully as he shoved its faceless skull into his shadow. It ended after the ribcage in a stump of spinal column and a few dangling shreds of remnant flesh… or something. When Gary stepped back, only a small pile of bones and a battered skull remained, lifeless and inert. 

He bagged up the bones and slung them over his shoulder with a grin. “See? Once you get past the aura of denial and repulsion… Trashmob.” He grunted happily. “If he still had a legion of undead, ok… But this guy was no mighty wizard… iron rank, tops.”

 

“Hush, boy… Ye are chattering.” She murmured gently.

#

 

Tawny was still avoiding him when they returned… He, Shai and Tallum were busy for another hour, extracting several large enchanted jars from the muddy earth: so that uncomfortable situation continued until they were back at the waterside warcamp.

 

Moonrise lay at anchor on the wooden pier where they’d left her, so the little band marched through the camp, picked up the rest of Larksong’s troop and set sail for Wheatford, while the orphans and the Fist broke camp and prepared to return to Port Clement.

 

On crowded and busy Moonrise, Tawny found it easy to avoid Gary, since the boat was stuffed to the gills with Adventurers and a large quantity of gear and goods they were hauling for the orphans and the Fist.

 

Moonrise docked at the Knubbel’s meadow beside the sea, on familiar ground after so long. Becky ran over to knock on their door but no one was home, the house was shut and no smoke rose from the chimney.

“Huh…” The young priestess sighed. “I guess they’re out.”

#

 

“She’s a what? And she did what now?” Solomon Purdy, ducal mage of Port Clement asked very slowly of the young common couple, their small, beautiful companion and the tiny babe in arms in his study… with duke Rummel of all people.

 

“I am Willow, dryad of the eternal willow grove on this world and many others… mortal.” She answered a little tartly. 

 

“Now, lady Willow…” Jules soothed the ruffled immortal. “Solomon is not like Gary… be patient with him and us.” He urged gently. “Now… you held young Frankie close and he…” The young duke coughed awkwardly into his hand and blushed bright red, all the way to the roots of his sandy hair.

 

“Suckled.” Maisie helped, with a wicked grin on her face. “He suckled at her breast and began to glow… but without light…” Her pleasure at the young, damnably handsome duke’s embarrassment fled, as she spoke… mostly.

 

“Interesting…” Solomon mumbled. “Have you consulted the cult of Healer?”

 

“We went there first, they shuffled us off to you… they seemed quite upset.” Abel mumbled quietly. “He isn’t sick… if anything he’s…” The young father shrugged.

 

“He reminds me of Amy, Rio and Wilford…” Julius remarked, with the lad bouncing on his knee. “He feels… substantial, weighty…”

 

“My boy’s not pudgy! He’s perfectly healthy!” Maisie sniffed in mild outrage.

 

“No, I mean… he seems…” Julius trailed off as the lad snuggled into his lap and went to sleep. “He seems important…” The young duke whispered.

 

“Well, his importance needs to go home, if we can’t get any answers here.” Maisie huffed as she collected her son. “Really… we come with a simple concern…”

 

When the young couple departed with their companion and child, Solomon sank into his chair with an exhausted sigh. “I feel like I’ve not been paying attention, these last sixty years… like everything’s new…” The gray haired mage muttered. “I was only on sabbatical for six months…”

 

“It’s been… busy.” Julius mumbled in embarrassment.

#

 

“Dragging our son all over town… after lady Willow assured us it was fine… We’ll ask a real wizard when Becky comes by again.” She scolded her husband mildly as they walked back to their farm. “Is that Esperanza’s boat on our pier?”

 

That question got answered before they were close enough to really see, as a towering cloud of mineral scented steam rose from their meadow. The music was still going on when three tiny kids, pursued by Becky came charging out of the hedgerow to intercept the Knubbels and Willow in a joyous frenzy.

#

 

“I made your doll body to be as lifelike as possible, Willow… That’s what you asked for.” Gary mumbled in embarrassment, with all the kids floating in the bath nearby.

 

“I didn’t ask to become a mammal…” She whispered back with a smile, while trying to jiggle her wooden boobs at him.

 

“I didn’t do that… Those enchanted nipples are just there to focus and direct your glamor and make them appear to bounce when you walk. Some of my finest work…” He said proudly… and received a gentle swat on the back of the head from Shai for his pains.

“Hey!” He cooed at his grinning wife. “Anyway, the doll has none of the internal structures needed to…” His voice fell to a deeply embarrassed whisper. 

“...to breastfeed…” 

 

“Then what happened?” She demanded. “I felt something passing back and forth between us…”

 

“There’s one thing no child can ever have too much of… or enough of really. Love.” Gary mumbled softly. “You felt a need, a yearning for closeness, he felt it too. Your souls met in the middle, in the only language little Frankie speaks so far. Those titties are just wood and bronze… the people involved made the magic milk.”

 

“You are a fool, Gary… a beautiful fool.” Willow murmured, as she swam off to join the children in the deep end.

 

“My beautiful fool.” Shai whispered in his ear, with a little nibble to make sure he knew she meant it.

#

 

“Why is the throne room sealed?” Lord Guin Laing huffed in exasperation. “I have urgent news for the empress!”

 

“The empress remains in seclusion with her left hand. To interrupt is to perish.” Mantis replied, from behind his inscrutable insect mask.

 

“Are you… smiling at me?” The nobleman demanded in outrage.

 

“Better I smile…” He whispered happily. “If you raise your voice and interrupt them, I may stop smiling.”

 

“No orphan will speak so to me! I am a blooded peer of the empire! My family lineage stretches back…” He sputtered in fury, right up until Dragonfly dropped a heavy cloth sack over the noisy end and quickly bundled him away with Cricket and Silverfish assisting.

“Good work, stack him with the others. They have to tire out soon…” Spider sighed, as they brought yet another feisty nobleman into her parlor of dangling bundles. 

“And stop smirking!”

#

 

“Gary, are you making a clay dildo?” Liam asked crossly, when he found his brother by the spring, playing with a ball of clay.

 

“I am… It’s a terra cotta dildo.” He said happily, whilst sculpting the balls.

 

“I shouldn’t have asked…” He muttered. “Gary, Tawny is not upset with you… Healer is, that makes your presence uncomfortable for her… I’m sorry. She is too.”

 

“I know, brother. It still hurts, but I’m a big boy. If I wanna run with the big dogs, I gotta risk getting bit. Healer hasn’t so much as sniffed my butt yet.” He sighed and thankfully, retired his metaphor. 

“She’s had it in for me from the start, cause of the undead thing… and shadow thing… and the murdering immortals thing… we don’t get along.”

 

“Well, ok…” Liam murmured, caught off guard by a mature, sensible reaction from his manic and unpredictable brother.

 

“What do you think of these balls? Too much?” He asked earnestly, holding up his tumescent creation.

 

“I’d need to get a feel for them… wait!” Liam sputtered and giggled at his brother’s antics. “You’re using that fool’s gift on me… drawing me into some weird shenanigans…”

 

“Yup.” He replied with the old, familiar smile that had been absent so long. “Wanna do something stupies and piss off a bunch of gods?”

 

“Of course. Can we bring Tawny along? She hates to miss out.” The handsome young warrior asked hopefully.

 

“If she doesn’t mind watching from the cheap seats…” He sang. “That’s probably best anyway. This one is going to be pretty gross.” He tucked his wet, clay dong away and grinned. 

“They’ve had me by the balls often enough… They've been playing with me for a while, it’s about time the gods learn that if they keep jerking me around, eventually they'll get it in their eyes.”

 

“Gary… that sounds… should I bring Tawny?” Liam asked with a worried look on his too handsome face.

 

“I’m done being the pivot man in this circle jerk!” The madman continued, sounding like his old self again. “Craft thinks I’ll give him a tug and a hug now that I can’t dream myself into the veil… He’s gonna be hanging out at that glory hole all alone.”

 

“Gary… calm down… I don’t understand any of the deeply disgusting things you keep saying.” Liam murmured as he followed his brother up to the house.

 

“That’s good. Keep your head clean…” He mumbled, while pawing through a cabinet. “Ahh… noice. The perfect trial run.”

 

The Circle Of Fifths, Pentatonic Edition, enchanted tool, spiritual and etheric enchantments. Rank, copper. Quality, unique. Elemental affinities, none.

 

When properly installed, the area defined by the tool’s perimeter is considered a secure ritual space. All magical, esoteric, or subtle forces and intent will be blocked from exiting or entering the ritual zone.

 

Spiritual entities contained within the tool's boundary will be unable to exert any forces on the outside world.

External forces will be unable to penetrate the ritual zone, save by mundane or physical means.

 

The Fortress Of Soulitude, enchanted tool, barrier construct. Etheric and spiritual enchantments. Rarity, unique. Rank, Copper.

 

Effect: Spiritual Rampart; when installed around a source of etheric magic, this construct will extend the user’s Animus to the perimeter of the construct. Hostile or neutral entities will be psychologically unable to enter, without explicit permission of the user. Truly violent or aggressive intent will allow aggressors to penetrate this barrier. Non sentient beings will ignore all effects, animals of low intelligence will be highly resistant to all effects.

 

Effect: Good Fences, Good Neighbors; hostile or aggressive vocalizations and displays from outside the barrier will be muted and muffled, allowing user to tune out the noise.

 

Effect: Backatcha; any entity attempting to penetrate the barrier will be discouraged with illusion and misdirection, until the threshold of violent attack is reached. An alarm will sound when the barrier is breached.

 

Effect: A Distinct Lack Of Spoons; Barrier construct will appear to be immovable and indestructible to all beings outside the perimeter. Actively hostile intent will negate this glamor and illusion effect.

 

“Now I just need a little space in Jules’ garden to summon a demon. Bad form to do it in the middle of the dock ward.” He said cheerfully.

“I’m gonna neuter a stray abomination.”

#