The Children of Kishar - 6. Chapter 6

The group had traveled to mainland Europe, landing in Bremerhaven, Germany. The mage-lord wanted to ride Kelpies to Germany, saying that the famous water-horses of Scotland would be the most fun way to travel. But after a half hour of debate with his twin and Ériu the two finally convinced him to ride via boat, though going by plane would have been faster. Indeed Ry wanted to fly but it seemed all three Elves were afraid of jets and planes for some reason, and the idea was immediately cast aside as soon as the words exited Ry‘s mouth.

The trip across the North Sea took three days, mostly of rough weather, seasick mages, and lions; the only one seemingly immune was the homunculus. By the end of those three days the mages and the lion hated each other and everything, and were constantly arguing on the choice of travel.

It was when they entered the dockyards of Bremerhaven that the mood finally lightened.

As the small yacht pulled up to the docks, the mage-lord and his Fiana looked at the city-state with concern.

Ériu spoke first, though. “Be warned, this is the Southern Alfhiem Empire, we’ll find no welcome in this land…”

Ry frowned, “I thought this was Germany…”

Jeremy sighed, “it is and it isn’t, just as with Britain the mystical Layer of the planet overlays everything physical, the Southern Alfhiem Empire takes up most of what is Germany, and Poland, going as far south as Austria…. It is in a constant state of Cold War with it’s Northern Counterpart, which takes up Scandinavia…in fact the Southern Empire was responsible for Hitler, though even they did not see the consequences of that creation…”

Just as he said that a man in a black suit, whom looked like he had a somewhat gray pigment to his skin and white hair stepped out of a black sedan. Upon hearing those words the man frowned, “we were not responsible for Hitler that was all humanities doing and had nothing to do with us…Your papers of transport Herr’s and Frau, if you please…”

Jeremy frowned, “papers of transport, you mean a passport…I am a mage lord of the house Danu I do not need a passport to enter this country…”

The gray-faced man frowned, “I am sorry Herr Danu but you still need to prove who you are, and that you are not a spy from the Northern Kingdom, or our other enemies, of which there are many.”

Jeremy’s eyebrows went up in shock, “oh I see, Andrew, my second…has the papers that verify who I am…”

Andrew pulled Jeremy’s seal from a pocket in his robe, the seal of the blue phoenix…”

The gray-faced man nodded taking the seal, and pulled out some kind of spyglass looking at it… “It seems authentic milord, but since you do not have the papers of Transport you will have to come to the capital of Nifelhiem and present yourself to the Palatine-Regent” the man said emotionlessly handing the seal back to Andrew. “The car if you please sirs and Frau….” with that the man walked back to the car and opened the door.

Andrew frowned whispering “you sure the path we are on is the right one brother…”

Jeremy frowned, “if I wasn’t I wouldn’t be on it Andrew, trust in your twin, have I ever lead you astray?

Andrew smirked, “well there was that one time….”

Jeremy frowned giving his twin an exasperated sigh, “you mean the time we got lost and saved the Kachina…. That was Alex’s fault and you know it…besides we have grandma’s backing on this….”

Andrew frowned, glaring at his brother‘s back, “Funny, I don’t see her here do you, you say we have her backing but I bet we don’t have her support, if say we’re imprisoned in Alfhiem territory…”

Jeremy turned and returned the glare, “and why in heaven’s name would we be arrested and imprisoned…”

Andrew frowned, and whispered only loud enough for the group to hear, “you know exactly why….”

Jeremy blanched his eyes going to Ry briefly, “yes, well I see that is a good point…. Well come along we have to get to Nifelhiem… good thing it is on the way to where we’re going…”

Ry spoke up with a frown, “ok, I know you’re worried about me, but what exactly that man’s species now?

Jeremy sighed, but Ériu spoke with an exasperated tone, “he is a dark elf, they call themselves the Svartálfar, their “species” is as old as Jeremy’s and mine, and like ours his is just a magic using human, but like vampires their lineage is a sin, though unlike vampires theirs goes through their bloodline due to a curse from the Northern Empire, whom are mostly normal elves.”

Ériu frowned, “I ask that you do not speak to them or in their presence, they look like trouble Ry…”

Jeremy climbed into the car followed by Andrew, Ériu, Ry, and the homunculus, then the gray-faced man…whom kept staring at Ry as if the young man did something wrong….

The dark Elf turned his head, “Roderick, Nifelhiem now, and stop staring at the mage-lord and his troupe of clowns.” with that the man turned to glare at Jeremy “nothing escapes notice of the Schwarzwache, the Black Guard. We knew of your coming within 20 miles of the German border, we just didn’t know whom you were, though we had suspicions ‘Blue Phoenix of the West.’ What I am surprised with is the fact that you took a boat instead of by way of the Kelpies, most mages from Britain come via Water-horses.”

Ériu spoke then with frown, “so you’re a member of the Black Guard Herr… whomever, aren’t all members of the black guard trained at least partially in the arts of the soul seeker?”

The man glared at Ériu, “I am Herr Boctmann, and not that it is a foreign mage-guard’s business, but yes we all have some skills in the Soul Seeking Art, though most of us are not fullly trained…in such arts….”

Ériu frowned, “yes as I understand to be fully trained is to destroy your own soul, or at least take all the joy out of the individual’s existence.” Secretly though the graying woman wondered if the Black Guard had something to do with the guy whom accosted her at the Old Rose.

Boctmann frowned continuing to glare at Ériu “I heard of no such thing Frau, you shouldn’t listen to superstitious rumors of the mob, and you are far too curious for someone whom just got into our country…”

From that moment onward there was an awkward silence as they traveled south down the Autobahn, even Ry the person whom questioned everything was slightly afraid to talk especially in front of Boctmann who acted like everyone in the car did something wrong. Finally the car reached a side road off of the Autobahn a boring three hours later. Roderick turned the car and parked in what looked to a parking lot in the middle of an empty field.

Boctmann spoke with a sigh, “out of the car, no automobiles are allowed within the precincts of Nifelhiem.”

Ry frowned more then a little concerned over the whole ordeal, “but this is the middle of nowhere, you’re not planning of killing us and disposing the bodies are you…”

Boctmann was about to come up and slap the impertinent lion boy for his insolence, but Jeremy stepped in front of Ry, “don’t mind my apprentice’s ignorance and impertinence the transformation into what he is addled his brain…”

Boctmann glared at the Mage-lord for a second, “as you say mage-lord, I’ll let his impertinence slide this time, but make sure your “apprentice” keeps his tongue in between his teeth when around the Black Guard unless he wants it cut out and the same goes for the other members of your group…” with that he and his cohort turned and spoke a couple of words into the air.

A blood red symbol appeared in the air then a black gate formed behind it opening to reveal a broad avenue, in an ancient graceful city of black spires going up onto a hill to a huge palace. The whole city had the feel of being lost from time.

Boctmann bowed to Jeremy with a proud smile, “behold milord the city of Nifelhiem, eldest of the cities in lower Europe.”

Jeremy smiled at the sight of the city, but then frowned at Boctmann’s words, thinking, “there is one City older then Nifelhiem in Europe…Evaeleon.” But he did not press the point with the proud German.

Nifelhiem looked very gothic with hints of Renaissance and Neoclassical architecture. The things though most noticeable about Nifelhiem was that the entire city was build of black marble or granite, and looked very much like Hitler’s Germania with the exception of being in black instead of Nazi Red, and one could see heavy Nazi influence in the capital of the Southern Alfhiem Empire including what could only be called the SS, embodied in the Black Guard.

Then Boctmann walked through the black gate into Nifelhiem and when he did his black business suit turned into a black uniform of a soldier, including a hat with a symbolic skull pen on it.

While the rest of the group were awed by the sight of that place, Andrew groaned, and Jeremy became sullen as soon as the two perceived what Nifelhiem represented, for above all else the twins were well versed in both human and Mage history.

Nifelhiem had since just after World War One, become a sin upon this world, and the hidden country had not totally risen from the terrors of World War Two still being a semi-fascist regime. Very few mage-lords had come into the Southern Empire since the Second World War, for good reason, the Empire was filled with a harsh political system that even the ultraconservative Mage-lords found distasteful, not to mention their constant cold war against the Christian Coalition, the Northern Alfhiem Empire and the Kingdom of Danaria. Indeed it seemed of all the Empires neighbors the only one on good terms with it was the British Isles.

The five companions and the two Black guard walked to a nearby coach house, where Boctmann hired a robot horse-coach to take himself and the companions to the Imperial Palace, Roderick on the other hand took a coach elsewhere to report to the two’s superiors in the Black Guard.

The six people rode the coach in silence looking at the dark and rather gloomy city around them, not saying a word though many of them wanted to, mostly because Boctmann glared at them whenever any of the company opened their mouth to say something, and Jeremy himself was in a very sullen mood.

Lucas suddenly burst out laughing in glee his little legs kicking back and forth, “this place is soooo cool! I never dreamed I’d ever leave the Old Rose much less Great Britain….” the little homunculus gave Jeremy a look pure joy and love, “thank you Jeremy….”

Jeremy’s heart was warmed by the innocence of the homunculus even in this place. “You’re welcome little one.”

Boctmann blinked then sighed, and smiled secretly at the little homunculus, thinking, “if the servant could give his master such a look of love, and his human servants seem to trust him, indeed the lord purposely stepped between a Black Guard and someone beneath him, then this foreign lord can’t be all that bad.” Beneath his cold exterior, the captain of the Black Guard couldn’t help but like Jeremy and the little homunculus.

The group arrived quickly to the front gate to Hölletor Castle and disembarked from the carriage, walking through the gate into a broad courtyard. The Court was paved in white tile, with a fountain in the center depicting two lions fighting each other around a Roman Style victory pillar, they intern were surrounded by rising water. The entire courtyard was surrounded by a black two-tiered pillared walkway that not just sectioned it off from the buildings that made up the complex, but contrasted to the white marble on the floor of the court.

Herr Boctmann led them to a large side building, entering its broad doorway, only nodding at the guards stationed at the door. He then led the group through the building to a broad office, one that was as broad and as great as the oval office in the White House of the United States. Behind the desk of said office sat a man with red eyes, gray skin, and long shoulder length white hair. The man was dressed as an eighteenth Century gentleman, and on his neck was a glowing red pendant.

The man looked up at the group and smirked, “Fritz I see that you’ve Brought the Blue Phoenix and his company, please stand by the door for a moment.” he looked at Jeremy as Herr Boctmann bowed and went to the back of the room, “I am the Palatine-Regent Hienrich Boctmann, and since I know you are wondering, I am Fritz’s grandfather…”

Hienrich frowned then his face hardened, “now to business, Lord Jeremy alt Danu, Blue Phoenix of the West. This empire has always has had trouble with foreign Lords, especially those Descended from House Danu, and now you waltz into the Empire as if you owned the place. Know you and your house are not nor ever have been welcome within the Territories of the Northern and Southern Alfhiem Empires. I will not risk an international incident by imprisoning you Lord Jeremy, but I would like you to get your business done as quickly as possible and leave the empire….”

Just then a voice came from the door, “my lord Palatine-Regent, he’s a noble of another house and nation, he should stay for at least a week….”

The group turned as the Palatine-Regent looked over their mutual shoulders and glared, “Crown Prince Rudolf von Hohenhiem, how nice of you to join us….” from Hienrich’s tone though, the company could tell he was less then thrilled to have the mage-prince of the Southern Empire in his presence.

The young man before them had strait, bright red hair that was almost unearthly in its form; he looked pale, but not gray faced like the Dark Elves, they had seen around them. The prince was very slim, almost gaunt in form, though he looked healthy, almost athletic. The young man’s eyes were a vibrant green and his face had a bemused smirk on it as he continued speaking, “and visit the other lords and partake in the rituals that every lord goes through when he or she travels out of their own territory, you know trade deals, meeting other Lords, and so forth.”

The palatine-Regent glared at the crown prince for a moment “you know this young man is the descendant of Rietta the Wanderer, the woman who made a name for herself during the First and Second World Wars, and is considered the greatest spy that this Empire has ever seen.”

Then Hienrich sighed sitting back down with his left hand playing with the glowing pendant idly, “as you say your highness, he will stay 2 weeks no more, and will visit the other lord’s Gala parties, make trade deals and so forth.” he looked at Jeremy with a frown, “BUT if I find that your lordship or your…minions are committing sins against this country or against it’s people I’ll expel you into the Christian Coalition and let them deal with you as they do with all our kind.” the lord smirked, “my eldest son is holding a gala party the day after tomorrow, I hope to see you there Blue Phoenix of the West….” for a second he gave the mage-lord a look that said “I expect to see you there.”

Then the Palatine-Regent looked over the group before settling on Ry for a moment, his eyebrows arching then he frowned and waved a hand as if to dismiss the lords from his office, “you may go…except you Captain Boctmann, I need to speak with you for a moment…”

Jeremy bowed slightly to the Palatine-Regent then left the room, followed by his companions and the Crown Prince, whom turned and looked at Jeremy for a second, “may I speak to you in private your lordship?”

Jeremy smirked, “I thought you might your Highness.”

Rudolf frowned nodding, “please…follow me….”

The prince led them into his private chambers, and sat down, pouring wine, “if you please your lordship, send your servants away the less they know the less likely they’ll be used against me…”

Jeremy smiled “as you wish, but I would like to keep Andrew, my second with me…he and I don’t keep secrets from each other…”

Rudolf sighed and nodded, “as you wish your lordship….”

Jeremy nodded, “wait outside you three, don’t worry we’ll be fine…”

Ériu nodded bowing, “as you wish Lord Jeremy.” with that she herded the other two from the room.

The prince looked at Jeremy, “Lord Prince of the American House of Danu, please sit for a few moments…”

Jeremy sighed, sitting across from the Crown Prince “please don’t use formalities, I am a landless lord at the moment, just call me Jeremy or Lord Jeremy.”

Rudolf smiled blushing slightly, “ok then, please call me Rudolf, after all in reality I have very little political power beyond the fact that I am the Grandson of the last Hel, and therefore my bloodline is Holy to the Southern Empire.”

Jeremy smirked, “ok Rolfe…. Anyway why did you contradicted the palatine-regent, and practically forced us to stay here?”

Rudolf sighed looking somewhat guilty, “well because I need your help, I need an outsider with political clout to help me establish myself as the new Emperor…the preparations are currently being made so that I can head the government.” He then smiled and blushed, “besides my lord Jeremy, you and your brother are kind of cute…”

Jeremy sighed, then laughed, “I see, why do you want control of the government…know though that I will not topple one regime to replace it with one possibly more cruel. Though I think that I kind of understand why, you want protection that only control can give you…”

Prince Rudolf laughed, “you are everything I’ve been hearing the rumors stated, Jeremy, which is one reason I wanted to meet you. You’re something of a legend among the Mage-lords at least of the United States, and from what I‘ve heard you made quite a stir in Great Britain. I promise you on my lineage that it is not my wish to create something worse, I want to change this regime from the one my grandmother set up all those years ago during the Second World War in alliance with that being humanity knows so well”

The Prince sighed, “It is time for a change to reflect the times we are in and the way Europe is now. My father worked towards this, he believed it was well past time that the Hel should be retired. He and a small cabal of mage-lords loyal to him and now to me caste a powerful spell that assured all those born of the bloodline of the last Hel would not be female ever again. I must do something before Hienrich the last lord old enough to remember and have taken part in World War Two, figures it out, and figures out that I am gay.”

Rudolf looked at Jeremy sadly, “please help me milord…this will not work without your help…”

Jeremy smiled, “Well Helkar, I’ll help you on one condition.”

The Green-eyed twin stood up, adjusting his glasses and looked at the map of the Southern Alfhiem Empire, in it’s full controlled territory…that reached from the Baltic to the southern Edges of the Carpathians and Alps, and the Shores of the Mediterranean Sea East to the Vistula River, and West to the Rhine…

Jeremy smirked “I want that….” he pointed to the southern Territories of the Southern Empire, the Lands taking up the Danube River, and the Alp and Carpathian Mountains…”

Rudolf frowned blinking, “why in heaven’s name would you want the Alpathian Marche, that’s a no man’s land, heavily contested by the Empire and the other two major nations that make up it’s border…” then a couple of things clicked in Rudolf’s mind, “you’re not going after the lost holy city of the Tuatha De Danaan are you…”

Jeremy smirked shrugging, “Evaeleon, perhaps…but that is my business, and my house’s business, but that is my price…take it or leave it.”

Rudolf blanched, “I beg you Blue Phoenix don’t waste your life on such a fools endeavor, the Holy City is a myth nothing more….” Using Jeremy’s mage lord name to punctuate his point, and obvious fear for his fellow mage.

Jeremy smiled, “are you saying that you don’t want to give up even that contested territory to me, consider it a buffer state, loosely allied with your empire, Especially against Danaria and the Christian Coalition.”

Andrew frowned watching this exchange with slight worry, and more then a little discomfort, he wanted nothing to do with the “Helkar” of the Southern Empire as his brother put it, either in compact or in the physical sense.

Rudolf sighed, “no I can well afford to be rid of that trouble zone, I’d be more then happy to give it up I just don’t want you guys to run off an die after doing myself and the empire a service, and after just getting to know you…”

Jeremy smirked then walked over the Rudolf placing his hands on the Crown Princes looking the young man in the eyes, “I’ll tell you a secret,” he whispered, “Rietta the Wanderer found the City, it is intact and shall be my capital, I know where it is, she shared that with me before I left the Alabaster Palace,” he smiled, “keep it under your hat will you…”

Rudolf smiled blushing slightly “as you wish my lord, High Prince of Alpathia, yes I agree to your terms…”

Jeremy smiled, his emerald and silver dragon ring appearing on his hand. “Andrew a binding cloth…if you please…”

Andrew Growled, “Jeremy this is a really bad idea….” But he then sighed knowing Jeremy’s determination, “But as you wish…. Milord…” he pulled a ribbon of cloth out of his coat…. “Do you milords swear upon thy power and thy will to go through this endeavor?”

Jeremy placed his left hand upon Rudolf’s and Andrew wrapped the cloth around them, “I, Jeremy alt Danu, the Blue Phoenix of the West, swear upon my lineage, and power as Mage-Lord that I will help you in obtaining the title of Helkar, Holy Emperor of the Southern Alfhiem Empire, using my power and strength to aid you in this, only so long as I am not forced to commit a sin against you or your people in your name.”

Rudolf nodded his face grim, though he was blushing, “I, Rudolf von Hohenhiem, The White Lion of Bohemia so swear, upon my holy lineage and power as Mage-lord that if I become Helkar with your aid, that my first act as Helkar will be to declare the Alpathian Marche an independent Principality under your Rule, and I further Swear to be as best as my ability an enlightened, evenhanded, and kind Ruler.”

Jeremy nodded, “and I swear, that such nation as long as I rule, shall ally itself with you, and your nation so long as you are ruler.”

Rudolf sighed smiling, “And I doeth so swear to give aid as I may to my ally if he should need me, and commit my nation to his kingdom’s aid if I so become Helkar.”

Andrew nodded, knowing this was getting a touch out of hand, thinking that there maybe some kind of physical attraction between the two lords, “The compact is signed and sealed, allies and friends…”

There was a loud audible zing in the air, then the cloth burnt into flame changing into a two headed dragon, one head at each end which bit into the two Mage-lords and molded itself painfully into their skin, forming a blue and White Tattoo upon their mutual lower left arms and upper hands.

Andrew sighed, “it is done, Mage-lords…I hope you two are happy…” with that he glared at Jeremy and walked out of the room.

Jeremy smiled, “Well Helkar Rudolf, I should be going, thank you for your hospitality, we’ll be seeing each other again soon I assume…” with that he turned and marched to the door after Andrew, turning at the last second and smirking at the Crown Prince, “you know I find you cute as well, Rolfe….” with that he winked and left the room with a laugh…

Crown Prince Rudolf blushed deeply from head to toe grinning from ear to ear at Jeremy’s comment, examining the new tattoo with a bemused look on his face.

….
While the two lords were having their meeting, two other individuals were as well.

Hienrich Boctmann looked at his grandson, “Captain Boctmann, I’d like you and whatever Black Guard you find trustworthy to tail, and escort the Blue Phoenix, I’d like you personally to be with the foreigner as much as possible, consider yourself his escort, courtesy of our government.”

Fritz Boctmann frowned nodding his head, “as you wish Palatine-Regent, but may I speak frankly…”

Hienrich sighed, waving his hand exasperatedly “if you must Fritz…”

Fritz frowned, “I find this whole thing a grotesque misuse of the Black Guard, more then anything we are the Spies of the Empire, we were not equipped to be sent after a Mage-Lord of his power level in the first place, we all could have been killed if he had so chose to strike against us.”

Hienrich frowned his face barely hiding his annoyance, as he slapped the palm of his hand on the desk “I do as I see fit with the Black Guard, as I am it’s head Captain, if I want you to sacrifice your lives for the greater good you will do so without question, I had anticipated no problems from the Mage-lord unless you made him angry, your job was simple retrieval, which you did exceedingly well.

The Palatine-Regent sighed calming down his hand going back to finger the red pendant. “Now then the lion-like humanoid with him…. What do you know of it?”

Fritz frowned, “My lord he called the young man his apprentice, from what I understand the young man was the center of the squabbles in the Mage Council of Britain due to some troubles with an attack on the young man’s family.

Hienrich Boctmann frowned, “oh no he’s no simple mage-apprentice, he’s a Kisharite…. A Child of Kishar…”

Fritz was quite alarmed though his face showed no physical emotion, “I had no idea milord, and there was no physical evidence…” He frowned, “how did you figure it out my lord.”

The Palatine-Regent frowned as well, “well considering he has no magical signature it should have been easy for you to figure it out, but no I knew before the Mage-lord and his company came to our shores, from when I first started hearing reports from my…. Sources…in Britain, what that young man was….”

Hienrich sighed with a slight smile, “Possibly the transformation into what he is messed with the gifts from the goddess, or the Blue Phoenix is shielding him from it some how…”

Fritz nodded, “I shall have a hunting squad kill the young man while the Mage-lord is separated from him…”

Hienrich shook his head frowning, “no, do nothing let the Mage-Lord do as he wants then when he makes the wrong move, which he will, I can just do as I promised, ‘toss him on his ear into the Christian Coalition,’ which might as well be a death sentence…for all of them…now go…report to the Blue Phoenix as his aid in this country…” with that he dismissed his grandson with a wave of his hand.

Fritz bowed and left the room to find Jeremy’s company, more then a little worried about the recent turn of events.