Steal-A-Heart Stowaway

The catch was that they’d have to delve down into some nearby, half-flooded ruins a half-day’s march to the south. This was apparently a common Mage’s College activity, at least on the portalmancy and blood magic tracks.

The ruins were only fully accessible when the tide was out. On Aeirun tidal cycles, that gave them a good thirty-six hour window, well within the time Skott had left before he needed to hop back over to Earth, at least for a little while.

The prime ministress’s office arranged for a modest caravan to escort Skott, Grog, and Lucy down to this excavation site. Skott’s former fling and current legislative head of all Aeirun arranged to have Skottson and Sethset assigned to them for ‘security’ purposes, though the real purpose was transparently so Skott could spend time with those he sired.

“Ah, if only Sara were here,” Lucy-Kignora said, chipper, as they took another slow ride along the idyllic Aeirunian coast.

“Indeed,” Grognak said. “If only Sara were here. Why, her expedition beyond the inland sea should be scheduled for its return journey by now. Perhaps they’ll arrive at port sometime this moon.”

Skott smiled, though secretly he felt a little glum. If they completed this mission, it was unlikely he would get to meet this final daughter of his.

“Say,” the human began, trying to keep his mind off things. “Can’t help but notice the naming conventions are rather strange, here. I mean, Grognak, Lucy, Sara, Sethset. Umm, is there any order to it?”

“Well, father, it’s all rather standard orc naming conventions.” Grog cleared his throat as if he were about to spend a great deal of time giving a lecture hall exposition. “I came out first, so my name was reserved for the mother’s personal choice. Sethset and Skottson represent further traditional patronymic and matronymic conventions.”

“Gram-gram’s name was Sethsay,” Sethset explained. “The one who smuggled mom out of Auron’s servants quarters as a child.”

Skott nodded understandably. Lamora had explained the story to him one night long ago.

“My name likely requires no explanation,” Skottson said.

“Lucy was also my grandmother’s name.”Skott nodded towards her namesake. “As for Sara, I believe I told your mother I liked that name.”

“Sis is perhaps the only person to have this name in all Aeirun,” Lucy declared. “Dwarves find it hard to pronounce, it is said.”

The slow-but-steady journey continued along some octagonal basalt cliffs. They were getting close. Grog hammered out some lecture notes while they traveled. Lucy eventually got bored and exited to go jog alongside the carriage. This left the two remaining brothers to keep an eye out per their nominal role as ‘security.’

Keen-eyed Sethset turned his focus to the carriage interior. His eyes narrowed as he examined the luggage rack located in the back, behind the seats. He cleared his throat to draw everyone’s attention, then his lips started moving.

Now, Skott was quite adept at reading orc-lips. It was necessary during their yearlong guerrilla warfare campaign against the high king. So, when Sethset mouthed ‘that piece of luggage is moving on its own,’ the human did not need some kind of psychic parent-child bond to know what he was saying.

Subtly, Skott turned to the luggage rack. Aeirun lacked the consumer society necessary for heavy travel and tourism industries. As a result, these ‘suitcases’ were more like austere woven sacks than the rectangular zipped-up containers you’d expect on Earth. Regardless, one of these sacks was stirring slightly. It was a rhythmic up-and-down breathing motion. Skott wouldn’t have noticed if he didn’t know what to look for.

Who would stowaway in this carriage and why? Well, they did have four out of five of the prime ministress’s children here. Any number of factions could want to whack them or take them hostage.

Skott put his finger to his lips. Quietly, he walked to the back of the carriage as if he didn’t notice anything was amiss. Then, he turned around and gave this suspicious bit of luggage a more thorough glance.

It was bulky. In fact, it appeared to belong to Lucy. With three heavy bags, she’d packed by far the most out of anyone; mostly swords.

Slowly, so as not to arouse suspicion of their mysterious stowaway, Skott grabbed the handle of the suitcase and yanked it from its low shelf down to the floor.

“Oof!” said the suitcase.

Sethset and Skottson got up and swiftly zipped open the luggage.

“Come on out,” said the latter, authoritatively. “No sudden movements.”

The corporal would make a nice drill sergeant, his father thought.

A tall and admittedly voluptuous figure emerged from the suitcase. Emerald-complected and wearing admittedly form-flattering casual clothes that stood out even more compared to the more stately garb she’d been wearing. Everyone in the carriage

“Lamora?!” Skott asked.

Watching Lamora step out of the suitcase had the same effect as watching any Earth head of state do the same.

“Mother, shouldn’t you be at a conference?” Grog asked, attention divided between his lecture notes and the politician that just climbed out of the baggage storage area.

“Ahem. Well, I haven’t infiltrated anything like that in quite some time…” Lamora began.

“That time we had to sneak an orc past a plantation fence by claiming we had a priority package,” Skott said.

“Indeed. Indeed, that maneuver has a long history.” Lamora smiled softly, clearly recalling something from before meeting Skott.

Sethset pointed to the luggage. “Lucy’s bag. Doesn’t take much to determine that she covered for you.”

The daughter of the group was still out marching alongside the carriage. ‘Getting her cardio in,’ she called it.

“Oh, hi, mother!” Lucy called from outside. “Did they find you out?”

“Indeed,” Lamora called out the window. “I was going to, what is it they call ‘scare them’ as we neared the site.

Lamora giggled in a way that made her look twenty again. Standing behind her, Skott couldn’t help but notice that she’d grown since those days, as orcs were known to do. She was a good head taller than he, where before they’d been exactly equal in height.

“But mother, about your diplomatic conference with the Council of Mages,” Skottson said. “Now, I don’t mean to doubt your judgment, Madam Prime Ministress, but if there’s even an insinuation that we aided you in… whatever it is you’re doing, that could have disciplinary consequences.”

“Worry not, I will shoulder the responsibility for any potential scandal,” said Lamora.

“Will people not, ah, know you’re missing?” Skott asked, leaning against the baggage rack.

Lamora turned and gave a fang-bearing smile. Then, she mouthed ‘body double’.

“Ah.” Skott nodded understandingly. “Well, I’ll assume there’s… some kind of protocol for this.”

“Consider it an opportunity for family bonding,” Lamora said with a nod.

Skott smiled wider. “You, uh, know where we’re heading?”

“But of course,” Lamora said. “I happen to have an interest in these ruins myself.”

Lucy climbed back into the carriage.

“Good news, everyone,” said the chipper half-orc adventurer. “I believe out destination is just over the next hill.”

The siblings and parents both looked at each other fondly. What started as a research expedition had become a family bonding opportunity.