Father-Daughter Bonding

A return trip to New Omaha proved uneventful, with the retinue traveling as far up the southern river network as possible, then taking a short jaunt through the plains to the capital.

When they’d left, the coalition government had been at wits' end and on the verge of fracture. Lamora’s cross-Aeirun diplomatic tour yielded results. As it turns out, thwarting the attempted invasion at the Elvwood government complex proved popular in the polls. The trip along the coast and river lands happened to pass through key areas of coalition control.

With newfound political capital (and numerous, more modern Earth geopolitical textbooks), the senate then bypassed the restive, absent elvan delegations to pass much-needed governmental reforms.

Taking a more parliamentary approach, that senate was expanded eightfold and reworked for proportional representation. Representation was no longer tied specifically to first-past-the-post majoritarianism; Elvwood would still definitely refuse to send a majority-elvan delegation, but a proportional amount of the northern province’s orcish and human populations would send in token delegations who were a bit more reasonable. Simultaneously, elvan minority delegations would be elected in less restive regions.

The best-laid plans of orc and man would take years to reach full fruition. More immediately, the first family went about implementing reforms to respond to disasters such as the razing of Crossroads Ford. The coalition military would have to grow more mobile rather than sitting about in border forts. As Sethset and Skottson were the subject matter experts here, this task preoccupied much of their time.

Grognar would have to get back to the college in time to start the next semester. As the youngest graduating orcish-Aeirunian in mage college history, evidently, he was something of an academic celebrity. He was also he youngest-ever graduate to get a lecture course.

While removed from her natural state aboard the helm of a seaworthy vessel, Sara was no less busy. She helped fill in some official government cartography charts of the far edge of the sea and advised on the beginnings of an official Aeirunian navy. Certainly, ships were far more mobile than most terrestrial forms of travel.

One day, of course, they’d have to repair the breach in that sea wall, drain Gobhollow, and discover what secrets remain buried there from an ancient, more egalitarian Aeirun. That excavation wouldn’t come to fruition for years at this rate. But they had nothing but time.

Skott of Old Omaha walked through the streets of New Omaha. It was relatively cool out by Aeirun standards. He could get used to the stifling humidity in a decade or two.

It was there amid the wide-open avenues, the harsh alien sun, and a tree-lined market that Skott encountered Lucy waiting at a stand.

“Hey, kid,” Skott asked.

He was growing more comfortable at calling the kids, well, ‘kid.’ Having met them at the cusp of adulthood, he’d skipped entire life phases. They were all relatively self-sufficient and independent, but Skott certainly hoped they thought of him as a father.

“Just some food,” Lucy said, oddly glum.

This was quite unlike her usual demeanor. Skott scratched his chin, which by now had bloomed into a full beard that Lamora insisted orcs found highly attractive.

“Everything okay?” he put a hand on Lucy’s shoulder.

Lucy shrugged it away—another odd move.

“Eh,” she managed.

The line to the food stand moved ahead slowly but steadily. Soon, the goblin behind the counter was taking the pair’s order. Skott ordered a dire-duck sandwich while Lucy ate a small snack. Now armed with food, Skott and Lucy walked around a shaded park not far from the pyramid-shaped Senate/Parliament building.

“Y’know, Lamora says you’ve got something on your mind as well,” Skott said as they walked.

“Everyone always praises Sara for her adventures,” Lucy said with a pout. “I thought bringing mother’s old party member back from another world would grant me fame and fortune. But now Sara’s had her own groundbreaking adventure and she’s working to build her own navy. Even though I traveled across worlds on a grand adventure, I don’t have any skills to capitalize beyond that. Nobody’s going to make me minister of… portal…ry…”

Skott remained silent until he finished his to-go meal. Then, he swooped Lucy into a hug. Half-orc physiology left young Lucy almost the height of her father and, when she hugged back, revealed herself to be significantly stronger.

So that was it, Skott thought. All this time, Lucy was just trying not to be caught in her sister’s shadow.

“You brought Lamora back to me,” Skott said at a low volume. “You’re my hero.”

“Daaaaaaad,” Lucy said.

Skott’s heart fluttered. She’d belted out a father or two beforehand, but never quite a full ‘Dad’ before.

“Hey, want an adventure? Let’s go to Boston,” Skott said.

“Can we?” Lucy asked. “Your former consort seemed to imply that orcs were uncommon in your lands.”

“What, Nessa? S-she’s not…” Skott sighed. “We’ll give you a hat to hide your ears. Maybe a tracksuit with a big collar. Go after summer winds down. Boston’s a big place. I doubt anyone will notice.”

Lucy smiled a tusky grin. “That sounds wonderful, father!”

“Please,” Skott said. “Just dad.”

Before the pair could begin to make proper plans, however, the fluttering of buglike wings caused Lucy’s ears to twitch.

“What’s that?” she looked to her left, then nodded at a flittering creature.

“Looks kind of like a butterfly,” Skott said.

Though it did seem to have four wings, the strange creature fluttered about in a circle-eight pattern too fast for human eyes to discern.

“Do you even have butterflies in this world?” Skott asked.

Lucy shrugged as if she didn’t know what that word meant. Still, the creature fluttered deeper into the park. It hovered over, then around a small pond and came to a rest near a fissure.

“I’ve heard of these,” Lucy said. “An ancient memokeeping spell certain elvan families used to utilize.”

That gave the pair pause. The flittering message-bug appeared to be seeking them out specifically. But who would send them an ancient Elvan messaging spell, and why?

A stream jutting off from the pond filtered down through a natural depression, which in turn opened up into a narrow, natural cavernous complex. Already in the shadow of the Senate building, this natural cavern formation could only travel underneath the center of government.

Skott sniffed at the air.

“Is that… gunpowder?” he asked, nose wrinkled.