episode 19- world of the fae

Jake and Redstern pass threw a dimensional gateway to find themselves in an open area with a wingless fae in front of them. She did not look pleased in seeing the one in red armor. “ Ambassador Tunder, I am glad you will see us.” The fae moved to Redstern and she did not come to his waist. “ You dragon in the red armor. Strip down you need to be examined.” Jake turned to Redstern as he was about to protest. “ No arguing my appearance. It is their policy to examine everyone that comes threw for the first time.” Redstern grumbled as his armor retracted and eventually he was left to a pair of boxers. “ Those too.” 

This time Redstern verbally protested. “ Commander?” He could tell that Jake was almost laughing as he turned his back to him. “ As she said. Those too. The faster you let her examine you the faster we proceed.” Redstern grumbled as those drop to his ankles and he steps out of them. Suddenly half a dozen fae suddenly appear and starts examining him. “ He has very strong and healthy wings.” “ His maim is a half inch too long for his armor.” “ He appears to have more body fat than normal strikers. Likely due to less activity and better eating.” “ His marks of position on his leg are out of date.” 

“ He has a developing hang nail on his right foot.” After that the fae backed up and a report was in the iron rank fae hand. “ You are in very good health. Some minor grooming and attentive care is needed.” She then lifts to another page. “ That is unusual. You have three love rings.” Jake looked to his side where the fae was. “ Love rings?” The fae ignores him and continues with the report as Redstern steps into his boxers and raises them again. “ What about you commander? Are you going to be examined?” Jake was about to say something but the fae handed the report on Redstern to another. “ He is correct. It is protocol to examine those with advanced ddd every visit.” Jake sighs as Redstern smirked and turned his back. “ Those too.”

After the public exams Jake and Redstern were led by Tunder to a nearby table with seats. “ Let us get to business Tunder. First off the trial you mentioned for my apprentice.” Tunder grabs a cup of tea and drinks from it. “ It is impolite to talk business before your first cup.” Jake tensed up then sighs as he grabs the cup of tea and drinks from it. Redstern grabs a cup in front of him before sniffing it. “ This is wilcon. I can not drink it. I have.” He stops seeing the two looking at him. “ Stop being impolite.” Redstern lowered his shoulders. “ Commander if I drink it I will die. Last time I drank wilcon I threw up blood for three days.” Jake sighed as he put the cup down. “ I did not need that image in my head Redstern.” Redstern lowered even further. “ Commander!” 

The fae giggles. “ It is all right. We have other tea. Will a red grass tea be fine?” Redstern raised up again. “ Yes, please.” Jake almost smiled as picked up his cup again. “ As I was saying he has little subtlety but he is a fast learner and is open to change.” The fae lowers her cup of tea. “ I can see that. Takes on you very well.” Redstern got distracted by the new cup of tea to miss that but Jake took another drink. “ I am presuming that you want him to do the same thing I did?” The fae puts her cup back on the table. “ This is correct. You done this within ten days. If he wants to be a worthy successor to you he must at least match this.”

Redstern entered the fae town alone after following the town for several miles after coming threw another dimensional portal. He was kind of excited to be on his first trial of becoming an ambassador. He had ten days to find someone that would speak for him without regret or fear of repercussions. All his gear was taken away except his daily wears and his samurai sword as well a small sum of worlds standard money to last him. As he entered the town he noticed the fae people were hard workers. “ Busy as bees as the Terrans say.” he said to himself as he walked up the street to a tavern and inn. He found it completely empty except for a barkeep and he moved to him. “ A wondering dragon. Not seen one of those in some time. Come in, come in and what will you have.” 

The fae welcomed Redstern to a seat and he took it. “ I seek rooming for ten days and meals for those days.” The fae paused. “ I am sorry but we are mostly booked. Only thing I have is a shed out back for that duration.” Redstern went to his bag and got out a few pieces of crystalline bits and put them on the counter. “ Will this cover it?” The fae looked at them and paused. “ A bit of advise. You should get out of town as soon as possible.” Redstern paused seeing the fae not taking the bits. “ Only ten days. After that you may never see me again.” The bartender sighed. “ This will cover the rooming but you got to get your own meals.” Redstern nods understanding.

It had been three days and Redstern did not understand why the bartender was not wanting him to stay around. She seemed a fair fae as most of those in the town. They were peaceful and hard working. Instead of being idle after the first day Redstern asked the barkeeper if there was any work to be done and she directed him to the fire wood he was chopping. “ Seven days left.” He kept thinking as the fae were trusting but he never got to the point of asking them to help him with something. He just chopped the last piece when he was coming in threw the inn rear entrance but stopped with the door only an inch open as he heard a bottle crash and some yelling. After the incident with the first time he met the thunder lord he had been working on his ease dropping. “ You call that wine! You cheap piece of scum.” 

Redstern listened as three other fae were raiding the cabinet behind the bar. The barkeep fae was on the other side. He felt he could take the four in surprise but there was no telling how many more were outside in town or what situation he would put them in. After some mockery and drinking the four fae left and Redstern waited another minute to hear transports taking off before going inside and grabbing a cloth. “ Thank you for not intervening.” Redstern grabs a cloth and wipes the fresh scar on her forehead. “ Who are they and where can I find them?” The fae grabs his forearm. “ They are a small band of bandits. We went to the local governor but every time soldiers are here they do not come back till they are gone and they punish us for it.” Redstern looked toward the doorway. He could hear other fae outside crying or protesting angry. “ Where are they?” The fae saw it in Redstern's eyes. He was going to deal with them one way or another.

It took a full day for Redstern to get to and find the bandit hideout in the side of a cliff. He could tell the entire clan of thieves were there by the number of wagons and lizard steeds in the pin. He looked around and saw outside in one area young fae were taken to the area and Redstern saw one of the young fae took a stick and swinging it wildly. Redstern saw promise of a swordsman in the swings as well. He held off three mocking him before their numbers and patience overwhelmed him. Redstern noticed they were going to kill him and he acted by diving off the cliff and drawing his sword.

At first the young fae did not realize what was going on. All he saw was the other three bandits beating on him. But the sound of death screams soon stopped the beating and he raised up to find a red fire dragon in knight form taking down the raiders one by one with speed and skill. By the time the three beating on him turned to join the defense it was too late as the first fell as he brought out a dagger. The other two soon after as their strikes were dodged then lethally countered. He took his stick back to defend himself and the dragon looked at him and matched his pose. This time the dragon did not strike toward a fae but more showing slowly the proper move. After each strike the dragon returned to the stance and nods. After the young fae got a hold of the moves the dragon went to one of the fallen fae and picked up a small sword and a key. He put them on the ground before entering the raider stronghold.

“ What is your name?” The young fae asked while sitting in the driver seat of a wagon as the dragon pulled it in his natural form. The dragon kept moving as he spoke. “ I am Wilcon the Redstern. Striker assault class dragon.” The fae put his hands between his legs where he had his feet bottoms together. “ Wilcon the Redstern!” He said amazed. He had never seen a dragon before. The dragon continued to move at a steady pace. “ You have questions?” 

The fae raised up with a million questions on his mind but stops to one. “ Why did you help us?” The dragon stops and looks back behind him. Behind the fae in the driver seat there was over two dozen other fae sleeping soundly. “ I have a sense for the code of the worlds and a taste for honor. Whatever reason why you were there you did not deserve it. I know this in my heart.” The dragon started pulling the wagon again. “ It is an injustice to see young ones unhappy as you were. It is the duty of those strong to keep from this from happening. I see potential for you to be strong. Do you want me to teach you how to have strength to keep this from happening again?” The fae looked at the sword at his side. With it he felt the power to be his own. “ Yes!”

Jake entered the town with a contingent of fae warriors. He knew they were his escort and to keep an eye on him in case anything happens. As he walked down the street he could tell the town was recovering from a very big party. Banners and party debris was in the street and being cleaned up by young fae. In fact he noticed everywhere there was young fae helping out older fae. Knowing their society this seemed strange. He comes to the towns only place for room renting and enters to find it was an even bigger mess than the streets. In the middle of the tavern was three tables for a base for another one and on top of it was a chair with Redstern sitting in it asleep. A couple young fae were cleaning as well. All except one who had a real sword training himself to properly using it. The young fae did not notice the new visitors till Jake walked up to him. “ Young one.” 

The fae almost lost balance and turned quickly and defensively to the one in white armor. For a moment Jake thought he saw Redstern looking back at him. “ Young one what happened here?” The fae kept his stance. “ The commander says it is rude to ask questions before introducing themselves.” Jake could not help but laugh. “ I am Ambassador Jake.” He then points to Redstern. “ His commander.” The fae backed away a step. “ Bosses boss?” The fae then lowered his sword and put it in the casing like Redstern's samurai sword. “ I am Tinkle Turn. Student to the hero dragon Redstern, my savior.” Jake smirked to himself as the fae went on.

Redstern looked sorry to the crowd of young fae that had gathered around. They each were teary eyed seeing him having to go. “ But boss.” Redstern kept a stern face. “ Six rules to live by. What are they?” The young fae straitened up. “ Rule one: You do not work, you do not eat.” “Next?” The fae faces became a little clearer of tears as they spoke in union. “ Rule two: We do not look down on others, only up.” “ Next?” “ Rule three: There is no such thing is I can't, only when and how.” “Next?” The fae started straitening up. “ Rule four: Those older teach the younger, those younger help the older to become strong.” A tear left Redstern's eye. “ Next?” “ Rule five: Young should never cry unhappy. There should be only tears of happiness.” Redstern was barely containing himself. “ And finally?” The over two dozen fae were speaking in unison and were standing proudly. “ Rule six: Respect is key.” Redstern was barely keeping his emotions in check as he put his right hand to his left shoulder and bowed slightly and the fae in front of him returned it.

Episode 20- the tribe of water

As Jake and Redstern left the gateway to the fae world Redstern became surprised to find that he was on an island in the middle of a sea. “ I thought we were going home commander?” Jake looked around and found a naval bell hanging from a post and moved to it. “ I never said that. I have work to do still.” Jake rings the bell and almost instantly water tribe dragons started leaping out of the water and landing on the beach. Each of them landed on their feet and ready for a fight. Redstern was half ready to grab his sword but did not because Jake did not go for his thunder blade. Suddenly one of the trident wielders moved forward and her helm retracted showing a young female. “ I was not told of a second.” Jake retracted his own helm and Redstern does the same. “ Your ambassador should have given you a message parcel having further orders. Open it now.” 

As their squad leader brought out the parcel those surrounding them started speaking. The topic was the fire tribe dragon. After a minute the commander binds the parcel together in anger and throws it on the ground before stepping on it. “ Is this her way of making fun of me. I'll make that wench pay.” After a moment she stops her grinding of her orders and looks at the two. “ You expect me to expose my warriors to this male runt?” Redstern looked at Jake annoyed. “ Commander, you didn't put me into another situation did you?” Jake smirked. “ On the fae world you learned of justice, here you are to learn of compromise.” The squad leader looked at Redstern angry. “ Who said I would even take on this assignment. I have the right to refuse any assignment. I do not see a benefit to the tribe in me taking him into my squad.” 

Jake sighed. “ Your cooperation is dependent on your tribes slot in the tournament of worlds happening in three months. Even if you trade the slot to another tribe and sacrifice the next found neutral world that is the prize that slot will become void and whatever traded for will be demanded returned by the code as well as extra.” The squad commander swallowed hard. The mention of the code gave her an idea. “ Yet by the very code I can not take a subordinate unless he is worthy. No matter the order from above I must obey the code and if he is found unworthy by the code no repercussions will be had on my tribe.” 

Jake sighs again. “ This is also true. He must be worthy of your ranks in order to appease the overall objective. Feel free to test him now.” Redstern moved away from Jake. He knew a fight was about to start. The squad commander signaled for two to engage him and he had his sword drawn and used the back side to hit their armors at the waist while dodging their tridents. “ Thunder slash.” The squad almost seemed to laugh but his skill did not escape her eyes. They might have seen only the strikes on their fronts but she did notice the strikes on their backs as well. If this was a real fight the frontal slashes might have proven fatal but the second strikes ensured it. As the two were about to engage him again she called out. “ Hold.”

The squad leader looked at Redstern in his ready stance. He was one of many skills she determined. “ Before we begin, what is your name?” Redstern shifted his weight slightly to match her stance to counter his. “ I am Wilcon the Redstern, my friends call me Redstern.” She became surprised slightly by him having a type of tea for his first name. Making it less surprising to her why he uses his second. “ I am Typhoon the Atlantis, fourth in line and daughter to the Water Lord.” Redstern became a little surprised before lowering his stance and beginning. He went for her and used his sword to intercept the trident. 

As he thought she tried to make him lose grip on it but he kept it firm and made the trident buckle and twist in her grip. After a moment she backed away. It became obvious to her that she could not beat him with reach. Then she started hearing a chant. She smirked and she launched herself forward again. Again his blade went in between the pikes of the trident and she brought it down with force as she undid the end of her trident to reveal a hidden blade and started bringing it to bare to him. He let go of one hand of his sword and started bringing it up when she heard the Terran chanting as well. “ Sagas Ajn Husu Redstern. Remember the lesson that brought you to the Terran world in the first place. Sagas Ajn Husu.”

She stopped before reaching his neck and his gauntlet blade appeared to be hanging midair failing to block her blade but she looked at it in terror. “ A Gwert Fopot Redstern.” The squad commander sneered as she withdrew her blade and got her trident out of the ground. Redstern wiped the blade of his sword on a hanging cloth from his empty side before sheathing his sword. “ He will be my lieutenant and second in command.”

Jake left Redstern to their care as they traveled under the water. The water tribe were natural in the water with their naturally slimmer physique and lack of wings while Redstern had to go slow and restlessly. Soon they came to an underwater cavern entrance and Redstern climbed to the surface exhausted slightly and eager to get out of the water. One of the warriors that landed out of the water on their feet slapped him with their tail. “ Weak fire tribal.” Redstern struggled to get to his feet a moment before finding the squad leader looking at him disappointed. “ You have never swam such a distance before have you?” 

Redstern shook his head. “ No sir, my training is based on land and in air combat. My rank marks will tell you more quicker.” She nods and Redstern transforms to his natural form and shows her his side where a series of tattoos were. She moved her hand beside the first mark showing the fire tribe mark then that of a low rank striker. His next mark was that of the Terran Union and was the symbol of a national and then that of a trainee. This explained he was exiled from his tribe and earned his right to be a Terran and being trained for something else. The next set was the mark of the thunder tribe and then that of the ambassador. 

Then the mark of the fae and the ambassador again. She became quite surprised realizing what he was now. “ You are the next Terran ambassador!” Redstern looked back at her. “ Yes, my commander sent me on this training to not only build my own relations with other worlds but also understand what it means to be an ambassador. At first I thought it was to be a representative of the Terrans but I think that it is much more now.” She backs away and Redstern transforms back to his knight form. “ I see. So that is why my older sister threw you in with me.” She then turned her back to him. “ Lieutenant your introduction cost us our morning training. I expect you to get the names of my warriors memorized by this evenings training.” Redstern straitened up. “ Yes, squad leader.”

After the training Redstern sat beside of Typhoon and she looked at a report as she ate. “ I must say I am surprised in seeing you understand advance squad tactics.” Redstern looked at her and goes to his wrist. The unit opened a menu of items and Redstern crystalline based cards synthesized in front of him on the table. Three decks appear in front of him. “ These are my cards of the king stand game. Care to take a look?” She nods and picks up the first deck. It was full of striker warriors and striker based equipment. The cards accurately depict the average thought of a striker. It however had signs of higher strategy depicted when she looked at the next pile of cards of spells and abilities. Whoever made the cards had a clear understanding of what they was making. The last pile were more random and largely assorted. About half way threw it she finds a curious card. “ This is a card of me.” Redstern looks over her shoulder and it was a super rare card of Typhoon, protector of the royal nests. Redstern pauses seeing the resemblance between her and the card. Then realized something. “ Wait, I'm not.” 

She looked at him a little surprised. “ You did not know that this is the water tribe royal nesting grounds?” Redstern shook his head. “ My trial with the fae I was needing to earn the trust of a fae that would be willing to give their life for me. My trial here is not as clear cut. My lesson however is. I need to learn compromise.” Typhoon sighs. “ My sister is a pain but I understand why she chose me. With all the action of the neutral talks, possible rebellion of war mongers and even rogue elements. This is the safest place for you to be trained.” She noticed Redstern tensed up. After a moment he relaxes. “ May I ask you something?” Typhoon starts looking threw the cards again. “ What is it?” Redstern grabs his army deck and grabs his go to commander. Then shuffles his magic cards and draws five. “ Why did you make me a lieutenant? I've never had an officer rank before.” 

Typhoon looked at him surprised but a little like a fool. “ It takes experience to be an effective officer, if given the chance I am sure you would do fine. In truth I have been needing a second in command for some time. It is hard for me to find anyone I can trust and with skill to meet the demand of the position.” Redstern looks down to the game he was playing with himself. He picked up the senior rapid striker he was using as a commander. “ I have played over a hundred games with these cards. In real contests of the game. Games that were serious, I have lost every game.” She did not look surprised. “ It does not surprise me. I know my level. Compared to me your general is very weak. In the water tribe we substitute young leaders with senior support staff that can handle the troubles of their inexperienced leader.” Redstern looked at the cards in her hand. She was right. The strikers are an advanced deck that support a senior commander. Until he gets that commander he needs. “ What do you suggest I do then?” Typhoon looks threw the cards in her hand and picks out a few. “ I would suggest you add these to your army forces and take out...”