Chapter 332: Questions for Queens

“So, when I said a few, I wasn’t thinking that a couple hundred is what you heard.”

Max shrugged, as he helped pick up the purple gems that lay scattered all over the road.

“Well, when I realized they couldn’t really hurt me, I started running through the trees and plants. Then I got lost, not because I didn’t know where I was but because it didn’t seem anywhere I went was the way I wanted to go. So then I used some of my walls to climb upward, rode an ice spear into the air, saw the yellow brick road, and came back to it.”

“Sounds normal,” Fowl scoffed. “I just flew around the sky on my ice spear.”

Everyone laughed as their dwarf mimicked Max and made flying motions.

“Anyways, I ran around collecting a few more monsters when that large group came out of the sides. That’s when I brought them all here and killed them.”

“Yes… killed them… or perhaps the words ‘eradicated them’ would be better,” Cordellia said. “I could feel the power of that storm you summoned. Ice and lightning… that’s a brutal combination.”

“Still, we know we can defeat them, which means eventually Everett will be happy as we climb up the tower.”

A few grunts came from their healer and ranger as both continued picking up the purple gems.

When they finally finished, they moved to the portal and exited.

***

“I’m sorry, sir, but the queens are not seeing anyone without an appointment.”

Max stood there, ignoring the fact there were about twenty guards all in full armor standing outside the closed gate that led to the palace.

“Did you tell them I was here? I’m certain they are going to make an exception.”

The young man’s whole body shook as he faced Max.

“Yes… they were informed. I uh…” He paused, turning to look at the other guards, who all were behind him, none meeting his eyes as they stared at the ground near their feet. “They sent word they were busy.”

Sighing, Max crossed his arms slowly, doing what he could to not frighten those tasked with a job it appeared none wished to have right now.

“Listen…”

“Keaton, sir.”

“Keaton… I’m going to go in there and talk with them. I promise you that unless they attempt to attack me, I won’t attack them. That said, I would rather not have to fight anyone today. I’ve done enough killing these last few months to make me not want to kill anyone. Do you understand?”

The man nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat, both of his brown eyes somehow able to see as he blinked every second or two.

“I… I understand, sir… it’s just we have orders and…”

“Do you think you could stop me?”

The young guard shook his head.

“Will you try to stop me?”

Keaton glanced at the others behind him and saw that none of them were moving.

“Perhaps… you could find another way in? One that doesn’t require me to see you go in?”

Unable to help it, Max roared with laughter, watching the young man force a smile as he did.

“You deserve a promotion. Very well. I shall leave for now. You men be safe.”

With that, Max turned and moved away from the palace hearing the breaths leave the lungs of all the men who had been holding it in for so long.

***

“How… how did you get in here?!”

Max watched as the two queens rose from their thrones, each of them trembling as one shouted at him.

“Queen Molly? Right?”

“Yes! Still how did you get past our guards?! Surely you must know—”

Max covered the twenty yards that had been between him and the pair in a second, watching as twins both fell back into their thrones, the dresses that were made of fine fabric smashed under their bodies.

“We can play this game, but trust me,” Max growled as he pointed a finger at each of them, “you do not want to do that. I came here in good faith to tell you what I have learned, where I have been, and what is going to change.”

[ You have resisted an effect ]

He could sense the power coming from Molly, and he turned on her. Stone from the floor began to rise up, shaping themselves into blades.

“Do not try that again, or I will make you suffer for it, do you understand?!”

Her head bobbed, and her eyes lost the glow they had.

“You two are fools,” Max said as he took a step back, ignoring the guards who were unable to move, their feet bound in the stone of the floor. “Tell me, when did you order the hunter Ezreal to kill me? And do not lie. I have a talent for sniffing that out.”

Both women glanced at the other, and for the first time Max saw they now knew who he really was.

Macy’s shoulders tightened, and it appeared she couldn’t speak as her body drew into itself. Her head immediately began to sweat.

Molly was blinking rapidly, and her lips and chin trembled for a moment.

“You… the black skill…”

“Is that a question or a statement?”

Macy nodded.

“We… we didn’t know that was you… We hired Ezreal after word reached us of a black skill holder… Phaius came… wanted to ensure—”

“Phaius himself came and told you to kill me?”

Macy glanced at her sister, who was still trembling, not having said anything.

I assumed he would want me captured… but dead?

“Did he know how I got the skill?”

“We’re… not sure. That is beyond what he shares,” Macy replied. “Rarely does he come. When he does it is not pleasant.”

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Strumming his lip with a finger, Max tried to work through what he was learning.

“So you ordered my death before the incident with the elves?”

Both women seemed able to work their neck muscles as their heads bobbed up and down.

A lot of the rage he had felt left him knowing, neither had done this out of anything but fear of the god that ruled this world.

It’s hard to blame them if they were forced to act, but still…

Then another question he had wondered came.

“What do you do with the boys and girls you label as unskilled?”

“I’m… I’m sorry, what?” Molly said with a stutter.

“When the crystal during Choosing Day is red, clear, or black, what do you do with the boys and girls?”

She grimaced, pulling her lips inside her mouth as she began to chew on them, ruining the red makeup with each bite.

“They… they are transferred or removed.”

“Transferred? How? Why?”

Neither spoke, and Max grew impatient as the two sat there, their lips not working at all.

“Are you bound by an oath to not talk about this?”

Both nodded, groaning from some pain, it appeared, as they did.

“I don’t suppose you can tell me by who?”

Neither said a word or moved beyond the same lip chewing motion as before.

“Well, ogre nuts… that isn’t what I want to find out…”

Max began to move from the pair, retreating a few feet, and paced the floor of the room. After a minute, he paused and looked at them.

“The noble I killed in the arena. Alfred. Was he born with the skill he had?”

Macy’s whole body trembled but she attempted to talk.

“Nooooooooo.”

It sounded like a pained howl, but he heard the word as clear as day.

“Someone gave him that skill.”

“Please… don’t ask these questions… we… we cannot…”

Max watched as the pair both fought to breathe, almost feeling sorry for the pain it appeared they were in.

This must be how Everett would feel if he tried to talk about it. Just how painful is this binding?

“Fine. I’ll solve this myself. For now, you two listen to me and make sure that I don’t have to repeat myself. Do you understand?”

Both of them nodded, able to breathe with apparent ease at knowing he wasn’t going to ask another question about the skills.

“Do not ever try to hurt me, my Faction, or anyone I call a friend. If you do, I’ll come here and end your lives in a moment. Trust me, I don’t want the chaos that would bring, but I will not tolerate anyone hurting those I love. Do you understand?”

“You would dare—”

Macy leaned over and slapped her sister.

“Quiet! Don’t be stupid!”

Nursing her cheek, eyes red and glaring at her twin, Molly frowned.

“We accept. We will do nothing to get in your way or your Faction. As we mentioned at the arena, we desire to not have that conflict.”

Max nodded at Macy, seeing how the usually quieter sister chose to temper her tone.

“Good. Now then, one last thing. I’m going to be gone for a while. Don’t think I won’t return. Nothing will keep me from this place. Do you understand?”

Macy gave a curt nod as her sister sat on her throne, shaking with what Max assumed was anger at her sister.

“Then I shall take my leave,” he said, returning the stone blades to their original spot and smoothing out the floor to how it had once been, never needing to look at them, thanks to his Sonar. “Remember, I don’t like bullies, Queen Molly.”

With that said, he gave the tiniest bow he could.

[ Waypoint Activated ]

Max smiled as one moment he was standing before the twins, and the next he was looking out at the courtyard, watching a half dozen Faction members practicing.

I wish you were here for that, Bob. Hurry up and evolve already.

***

“I’m going to miss you and your never-ending surprises,” Alfreda said as she gave Max a hug. “Now tell me, what do you have for me?”

Chuckling, Max motioned to Fowl, who unloaded a few drops that came from the hundreds of plants and creatures he had killed on the fifty-first floor.

A squeal of delight escaped the older woman’s lips as she moved to the stone table, picking up the items and inspecting them.

“These are some nice new additions, though I’m not sure why we had to use this room.”

Max grinned, and Tanila couldn’t hold the groan inside any longer.

Everett, Tom, and Alfreda turned to see Max wink at them before moving to the far end of the room.

“Stay over there. This might take a while, but I’m certain you’ll be excited.”

As he prepared to pull out the first item, Max paused and then shook his head.

“Wait a moment. Fowl, get the three of them a chair first, please.”

“I’ll be fine,” their trainer stated.

“No. No, you won’t,” Max replied.

Seeing the look on his face, all three took the chair offered to them.

“Is this one of the missing dining room chairs?” Everett asked as he studied it.

Without waiting any longer, Max began to pull dragon scale after dragon scale from his storage.

It had been so full, and while everyone in his party knew he had collected a bunch, he hadn’t shared exactly what that number was.

Soon two-thirds of the room was stacked with scales, silver, and gold, and over forty teeth were lying on the floor in piles.

Fowl had summoned another chair and was sitting on it, while Cordellia leaned against the stone table.

“By Ockrim’s beard, that’s… a dwarven king’s treasure room right there.”

Chuckling, Max continued his dispersal of items, dropping more of the goods he had pilfered from Igarra’s vault, things he knew he wouldn’t need for a while.

Finally when he was done, four-fifths of the room was packed with items piled up on the stone table and all over the floor.

“Kings… kingdoms would pay… no, they couldn’t pay for all this,” Everett said, his voice cracking twice.

“Max… this is too much.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“I’m not giving it all to you, Tom. I just need someone else to hold on to some of it. Eventually I’m going to need room in my storage space.”

“Dear boy,” Alfreda cried out, tears coming from her eyes, “you are the son I never had but wished I did!”

Everyone laughed as the older woman came and gave Max another hug.

“Hey, he’s already spoken for,” Tanila cried out.

“Bah, he’s young enough for two!”

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