Jeff was lounging at his house. The black-haired, eighteen-year-old looked around at the wooden floor and stone walls as he sat at the table on the left side of the entrance to the house, taking in the kitchen opposite of his seat with his oceanic teal eyes. While he idly thumbed his white shirt and wiped some dust off his grey pants or fussed over his short hair, he felt his impatience rising until the front door opened. Through it walked his love, the early 30s Annie. With near black, red hair and moles along her left eyes and neck, she turned her amber eyes to him. Those faint lines in her eyes showed her age even as her grey work dress showed off a little cleavage. Far too little for Jeff’s taste.

“Hey, sweety. It was a crazy day in the…”

“Babies,” Jeff proclaimed as he got up and approached her. She got a slight smile at the word but before she could say anything, Jeff took her soft pink lips and used the inch of height he had on her to force her up the wooden staircase to the left. Kissing and groping along the way, Annie couldn’t get a word in even as the door to their room opened and she was thrown to the bed on the right.

Jeff walked across the wooden floor and shut the white curtains, closing off the late-day sky beyond the window. Annie licked her pink lips in anticipation as Jeff proceeded to take off his shirt.

“Jeff, you seem quite pent up,” Annie teased with a raised eyebrow, “I wouldn’t have thought our play last night was lacking in that respect.”

“Babies,” He answered before he launched himself onto the bed as Annie gave a delighted squeal.

An hour or two later, Jeff laid naked beside his love. Both were panting and sweaty while Annie’s blouse was up around her hips and her top was…somewhere.

“Your mind has only held one thought these past two weeks. Which is good, can’t let anyone else think you belong somewhere else.” Annie playfully scolded as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“You’re damn right,” Jeff said, trying to keep a smug smile off his face as he wrapped his arms around her.

He had been a patient man, holding off on going through with it in light of one disaster or another. But Jeff’s patience was not unlimited and when he saw Annie comforting a crying child a while back, his blood, already hot for the act since he arrived at the academy, demanded at least one of his children on her hips. She had been resistant at first with one excuse or another, but Jeff found being a dumb brute about it made her far more pliable to his needs. Once she had stopped taking yook root, he squeezed every chance at reproductive access for all it was worth.

“You were talking about a crazy day at the office,” Jeff said as he idly pinched her left, pink nipple. Annie gave a small moan but didn’t try to stop him as she went over her day.

“They had us gathering up a bunch of papers and documents while the congressman’s aides went over them. I don’t know what happened, but that fat man has been positively deranged. Always mumbling to himself and pacing everywhere.”

Jeff planted another kiss on her lips as they both fell back into silence and enjoyed the rest of the day in the post-baby-making glow.

The morning came and they both went about their day, Annie to the office in the academy heads tower, and Jeff donned his blue and white robes before heading to the classroom towers. While he had officially graduated, necrosis meant he couldn’t leave the area cheaply. Not that he could even with all the money in the world. His connection with Eli had made him a target for kidnappings and there had already been one attempt on his person just two days before the quad mages rampage. That and the news that the two armies were now officially making landfall also did not give Jeff high hopes if he decided to leave the security of this abode. Like it or not, this was the safest place for him and his to be.

While he was at a table studying some books on herbs, a guard came telling him he has been summoned to the academy head's office. The whole trip back, Jeff could only concentrate on what the problem could be, but no answer came to mind. When he was back in the room with white and blue striped walls and wooden floors, Jeff got an idea of what the problem was.

Tansen was opposite of him with a few files laid out across his desk as the red-faced congressman on his left sucked in his thick lips while Agatha looked rather disappointed to the right. Strangely, the academy head lacked his typical aura of self-assurance. He seemed…thinner in spirit despite looking the same in his black kimono. Like a rag that was pulled too far apart and now had some rips in it. Most worryingly, was Annie standing to his left in a light blue top and dress that did little to hide the fact she seemed to be melting under the glow of the mana lamp in the center of the ceiling.

“Boy, you better have a fantastic explanation up your sleeve for this. And don’t bother lying, she told us everything.” The congressman said with a scowl as he rubbed his brown vest and white shirt before he adjusted his black pants. Agatha just shook her head while Tansen shot a murderous glance at the fat man.

“Jeff,” Agatha said, stepping forward with a whirl of her black work dress. “After a…” Agatha paled before coughing into a black-gloved hand, “After a certain incident, we went over the breeding stipends to see if Eli had any possible siring attempts that were missed or anyone who could have had any possible discreet meetings with him. Part of that process also involved looking over all of his friend's records. In exhaustive detail.”

The hair on the back of Jeff’s head stood straight up. Stealing a look at Annie, her panicked eyes and hard bite into her lip told him everything he needed to know.

“Jeff, is there something you or Annie would like to tell us?” Agatha said impatiently.

“Bah!” The congressman bellowed with a smug look as he stepped forward, “We already know about your game of playing with the records.”

“No money was taken!” Annie protested, “It was all put back into the appropriate places.”

The fat man drew himself up to his full height, about three inches taller than Annie, and put his hands to his hips as he approached.

“Damn the money! You over the hill wench have stolen a valuable mages seed for your own ambitions. More than that, it’s about the influence you’ve exerted on the quad mage.” He said before turning towards Tansen, “This rat's nest of an academy is up to its eyes in degenerates. People running around thinking they can avoid their responsibilities just because they have magic. Seeing as how Harold is dead, I’ll be mediating out the punishment as his temporary replacement.”

Jeff bit his lip as he looked pleadingly to Tansen and Agatha, who could only look on with sympathy. Annie, however, wasn’t going to take it without a fight.

“We haven’t had anything to do with Eli! You’re just looking for someone to blame for your failure.”

The next few seconds were a blur. Jeff briefly saw the fat hand slide across Annie’s face and her head pullback followed by the smell of burning flesh. Looking down, the lightning mage saw his blade of flame sticking into the now screaming man’s considerable thigh.

“AHH!” He screamed as he fell to the ground. The guards came running through the door behind Jeff. Agatha put a hand to her mouth while Tansen just rolled his brown eyes and took out a healing potion from his desk before getting up.

“Quit whining,” The academy head scolded as he handed the vial filled with red liquid to the frantic man. Annie gave Jeff an appreciative look before schooling herself into an emotionless statue. Once the big man gulped down the vial and had the hole in his side stop bleeding, he got up and turned his furious green eyes on Jeff before stalking up to him and getting right in his face.

“Don’t think that just because you’re the president’s son, you can assault me without consequences. You little shit stain on-“

“My most esteemed member of congress,” Tansen said with a bored tone as his black kimono swirled from him going back to his chair. “You threw the first blow. Think carefully before you talk of pressing charges.”

The man regarded Jeff coldly for a moment before pulling back and turning to Annie, this time with a ragged breathing and sweaty face.

“Be that as it may, I will be carrying out the sentencing. A whipping with banishment from these grounds. To be done after a quick look over by a judge tomorrow.”

He pushed between the two of them with a rough shove, leaving the four alone. Agatha shook her head in disappointment while Tansen seemed to regard the couple with warmth.

“Annie,” Agatha said in a light tone, “You know more than most what is required from male mages. What were you thinking?”

The redhead could only look down and offer no rebuttal. Agatha sighed and closed her blue eyes before opening them again.

“Well, come what may, you’ve both been good for this academy and its people. I hope this can come to a more agreeable conclusion than the main thorn in everyone’s side. Are you at least with Jeff’s child?”

Jeff was prepared for a quick no, but his heart ran faster and faster with every second of silence from Annie. After several seconds of biting her lip, she finally answered.

“I have been feeling slightly ill in the mornings, but my cycle is typically later this month so I’m not sure.”

Jeff was trying not to spin Annie in his arms as he had to force himself to stay still. Agatha and Tansen raised their eyebrows at that but quickly cooled their expressions before Tansen spoke.

“I’ll make sure he uses a smaller stick and avoids anywhere near the stomach. Now, the day is still young, and we have a lot we need to tend to. Goodbye.”

The couple quickly vacated the room and walked down the stairs. Jeff, through some miracle of self-restraint, didn’t react until they got home. He wasn’t entirely sure what happened, the second that thud of the door hit there was a lot of kissing, ‘I love you’ said over and over, and then heat and sweat. In the late afternoon, they were cuddling naked on the wooden kitchen floor as Jeff idly rubbed her stomach with the faint light that came through the curtains of the window above the sink. Annie snorted as he moved his head further down to put his ear against her womb.

“Jeff, even if I’m pregnant, that’s not going to be a thing for months yet.” She said with a raised eyebrow.

“I know. It’s just… I’m going to be a father,” He said, his eyes lighting up like the stars on a black winter night. Annie just smiled before she took his head in her hands and pulled him up for a kiss. After that, she made sure to hold him in place and look him straight in the eyes.

“Possibly. Tomorrow, I want you at the classroom towers.”

Jeff bit his lower lip and couldn’t meet her eyes, but she grabbed his slight chin and forced him to meet her gaze.

“Sweety, it will be far easier for me if I know you aren’t there to suffer with me. Afterward, they’ll send me southward. I know there aren’t any of the carriages properly built for transport available for a few days. So, I want you back here late in the afternoon to comfort me but…please, just leave for the morning. Promise me.” She asked with a tear in her eye. Jeff wiped it away with his thumb. He couldn’t bear to say a word, so he left his response to a simple nod.

Andrew was staying at the classroom towers and would return late the day after Annie’s punishment. He took the incident with Veronica’s arm to heart and now only crafted under direct supervision. Left to their idle fancies, Jeff and Annie indulged themselves in all the pleasures of the flesh with good meals and better company.

Sadly, that day had to pass and the next one came as it always did.

Jeff left in the early morning as Annie was sent off with two guards. There was a moment when he stopped as she left the front porch that he wanted to run out and give her a final kiss and hug goodbye, but he shook his head and headed out to the local carriages. She didn’t want him nearby when she was going to be publicly whipped, and he would honor that wish.

Jeff spent the rest of the morning perusing books and even saw Andrew talking with a few girls during his perusing. He knew Agatha would start grilling him on starting siring, but she at least seemed content to wait until after the punishment had been handed out. That pride he had as a man was irritated at Annie taking all of the blame, but the truth was that she was doing it without his knowledge for a while and they had gotten the whole story out of her before he could do anything to shoulder the burden.

When Jeff decided that the day had gone on long enough, the grey cast sky not doing anything to help him in keeping track of time, he headed back and took off down the main road in a steel-clad carriage. As he was walking along the path from the carriage station to the academy on the cold winter day, he overheard three workers gossiping behind him.

“Man, what an ass she had. Even with the red marks he put on her.”

“Yeah. Though that fat fellow seemed more angry than aroused.”

A huff was what Jeff had to say to that as he kept his eyes staring forward while his knuckles whitened. The small chorus of ‘hmm's only made Jeff’s blood boil as he tried to not run ahead, instead forcing himself to slow down to hear the rest.

“I disagree. He seemed a bit too joyful when he hit some parts of her. Barely touched her back or legs, the perv.”

Not able to stand the light chuckles behind himself anymore, Jeff ran home at a full sprint. His blood boiling and his short black hair getting sweaty, he quickly moved through the black gate and was going up to his house until a guard stopped him halfway.

“You’re requested at the academy head’s office.”

Jeff stopped and puckered his lips, but didn’t say anything as he was lead back up the main tower, when he arrived, it was only Tansen at his desk and Agatha on the right. Annie’s absence was immediately apparent, and Jeff could only bite his lips as he took in the nervous looks of the two major figures of the academy.

“Jeff, we need to talk.”

The lightning mage took a deep breath before he stepped forward with a scowl.

“I heard a lot on the way back. That lecherous fuck stripped her? Put her out there for everyone to see in broad fucking daylight. Am I missing anything?” He half screamed towards the end. His oceanic eyes had a feral look to them as he shook his fists.

Tansen put up both hands in mock surrender.

“Aye, lad. It’s going to be looked into by Rand. The congressman has been remanded to a special dorm far from the students while Rand tries to sort out what happened. Our esteemed representative did strip her, but we will need to look over the punishment ordered in detail. It is entirely possible this was a legally allowed punishment, especially for someone interfering in the siring of a dual mage. Once we get her back-“

“Back?!” Jeff demanded with a jerk of his head, “Where is she now?”

Agatha gave a scolding look to Tansen, who had the good graces to turn over control of the conversation to her. Which she gracefully accepted with a cough.

“Jeff. She was immediately sent south after her punishment.”

He stared at her for a moment, blinking as his mind tried to process what she was saying.

“But… how did a safe transport open up? I heard they were all reserved for days.” He asked as he looked between the two of them.

“There wasn’t one available. She was sent in a simple wooden carriage.”

Jeff’s mouth soundlessly moved as his mind tried to comprehend what she said. But before he could say anything, Tansen cut back in.

“When we heard about it, we sent out a raven to the military base south of here. They should be sending her back later today.”

The dual mage stood there looking between them before giving a light bow and walking out the door. He barely paid attention to the messengers he passed along the stairs or out the entrance of the tower, nor did he pay much mind to the peasants going about their day as he walked down the cold main road and over the bridge to the wall and line of pyres. None paid him much mind as he sat on a pile of bricks to the left of the main gate, awaiting Annie’s return. His appearance was like a dog eagerly awaiting its master, or a tender man waiting eagerly for the return of his true love, depending on how sympathetic the passerby was to heartache.

After an hour, several guards were rushing in and out of the main gate that seemed out of place with the regular patrols. When some came back, there were a few tidbits he could hear from the guards as they went to inform the local captain at the left side of the camp by the ever-burning pyres.

“What were they thinking?”

“-Not fit to take out.”

Gathering up his nerves, Jeff left his spot and approached the white feather man in metal shoulder pads and leather armor.

“Good sir,” Jeff said respectfully.

There was a flash of irritation in the captain's brown eyes before he saw that he was addressing a mage. With the knowledge of who he was addressing, the captain's rough features cooled as he gave a slight nod.

“To what do I owe the pleasure, master mage?” He said respectfully.

“There was a regular transport with a woman on it. Have you gotten some news about it?”

He nodded and sucked in his lips.

“Aye. The whole thing got destroyed by a pack of undead wolves and humans. Told those fuckers it was a bad idea but-“

Jeff’s reddening face and hard breathing told the captain all he needed to know. Realizing what the mage was doing here, the captain coughed into a leather glove and changed tact.

“We haven’t gotten word back on the driver or the passenger. I’ll personally tell you what happened when we know exactly where she is.”

Jeff just stood still for a moment before he turned back towards the main gate. The air was nothing but the smell of ash and death, but for the first time Jeff didn’t notice and he stood still as a statue by the main road leading out into the wastes of the world. It was a good half hour later when the captain came by with his helmet tucked under his arm.

“Lad… The short of it is, there were no survivors. The bodies were either dragged off or re-animated into the undead. While the driver-“

Jeff took off in a whirl of blue and white striped robes. His mind was as clear as an unmoving lake as he sprinted straight for the academy tower, though his ears pounded from the sheer high of adrenaline coursing through his veins. Running past tradesmen and housewives going about their day, Jeff ran through the academy’s wide double-doored entrance and straight up the tower stairs. Running past the secretary’s desk, he went through the open door and saw a few of the Ember association mages in red robes and leather on the left. On the right was a regular guard speaking with Tansen.

When they all turned to him, he got the distinct feeling that the subject of their discussion had just arrived.

“Jeff,” Tansen said with a note of finality and a sympathetic look.

“Where is that fat fucker?” Jeff demanded through gritted teeth.

“Jeff, there is a procedure to things,” Tansen warned.

“Oh?” Jeff asked with a raised eyebrow, “It seems like Eli got to the good part rather quickly.”

The academy head sighed before sitting straighter.

“And he will suffer the consequences of that in time. Now, you will be detained to the scion housing section for the time being until an investigation of events can be conducted.”

Jeff puffed out his chest until the stomp of steel-clad boots came up the stairs behind him. Rand, the tan-skinned man with a brown mustache and green eyes, walked up the staircase with a detachment of guards.

“Lad, we’ve had one too many rampaging magicians as is. Come quietly and I promise I will see to things to the fullest extent of the law.”

The ember members ahead of Jeff also got closer. For a bitter moment, Jeff considered how Eli wouldn’t have had to fight this battle. If Jeff had Eli’s reputation for cruelty and brutality, the guards would never dare put Annie on that damned carriage. Cursing the world under his breath, Jeff went downstairs with his entourage in tow.

While he remained calm on the outside, he was raving at the world on the inside, though the words were little more than letters punctuated with bouts of rage.

Even so, he went down the tower stairs with a stiff upper chin and air of detachment. Even as he went through the gates and up to his two-story house of plain wood walls and stone columns, he said not a word to anyone. Going through the plain wood door, he went left and sat at the table. Those oceanic eyes took in the contours of the wood wall grain for a few minutes or hours, Jeff couldn’t be bothered to keep track.

At some point, the sun had gotten low and sent rays of golden light through the windows as his red-headed brother came home. Andrew rubbed his strong cheekbones as he walked through the door with his student robes still on before he turned his surprised ocean eyes on Jeff. He didn’t say anything at first, instead, he walked over and sat on Jeff’s left with not a sound made except for the scrape of the chair.

“How were the classroom towers?” Jeff asked, with a calm voice while he stared blankly ahead.

“They….Um… I was sent back here to be with you.” Andrew said with a look of confusion on his face as he looked Jeff up and down. They were both surprised and disturbed at how emotionless Jeff seemed, but the truth was that Jeff was left with a huge gaping void in his mind as he tried to process all that he had and now lost. No emotion could be wiggled out of that expanse of nothingness even as he sat there and stared at a wood wall all day.

“That’s just great Andrew. Were you able to get ahead on your crafting skills?” Jeff asked with a bored tone.

“Yeah…Until I stopped to listen to a rumor about Eli.”

Jeff snapped his head to look Andrew right in the eyes. The redhead jerked back in surprise but kept his composure as Jeff finally got a look of genuine interest.

“What miracle has the wonder of the world graced us with now?” Jeff asked with a subtle note of bitter sarcasm.

Andrew bit his lip for a moment before speaking.

“That he mated with orcs.”

Jeff snorted, remembering all too well the word of the rumor mill around the trial, but Andrew shook his head.

“Not an accusation, a confession. Some people are saying he flat-out admitted it in front of the whole hearing. Leaned back like he was lounging on a couch and talking about dinner like it was nothing.”

There was a long moment as the two brothers stared at each other until Jeff finally spoke up.

“Good.”

Andrews's red eyebrows shot up, but Jeff continued without a care in the world to what he was saying or how it would be received.

“I hope he fucked a thousand orcs.”

“Jeff!” Andrew scolded with a slam on the table with his right hand. “That’s disgusting!”

“Oh, who cares?!” Jeff said with a hiss of pure anger, his face finally getting some color, “Eli can do whatever the fuck he wants. Kill who he wants to kill, bed who he wants to bed, and destroy whatever is in his path. He could turn this whole town into a mass of burning slag in a single afternoon if it struck his fancy.

When he has his orc spawn running around, maybe then the people who run this shit heap of a country will finally feel some of the pain they’ve inflicted.”

“He can do whatever he wants?” Andrew demanded, getting up from his chair. “His wife being off who knows where would disagree with that.”

Jeff furrowed his eyebrows as he felt a snarl steal over his face.

“Aye. But do you think anyone in this town would kill her? Do you think that if that goat woman was the one who was ordered to be put in that unsafe carriage, the guards wouldn’t have quit on the spot? The central government still has a big dick about it, but everyone who has to actually be near him wouldn’t dare hurt him or his people after he massacred Central Enforcement and Flood’s wrath.”

“You’re living in a fantasy of what could have been. Besides, what will happen to him afterward? You’re looking at his situation before it's even finished. He has the obligations that will be forced out of him, one way or another. For all his power, Eli isn’t going to get a happy ending with his goat woman because we all need to breed mage children. It’s an obligation you’ve managed to avoid so far, but Agatha will start pressing you on it after the grieving period has passed. We all know what needs to be done. Eli knows it and Annie knew it. It’s just… shit is what it is, Jeff.”

Jeff stood straight up with the color draining from his face as the chair fell back.

“Well, at least Eli got to say FUCKING GOODBYE!” Jeff screamed at the top of his lungs before he turned to the left and out the door. He didn’t know quite where he was going as he moved over the cold snow and the hit of winter air was ignored. That was until he came up to the big stone house with its cave-like entrance. The guards let him in, as his restriction was only to stay in the scion housing area.

“Eli!” Jeff called as he looked to the room on the left with the big bed, which was empty.

“Jeff?” Eli called back, sounding a bit confused. His voice was carrying from up the staircase directly ahead. Which he promptly ran up with dark stone walls continued the cave motif. Looking to his right, Jeff saw Eli at a desk through an open door. On it were several books and maps, but Eli’s purple eyes were looking up from the map in his hands and towards Jeff as the late day sun shined through the window on the left.

Jeff walked forwards over the dark oak floorboards with no idea of what he was going to say as he crossed into the threshold of the room. Before he could figure it out, he just unloaded on Eli. The flood of incoherent gibberish poured from his mouth as tears finally fell down his face for a solid minute. He didn’t know how or when, but Jeff felt a hand on his shoulder as he was moved around. When he was coherent again, he found himself sitting to the right of Eli in a chair as the quad mage squeezed his shoulders and looked at him with pity.

“All right, Jeff. Do you feel like you can tell me what’s going on now?” He asked with a gentle tone. His jaw, now visible from the lack of a mask, had an odd quiver to it that spoke of extreme discomfort. Whatever his internal struggle, Eli pushed it down as he waited for Jeff to talk. After a few more seconds, Jeff finally ordered his thoughts.

“They killed her. Annie. I fucking loved that woman and they killed her.”

“How?” Eli asked with a raise of a silver eyebrow, “And why? She didn’t seem like the type to commit any real crimes.”

Jeff’s ocean eyes wavered for a moment as he fought back tears, his body shaking from the weight of his emotions.

“She was a peasant woman. Old and past her ‘prime’, she was keeping me all to herself. But I wanted her and was willing to let her cover our tracks to make it happen. I didn’t want children with any other woman in the world and that fat bastard had her whipped for it. Afterward, he sent her southward in a meager wooden carriage to help hide the fact he went too far with the punishment. Now she’s either in some undead wolf's stomach or her body is aimlessly wandering the wastes among the other undead. I don’t think I even want to know which fate she met.”

Eli’s purple eyes shined with the realization of what prompted Jeff to come here.

“It seems magic has gotten its knife in both our sides, to one degree or another,” Eli said with a nod.

Jeff’s lower lip quivered for a long moment before he wiped his eyes on his sleeve and then took a deep breath.

“At least you’ll be able to see her again. Maybe if I had flayed a man on the table like you had, she’d still be alive. Those guards would have thought twice about her safety if I had your reputation. Especially now after you got back. That must have felt amazing, tearing those bastards limb from limb.”

“Aye. But, sadly, my puzzle won’t allow for brute force as the final piece.” Eli said with a tired look in his eyes as he turned back to his maps and books, “I can’t move the Keltons elsewhere, I could never hide that many people much less provide for them with the guests arriving on our shores. But I can’t just disappear into the sunset either. Yeah, I could kill everyone who tries to hurt them for a day or two, but healing magic can’t undo the need for sleep. Nor could I hold off two whole armies who would just use them to the same ends of the Coalition.

The harsh reality is, for all my power and finesse, I’m not in a position to secure Salamede’s safety in the long term.”

Jeff leaned back, his hands to his head as he silently cursed the world.

“At least you were able to secure it once,” Jeff said bitterly, more to himself than Eli, “Is that it then? Are we stuck here, forced to dance on the strings of the mighty like puppets as they use our loins like we’re cattle?”

“No,” Eli answered firmly.

That drew Jeff out of his stupor as he turned to Eli with his eyes full of hope.

“I… given our mutual circumstance, I might be willing to help you on this matter with my musings on what to do about my situation. But, again, that thorn of what to do with the Kelton community is still there. Once I’ve seen to some things… we’ll see.”

Jeff nodded, glad to have another soul in this world who, in any capacity, could understand even the slightest bit of his pain. Standing up and straightening his robes, he nodded to Eli one last time before walking out of the room and going to get dinner.