David

  When we reached the boarding ramp, the entire crew was waiting to welcome us back aboard the airship. I hugged each of my wives, then shook hands with the others. Prince Theodore wasted no time launching into a grand retelling of the orc village, embellishing just enough to make the story even larger than life. Everyone who hadn’t joined the journey listened in awe as he described the forest, the council, and the orcs’ unexpected hospitality.

  I quietly motioned for Allyson to gather a few maids to help, then stepped aside and began offloading almost everything from my storage. I kept only Emberline and the monsters tucked away. The rest spilled into a glittering heap on the ground: treasure, armor, artifacts, items I had barely glimpsed before scooping them up.

  General Kitch came to stand beside me, looking over the pile with a raised brow. “So, you found all this in that village?” he asked, picking up a silver goblet inlaid with sapphires.

  “Yeah,” I nodded. “It was tucked away in the demon’s lair. Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be this much.”

  I waved the maids forward. “Please start moving the gold and gems to the cargo hold. Separate any dangerous or enchanted items off to the side. Everything else is fair game; anyone can rummage through and take what they want.”

  The group needed no further invitation.

  In the end, we found a single mithril sword, which I gave to Prince Ajax. There were quite a few rings, gold, silver, some with jewels, that I left for whoever wanted them. Theodore and Ajax cracked a few jokes about finding one fancy enough for Theresa, but the glare she shot them had everyone laughing.

  I took the three books and the stack of scrolls for myself, likely magical or historical in value. But the most intriguing find was a staff. Old. Dirt-covered. Its wood was warped slightly with age, but its end caps were perfectly intact, solid, intricate, and far too well-made to dismiss.

  Aside from that, everyone picked what they liked. General Kitch was especially pleased when he found the final piece of a silver serving set; the matching goblets gleamed in his hands as he held them up with a rare, genuine smile.

  In the end, after everyone picked through the last of the pile, only broken weapons and ruined furniture remained. I chose to leave it; maybe the Trolls or the Orcs could find some use for it. One by one, the crew boarded the airship. The combat golems were the last to climb aboard. I followed them up the ramp, which slid closed behind me with a hiss and a clank.

  Kitch and Allyson waited in the corridor as the hatch sealed.

  “David, may I accompany you to the bridge?” the General asked.

  “By all means,” I nodded, and we headed forward.

  Once on the bridge, I eased into the command chair. “Everything ready?” I asked, glancing at Allyson.

  “Yes, Master. All hatches closed and secured,” she confirmed.

  “Alright. Let’s go.” I paused, then smirked. “Still working on a good catchphrase.”

  The ship lifted gently, swinging east toward the mountain ridgeline that marked the path to the Black Gate.

  “The chief said to head east, then north, until we reach a flat stone field, probably a landing zone,” I said.

  Kitch peered out the forward window. Moments later, he pointed off to starboard. “There. That rise, just beyond it.”

  “You’ve got a good eye, General. Allyson, take us in. Let’s land at that clearing.”

  “Yes, Master,” she replied, relaying instructions to the flight crew.

  The airship began to descend, its nose angling toward two massive stone pillars that marked the edge of an ancient site. The hum of the mana engines quieted as we touched down, the vessel settling onto its landing gear.

  “Allyson, deploy the combat golems. And notify Allira, so she knows we’ve arrived. I’ll be at the hatch shortly.”

  “Yes, Master. Golems deploying now.”

  The General remained quiet, watching the crew’s precision with admiration.

  I stood. “Well, ready to go look at this Black Gate?”

  Kitch nodded. “I came this far, nothing’s stopping me now. When you first spoke of finding the Vaults, I wasn’t sure I believed you.” He gestured through the front viewport. “But there it is.”

  He wore a grin from ear to ear.

  “Then let’s go knocking, maybe there’s a welcoming party,” I said with a grin, leading him and Allyson off the bridge.

  I spotted a large group gathered at the hatch as we reached it. Allira stood in front of them, arms crossed, eyes locked on me.

  “Alright,” I said, raising my voice slightly, “we might finally be at our destination, but I want Generals Kitch and Allira with me. We’ll be first off the Enterprise. If everything checks out, we’ll signal for the rest of you to disembark.”

  Groans and murmurs of disappointment rippled through the group, but I raised my hand. “It won’t take long. Allyson and I will sweep the area, and the generals will coordinate our defenses. Safety first.”

  The hatch hissed as a maid unlocked and opened it. I stepped onto the ramp, scanning the surroundings. Then I gave a short nod to Allira and Allyson. As they followed me down, General Kitch appeared at the threshold.

  “Keep this door sealed,” I instructed them.

  The hatch swung closed with a solid clank, locks engaging behind us.

  Just as expected, it didn’t take long to position our defensive ring of combat golems and inspect the ship’s perimeter for any issues. Once Allira, Kitch, and I were satisfied, we signaled the all-clear. The hatch reopened, and one by one, the crew disembarked, heading toward the gate that, hopefully, would lead us to the Vaults.

  I stood off to the side, not directly in front of the gate, but near one of the massive stone columns. My gaze trailed up its weathered face, studying the ancient script carved into the stone like flowing rivers of history.

  Marlena, Bishop Varent, and Seraphina joined me, each looking up at the monolith with curiosity and a hint of unease.

  “What does it say?” Marlena asked, her voice quiet under the growing tension.

  I walked around the base of the pillar until I found the start of the inscription and began reading aloud.

  “Ex tenebris ortus est Primus Artifex,” I said.

  Without needing to be prompted, Allyson translated for the gathered group. “From the darkness rose the First Engineer.”

  Bishop Varent gave me a puzzled look. “You can read that?”

  “Yes… It’s just there. I’m not quite sure how to explain it.” I turned toward him.

  “Master, that’s the language of the First Engineers. All Engineers know it,” Allyson reminded me gently. I continued reading the following line.

  “Ferrum eius plumbavit terras, lumen eius caecos rexit.”

  “His iron shaped the lands, his light guided the blind,” Allyson translated again.

  “Non natus…” I began, glancing around as I realized more people had gathered. “Ex carne, sed ex consilio.”

  “Not born of flesh, but of purpose.”

  I leaned in to make out the next part of the inscription.

  “Factus est manus et mens… this one’s a little hard to read… scientia vivens.”

  “He became hand and mind, living knowledge,” Allyson said clearly, her voice drawing more listeners.

  “Primus clausit portas Caeli et Tartari,” I read the fifth line.

  “He sealed the gates of Heaven and Hell,” Allyson echoed.

  “Et ex illis sigillis, Machinas creavit.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “And from those seals, forged the Machines.”

  “Nos sumus filii eius sapientiae,” I continued.

  “We are the children of his wisdom,” Allyson translated, her voice trailing into silence as everyone looked up at that line.

  “Children of his wisdom? That doesn’t make sense,” Samual said, breaking the quiet. “What about the gods? Are we not their children?”

  I turned back to the pillar and read the final line.

  “Honorate nomen eius, Architectus Aeternus.”

  “Honor his name, the Eternal Architect,” Allyson finished.

  Bishop Varent stared up at the pillar, then turned back to me. I could see the conflict in his eyes.

  “David, how long ago did the First Engineer walk the land?”

  “Allyson, if I’m remembering right, over ten thousand years ago?” She nodded in confirmation.

  “That’s a long time,” the Bishop said thoughtfully. “The Church has only existed for a little over three thousand years.”

  Prince Theodore tilted his head. “Bishop, are you suggesting something?”

  “There’s still so much we don’t know,” Bishop Varent said quietly. “Someone reminded me of that not too long ago. As a man of faith, I believe the gods encourage discovery. This pillar, the history of the Engineers, is part of the world we live in. Who are we to say this isn’t just as true as the rest of it? We see only a sliver of what’s out there.”

  He turned to Prince Theodore. “I want to see more. Don’t you?”

  “Every day since I met David, my eyes have opened a little more,” Theodore said with a nod. “Yes, I want to see it all.”

  I turned my gaze to the second pillar, its surface dark and inscribed with unfamiliar warnings. As I began to read those words silently, I felt a chill run down my spine. The tone was different. Ominous. Like a message carved by those who had seen what came next.

  Theodore was the first to bring up the second pillar. “David, what’s written on that one?”

  How do I explain that this pillar beside us speaks of hope and reverence… while the other whispers of warning and despair?

  I turned and began walking toward the second monolith. The others followed, their footsteps hushed as if sensing the gravity of what was carved there. Reaching the beginning of the inscription, I looked up and began to read the words left behind by another age.

  “Hic iacent Thesauri Vetustatis,” I recited, the ancient words echoing slightly off the surrounding stone.

  “Here lie the Treasures of the Ancients,” Allyson translated, her voice clear and steady.

  “Treasures?” Mage Woodwarde muttered from the back, sparking a quiet wave of murmurs. Speculation rippled through the group.

  I held up a hand for silence before reading the next line.

  “Non ad cupiditatem, sed ad custodiam facta.”

  “Not made for greed, but for guardianship,” Allyson translated again.

  I continued, my voice more solemn now.

  “Quisque Vault tenet potentiam et periculum.”

  “Each Vault holds both power and peril.”

  Someone near the back whispered, “There’s more than one vault?”

  They were quickly hushed.

  “Solum Dignus intrabit et vivet,” I read next.

  “Only the Worthy… may enter and survive,” Allyson translated, pausing slightly before finishing the sentence.

  I looked at her. She was watching me now with growing concern.

  “Ignari peribunt, avidi damnabuntur,” I said, squinting up as the sun broke through the clouds and blinded me for a moment.

  “The ignorant will perish, the greedy be damned.”

  The weight of those words hung heavy in the air. No one spoke this time.

  “Adverte verba haec:”

  “Heed these words.”

  A darker line came next, one that made me hesitate.

  “Custodes non dormiunt. Sigilla non sunt fragilia,” I read slowly, waiting for the sun to slip behind the clouds again.

  “The Wardens do not sleep. The Seals are not fragile.”

  I stared at the final line, feeling its weight. I knew what it said. But should I speak it aloud?

  Theresa pointed toward the base of the pillar. “Are you going to read that last line?”

  I drew in a breath and finally said it. “Unum gradum falsum… et mors veniet.”

  “One false step… and death will come,” Allyson translated in a whisper, her voice barely above the wind.

  A ripple broke the silence that followed, murmurs and whispers of “Wardens” and “death” drifting through the gathered crew. Near the back, the priest accompanying Bishop Varent raised his voice, tight with unease. “Do we truly wish to enter? The gate promises death… not salvation.”

  Bishop Varent turned toward him, placing a steady hand on his shoulder. “My son,” he said gently, “this, what stands before us, is a miracle, hidden from the world for centuries. And now, we have an Engineer to show us the way.”

  He stepped forward, his voice rising so all could hear. “You all feel it, don’t you? The weight of this place. The warning is real. But so is the calling. The gods led David here. What greater truth could we ask for?”

  For a moment, the crew stood frozen, caught between wonder and fear.

  Then Prince Theodore stepped up beside Bishop Varent and gave a single, solemn nod. “I don’t know what lies beyond that gate,” he said, his voice firm, “but I know I’d rather face it with David than turn back now.”

  His words cut through the lingering doubt like a blade. The murmurs faded. Faces that had been pale with fear began to steady. I watched them shift from uncertainty to resolution. They remembered why we were here.

  Leaving the murmuring crowd behind, I stepped away and made my way toward the gate. The black structure loomed before me, framed by carved stone blocks cut straight from the mountain itself. It reminded me of ruins I had seen in the Middle East, stonework of breathtaking precision, shaped by ancient, masterful hands.

  On the left side of the frame, I spotted a plaque carved into the stone. I moved in closer, brushing off some dirt, studying the worn but deliberate engravings. The right side of the gate bore nothing, no symbols, no words. Just the left. As if it alone told the truth of what lay beyond.

  I returned to the left side of the gate and studied the plaque once more. Carved into the stone, I read the inscription aloud:

  “Pronuntia nomen meum, et solum dignus ingredietur.”

  Allyson didn’t translate it this time. She didn’t need to. I turned to the group gathered a short distance behind me, their eyes on the gate and its ancient warnings.

  “It’s getting dark,” I said, glancing at the sky. The air was colder now, the sun buried behind thick clouds. “Let’s put this off until tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good,” General Kitch agreed. “It’s waited centuries, another night won’t change anything.”

  Around us, others murmured their agreement. Those still outside the Enterprise began making their way back up the ramp.

  I reached for Seraphina’s hand and followed them back. Once inside our stateroom, I pulled off my boots and collapsed onto the couch, my legs grateful for the rest. My feet ached from the day’s march, and I leaned back, closing my eyes.

  I found myself quietly repeating the words from the plaque:

  ‘Speak my name, and only the worthy shall enter.’

  But what name? Certainly not mine. Why would my name be the one?

  I felt a tug at my feet. Opening my eyes, I found Theresa sitting on the table in front of me, gently pulling my legs into her lap.

  “You looked like you could use some attention from your favorite princess,” she said with a playful smirk.

  I glanced around the stateroom, the others busy settling in. “Are you assuming I know other princesses?” I teased.

  She pouted and gave my leg a light smack, though her laugh followed mine almost immediately.

  “Where’s Veronica?” I asked, still smiling.

  “She’s finishing up getting the stateroom ready for the night,” Theresa replied, her fingers still kneading the soreness from my feet.

  “So… we have time,” I said, pulling my feet off her lap and sitting upright. I looked across the room. “Seraphina, whose night is it?”

  “Tonight’s Allira. Marlena has tomorrow,” she called back from the other couch.

  “Thank you,” I said with a nod.

  I stood and reached for Theresa’s hand, leading her toward where Allira was struggling with her armor near the divider. She was wrestling with a stubborn strap across her chest, clearly frustrated.

  Without a word, I stepped in behind her and found the stuck buckle. A quick snap and the chest plate came free, clattering softly to the floor.

  “Damn, it was stuck,” Allira muttered, just as I gently took her hand in mine.

  She looked at me, confused, until I took Theresa’s hand in my other and quietly led both women toward the bedroom. The door closed behind us with a soft click.

  Aria quietly stepped into the bedroom to find the three of us resting on the bed.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said softly, “but Veronica is asking to come in, Theresa.”

  At that, Theresa smiled, leaned in to kiss me once more, and slid out of bed. Aria helped her quickly pull her dress back on and gather her shoes.

  “Love you,” she whispered before she and Aria stepped out, closing the door gently behind them.

  I couldn’t help but chuckle, still smiling as Allira turned to me with that familiar glint in her eyes. She pressed a hand against my chest, nudging me back against the pillows.

  “So,” she said, half-teasing, half-curious, “you really want us to start dressing up for you now?”

  I brushed a strand of hair from her face and looked up at her. “You’re beautiful no matter what you wear,” I said honestly. “But… yeah, you’d make anything look good. Even those outfits the Orc warriors wore, or even better, a maid’s outfit.”

  She laughed softly and leaned closer, her forehead resting against mine. “Flatterer.” I rubbed her as she lay against me. We stayed like that for a while, the silence easy, comfortable, until her tone shifted, softer, more thoughtful.

  “David,” she murmured, “when do you want to start a family? With me?”

  I took a slow breath, thinking. “Before, I wanted to wait, maybe give it some time after Seraphina was well along with her pregnancy. But… things change. I think whenever you’re ready, I’m ready too. ”

  She smiled, her eyes warm. “Then maybe after we’re back in Eldros or even Vaelthorn,” she said. “I want it to be home. My next day with you is five days away. We should be back by then, right?”

  “Yes, I expect we should be back in Eldros by then,” I replied, meaning it. “Home sounds perfect.”

  _____________________

  Seraphina

  I curled into the chair, one of the few that didn’t make my back ache. Two weeks into the pregnancy, my body had already begun to change. My breasts were tender, and nothing felt quite comfortable anymore. I wonder if there is anything that David could learn that might help?

  I flipped open the same book I’d been staring at for what felt like hours. Reading wasn’t helping. I wasn’t hungry, wasn’t tired, just restless. Maybe it was the quiet. Maybe it was the way my mind wandered when David wasn’t beside me.

  I was happy he was back. Safe. Whole. Every time he goes off on some trip, my heart stays behind, hoping he returns. He always does, defying odds, breaking rules… but how long can he keep doing that?

  Across from me, Theresa sat on the sofa, fussing with her hair. She had just left the bedroom, her first night with David. And, surprisingly, he’d invited her in with Allira. Aria opened the door quietly, letting Veronica in. She entered in a small hurry, her eyes immediately searching the room.

  “Where is the Earl?” she asked, glancing around.

  “He’s in the bedroom with Allira,” Theresa replied, not missing a beat.

  “I have a message from the General,” Veronica said with urgency.

  “I wouldn’t bother them until tomorrow,” I chimed in. “They’ve had a long day, and he pushed himself hard. He’ll be asleep soon.”

  “Tomorrow?” she repeated, clearly unsure.

  “Yes. They’re having a private moment,” I said, smiling softly. “They’re talking about starting a family.”

  “Not… sex?” Theresa asked, teasingly.

  I gave her a look. “Allira’s been gathering the courage to talk to him about kids. I know her; it would have come up tonight.”

  Aria, wrapped in a blanket, spoke next. "Hmmm. When do you expect she will get the blessing, dear?” Aria asked as she tucked her feet under her blanket around her body.

  "When we get back to Vaelthorn. Allira is sweet, that's my best guess." I said. "You, Aria, are you waiting until you get the boys back?”

  "You're good at this. Yes, I was going to wait until then. I want to see how David is around my boys," Aria reached over for a book on the table.

  I nodded, then looked to Marlena. “And you?”

  “I was thinking… spring,” she said, eyes still on her book. “No reason. I just like spring.”

  “I’m waiting until after school,” Theresa added with a smirk.

  That earned a round of quiet laughter, until a very unmistakable sound came from behind the closed bedroom door. The room fell into silence for a moment. Veronica’s face turned pink. She clearly hadn’t expected that kind of confirmation. We said nothing. Just exchanged amused looks and went back to our books.