Chapter 43
As the chamber grew silent, the door finished swinging open. Due to the sheer distance, Wes could not make out the finer details of Dozel’s dress, but one thing was certain. The girls must have planned their attire together. She opted for a color that was nigh identical to Phony’s auburn hair.
With the light of the stars and the hall lights reflecting off all the shiny surfaces in the room, it made the dress reflect the light in such a way that it sparkled. There were many individuals bowing to her, much like Mordune and Raegar had. And so many more were indifferent.
Dozel began to take her steps down stairs just as he had. After she made it down halfway, Wes could see that her dress was long. Little blue individuals were following along on either side, helping the dress along. Smiling to himself, Wes guessed that it must be her family helping her along.
By the time Dozel was a quarter of the way down her path, Wes could make out the veil that Dozel was wearing. Her dress, becoming more distinguishable in the process, let Wes see that her dress went from a deep crimson red at its base to a tone that was only a tad lighter than Phony’s auburn hair. The smallest portion of Dozels' chin peeked out from the bottom of the extravagant veil that went from her hair to her shoulder. It too resembled a small dress, only for Dozel’s head.
By the time Dozel had come about halfway, Wes could make out all the people with her. One adult and the rest were the children who ended up filling most of his private quarters. The boys wore pants matching Dozel’s dress and a white shirt, while the girls wore a simple dress of some shade matching some part of Dozel’s dress.
Right when Wes thought he was able to make out the designs on Dozel’s veil, the unknown voice rang out once again. “Now presenting Phoneuo of the Republic.”
The drums started where they had left off in Dozel’s introduction, Loud and frenetic. Their tone quickly dissipated into soft thumps before cutting out altogether. The door to Wes’s right began to open slowly, before the door even revealed most of what lay behind, he caught movement in the crack. Laughing to himself, Wes mouthed, “Hi, Phony.”
Phony was waving excitedly as the door finished opening, revealing an absurd number of people standing on either side of her. Every one of them standing straight, holding their heads high. As Phony began to make her way down the stairs at a rapid pace toward the golden path that led to her own set of stairs, Wes clocked the ridiculous pace that Phony was going. She had already crossed a hundred feet by the time he really began to take in her form-hugging, blue-accented dress.
The veil she wore did not cover the front of her face. It hid everything from the sides of her brows to her shoulders, but even that wasn’t doing its job with the pace at which she was taking her own path.
The lines that were meant to follow ended up having to pick up their pace as well. But by everyone in either line choosing their own version of hurrying, it meant that gaps began to form between people. Some just refused to walk faster, and some appeared hesitant to pass the one in front of them. Wes couldn’t help but laugh at the chaos that Phony was causing, just by existing. By the time she had reached three-quarters of the way to the stage, Dozel had just begun to go up the stairs. Turning back to Dozel, he waited for her to make it up the stairs. Offering a smile and nod, she continued to Wes as her siblings first helped to get all her dress on the stage before falling in alongside Nia’s side. Chairs raised just as they had for her. All the siblings and relatives took their seats, while Dozel quietly saddled up a few close feet away from Wes.
“Hiya. So nice to see you again.” Wes said.
Giggling, Dozel only offered a nod.
Turning back to Phony, Wes saw that she was already halfway up the stairs. She was already giggling to herself as she came into view completely. Before she even got to him, she called out, “Took you long enough.”
Confused, Wes said, “What?”
Phony followed, “Guess I can’t be too mad, still made good time. Top ten in my family.”
Phony settled in a couple of feet from Wes, picking up that he was confused, she rolled her eyes, and said. “Later, my dearest. Later.”
Nodding in confusion, Wes turned his attention to the lines that had trailed Phony. Only the outer edge followed her up the stairs. The inner line closest to Wes walked to the front of the stage, between his and Phony’s stairs. Those that he could see made an about-face and looked out toward the audience.
A soft clap rang out behind Wes. Turning around, he watched as Nia stood up, “We may all be brought here by our personal circumstances. Perhaps it was duty, perhaps it was kindness. Maybe you wish to forge close ties with my family or this soon-to-be family. Whatever your reason, I hope that we can all at least agree that we wish these three a great life of whatever their heart desires. Whether that be domination or subjugation of their time. The choice is theirs alone.” Nia punctuated her words with soft claps. As one, all those behind the three clapped twice, followed by two loud drum pulses.
The unknown gave Wes chills from his toes to the top of his skull. He couldn’t help the smile from forming on his lips. As the floor under him vibrated, he looked down and saw himself being elevated into the air. A perfect circle lifted him 10 feet high. Nia floated up to Wes’s height and proclaimed, “Wesley has agreed to take the responsibility of primary. He has been chosen by his brides to lead their family from this day to their dying breath.” The audience clapped twice, followed by two loud beats of the drums. Continuing, Nia added while looking Wes in the eyes, “The life you now lead can be selfish or selfless. Who you choose to be is for you to decide. Your name shall forevermore be echoed always after that of your supporters. Whether that is in shame or reverence, it will be shaped by every decision you make from this day forward.” Two claps rang out, followed by even louder thumps of the drums.
“Now I stand as a representative of the Republic, who shall stand as a representative of the ChiShiKi?” Nia asked.
“I believe I shall be more than adequate.” Magdrundon pulled herself out of the air next to Nia.
Soft muddled mumblings came from behind Wes. Nia let the rumblings go for a few seconds before she held up her hand and said, “Isn’t that something? Not every day do we see ChiShiKi royalty in the republic. Speaking for everyone, we are honored to have you here, Goddess Magdrundon.”
Wes was taken aback when Nia offered a full bow for the first time to Magdrundon. Picking up all those in front of him, below him, they all stood and bowed. He was starting to realize that she was someone way more important than their last encounter suggested. The rustling of millions behind made Wes peek behind. Shocked at the sight of all those behind bowing as well, Wes began to bow himself, before something, someone held his torso up.
Looking around, he saw Argyros' smug smile and knew that he now owed Argyros in some way.
“You may all rise. I am only here as a witness to the tying of these young spirits.” Magdrundon Said.
As the rustling behind Wes came to a stop, Magdrundon asked, “Who will be the first wife?” Wes turned his head down to his right toward Dozel. She remained still, looking forward.
“I, Phoneuo, will lay claim to my place as number one,” Phony said.
Shocked, Wes snapped his head to his left. Phony began to rise on her own disc until the disc she was standing on met his own and merged together.
“Who shall be the second wife?” Nia asked
“I, Brugunnardozel, willfully present myself to my husband as the second.”
“Phoneuo, have you decided on what you wish to offer?” Nia asked.
“I have.”
Magdrundon asked, “Brugunnardozel, have you decided on your offering?”
“I have your grace.”
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Raising her hand, Nia gestured to Phony. “What you intend to offer is for you and your primary to know. He will have the right of refusal; should the offer be insufficient and he finds your offer lacking, you will never be able to make the offer again. Are you certain you wish to proceed?”
“I’ve never been more certain,” Phony replied.
“Make your offering.”
Turning to Wes, Phony took Wes’s hand and lowered herself to her knees. Phony looked up at Wes and spoke, “I offer you something that I have fought for, for many years. It has been everything to me for as long as I can remember.” Lowering her head, Phony placed her other hand under his as well. Supplication is the only term to describe Phony’s figure at this very moment for Wes.
A screen popped up in Wes’s vision as he was mulling over Phony.
Phoneuo wishes to offer you: 92 levels
To prevent abuse, the experience will be equal to your next 92 levels.
Do you wish to accept Phoneuo’s offering?
Yes/No
Stunned at what he was reading, he tried to talk to Phony over Party chat, but found nothing coming back to him. He opened his status to check if it was working.
Name: Wesley of 29744C
Race: Human
Age: 27
Unique Abilities: Imperial Over Metric, Back In My Day
Abilities: Deposit, Eternal Spark, Cleanse, Stopwatch,
Vigilant, Deviant, Symbiosis, H20,
Party Chat, Topographer, Superscription
Skills: N/A
Achievement(s): Bloody Soul, Pragmatic Savant,
Pacifists Envy
Trait(s): 3
Current Status: Healthy
Level 144
Savings: 4,157,153
Next Level: 4,299,816.96
Level 10 Exp Per Sec: .3456
Current Exp: 32,104.79
wager(+5)
Seeing that his experience was getting used like it would if it were, he knew that Party Chat was active. Shrugging his shoulders, he mentally said Yes to the prompt.
A wave washed over Wes, not quite up to the magnitude it had been back on the Clan’s planet, but it was pretty close. Smiling after the wave finished rushing through him. He opened his status once again.
Name: Wesley of 29744C
Race: Human
Age: 27
Unique Abilities: Imperial Over Metric, Back In My Day
Abilities: Deposit, Eternal Spark, Cleanse, Stopwatch,
Vigilant, Deviant, Symbiosis, H20,
Party Chat, Topographer, Superscription
Skills: N/A
Achievement(s): Bloody Soul, Pragmatic Savant,
Pacifists Envy
Trait(s): 3
Current Status: Healthy
Level 236
Savings: 10,383,945
Next Level: 11,549,122.56
Level 10 Exp Per Sec: .5664
Current Exp: 32,112.23
wager(+9)
Wes was busy admiring his status when Phony tugged on his arm, breaking him out of his trance. He looked at her and leaned in for a kiss as she rose to her feet. Saying over Party Chat, “Thank you.”
As they pulled away from their tender kiss, Phony called back over chat, “You are paying me back and then some.” She fluttered her eyebrows up and down.
“With a successful offering, I offer my congratulations to the husband and wife,” Magdrundon said.
Pulling himself away from Phony, he turned all the way around to Dozel, and Magdrundon continued. “Brugunnardozel, are you certain you have the right offer to entice your betrothed? This offer can only be offered once.”
“I have never been more certain,” Dozel replied.
With it being his second time, Wes offered his hand. Helping Dozel down to her knees, Dozel looked up and said, “I have mulled over the last couple of days on what I could possibly offer you that would be even a tenth of what you have already offered me. Although I’m not certain it will be to your liking, I offer it to you in the name of sincerity. Please accept me the way I have accepted you.”
She cupped Wes’s hands just as Phony had and lowered her head as a status box popped up.
Brugunnardozel wishes to offer you: 64 levels
To prevent abuse, the experience will be equal to your next 64 levels.
Do you wish to accept Brugunnardozel’s offering?
Yes/No
Chuckling to himself, Wes whispered, “I will never forget this. Both of you.” Wes mentally hit Yes again and quickly brought up his status.
Name: Wesley of 29744C
Race: Human
Age: 27
Unique Abilities: Imperial Over Metric, Back In My Day
Abilities: Deposit, Eternal Spark, Cleanse, Stopwatch,
Vigilant, Deviant, Symbiosis, H20,
Party Chat, Topographer, Superscription
Skills: N/A
Achievement(s): Bloody Soul, Pragmatic Savant,
Pacifists Envy
Trait(s): 3
Current Status: Healthy
Level 300
Savings: 36,878,510
Next Level: 18,662,400
Level 10 Exp Per Sec: .72
Current Exp: 32,200.5884
wager(+12)
Smiling as the wave of energy finished slamming through his body, he didn’t wait for Dozel to try and get up. Wes crouched down and planted a kiss on Dozel’s lips. Saying over Party Chat, “Thank you. I will repay you for this.”
Dozel giggled and said aloud, “Anything for you, husband.”
Wes finished helping Dozel to her feet and turned and clasped Phony’s hand in his left hand. Pulling her close, while pulling Dozel close with his right.
Nia raised her hands and shouted, “To the lovely newlyweds. Live for yourselves, die for each other. Congratulations.”
Applause rang out behind Wes and the girls. Turning around, he grabbed the girl's proper hands again and raised them in the air. Wes thought to himself, No longer a family of one.
As the crowd clapping came to an end, Nia informed everyone, “The invitations have already been sent to those who are allowed to stay for the customary bids of friendship. I’m sorry to say we can’t accommodate all those who wish to attend. Any who may wish to lobby a protest and seek an audience with the new couple, seek your closest representative in the aisles. To the rest who did not receive an invite. I thank you for sharing this happiest of days with my family and me.”
Nia waved her hands over the three, and they were transported to a massive atrium. At least ten times larger than the one that was in Wes’s home atrium.
The girls broke off from Wes and hugged one another. Phony saying, “It worked. I’m a goddamn genius. All will bow to me.”
Dozel let out a laugh unlike any Wes had ever heard in all the time knowing her. “Yes, you are a genius, Phony.”
Jumping in, Wes asked, “Hey, what happened? I don't care, but I thought Dozel was supposed to be one.”
Phony smiled, “Oh yeah, she was until my mom came and paid me a visit and told me about this sweet game. Plus, our sweet Dozel came to me and begged me to be first. She really didn’t want to be the reason you were held back.”
Nodding in understanding, Wes said, “Well, as long as you both are in agreement. What’s the game?”
“You already know the game, Wesley,” Nia said as she entered the space.
“I do?”
“Yes, you just saw me and Mags play it,” Nia replied.
Rolling his eyes, Wes asked, “What’s next?”
“Next, I will allow people into my atrium, and the politics will begin. You three ready?
All three looked at each other before nodding as one. “Yup, let's do it.”
