Chapter 20: Feln

POV David

I grimaced as I sat in the chair at the Earless's table. About two dozen nobles had answered her call for help. The army was situated below the castle and while we awaited the last preparations to be complete we debated… how command would be dictated. The issue was partially my fault. Afterall I hadn't mentioned that the Crown Princess was coming.

"Ladies and lord," Veria nodded at me. "I thank you all for your support, but I must refuse command, I am here merely to repay a favor."

"Then who could possibly lead us?" A Baroness asked.

"I forward Earless Barford." I said.

"I second." Rena said.

The Earless looked at me with pleading eyes. Begging me to stop this nonsense. As the noble that called this force together, she should lead. But that meant passing over the crown Princess, and that could be seen as an insult to the royal family.

"I must refuse the nomination." The Earless said with a pained look.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair, I already knew they didn't tolerate me. I was only 'allowed' to sit at this table because of my troops. 'What does a man know of war', 'go focus on raising your children'.

Having reached an impasse the arguments started once again. I could see Veria getting incredibly frustrated down at the head of the table until she stood and slammed her fist on the table. "Enough! I nominate Baron Fulton! I shall advise him on these matters of war as needed."

"I second." Rena shot to her feet and gave me an apologetic look.

"I third." The Earless said with a sigh of relief.

I looked around the room at the rest of the nobles and I could see the disbelief on their faces. I could already imagine what they'd be saying.

"A man!" The Baroness from earlier cried out. I stood from my seat and looked around the table.

"Should this council come to any agreement I will follow it, I will vote in absent." With my quiet declaration I left the room. I wasn't going to waste another day being led around in circles again with nothing to show for it. I walked out on the battlements of the castle and looked at the 'army' below.

It was made up of composite forces of different regiments and various militias raised by the lords, almost four thousand strong… seven different regiments and eleven different militias…

"Lord Fulton, I take it they forced you out?" I turned to see Earl Barford walking over with that damn daemon of mine in tow.

"I can't stand their bickering, it's utterly nonsensical." I replied.

"You'll only hurt your cause by acting this way." He chided.

"I know." I replied with a chuckle. "But I already have more support than I need."

"You sound so certain. What makes you so sure?" He asked. I nodded at Shyora who beamed with pride.

"She verified that the Princess and Viscount are on my side." I said.

"Ah… I'm not sure I would trust the words of a daemon, even one that serves." Barford warned.

I chuckled. "I knew already, it was merely a matter of knowing how far they were willing to go."

"David, I'm not sure what you mean."

"Well… if I say too much it'll give away the surprise." I chuckled.

"Did you and your wife look over the proposals I gave you yesterday?" I changed gears quickly.

"We're still discussing them." He replied with a strained smile.

"You can just say no." I chuckled.

"I'm afraid we don't see the benefit to them." He replied.

"It's all fine, you've already done a lot for me." I said.

"Is there anything I can help you with for the rest of your stay Baron?" The Earl asked.

"No, I think I got it covered." I replied as I started walking towards the stairs off the battlements. It was time I paid a certain blacksmith a visit. With my ever present shadow and a pair of soldiers trailing me I made my way into Feln itself. I walked through the town, even with the army encamped just outside it was as lively as ever.

It wasn't long though before I found myself before the same blacksmith shop from all that time ago. The sounds of the hammer striking metal told me that they were working the forge and I stood just outside of it, waiting for them to finish their project.

Vir and her father were busy hammering the last bits of a breastplate into shape. It was most interesting watching them work. I'd never watched a blacksmith work before.

After they'd quenched the plate Vir turned to me with a wide smile. "David! It's been a while, how's my sister?"

I chuckled and responded with a smile, I missed this kind of talk without the formalities. "She's doing fine, she's working as my steward currently in Aucterfith."

"That's a shame… well maybe next time." We embraced then stood a bit apart.

"What brings such an esteemed lord like yourself to our humble shop?" Her father asked.

"To talk mostly, but I also need to get her a suit of armor." I nodded at Shyora.

They finally turned to the daemon and stumbled backwards at the sight of her horns and wings. "Daemon!"

"I subdued her, she's not a threat." I promised. Vir managed to calm herself but her father was still reaching for his hammer.

"Shyora, look more human will you?" I sighed.

"Yes master." She bowed her head and her daemonic features melted away, leaving only a stunningly beautiful woman.

"She's beautiful…" Vir murmured, entranced.

"Shyora…" I warned.

"It is not my doing master." She said with a concerned look. "She is… naturally attracted to women?"

I grumbled to myself for a moment. Before waving my hand in front of Vir. "Vir?"

"Ah… yes David?" She blinked a couple times and the dreamy expression vanished. "You think you could make her a suit of armor?"

"Of course." She smiled "the usual rate?"

"Triple actually, I need it done today." I replied.

She flinched. "I may… be able to cobble something together by evening. Maybe some greaves and bracers… we don't have enough iron for much else."

"Shyora, find ore of a suitable quality."

"Yes master." Wings sprouted from her back and she took to the skies. I noticed that Vir seemed forlorn. We turned to discuss how to make the armor when Shyora returned not ten minutes after leaving with a large sack of pure red ore.

"Is this enough human?" She asked Vir in the most haughty tone I'd heard her use.

"What… ore is that?" I asked.

"Hell ore." Shyora replied, "I took it from some imps, they won't miss it."

"You traveled to hell?" I asked.

"Only the uppermost plane." She replied as Vir picked up the ore and turned it over.

"I think I can work with this…" she said.

Well I let Vir start working. I didn't have anything I needed to do so I decided to watch. The first problem with this ore became apparent. It requires demonic magic to be forged, so I had Shyora supply a constant stream of magic since neither Vir or I had any to speak of.

Then another issue became apparent. It was soft like putty as it warmed up. But it was weak as shit when it was hot and a hammer could easily break it. So the first hour was spent figuring this out, then the real work began. And it went quick once Vir figured out the quirks. She was presenting Vir the full suit less than two hours later with a giddy smile on her face.

"Well, put it on." I turned to Vir and passed her a pouch of silver, enough for a family to live comfortably through the winter. Probably overpaying a bit… not that I cared much.

"Master, how does it look?"

"It's gorgeous!" Vir sighed. I had… different thoughts. The armor hadn't been impervious to her succubus nature as I'd hoped. On the other hand it clung to her form like silk and I couldn't deny that it did look gorgeous.

The metal had gone from a red ore to a dark black. She'd copied my helmet so it was almost an identical copy barring the gaps for her horns. The breastplate had shrunken, exposing a bit of her back, though that did allow her wings to move freely, as well as her tail. The arms had mostly remained unchanged but the legs… the armor around the inner thighs was just gone, and why her boots now had heels was beyond me. I also scratched my head when a full shield appeared on her left arm, though looking closer I noticed it was due to some magic bullshit and the shield's material being part of her vambraces.

"It's acceptable." I replied.

"How could you say that?" Vir smacked my arm.

"This is a masterpiece!"

"It is a masterwork of metal, but the succubus look lowers it by a lot in my mind." I replied, I noticed that Shyora shrunk a bit.

"Will this protect you better?"

"Yes master, far better than what I had before!" Shyora assured me.

"Good, then it was well worth the effort… not that I know how you got the ore…"

"When you steal from a thief no one cares." Shyora replied with some newfound pride.

"Good, well let's return to camp before nightfall. Thank you again Vir." I thanked her profusely, wait… where did her father go? I looked around and saw him passed out, snoring in a corner.