Glade basked in the morning light, the golden beams streaming through the kitchen windows. He loved this time of day. The world was waking and his nightmares were a thing of the past. All because of her.
“Leave some for me, love,” her voice sang. “You’re going to get fat if you keep using that much!”
His smile brightened as a light smack, expertly placed to the back of his head, signaled the arrival of his joy, hope, and meaning of life as she again admonished him not to use half the bottle of syrup on his pancakes.
“Is he alright?” Kedryn’s annoying voice pierced through Glade’s cocoon of happiness.
“I don’t know, your Eminence. He’s breathing well enough and there are no outward injuries. However, as I have reminded you on several occasions, I’m not a trained healer.”
Glade ignored the voices intruding on this most sacred of moments, his will focused on keeping the reality he had before him.
Finally, he was home.
Attention: You have insufficient willpower remaining to retain this vision for an extended amount of time.
“Eminence, I can’t hold on for much longer.” Glade recognized the voice at a subconscious level, but not the person. Whoever it was, their voice held undertones of exasperation and strain. He could empathize, seeing as they were having to deal with Kedryn. “I will need to replenish mana before I attempt another healing for your manservant.”
“Thank you, Riya,” Kedryn replied with a hint of dramatized melancholy, like a poor rendition of a second-rate actor reciting shakespeare. “I appreciate what you have done. Know that I, and my family, will remember your generous support.”
Glade put the voices out of his mind, reinforcing his grip as the world of streaming sun began flickering like a dying light. He knew the world around him wasn’t real, but that didn’t stop him from turning, his hand outstretched in anticipation of taking her hand.
The flickering light vanished, plunging his vision into utter darkness, his hand as empty as his soul.
“By your leave?” Riya asked.
“Of course. You have my permission to meditate.” Kedryn responded.
Pain, as exquisite as his joy had been moments before, escaped its buried prison, forcing him to acknowledge the dream for what it was. Nothing more than an echo of the past.
For one eternal moment, Glade allowed the pain to rampage. He deserved that punishment and more. With practiced effort, Glade reined in his emotions and forced them back into their prison.
The moment his act was done, the smell of burnt meat and mildew assaulted his senses as he turned his attention back to the present.
“Oh, and Riya?” Kedryn asked.
The swishing of her dress stopped, and Glade could hear hesitation in her voice as she spoke. “Yes, your Eminence?”
“We should talk later about your earlier… outburst.”
Even with his eyes closed, Glade could feel the moment when Riya arched her eyebrow, silently questioning the Royal elf.
“You know, the one over the Fen Turtle? Anyway, I believe we need to discuss appropriate protocol and customs after our next Natural Lore lesson. After you’ve regenerated your mana, of course.”
Glade felt the prison walls of his self control crack. If having the vision of her pulled away so abruptly hadn’t upset Glade before, Kedryn’s actions most assuredly did now. The fact that his use of willpower to learn Elvish had worked barely even registered.
“Yes, your…,” Riya began in a deadpan voice before Glade cut her off.
“Kedryn,” He whispered harshly, cracking his eyes open.
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“Sir!” Kedryn cried, quickly kneeling next to the prone man. “Are you ok? What happened? You were asking questions one moment and then you were falling!”
Glade’s arm blurred, gripping Kedryn by the robes faster than the Kid could react.
Slowly, he stood, swaying as he pulled his wayward Corporal with him until Glade was the one towering over the young man.
“Manservant?” Glade asked in Elvish through gritted teeth.
A look of confusion swept over Kedryn, before the blood in his face drained, visibly paling as comprehension dawned on the young man.
“Well… I mean, sir… I am a royal elf and all,” Kedryn gushed. “That is to say, I had to come up with a convincing backstory to explain, you know, why a royal would be traveling with a human. It made the most sense –”
Kedryn’s voice trailed away as Glade’s glare bored into him.
“Your Eminence?” he growled. He had meant to ask why she was using that title at all, but he could barely string two thoughts together, let alone a complete sentence.
Whatever the Corporal chose to say next would determine the level of punishment he was about to inflict.
Miraculously, Kedryn decided to shut his trap for once, instead he looked chagrined as he dropped his gaze to the floor.
“Smart choice,” Glade hissed, barely keeping himself from tearing the Kid a new one. “Now, drop and do push-ups until I calm down.”
Kedryn’s head snapped up so fast Glade thought he might have whiplash. But instead of getting into position, the Kid simply stood there, blank faced and shaking so hard Glade thought he might piss himself.
“I said drop, Corporal!” Glade barked, purposefully speaking in Elvish.
Riya gasped, whether from his sudden ability to speak her tongue or because he was treating a royal elf like a common soldier, he didn’t know. Likely, both.
Kedryn’s face paled even further as he quite literally threw himself to the ground and assumed a push-up position.
Glade dropped to one knee, face inches away from Kedryn’s.
“Start pushing Corporal and open your ears because I’m only going to tell you this once,” he said loud enough to get the point across. Riya needed to hear this as much as the Corporal did.
“You may have been changed physically by those floating balls of cotton candy, but that does not change the fact that you are a Soldier under my command. Do I make myself clear?!”
“Yes, sir!” Kedryn shouted, his arms pumping wildly.
“While under my command, you are to treat this young woman with dignity and respect. She is, for all intents and purposes, a civilian under our protection. Which is something we have already discussed. Do you understand what that means?”
“Yes, sir!” Kedryn grunted, his energy already running out after 10 push-ups. Pathetic. Glade was looking forward to helping the Kid re-develop those muscles he had lost in the transition.
“Lastly, you owe this young woman an apology and me an explanation. She is not a servant. Nor will you treat her as such! If we were back on Earth, I would lock you in confinement and throw away the key. Ordering her around like you did is wrong on a level I can’t even begin to describe. Do you understand?” Glade seethed.
“Yes, sir!” Kedryn wheezed, visibly struggling to continue.
Glade had no earthly idea how his willpower points granted him the ability to speak Riya’s language as fluently as his native tongue, but he was beyond questioning the strange powers of this world. They worked. That was all he needed to know.
“Roll onto your back, Corporal. Time for flutter kicks,” Glade barked.
The kid immediately rolled over.
“Sir… How… did you… learn Elvish?” Kedryn gasped. Glade ignored him, instead turning to address Riya directly.
She stood facing both men, her spark of light illuminating the shocked expression on her face.
“My apologies for Corporal…” Glade hesitated, really wanting to use the Kid’s real name. “Kedryn’s actions. He is young and prone to bouts of stupidity.”
“I heard… that… sir…” Kedryn called.
“I meant for you to hear it!” Glade called back before returning his attention to Riya. “As you know, we are both new to your world. Believe me when I say that your help has been nothing short of miraculous. I want to personally thank you and offer you a formal apology. As his commanding officer, I take full responsibility for his actions.”
Riya glanced between the two men, her amber eyes blinking in the stark light. She looked, the first word that popped into his mind was - nonplussed - which he forcibly shifted to confused. He would not let the Corporal’s vocabulary invade his way of thinking!
Seeing that his demeanor was likely intimidating Riya, Glade softened his appearance. It was obvious the girl had gone through some trying experiences leading up to their volatile meeting, and from the looks of things, this had likely thrown her off balance yet again.
“I have so many questions for you,” he began, giving her the best smile he could manage, which, if he were being honest, was more difficult than he anticipated. He was still dealing with the aftereffects of the earlier vision and his barely restrained rage toward his young charge. “But before all that, let me introduce myself. I am Captain Glade, and this mess,” he said, pointing to the Kid, “Is currently named Corporal Bei’Kedryn Ri’Serevlir. You should be aware that he was renamed by the things you call Adjudicators. Please know we mean you no harm and that we are more than willing to answer any questions you may have.”
A troubled expression grew on Riya’s face. It was simple to deduce she was processing the information and needed some space.
“I’m not going anywhere, take your time,” Glade said, as he turned his attention back to Kedryn.
He had some overdue retraining to conduct.