Chapter 9. The Ornamented Palace

The portal snapped shut behind Finnigan, almost severing the back portion of his boot. He lengthened his stride to keep up with Yang, who was walking faster than Finnigan thought his frame should allow. They were in a vast courtyard surrounded by trees. Leaves, all vibrant oranges, reds and yellows blanketed the ground around him entirely. As Yang walked ahead, his long black cloak brushed the leaves from the surface of the grass below, revealing a path of dead brown.

“That’s not ominous at all,” Finnigan thought to himself. On either side of Yang, two of his guard women stepped out of thin air and joined stride with him. Their enchanted movements completely silenced the crunch of the leaves underfoot. Gulliver had placed similar enchantments on his cloak and boots, though Finnigan had never been able to get it down. His brother had always been good at what he put his mind to, while Finnigan really only had a knack for dueling. It had driven him crazy growing up.

“Regalia, where is my sister?” Yang asked, voice hard as steel.

“The ornament is in her quarters General Yang,” the two women said in unison.

“Fetch her,” Yang said. One of the Regalia disappeared, walking out of sight behind that same nothing. Again, stepping out of the air Finnigan saw a woman appear at Yang's side, matching his stride. She looked for a moment at Finnigan, and he felt his heart palpate in his chest. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, face white as the driven snow. He suppressed the urge to caress her cheek. As though she read his mind she glared at him and turned her attention to her brother.

“Sister,” he said, mockingly.

“General,” she responded.

“This young boy is named Finnigan Higginbotham. He is the brother of Gulliver Higginbotham, the same Gulliver that embarrassed the Regalia in Hong Kong. This man is your shame.” Yang said, contempt in his voice. The woman looked over her shoulder at Finnigan, her eyes widened, then narrowed again.

“Why is he here?” she asked quickly.

“He won La Semana De Los Gladiadores. Song presented him with a power stone,” Yang said. The man stopped in his tracks and rounded on Finnigan. “You are here for one reason only Finnigan Higginbotham. To die. Your power stone will not fall into the hands of the Stewards Guild.”

“At least we aren’t keeping secrets,” Finnigan said.

“You make light of this Finnigan, but I will see you dead in your first match. The Far East Martial Federation’s season opens in two days. In two days your corpse will lay on the soil, then be burnt to char and sent back to your brother,” Yang spat.

“What do you wish of me?” his sister asked. “Surely you didn’t summon me from my duties to watch you send a lamb to the slaughter? The Regalia must find Premier Song.”

Yang grinned wickedly at his sister, then said, “You’re to be his attendant while he is still among the living.”

“I have duties…”

“Your duty is to serve the premier, and while Song is gone, I hold that rank,” Yang interrupted. “Make sure he gets...anything he wants. You are to be at his beck and call. You are to be his. You will share his quarters and watch him day and night.”

“I’m not a common whore!” she spat back at Yang. “I’m the Ornament of the Regalia!”

“And the Regalia is whatever the premier says it is,” he said, voice dripping with venom. To Finnigan, he said “Use her however you wish. Wife her, bed her, beat her, just remember, in two days your life is mine.”

Finnigan opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Could the man hate his own sister this much? “You’re a cruel man Yang,” Finnigan said. Yang’s mouth spread into a smile that made Finnigan's stomach turn over. “I look forward to wiping that ugly smile off your face!”

Yang barked a laugh and turned to his sister, “Sweet little Fei, always the favorite, let’s see how your new duties suit you.” The General turned and walked away, his one regalia tailing him.

“I’m sorry he treated you like that,” Finnigan said to the woman, Fei was her name?

She turned and looked at him appraisingly, as though deciding whether or not to kill him. “Follow me, your…” she stopped with a grimace. “Our quarters are this way.”

“Alright Fei, but I won’t be trying any of the stuff he said I should,” Finnigan said. “Not that I don’t want to, not that I do, I just...I’ll stop talking now.”

“I know you won’t,” Fei said simply. “If you did, I would kill you.”

Finnigan felt his face flush, “No.” he said, anger replacing his embarrassment. “I won’t try it because I’m of good moral character.”

The woman laughed, “You’re a lost puppy, innocent and sweet! He’s right, you will die in two days. Maybe I will treat you kindly. Your moral character, even if you win with your dueling, will get you killed.” She patted Finnigan on the head and said, “Follow lost puppy. We’d hate to have an accident on the rug!”

“We’re outside!” Finnigan shot back at her. “There aren’t any rugs out here!” She ignored him and kept walking.

He followed Fei, concentrating on not staring at the tight backside of her dress. The grounds were beautiful, all types of foliage were growing there. Finnigan didn’t know the names of the trees. Gulliver had learned about foliage of all kinds in his survival training. Finnigan was sure his big brother could identify each different tree and all the uses for them in an emergency, but to Finnigan, it was just beauty.

On the outside of the courtyard was a palace; well, Finnigan couldn’t decide if it was a palace or a fortress. “What is this place?” he asked Fei.

“This is the Regalian Palace,” she said. “My home. Now, your home too.”

“Welcome home,” Finnigan said, looking up at the palace. It was several stories high, with the Armored Guard posted every few feet. Finnigan doubted even Gulliver could get into this place. The front door was tremendous, and outside of it were two regalia flanked by four armored guards. On the outside of the treeline, Finnigan could see mountains looming high above.

“Where are we?” he asked Fei.

“The mountains,” she said, not sparing him a glance. “Regalia, this is Finnigan Higginbotham. He is part of the Far East Martial Federation. He may come and go as far as the fortress grounds. If he tries to leave, restrain him and bring him to me.”

“Yes, Ornament,” the two Regalia said in unison. From within the headpiece of the Armored Guards, there was a slight buzz. Gulliver had told Finnigan that the armored guard were no longer men and women, but androgynous beings designed to kill.

“Take him to the guests quarters,” Fei said.

“No,” the Regalia said in unison. “Acting Premier Yang gave instructions. He will stay in your quarters. You are to show him there yourself.”

“This is the Regalian Palace, and I am The Ornament,” Fei said.

“Yang also said that if you refuse, we are to relieve you of that duty,” the two women said in unison.

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“Very well, I shall,” Fei said through gritted teeth. “Fix the door!” she barked at the Regalia. The two women looked back at it confused, then Fei pointed her wand at it and bellowed, “Impellio!”

A blast of light shot from her wand, shattering the tremendous red dooring into tiny splinters. The Armored guards and Regalia flinched as they were showered with shards of wood. A shield spell Fei had conjured prevented the wood from hitting her or Finnigan. She walked confidently through as the two Regalia looked at her, mouths gaping.

“Once you’re done there,” Fei said, “report to the dungeon for reconditioning. Regalia don’t flinch.”

“Yes ornament,” the women said together.

“Follow!” Fei barked at Finnigan, who had been standing and watching the whole thing unfold. He ran to Fei’s side and matched her pace.

“So, now that we’re bedfellows, I think it’s best we introduced ourselves. I’m Finnigan Higginbotham. I’m a duelist by profession, but my true passion is making cider.” She glanced at him, then walked up a large flight of stairs. “And you are?”

They had rounded the top of the stars when she grabbed Finnigan and slammed him into a wall, she got close to his face and pressed her wand against his throat. She whispered, “We are no bedfellows, you will never touch my body! You are a weak, lost puppy, and I will not hesitate to take your defenseless life!”

Finnigan tightened his grip on her hip, digging his thumb into the soft flesh and pressed his wand hard into her ribs. He had grabbed it when she started to move towards him. “Don’t be so sure of that Ornament. This lost puppy has teeth.” Her eyes narrowed as she leaned closer. Finnigan could smell her breath, it was minty and fresh.

“Perhaps you do have teeth lost puppy, I will leash you. Before you die in two days, I’ll even teach you how to use those teeth. My brother will regret leaving you with me,” she said.

Finnigan leaned closer still, the tip of his nose gently brushing the tip of hers. “Don’t kiss me, Fei, because my body is off limits as well.” She smirked, then turned away, releasing him.

“If I wanted you, you’d already be mine,” she said over her shoulder as she walked. Massaging his throat where her wand tip had pressed, he watched her walk away. The tight dress showed every contour of her body.

“I think you might be right,” he said quietly so no one else would hear. She looked over her shoulder at him, then turned back and kept walking.

Finnigan caught up and they rounded several more corners until finally, they walked through a great stone door. It had to weigh a ton, but it opened with ease under a two finger touch from Fei.

“Make yourself comfortable, lost puppy,” Fei said. Finnigan didn’t waste any time and immediately began exploring.

Fei’s bedroom wasn’t a room, it was an auditorium, or a great hall, or something huge! It consisted of several rooms, all within one room. The main room was larger than the cabin in which Finnigan had been raised, and each accessory room was about half that size again. The sleeping chamber had a bed that was so large Finnigan was sure she could fit ten people on it.

“We will share the bed,” Fei said. “However, if my little lost puppy comes too close, it’ll get its tail snipped.”

“I’ll be sure to sleep on my side,” Finnigan said.

“There are fresh clothes that will fit you in the dressing room, and I encourage you to bathe. Food will be served in an hour, we will bed after that,” Fei said. “Tomorrow at dawn we will begin your training. We have two days to increase your competency, and give you what you need to defeat your first opponent.” Fei left the room, and Finnigan went to see the clothes in the dressing room. He opened the closet door and saw a variety of styles. He rummaged for a while before finding clothing that he liked. A black pair of shoes, a black pair of pants, and a white shirt with a buttoned black overshirt.

He took the clothing into the washing room and stripped down. He used a cleaning spell on his dirty clothes as he disrobed, then carefully placed his freshly-cleaned attire in his leather pouches. He folded them over on each other, creating one small pouch with a drawstring.

“That is an interesting enchantment,” Fei said from behind him. Finnigan could feel the blood rush to his face, he was naked, had this woman no decency?

Deciding to act casual Finnigan said, “Thank you, maybe I’ll teach it to you one day. Are you here to bathe as well?” He looked over his shoulder at her as he put his leather pouch on a shelf. She was eyeing him up and down. He walked over to the basin and stepped in.

“No, I have been...told...that I am to be with you constantly,” she said.

“So you’re just here to enjoy the show?” he asked.

She pointed her wand at him and a hot mist sprayed out. It smelled like flowers and scoured every inch of him. It invaded places he’d really have rather washed himself, only it was as delicate as he would have been. Then, as quickly as it began, it ended. The mist siphoned off of him into Fei’s wand, leaving him clean and dry.

“That wasn’t too long? Was it? Now, clothe,” she said.” “Or do I need to do that for you too? I have something for you to read before tomorrow.”

“The show was plenty long,” Finnigan said as he put on his new clothes, trying not to seem like he was rushing. He pressed his pouch to his waist, where it’s drawstring turned into a belt which wrapped itself around him.

He followed Fei out to the main room and sat lightly on a large cushioned chair. Fei handed him an old leather bound book and said, “Read. It’s the history of demonology, focus on the parts detailing corporeal sludge-demons. The other kinds are irrelevant to our cause. If my lost puppy finishes his reading, I will give him a treat.”

Finnigan took the book and gave Fei a hard stare. She opened her eyes expectantly and nodded at the book. He glared at her, were all women like this? He shook his head, then turned to his book. It quickly became apparent that this book, in particular, would be illegal to possess outside of China.

“Where did you get this?” he asked, looking up. She was staring at him while he read.

“I am the Ornament of the Regalia of the Magicians Republic of China. I have access to whatever information I’d like. In fact, I have my own reading to do,” she said, pulling out a small booklet of her own. “This is a detailed account of all of your professional duels, as well as your reports before you left school. I need to know how much you lack so we can train you properly.” She sat opposite Finnigan on another armchair, a small table between them.

Finnigan didn’t respond, he just nodded then began to read. The two of them read until dinner was brought by two regalia, levitated on a tray of food. They said nothing and left immediately, leaving the tray floating in the air near the door.

“On the table,” Fei said, pointing at the table. The tray flew gracefully through the air and landed with a light clink on the marble tabletop. “Eat, then we will bed.”

Finnigan finished his chapter, outlining specific types of demons, and how to summon them. Sludge-demons were corporeal entities summoned from The Shadow-realm; and upon crossing through to our world, were lined with a coating of destructive sludge. There was a particularly disturbing portion highlighting a tiny sludge-demon between the size of an infant and a small child, whose wail would mesmerize its victim as it slowly crawled or walked towards its enchanted target. It would grab the magician’s leg and turn them to vapor on the spot. It was its cry which earned it the name, ‘The Wailer.'

Another sludge-demon was known as the banshee. It was covered in darkness, as all other sludge-demons were, but let out an ear-splitting shriek of grief that was also supposed to ensnare the mind of its victim. Regardless of the size or shape of the sludge-demon in question, they all had two things in common. They all were loud, and a single touch from any was certain death.

Finally, closing his book, Finnigan leaned forward. Fei was reading an account of his most recent duel with Kench. “He’s the best I’ve ever faced,” Finnigan said, taking the large silver lid from the platter. Inside were slimy looking grey noodles, Finnigan felt his appetite drain.

“Don’t turn your nose up until you try it,” Fei said, looking over her reading at Finnigan. With a grimace, Finnigan picked up his plate and grabbed the pair of chopsticks next to it.

“At least I already know how to use these,” he said, resigning himself to his fate. He took some of the noodles onto his chopsticks, revealing several dumplings beneath them. Slowly, he put the noodles into his mouth. They were incredible! His eyes widened in delight as he chewed. They weren’t rubbery at all, but soft and delicious. He gulped them down, he hadn’t eaten since the night before and his stomach growled gratefully.

“Try the dumplings lost puppy,” Fei said.

“He picked up a dumpling with his chopsticks and tossed the entire thing into his mouth. The meat inside was savory, and a little spicy. It was the perfect meal after such a long day. Seeing the pleasure on Finnigan’s face, Fei put her reading aside and began her meal.

After they finished dinner, Finnigan went to retire for the night. The bedroom was now dimly lit by candles surrounding the spacious bed. On the edge of the bed was a small pair of white silken underwear, a servant must have laid it out for him. He snuck a quick look out the door and saw Fei enter the washing room. He changed as quickly as he could into the silken underwear and stashed his pouch beneath a pillow on the side of the bed, then crawled under a blanket.

“Is my lost puppy sleeping?” asked Fei as she walked into the room. She was wearing a transparent robe. And only the completely see-through robe. It revealed every contour of her body in the dimly lit room. Finnigan's heart began to pound with excitement. He took a few deep breaths to regain his senses, but it seemed to make matters worse.

She let the robe slide down her shoulders and fall quietly to the floor. The flickering candlelight revealed every perfect detail of the woman’s body. Finnigan stammered, but the woman pulled her wand out of her hair where it had been hidden.

“Involvent,” she said, wrapping Finnigan in air. He was lifted from under the blanket and laid before her. “My brother said that I am here for you to use. Now you can see that I will be the one using you.” Fei pressed her body against Finnigan’s, her soft, warm skin caressing his own.

She couldn't do this, it was against the law! He tried to resist her touch, but as her lips met his, he found himself kissing back.