7 - A Pig Named Lawrence
The Sky Lord’s Throne Room, Battle of the Four Armies Festival After Party
The throne room was a disaster. All the paintings and other adornments had been strewn everywhere by the howling winds that blasted through the area. LeDuke's headdress and robes were a mess, and his scepter was missing. The moon mage had barely held on to a pillar. Jenny's apparatus stood at the base of the throne. It was made from metal ribbons that resembled intricate elven weaves and had an orb shaped like the moon at the top.
Before the dark lord could collect himself, his mother emerged from behind the throne.
"What was that?" she said, as she inspected the mess.
"Nothing, Mom," LeDuke said. "I've told you not to bother me when I have guests."
"I'm not going to clean this up, Duke," his mom said, as she helped the moon mage to her feet.
"Stop calling me that! It's LeDuke or Sky Lord."
"Maybe I'll use 'Dukey Boy'. Like I did when you were a kid."
"That's even worse!"
"I'm still not cleaning this up."
"Mom, I'll get one of the goblins to do it!"
Pip turned to Jenny and said, "That's what he always says, but you should see his room. Always a mess. Leaves his robes everywhere."
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"Mom!"
Pip collected the debris. Although she would grumble and complain about cleaning up after LeDuke, she always tidied the place. It was like she couldn't help herself.
"He used to let the family pig inside the house!" Pip said. "A pig! As if thatched roof houses weren't already hard enough to keep clean. He loved that pig. Called him Lawrence."
"You had a pet pig named Lawrence?" Jenny snickered.
"Alright! Enough, Mom!" LeDuke yelled. "I don't need your help."
"I cleaned up after him for 35 years and see the thanks I get?" his mom said, as she picked up a painting from the ground. "Doesn't even invite me to his royal court. I think he's embarrassed about me. Has a commoner for a mother, unlike all his friends who are the sons and daughters of kings and queens. I think he should be proud of his roots. He had to work hard to get all this. It wasn't handed to him like—"
LeDuke's hand dripped with blood from the silencing charm he had sung. His mom hated it when he did that, and he would get an earful at dinner when the spell wore off, but he had more important things to do, like torturing a moon mage. There was no Lady Ameria in his throne room, so the spell had failed. The Sky Lord did not tolerate failure.
As if sensing his intentions, Jenny was quick to speak. "Before you eviscerate me, please check your seeing stone."
"I thought you said you'd summon them here to help me," LeDuke snarled.
"I said I would bring friendly spirits. I didn't say that they would arrive in this room."
"What good are possessed heroes if they are not here to do my bidding?"
"Please, just check your seeing stone. You'll see that I'm only here to serve!"
LeDuke cut his hand again with his dagger and sang a dirge in the ancient tongue. Blood dripped from the blade. He was about to cast a spell that would make the moon mage tremble as if a thousand knives were stabbing her stomach, but then brought out the seeing stone at the last moment. He switched to the seeing stone song. The stone’s mists swirled as his blood was absorbed into the rock. The mist cleared, and he gazed into the sphere.
He chuckled, and then laughed. Finally, he could not contain himself and let loose in full-on guffaws. Perhaps Smith Jennifer Smith would be worth keeping around after all.