The Gates of Eldoria
Chapter 4 - The City of Verdantia
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Daniel’s anger fixated on the idea of marriage and the injustice of it all. He didn’t want to get married, even though the strange compulsion to be near Seraphina and Magribella made the idea appealing. Sera leaned over and placed her hand atop his, washing away his anger. He looked across Maggie to see Sera’s gentle smile and returned it with one of his own. It was silly to worry about the future when there were so many unknowns between now and then.
Turning his attention back to the window, he watched as the scenery changed, the last of the daylight falling on a dark Metairie. Light flooded out from some unseen source on the carriage, illuminating the land just before it transitioned from cracked asphalt to open field and jounced across at an uncomfortable pace until it connected to an Eldorian road on the other side. The landscape transitioned back to that of Metairie as they neared the lake.
Daniel could see a crowd of people had gathered around the hasty fortifications the Verdantian soldiers had erected at the end of the causeway bridge. It was a surreal scene, soldiers in medieval armour clustered around the entrance to the causeway, while people in modern clothing yelled questions and demands at them. As the carriage approached, the crowd was pushed aside by some invisible force. Soldiers surrounded the vehicle, escorting it to the checkpoint.
The face of a young soldier peered in the window, then rapped twice before opening the door. “Lady Everhart, all goes well?” He asked, giving Daniel a troubled glance.
“Yes, all goes well.” She replied. “I am escorting Sir Daniel and his companions to the castle. The red bird sings at night.”
The young soldier gave her a curt nod. “It is safe in the garden. The Duke requests that you attend him immediately.” He responded, closing the door.
“Secret passcodes?” Daniel asked, amused by the exchange.
“Demonic possession causes some memory loss,” Sera explained. “By changing the passphrase every day, it helps identify those suspected of possession.”
“I seem to be able to detect them a certain distance,” Daniel said. “So let me know if I can help.”
“That would be a huge help,” Sera said, her face lighting up. “Especially with those stuffy nobles in sensitive political positions.”
The carriage proceeded along the causeway, moving around the wreckage of vehicles which had been pushed to the sides and was now being used as strategic cover by Verdantian soldiers. Daniel was beginning to understand what Sera had said earlier when she mentioned that Verdantia was surrounded by a lake. The city had appeared in the middle of lake Pontchartrain.
“How big is Verdantia?” Daniel asked. “What you said earlier about it appearing in a lake is just now beginning to sink in.”
“The inner city is about five miles across, and the outer city encompasses maybe five miles beyond that wall,” Sera said. “I’m not certain how much was transmigrated over, but the outer wall remains intact last I heard.”
Maggie chimed in. “Our inn is near the north-west wall, and it was intact when I left to find you,” She giggled at some memory, then continued. “I found Lady Everhart in the middle of constructing a path to this bridge. She was very persuasive and insistent that it need be done immediately, and preferably yesterday.”
Sera coughed, blushing at the memory of her impatience. “I seem to recall that you were ready to try your luck at swimming,” she countered, causing Maggie to shiver.
“It seemed a good idea at that time,” Maggie said in a small voice.
“Something will need to be done about the people,” Daniel said, his thoughts on the huge number of American citizens that were displaced.
“Have no worries,” Sera said, her voice filled with pride and confidence. “They will not be able to breech the defences of Verdantia.”
Daniel’s eyebrows rose at her statement. “I meant, they will need to be cared for,” He explained. “Food, clean water, medical assistance. Things like that. Your people will need to generate as much goodwill as possible, since your arrival on my world has destroyed so much.”
“Oh,” Sera said, understanding illuminating her face. “Oh. Of course. I’ll ask my father to render aid to your people.”
An awkward silence filled the carriage as it rattled across a particularly rough patch and began a steep ascent. Daniel could see what looked like solid stone outside the window, making it appear as if they were passing through a cave. The path levelled out and they stopped to pass another passphrase challenge, then continued onwards.
Maggie squirmed in her seat as they passed the outer wall a couple minutes later, guilt and other emotions flooding the shared bond. “I really need to tell my parents that I’m okay. I ran out without saying anything to them and they’re probably worried sick,” she said.
“I’ll request a messenger be sent to them at once with news,” Sera said, motioning to Evelin to knock on a small door that connected with the driver’s seat outside. “What is the name of your inn?”
“The Singed Beard,” Maggie replied. “It’s on the corner of King’s Crossing and Temple streets.”
The tiny door opened and the pimpled face of a teenager peered in, listened to the instructions, then closed the door. A moment later he could be heard shouting them to one of the mounted guards that accompanied the carriages.
Nervousness flooded the link, causing a feedback loop because everyone was nervous about something. “What are you nervous about, Maggie?” Sera asked, clasping her hand.
“You’re intending to take me to the castle, arentcha?” She said, her accent growing thicker with each word. “I’ve never been around such important people and I’m not even dressed…”
Sera laid a hand on Maggie’s shoulder, patience flooding through the bond. “You are, you will be, my sister-wife and none shall ever question your worth. Do not fear.”
“I’m nervous about too many things to list,” Daniel said. “But why are you nervous, Sera?”
Casting her eyes downward, Sera replied. “I also left without notice. It is only by the grace of Veridian that I had enough presence of mind to summon an entourage to accompany me.”
“So here I am, in a carriage with two young ladies whose parents have no idea where they went. One whose father could probably rip me apart with one hand, and the other who could have me defenestrated. I have whole new reasons to be nervous now.”
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The City of Verdantia was lit up like a gala, with softly glowing street-lamps placed along the wide boulevards and additional lighting next to every door. Soldiers patrolled the streets, enforcing curfew and ensuring peace.
The light clops of the summoned horses beat loud against the strange architecture, a mix of Medieval Europe and Classical Greco-Roman. Marble columns were in abundance, along with wattle-and-daub wood buildings. Bricks were also common, along with an abundance of elegant scrollwork and bright paint on every wooden surface visible. It was a strange melange of construction, but it was pleasing to the eye and to be honest, looked rather posh.
Hired guards stood vigil outside many buildings, while light could be seen peeking out of shuttered windows overhead. Daniel got the impression that many merchants lived over their shops. After they passed the inner gate and another passphrase check, the architecture changed subtly, more of a Spanish-Italian influence was here with wide balconies, wrought iron, and stuccoed walls present. More guards were in place too.
A circular road ran clockwise around the castle, noble houses lining the street as it corkscrewed up three storeys and ended in front of a massive gatehouse. Passphrases were again exchanged and they continued to the barbican accompanied by a runner who announced their presence. Daniel entwined his fingers with those of Magribella, drawing comfort from their calloused strength. He had no doubt this lady knew her way around a tavern brawl, and the mental image of her cracking skulls with wooden tankards made him smile.
“Bronze for your thoughts,” Maggie said, her lips pulled in a tiny smile.
He let out a small chuckle, glancing into her eyes. Gold flecks glittered in them, precious metals scattered in the common brown. “I was thinking that you’re probably a hell of a brawler and if things go south, I’ll be glad to have you watching my backside.”
A wide grin split her face, causing Daniel’s heart to skip a beat. “Oh yes, I’ve been in a few scuffles before. No one shrugs off a Dwarven head-butt.”
“Of that I have no doubt,” He agreed, thinking back to the thick-skulled zombies.
The runner announced their presence as they ended their journey in the inner ward, surrounded by soldiers. The door to the carriage opened and Seraphina stepped out, followed by Evelin. Brandy motioned for Maggie to go next, and the dwarf hesitated only a moment before planting a kiss on Daniel’s cheek and making her way down the steps. Brandy exited, leaving only Daniel in the carriage. Sighing, he grabbed up his belongings and climbed out.
The other carriages were unloading, and Rex waved as he spotted Daniel. Daniel had no clue why the man had latched onto him, but with the world going to hell, he could understand finding comfort in familiar things and people. He waved back, which encouraged the man to make his way to Daniel. Guards immediately stepped in place to prevent Rex from moving any closer.
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“Sera,” Daniel said, touching her on the shoulder and pointing towards Rex and the others. “Can you assist? I think there’s a language barrier.”
“Certainly,” she answered, turning away from the stern-looking butler and handful of maids who were rapidly approaching.
“They are my guests,” She said, raising her voice to the soldiers. “Treat them as such.”
Rex waited with an indignant look on his face as Daniel walked over. “Can you understand these people?” He asked.
“I can,” Daniel said. “Don’t ask me how.”
“Tell them I want my sword back,” Rex demanded.
Daniel sighed. “Rex, I have no doubt in my mind that these trained soldiers can cut you and me down without any trouble. Let it go.”
“But it’s my sword,” Rex whinged.
“We’re guests of Lady Seraphina Everhart, daughter of Duke Everhart,” Daniel said. “You’ll be taken care of properly and I’m sure it’ll be returned.”
Rex huffed at that news. “It better.”
The group of his companions burst into questions, with everyone slinging queries at him. Daniel held up his hands, tempered by Maggie’s resilience and Sera’s patience flowing through the bond. When the group quieted down, he pointed at each and answered their questions that stuck out in his mind. Pointing at Douglas the Suit, he said, “It’s ridiculous that you asked about your office before you asked about your family.” Addressing the rest of them he said, “I’ll ask that they search for your family. I’ll have whatever they write on in this place sent to your rooms. Write down their address and maybe draw a little map of the main streets so they can be found.”
Pointing at Naomi the Latina, he informed her that phones probably weren’t working, but he would ask about communications. Her lover John wanted information on his kids in Baton Rouge. Kerrie the Nurse wanted information on her family, which was in Houston. And the Sisters, Quanisha and Quantisha, looked absolutely terrified, huddled silently next to one another.
“Do you have family in the area?” Daniel asked, Quantisha. “Someone who might be looking for you?”
She shook her head. “Our parents live in Raceland,” She said. “We were heading back to Delgado for the new semester.”
“Lady Seraphina,” the butler said, stopping a respectable distance away. “The Duke requests your presence immediately.”
“I shall attend him at once,” She said. “These are my guests, Magribella Ironbeard and Daniel Carter. Please see that his companions are cared for. They do not speak our language, so please be patient with them until translation pendants can be arranged.”
“As you wish,” He said, waving his hands and giving instructions. A minute later, everyone was moving into the castle and separated at a large stairway, with maids motioning for the group to follow them upwards, while the butler lead Daniel and the ladies deeper into the castle itself.
They walked through a confusing maze of elegantly decorated halls filled with tapestries, paintings, and works of art on pedestals, everything illuminated by sconces filled with softly glowing rocks. He left them in front of a door guarded by two stern looking men in full armour.
“Please tell my father that I have returned,” she said, her voice shifting from friendly and casual to one of command. One guard nodded and stepped inside the thick wooden door. Daniel met the eyes of the other guard, who was sizing him up. He wondered what the man thought, seeing someone in modern clothing and work boots, wearing a backpack and carrying a metal baseball bat. In the back of his mind Daniel knew that he should be gibbering in fear and confusion, but he felt calm and patient, utterly convinced that if he just waited a bit everything would make sense.
A moment later the door opened and Sera stepped inside, dragging Daniel and Magribella along.
Behind the door was a large room with maps on every wall and a large table with what looked like a miniature war game set upon it. Glowing rocks in sconces illuminating the enclosed area. Several men and a few women, all dressed in what could only be called military fashion were arrayed around the table, along with a few dwarves and one elf. A handful of young aids in uniform stood in nooks against the walls, ready to run errands at a moments notice.
“Father, I have returned. This is Daniel Carter and Magribella Ironbeard.” Sera said, dropping into a low curtsey.
Daniel met the eyes of what must be Duke Everhart and a fire erupted in his belly, pushing aside his nervousness and filling his mind with righteous indignation.
“We don’t have royalty in my country, so don’t expect me to bend knee,” he said, wrath burning in his guts. “Why are you invading? What are your intentions?” He demanded, practically spitting the words.
Sera gripped his arm tight and laid a hand on his shoulder. “It’s not an invasion, remember. We’re fleeing our world which has been overrun by dark forces.”
Her words soothed his anger, pushing down the flames.
“This world was not supposed to be inhabited,” Duke Everhart said, a frown creasing his face. “Something went wrong with the ritual.”
“Well, you’re in the United States of America now, and you’re in for a world of hurt. Most of the government doesn’t like refugees,” Daniel said pausing to gather his thoughts. “And I’m positive that all of them don’t like zombies or demons, which you seem to have brought with you. Are you responsible for this mess?”
One of the aids interrupted, “He’s telling the truth as he knows it.”
Daniel faced the young lady, maybe 12 or 13 years old. “Oh?” He said, flames burning inside him. “And when I tell you we have nuclear weapons that can destroy entire cities, and an arsenal of them that could destroy this entire planet, am I telling the truth?”
Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water before she gasped. “He’s absolutely certain of that truth.”
Flames roared inside him, demanding justice for the invasion, for the indignity of having his beloved city sliced and diced, replaced piecemeal with the architecture of another world.
Soft lips pressed against his cheek, extinguishing the fire flowing through his veins. “Help us, Daniel. You’re our only hope.”
He gaped at Sera, anger vanishing into clouds of steam. “Seriously? You pulled that quote from my memories?”
Sera blushed. “It felt like the right thing to say. I can’t read your mind, only sense how you feel.”
Daniel could feel the calmness radiating from Sera, and a nervous resilience from Maggie, waiting for him to make the right decisions. “Okay, I believe you,” He said. “So why am I here? Why did you bring me here?”
“Because as soon as the Gods sacrificed themselves, I knew something was wrong,” she answered. “And then, I felt you like a burning fire in my mind. I knew that I had to find you no matter what. You can help us.”
“Fine. Whatever,” he said, peeved that his righteous wrath had been diverted. “Someone get me a chair and catch me up.”
“Who is this man?” One of the dwarves asked, looking around the table in confusion.
“Daniel Carter,” He snapped, allowing the flames of his anger to surge and burn away fear and uncertainty. “You’re standing uninvited on my home soil. Who are you?”
The dwarf gaped for a moment, then placed his fist over his heart and offered a half bow. “I am Commander Magnus Stonehelm, Advisor to Duke Everhart.”
“Please help us, Daniel,” Sera asked, her voice quelling the flames once again.
“Okay, okay,” he said, placing a quick kiss on her cheek, causing those around the table to murmur in consternation. He pointed at the maps on the walls and the war-game set on the table before him. “Your maps are all wrong. It looks like about twenty miles or so of Verdantia was dropped into my country, right in the middle of Lake Pontchartrain. From what I’ve seen, this area here is missing entirely.” He drew his finger along the southwestern quadrant of the map. “I’m not sure how big the gap is, but there’s a forest of enormous trees around here,” he pointed. “I fought zombies there along with a couple of demons.”
“Demons?” One of the other officers asked, a striking woman in brigantine armour. A puckered pink scar ran down her neck, vanishing under the armour. “How do you know?”
“Because I can sense them?” He said. “And when I smashed in their skulls, they turned into flies and buzzed away?”
“You can sense demons?” She asked. “And you defeated them, alone?”
“He’s telling the truth as he knows it,” the young truth-sayer interrupted again.
“I was lucky,” Daniel admitted. “Magribella thinks maybe they were weakened by whatever magic brought you to my world.”
“If they are weakened, it will not last long,” the Elf pointed out. “The Stelae are already nearly fully recharged with echos of divine power. The demons will also be feasting on those echos, growing in strength.”
The table exploded into questions, everyone asking him things he didn’t know and demanding specifics on the military strength of American forces, geography, logistics, and other things that someone besides himself would know. Daniel answered as many questions as he could before finally holding up hands in frustration and shouting, “Hold up! Listen up! The guns I told you about don’t seem to work any more, at least mine didn’t. You told me that the Stelae have a range where they broadcast magic, so maybe they work outside it, or maybe these divine echos or whatever have destroyed all technology. So cars and guns don’t seem to work, and neither does electricity judging from how dark it is in the unchanged areas. Just assume anything that worked on your world works in the range of the Stelae. Maybe send out scouts to be sure, eh?”
Sera remained by his side the entire time, holding his hand or clutching his arm and stroking his bald head like a child when he became frustrated, especially when the questions turned to his bond with the women and the new powers they possessed.
After an hour of questions and his attempts to draw a map of the local area, America, and the other continents on the planet, she stood up and nodded to her father. “By your leave, we’re going to retire for now.”
Duke Everhart gave his daughter a nod, “I’ll expect you at breakfast,” he said, then returned his attention to the updated maps.
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Sera led him and Magribella through the hallways of the castle, Evelin and Brandy appearing from nowhere to follow them. At strategic points, those sconces of glowing rocks provided illumination in the stone corridors. Artwork and other decorations adorned the walls, causing Danial to stop and ask questions, filling in his knowledge of Eldoria, Arindor, Evergreen Vale, and Verdantia. He was tired, a bit grumpy, and needed the distraction to calm his mind.
“These are your chambers,” Sera said, opening the door to show him around. The place was larger than his apartment, with a sitting area bigger than his living room. The bedchamber was located beyond it, separated by large folding partitions, with a bath chamber connected. “Ring this bell if you need anything, and a servant will arrive shortly.”
She and Maggie departed after a quick kiss, leaving him alone in the oversized rooms.
Exhausted after a long day full of killing things and unstable emotions, Daniel dropped his pack by the bed and looked for a way to dim the lights. A quick inspection of the sconce revealed a clever cover that would slide around, shuttering the orange-tinged light.
The bath didn’t take long to figure out, placing a fist-sized blue stone in a silver holder caused cold water to pour from the bottom of the fixture, while a red stone produced hot from another. After mixing the water to the perfect temperature, he stripped and had a long soak. He was already perfectly clean after Maggie’s cantrip earlier, but his muscles were in knots and the hot bath helped relax him.
After towelling off with some of the fluffiest towels ever to exist, he grabbed up his clothing and dropped it beside the bed. Shuttering all the magic lights until only a faint orange-red glow remained, he climbed into bed and tried to sleep.
Some time later, the door to his room opened and shut with a faint click.
He could sense Magribella through the bond, her emotions uncertain. She crossed the room and hesitated. “Come on in,” He said.
She climbed into the bed and under the covers, snuggling next to him. They lay there, wrapped in each others arms, enjoying the dark silence. His finger traced slow circles on the arm she had draped over him, marvelling at the softness of the fine hair that covered it.
“Do you always sleep naked?” Maggie asked, breaking the silence.
“Usually,” he replied, his grin hidden by the shadows. “You should try it some time.”
He felt a flush of embarrassment through the bond.
Sitting up, she pulled her nightgown over her head and tossed it over the side of the bed. Her skin pressed against his as she lay back down, wrapping her legs around his.
A soft click alerted them to the door closing again, along with the faint clack of a lock being secured. “Brazen wench,” Sera whispered as she crossed the room and shed her nightgown, the bond carrying waves of mock outrage. “You got here before me. Move over.”
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