The Gates of Eldoria

Chapter 5 - Breakfast of Champions

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Wrath and Gluttony made for a powerful aphrodisiac, his appetite seemly endless and fuelled by angry need. The bond added an unexpected element to their romp, creating feedback with every kiss, every caress, turning mundane pleasure into exquisite ecstasy. It was a long while before the trio collapsed in a sweaty pile, their passions sated.

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There came a gentle rapping at the chamber door.

Hugh cracked open an eyelid to discover that sunlight had crept into the room and was busy chasing away the shadows. He smiled, recalling the antics of the previous night and his prodigious appetite. Superpowers were awesome, he decided, covering Sera’s face with tiny kisses until she awoke.

She blinked at him, ocean-blue eyes confused, then eagerly returned his affections. Maggie stirred behind him, so he rolled over and doled out her share of good morning kisses.

Soon again came a tapping, somewhat louder than before, the sound of someone rapping, rapping at the chamber door.

“’Tis some visitor and nothing more,” Daniel muttered, reluctantly untangling himself from the comfortable embrace of limbs that pinned him to the bed.

“Just a moment,” Daniel yelled, pulling on his pants. Padding across the soft carpets laid strategically across the room, he unlocked the door to discover two angry faces he knew and a new face wearing a faint disapproving frown.

Evelin and Brandy pushed their way past him, clucking like hens as they scolded the girls to get out of bed and come get dressed. “Who are you?” Daniel asked the new face.

“I am your manservant, Arnaut,” the new man said, his receding hairline and crows-feet placing his age somewhere in his late 40s. He was dressed in castle livery, the blue and silver uniform impressively crisp despite the mounting Louisiana humidity. “Here to assist with your needs.”

Daniel was shoved out of the way again as the two ladies-in-waiting pushed him aside, hustling Sera and Maggie out of his room.

Daniel stared at Arnaut, who stared back, his face a blank slate. “Well, come in,” Daniel said, motioning for the man to get out of the hallway. “What do you want from me?”

“I’m here to fit you for breakfast with the Duke, and tend your personal needs,” Arnaut said. “I have brought suitable clothing and toiletries for the occasion. The Duke does not hold a formal breakfast or lunch, reserving such affairs for dinner only, so you need only mind your manners and not worry overmuch about dining etiquette.”

“That’s a relief,” Daniel said, his stomach grumbling at the thought of food. “Where do we begin?”

Arnaut laid the pile of clothing on a nearby table, returning with a small bowl and a glittering razor. “First, we shave you.”

Submitting to the process, Daniel was groomed expertly by Arnaut; his head shaven and polished, his Balbo trimmed and waxed, the rest of him powdered and perfumed. He balked when he saw the short legged trousers, slippers, and other frippery that looked like it was pulled from a 17th century fashion magazine.

Acquiescing to his demands, Arnaut rang for replacements. The final result was a loose, long-sleeved white linen shirt that tied in the front and featured ornate blue and silver embroidery on the shoulders and cuffs. Linen trousers dyed a deep blue were tucked into brown leather riding boots with a rolled cuff, and a brown leather vest with a silk lining of red and gold thread completed the outfit. A small cantrip from Arnaut caused the outfit to tighten in all the right places and loosen in others, resulting in a perfect fit.

Looking at himself in a full-length mirror of cloudy grey glass, he decided that he resembled something of a scoundrel, and liked what he saw.

“This looks good,” Daniel remarked. “Thank you, Arnaut. Think you can find me a suitable hat to keep my head from baking?”

“You look like a proper rapscallion,” Arnaut agreed with a sniff. “I’ll see if I can locate a pirate or brigand and abscond with their headgear. Breakfast will be served shortly. We should make haste.”

Clapping the man on his shoulder, Daniel indicated that he should lead the way. His emotions were stable, the ladies keeping them firmly leashed through their shared bond. He could also feel that something had changed last night, his powers solidifying, his body finalising its improvements. A new strength flooded his muscles, waiting to be tested. He tread across the floor like a cat; light, graceful, and deadly.

He felt like a million bucks, a hungry, edgy million bucks ready to face the world.

* * * * *

The women were waiting for him near one of the stairways in this confusing complex of passages and halls, seated in a window box while their two maids stood nearby. Daniel paused, stunned by a scene that looked as if it was lifted from a renaissance painting.

Magribella’s coppery hair was piled atop her head, covered by a jade green shawl. She was dressed in a gown of deep forest green, accentuating her hair, with gold embroidery on the oversized cuffs. The gown reached just below the knee, showing off muscular calves covered with light red hair, and a pair of cute green slippers adorned her feet.

Seraphina wore a blue dress of similar length to Maggie’s, the colour accentuating her eyes, causing them to sparkle in the morning light. A yellow shawl covered her shoulder-length brown curls, held in place with the strategic use of silver pins. White stockings covered her thin legs, with yellow slippers covering her feet.

The women rose as one, emotions surging through the bonds that tied them together, and dipped a small curtsey.

“You look quite dashing,” Maggie said, her eyes admiring how the trousers clung to his thighs.

“And dangerous,” Sera said, placing a hand over her breasts while taking a deep breath.

“And you are the two most gorgeous women I’ve ever seen,” Daniel said, giving them a mock bow. He couldn’t help but notice the maids getting an eyeful as well and gave them a rakish wink. Each of his bondswomen took an arm and led him down the wide stairs to the area below. The castle was abustle with activity, maids and servant-boys power-walking the corridors, each just a “Boo!” away from springing into a full run.

The table was nearly full when they arrived in the Solarium, the Duke was seated at the head, with his wife to the right, and two of what must be Sera’s sisters next to her. The Dutchess wore a blue shawl sprinkled with glittering stones and silver thread, which complimented her gown. To his left was a young boy, not yet a teenager, who looked questioningly at Daniel, then opened his eyes in wide surprise as he recognised his sister.

“Papa, why is Sera wearing a shawl?” He asked, turning to the duke.

The duke frowned, his face a mixture of emotions. “I’m sure that Sera will tell us,” He said, standing to greet the newcomers.

“I apologise for the rudeness of last evening,” He said, looking at Daniel. “I hope you can understand our confusion and uncertainty in the face of an unknown, and I ask that you assist us with integration into your world.”

Daniel glanced at the table, uncertain of the seating etiquette, then decided to make his own rules. Picking a chair three down from the young lad, he shooed away the servant and pulled it out, indicating that Maggie should sit there. Settling her into place, he proffered the second seat to Sera, and made certain she was seated comfortably. Pulling out the seat next to the Duke’s son, he met the Duke’s eyes.

“I will do everything I can to assist you,” Daniel said. “I only ask that you assist my people as well. We are a modern civilisation and most of the citizens have no idea how to cope without electricity or automobiles, much like I was told your people suffered when the, uh, Stellee were broken.”

“Stelae,” the Duke corrected. “And yes, I can understand the chaos from a first hand perspective. I promise that we will do all we can to help your people.”

“Thank you for your benevolence, your… Grace?” Daniel said, hamming it up and trying to recall the hierarchy of nobility.

The Duke smiled, which told Daniel that he was doing fine with the schmoozing. “I’m the King’s third brother, so it would be your Highness, but don’t worry about titles now. Call me Lewis while we are at the table. Please, sit and join my family.”

Daniel didn’t miss the implications of that last sentence.

Daniel was always told that the best defence is a good offence, so he sat and allowed his chair to be pushed in by a servant. “Tell me, Lewis,” He said, taking a table knife and stabbing a scone with it, lifting it back to his plate. “What are your intentions for Seraphina?”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“My intentions?” Duke Lewis asked, surprised at the sudden turn in conversation.

“Yes,” Daniel said, slathering butter on the scone. “Your intentions.”

“To see her happily married, of course,” Lewis said, dropping a dollop of jam onto his plate, then adding a slice of thick cut ham and a scone. “Hopefully to bounce grandchildren on my knee one day.”

Daniel shook his head. “I’m not certain that’ll happen,” He said, adding a slice of tomato-like fruit to his plate, along with something like a pomegranate. It split open easily with the knife, allowing him to gut it, spilling the berries hidden inside onto his plate. Using his knife, he scooped a few onto his scone, then mashed them into a blue-black paste. The bond filled with shock, causing him to glance at Sera. “I need Sera with me. And Maggie. There’s a reason I’m here, I think, and these powers make it clear that I have the capability to help. Without Sera and Maggie, I don’t think I can fulfil that purpose.”

Embarrassment flooded the bond, causing Daniel to look over at Maggie. “What’s wrong, lover?” He asked in a low whisper.

Maggie shook her head, blushing fiercely.

Sera leaned over and whispered in his ear. “Maggie is her pillow-name, a name reserved for lovers and close family. Using it among strangers is embarrassing.”

“Ah,” Daniel said, nodding in understanding. Turning to Lewis he said, “It seems that we also have some cultural differences that can cause embarrassment, so please forgive me if I misspeak.”

Lewis waved his hand dismissively, a smile creeping on his face as he saw an opportunity. “Are you aware of the significance of the veils that Seraphina and Magribella now wear?”

“Not a clue,” Daniel admitted.

“It shows that they are married or betrothed, that they are no longer considered chaste maidens,” The Duke explained with a dangerous glint in his eye.

Daniel chewed his scone slowly, keeping eye contact with Lewis while allowing that statement to settle in his mind. This culture placed value on chastity, and after last night…

“No,” he said, “They are not. They are mine and I am theirs. There is a bond between us that cannot be broken and even if it could, I would fight to keep it intact.”

Strange emotions flooded the link between them; Pride, embarrassment, relief.

“So what do you intend to do?” Lewis asked, turning the question around on him.

Spearing a ham steak with his knife, Daniel placed it on his plate and cut it into neat, bite-sized pieces before answering. “I intend to root out any demons I can find and destroy them, and locate these Gates you opened and close them. I feel strongly drawn to them, and I can only imagine that I am supposed to close them somehow. To do so, I will need Seraphina and Magribella at my side.”

“You mentioned last night you can sense demons, but you can also sense the Gates and close them?” Lewis asked, setting his knife across his plate.

“I can,” Daniel answered. “The closest one is near where I consumed the first stone that the demon left behind. The next closest is somewhere that way,” He pointed to the southwest. “And I have no idea how to close them, only that seems to be the right thing to do.”

Daniel laid his knife on the edge of his plate. “Will you assist me with this?”

The Duke nodded. “We had no idea the gates were still open, or if they had opened at all. The archways did not contain the divine energy, so we thought that the ritual failed. If you can sense open gates to Eldoria, they must be closed before it is too late.” He said. “Whatever you need, I will provide.”

* * * * *

“I can’t believe you haven’t been trained in itoqaite,” Sera gushed as they made their way to the waiting room. “You were absolutely vicious at the table.”

“And I can’t believe that there’s such a political dinner game,” Daniel said, shaking his head. “The idea of sending secret messages with cutlery is ludicrous.”

“Not just cutlery,” Sera said, her voice filled with excitement. “It’s the way you use it. You used your knife at every opportunity, slicing, smashing, cutting… The way you gutted the pumgrenti fruit while denying my father was inspired. Even I was in shock. And when you sliced your ham steak into tiny pieces, implying that you would cut up and devour any opposition… My father surrendered his knife to the plate! I haven’t seen such a display since Georgina argued against her marriage to Lord Mongan!”

“So how do I opt out of playing this game in the future?” Daniel asked, concerned that he would eat a pudding and cause a war.

“Oh, just move your cup from the left to the right side of your plate,” Sera said, as if it were common knowledge.

“Did you have any idea about this?” Daniel asked Maggie.

“None at all,” She confessed. “Nobels play strange games.”

“My sisters Ophilia and Isabella will invite us to tea soon, to see what kind of man you are,” Sera warned, practically bouncing on her toes. “They can be a bit judgemental — so just be yourself.”

Daniel hoped to be many miles away from the castle before that event took place.

Exiting from the castle proper to the northern bailey, Daniel and the ladies were greeted by the scarred woman from the previous evening. Dressed in the same brigandine as before, she stopped before the trio and greeted them.

“Lady Seraphina, Magribella, and Sir Daniel,” she said, placing a fist across her breast.

“Not sir, not yet,” Daniel countered without thinking. “Just Daniel if you please.”

“General Reganset,” She said, a small smile passing her lips. “I’ve mustered the first and second divisions for inspection.”

“I’ll pass through and if I ask anyone what their duties are, escort them to a holding cell in secret,” Daniel said.

“That’s a good plan,” General Reganset nodded. “I was going to suggest gathering a number of trusted troops and creating a demon hunting brigade.”

“That’s a good plan too,” Daniel agreed. “We’ll do it after we weed the garden, so to speak.”

Daniel stood before the assembled soldiers, pitching his voice to carry. “I’m Daniel Carter and I’m gathering a personal force to scout out the lands around Verdantia,” He said, sticking to the script that had been agreed upon at breakfast. “If I select you, go stand against that wall and wait further instructions.”

He could already feel at least two demons nearby, one somewhere above him. It made the area between his shoulders itch.

He passed through the ranks, asking questions and selecting a few men that looked capable before he reached the first demon. “What’s your name,” He asked, examining the man closely for any sign of possession. The soldier looked perfectly human and it was only the stone in his chest that told him there was anything unusual about the man.

“Jacob Neylan, Sir!” The soldier barked, eyes fixed straight ahead.

“And what are your duties, Jacob?” Daniel asked.

“I’m a foot soldier in Duke Everhart’s army, Sir!”

Daniel turned to the next soldier, continuing the inspection. It was done an hour later, and he was escorted down to the dungeon to wait for the demon he discovered in the ranks to be lured into the trap. Then it would be time to hunt down the other lurking in the castle itself.

* * * * *

Daniel, Maggie, and Sera waited inside the tiny dungeon cell, which Sera assured him was a generous size. Daniel agreed on a certain level, it was at east as large as the bedroom in his tiny apartment, maybe ten foot by ten foot. It was a bit cramped with the three of them inside, but the plan was to overwhelm the demon and subdue it, not kill it unless necessary.

“The prisoner is in here Private,” General Reganset said, pushing the dungeon door open to reveal Daniel, Sera, and Maggie.

Private Jacob reacted instantly when he realised it was a trap, whirling around to launch a devastating flurry of blows into Reganset, driving her into the dungeon wall. Daniel could hear ribs crack as each punch landed, her armour doing nothing to soften the furious blows.

Daniel barrelled into the man, sending him stumbling down the dank corridor. Jacob spun around and slapped his hands together, releasing a thunderclap of pure force that sent Daniel and the women tumbling to the floor.

Ears ringing like church bells, Daniel crawled to his knees just in time to catch a boot to the head, nearly snapping his neck. Maggie darted forward, seemingly unaffected by the concussive blast, sticking a ten-inch dirk into Jacobs ribs twice before his fist connected with her skull.

Grabbing his arm, Maggie yanked and head-butted the demon, breaking his teeth and bloodying his nose before taking a punch to the guts that sent her reeling against the wall.

A silvery-white aura burst from Sera, filling Daniel with a sense of calm patience. He bounced up from the floor, Wrath filling his veins but his mind remained in a state of detached serenity. General Reganset was on the dungeon floor, coughing up blood. Sera was behind him, and Maggie was wiping blood from her face, probably wishing she had brought more than one dirk.

Raising the bat, Daniel channeled lightning through it, willing it to strike the grinning demon. A thin bolt of electricity arced from the tip of the metal bat, striking Jacob in the chest. Collapsing like a rag doll, he fell to the filthy floor and convulsed until Daniel released the power. Raising the bat overhead, he quickly crossed the few feet separating them and brought it down with all his strength, ending the fight.

The corpse disintegrated into a cloud of flies that fled down the corridor where a pair of guards carrying torches were waiting.

Even though the guards were warned beforehand, Daniel could hear their startled yelps as the flies descended on them, biting and stinging as they waved the torches around, setting them ablaze.

Turning to check on everyone, he saw Maggie kneeling beside the General, golden energy flowing from her hands and over the woman’s body, fluctuating as it healed the internal injuries.

“Are you okay Magribella, Seraphina?” He asked, his voice sounding odd in his still ringing ears.

Sera nodded, rising to her feet and dusting off her gown. Maggie grunted, a sound that probably meant she was fine. The golden energy washed over Reganset one final time, then returned to her palms.

The general spit out another mouthful of blood, then pulled herself to her feet. “That bastard hit like a ogre,” she swore, touching her sides. “I swear he broke every one of my ribs.”

“I think he did,” Maggie agreed, standing up. “And they poked holes in everything else.”

“You’ve got one heckova bump on your head,” Maggie said to Daniel, placing her hand over the lump. Soothing energy washed over him, healing the injury and a dozen other minor scrapes and bruises he’d accumulated in the last minute.

“You’ve got a nice black eye developing yourself,” he said, frowning at her injury.

“Can’t heal myself,” Maggie grinned at him, looking like she had enjoyed the scuffle and was raring for more. “I’ll just have to wear it for awhile.”

This time Daniel was prepared for the compulsion when it came scratching at the inside of his skull. Returning to the cell, he opened a small satchel and removed a charcoal pencil. Setting it to the wall, he began drawing fractal lines, lightning bolts that had to be just right, in just the perfect spot. When he was finished, half of one wall of the tiny cell was covered in a strange pattern that hurt the eyes and disturbed the mind.

“You have to do that every time?” Sera asked, shielding her eyes from the drawing.

“Every time,” Daniel replied, surveying his work with a critical eye. It somehow scratched the itch, rendering payment for services performed.

Maggie looked at it and turned away. “Have you tried not doing it?” She said.

“I get the feeling that the longer I wait, the higher the price will be,” Daniel answered. “And I’d rather not find out if I don’t have to.”

“Send someone down to scrub that off,” General Reganset said, pointing at one of the guards. “And both of you get to the infirmary for a checkup.”

“I can take care of that,” Maggie offered, taking one of the guards hands in hers. Golden power flowed out, washing away the boils and blisters where the flies had bitten him. Repeating the process on the other guard, her stomach gurgled when she was done. “Anyone up for a second breakfast? I’m famished.”

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