Eventually, I had to abandon my dressing gown and the light breeze was miraculous on my naked skin.
“Why, you immodest ruffian! Don't just stand there like that! What if Waldinor comes in?"
“Then it will be time for ‘The Talk.’ Come on, Love. It feels so liberating!"
“I most certainly shan't! Now get in bed you crude man!"
I began to sing and twirl around the room as if I was dancing with a partner, one hand on her hip, one hand holding hers out. I made it a waltz.
“Why you scandalous, bawdy old sailor!" she laughed despite being honestly shocked. “Are you a pirate now? Full of shocking rhyme?"
"I'll free you yet from your social restraints, my beautiful woman. You deserve to feel what I'm feeling right now.”
"Oh, by élois, Tendil! If it will make you happy!”
She sprang from the bed and disrobed in a flash. Her night dress around her ankles, hands at her sides, looking every bit as beautiful as the statues of goddesses from antiquity. She saw the effect she was having on me.
"Oh, no! Not tonight Tendil! It's too blasted hot! You got me to go this far, now let me meditate with some dignity. Don't forget, we'll soon be immortal. There'll be ample time to be immoral as well.”
I jumped into bed and began tickling her ribs, "Oh now she makes jokes. It was too hot for jokes but one minute ago and now she's a regular court jester!”
"Tendil, I swear, if you don't stop at once I'll take that infernal thing you hold in such high regard and put it to the pyre in the Necropolis!”
That definitely got my attention. I lay down next to her and sighed.
“It does feel glorious, Love. Thank you for pestering me."
When I woke the next morning, it was to a furious thunderstorm, the skies leaden, slate gray, the flash of lightning followed by long drum rolls of thunder. I almost rolled back over to sleep through it but I remembered the serum.
Nudging May, I reminded her of it and handed her her vial from the bedside table. I got up to get water for both of us from the ewer by the washbasin. As I turned to take May her glass, a knock on the door was quickly followed by Waldinor sticking his head in.
I forgot that I was completely nude until I saw his eyes grow as big as platters. The door slammed shut and I heard the clapping of shoes on wood as he receded down the stairs.
“What was that, Love?” May asked without opening her eyes.
“Just Waldinor checking on us, Dearest.” I felt it best not to mention what he had seen.
I put three drops of serum in each of our glasses, stirring them with my finger. I also wouldn't tell May about that.
"Here, Love. Drink it quickly.”
She groaned, but pulled herself up so that she was seated with her back against the headrest, holding a sheet over her breasts out of modesty. We both drank quickly. The flavor was surprising — like a spicy vanilla with a strange, piney aftertaste.
As we felt the serum make its way through our systems, it was as if we had both swallowed the power of the thunderstorm outside. Our bodies were crackling with energy, every hair on my body wanted to stand up. I felt capable of anything.
May and locked eyes and immediately begin to … I'll leave that up to your imagination, but fifteen minutes later, we were ready for a hearty breakfast.
Wondering if he would come, I rang the bell for Waldinor. After a few moments, he came to the door, knocking loudly this time and entered with his eyes closed,
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“Yes, Your Majesties?"
I felt like an absolute heel. “Waldinor, I'm terribly sorry for what happened earlier. It was completely my fault. Now let's just forget it happened. What say you?"
“Yes, Your Majesty, I should like that very much. May I get you your breakfast?"
“Absolutely, Waldinor, there's a lad. The usuals, but I think I shall have some pear juice this morning rather than coffee."
When he left, I had to tell May about the embarrassing incident from earlier.
“Well, at least it wasn't fifteen minutes ago. We'd have had to call a priest," she laughed. “And give the boy an anatomy lesson."
As we were laughing at ourselves, the bells rang eight. Everyone would be joining us soon for our session and the White King would be coming as well.
We got dressed in our gymnasium wear as quickly as we could before Waldinor reappeared with our breakfasts.
We were ready and waiting at nine bells and everyone was typically punctual. One couldn't help but notice that Margrin and Janiver had a lively glow about them.
“Busy morning, Margrin?" I couldn't help myself and he couldn't stop his blush.
“Why, yes Bascombe, it's been quite productive thanks to the serum. I was able to get some calisthenics in," he smiled wolfishly at me.
Milost arrived with two guards.
"You won't need them here, Your Majesty, Milost." I let him know. "We've also done away with titles while in this group. We hope you don't mind?”
"No, of course not, Mister Bascombe. Tendil. Whichever you prefer. As to the guards, I'm afraid I don't share your level of comfort and I'd rather err on the side of caution.”
He did, however, send his men to the dining hall to wait. Then Janiver summoned our portal and we were back in our sanctum.
May said, "First things first, everyone. We've brought Milost here to learn about and possibly join us in our mission. Let's have a seat at the table and explain ourselves.”
"Yes, what exactly is this mission?” He asked.
May kept the lead,
“Basically, there's a move afoot by some evil forces, mainly the Black King as far as we know at this point, to form a new evil pantheon away from the demons and devils and the infernal planes. He's recruited Carca as his first step. She is using her own recruits to fill out the ranks.”
"You mean her Death Patron Warlocks?” Milost interrupted.
"Yes, exactly, including your advisor, Shindur, we believe. élois himself told us she is not to be trusted."
“I shall take that to heart, of course," he replied but his face was pure shock.
“It's only my business due to the gravity of the situation, Milost. But she's more than an advisor, isn't she? Has she been seducing you?"
His head dropped and we had our answer.
“She must not know about any of this, Milost. I'm sure she's been playing on the hurt you have felt over your treatment from us. That's understandable. But we're making all of that as good as we can make it. That's evidenced by our inviting you here today."
The man's face was pure shame as he resigned himself to the truth of May’s words. He was visibly hurt.
I put my hand on his shoulder and said “We're terribly sorry to have to break all of this to you. But you need to let May finish telling you what we are about to offer."
“Yes, My Friend," she said, "I think this will make you forget the rest. What we're doing, mostly with Janiver's help, is creating a pantheon of our own. We seated before you right now. You haven't been introduced yet to Brevid. She's a princess of the Sand Elves.”
"It's a pleasure, Your Highness. I noticed another guest from the Waste downstairs, that boy, what's his tale? “
I answered “That's Ranji Nur-Hajisti, a Bedouin lad descended from the Black King. Either the Black King or Carca had his whole family assassinated. He escaped their first efforts, but they're still after him."
“That's strange," said Milost, “I haven't heard that name in ages, ‘Nur-Hajisti.’ Carca's first husband was named Syndial Nur-Hajisti.”
Every jaw at the table dropped. No one could find words.
"Milost, Syndial Nur-Hajisti the Black King. You're saying he was married to Carca? He had a wife but she was a Dark Elf; you must be mistaken.”
"Carca was a Dark Elf before she began living in the Necropolis. You know Elves change over time. She left Syndial when her father died. Destroyed him. All I know of him is that he was supposedly a great Wizard.”
"He was a great Necromancer who used the power of the included amber to Ascend to godhood, Milost.”
"I thought he was still alive! I mean mortally alive, not immortally alive. That's why I broke things off with Carca myself, she still communicated with him. He was constantly sending notes by crow and she'd respond. I wasn't going to share her.”
May finally spoke, "So much makes more sense now. The Black King and Carca have quite a history. By élois, how long has she duped us? Has she always been evil, Milost?”
"No, she hasn't. I'm good and she's always been neutral. I couldn't have loved her if she was evil. He got her to make that change. If I had only known, maybe I could have stopped her.”
"We all feel your pain,” I said, "maybe you'll have your chance to get some revenge. All we're asking of you right now is to train with us. Train with us and teach us where you can. We aren't asking you to make any changes yet. But if one of us goes down, you need to step up. Would you do that for us?”
He smiled, "Would I become a god? Yes, I think I'd be okay with that."
I remembered, “You also have some healing powers, isn't that right?"
“Yes, Rangers wield some healing magic. It's not as powerful as you might think.”
"It doesn't have to be. Pelisir is a Paladin. Between the two of you, we should be fine. Actually, Janiver, wouldn't it make more sense to get him started in the change now, with the rest of us?”
Janiver asked the table, "Is everybody okay with that? Bringing in Milost now?”
All heads nodded assent, and now we were seven. That seemed more appropriate, the symbol of élois being the seven-pointed star.
Janiver fished another vial of serum out of her satchel, mixed three drops with some water, and we all watched as Milost drank it back — knowing what he was about to feel. Laughing when we saw his reaction.
Training was excellent that first day. Each of us had special talents that we could share with the rest of the team and the serum amplified our actions and our ability to learn.
We could all feel it. Whenever our time did come, we'd be ready for whatever faced us.