by Clayton Wood
“Yes.”
Petra balled her right hand into a fist, and punched Kalibar in the shoulder.
“I almost killed you!” she accused.
“Actually, not...” Kalibar began, but Petra punched him in the shoulder again, and he grunted.
“Lead with that next time!”
“All right,” Kalibar muttered. “Next time we meet for the first time, I'll tell you I'm an emperor.”
“Oh,” Erasmus interjected. “You didn't tell me she was your new girlfriend, Kalibar!” Both Kalibar and Petra turned to him. Erasmus put up his hands and stepped back, no doubt because Petra looked like she wanted to punch him now. “Well you fight like it,” he added hastily.
Petra paused, then relaxed her fists, turning back to Kalibar.
“You two lead an Empire?”
“I know,” Erasmus said with a grin, walking up to Kalibar and putting an arm around his shoulder. “Hard to believe, eh?”
“I need to sit down,” Petra muttered, turning around and walking up to one of Erasmus's couches and doing just that. She stared off into space.
“Now now,” Erasmus said, sitting down beside Petra and patting his impressive belly with one hand. “I hope this doesn't sour things between you two.” Petra frowned at him.
“What?”
“Well, that Kalibar's a dirty politician,” Erasmus continued. “I've known him for oh, what now? Forty-eight years?”
“Forty-nine,” Kalibar corrected.
“That man,” Erasmus said, pointing at Kalibar, “...is the greatest, most beautiful damn human being I've ever met.” He smirked then. “He looks a hell of a lot better with hair though.”
“He's right,” Ariana stated suddenly. All eyes turned to her.
“I look better with hair?” Kalibar asked.
“I've seen who he is,” Petra interjected, looking at Kalibar. “You told me that I was of fine character,” she added. “And that you wanted a chance to prove that you were as well.”
“I remember,” Kalibar admitted. Petra smiled, rising from the couch and walking up to him. Then she leaned in, giving Kalibar a kiss right on the lips. Kalibar stiffened with surprise, and Petra held the kiss for a moment, before pulling back to gaze into his eyes.
“You are the greatest man I've ever met.”
Chapter 37
The emergency meeting of the Council went exactly as Kyle expected it to. Which is to say that, after a long period of disbelief and shock, the twelve members of the Council burst into joyous celebration, much as Goran had earlier. It was, Kyle had realized, the first time he'd seen them all getting along. After countless back-slaps and tearful congratulations – and a disturbing number of emptied wine bottles – the celebration died away, and the Council, along with Kalibar and Goran, got to work. On planning a more formal celebration, of course. Kalibar and Erasmus were to announce their victory in Stridon's Central Square, after which a parade unlike anything the Empire had ever seen would be had.
Kyle had left the meeting soon after the celebratory part had ended, both he and Ariana going back to Kalibar's suite. Petra had joined them, at least at first, and they'd spent some time catching up on what had happened to each of them, respectively. Kalibar and Erasmus had returned from the meeting afterward, and Kalibar had insisted that everyone come to his suite to have dinner together, like old times. And that is exactly what they did.
Kyle sat at the dinner table in Kalibar's suite, Ariana to his left and Erasmus to his right. Kalibar sat opposite him, as did Petra at his side. Petra had changed out of her Reaper uniform and into more conventional clothing...a simple dress. Of course, on her, the dress had transformed into something quite extraordinary, by virtue of her natural gifts. Kyle was relieved to see that he was not the only one who was having a hard time resisting the urge to look; Kalibar and Erasmus were clearly struggling with the same compulsion, with little success.
Just then, the door to Kalibar's suite opened, and a very familiar person strode in.
“Darius!” Kyle cried, standing up from his chair. It was indeed Darius, wearing his customary golden armor. The bodyguard nodded at Kyle, walking up to the seat opposite Ariana and sitting down. Erasmus rolled his eyes at the man.
“Late again?” he asked. “Are you ever on time?”
“Darius, you're back,” Kalibar stated, clearly surprised. Erasmus snorted.
“He's been back,” he muttered. “Came back a few hours after you left for your 'vacation,'” he added, glancing at Kalibar. He turned back to Darius, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “I immediately offered him a lifetime of unpaid vacation.”
“Petra, this is Darius,” Kalibar introduced, gesturing at the bodyguard. Petra stood to shake Darius's hand, and he stayed right where he was, giving her the slightest of nods. Petra kept her hand extended for a moment, then withdrew it, sitting down and giving Kalibar a confused look. Erasmus chuckled.
“You don't have to like him,” the Grand Runic counseled. “No one else does.”
Just then, Jenkins arrived. Ever the faithful butler, he appeared with stacks of plates, bowls, and silverware in his hands. Within moments, the table was set, with all of the instruments of eating within easy reach. Jenkins took everyone's orders – which for most of them was the perennial favorite, roasted duck – and then left as quickly as he had come to carry out their requests. He returned minutes later – an assistant butler in tow – with silver platters and a remarkable assortment of wine bottles. After everyone had been served, Jenkins left, his assistant clearly struggling to keep up with the expert butler's formidable speed and efficiency. Everyone at the table dug in to their meals at once, except for Ariana, of course. For Kyle, the delicious aroma of roasted duck was damn near intoxicating, his mouth watering almost painfully with anticipation. When he eagerly shoveled a juicy slice of it into his mouth, it didn't disappoint.
For a few minutes, the suite was thrust into near-silence, the smacking of lips and sipping of wine the only sounds to be heard. As usual, Darius finished before everyone else, immediately ordering a second course. And, by that time, a third glass of wine. Kyle's eyebrows rose; even Erasmus, whose love for wine was legendary among his peers, had yet to finish his first glass.
“You're celebrating pretty hard,” Erasmus observed, eyeing Darius mischievously as the bodyguard gulped down the third glass. “...for a guy who did nothing worth celebrating.” Darius smirked at the Grand Runic.
“If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be celebrating,” the bodyguard retorted, casually pouring himself a fourth glass. “You'd be dead.”
“He does have a point there,” Kalibar piped in, grinning at Erasmus, who scowled furiously.
“And he hasn't done anything since,” he muttered. He turned to Kalibar, giving his old friend a pleading look. “Can't I at least have him whipped? I won't even ask for the death penalty.”
“You can try,” Darius quipped.
Kyle grinned at the two men, trying not to laugh out loud. If only Erasmus knew! The old Runic was a huge fan of Ampir's, one of the few who believed that Ampir hadn’t been responsible for the destruction of the Ancients. If he ever found out that he'd been mercilessly insulting his greatest hero, he'd never live it down.
“How is your food?” Kalibar asked Petra, in an obvious attempt to change the subject. Petra smiled, jabbing one of the few pieces of duck left on her plate with her fork.
“Incredible,” she replied. “I've never tasted anything like it.”
“Stick around,” Erasmus said with a grin, “...and you'll eat like this every day.”
Just then, Jenkins reappeared, carrying more platters, this time filled with various desserts. He made quite a show of displaying each, and everyone chose their favorites, again digging in with gusto. Kyle, loving everything chocolate, chose the chocolate cream pie, one of his favorite desserts back home on Earth. It was, of course, better than any he'd tasted before.
“Mmm,” Petra hummed, tasting a piece of her own pie.
She'd gotten the same dessert as Kyle. “My god that's good!”
“Isn't it?” Erasmus replied with a chuckle. “Does this mean you'll stick around for a while?” Petra paused, then glanced at Kalibar, who was suddenly concentrating a bit too hard on his own dessert.
“I have responsibilities back home,” she answered.
“Damn,” Erasmus muttered. “Well, if there's anything we can do to help,” he added, “...we are all-powerful emperors.”
There was silence after that, and Jenkins appeared again, making swift work of clearing the table. The butler refreshed everyone's wine – Kyle had already lost track of how many glasses Darius had emptied – then vanished again, as if by magic. Everyone sat back in their chairs, their hands on their overstuffed bellies and their cheeks rosy with wine. Erasmus drained his glass of every drop of its contents, then heaved a contented sigh.
“Well,” he stated, looking around the table. “Now what?”
“Good question,” Kalibar admitted. Erasmus chuckled.
“I know, right?” he said. “All I've been thinking about is this damn war for the last what, two months?”
“It seems like longer than that,” Ariana stated.
“Well, there's the parade to plan,” Erasmus offered. The Council had unanimously voted to fund a huge celebration – complete with a parade – throughout Stridon, and in several other major cities in the Empire. They had less than a week to plan it.
“I'll leave that to the Council,” Kalibar replied. “I believe I'm still owed a few more days' vacation,” he added, glancing at Petra. “I'd like to show you around, if that's alright.”
“It is,” Petra agreed.
“Then I'm going to work on that brilliant letter you sent me a few days ago,” Erasmus decided, grinning at Kalibar. “You won't believe how pissed I was when I read it, by the way,” he added. “A damn Weaver solving Sabin's Void theory!” He shook his head. “I think I hate you.”
“Sorry,” Kalibar replied, unable to help himself from grinning.
“Oh yeah, you're devastated,” Erasmus shot back. Kyle stared at both of them uncomprehendingly.
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
“I'll tell you later,” Kalibar promised.
“Yeah, yeah,” Erasmus grumbled. He poured himself another glass of wine, bringing it to his lips and taking a generous gulp. Then he put his glass down, and turned to Kyle and Ariana. “So let's hear it,” he stated. Kyle stared at him uncomprehendingly.
“What?”
“Your story,” Erasmus clarified. “What happened over there?”
Kyle obliged, starting with his and Ariana's escape from the Tower, and their flight to the Defiance. He told the tale, and Ariana chimed in from time to time, as did Kalibar, and even Petra. By the time Kyle had finished, Erasmus was well into his umpteenth glass of wine, his pudgy cheeks rosy and his eyes moist. The Grand Runic, ever the sentimental drunk, rose unsteadily from his chair, circling around the table to give Kyle and Ariana each a hug. After teary congratulations were meted out – and after Erasmus’s repeated attempts to hug Petra – Kalibar himself rose to escort Erasmus safely to his own suite. Minutes later, Kalibar returned, and bid everyone goodnight. Kyle and Ariana left the table and went to Kyle's room, and they sat in the bedroom together. Neither of them felt like going to bed, Kyle being wide awake, and Ariana of course being incapable of sleep. They sat there, side-by-side, and Kyle snuck his hand into Ariana's, holding it. She smiled at him, looking as beautiful as ever. She said nothing, just staring at him with that strange smile on her face.
“What?” he asked at last.
“Am I making you nervous?”
“A little,” he admitted. Her smile broadened, and she squeezed his hand gently.
“Good.”
“Why is that good?” he pressed. She leaned in, kissing him on the cheek, then pulled back. She didn't answer, not at first, staring at him for another uncomfortably long period of time. Finally, she turned away, staring off into the distance at nothing in particular.
“I can't believe it's really over,” she murmured.
“Me neither,” he admitted.
“All I've been dreaming about for the last year is killing the Dead Man, or Xanos,” Ariana stated. She turned to look at him. “I don't even know what to think about anymore.”
“Think happy thoughts,” Kyle offered, giving her a smile. She smiled back, albeit weakly.
“Sounds hard.”
“It's not, really,” he replied. “I'll help you.”
“You always do,” Ariana agreed, gently turning his head with one hand and leaning in to kiss him on the lips. As cool as those lips were, it was still magic, sending a chill through his body. When she pulled away, he found himself staring at her stupidly...much to her obvious delight.
“Whoa,” he mumbled.
“You still like me?” she asked, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Kyle nodded emphatically. “Good,” she added. Kyle yawned suddenly, and Ariana patted the bed with one hand. “Time for you to go to bed.”
“I can stay up a little longer,” he protested. But Ariana would have none of it.
“Come on,” she insisted. “You've had a long day.”
“That's an understatement,” he grumbled. It was hard to imagine that he'd woken up in Petra's parents' house in the Barren forest that morning. No wonder that he was so tired suddenly; he'd scaled a mountain, nearly died on several occasions, and descended miles into the earth to defeat a two-thousand-year-old demigod, all in one day. And to think that a day at the beach back home on Earth used to seem like a jam-packed adventure!
“What are you thinking?” Ariana inquired. “You're staring off into space.” Kyle blinked, then shook himself out of his reverie.
“Just that I could use a little less adventure,” he admitted ruefully. Ariana smiled.
“Ditto,” she agreed. Then it was her turn to stare off into space.
“What?” Kyle asked.
“Oh, I'm just wondering what I'm going to do now,” she answered.
“You could go for a walk with Darius,” Kyle offered. But Ariana shook her head.
“Nah,” she replied. “I think I'll watch you sleep for a while.”
“Creepy,” Kyle muttered, not at all comfortable with the idea of being stared at while he was snoring...and probably drooling.
“Just for a bit,” Ariana reasoned, patting his hand. “Then I'll go and practice weaving.”
“All right,” Kyle agreed. He hopped off the bed, going to his bathroom to change into his pajamas and take care of all things eliminatory, then returned, crawling into bed. Almost instantly after Ariana had pulled the covers over him and his head sank into his plush pillow, he felt glorious sleep reaching for him, its soft, comforting fingers ready to pull him down into a peaceful slumber. He barely had the energy to muster a final goodnight to Ariana before his eyelids became too heavy to open. He closed them, and within moments, sleep claimed him.
* * *
The next day was, to Kyle's surprise, utterly normal.
Kalibar had gone away with Petra to give her a tour of his mansion in Bellingham, but had insisted that Kyle and Ariana continue their lessons with Master Lee and Master Owens, respectively. That meant that Kyle had been awoken at five in the morning by one of his elite guards, much to his dismay. Led to the Archives, he'd met up with Master Lee, who immediately made him review everything she'd taught him thus far. After demonstrating his abilities, Master Lee sat back in her chair, a smile casting innumerable wrinkles on the thin skin of her face.
“You've been practicing,” she observed, nodding in approval. Kyle shrugged.
“Not really,” he confessed. “I had to use what you taught me a couple of times, that's all.” He explained his adventure on the Defiance, describing the simple runics he'd constructed to help save the day.
“That,” Master Lee replied, “...is the best kind of practice.” Her smile faded, and she leaned forward in her
chair, propping her elbows on the tabletop between them. “You'll learn more in one day from necessity than you will in a week from me.”
“Maybe,” Kyle mumbled.
“Definitely,” Lee corrected. “I know what I'm talking about,” she added. “I'm old.” She chuckled then. “Magic is like anything else,” she stated. “You learn it best by using it.” She leaned back in her chair again. “I could tell you what to do until I was blue in the face, but until you do it yourself...” She trailed off then, lowering her gaze and sighing.
“What?”
“I guess that's why I stopped teaching,” Lee admitted. “Too many students who memorized all their texts but still didn't know their ass from their elbows.” She smirked then. “As if everything they needed to know in life could be learned from a book.”
Kyle could hardly argue with that. He'd arguably learned more in the last few weeks – about magic and, more importantly, life – than he had in all of the years he'd spent on Earth. And while he probably wouldn't be able to tell anyone what specifically he'd learned, there was no doubt in his mind that he was a much different person than he had been before coming to Doma. And he had one person, above all, to thank for it.
“Well, I'm done,” Lee stated suddenly, pushing herself away from the table and standing up suddenly. Kyle blinked.
“Wait, what?” he asked. “What'd I do?”
“Relax,” Lee replied, smirking at him. She pushed in her chair with one liver-spotted arm. “You did fine.” She walked past him toward the entrance to the Archives, putting a hand on his shoulder as she passed by. “Show me something new tomorrow,” she ordered.
“Wait, what?” Kyle blurted out, twisting about in his chair to stare at her stooped, retreating form. “What do you mean?”
“Surprise me,” she hollered, not bothering to turn around. Within moments, she was gone.
Kyle stared at the entrance to the Archives where Master Lee had been only moments before, then sighed, turning around in his chair. Then he nearly jumped out of it.