by Andy Nadir
Chapter Fourteen
The ceremony itself was rather boring. It consisted mainly of the king praising us, and pointing out everything we did good for the kingdom. After he “Duked” us, the rest of the ceremony was eating, and talking to all the nobles.
After the ceremony, we were taken to tour our new mansion. It was a large building, with a lush lawn, and red roof tiles. There were several gardeners trimming the bushes around the house.
We all entered the house. Inside, there was a massive kitchen, four bedrooms, a small library that was empty, and several other unused rooms.
We moved in for the night, and I chose the bedroom on the first floor.
I got into the bed, and promptly fell asleep.
I was awoken by the ringing of my alarm clock. I noticed that it was just a normal ringtone, not a talking one. I rolled out of bed, and clothed myself. I walked out of my room just as Bakar and Cynthia walked out of theirs. We went to get breakfast in the kitchens.
Jack was already there, and he was laying the table just as we walked in. “Lance! And… Uh… Babar was it?”
“Bakar” Bakar corrected.
He just nodded at Cynthia. He turned, and started walking away from the table. “Whoa, where are you going?” I asked.
He looked confused. “Well, I set your table, now I have to go make my own breakfast.” I laughed.
“Why don’t you eat with us?” I asked.
Bakar nodded. He grinned, and hesitantly sat down. Once we were all seated, we began to dig in. Once we had had enough to partially fill up, we began to talk. “Hey, I really like this world, but im getting a little homesick, aren’t you?” Cynthia asked.
I shrugged. “There isn’t much for me to go home to. But, you’re right, I rather want to get back to school.”
“Well, we have done much in this world, and we have that teleporter Myron, The paladin, gave us. We could always return.” Bakar said
I nodded thoughtfully. Bakar and Cynthia burst into laughter. “Dude, don’t ever do that.” My mouth twisted into a grimace.
“Do what?”
“You put your hand up to your chin, and were scratching it like so.”
Bakar put his hand up to his chin, with all of his fingers facing outward, and began drumming them, with a stupid look on his face.
I snickered. “Something tells me you shouldn’t do that either.”
Bakar shrugged. “I won’t if you don’t.”
“Fine. Aren’t we getting a little off track?” I said.
“Of course, with you two, it’s easier to get off track than to stay on!” Cynthia said.
I turned to Jack. “Jack, how many people would you need to run this household while we are gone? And what vocation?”
He made a soft sound in the back of his throat. “Well…Ah… I would need at least three maids… and… A blacksmith, and... you might want…someone to count the money…and make sure it gets interest… and a few carpenters.”
I nodded, and turned to Bakar and Cynthia. “We could find these people today, and leave in the afternoon.” They nodded.
I turned back to Jack. “Could you get us a list on who are some possibilities, and the prices they should cost?” I asked.
Jack nodded, and pulled out a rolled up piece of paper. “The king thought you would need this, its pretty much what you asked for.”
I opened the letter. It had the vocation, name, and price of possible employees. I grinned. “No problem! I’ll go get these people now.”
I stood up, and thanked Jack for the breakfast. Bakar and Cynthia got up with me. We headed out of the house.
We strolled through the city, heading for the first place. It was called “Wilted Flowers”. By following the map that was conveniently on the back of the paper, we made it there and we barely had to look up.
When we reached it, I looked up. It was a several story building, covered with pictures of flowers. The sign above the door read:
Wilted Flower
Company house
Our mouths dropped open. “Why would the King think we need “Company?”?” Bakar asked
“Maybe this is the wrong Wilted Flower?” I suggested.
I glanced at the map again, but we were in the right spot.
“Hey, there is a small line of writing here we missed before!” I said
I peered closer at the writing. “The Wilted Flower, as you can guess, is a “Company House.” But, I have heard rumors that they are extremely abusive, and they have recently found a eighteen year old street girl, who was doing shabby, and kidnapped her. With the help of a mage, they froze her mouth, so she couldn’t talk about it. I was hoping you could save her, and maybe recruit her for a maid?”
I wordlessly passed the note to Bakar. He read it, and passed it to Cynthia. She read it, and her eyes darkened.
I glanced at the paper again when Cynthia handed it to me with a shaking hand. But that hand was not shaking because of fear. It was rage.
The paper said her name was Molly. I reached into my mind, and summoned Abbadon. “Retrieve the girl Molly, and don’t hurt anyone who stands aside. Let’s go.” I said, purposely leaving out what to do if someone DID stand in our way.
My eyes flared as Abbadon took over. Cynthia and Bakar took a small step back. “I may hold the power of dark, but this is disgusting. Forcing a girl to do this. Blood shall be shed.” We said.
Abbadon raised our hand, and the door crumpled in onto itself, and disappeared into a small thumbtack sized black hole.
We strolled casually into the building. Inside, a bunch of women were laying on couches, and one woman was sitting behind a desk. “Looking for some…” She started.
With a raise of our hand, we blasted the woman’s desk into oblivion. “Where is Molly” We asked.
The woman screamed. “Edgar! They found u…” Another raise of our hand, and she was sucked into a black hole.
I knew we were being over the top, but my rage controlled me. A man bounded down the steps. He looked at us and paled. He threw a pitiful ball of light at us. We laughed. Cynthia raised her hand, and a black ball hit and surrounded the ball of light. Bakar shot off his own ball of light, and it sent the wizard flying.
“What do you guys want…?” He stuttered.
“We want Molly” Abbadon/Me said.
“Oh, that can be arranged, but she isn’t very good yet…”
Abbadon roared. Spears of black bone erupted around him, and pierced every spot in his body. He didn’t even have time to scream. We turned to the nearest woman. “Where. Is. She.”
The woman pointed a shaking hand above her. We strode up the steps. The second floor was a large platform covered in several rooms. We blew in every door, until we came across one with a person in it.
I looked at the person inside. She was definitely young, but didn’t look quite eighteen. More like she was fifteen or sixteen. “Are you Molly?” We growled.
She slowly nodded. “Please, you have to believe me! I got kidnapped and…” We put a hand on her mouth.
“We know. We are here to save you.” Abbadon said.
“We…?” She asked.
We shook our head. “Later. Let’s go.”
Abbadon picked her up, and we walked out of the room. We returned to the first floor, where Bakar and Cynthia were waiting for us. “That her?” Bakar asked.
We nodded. Quietly, we strode out of Wilted Flower.
We went to the nearest Inn. When we reached it, Abbadon released his hold on my body. I sagged slightly. “Man, I need a drink.” I said.
We all sat down at a table, and I set Molly down on a chair. I sat next to Cynthia. Molly looked at us with wide eyes. “Can you explain to me what just happened?”
We went through our story, but left out that we were Dukes and a Duchess, and the fact we were from Earth not terra. “Wait, so you have like two personalities?”
I shrugged. “I guess”
“Ar
e you the strongest mage here?” She asked.
“N...” I started.
“Yes.” Bakar and Cynthia chorused.
I sighed. “Hey, I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but could you do something about this?” She asked, and indicated the tattered up clothing she was wearing. “It sort of got damaged when you blew the door in.” She said sheepishly.
I reddened, and waved my hand. Using Abbadon’s magic, I weaved a dress out of the darkness in the room. Her mouth dropped open. “This must be worth more money than this entire Inn!”
I laughed quietly. “Much more, more like the value of several hundred gold. I put a enchantment on it to never dirty, and never tear.
“Why are you giving this to me? I’m just… a street girl.”
I grinned. “So what? It’s what in here that counts.” I tapped Bakar on the chest.
“Oi! Don’t go all gay on me!” He said.
We all laughed.
As we continued talking, a waiter came to our table. “What would you like?” He asked, looking at me.
“Chef’s recommendation and some ale.” I said.
“What he said.” Bakar said
“I’ll have whatever soup you guys have.” Cynthia said.
He looked at Molly, and his eyes opened slightly. He leaned towards her, eyes squinting. I tapped him on the shoulder. “Sir, it isn’t polite to stare.” I said.
“Oh my, I’m terribly sorry young lady. You looked like someone I knew. So, what do you want?”
“I don’t need…”
“She will have what I ordered.” I said.
The waiter nodded, and swept away.
“You don’t need to buy me food, I had some yesterday…” She said.
“I don’t want to impose on your kindness.”
I laughed. “I could afford to buy this entire inn, and it probably wouldn’t hurt me much.
A small grin creased her face. “If you insist. For some reason, this inn feels strangely familiar. Like I have been here before…” She said, and trailed off into thought.
The food didn’t take long to arrive. The waiter brought both me and Bakar a stuffed turkey, and Molly got a slightly different smelling stuffed turkey. Cynthia got some type of vegetable soup.
We all started eating. As we ate, our water constantly glanced at our table. I waved him over. “Is there something you need to tell us?” I asked. “For example, Why you would put exarthmin, The “Kings spice” On Molly’s dish?”
“How did you know I…”
I shook my head. “Don’t ask.”
“Now, what is it?”
The waiter sighed. He looked at Molly. “You look much like my daughter, who disappeared some time ago. I know this is extremely wrong, but can I see your left shoulder?” He asked.
Cynthia’s mouth dropped open, and she opened her mouth to scold him. But, Molly simply lifted her left shoulder out of the dress. On it, there was a small, birthmark that looked much like a bottle.
The waiter’s mouth dropped open. “Mon… Mongolia!?”
A huge grin covered Molly’s face. “I go by Molly now. Are you the man I remember? The only thing I can remember is…” She started.
I summoned up power, and cast a remembrance spell on her. She froze
“DAD!” She screamed, and hugged him tightly.
They stayed locked like that for almost five minutes. When they released each other, I waved for the waiter to sit down.
Tears were streaming down his face. “Molly, I’m so glad you are alive! When you disappeared, I spent all of my money on search teams for you. I even had to sell the smithy, and become a waiter here.” He said.
“Oh Molly, How will I ever manage to pay for both of us? Gah! It matters not! I will work in more jobs! All that matters is that we met again.”
I grinned. “Sir, what is your name?” I asked.
“I am John.” He said.
“Well John and Molly, You see, we came here looking for some workers. We are in need of some maids, a carpenter, someone to watch our money, and a blacksmith.
“Are you guys interested?” I asked.
“Yes!” they shouted as one.
I grinned. “Great. We will provide rooms, and a payment of five silver a week?”
John’s mouth dropped. “You can afford that?”
I nodded. “I should think that a duke should be able to.”
This time, Molly’s mouth dropped. “I got rescued by a Duke? Wait a minute… I am going to guess that those two are also duke and duchess?”
I nodded. Then that means… You are the ones that brought Markovitch in!”
Again, we nodded. “And we can really work for you?” She asked.
We nodded for the third time. “Can you guys also help us find two more maids, a few carpenters, and a trustworthy money keeper?” Cynthia asked.
John nodded. “Follow me”. As we followed him out the door, He suddenly stopped at the edge of the door. “I quit!” He yelled into the inn, and then walked out into the shine of the sun.
We returned to the house by midday, with two carpenters, a blacksmith, three maids, and one money keeper. We all sat down at a large table while we explained their pay. “My friends, I speak on behalf of my fellow Duke and Duchess that we are happy to have you working for us. But, as we have told you, we are often on errands elsewhere, and we are actually heading on one now. We wish you utmost luck, and just go to Dave, our money counter for your weekly payment. Farewell.” Bakar said.
We all walked out of the room. “You have it, Lance?” Cynthia asked.
I nodded. I took out the teleporter. I walked to Bakar and put one hand on his shoulder. Cynthia put her hand on Bakar’s other shoulder. I pressed the red button, thinking of our Dorm.
The world seemed to fall out from under me, as the warp took effect. About 5 seconds later, we were all at our dorm. Bakar raised his eyebrows. “Not bad. You should keep that.” He said.