Ch. 11a: Waltz with the Demon's Pet 1
The room was dark and hot. The air was thick with vapor and scent of sulfur. The heat was so intense, even for the Dwarves. The cavern was located deep inside the bowels of the earth. It was a home of no one, for nothing could survive in these unfriendly environment, not even monsters or subterraneous beasts.
A lone man walked along the cavern, his long dark cape flowing freely behind him. Around him the air crackled continuously from contact of the intense heat with his invisible force field. The conflicting force didn't bother him at all. The man just walked deeper and deeper into the cavern.
And the air grew even hotter. At the end of the cavern, the walls were glowing in bright red, illuminated by the magma lake beyond the cavern. The ocean of magma rippled vigorously beneath. The lifeless magma chamber would not make a fine place to visit.
But the dark man stood near the cave opening near the magma lake. He had a purpose.
"Kastor!!" He screamed in his rich voice. "I summon thee! Wake up from thy slumber!!"
The dawn was breaking. The sun crept slowly from its hiding place, spreading its wings of light over the land. Various birds appeared from their nests and began their chorus of praise to the land. The fragrance of the flowers filled the air as their petals opened to greet the sun. The nature began their wonderful songs as the Land of Lore welcomed another beautiful morning. For normal people, this was just another ordinary summer day, but for certain people, this was another day full of excitement.
Atrus White Lion smiled widely. He was happy. Everyday was an excitement for him. He had everything under control. He had everything a man ever wanted. He had a job, a wonderful life, and a wonderful life-mate. Confidently, he rose his sword.
"Give me your best shot!" he said.
Adriana Freesland, the girl before him, tossed the object. Atrus leaped toward the flying object and swung the Rainbow sword. The enchanted sword flared as the magical force flowed through the metal.
"Sword Dancer!!"
Atrus delivered multiple short yet deadly cuts to the object, splitting and shaping it nicely thin pieces. Anna dashed forward and caught the pieces readily on her plate.
"Perfect, honey!" Anna smiled while toying with the perfectly cut potato slices. "This will be the best potato chips we've ever had!"
"Are you sure you'll be fine? Remember the steps?" Atrus reminded.
"Don't worry, honey, I remember." She pecked his cheek. "Now go. Men are not welcomed here in the kitchen. Wait for me in the dining room."
"Are you sure you'll be okay...?"
"Yes, now go! I need to prepare our breakfast!"
Atrus reluctantly went out of the kitchen and into the dining room. He put his sheathed sword on the table and sat on the big chair. His eyes wandered around the spacious room, way too spacious for a dining room. It was more like a grand wedding hall with a long wooden table and a dozen chairs on its flanks. The table itself was covered with decorated tablecloth. A Tiras-made vase decorated the table, topped with flowers Anna picked herself from the garden. Three grand chandeliers hung over the table, and another dozen of candleholders were set around the room.
He sighed. It had been six months since he took residence in the castle. Six months ago, he had been just a fighter fighting for the land against the demons and their undead army. Now he was Baron White Lion, the ruler of Southern Aragon and the master of his own castle. He even took the liberty of renaming the castle after his father's name, Castle White Lion.
The task as a baron hadn't been easy. After the war with the undead army, Southern Aragon had been devastated. The zombies had destroyed most of the towns and slaughtered the citizens. The undead had been defeated, but the destruction had remained. The reinforcements from the north had arrived shortly after the battle and had secured the southern area. Citizens had been allowed to settle down again. Starting a community from a scratch was already tough, let alone starting from a ruin.
Most of the town of Blackwell, however, escaped destruction, so the peasants had settled down there, increasing the city size. The kingdom had been sending settlers and volunteers to assist with the rebuilding. The Dwarves from the east had come and erected several guard posts along the southern border. Shortly as the security improved, villages began to sprout around those posts. The growth rate had been quite surprising, since the settlers had still had to cope with the harsh winter for months. The winter had passed now. Hamlets had become villages, villages had become towns, and towns had become cities. Blackwell herself had grown from a small city to the capital of Southern Aragon, matching the size of the old Tiras before the war.
A loud clanking sound was heard from the kitchen. Atrus grinned. It had been several months since Maya left them. She had decided to take a vacation to visit Castle Stromgard. Neither Atrus nor Anna had forbidden her, but she still had knelt before them and 'requested permission from her master and mistress'. She is definitely most annoying when she is on her knees.
And it had been several months since Anna decided to start cooking for them... or start learning how to cook. Atrus had been giving her a crash course in cooking. The result had been, so far, quite fatal. Throughout the winter they had called the local artisans at least twenty times to repair the kitchen. He simply couldn't understand how an explosion could happen in a kitchen, since the only thing burning inside was the stove, and it was made out of fine and strong bricks. She kept on claiming that the fire took too long, so she decided to use her magic whenever she could. Now he understood why magic books always advised using mini-burner for heating magical herbs rather than make-your-own fire.
A knock on the door awakened him from his daydream. The double door opened shortly, revealing a young man wearing formal suit and long pants.
"Ah, Leonard, good morning." Atrus saluted.
"Good morning, Lord White Lion." The man bowed. "May I have a moment of your time?"
Atrus grinned. He had met Leonard almost a year ago, when they were in a royal mission here in Blackwell. Leonard had been the leader of the local resistance against the wicked ruler at that time, Baron Anthony Stoke, Maya's slaver. When Atrus became the new baron, he had discovered the young man's talent in leadership and had appointed him as the governor of Blackwell. Leonard usually dealt with Anna most of the time, since governor's duties were mostly civil affairs, in which Anna excelled and Atrus dreaded. If the young man was looking for him, it should be either political affairs or military issues.
"How many times should I tell you to call me Atrus?"
"I'm sorry, Lord White Lion." The young man smiled. "I can't help it."
"Yeah, right. How's the road construction going?" Atrus queried.
"The road connecting Blackwell and Whitewater is almost completed, Lord White Lion." Leonard answered. "And the village chief Gordon expressed his deepest gratitude for the shipment of goods. They will begin building the fort as ordered once the stone shipment arrives."
"And how about the recent trouble south of Kitaria?" Kitaria was a new town near the southern border of Aragon, somewhere near where Labrador had once been. The town had been a favorite target for the demon raids for the last few weeks.
"We have sent squad four and five to reinforce the Dwarven fort there as you ordered. The frequency of raids has decreased rapidly. It was indeed a wise choice, Lord White Lion. I heard the little town was booming and our men received valuable experience."
"Very well, Leonard." Atrus adjusted his seat. "Now why do you need me?"
"A royal herald arrived last night, telling that Lady Murdock will come home this afternoon."
