Chapter 397 - Tales of Adventure

Sorry for the delay. Appreciate all the birthday wishes in the chat! Had a great weekend and I am ready to begin grinding again! This chapter gave me trouble. I am still not entirely happy with it, but I've been working on it for 4 days now and it's starting to drive me mad, so I've decided to leave it as it is for now and save it my edit later. Hope it still hits the spot! Tomorrow, I'm going to try and write all of the next chapter. If all goes to plan, I'll be posting Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday this week and have you fully up to date again.

Hump had expected dinner with Lord Rike to be a fancy affair—the kind with endless tiny courses, quiet conversation, and excessive amounts of delicate cutlery that he didn’t know how to use. He’d been pleasantly surprised by what he’d found instead. The dining hall was a warm, lively space, filled with the scent of roasted meats and freshly baked bread. The mood was more cheerful than Hump expected. These were men and women celebrating their victory in battle, not simply mourning those that they had lost. Laughter and the hum of conversation filled the hall, but it was punctuated by the clinking of tankards to toast a fallen comrade.

Three long tables formed rows, with Lord Rike sat proudly at the head of the one in the centre of the hall, Emilia directly on his right, two of her brothers beside her. Hump and the rest of his party were seated beside each other opposite them, in a place reserved for honoured guests. The rest of the room was packed with the disciples of the Rikes, along with many of their staff. There seemed to be little regard for one’s status here, but rather their strength and skills. It was a feast that reminded Hump of the days of his apprenticeship, dining in the halls of adventurers, rather than the more formal noble dinners he’d partaken in in Sheercliff.

“This is my kind of feast,” Hump said, leaning back in his chair and enunciating with the rib still in his hand. “Hot food, plenty of drink, and no one glaring at me for using the wrong fork.”

“For the last time, I was not glaring at you,” Bud said with a sigh, though his lips twitched with a smile. “It simply caught my attention.”

Emilia perked up, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “Did he really?”

Hump gave a large nod. “Oh absolutely. You’d have thought I’d tried to spread my butter with a sword.”

Bud shook his head, exasperated. “You shredded the bread! There were literal holes in it once you were done.”

Hump pointed at him with his rib. “I knew you were bothered.”

Emilia burst into laughter, her merriment contagious, and even Lord Rike breaking into a smile.

He leaned forward, studying Hump with interesting. “I take it you are not accustomed to noble halls, Wizard Humphrey?”

“Not particularly, sir,” Hump admitted. “They’re still rather new to me.”

“Prancy occasions, aren’t they?” Rike said with a wry smile. “I’ve never been one for them myself. Though I will admit, the food is usually excellent.”

“It does get ridiculous,” Elias said. “I was recently at a dinner where we were all smoking following the meal. Instead of using the ashtrays provided, they dropped their ashes onto a Neleshi rug worth far more than is polite to say.”

Hump frowned, bewildered. “Why would they do that?”

“To prove they could,” Rike said, shaking his health. “A show of wealth and disregard. Such displays are wasteful nonsense, and one of the many reasons I’ve always preferred the battlefield to the ballroom. My family have always been military folk. It is said that the blood of Byzantius himself runs through our veins. While we are not Chosen, we are bred for war.”

“No worries, father,” Emilia said. “I have been doing my best to provide demonstrations.”

“I’m sure they’re excellent,” Dylan said. “Unfortunately, she’s too fast for us to see.”

Lord Rike laughed. “After the meal you must tell us more of these ‘demonstrations’. A tale of your adventures is just what we need. I only wish Martin was here to hear it. He has—had—missed you greatly.”

Emilia’s face fell. “Yes. He was taken too soon.”

“But he died bravely,” Ernest said. “Fighting to the last.”

“You must tell me about him,” Celaine said to Emilia.

Hump listened quietly as Emilia talked of her brother—the middle of the five siblings. His mind was still stuck on Lord Rike’s story. Hump had grown used to the extravagance of noble meals, but even now, a few drinks in, it was not lost on him. It was ironic in a way. The gluttony of a few was what drove so many to the tunnels of the warlocks. Though he supposed that was the way of things. Now ruining a fine rug was insanity, but the true madness came from the decision to purchase such a thing. How simple items could be worth as much as entire homes was still something Hump hadn’t wrapped his head around—it wasn’t like they were artifacts.

Whatever the ethics of it, at least he could enjoy the benefits. Hump grinned as he piled a thick beef rib onto his plate, already stacked high with venison and potatoes, and a precariously balanced bread roll. He’d noticed a few glances from across the table when he’d gone for his second helping, but he paid them no mind—he was starving.

“The trick is to skip the bread,” Ernest, Emilia’s second-oldest brother said, spearing another slice of roasted beef. “Always best to save room for more meat.”

“Good to see you have not changed, brother,” Emilia said. “And still as afraid of vegetables as I remember.”

“Meat makes a man strong, dear sister!” Ernest said, holding up an arm to flex a bicep. He was a lean, well-muscled man, though lacked Bud’s height. Rather, there was a refined elegance to him that all the Rikes shared.

“The meat is delicious, but you can’t imagine how much I miss fresh bread,” Hump said. “It’s been weeks. I could have died a happy man after that first bite when we arrived here.”

“You do eat like a dragon after a hunt,” Elias said. He was the youngest of Emilia’s siblings, after her, and barely taller than Hump—a fact the man seemed far too proud of.

Hump chuckled—the dragon blood in his veins needed sustenance. “Not too far off. Yesterday, I fought warlocks, demons, a dungeon, and spent the day running through a desolate godforsaken world before fighting even more warlocks. I’m not sure I’ve ever been this hungry, which is saying something when you grew up how I did.”

“Bah! My soon-to-be brother-in-law understands, don’t you Robert?” Ernest said. “You don’t get to be a monolith like yourself by eating your vegetables.”

Bud laughed heartily. “The Knights of Blackthorne undergo a strict dietary regime while in training, with a healthy balance of both meat and vegetables. A feast like this is a rare luxury.”

The man stabbed another slab of meat and gave a menacing grin. “Suit yourselves. More for me.”

“Well, I will not be one to hold back,” Dylan said, the druid taking full advantage of the plentiful food on the table. “I shall follow your example, Ernest.”

“Good man!” Ernest gave an approving nod. “I heard from Emilia that you are a druid. Do you wield a staff?”

“I do.”

“Then we must find the time to spar, Dylan,” Ernest said. “I am a spear user myself—one of the few in the history of this family. It would be an honour to exchange pointers with one Emilia has spoken so highly of.”

“At least wait until after dinner to pick fight,” Emilia said dryly. “Dylan’s hardly had a day to recover.”

Dylan laughed. “She is right, but I would be very interested in seeing how the martial techniques of Emilia translate to the spear. Perhaps tomorrow? We are to see General Korteg the following morning, so I am not sure how occupied my time will be after that.”

“Which leads onto a question I have been dying to ask,” Elias said, looking at Hump. “You are the one they call the White Flame Wizard, are you not?”

Hump paused, caught off guard. “You’ve heard of me?”

Elias laughed. “Of course, we are a family of martials. News of successful practitioners out in the world spreads quickly amongst our disciples, and no name has been larger in recent days than yours. I’d wager few in the city haven’t heard your title.”

Hump blinked, lowering his food to his plate. “You’re joking.”

Elias shook his head. “The White Flame of Sheercliff; tamer of dragons, the hero who cast open the gate of the Infernal Halls. It is no joke. We have been eager to hear your story. Everyone here.”

As he spoke, Hump became acutely aware of the quiet that had fallen over the hall. The glances he’d been ignoring earlier now felt more pointed, more numerous. He looked around the room, heart racing at the awe in the eyes of the younger disciples. He recognised that look—it was the same look he’d had for Prince Kassius before he had… turned.

It was then that it dawned on Hump that they wanted a tale.

“You are ahead of yourself, Elias,” Lord Rike said, smiling softly. “It is good to see you all in such high spirits,” he began, his words drawing the attention of the room to him. “Tonight, we feast in memory of those who died heroically in battle—defending this city, its people, and this household. They fought with courage—one of my sons amongst them—and tonight we shall remember their courage.”

A rumble of approval swept through the hall; tankards raised in unison. The three siblings across from Hump clinked their wine glasses.

“But tonight is also a celebration,” Rike continued as he turned to Emilia. “My beautiful daughter has returned to us, safe and strong, and she has brought with her new friends of great skill.” His eyes swept across Hump and the others. “I have heard glimpses of their exploits in the Fallen Lands and the Infernal Halls, but as the end of this feast nears, I think we require that tale!”

Cheers erupted, tankards pounding the table like war drums. Lord Rike gave Emilia a proud smile. “Daughter, would you regale us with the story of your adventures?”

A blush crept over Emilia’s cheeks as she stood. The cheers in the hall became louder, Hump, Celaine, and Dylan joining in. Bud smiled quietly, his gaze never leaving Emilia.

She stood tall beside her father. “I suppose I shall start with my arrival in Sheercliff City…” Her eyes sparkled as they found Bud’s. “And my first meeting with my darling fiancé, who as many of you know, was rather difficult to pin down.”

Bud flushed, taking a quick swig of his tankard. “A loss of time that I will forever regret.”

Laughter filled the room, all but from Lord Rike, who stared at Bud with a hard look. Emilia quickly moved on, distracting her father from the feud. And Hump leaned back in his chair, caught in the surreal experience of hearing their journey recounted like a legend. Emilia’s words brought their adventures to life, and for a moment, Hump truly reflected on how far they had come.

The parts where Hump and Celaine were in Drakalyn were particularly interesting. Hump had heard of the efforts of his friends in Fort Nordric, but not in such detail. He enjoyed the story.

When they heard how she decided to cast aside her buckler and focus only on the blade, there were open mouths. And then when they heard that she had mastered Transcending Blade against the Mind Eater, cheers shook the room, men and women beating the table like drums. Even her father was applauding, and they hadn’t even reached the Infernal Halls yet. Emilia told the story well, sparing some of the more sensitive details regarding the situation in the Infernal Halls, like how many of the warlocks and demons had escaped the dungeon to target the cities of Alveron.

Such information was not for the disciples of a noble family. It left Hump wondering what news awaited them when they met with General Korteg. He had yet to hear from Wizard Aldric, and Bud was waiting to hear from the Blackthorne Company. There was every chance the warlocks would strike Fort Nordric sooner rather than later, seeing as it held one of the two remaining seals.

As the feast drew to a close, Hump returned to the guest house and continued his work on the Silver Sprig. Lately, it seemed like time was moving faster than ever. Emilia’s entire tale encompassed hardly a year of his life, yet so much had happened. The world had changed in that time, and so had he.