“This is ridiculous,” said Claire.\u00a0 “I don’t even know if I want it back,” she said.\u00a0 “I can go get some water out of the bathroom sink if I’m thirsty.”\u00a0 She was muttering at at this point.\u00a0 “Which I’m not, because if I drink something I’d have to … I’d have to let it back out at some point.”<\/p>\n
“But it’s part of the game,” Sadko said, part-concerned and part-cajolingly.\u00a0 He pushed her gently with his hand towards where team Koschei was gathering.<\/p>\n
“It isn’t worth it.\u00a0 I hate getting up in front of people.”\u00a0 Perhaps that was the source of her reluctance, and it was not one that Sadko shared, but it was still one he understood.<\/p>\n
“I’ll play you a song,” Sadko suggested with sudden generosity.<\/p>\n
Claire had never had anyone play a song for her – it is a special magic of its own.\u00a0 There are different levels of this, from choosing to play on a jukebox at a restaurant or the “the right song” for a mix, to playing requests, and finally to writing something for someone you love.\u00a0 The spectrum is an exciting one and full of all the things artists bring to those who sponsor them.<\/p>\n
“Trust a dwarf to find a drink – it’s rather prejudicial, don’t you think?”\u00a0 Nora smiled.<\/p>\n
“We are not what we are best at, always.”\u00a0 Roo considered this thought for a while because it wasn’t exactly what she had intended to say, but it was probably true.\u00a0 She went back to her thoughts.\u00a0 “I know of a dwarven ballerina.”<\/p>\n
“You speak sooth? That would be quite a sight, if not uncouth.”<\/p>\n
Roo had to agree it was, indeed, quite a sight, but then, she had seen it on a TV show, which made it even more unusual.<\/p>\n
Kievan was annoyed at the dwarf. “Well, it’s my party.\u00a0 And my wife’s.\u00a0 I don’t even know who half of you people are.”\u00a0 Once you get to “you people” you know someone’s capacity for rationality is impaired.\u00a0 Those words are landmines seeking explosions.\u00a0 Yes, I can imagine the singles ad.<\/p>\n
“Yes, tell me about your lovely wife?” the dwarf asked.<\/p>\n
“Well, she’s beautiful, and clever, if a little, I don’t know.”\u00a0 He gestured in that fashion men have always done in regards to describing ineffable qualities in their partners.<\/p>\n
“I am certain she is that thing.\u00a0 Could you point her out to me?”<\/p>\n
“Oh, she’s over there.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vasilisa had just begun to gather the groups together. “Gentlefolk, if you would excuse me, I hear you have found what it is you have lost, but not yet retrieved it.\u00a0 Claire, please be a dear and let us know what it is that was taken from you.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
“A drink.\u00a0 And if anyone spit in it, that’s just gross.”<\/p>\n
“Perish the thought,” the dwarf said, relinquishing the drink.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“And you, dwarf?”<\/p>\n
“This is ridiculous.\u00a0 One should not have stolen from them the name of their host.\u00a0 Let alone the other coercions upon this gathering.”<\/p>\n
“Is this to say you insult my Hospitality?”\u00a0 Vasilisa asked.\u00a0 Something great and terrible drew over her features, and even those in the audience who were blind to such things felt the threat.<\/p>\n
“No, no, sir,” for that was the impression the dwarf had had of Vasilisa.\u00a0 Dwarves are sometimes confused as to human gender as it is, and someone with power, well, no matter how that someone dressed, it should be a man, correct?<\/p>\n
Yeah, I know.<\/p>\n
“No `Sir.’\u00a0 Vasilisa.”\u00a0 She gave her name to the dwarf as the game was up.<\/p>\n
“Yes, Vasily…sir.”<\/p>\n
I snapped out of it.\u00a0 “All that for a …shaggy dog story?”<\/p>\n
He had the grace to look embarrassed.\u00a0 “It was more all that for time to summon her.”<\/p>\n
I looked around expecting a Muppet Movie-like reveal.\u00a0 I realized I hadn’t said, “Myth,” aloud.<\/p>\n
“Yes?”<\/p>\n
I turned around quickly.\u00a0 I didn’t know what I expected.\u00a0 There were tales of Vasilisa the Beautiful, of course. Her eyes shined like fireflies, and her smile was sunshine.\u00a0 Her cheeks were red and white, like the blush of an apple, or maybe blood and milk.\u00a0 She was dressed in professional chic, except for a little doll pinned just below her shoulder.<\/p>\n
Nikolai whined.\u00a0 He did not want to go near her.<\/p>\n
“Ah, little spell.\u00a0 Do not be afraid.”\u00a0 She turned and looked at me.\u00a0 “We’ve heard of you, too, Portal Doctor.\u00a0 That was good work with the Shadow King.”\u00a0 Her smile brightened the sunshine.\u00a0 That was the connection.\u00a0 “Although you still have much work to be done.\u00a0 Why is it you have summoned me, oh son of\u00a0 Lev?”<\/p>\n
Artur stood up.\u00a0 “I seek vengeance against the Naul, for the slaughtering of the birds.\u00a0 She has revealed herself in full, but while we were given transport to this place, we have only found guardians and no direction.”<\/p>\n
“Is that what you’re wanting, E?” she looked straight at me.<\/p>\n
“Um.\u00a0 I don’t know anything about any birds, unless you know, you mean dames,” I started, but her brow hinted of crinkling, so I changed my angle.\u00a0 “Do you know of Realms?\u00a0 The community type, not the political or mystical, well, still mystical, but…”\u00a0 Pretty girls are my kryptonite.<\/p>\n
“I have no doubt that while the Dragon Naul might swallow Doloise Mallory, it would leave the beast with indigestion, made as she is of Peredur’s Blood.”<\/p>\n
“Figuratively or literally?” I found myself asking.\u00a0 It seemed completely reasonable that she knew of Doloise.\u00a0 It’s a huge magic to accomplish, and while I hadn’t really known of the Mallory portion, it kind of fit as a name.\u00a0 Besides, who knew who else was on the short list of dumb mortals who would face the Shadow King?<\/p>\n
“Yes.\u00a0 Although I need to be more specific.\u00a0 In opposed to the collective, the singular was brought to life with Peredur’s breath.”<\/p>\n
“Won’t Peredur get involved?”\u00a0 Artur asked.<\/p>\n
“Um, he did,” I said.\u00a0 “He kind of sent me to find her.\u00a0 Which I was going to do anyway,” I grumbled.<\/p>\n
“I’ve the older claim,” Artur said, as if it made a difference.<\/p>\n
“Let me change the subject, because I think it might have relevance here,” Vasilisa interrupted. “How do Dragons reproduce?”<\/p>\n
I was suddenly uncomfortable.\u00a0 “They’re Dragons.\u00a0 I presume they eat people… and make baby dragons the squishy way.”\u00a0 I was aware of the twinkle in her eye.\u00a0 “Stop laughing at me,” I grinned.<\/p>\n
Artur shrugged.\u00a0 “That was my guess.”<\/p>\n
“So you seek to be a Dragonslayer, Arthur, without Excalibur in your hand,\u00a0and you know not the nature of the beast you are confronting?\u00a0 Oh, that is not very wise at all.”<\/p>\n
“Where is she?” he demanded.<\/p>\n
“She’s here.\u00a0 This is a matter of heart.”<\/p>\n
“So the heart of this place?” I said slowly.<\/p>\n
“The sorceror opened the portal at the throne of the mountains, and near was Viktor, the ambiance of a water Prince, and his spells collectively.”<\/p>\n
“You mean all I had to do was click my heels together?” I grinned again.<\/p>\n
“And find self-confidence,” Vasilisa smiled back at me.<\/p>\n
“So we go backwards?” I nodded sagely.<\/p>\n
“The only way to go forwards sometimes,” she agreed.<\/p>\n
“I just want my fairy back,” I laughed.<\/p>\n
“Be wary of what you claim, little power.”<\/p>\n
Oh.\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 I said “my fairy.”\u00a0 “That’s wisdom, alright.”\u00a0 I agreed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I won’t borrow trouble, but I will still reap some consequences,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Best a la mode,” I offered, still enjoying the repartee. “How much do I owe you?”<\/p>\n
“After having to hear that story?\u00a0 I probably owe you a favour,” she winked at Artur.<\/p>\n
“Let’s make it a mutual one.”\u00a0 I decided not to blush because, well, I’m a guy.\u00a0 “How about ice cream?” I asked.<\/p>\n
“When next we meet, yes, I think that will be well.\u00a0 And now a word alone, son of Lev.”\u00a0 She spoke a Word I did not hear, and then took her leave the way wizards do, by disappearing.<\/p>\n
“So what next?” I asked Artur.<\/p>\n
“To the heart of the matter?” he smiled, but something haunted his gaze.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“You mean all I had to do was click my heels together?” I grinned again.
\n“And find self-confidence,” Vasilisa smiled back at me.
\n“So we go backwards?” I nodded sagely.
\n“The only way to go forwards sometimes,” she agreed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1001002,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chapter-five"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3-2-1-boom.com\/doctor-e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3-2-1-boom.com\/doctor-e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3-2-1-boom.com\/doctor-e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3-2-1-boom.com\/doctor-e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1001002"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3-2-1-boom.com\/doctor-e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=443"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.3-2-1-boom.com\/doctor-e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3-2-1-boom.com\/doctor-e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3-2-1-boom.com\/doctor-e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3-2-1-boom.com\/doctor-e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}