by Beth Hoyer
good. Eric went to the dresser and yanked open the top drawer taking off the breathing device leaving it on top of the dresser along with his pajama pants and gloves leaving his form wearing the underwear shorts while shutting the drawer. He opened the one in the middle to find black clothing inside along with shoe wear which he took out the items tossing them to the bed while leaving them piled onto there. He hooked the breathing device to his underwear shorts then went to the bed to pick up the clothes to examine. Eric found that they were similar as the too tight confining Sun Lord clothes but the jacket had gloves firmly attached to the sleeves and the boots he saw at closer inspection appeared to be some version of his sneakers but without laces and appeared to be the type for slipping in feet in and out. He put on the clothes feeling them loose on his form but fitting at the right places along with the boots fitting his feet fine to his standards. He went to the door to the bedroom and yanked it open walking out to stand staring at Jiang noticing Trevor there which both were appearing to scrutinizing him up and down with narrowed eyed looks.
He heard from Trevor “I recommend that His Majesty take in nourishment first before we attempt to see how the clothes will do under shower water with him wearing them. I prefer he have a full stomach to fight off any water poisoning if it happens for I figured that the nourishment will help him recover faster.”
He eyed Jiang who eyed him back while feeling his mind scanned and he heard from the Highlander “I suggest you agree to this.”
Eric looked away feeling the mind scanning stopped which he went to the table and sat and proceeded to eat his food first leaving no bites left due to thinking it was a must to eat it all up. He eyed the drink to see it was an orange color instead of brown and gulped it down finding it tasty and familiar to him he recognized as orange juice from drinking it as a child.
He heard Jiang’s voice sounding in his mind speaking “Excuse me but the doctor wants to test you on the effectiveness of water proofing the clothes your wearing and see if your safe wearing them.”
He stared at Jiang standing next to Trevor sensing his mind scanned which he mentally spoke “You’ll have to teach me how to turn on the water in the shower stall in my bedroom’s bathroom. Due to my water poisoning I never pursued such things like that.”
He got up as Jiang verbalized his words which he was handed his familiar mask by the Highlander and he put it on covering his head to notice the male and Trevor scrutinizing him up and down again.
Eric heard from Trevor “I don’t see the breathing device in view. How did you managed to hide that? It was assumed it’ll be hooked outside of your clothes.”
He stared at Jiang sensing the familiar headache and spoke words verbalized by the Highlander saying His Majesty says “I hooked it to my underwear shorts in case you wanted to know for I’m comfortable having it that way. Oh this bit about the shower? Can we get it over with now? I’m anxious to see if the clothes are good enough to keep me safe from being water poisoned.”
He shifted to look at Trevor who waved his arm scanner in his direction before speaking “Yah lets do it now. Jiang, you assist to be ready to help me get His Majesty out if water poisoning is sensed and I’ll need guards to standby ready to help the both of us get the clothes off his form and him onto his bed along with one ready to inject him with the medicine.”
He heard from Jiang verbalizing his words “It’ll be done as you requested doctor so let’s get this over with.”
Eric walked to his bedroom leading the way to again find his bed made which he didn’t focus on instead went into the bathroom to the shower stall opening the door and stepped inside turning around to face Trevor who cleared his throat.
He frowned as Trevor spoke “Actually Your Majesty, simply turn a bit in that direction.”
He obeyed at Trevor’s finger gesture then frowned staring at the wall seeing it had an overhead sink like large faucet and at his waist level were two knobs jutting from the wall along with colors of red on one and blue on the other one with indentions in the middle of them.
He looked at Trevor who spoke “Just press the button on the one with blue color on it with a finger and the water will turn on.”
He obeyed as he wearing the new Sun Lord outfit and mask covering his head stood in the shower stall with the water running over him. He frowned at the sensation of the water falling over him and looked at Trevor standing nearby holding an arm sized scanner which he was waving. Eric closed his eyes letting the water fall over his clothes and the mask he was wearing covering his head. He let his senses take control as he sensed no familiar feeling of water poisoning.
Frowning he opened his eyes and continued to look at Trevor who spoke “Everything’s fine just press the button again with a finger and it’ll shut off the water.”
Eric obeyed finding the water shut off and he walked out of the stall to face Trevor who was still waving the arm sized scanner over him.
Trevor spoke “Appears the clothes work for according to the scanner you’re perfectly fine.”
Eric left the bathroom followed by Trevor to see Jiang watching him from the doorway of the bedroom. He reached the doorway of the bedroom stopped and turned his head towards Jiang and felt the headache as the Highlander scanned him.
He mentally spoke “Has the seventh day imposed by the shield passed?”
He heard Jiang speak voice in his head “Yes.”
Eric mentally spoke again “I want to see Brianna now.”
He heard Jiang mentally speak “Follow me.”
He followed Jiang out of the apartment towards the elevator where three Highlanders two females and a male stood inside as they both entered it. The elevator he felt went down with a humming sound. He frowned as the elevator stopped opening its doors revealing the hallway where the two devices sat in front of the door with the shield field between them. He walked out of the elevator followed by Jiang and a female Highlander towards the shield field where he pulled at the glove and attached sleeve yanking off part of his jacket baring his clawed hand and stuck it in the shield while holding his breath feeling the familiar itchiness along with buzzing sounds heard. The shield he saw went off to his relief with a loud beep sound and he put his hand back into the sleeve and attached glove of the jacket as the door opened itself. He walked inside the vast room yanking off his mask and handed it to the female Highlander as he went to Brianna’s coffin walking up the steps where it lay on a platform. Eric stood next to the glass coffin staring at Brianna who lay dead to the world inside it. He raised his hands to stare at them covered by gloves and lowered his hands with a frown. He heard ahem noise and looked at two guards, Jiang and female standing below the platform watching him. He eyed the barrel shaped head cover mask held in the female Highlander’s gloved hands. Eric resumed looking at Brianna’s form in the coffin then placed his hands on his chest. He recalled something about Brianna when he laid her in there placed a hand on his neck abruptly covered by a black collar and felt the familiar budge of the chain he wore with relief hitting him.
Frowning he heard ahem again and felt the headache followed by a female voice speaking in his mind “Your majesty, time grows short. The people are eagerly awaiting their ruler, the Sun Lord to make an appearance as oath.”
Eric left the coffin walking down the steps as the headache left him. Frowning he went to the female and took the barrel shaped head cover mask which he placed covering his head then followed the two guards out of the room. Eric followed the guards to the elevator with two others in it that went up with the familiar humming sound. The elevator he felt stopped and opened revealing a large hallway with three open doorways in a row leading to an open ended balcony at the end of it. He walked out of the elevator following Jiang as the other Highlanders followed. Reaching the doorways Jiang stepped aside and gestured with a hand. Eric stepped through one and reached the end of the balcony at the series of metal railings to see below was a vast crowd of people of different humanoid species outside standin
g surrounding a large square pool of water with scattered trees as far as his eyes could see. The crowd he saw waved their hands some clapping as he heard loud cheering like noises coming from them.
He mentally spoke realizing something “I kept my oath to Brianna for I have a purpose to live on after her death. It’s the titled position as Sun Lord which I rule over all of Terrania as her ruler which I accept as my purpose now.”
Eric with face hidden smiled.
For further reading:
"Eric Book one"
"Eric Book two"
"Terrania Tale"
"Sun Lord and his Origins"
