by S. K. Benton
Polite applause mildly interrupted the lycan king, most having heard of Jennie’s decisive defeat of Ryder Johnson.
“Jennie, while I did not witness the fight, I was told that the speed in which you liquefied your enemy’s brain was most impressive. I would only ask that you train our warriors to do the same. And, as I am aware that you and your companion Max must eventually return to the world of your birth, please know that this is also your home, and that you are welcome here – always.”
Expecting a verbal response from the stunning lycan woman, who was looking unusually delicate in her modern, pink dress, Krynos was surprised as the two girls turned and threw their arms around his massive trunk, hugging him tightly. At first slightly set back with an astounded look on his face, he wrapped his massive arms around them both and lowered his head with a gentle smile. The girls then moved back slightly to their chairs and Jennie addressed the crowd. She was not really one to give speeches – she was more prone to action, but the overwhelming collective emotion of the event prompted her to bring words to her lips.
“Um, everyone… I really want to thank you all. You see, I come from a place where things are different. We don’t have to build fires, or fix tables, or even make training targets. We have little machines that run around and clean up our floors. Before coming here I had never seen a broom in my entire life. People in my world call themselves advanced. We fly among the stars in the sky, protecting our four worlds from anything that would seek to destroy our way of life. Coming here, I have found this way of life more advanced than any technology can provide. The truth is that I really, really love this place – and appreciate the things we must do to help each other. Plus, I like beating up the bad guys.”
The crowd cheered loudly and would have started in the revelry of throwing various objects, had it not been for the fact that Jennie had not finished speaking.
“I have made new friends, and new family – family I never had before, and for that I am most grateful.” Then, turning to Krynos, she said, “My liege, as time permits I shall be honored to assist in the training the of soldiers of the Rhönen. I thank you for your most kind gesture of offering me yet another home. Liliana and I will return frequently, as I have a feeling we will be able to use the skills of a certain young lycan mage to facilitate our travels.”
Looking down the table at Max, she smiled and gave him a wink while crowd broke out into applause, with Krynos again trying to quiet them.
“Thank you, Jennie, my dear girl. Nothing pleases me more than to hear your words. However, in order to train our forces, one must have a military title, and so I hereby commission you as Lieutenant Commander Jennifer Escalante, of the Rhönen Dominion Special Forces Group.”
Jennie bowed deeply to Krynos while Liliana bounced in her chair, clapping her little hands. The two then took their seats, and Krynos looked over to Max, who was seated on the other side of his grandfather.
“Maximilianus Xavier Gunnarsson – he who terminated the line of Vladros, and along with his intrepid allies helped to save the Rhönen Dominion – I only have one question to ask. Did the sharks really rend Vladros into halves?”
Laughter filled the main hall as a smiling Max nodded his head, looking around awkwardly.
“My boy, my son, my brother. Thank you so much for your unwavering support. Since your arrival to our kingdom we have witnessed feats of battle skill and magical wonders never before seen emanating out of one man at the same time. Your grandfather has informed me that you shall be a truly powerful mage one day, and that goodness reigns in your heart. As I offered to Jennie, I also offer to you – a place in our kingdom to call your home - and also a title, so it is with the greatest pride I hereby grant you the commission of the rank of Commander of the Rhönen Dominion Special Forces, to serve at will along side your lovely companion, Jennie.”
Max smiled and stood up before the crowd, but before saying anything leaned back and looked to Donus, as he mouthed, “Commander?” to which Donus grinned and replied, “Oh, I also received a promotion, young lad, but it is your night. Enjoy the festivities.”
Max looked out at the quickly hushing room and spoke to the Dominion.
“King Krynos, with immense gratitude I accept your commission. As Jennie had stated before, we are from a distant world, but this one suits me better. Much better. I don’t know if it was fate or destiny, but at this very moment I could not be happier. Thank you, everyone - thank you.”
The crowd jumped to their feet and gave Max a standing ovation, which caused his usually awkward face to break out into a blush, as he was such a modest individual. Always putting others first, Max was being appreciated for who he truly was – a hero. Looking down the table to where Jennie and Liliana were seated, he saw the beautiful dega blow him a kiss, giving him butterflies in his stomach. His relationship with Jennie was difficult, and even though they now depended on each during times of battle, he couldn’t help but think she viewed him more like a sibling than anything else.
“Brothers! Sisters! Let us begin the feast!” cried out Krynos, as Draagh stood up and slammed his staff to the stage floor, this time having made sure that his cantuses were in proper order.
Everyone was suddenly provided with meats and delicacies saved for special occasions, and even wines from another world - specifically malbec - a red wine from a variety of grape grown in Argentina of Old-Earth and reinstated on the European continent some centuries later.
As everyone dug into their food, Max noticed that Jennie was eating with a fork and knife, apparently having mastered the utensils, and Liliana watched her with rapt interest as she tried to copy her adoptive mother.
“Draagh - Grandfather, thank you. Thank you so much. I don’t know what to say besides that. I guess one day I’ll find a better way to show my appreciation.”
“My dear son, it is I who should thank you, but we do have to one day leave this world and take care of business on Azul. However, you shall be able to return here at any time of your choosing in the future.”
“Why did you stop me when I was going to say something about Jennie claiming Liliana? Is there more I should know?”
“Well, the girl will need a surname, and the law states that children must take the surname of their father - and as she has no father, I figured it would be best to let it, how shall I say, rest for the time being.”
Max got a slightly confused look on his face, and simply went back to eating his dinner. Just because he had a genius-level intellect didn’t mean he would always see what was staring him directly in the face. Sometimes the most obvious things are hidden in plain sight.
Nibbling away at some particularly delicious grouse, he saw a hand slide a shot glass in front of his plate. Looking over, Draagh was smiling, holding Max’s half-empty bottle of Glennfidich in his hand.
“My son, would you mind if we shared this with Krynos?”
“The whisky! I forgot all about it… and no… not at all. I mean… you could simply conjure another one up as needed, right?”
“Yes, my boy, but this one is special, as you discovered it at the beginning of this most wonderful adventure.”
Max then lifted his shot glass, and looking over at a smiling Krynos, threw it back in one swallow – that first shot of the evening always bringing on a warm sensation in the stomach, followed by a delicious dulling of the mind.
The party started to really ramp up, beginning with the usual tabletop game, Lycan Jenga, as Max had named it. He even joined in, deftly avoiding being smashed in the face by using combinations of quick movements and cantus shields. As medieval-style music played, Jennie and Liliana danced together, prancing around in circles, while waving long, trailing red ribbons through the air. Krynos, Donus and Draagh laughed boisterously as the main hall shook with the massive stomping of lycan soldiers who were performing a type of synchronized line dance, particular to the Dominion. Max worked the room, visiting with tables and recounting the tale of the Battle of the Blood on dem
and. After a while, Jennie approached Krynos and asked for permission to change the music up a bit, to which the king readily agreed, remembering the tango dance at Donus’ birthday celebration.
Looking at Draagh, she gave him a sweet smile and said, “My Lord, if you could play a particular song, I would greatly appreciate it.” She then ran up and whispered the song name in his ear, causing him to smile and nod approvingly.
Conjuring an infoscreen, he changed the music most suddenly (and much to the surprise of the small musical group), causing everyone to stop in their tracks. Some expected, and hoped for, another tango dance, but Jennie had something else in mind. As the stunning woman approached the semi-cleared out area in the middle of the main hall, Draagh pushed out both of his hands, and then separated them, lightly prompting everyone to take their seats (those seats which remained, as Lycan Jenga tended to deplete furniture rather quickly).
Jennie sauntered out to the center, as a mirrored light ball magically appeared, rotating slowly and projecting reflected light throughout the room. Liliana looked at the lights with an almost silent “ooooo”, and the crowd quieted down. A beautiful song, accompanied by a rich symphony of instruments, began to play over invisible speakers at perfect volume. Jennie looked over to where Max was standing, as he had been caught amidst a large group of rather demanding soldiers, all desiring to hear the story of Vladros’ defeat over and over again.
“Commander Gunnarsson… would you dance with me?”
Max stood where he was, shocked, and then slowly approached the girl waiting for him within view of practically the entire Rhönen Dominon.
“This is unexpected,” he said softly, “a slow dance?”
“Mmmhmm. You got it, boy.”
He gently placed his right hand around the small of her back and clasped her right hand with his left, expertly guiding her through the melody of the song, which was quite famous in Old-Earth of the late twentieth century.
As they slowly spun about the floor, Liliana mischievously started making sparkles at the high table with Jennie’s wand - now hers - as Draagh looked on with great interest, seeing a bit more than pseudo-mage in the youngster.
Leaning over to Krynos, who was watching the attractive young couple dance, he asked, “My Lord, tell me about Liliana’s parents. They were both lycan, were they not?”
“Yes my friend. Quite a sad tale, also - they were the very last to murder each other in their death forms before we implemented the system of phase-detecting locks on the cells.”
“Hmm, and neither had magical skills?”
“No, but the father of the mother of her mother was a mage. However, this did not pass along to his offspring. Why do you ask? Does it appear that the girl has some innate skills?”
“It would appear so, but I must work with her further in order to truly know. Anyway, thank you, my friend.”
The two powerful men then sat back and shared some more of the delicious Scotch whisky from Old-Earth of the 29th century.
Jennie had wrapped her arms around Max’s neck near the end of the song, each of the two simply looking into the other's eyes. When they first met she tried to shoot him in the face with her stinger. Now she couldn’t imagine ever hurting him in any way. She had come to the conclusion that he truly was a wonderful man, and she was glad she gave him the chance to show her the errors of her ways – and opinions.
“You know, Gunnarsson, I am really super glad that this all happened. I mean, we have a lot more to do, but I think my life has changed for the better. How about you?”
“Yeah - best life ever, Jen. Best life ever.”
As the dance ended to polite applause, with the attendees being unusually well behaved, Max looked up to Draagh and thought out to his grandfather, “Hey, can I choose some songs now? It’s time to get this party rolling.”
“Of course, my son. The infoscreen is yours.”
Max reached his hand out, and Draagh’s glowing infoscreen, which had been floating off to his side, shot through the air and stopped at Max’s fingertips, causing some oos and aahs in the crowd. Then, looking at Jennie with an impish grin, he said, “Let’s watch these guys move.”
“Oh God, Max, what are you going to do?”
Her question was certainly rhetorical, as throughout the weeks she had come to know the more mischievous side of his nature. Max then called out to the audience while waving his hands, his blue leather suit shining impressively in the sparkle of the disco ball lights.
“My brothers and sisters. At Donus’ birthday, Jennie and I performed an ancient dance from the land of our ancestors, but tonight we shall all perform together. I have selected some music from Old-Earth, from centuries before we even existed, that I feel would be particularly fitting for a lycan celebration.”
Max then tapped some data into the infoscreen, and started playing a song by a man named Zombie, which had a particular heavy, thumping beat. The young lycan mage then started jumping up and down, pounding his boots on the floor waving his arms around, calling his lycan brothers to join him. Jennie quickly cleared off the dance floor, not wanting to be caught in the massive crowd of lycan soldiers – soldiers who were getting their first experience at what was called slam dancing. It was almost immediately that things - and people - started to fly across the room, as tables and chairs were upended, true to a lycan celebration. (*21)
Up on the mezzanine, Alfie, the castle’s master carpenter, looked down at the riotous commotion, and shaking his head turned to his apprentice, saying, “I do believe we shall have a great deal of work in the coming weeks, lad.” He then sighed and continued to watch the mayhem below.
To Jennie’s shock and dismay, Liliana jumped down from the high table and headed for the dance floor while waving sparkles in the air from her wand. Curiously, nothing touched the small girl, as Draagh had created a protective cantus that enveloped her, following her every movement. Looking over at Jennie, he waved his finger around while maintaining a knowing grin. The copper-skinned lycan woman then looked out at the crowd, very relieved, and watched as Max slammed into various men nearly twice his size, causing them to fly off to the sides, only to have them jump up and again dive into the crowd.
Jennie then got up and whispered something into the old mage’s ear, making him smile and nod. As she stood at the edge of the stage and looked out over the main hall, her pink dress morphed into an outfit of black leather, perfectly suited for battle dancing and complimenting her dark features quite handsomely. She then dove into the crowd, growling loudly, and proceeded to kick the butts of men easily twice her size.
Krynos lightly elbowed Draagh and laughed boisterously. Then, throwing down another shot of whisky he asked, “Commander Max certainly has introduced a dance worthy of his lycan brethren, would you not say, dear friend?”
Draagh just smiled, and turning his head away from his friend, took another hit off his beloved pipe.
As the evening’s festivities were coming to an end, Max was again seated at the high table with Krynos, Draagh, Kangor (who had joined them after nearly destroying three tables during the dancing portion of the evening), Donus and Jennie, the latter having a very tired little girl sleeping while curled up in her lap. Still seated at the opposite end of the table from Jennie, Max would occasionally look over to see her watching him as he talked of various things – mostly science, which his multiple educational degrees certainly qualified him to do. He did try to keep things in context, realizing that most of his audience had relatively little knowledge of the wonders of the universe.
As the hour grew late, and being tired, and wanting to sleep, Max stood and bowed to his friends.
“Hey Jen, I’m gonna hit the rack. Are you going too? I could walk you girls to your room if you like.”
“Oh, that’s ok. I’m going to sit here for a little while longer. I like Kangor’s jokes,” she replied.
Max then again bowed to everyone and said, “Ok then. Well, goodnight everyone. I’ll see you all in the m
orning at breakfast.” (*22)
Leaving the main hall, Max looked back twice to see if Jennie was watching him leave, only to be slightly disappointed that she was giving her rapt attention to Kangor and his unique sense of humor. So, after walking the hallways for a while, and even sitting out on a ledge on the outside of the castle where he had a clear view of the waning moon, he went back to his quarters, simply wanting to lay in bed and dream of their victory and how he spent the night dancing with Jennie.
Climbing into bed after he had changed into his sleepwear, he laid back with his hands clasped behind his head, letting everything that had happened play back in his mind – how he had barely escaped Azul with his life, his odd grandfather popping up out of nowhere, Jennie and Bagatelle arriving to arrest or possibly kill him and many, many other things - but the thing that penetrated his mind – his very core, was Jennie Escalante. He hoped that one day she would come to him, as he was not the kind of man to push himself on a woman. He had tried that after their battle with Vladros’ son, thinking that the moment was perfect, and it had ended badly.
He was almost about to drift off to sleep when he was mildly startled by a light knocking on his door. Jumping up, he sniffed the air, detecting it was Jennie. His heart raced with anticipation, not having the slightest idea of what was going to happen next. Then, calming himself, he thought she was just going to thank him for the evening. It was usually that way with her. Aside from her horrendous table manners, she really was proper. Max only wished in the deepest parts of his soul that he would one day exit the friend zone.
Quickly adjusting his pajamas, he went to the door and opened it, astonished to see her standing in the door frame wearing only her white, military regulation tank top and a pair of pink panties, with her soft, brown eyes reflecting the light of the waning moon that hung in the sky outside his window. Seeing her wearing so little wasn’t unusual. He immediately convinced himself that it was nothing out of the ordinary. In the military, especially on vessels, women and men even shared the same showers – so conversing while in their underwear was perfectly normal. His subconscious mind told him this as a form of self-defense from emotional pain. If he kept his expectations at zero then he would lose nothing.
