Chapter 7 Part 4 of 7 (Patreon)

***

Erik shook the sleep away as Rugrat called his name and tapped his boot.

"We're here."

Erik nodded, moving his tongue around in his mouth as he stretched in his seat to get rid of the last vestiges of sleep.

The door opened an Rugrat stepped out. Erik rolled his shoulders one more time following him out.

The Special team had dismounted and fanned out. They wore their armor openly, their rifles stored away as they scanned the palace and surrounding grounds.

a lady wearing a fine white haired wig, a thick layer of makeup and a slimmed down version of a dress that looked like t would be normal in the seventeenth century stepped forward from the Sha guards who stood at attention at the entrance of the palace, creating a pathway.

"Lords, West and Rodriguez of the Alvan Empire, it is my honor to greet you," She curtsied as Erik and Rugrat strode up to the palace.

Davos and Tully were a half-step behind while Roska was moving among the rest of the team. Egbert snapped his book closed and stood behind Davos and Tully staring at everything. He had chosen to go for a muted shirt, of Bright orange and white flowers covered in his purple interior and black exterior casting robe. He also wore pants and shoes but his rune carved head was still visible. George hung out back with him in his beast form.

Bet you just want to find the buffet table instead of meeting all the high and mighty people.

The greeter took them in through the main entrance, they passed through another set of doors into a grand ballroom that had been done up with guards along the walls, food and drink had been laid out. Sect leaders and elders talked to one another as did leaders of various Sha Clans.

"Lord West and Lord Rodriguez of the Alvan Empire and leaders of the Fair Trade Alliance," A man announced.

The room's conversations dimmed as people looked over to the duo as they entered.

Erik was wearing his armor as was Rugrat.

He looked at Roska who shrugged, the woman who had greeted led them down into the ballroom where people were wearing their finery, showing off their position.

Erik felt their judging expressions but they slid off of him as he had a bored expression on his face.

"When do we leave for the Violet Sky Realm?" He asked their guide as they walked down the stairs to the crowd, already some were peeling off from their conversations to talk to them.

"We will be setting off tomorrow morning," The lady smiled even in the face of Erik's falling expression.

He glanced at Rugrat. "Oh look, a bar."

Erik heard Davos groan, warming his cold heart with a smile.

"No drinking on duty."

Davos gave him a loaded look.

"I heard that its best to not piss off your security detail."

Erik's smile grew as Davos shook his head, grumbling. Even under his helmet, Erik could feel his smile.

After greeting several sect leaders and Elders, deflecting them off to deal with the Alvan council. Erik and Rugrat were resting by the bar as Egbert wandered the room floating food from the tables down to George without anyone the wiser.

He reached behind a table and picked up a fire imp holding a platter in mid-air, his mouth open to recieved the rolled meats.

I a single move Davin tilted the platter, expanded his head to fit them all in his mouth and closed it.

"hhi, Eg-urt! An-cy eet-ing ew- err." He tried to say around the meats.

Egbert muttered something about gluttinous imps, casting a spell on him and walked off holding the still chewing imp by the scruff of his shirt.

"George," Rugrat said under his breath and snapped his fingers as George looked around the room, standing very still at the scene of the incident. The party's eyes were all on the skeleton and Fire imp as George's head snapped down, hoovering up the meats that had missed the Imp's mouth.

"Seems that you two bring entertainment everywhere you go," A woman snorted from Erik's side.

"Esther," Erik nodded to her as she raised her glass in salute.

"George," Rugrat was still trying to call him over as the hound eyed the next platter of food, a clear debate in his brain. Guess somethings don't change.

"I like your style," Esther's eyes ran down Erik's armor.

"I see we have the same designer."

She laughed, she wore black pants and a shirt, she'd pulled a coat on but there was no hiding the pistol holsters on her shirt and the two that rested on her hips.

It wasn't odd to see people with weapons at hand, everyone in the seventh realm knew at least several spells that could be used against others. Everyone in the room had a weapon of some kind on their hips, even if they were wearing finery.

"So what brings you two on this trip? Certainly you've got enough toys down in your Empire."

"Still tons to see in the realm and who could give up the chance to see something new?" Rugrat said.

"Uhh huh, well, let me give you some advice, keep your eyes about you. The Violet Sky Realm has been mostly mapped out, but there are all oddities inside." Three men and a woman walked in through one of the side doors, Esther waved them over diverting their path from the buffet.

A woman wearing a lavendar headdress with golden thread, and a deeper purple silk dress walked forward, threads of fine silver tattoos showing on her hands. She led two men who could not be more opposed. One, a heavyset man wearing various items that he had seemed to have hammered into submission to fit to his large frame, a squashed nose and scarred face with half burnt off sections of hair and eye brows that seemed to have fled in fear of his animated eyes, talking to a pale man that looked like he was carved from marble. He had mysterious grey eyes, earrings hung from one ear, and his golden hair showed greys and silvers that added to his appearance instead of detracting.

"So if you were to loop it through the third input here," The big man pointed to an image with his pencil, you could increase the output by fifteen percent!"

"And have it just a hair away from the power output formation, it would take only a small fluctuation to breach the formation and then it could all go up."

"We just need to reinforce it a little and it didn't happen that much in the simulations!"

"Harrod, didn't you have more hair this morning?"

The large man patted a spot on his head that turned to dust.

"That's not the point, a minor error! Think of the possibilities Rob!"

The grey eyed man pinched his brow and sighed.

"Aunty Kameela, seems you were able to drag them out?" Esther said, greeting the woman with a hug.

"Someone has to get them out of their bedrooms."

"Hey its a workshop," Harrod grumbled, smiling as Kameela and Esther disengaged, stepping infront of Rob. "Hey little one." Harrod, the tall one said, opening his arms wide, with a smile to match.

"Uncle." She grinned and hugged him too.

"A workshop that happens to have your bed in it?"]

"Convenience," Harrod said as he released Esther, she went to hug Rob, but he caught her hand and bowed to her.

"Niece," He winked and kissed her hand.

"No hug."

"Not after hugging him and I can smell the powder on you, needed some shooting practice and, oh, at least it is a twenty year old wine, to play nice with others?" His eyes danced in amusement as Esther pouted. "A man should not smell of powder and sweat when trying to woo the ladies."

"He can smell an interested lady from across the continent," Kameela huffed.

Rob only grinned as he stood, releasing Esther's hand.

All three looked at Erik and Rugrat with various expressions of amusement.

"My face is here," Rugrat said as Harrod was actually drooling staring at Rugrat's chestplate.

"Hmm, oh, what?"

"Stop staring at the armor Harrod," Kameela sighed, looking to Esther.

"Lords Erik West and Jimmy Rodriguez."

"I go by Rugrat."

"This is my aunt Kameela and my Uncles, Harrod and Robert Larionvich."

"Hi," Robert said, using the corner of his eyes to look at the ladies in the room, paying no attention to Kameela or Esther.

"There someone that you haven’t met before?" Esther muttered.

"Yes, great to meet you, see you in the sub-realm," Rob shook Erik and Rugrat's hands with a smile and walked away towards a group of ladies.

"Some things never change," Kameela said. "Harrod is our front-liner and he's also a little interested in formations some alchemy and smithing."

"And you are?" Rugrat asked.

"The one that keeps them out of trouble."