Chapter Four-Hundred Sixteen (Patreon)

Rezlar asked if we could do the meeting at his manor, and I don’t see any reason why not.  Security, maybe, but if I’m being completely honest right now, I wouldn't be surprised if Miller can secure a place in the manor better than I and all my scions can in my domain… at least while still being able to bring people in and out easily.

Further meetings might be better done in maybe the old Sanctum, but for now, I don’t have any objections to meeting there.  There’s also quite the guest list.  Rezlar and Miller, obviously, myself, Freddie, Rhonda, and Pul, Aranya, Yvonne, Aelara, Ragnar, Larx, Folarn, Ed, Torlon, Old Staiven, Karn, Tarl, and Olander.  So… yeah, basically everyone.  We’ve got Rezlar and his party, Aranya and hers, the leaders of my enclaves, the local priest of the Shield, Rhonda’s mentor, the local guild leader, my favorite inspector, and the Crown Inspector, too.  I feel like the only potential person left to invite would be the leader of the former Earl’s guild, but I don’t know him well enough to make it a point to invite him.

Teemo will be representing me, with my other scions still working on either keeping things running smoothly, or working on their projects.  I don’t really need any other representation anyway.  Everyone who’ll be there already knows me and Teemo both.  With not much else to do, Teemo heads out early, since neither of us cares about being fashionably late, though he does make it a point to be fashionable for the meeting.  His little top hat makes a return, and he appears near the gate, dragging his invitation.

“Hey, I hope we’re not here too early?” he says as he holds up the paper, and the bemused guard accepts it to look over.

“Maybe a little, but I doubt he’ll mind you showing up early.  Do you want an escort, or do you know the way?”

Teemo smiles and tips his hat.  “I know the way, and I’ll even stick to normal space, heh.  Keep up the good work!”

With that, the guard chuckles and shakes his head as he stands aside to let Teemo in, as if Teemo couldn’t just slip past him anyway.  Ah, the rules of decorum.  My Voice earns a few curious looks as he makes his way to Rezlar’s study, but nobody tries to stop him.  I don’t think many of the servants do much delving, but I doubt there’s anyone in town who doesn’t know about Teemo at this point.

“Ah, Voice Teemo.  A pleasure, as always,” comes a familiar voice, and Teemo smiles as Miller rounds the upcoming corner.  The ashen elf is the prim and proper image of a competent butler, and though the only violence I’ve ever seen him do was to drag someone backward over a pew, said someone was effectively an assassin in maid’s clothing, working for the former Earl.  She seemed competent, but was absolutely terrified of Miller… so yeah, he definitely knows how to throw down, if need be.

Thankfully, that need rarely is, and I think he genuinely enjoys butlering, as he already has a little pillow on a platter, leaning down to offer Teemo a ride.  “We’re still making a few preparations, but the Young Master would be happy to greet you early.”

Teemo jumps onto the pillow with exactly zero grace, and sprawls in the comfort of it.  “Aahh… it’s even better than last time…”

Miller smirks and straightens, striding through the halls confidently as he carries Teemo.  “Freshly laundered, dried, and fluffed.”  Teemo barely hears him as he wallows in comfort, all the way to the banquet hall, where the other servants are making sure they’re going to be prepared to handle so many guests.  That they’re all good friends only makes them try all the harder.  Random nobles and dignitaries might expect the red carpet treatment, but friends are the ones who actually deserve it.

Rezlar looks up from the silverware and laughs as he spots Teemo on Miller’s tray, practically comatose from comfort.  “You’re spoiling him, Miller.”

The butler looks appropriately chastised (ie: not at all), and holds out Teemo’s tray.  “Apologies, Young Master, but he enjoyed it so much last time, I couldn’t help but try to outdo myself.”

“He definitely did, by the way,” points out Teemo, not even opening his eyes to defend Miller.

He bows as Rezlar takes the tray.  “One tries, and is always happy to hear one’s service is appreciated.”

Rezlar smiles at their antics as he sets Teemo on the table.  “I didn’t expect you so early.  There’s still a few hours before everyone is set to arrive.”

Teemo groans and rolls off the pillow, taking the time to retrieve his tophat before answering Rezlar’s implied question.  “I didn’t have anything else to do, and hanging out some is always nice.  How’re things going?”

“Very well, actually.  Though I’ve been busy, and I have to imagine Olander has been, too, he still found the time to send me a note saying I probably won’t need to worry about being replaced as mayor, which is a relief.”  He smirks at himself, shaking his head.  “I never thought I’d be happy to know my position as mayor is secure.”

“Big change from when we first met, huh?”

He smiles.  “Indeed, and I have you and Lord Thediem to thank for it.”

“Hey, Miller helped, too.”

Rezlar laughs, and even Miller allows a smile to show.  “He did, at that.”

“You have time to chat, or should you direct people here still?”

Miller speaks up before Rezlar can.  “I can ensure everything is in order, Young Master.”

Rezlar looks ready to protest, but instead loosens up and nods.  “Thank you, Miller.  I think we’ll chat at the table, unless you wanted some privacy?” he asks Teemo, who shakes his head.

“Nah, we’re looking to just chill.  Business can come at the meeting.  How’s everything after… well, your dad?”

Rezlar’s face sours for a moment before he answers.  “After what Paulte did, I don’t think of him as such.  But for the aftermath, things have been going well.  I had to get Pul out of the custody of the military, but that was rather simple.  Heh, he actually told them to talk to me, and for them to keep track of his knife.  Oh!”  He inhales to ask something, but then thinks better of it.  “No, he should be the one to tell You, if You don’t know already.”

“About him being an Enlightened Ninja?  Nah, we haven’t heard about that yet.”

Rezlar snorts at the snarkiness.  “Then can I ask about it?  He’s shown off a few things he can do, but he’s still getting used to having the class.”

Teemo taps his chin as I mull over the class.  “Sure, you can ask, but we won’t necessarily give you an answer.  A ninja should be shrouded in mystery, after all.”

“Well… what is a ninja?  It seems very much like an assassin…”

“Well, that’s part of it, sure, but Pul’s variant is more about disabling than murder.”  I catch Miller’s subtle nod out of the corner of Teemo’s eye, and I wonder how much he knows about Pul’s class already.

“And he has Your gravity affinity.  That’s going to be interesting to see.”

Teemo grins wide at that.  “Oh yeah, Boss definitely wants to see him practice with that.  Gravity with a ninja will let him do a lot of what Boss calls wirework.”

“Wirework?” echoes Rezlar, earning a nod from my Voice.

“It comes from stage stuff, like plays.  Actors would use wires to lift them up and make it look like they’re doing impossible things like standing upside-down on a ceiling, or dashing across falling leaves up into a tree.  Lots of crazy movement abilities.  He might even be able to fly with it, if he gets good enough.”

Now we just need to get him a yellow wig and train him to yell for five minutes without inhaling.

Teemo snorts at me.  “No, that’s the sort of thing Rocky might get up to, Boss.”

“Hmm?”

Teemo shakes his head at me.  “Just Boss being weird.  Though… if you ever see Rocky with weird spiky hair, he’s about to do something crazy.”

Rezlar looks at Teemo like he's not sure if he’s being messed with, and eventually shrugs and moves on.  “I hope you didn’t mind me inviting him and the others, by the way.  I… don’t like keeping things from them.”

“No worries about that.  You and your friends are still young, but you’re also some of the strongest delvers in town.  And you guys are our friends, too.  You all deserve to know what’s up.”

“And what is up?”

“A lot of things, but mostly that Boss is getting ready to deal with what you saw in your vision.  We’re definitely not ready right this instant, but Boss wants to talk about how to get ready, once everyone’s here.  And to get caught up on things.”

Rezlar hums in response, his brow furrowing as he probably wonders what I’ll even do.  “Oh, that does remind me of something.  While the local thieves guild has collapsed after what Paulte did, I know the larger guild will be sending representatives to reestablish it.”

“You want us to tell them to kick rocks?”

Rezlar snorts in humor.  “I wish.  Much as I pains me, even Toja’s guild kept violent crime down, or at least limited it to between her own lackeys.  With the guild gone, there will be violence as the vacancy in power is filled, which is why I expect the larger guild to send someone to reestablish what semblance of order there is among thieves.  But what I would like to ask for is Your help in making sure they know they will not have the same latitude Toja did.  And that it’s not a negotiation, but a warning.”

Teemo grins wide at that as I get a few ideas.  “Oh, Boss has just the thing to make sure they don’t get too big for their soiled britches.  We’ll give you the details later.”

Rezlar chuckles, imagining me doing something to scare the crap out of some thieves.  “I look forward to it.”

Before he can follow up, the doors open to reveal Freddie, Rhonda, and Pul, the three smiling wide when they see Rezlar sitting at the table with Teemo.  “Ah, my friends!  Come have a seat!  Teemo and I were just chatting while waiting for everyone else.  Why don’t you join us?”

The orc, goblin, and elf-disguised changeling eagerly pull up seats and start chattering away while Teemo climbs back onto his pillow to relax and listen.  It seems friendly banter is one of the few things to compete with the softness of the pillow, and the mood only gets better as more people arrive to hang out.

We all chat about everything and nothing, catching up and just having some fun together, even after everyone gets here.  We can’t put off the meeting for too long, but the meal Rezlar has brought out is better for catching up rather than dropping news.  It’s not like I have anything ready to go right now to justify cancelling dessert.