Chapter 27
Although I thought I was prepared to return to the demon's land, I still kept trying to get my wife to change her mind. To put it simply, she wasn't about to change her mind for all the tea in China, if she knew what/where China was.
Pejoru was definitely concentrating on getting both of us armed with as many powerful spells as he could. Ishla did something to Mariel that was mystical and womanly, and basically I was told to mind my own business. Typical.
I did some experimenting with the pocket universe that the strange being Svedra had introduced to me and gave me. It held as much, and seemed as big, as I wanted it to be. The interior was now like a cabin, with a nice garden that was sunlit just outside the back door. Where the sunshine came from, I won't even speculate.
Butterfly's flitted among flowers that Mariel had thought up. My little pocket universe had expanded to something that was no longer what it had been. Call it a woman's touch, but it seemed to me that Mariel was putting her stamp on just about everything I had!
I heard a soundless laugh go through my head. Ishla! I recognized her touch. More laughter, and then a shimmering was in front of me, followed by Ishla appearing. I bowed to her.
"Paul, stop feeling sorry for yourself, and stop fighting Mariel. She is going, and there is nothing you can do about it. She is a very powerful magic user in her own right, and you just might find her useful on this trip. Be at the demon gate tomorrow," Ishal commanded, then was gone.
I sighed to myself. Ok, if everyone was dead set on Mariel going, they must know something I don't. Still, it was a bunch of shit! That was my child that everyone... Gods included... was endangering!
I was just finishing up some instructions for my secretary, when Mariel came traipsing in. It was late afternoon and the sun hit her hair rather nicely, making it seem to glow. Mariel had taken to changing her hair color now that she had better control over her magic. It was an adventure in itself to see what she came home as. Today she was raven haired.
"Paul. I have gotten several of our friends and family together for a going away dinner. We leave tomorrow, and I want to have a nice time tonight," Mariel said.
Before I could even say yes, no, or all right, she was gone. I finished up, and made my way back to my apartments. Trayla met me at the door and smiled up at me.
"Hi, Paul. I am the doorman for this party. Mariel is in the main room with some of the other guests. You're almost the last! Really, as host you should have been here a long time ago!" She exclaimed rolling her eyes at me.
I chuckled at her. She was a little minx, and I adored her. I'd had no children in over a century, that I knew of. If I'd had any, I would want them to be like Trayla. I ruffled her hair, and she squealed indignantly at me.
"Hey! Watch it! It took me a long time to get my hair just so," she said, growling at me.
I laughed and went into the main reception area. Let's see... her homeland's ambassador, Fithian was there. We nodded to one another. I did not recognize two of the other people.
Mariel came up to me, and grabbed my arm.
"Good, you're here! Let me introduce you to a couple of people. This is Lord and Lady Bafsly. They have offered to foster Trayla while we are gone. I think it's a good idea," Mariel finished a bit firmly.
I gave Mariel a look that she instantly recognized as being she 'was on thin ice'. She backed off! Amazing!
"My Lord Bafsly. Lady Bafsly. I am afraid I do not know you. Obviously, my wife seems to know you, but how did you meet her?" I asked them curiously.
"We met at a service for the God Pejoru. While we live here in Landkur, and honor and venerate the Goddess Ishla, we feel a strong connection to Pejoru. Our family has been blessed with no less than 4 great mages in the past. While both my wife and I can do a little magic, it seems to have skipped us. Our son shows a strong ability, though," was the windy answer I got from lord Bafsly.
They had a small house in the city, and a larger manor house out in the north lands. I did a small spell to check on their honesty (So sue me! Trayla was an important member of my household, and I liked her.). The spell revealed that they were being truthful, and I was relieved. I was getting used to everyone having multiple reasons for what they did or wanted. These people just seemed to be genuinely concerned for a young girl.
Fithian came up to me a bit later, and asked about my pocket universe.
"What did you want to know specifically?" I asked him curiously.
"Well, since you can store an amazing amount of items and energy in there, I was wondering if you would like an extra power source; for emergencies, you understand." Fithian said a bit mysteriously.
Everyone I had shown the pocket universe to was fascinated by it. I even showed them an ability that really impressed them. I had the perfect insulator with this pocket universe. I had cooked up a pot of stew, and placed it in the pocket universe. I caused a small protrusion to look like a cupboard, and placed my stew, pot and all in it. Originally I just wanted to have something to eat while I experimented.
Imagine my surprise, when hours later I was famished, and went for my pot of stew. It was still piping hot! I have subsequently experimented with other foods, and they are kept in perfect condition. That is to say, if you put something in there hot, it stays hot. Put it in cold, it stays cold! Perfect insulation. It also seems that no time goes by for the items placed within the 'cupboard'. Amazing, really!
The dinner party went off fairly well. Mirwanna showed up, and was gracious but withdrawn. I cornered her and asked her what was wrong.
"You and your wife are going off into danger. It bothers me. If either of you die, I will feel horrible for years to come! As it is, I still feel badly about it," she said.
I nodded. "Well, this has the God's blessing as well as yours. Don't feel so badly, Mirwanna. We all knew this was coming. It is just my wife's part that has me surprised, and the support she seems to have from high up," I said with a scowl.
The dinner was a quiet affair, really. As I said, it was well done, but it was a departure party for my wife and I. Vostich teleported in briefly, and wished us luck, then teleported out.
After all the guests had left, and my wife and I were relaxing as best we could, she got into a cuddly mood. I quickly thought of a song I had liked back in the mid 80's. I called up Arch Angel, no not the one that was turned into a living being, but my computer assist program, and magical interface.
I told it to play a song. Shortly I was hearing a song I had not heard in years. It even translated fairly well into the local language. Soon the refrain from Gregory Abbot's, Shake you down, was serenading us.
Both my wife and I were armed to the teeth, and spells were ready and hanging for our use. We stood before the gate to the demons land, and waited for Natorza (the God of Order) to reopen the gate.
As we waited the Gods assembled, wished us well, and gave us their blessings! Damn! To be in the presence of so many of the Gods at once, was almost overwhelming! Finally, at some signal unheard to us, the God Natorza nodded and opened the gate. As soon as he did, a demon stepped through.
He was wearing a dark robe, and was bald. He had a serious expression on his face.
"Greetings. I am Ba'al. I will take you directly to lord Shaitan. He is most anxious to renew his acquaintance with you," he said with a bow to us.
I could feel his power. He had a similar, but different feel than Shaitan had. I nodded.
"This is my wife. You and yours will treat her with respect, or you will answer to me," I said grimly.
"Of course. We were told by our oracle to expect her. Welcome, Lady," he said to Mariel, with a extra bow all for her.
"Ok. Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" I asked a bit reluctantly.
"Of course. Step through the gate with me. I will then transport us to the palace of Lord Shaitan and great lord Morning Star. They wish to talk with you about something that has implications that are terrible indeed," Ba'al said and my wife and I stepped through the gate, side by side holding hands.
Again we were in a dreary place. The sky was dark, and seemed overcast. While I had told my wife what to expect, I was sure she was not ready for it, particularly when I heard her gasp.
"Welcome to demon land. Not to late to change your mind, you know," I told her.
"You can't get rid of me that easily," she replied.
Ba'al joined us. He then walked a short distance from the gate. He gestured for us to stand with him, and touch his robe. We did as instructed, and soon we were teleported to the palace that I had visited briefly on my last visit.
"Paul! Welcome back! I have been waiting for you!" Shaitan told me. He was walking towards me with his hand held out, and had a wide grin that exposed his fangs. Not a good omen at all!
"My lord Shaitan? I wish to present my wife, Mariel. I expect her to be treated very well here, by all," I said, putting as much menace into what I had said as possible.
"My dear, you are absolutely ravishing! Let me welcome you to our land," he said, grabbing her hand and kissing the back of it.
My wife giggled a bit, and I winced. Good lord, was she falling for this load of crap? Shaitan nudged us, and we got going, walking off into the depths of the palace. I sent up a silent prayer to the Gods, hoping that they knew what they were doing! Shaitan was holding my wife's arm and was animatedly talking with her.
No, not good at all!
Edited by TeNderLoin