NOVEL NEXT Pull 20
Luke stood in front of the stove in the Cabin kitchen. Four giant pots simmered on the stove top. Ash tossed a mix of charcoal and kindling into the stove.
“Once I’ve finished boiling the potatoes I’ll mash them up and add some roasted garlic and rosemary. Then I’ll roast some carrots and oil and toss them with the leftover garlic. Sprinkle some pepper on top.” Luke pulled the lid off a pot and peeked at the contents. “We’re almost out of corn but I’m steaming some dandelions for salad.”
“Did you raid my spice rack?” Belbuk asked as she deboned a fish in the corner of the kitchen.
“No, I found a lot of this while I was out during dailies.”
“You’re a surprisingly competent forager for a city boy.” Belbuk said over her shoulder.
“Ah well, I’m observant is all, I guess.” Luke let off some steam.
“You’ve been reading my gardening books haven’t you.”
“Only a couple. While you were out. To pass the time.”
“Uh huh.” Belbuk cut off the fish’s head.
#
“That smewhs enticing.” Deus craned its head to look into the kitchen door. “I wonder what they are cooking in there? I can hardhy wait.”
Deus was seated in the living room. The giant bird had slotted itself into a corner so that there was enough room for everyone else to sit at the dining table. Ave sat across from the bird. Eins was carefully delivering mouthfuls of cutlery from the kitchen to the dining table.
“You were telling me a story?” Ave prodded the goose.
“Oh yes. That’s right.” Deus turned back to her. “There I was! Surrounded on every side. Ravenous beasts threatened to tear me apart and devour my exquisite body. Have you ever faced down a Shadowbeast before?”
“Actually, yes.” Ave replied.
“Then you know what it is like. The sheer frozen terror that runs through your veins. As it readies itself to rip your wing from shouhder and foot from heeh.” Deus gazed into her eyes.
Ave nodded. “What did you do?”
“Me? I am a bird of action.” Deus ruffled its chest feathers. “I abandoned my fear. I gave them a Hiyah!” Deus slashed the air with its wing.
Forks *Clattered* off of the table.
“Then I gave them a Hoorah!”
Another strike.
Spoons hit the ceiling.
“And then I brought down the fury of the storm upon them.” Deus beat its wings once.
Ave and Eins ducked for cover as a rain of knives were tossed off the table.
Deus settled back into its seat. “The enemy was routed. We were victorious. A stunning victory if I do say so myself. Those were the days were they not Eins?”
Eins collected some forks from the living room floor. “Yeah… good times.”
#
Ash peeked into the living room. “Are you really going to let that giant bird stay here?”
Belbuk gave him a quiet stare. “Are you asking me if I’m going to let an unexpected visitor stay here and make a mess of my cabin?”
“That is… I don’t think there’s enough room in your cabin for us and the goose.”
“Nope. Does that mean you kids are finally going to leave?” Belbuk grinned.
“Wouldn’t that make you sooo happy.” Ash snarked back.
#
Luke filled wooden bowls with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots.
“Diner is ready. Eat up. There’s plenty for everyone.” he said.
“A feast. A fantastic feast. Thank you so much.” Deus congratulated Luke.
Luke began serving the table.
Deus put a wing on his shoulder and pointed to the bowl in front of it. “Perhaps a scooch more?”
Luke filled the bowl again.
Deus tilted its head expectantly.
Luke filled the bowl some more.
The muscles at the edge of Deus beak gave a weak frown.
Luke shoved the bowl to the side. “Why don’t I just leave this here.” He set down the rest of the pot in front of Deus.
“A grand idea.” Deus nodded sagely.
Belbuk sat down at the head of the table. “Alright. Everyone dig in.”
*Gobble*Gobble*Clang*Clang*
Deus jammed its entire head into the pot and began eating. Everyone else tried their best to enjoy their meal while politely ignoring the goose.
Ave examined a carrot. “So Deus was telling us how he used to fight Shadowbeasts during the Sombersidus.”
“The what?” Ash asked.
“The Age of Darkness.” Ave explained.
Ash pointed a fork at Ave, “Wait, he what?” Then he pointed a fork at Deus, “During the what!?”
Deus pulled its head out of the pot. “It is true. I defeated many a foe by feather and paw. We protected the entire kingdom from monsters.”
“Did you ever fight a Demon Lord.” Ave asked.
Belbuk stopped eating.
“Oh yes.” Deus chewed a carrot with the end of its beak. “Many times. Dangerous creatures. But we were ahways victorious.”
Luke’s face brightened. “Is that true?” He dropped his spoon onto the table. “Then this is, this is great news. We’ve been looking for someone just like you. You can help us.”
Deus didn’t look up from the pot. “What is this about then?”
“The truth is I summoned a Demon Lord. And now we need to find someone to help us stop him.”
“You summoned a Demon Whord?” Deus stopped eating.
Everyone stopped eating.
The goose stared directly at Luke. After a moment it began to chuckle. “Ho… Hohohooo… Hohohonkhhonkhonk. You summoned a Demon Whord. Honkhonkhonk.” The goose mimed whipping a tear away from its face. “That is a good joke my tiny human friend.”
“But, it’s not a joke, it really happened.” Luke blushed.
Belbuk tapped her spoon on the table. “I told you before kid, there’s no such thing as a Demon Lord. Give it a rest.”
“But I’m telling the truth. I really did summon him. I saw him, for a moment, before I passed out.” Luke looked down at his potatoes. “But Ave as there too! She can tell you.” He reached out a hand to Ave.
“I saw someone. A man I think. But… that was all.” Ave stabbed a carrot.
“But Deus! He just said that he fought a Demon Lord. They have to be real.” Luke said to the table.
“Deus. When did you fight that Demon Lord?” Belbuk called across the table.
The goose cupped a feather under its chin. “Hmmm. Whet me see. Back during the Age of Darkness.”
“And how many years ago was that?”
“Hmmm. It is hard to say.”
“Was it five years ago?” Belbuk asked.
“No.” Deus spoke thoughtfully.
“Fifty?”
“No.”
“Was it five hundred years ago? Maybe more?”
“That sounds correct.”
“And what did you eat for lunch today?”
“Er… I want to say… cabbage?”
Belbuk pursed her lips at Luke. “Not exactly a reliable witness.”
Luke stood up and waved his arms. “But, but he’s a magical creature. If he’s real then Demon Lords must be real as well.”
Belbuk rolled her eyes. “Listen to yourself. You crawled into my cabin out of the rain, you begged me to help you fight a legendary monster, you tell me that you’re on the run from the Capital Guards, and the only one at this table that can confirm that Demon Lords are even real is a giant talking goose.” She put her elbows on the table. “You said it yourself. You passed out right after it happened. Do you really think that you summoned one of the most dangerous creatures the world has ever known or do you think that maybe you misunderstood what happened to you?”
Belbuk stirred her potatoes.
Luke sat down quietly.
Deus nibbled a hunk of potato.
#
Luke dunked a bowl into the washbasin. Ash stood next to him at the kitchen counter and dried a spoon.
Belbuk carried the last pot in and set it on the counter.
She stretched her neck. “It’s been a long day. We should all head to bed early.” She turned and walked out of the kitchen.
“Belbuk.” Luke spoke.
“Hmmm?” Belbuk didn’t turn around.
“I… I wanted to thank you for letting us stay here.” Luke said.
“Don’t mention it kid.” Belbuk walked into the living room. “Alright Ave let’s get you upstairs and back into your pillow fort of sadness.”
Ave hopped up the stairs. Belbuk and Eins followed after her.
#
“And that was when the Queen of the Swans demanded that I become her royah consort. Which was a problem you see as I was ahready a diphomatic envoy of the Sparrow Triumvirate.” Deus bobbed its head up and down with excitement.
“Is that right?” Ash feigned interest. He reached out to the checkerboard that was placed between them and moved a piece.
Deus studied the game board. “Indeed. Pohitics, as with everything, is a game of power. A game of positioning. A game… of viohence.”
Deus used a wing to move a piece on the other side of the checkerboard.
*Sigh* Ash replaced the four other pieces that were scattered by the bird's feathers back into their proper positions.
Ash moved one of his pieces. “I’ve always found that it’s better to avoid violence. There’s no point in getting into a fight if you can’t win.”
“There’s no such thing as a pointless fight! Every competition has a winner and a whoser. There is no exception.”
“Sure. Sure.” Ash put his head in his hand.
“Every competition, no matter how tiny, shows us what peophe are prepared to fight for.”
The goose shoved some more pieces across the board.
*Clatter*
*Sigh* Ash leaned under the table to pick some of the game pieces off of the floor.
Deus moved one of his remaining pieces into a more favorable position.
#
Ave sat on her cot in front of the second floor windows. She kept her leg propped up on a cushion at the end. Eins was perched on a pile of pillows behind her. The dog used a tiny comb to brush her hair. A single candle flickered on the windowsill.
“I’m glad that you got up and about today.” Eins said.
“Hmmm?” Ave replied noncommittally.
“I was begging to think you were becoming a part of the furniture.”
“Uh huh.”
The dog found a difficult tangle of hair. Eins licked the comb a few times then forced the teeth through the tangle.
Eins gave a satisfied nod and put the comb away on the windowsill.
The dog pattered over to a corner of the landing. “By the way. Now that you are up again. What did you want to do with this?”
Eins pulled aside one of the rain slickers from a pile in the corner. Ave’s breastplate had been hidden under the pile.
Ave rolled over and pulled a quilt over her head. “I don’t care. Use it as a dog bowl if you want.”
*Sigh* Eins covered the breastplate back up. The dog jumped up onto the cot and blew out the candle.
#
Luke walked out of the kitchen.
“Can I interest anyone in some after dinner tea?” Luke asked. He held up a ceramic teapot for the rest of the room to see.
“Tea? Yes, thank you. I might take a drop or two.” Deus acquiesced.
Luke held out the teapot. The goose scooped the entire tea kettle into its beak. It tilted its head back.
*Glug*Glug*Glug*Gurgle*
Deus spit the empty kettle back into Luke’s hands.
“Very refreshing. *Yawn* And now I must whay down and whet my dinner digest.” Deus rubbed its bulky stomach with a wing.
#
Eins breathed slowly for a few seconds.
#
“Snooore…
honkhonkhonk…
Snooore…
honkhonkhonk…”
Deus was curled up in one corner of the living room. The goose’s enormous head was cradled beneath one of its massive wings.
Ash stripped down to his short pants. He pulled a straw mattress out from behind the shelves. Ash spread the bedding out on the floor of the living room and laid down. He adjusted his blanket. He tried to close his eyes and ignore the snoring waterfowl only a few footsteps away from him.
“Ash?” Luke hissed over the snores.
“What?” Ash called back.
“Can I sleep with you tonight?” Luke asked.
“What?”
“It’s cold.” Luke pleaded.
*A cold wind shook the window panes of the Cabin*
“Why don’t you get an extra blanket?” Ash asked.
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because Deus is sleeping on top of all of my bedding. Also you’re my best friend.”
*Grumble*
“Fine. Get in here.” Ash lifted up his blanket. “But face the other way.”
“Okay.” Luke shimmied under the cover.
“Try not to disturb me when you wake up in the middle of the night.” Ash chided him.
“I’ll try.” Luke said.
#
Crickets chirped.
Deus snored.
The bones of the Cabin creaked like the mast of a ship at sea.
Ash didn’t open his eyes.
Luke was quiet.
Ash rolled onto his back.
“We’re brothers.” he said.
Luke rolled onto his back. “Even after all of this time.”
“Of course.”
Crickets chirped.
Deus snored.
“There’s no point in thinking about it. It’s all in the past now. Let’s get some sleep.” Ash rolled back over.
Luke rolled over.
The crickets chirped.
Deus snore-
“Oh crap!”
Ash bolted upright with a shout.
“What?” Luke looked up at him in confusion.
“I should have grabbed that magic sword!” Ash exclaimed.