Author's Note: I don't own nada. I merely frolic in these creations of David Eddings, insulting both mortals and gods alike!
Well, here's the party (finally). I have no more exams! Rejoice! As a result, the chapter's kind of loooong...And here's a bit of Bevier too. Did any of you think I put our favorite Arcian in the summary just so that people would read my story? We-ell...he will play a larger part, but not for another chapter or so. For the curious (or bored), I have this entire story planned out, a first for me. It's just a matter of me overcoming my laziness.
Happy Holidays!
Aphrael's
Birthday Party
Yon
Pearly Gates
Danae, princess of Elenia, awoke on her eight birthday with a sunny smile. Mmmrrrl, one of the offspring of the now-ancient Mmrr, mewed a protest as Danae slipped out of the bed. The little girl purred her apology.
"Danae, please don't speak in cat again. Someone might hear you."
"You forget who I am, Father," she said without turning around. And then she frowned. "Should I wear my white velvet or the pink brocade?"
Sparhawk joined her in front of the armoire. He shook his head. "Your white dress is more appropriate for a wedding--"
Danae pursed her lips thoughtfully.
"NO, Aphrael. You're eight, not eighteen. Besides, Talen is in no way ready for you. Have you seen your mother?"
"She's greeting Sephrenia and the others. They've just arrived." She paused. "Sarabian was nagged into bringing Elysoun. She must have wanted to see Berit."
"Sephrenia's coming? She's here?" Without waiting for an answer, the Prince Consort left the room. Danae snuck another glance at her pretty white frock and sighed. A sudden thought occurred to her, and she turned to face her cat.
"Should I have told him about my party?" she asked.
A careless meow was the only answer.
"Glad are we to receive such august guests in our humble abode," Ehlana declared as Sparhawk entered the throne room, "Now our life has seen its crown."
Sarabian looked well, Sparhawk decided. The emperor's marriages obviously suited him. Sparhawk noted that the Empress Elysoun had forgone wearing the tradition Valesian costume in favor of a modest --though still low-cut--Elene gown. Vanion and Sephrenia must have convinced her of the western conservativism, thank God. He cringed at the thought of Elysoun, bare-chested, wandering the streets of Cimmura.
"Sarabian!" he went forward and gave the other man a rough hug, interrupting Ehlana's oration. "It's good to see you." He then raised an eyebrow at the pregnant Elysoun and jestingly said, "Is that one yours?"
"Berit asked that, too," Sarabian said, laughing.
"Sparhawk!" Ehlana stamped her feet. "You've ruined my speech. This was an important first meeting of eastern rulers on western land and you destroy it with a bawdy comment!"
"It's alright, my Queen," Vanion told her. "We can get a scribe to decorate it all later." He gave a look of reprimand to Sparhawk. "Is that any way you greet your former preceptor?"
Formality gone, Ehlana joined Sparhawk in greeting their visitors. Vanion and Sephrenia were glowing with their two years of marriage and their youthful appearances--this was ironic, since the two were the eldest present. Mirtai and Kring were no worse off, though they considered themselves only half-married; Peloi custom dictated that they find husbands for Kring's sisters, and suitors had dwindled noticeably. Oscagne couldn't come, but sent his brother Itagne in his place. Atanas Mirtai, Liatris, and Maris were an awesome sight.
"Tynian!" Ulath clapped a hand on the Deiran's shoulder. "Bhlokw sends his greetings."
"How is your novitiate going, Talen?" Bevier asked the young page.
"Melidere!" trilled Empress Tegan. "How wonderful it is to see you again!"
It was chaotic in the throne room. Sparhawk watched as his friends united, feeling happy and a bit nostalgic. Suddenly, it hit him. They could not all have gathered here at the same time.
"What is she up to?" he muttered.
I heard that, Father. Flute appeared alongside Sephrenia, just in time to greet the entering Danae. As during every time the two little girls met, Sparhawk was torn between horror and amusement. Flute seemed younger now, and Danae more Elene. He inclined his head to whisper his observation to Vanion. And then he froze.
Or rather, Vanion froze.
Oh no...Not again...He looked around. Yes, he was in No-Time. The coin Stragen was flipping hung in the air. Talen was on the verge of rifling through Sarabian's pockets. Everyone seemed posed in a tableau. Everyone that is, except for Flute and his daughter.
Sparhawk blinked. And then he blinked again.
Danae's gown was no longer a frilly pink concoction, but a dove-white Styric robe. The two little girls faced Sparhawk with such identical smug expressions on their faces that he was certain what was in store for him would be very, very unpleasant. He'd have given anything for his god-like powers to return.
"Isn't this nice, Father?" Danae commented idly. She scrutinized his outfit. "Should he be wearing that doublet? It may not be 'Anakha' enough." Immediately Sparhawk was clad in his Pandion dress armor, complete with broadsword and horse.
Faran snorted. It's a good thing the writer doesn't understand horse, or else his words would have been unprintable.
"No," Flute said after a moment. To Sparhawk's relief, the heavy armor disappeared. "Faran can't come." With an irritated whicker, the horse vanished as well. After a pause, Flute once again pointed at Sparhawk. "This will do."
Danae made a face at Flute. "He's wearing his silly steel dress again."
"Yes, but it's far lighter."
"Aphrael," Sparhawk cut in before the two began to squabble. Both little girls looked at him. "Where exactly are we going?"
The goddess's forms looked at each other, and grinned.
At that moment, Sparhawk would have rather faced Cyrgon again.
At that moment, Cyrgon would have rather faced Anakha again.
Why couldn't the others pick Torak for this mission? He was sure that the ex-Dragon god would have loved the French maid outfit. The god of the Cyrgais was furious with his colleagues. He was the mighty Cyrgon! How dare these inferior godlings place him in such a position...
"Hey sweetcakes," his employer growled, "get off your cute bum and get back to work."
Fuming, Cyrgon tugged on the pantyhose and did as he was told.
"Garion, dress warmly."
"Yes, dear."
"Father, tell me all about it when you come back."
"Of course, Geran."
"Do not worry, your Majesty, I'll keep Ce'Nedra from signing too many Tolnedran treaties."
"THANK YOU," murmured Garion.
"KAIL!"
"Just jesting, your Highness."
Garion gave each one of his daughters a final kiss. Beldaran was a lovely woman, he noted. And still unwed. Hmm. He'd have to take care of that when he returned. As if sensing his thoughts, the foremost meddler--erm, match-maker--flew in.
"Hello, Aunt Pol, Grandfather," he said with surprise. "I didn't expect you to see me off." The two birds blurred and changed into humans. The beautiful dark-haired woman started warmly greeting her relatives, but the old sorcerer immediately took Garion by the arm and dragged him out of hearing distance.
"Grandfather, what--"
"Hush, boy, and listen." Garion started to protest at that--he was nearing fifty, after all--but thought better of it. Belgarath's eyes were darting left and right, and perspiration dotted his white brows. The hand clutching his arm was clammy, and Garion could feel his grandfather's pulse racing. All in all, the Eternal Man gave the appearance of a street-side lunatic.
"We haven't got much time," Belgarath harshly whispered. "They'll be arriving here any minute. I'm warning you, Garion, to be Very, Very, Careful. The gods may act nobly and surpass the perfection of our mortal world, but once they have one of their gatherings..." he shuddered. "Calamities occur. And I mean that quite literally."
Garion studied his cringing grandfather, whose eyes were unfocused and terror-filled. "What happened to you, Grandfather?"
"Nocturne," came the whimpered reply.
Garion opened his mouth, but suddenly several glowing forms appeared on the beach with them. Belgarath paled even further, and his hand threatened to cut off the circulation to Garion's arm.
"Remember what I told you, boy." And the old man scuttled away.
Garion stared at his retreating grandfather. After a long moment, he squared his shoulders and faced his gods.
Althalus, Dweia and Deiwos arrived at the Party's Venue. Omniwhere, Dweia called it, though Deiwos insisted that it was called The-Place-That-Wasn't-A-Place-But-Was-In-Fact-All-Places. The goddess Aphrael's residence was surrounded by majestic white gates. He noticed that a couple of gods hadn't entered yet. One divinity in particular, a bearded benign personage in a leather jacket, was wearing a highly amused expression.
"'The Rock' is going to flip at this," he chuckled.
"'The Rock'?" asked the man beside him. Althalus started; he was a man, not a god. Though he was giving off power that the thief wasn't sure even Deiwos had, the warrior (he had a giant broadsword. Althalus couldn't fathom carrying such a thing) was most definitely mortal.
"Peter," explained the God with the leather jacket, "he's the guy who greets my kids at the gates. They're almost exactly like these." He nodded at the pearl-studded gates. "Aphrael must have copied them when she visited us five centuries ago."
Garion nodded politely. This God seemed saner than the others, though He talked incessantly of His Son. Was he like this when he spoke of Geran? Granted, Jesus did save his whole world from sin, but Geran nearly became a god...
As soon as Garion and the gods of his world arrived in the divine realm, Belar and the others changed--all, except Aldur. UL patted him, put on a yamulka, and went off in search for his friend, 'that nudnik Yahweh'. Nedra whipped out what he told Garion was a 'cell phone', and then started arguing with the air. Issa offered him some 'X', while Chaldan slathered on black make-up and brooded to strange, negative-sounding music. Eriond become impossibly giddy, and rushed inside Aphrael's compound.
"We'll go ahead, Garion. Eriond CANNOT be left unattended," Belar apologized. The Bear God dragged Mara from the poolside--Mara was wholly engrossed in the reflection of his bunching muscles--who protested that Belar only wanted to score 'chicks'. The rest of their family soon followed.
And so Garion was left outside, wondering if he should even enter the party. With a quick 'see you later', he bid the God goodbye. And then he noticed three other individuals arriving. One of them gave a very different aura.
"Thank goodness!" Garion said with relief. Bypassing the other two for the moment, he rushed to shake the other person's hand. "I thought I was going to be the only human here. My name is Garion. What is yours, if I may ask?"
"Althalus," replied the man pleasantly, but his two companions paled and shrank back.
"Belgarion?" the pregnant goddess choked out.
"The Godslayer!" gasped their companion. Garion grimaced. Oh boy. Was it going to be like this inside? "It wasn't my idea," he defended himself, "but this forced me to do it." He held out a bright blue stone.
The two gods stared in trepidation. Godslayer and lunatic.
Althalus suddenly grinned, and clapped a hand on Garion's back. "I think we'll get along just fine," he said as they entered the pearly gates.
"Oh?"
"Sure. I had a cat that talked."
Ye
Old Tiresome Footnotes
Sparhawk forgot about the 'first child clause' in Valesia. You know, the one about, erm, 'bedroom freedom' until they have their first child.
Ha, ha, ha. Nocturne is quite a lovely piece.
I'm a Roman Catholic. I love my God, but I despise (real) self-righteous fanatics. I personally think that a biker Jesus (there was a poster I once saw that depicted him on a motorcycle), but conservatives would disagree. Whatever.
Replies:
Oliversgurl: I updated! Happy now? Grin.
Nae'Blis: Playdryad will return. Trust me on that. I've heard of Wheel of Time--my brother has the entire series--but I haven't read it. Instead I read its copycat--I've all the books of Sword of Truth. And no, I don't think I'd include that series. The subject matter is too adult.
Laurewen Greenleaf: A little Bevier cameo now. He's actually going to play a big part in the next story, but don't worry, he'll pop up in the later chapters as well.
Lady Bevier: What are you doing? UPDATE YOUR STORY NOW! And yes, I love EGGSA! I 'm quite proud of that, actually.
Ersatz: Ooh, yes...Odin. Didja notice Hel? Don't worry, a lot of Earth gods are going to appear (notice: Peter, 'the rock'. Snicker. Jesus Christ Superstar was heavy on my mind. That, and ol' Dwayne.)
Questions:
Ooooh...What was Cyrgon's mission?
Will there be more Bevier?
