Chapter 39
Inside the Palace, Odin idly played with the hilt of Zantetsuken. He turned to King Hasdrubal, sitting on the throne next to Queen Lethe.
"Is Lord Diablos always this late?" he asked testily.
Gaspar chuckled. Odin shot him a withering glance.
"He'll be along," replied Gaspar cheerfully.
"Make your report first then," said the Queen to Ifrit and Shiva.
They stepped forward and bowed to Lethe and Hasdrubal.
"Your Majesty, we were successful," said Shiva, "Bahamut will allow us to summon him once."
Hasdrubal leaned forward in his throne. "Excellent news! So Lord Diablos succeeded!"
"Too bad he's not here to hear that," said Gaspar wryly.
"Hear what?" said Diablos bursting in, out of breath.
"Where were you?" demanded the King sternly.
Diablos bowed hastily and then adjusted his cape. "I apologize Your Majesty, I had to debrief Siren."
At that Siren walked in and looked self-consciously at the whispering of the courtiers. She blushed and bowed to the monarchs.
"I'm sorry," she said.
Hasdrubal waved a hand. "Never mind. We are pleased that you two succeeded. Now we can keep our pledge to Queen Lethe."
Diablos looked pensive and glanced to Siren.
"Your Majesty, we needed Shiva and Ifrit to subdue Bahamut," he said.
Hasdrubal's face fell at that. He leaned back in the throne.
"I see," he mused.
"You helped them?" asked Lethe.
Ifrit nodded. "Yes Your Majesty. Bahamut is very powerful. I think he let us win."
"We were holding our own," retorted Shiva.
"Would you be willing to fight with them when the war comes?" asked the Queen.
Ifrit and Shiva glanced at each other uncertainly.
"As long as they fight fair," said Ifrit.
"I'm more worried about the Raj than Lord Diablos," said Shiva.
Queen Lethe stood, as did King Hasdrubal.
"We accept your pledge King Hadrubal," she said, "You have fulfilled your word."
He nodded. "We are honored Queen Lethe," he replied happily.
"We will retire to discuss the possibility of an alliance between Asgard and Golgatha," said Lethe.
The whole court rose and bowed as Lethe and Hasdrubal processed out, followed by Odin and Cyrus. Melchior and Gaspar brought up the rear.
Ramuh came over to Shiva who hugged him.
"I'm glad you made it back safe," he said, "Both of you."
Ifrit smiled. "Too bad you missed it old man."
"There'll be other opportunities sonny," replied Ramuh with a smirk.
He took their arms and led them out into the courtyard. They walked past Shoat who was sleeping in the corner. After they left Carbuncle strode over to him and tapped his head with a paw. He woke with a start.
[What?]
(Sorry Shoat)
He looked fearfully at her.
[Y-yes?]
Her ears were drooping.
(Carbuncle not mad at Shoat)
Shoat nodded.
Carbuncle slumped on the ground next to him and watched Diablos and Siren talking animatedly.
(Stupid Lord Diablos)
He looked concerned at her.
[Can I help?]
She glanced at him without raising her head.
(No)
He got up and started to trot off. She sat up abruptly.
(Shoat!)
He looked back at her.
(What Shoat's gem for?)
He tapped the red orb in his forehead.
[It's not a gem, it's an eye]
She blinked and stared at it.
[It can turn people to stone]
Her ears perked up.
(Cool!)
Inside the Palace, Odin idly played with the hilt of Zantetsuken. He turned to King Hasdrubal, sitting on the throne next to Queen Lethe.
"Is Lord Diablos always this late?" he asked testily.
Gaspar chuckled. Odin shot him a withering glance.
"He'll be along," replied Gaspar cheerfully.
"Make your report first then," said the Queen to Ifrit and Shiva.
They stepped forward and bowed to Lethe and Hasdrubal.
"Your Majesty, we were successful," said Shiva, "Bahamut will allow us to summon him once."
Hasdrubal leaned forward in his throne. "Excellent news! So Lord Diablos succeeded!"
"Too bad he's not here to hear that," said Gaspar wryly.
"Hear what?" said Diablos bursting in, out of breath.
"Where were you?" demanded the King sternly.
Diablos bowed hastily and then adjusted his cape. "I apologize Your Majesty, I had to debrief Siren."
At that Siren walked in and looked self-consciously at the whispering of the courtiers. She blushed and bowed to the monarchs.
"I'm sorry," she said.
Hasdrubal waved a hand. "Never mind. We are pleased that you two succeeded. Now we can keep our pledge to Queen Lethe."
Diablos looked pensive and glanced to Siren.
"Your Majesty, we needed Shiva and Ifrit to subdue Bahamut," he said.
Hasdrubal's face fell at that. He leaned back in the throne.
"I see," he mused.
"You helped them?" asked Lethe.
Ifrit nodded. "Yes Your Majesty. Bahamut is very powerful. I think he let us win."
"We were holding our own," retorted Shiva.
"Would you be willing to fight with them when the war comes?" asked the Queen.
Ifrit and Shiva glanced at each other uncertainly.
"As long as they fight fair," said Ifrit.
"I'm more worried about the Raj than Lord Diablos," said Shiva.
Queen Lethe stood, as did King Hasdrubal.
"We accept your pledge King Hadrubal," she said, "You have fulfilled your word."
He nodded. "We are honored Queen Lethe," he replied happily.
"We will retire to discuss the possibility of an alliance between Asgard and Golgatha," said Lethe.
The whole court rose and bowed as Lethe and Hasdrubal processed out, followed by Odin and Cyrus. Melchior and Gaspar brought up the rear.
Ramuh came over to Shiva who hugged him.
"I'm glad you made it back safe," he said, "Both of you."
Ifrit smiled. "Too bad you missed it old man."
"There'll be other opportunities sonny," replied Ramuh with a smirk.
He took their arms and led them out into the courtyard. They walked past Shoat who was sleeping in the corner. After they left Carbuncle strode over to him and tapped his head with a paw. He woke with a start.
[What?]
(Sorry Shoat)
He looked fearfully at her.
[Y-yes?]
Her ears were drooping.
(Carbuncle not mad at Shoat)
Shoat nodded.
Carbuncle slumped on the ground next to him and watched Diablos and Siren talking animatedly.
(Stupid Lord Diablos)
He looked concerned at her.
[Can I help?]
She glanced at him without raising her head.
(No)
He got up and started to trot off. She sat up abruptly.
(Shoat!)
He looked back at her.
(What Shoat's gem for?)
He tapped the red orb in his forehead.
[It's not a gem, it's an eye]
She blinked and stared at it.
[It can turn people to stone]
Her ears perked up.
(Cool!)