Chapter 255: Dinner Discourse

I rested in my gently rocking hammock for the rest of the day with the porthole open. The rushing water drowned the crew’s calls on deck as the Shorebreaker moved through the sea, getting further from the Telhian Empire. I only had a few books remaining in my dimensional space, but I took the opportunity to read them.

My primary reading material was an interesting Elvish book on medicinal herbs. It was one of the few books I had remaining from Caelora and it gave me the chance to work on my Elvish and study rarer flora and their uses. Even after fifteen hundred years, the text and pictures had not faded at all.

Toward evening, a loud knock came at my door, and I was fairly certain it was Maveith before I even opened it. Maveith’s head almost touched the ceiling when I answered the door. He leaned inside my room and looked around. “Very small. My cabin is larger and my hammock is almost as big as Dee’s.”

“Have you tried out the captain’s hammock?” I asked with a smirk.

“Not yet, but she offered. The one in my cabin fits me well enough, though.” I lost my tongue momentarily, as I was not privy to the conversation where Desdemona offered her hammock to Maveith. My large friend seemed oblivious to flirtatious or suggestive comments by the opposite sex.

“Did she press you for information about me?” I asked my friend conspiratorially.

Maveith beamed brightly. “She tried to get me drunk and tell her your spell form. Don’t worry. I have not revealed any of your secrets.” He bit his lip, reconsidering. He admitted, “Except that you are dead. Well, that the Telhian Empire thinks you are dead. She asked if anyone would come looking for you, and I let it slip.”

I waved off the goliath’s error. If that was all he revealed, then I would be fine with his slip of the tongue. “How are you doing, Maveith?” I asked as he squeezed into my small room.

“I am well. I just checked on dinner and came to inform you that you are welcome to join us in the captain’s mess when the bell sounds.” He squatted on a stool. “I decided I prefer checkers over backgammon.”

He said it like it was a major revelation, so I had to ask, “And why is that?”

“There is too much chance involved with the dice.” He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “And I think Dee cheats. No one can roll as many double sixes as she does every game.” I released a chuckle. No doubt our Adventurers Guild captain was using loaded dice, or her spell form that gave her two chances with every roll.

“What’s for dinner?” I asked, considering the offer. It was not like Maveith and I needed to eat, but I would go for the social aspect.

“Marinated lamb, roasted vegetables, fresh bread, and a few other scents I could not identify,” Maveith said, licking his lips, clearly salivating. I found that with my own ring, I was rarely hungry or salivating.

“You didn’t reset your ring, did you?” I narrowed my eyes accusatorially.

Maveith looked away, not making eye contact. “I might have accidentally taken it off for a moment,” he admitted.

I just shook my head in disappointment. “I will join you two for dinner.” I was tempted to remove my own ring, but the secondary benefit of only needing two hours of deep sleep was too valuable to lose.

“Excellent!” Maveith beamed. “Dee was hoping you would. I will go inform her of your impending company.”

Maveith escaped my cabin, probably thinking I would scold him for resetting his ring of sustenance if he remained. An hour later, the ship’s evening bell rang for dinner. I found the small captain’s dining room on the port side. It was not luxurious. A long, worn table with seating for ten dominated the room.

Only Maveith and Desdemona were seated, and there were three place settings. It appeared this was a family-style meal, with six large bowls in the center of the table. Three were steaming with rice, cubed grilled lamb, and vegetables. The other three bowls had bread, fruit, and olive paste.

My attention was drawn to a smiling Desdemona after surveying the food. She had braided her hair, washed her face, and wore a dark-blue, V-necked tunic that hugged her torso and accentuated her bust. She had a silver chain that perfectly overlapped her tan lines. She was seated at the head of the table with Maveith to her right. The third place setting was to her left, and I considered sitting opposite her at the other end of the table before taking the seat prepared for me.

Desdemona’s perfume overpowered the delicious scent of the food. As soon as I sat down, Maveith started to help himself. I waited patiently and asked Desdemona, “How is our speed? Are there any dangers?”

She spooned some rice and vegetables onto her plate and mixed them with her fork before responding. “Six days to Sanco. We are flying the Adventurers Guild flag. No one on the seas should challenge us. Krakens rarely attack ships, as there is enough for them to feast on below the waves. There are no known merfolk settlements on our route either. My weather mages are excellent, and we will not have to fear storms or rough waters.” I nodded, suitably impressed.

“What of the Telhian Navy?” I asked, taking some warm bread and spreading the olive paste on it.

She said thoughtfully, “Telhian Navy? I think the elves sank two of their six known warships. The other four are probably hiding in a harbor somewhere. Other than that, they have a few dozen shore runners, nothing that will venture as far offshore as we are.”

She speared and chewed on a piece of lamb while maintaining eye contact with me. “The Telhians have not had a strong navy in over two hundred years. The Emperor decided it was too costly to maintain warships. From my understanding, back then there were krakens, sea serpents, and even a leviathan terrorizing the local seas. The Emperor invested heavily in his portal network instead.”

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Maveith was already filling his plate for a second helping. “Portals are rare elsewhere in the world. I didn’t even know they existed before I came to the Telhian Empire. I assume being able to find enough mages with a high enough displacement affinity willing to do the daily spellcraft is difficult.”

Desdemona pointed her fork in Maveith’s direction and said, “You know, building those permanent portal stones really cost the Empire a lot of gold. I won’t lie; it was a solid investment. It’s actually one of the things that other kingdoms envy about the Telhian Empire.” She let out a frustrated huff. “Maybe the only thing they admire. Plenty have tried to replicate their portal network, but they can never quite get it right.”

My stomach lurched for a moment as the ship fell. Desdemona’s attention turned sharply. She was ready to leave to check on it, but a moment later, Isaak’s head popped in the door. “Just an unnaturally large swell. We came down the other side of it fast.” Desdemona settled but seemed on edge while dinner continued.

I tried the lamb before asking about the Adventurers Guild. “When we get to Esenhem, I just check into the Guild Hall and Maveith can register as a member?”

Desdemona arched her brow and smirked. “Not that easy. There is an immigration and customs office in the port. They will search you, check you for diseases, and question you on your business. With your guild medallion, it shouldn’t be too painful.”

She tapped her chin in a teasing manner. “But probably, with the war, there may be Inquisitors to question you as well. If that is the case, I suggest you tell them the truth. Just tell them you are a legionnaire deserter.”

I nodded but wasn’t too concerned with my bone inscriptions. Maveith was working on his third plate and slowing down a bit. “What questions will the Inquisitors ask me?” he asked, concerned. “Will it be hard to join the Guild?”

“Goliaths are generally welcomed in all countries. I doubt their Inquisitors will question you.” She patted his hand to alleviate his worry and eyed me, indicating I was not likely to be as lucky. “Not many goliath adventurers, though. You won’t have any trouble registering. The fee varies between the different Guild Halls. It probably costs more in Esenhem than the Empire, but I can write you a recommendation and have the fee waived.” She smiled at him. I couldn’t decide if she was trying to make me jealous or if she was really interested in Maveith.

I decided to act indifferent to her teasing. I assumed she had dressed up for me, but you know what they say about assumptions. I focused on getting as much information as I could. “Will we have trouble using the portals as adventurers?”

“Getting teleported from Sanco to Artiria will be difficult. The elves are cautious about who is traveling to their capital. Being ported from Artiria to Gramney, less so. You will be searched in Gramney upon arrival, but the Grand Duchy relies heavily on trade and doesn’t like to upset travelers unless they are suspicious.” She winked at me and smirked.

Desdemona finished her plate and reclined in her chair, stretching. She had excellent posture, her chest straining against the fabric. She was definitely eyeing me—enticing me, and not Maveith, but I was enjoying the game of ignoring her now.

Maveith, thinking ahead to entering orc lands, interrupted our little game. “What do adventurers do in orc lands?”

“Same as in any land. Clearing dungeons, guarding caravans, serving as bodyguards, hunting monsters, and investigating crimes. The orcs take dungeon delving very seriously. Dungeons unattended for too long release their monstrosities into the Endless Dark, and they eventually find their way to the surface. The Boutan Caliphate guards all the exits from the Endless Dark fiercely. There is probably no safer kingdom on this continent when it comes to roaming creatures.”

I thought Maveith was smart to ask. Maybe we could get a head start on understanding the challenges of looking for his sister. “What about orcs themselves? The books I read were old and not very detailed.”

Desdemona’s face split into a grin. “You are going to the Boutan Caliphate and don’t know about their culture?” My sour face made her raise her hands. “Fine. The Boutan orcs are divided into three classes: the clerics, the warlords, and the people. The clerics are orcs who can cast true magic. They rule the Caliphate, and their leader is called the Supreme, or Supreme Cleric. They govern all the politics and laws. The warlords train and lead all the warriors. A warlord might be the captain of a warship, a general overseeing a barracks in a city, or the head of a family of Pathfinders. Warlords are the only orcs who can own slaves in the Caliphate.”

“The clerics cannot own slaves?” I asked, confused about the hierarchy. Usually, those with power did what they wanted.

Desdemona shrugged. “You would have to ask an orc why they can’t. My guess is that it is some power balance. Only warlords can own land as well. The people are the citizens, farmers, craftsmen, merchants, and children. They can own buildings but not the land under it.”

It sounded like a confusing caste system. “Is there a way to purchase a slave from a warlord?” Maveith asked eagerly. Desdemona seemed confused by his enthusiasm, and I guessed Maveith had not told her the true reason we were venturing into the Caliphate. She still thought I was fleeing the Telhian Empire and planning to hide among the orcs.

Desdemona took a moment to organize her thoughts. “I am not an expert on the Boutan orcs. I have dealt with orc pirates outside the Caliphate and orc mercenaries before, but in general, I have taken the philosophy that when I see a Boutan warship, if it doesn’t bother me, I won’t bother it. I know the warlords live by six tenets.”

“Do you know what they are?” I asked when she didn’t offer them.

“Ugh. You are asking about things I learned as a child. Loyalty to family is the first,” she stated, quickly getting into a groove. “Might to rule over those beneath you. Honor the people you rule. Respect the land. Courage in the face of your enemy.”

Maveith had leaned forward. “And the sixth?”

Desdemona thought hard, not wanting to disappoint. “Ugh, it translates into something like their version of righteousness. Basically, it means to be honest with yourself and your enemy and to have a purpose in your killing.”

From my interactions with and observations of the Boutan orcs to date, this seemed to fit. The table was silent for a time before I spoke. “Thank you for the dinner and conversation.”

Desdemona looked surprised that I was standing to leave. “Do you want some kava? Perhaps a game or two of backgammon.” Kava was coffee from Tsinga, and that had me tempted to stay. I never got the coffee beans from the dungeon roasted to make my own.

I paused, acting as if I was considering before saying, “Not tonight.” I winked at her. “Besides, Maveith says you cheat.” Maveith was caught off guard and coughed so hard he choked. I made my exit after taking in Desdemona’s incredulous expression. Yeah, it was totally worth it, and from her lack of denial, I guessed she did cheat.

I checked on Ginger before heading to my cabin. It wasn’t long before I was in the dreamscape, working on my Elvish.

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