Champions of Light: Gaëtano's Sword [Book One]

Intermission: Chapter Twelve

A Celebration

At dusk, the guards searched the city for the dispersed group members to bring them back to the Palace where fresh clothes and baths waited for them.

Skylar was found at a blacksmith, where she had intrigued passersby and eventually the workers with her curious gadgets and trinkets. She had quickly become a favorite of those around her as she delved into some of her more profound ideas, and soon, some of the other mechanics began creating blueprints for an idea that seemed more fiction than possible. She envisioned a metal carriage, powered by some inner energy, that would carry passengers and trade goods along a series of rails. She hoped that this public mode of transportation, or PMT as she called it, would make traversing large distances faster and more efficient than horses or carriages could ever hope to achieve. The smiths grumbled as the guards came to take her away, but she let them have the blueprints, saying they'd better study them while she was gone.

Gregory was found at a tavern, where he had started to give friendly tips to the cook, and then was somehow roped into taking over, teaching him new techniques and recipes. He prepared a meal unlike anyone had ever tasted before and had them shouting for seconds. He showed the cook how he expertly infused spiciness with sweet, or savory with acidic, and was making the tavern a pretty buck. The whole tavern went into uproar as he was guided out, and he bade farewell with a promise he'd be back with his famous gumbo.

Sean, Alice and Kim had all taken the wolf pup--which had received the nickname Fang--to the farming district, where they could ask for veterinary aid for his paw. Once he had been properly taken care of, they wandered into a park and played nonchalantly with a wolf. Kim was sprawled on the grass, smiling at Sean and Alice as they threw sticks back and forth, with Fang jumping off his healthy feet, trying in vain to catch it. When the guards found them, they even allowed Fang to come with them to the Palace.

Charlotte had dragged an irritated John through clothing stores and jewelry stores, throwing the things she desired at him, though neither of them had money on hand to purchase anything. John practically ran away when the guards entered a shoe store, leaving Charlotte to flirt and fawn over the guards instead. Freddy had been found at a library, of course, and Vikki had been peering at an apothecary's wares.

Outside the Palace, numerous carriages were lined on the roundabout, bringing fashionable gentlemen and women into the banquet, where lively music and tables with platters of good food and drinks were shared. The group was shuffled in through the side door through the kitchens, and were brought to the guest quarters, where they could bathe and change into new clothes. Fang was given a small room in which he could stay during the party. The men filed into the showers and were given suits, jackets, waistcoats, vests, pantaloons, and any such fashion that were of the upper class. Some shaved their beards, while others made it work with their outfits, and all were eventually looking rather dapper and smelling like sandalwood.

The women took longer, Charlotte especially, but were given frocks, sundresses, corsets, gowns, and other baubles to decorate their skins with. Kim, Skylar, and Vikki all grumbled with the aspect of dressing like a lady and were faced with one fashionable feminine suit that could be used by one of them. Unfortunately for Skylar, she was far too short, and grumbled and groaned as she slipped into a green frock, but wore her thick steel toed boots and a denim vest, which made her seem like a fashionable punk fairy with fiery red hair in thick waves. Kim had ended up being slightly too curvy for the suit, and so Vikki took the prize, leaving Kim to search for something suitable for her tastes. She eventually found a matching black coat and skirt with red trim and the with the least frills and extra fabric.

Alice was at the mirror when Kim came in, and they were faced with vastly different versions of the people they had met not so very long ago. Alice was clean, of course, and her long, obsidian hair had been straightened, and arranged in a beautiful bun, which shimmered in the light. She was wearing a slim blue dress with small frills lining the back. She was wearing a corset under her blouse, which extenuated her form. A golden locket with a raven engraved on the top was shown just above her bosom, and she wore a small cap on her head, angled in a fashionable way, with dangling earrings that caressed her bare neck. Her face had a slight blush, and her lips were pink. Kim stopped in her tracks with visible shock.