Serpentis Family/Erik Eyolf/The Banquet - Part IV
To Lady Leoma and Ladies Rally and Sol
The carriages crossed the bridge. The Stormwalkers were protecting the road and illuminating the night with their torches. Over the bridge the guests could see the moon's reflection mirrored in the waters of the Sirion River, smiling at them. Captain Andre was waiting under his black cloak. And he's a little surprised at not finding more carriages. Perhaps it was a feminine charm be a little late. Or perhaps many had declined the invitation. He fulfilled what had been ordered to do. He questioned the coachmen and then mounted his beautiful brown horse to guide the guests to the Dragon's Nest.
At each gate the men bowed and the militia opened the gates. They were going up the hill and soon they crossed the last fortifications and a bridge of wood and stone. There, great pyres lit the way and they had a good vision of the town below them in the valleys of Trinbar. The property was imperious, but rustic exactly like the nest of a dragon. Built with gray stones brought from Skazard in ancient ages and obscured by the time and vigorous wood from the forests of Flismar and Lissambar, the home of the Marquis of Trinbar was a place worthy of his presence. The main door was wide and carved with the image of Elune on one side and the other with a dragon with sharp claws and open jaws.
Employees and chaperones have helped the Ladies to come out of the carriages and opened the door to the entrance hall. Erik was a warrior and in the battlefield he had a simple life, but since he was Lord of Dolmbar, he had raised his appreciation to everything that was beautiful and luxurious. The matriarchal inheritance of his family was explicit in the decoration like his love by the women and the Goddess. With the exception of one particular statue, all the other ones were female images. The walls were decorated with beautiful tapestries showing huntings and duels, activities inherent of nobility. The fireplace was crackling and a large, lazy and very black bloodhound was resting on a rug. Erik had a full pack on his property, but that was his favorite hunting dog, a natural born killer trained to kill deers and wild boars.
One of the employees received the beautiful Ladies indicating the path. They followed through a marble ladder to the great dining hall. The Judge of Sirion was waiting for them.
Erik Eyolf: "I know you must be intrigued by the invitation. Today we will have a pleasant night. We will dine and talk. My bard will entertain us with beautiful songs and tales. But most importantly, I'll show you Elune, the Goddess."
Erik smiled. He was not only offering his pleasant presence and a good night of talks. He was promising something impossible for any mortal. But he was not a mere mortal. He's not just the Marquis and Judge. He was the warrior chosen by Elune to use in battle an armor forged by Her. And that armor had become the most known and prestigious item not only in Sirion or in the East Continent. And that elf was offering something unique. Then, he recited:
Beautiful yet dangerous
Like a moth drawn to a flame
I'm the same
All cremated equally
As a spark still I knew
I'll be lured be consumed
She a pyre incarnate incinerate
An inferno turned to flesh
And in a tone of secrecy, with profanity to a Lord of noble birth, he confessed in a prayer of the Goddess.
Say the words I long to hear
Pinch, bite, kiss, suck, lick and sear
In a pyromantic way
I'm her slave
Living for her to ignite
She was the first and will be my last
Will be my final words...
Erik seemed absorbed by those words. That prayer worthy of a Goddess that only he knew the essence. But soon he turned to smile a winsome smile.
Erik Eyolf: "Be my guest tonight. You will not regret it."
The bard was impressed and the few employees feared. But respectfully and obediently they pulled the chairs. That night promises would be fulfilled.
