The Heavenly Host

“I’m confused... I thought you said you didn’t sleep with her,” Rupert said.

Tom coughed. “Technically, Rupert, demons don’t need to sleep unless they are hurt. So when Tizzy says they were not sleeping together, he just meant they were spending down time together.”

“We got down, all right.” Tizzy chuckled.

“You aren’t helping!” Boggy punched Tizzy in his upper left arm. “Just let it drop.”

“Argh, all right.” Tizzy frowned at Boggy. He then quickly rotated to Talarius. “You up for a dip in the lava, Paladin?”

“How many times do I have to tell you? I. Am. Not. A. Paladin,” Talarius told Tizzy through obviously clenched teeth.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re one of those knights with a rampant body part,” Tizzy said.

Talarius clenched his mailed fists in frustration but said nothing.

“We are here to relax and show our guest a good time. So no baiting him, okay?” Tom scolded Tizzy.

Tizzy glanced at Tom in annoyance. “You know, you really can be a party pooper.”

“We want to show Talarius that demons are people too. We like to laugh and play and get drunk, just like people, and there are good demons and bad demons,” Tom reminded everyone.

“Propaganda will not work; I’ve been trained by the best,” Talarius said.

Antefalken shook his head. “I think I’m going to head up to the gift shop. Maybe I can find us a game to while away the hours back in the cave.”

Talarius harrumphed. “You expect to find a deck of cards and a whist marker, perhaps?”

Antefalken looked thoughtful. “Do you play whist?”

“Of course.”

“Excellent. Then we shall look towards that as our principal objective. Come along,” Antefalken told the knight.

“What? Are you saying that demons play whist?” Talarius asked, sounding shocked.

“Of course. It’s a great way to pass the time, and demons often have a lot of time to pass. And it keeps one sharp,” the bard replied.

“Yet it requires obeying the rules and detailed analysis, along with the application of logical principles,” Talarius said as he followed the demon bard towards one of the shanties.

“Exactly why we like it. Demons have a thing for rules; we are bound by them and very fond of trying to exploit them, which makes us great game players!” Antefalken said.

“I think you are playing a game with me now.”

Tom could see Antefalken shaking his head. “Sometimes, Talarius, a cigar is just a cigar.”

∼

“Trisfelt!” Hilda exclaimed as he wandered through the infirmary, where she was tending to patients.

“Excellent, I’d hoped you’d still be around!” Trisfelt exclaimed. “I was afraid Lenamare and Jehenna might have sent you fleeing the palace in terror, never to return!” He came up to her and gave her a brief, light hug.

Hilda beamed at the familiarity; one did not get a lot of hugs in Tierhallon. “Nonsense. I’ve served on battlefields and seen horrors nearly as bad!” She laughed lightly.

“Well, you were incredibly graceful and attentive to them, despite their typical patronizing attitudes,” the wizard congratulated her.

“Again, nonsense. I’ve spent some time dealing with nobility and all sorts of high and mighty who really just don’t know any other way to interact with people.”

Trisfelt smiled. “I suspect that is part of their problem. I have to admit, they did seem to enjoy your company far more than they do most people’s.” He shook his head and rolled his eyes. “At breakfast this morning, Jehenna actually said they enjoyed your company last night!” He raised his hands in amazement. “I have never heard her say anything like that before. It was practically a miracle!”

Hilda beamed brightly and laughed. “I hardly think it a miracle. They are very talented people and quite fascinating; one just has to have a bit of patience and understanding.”

“Patience and understanding? My dear, you have the patience and understanding of a saint!”

Hilda laughed and patted Trisfelt on the shoulder. “You flatter me; I am hardly a saint! I have over-indulged on more than one occasion.” She paused and flashed him a grin. “As you may be aware.”

They both laughed at that. “Say, you’ve been so generous with entertaining me, would you allow me to do the honor of returning your hospitality sometime? Perhaps tonight?”

Trisfelt smiled, pleasantly surprised. “Why, I’d love that, most certainly!”

“Excellent.” Hilda made a deprecating gesture with her hands. “Now, I have these contractors that are redoing my clinic, which is the main level of my house; they were supposed to be finished while I was at the wedding, but...”

“A siege may have interfered?” Trisfelt suggested with some mirth.

“Apparently, it’s hard to get wood and stone into a city when there is an army surrounding it.” Hilda shook her head in mock surprise. “Plus, I think they sort of underestimated the time, and are possibly using this as an added reason.” She gave a gentle sigh of exasperation.

“Thus, I fear that I am staying in a hotel and treating my patients in my parlor, ugh.” Hilda made gestures with her hands as if calming her nerves a bit. “However, it is a decent inn; it’s the Havestan Gardens.”