The Empress of Beasts, page 37
part #13 of The Wandering Inn Series
He wanted to. Teres and Trey could see it in every line of his being, the way he hung on reports from Tiqr and discussed strategy with Gazi and Orthenon when he returned from managing Hellios on occasion. But he couldn’t intervene, not without breaking his promise. And that might lead to every nation in Chandrar attacking Reim.
Teres was about to suggest Flos eat the Yellat, or show her one of his Skills, but the King of Destruction had turned to look out the window. She expected him to make some other rain-related comment, but suddenly, he sat up and pointed.
“Look. My people are returning.”
The King of Destruction stood as Teres turned. In the distance, buffeted by the rain, she could see…Teres had to squint. Her eyes weren’t nearly as good as Flos’, but she saw a thin line through the drizzle at last.
“Another group?”
“It looks that way. They’re coming from the north. They must be exhausted.”
“The patrols probably already spotted them.”
Teres was sure of it; no one would have made it this far without being seen, but the King of Destruction was already turning. He clapped his hands once.
“Your Majesty?”
The door instantly opened and a [Servant] appeared. Flos turned.
“…Mizzi?”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The woman beamed. Flos nodded, smiling.
“Send someone to escort my people into the city. [Healers] should ride out—and [Riders] with wagons to carry them if there are young or old amongst them. Have the [Chefs] prepare food! Oh, and cook this, will you? I want to eat it.”
“At once, sire!”
The [Servant] didn’t even look twice at the Yellat that Flos handed her, although she did notice Teres’ dirty cup. But she rushed out, and another [Servant] replaced her.
“Will there be anything else, Your Majesty? Shall I send someone to remove the dirt or cup…?”
“Leave the dirt for later. Do you want your cup back, Teres?”
“Take it.”
The [Servant] bowed. Teres found herself alone with the King of Destruction once more. He sat back down; already, someone was riding out from Reim’s gates towards the group of refugees.
“From all across Chandrar they are coming, Teres. It almost makes the news of Tiqr easier to swallow. This is my peace. My people return to me. Do you see?”
Teres nodded. It was one of hundreds of such caravans that had come to Reim this month, and many had numbers in the thousands. Flos’ subjects, all those who still thought well of the King of Destruction, had left their homes and made the long journey to Reim. Many were still coming; they were sheltered by his proclamation of peace.
“So you have an army.”
“I have a kingdom. Some will fight. But many will simply settle in Reim, Germina, or Hellios. My nation was worn away by my slumber; this will return it to its glory.”
Flos corrected Teres, smiling. Then he paused again.
“Tiqr will fall tomorrow. So I feel. Nsiia is cornered in her capital. I have been to Oliphant. Unless it has changed drastically, it will not last long.”
Teres sighed. Flos was worse than a dog with a bone. She fished around in her pocket. She hadn’t wanted to use her trump card just yet, but it was time. Slowly, she pulled out a smooth, rectangular object.
“Your people are nearing the city. Are you going to greet them?”
“In a moment.”
“Well, then why don’t I take a picture? Of your citizens?”
“Take a what? Oh!”
Flos turned. His eyes widened as he saw Teres holding her iPhone. She held it up, the little camera light shining. Teres smiled triumphantly as the King of Destruction did a double-take, looking towards the balcony.
“Your phone! Does it still have its energy?”
“Smartphone. And yes, it does. I told you, it’s got hours left. Ever since Ulyse recharged it.”
Teres held the smartphone up, grinning with pure pleasure at the look on Flos’ face. Of course, she’d had her iPhone from the beginning, like Trey. But both their phones had run out of battery within two days of them arriving in this world. They’d only lasted long enough for a very strange chat message with other people from Earth and then gone dead.
The twins had assumed it would be forever, but one of the [Mages] who had recently come to Reim, Ulyse, leader of the [Mage]-group, Parasol Stroll, had tried to fix Trey’s iPhone. And—miracle of miracles—a simple [Repair] spell had charged the smartphones back to full strength! Teres was still amazed; she’d spent all of yesterday on her iPhone, just…playing with it. She’d listened to all her music, looked at all her pictures—
The ones of her family hurt her most. Her family, and friends. She’d tried not to linger on them and it didn’t bother her now. She was focused on Flos’ expression. He’d seen her and Trey waving the smartphones about, but they’d barely been able to explain them to the [King], so excited they’d been. Now he peered at the glowing screen, frowning.
“You showed me the camera when we first met. And you explained the pictures—similar to a [Mage]-image. This little thing can make one?”
“It can take one. Of you, or your people. Anything I want. See? Look—I’m going to take a picture—”
“Yes, yes. And the little picture is what this camera sees. Fascinating. Very disconcerting, too. You’re going to take a picture of my people returning? That’s very appropriate. Worthy of a…picture.”
Flos peered at the image of the world through the screen. Teres nodded.
“If you’ll just let me—”
She held up the iPhone, trying to get the best resolution. It was hard because the image kept refocusing; Flos was excitedly peering at the lens, then stalking around to watch Teres take the picture. He kept shaking his head as she tapped the iPhone, trying to center the shot and zoom in.
“Incredible. A simple spell gives it its…energy back? No, wait. Electricity. Charge. You explained it to me. But you told me it was harnessed lightning, not magic!”
“I don’t know why either. Ulyse just cast [Repair] and it worked. Flos, your face is in the way.”
He pulled it out of the way hurriedly.
“Fascinating. And you can take however many you want? Far more efficient than [Artists] or [Mages]!”
“That’s right. Okay, I have a good image.”
The people were getting closer to the city and Teres had framed the balcony, the city, and them. It was fairly good, if she said so herself. She held up the iPhone and then looked at Flos. He was not-quite-subtly standing next to her view of the people in the distance.
“Do you want to be in it?”
“They are my people. And I am a [King]. Shouldn’t I be?”
Teres rolled her eyes, but didn’t debate the point. It was working.
“Alright then! Get ready!”
She refrained from saying, ‘say cheese!’ because it would take too long to explain. To her surprise, Flos immediately stiffened up. He adopted a straight-backed posture, hands at his side, and an almost expressionless face, chin slightly tilted to the open window. It was so—uncharacteristic that Teres had to grin. Flos paused, seeing it.
“What?”
“Why are you standing like that?”
He looked like the very same people captured in old photographs from her world. Not someone taking a selfie or just—posing for a picture. Teres tried to explain, but the King of Destruction didn’t understand what was so funny. He frowned.
“Smile? Pose?”
“Yes! Be more natural! You look far too…serious!”
“The picture is a recollection, a historical marker. Should I be irreverent?”
“Well, I think it would look better. Try smiling, or pointing at them!”
Teres urged the King of Destruction. He hesitated uncertainly, one of the few times she’d ever seen him thusly. Then he tried to take her advice. Flos turned to face the camera, adjusted his posture so he was at a slight angle towards the balcony. Then he held one hand out, as if gesturing at the influx of people in the distance. He gave the camera the fakest smile Teres had ever seen him make.
She paused, staring through the camera. Flos hesitated, and then spoke through his teeth.
“Is it done?”
“No. One second—”
She hit the camera button and Flos blinked in the flash. That just made the picture…well, not worse—it was already a work of art in the hall of failure. Teres shook her head.
“I take it back. You were right. That’s awful. Come and see what you look like!”
The King of Destruction approached apprehensively. Teres showed him the picture of him, eyes half-closed, fake smile on his face. Flos stared. And then he burst out laughing. He guffawed, slapping his chest, staring wide-eyed, and then choking, trying to hold it in, silently laughing until it burst out of him again. He had to take a few steps back until he was slapping one leg, bracing himself against the table.
The King of Destruction’s hilarity took Teres off-guard. She’d expected him to laugh, but this? It was so infectious that she began giggling, and then laughing herself. Their voices made the servant’s door open, and the [Servants] stared at their [King]. Then they began laughing themselves.
There was no malice in it. But the laughter was long-overdue. Like a pressure cooker, the King of Destruction’s naturally good mood suddenly reflated. And he laughed.
It changed the mood of the room. The quiet silence broke. And the entire castle seemed to light up. Maybe that was how it felt. Or maybe that was just his presence. Even the rain seemed to lessen. But regardless, the King of Destruction left his room, Teres in tow. He held up the iPhone, still chuckling, and went down the hall. And every single person he met in the hall had to see the image of him.
It wasn’t funny. It really wasn’t. Teres stopped laughing after the first four times. But Flos kept laughing, and to her surprise, everyone who saw it started laughing as well. It was like she’d somehow trapped comedy in a single picture.
For a while Teres didn’t understand—until she realized the picture on her iPhone was the clearest photo most people in this world had ever seen. Flos Reimarch himself had probably seen himself only a few times, and then only in a mirror, or with magic. Not like this.
But there he went, holding her iPhone. Laughing. And for a moment he’d forgotten about Tiqr. And Reim, like its [King], laughed for a moment in the rain.
——
Trey Atwood heard the laughter first. It was a booming laugh, but everything about the King of Destruction was large. And love him or hate him—and there were things to hate, for all Trey admired him at times—he was easy to like. And the half-Gazer woman who looked up from her lesson in Trey’s quarters with a bunch of magical scrolls and a textbook smiled. Because she loved him.
Gazi Pathseeker looked up as the door to Trey’s room burst open. Flos, the King of Destruction strode into the room. He was holding Teres’ iPhone in one hand. And on his face was a look of mirth Trey hadn’t seen for over a month.
“Gazi! Gazi, come see this! Could you ever imagine me making such a face?”
Flos thrust the iPhone at Gazi. She blinked, staring at the device. Then she focused on the image on the screen. It took her a second. But then she grinned. Her sharp teeth and four smaller eyes focused around the large, shut eye in her head. The half-Gazer stared at the image of Flos.
And then she laughed. It was quiet, and instantly drowned out by Flos’ bellow of laughter. Trey saw Teres standing behind Flos. She waved at him, grinning and mouthing something. He nodded.
She’d done it. And Flos was laughing. Gazi looked at Flos, shaking her head.
“You look ridiculous, my lord.”
“I know! What a sight! It’s one of these pictures! Teres took one—Trey! You didn’t tell me these devices were capable of such things!”
“They can do a lot more than that. That’s just a bad picture, Your Majesty.”
“What? It’s fantastic! It needs to be kept forever! Can I somehow duplicate this? Is that—where’d it go?”
The screen had timed out and turned dark. Flos looked alarmed. Teres took the smartphone back.
“It’s still here. The screen just went dark. I don’t think there’s a printer in this world, but it’s saved. Maybe an [Artist] can copy this? I told you these can do a lot more than you could imagine.”
“I believe it. But you were so delighted yesterday—by all means, show me one of these devices from your world! And everyone walks around with them?”
“Most people. I told you Earth’s technology was advanced.”
“Yes, but this is astounding! It’s one thing to hear of it, the other to see. Very well, show me something else. I still maintain that magic can work wonders your world lacks. Like creating water. How do you manage in droughts?”
Flos handed the iPhone back. Teres unlocked it and then gave Trey a look he knew all too well.
“Well, we have photos—and video—and all kinds of useful stuff like calculators and so on. But we also have games.”
Trey groaned.
“Teres, maybe—”
She elbowed him, hard. Gazi looked at them with one eye; another was fixed on Flos, the other two looking at the people clustered in the doorway, trying not to peek. They vanished as they saw Gazi looking at them. Flos frowned.
“Games?”
Teres grinned wickedly. She was going to try to take Flos down a peg. Trey groaned. Then he groaned louder when he saw where she was going.
“You tap on the screen, like so, see? And that makes the phone do all sorts of things.”
“I see, I see. Not hard at all! Look! I’ve taken a photo!”
“Of my arm. Okay, you can do that later. But look! I have one of the games people play in my world. It’s a competitive game, actually…want to try?”
“Certainly. I enjoy games. But how will it fit on such a small thing, I wonder? No—wait—just show me. I can’t wait.”
Flos smiled. Trey watched with a dull incredulity. She was actually doing it. Teres tapped on the app with a wicked grin that escaped only Flos in the room. She opened the app and the King of Destruction read the name.
“Flappy Bird? Is that a…bird?”
Trey covered his face. Teres smiled wickedly.
“It’s one of the easiest games. All you do is tap on the screen, see? And the bird goes up—”
“What are those green things? Is that…supposed to be the sky behind it? And that is a bird? It looks nothing like—well, I suppose some fish—”
Flos objected as he tried to grasp the game. Teres tried to explain the nature of warp pipes and artificial games to Flos. Trey just watched. Soon, Flos was watching Teres tap on the screen. She had a high score of eighty-three, a personal best.
Trey hated that stupid game so much. He didn’t know why she’d kept it on her iPhone. But it was topical to their world, and Flos was fascinated.
“And you play that game to receive the highest score? That is fun! Simple, yes. A children’s game?”
“Oh no. Adults play it too. It’s just for passing the time.”
“I see, I see. How convenient. Well, allow me to try.”
“Go ahead!”
Teres gave it to Flos with the sweetest of smiles. She’d gotten to nine in her little demonstration, but Flos hadn’t missed the number at the top of the screen. He stroked his beard.
“Eighty-three? Fascinating. Even your words resemble ours so much. But enough of such questions. This is your best. Well, I will tap to play and—”
The little bird went up. Flos tapped, copying Teres.
“Up, and up, and—ah!”
It ran into the pipe. Not the second pipe, the first one. Flos’ face fell. Teres’ smile grew wider.
“What a fragile bird. Can’t it move properly?”
Flos muttered. The [King] stared at the screen.
“You can start over. See?”
“Of course! A second attempt! Are there penalties for…?”
“Nope. Keep playing!”
He did. Flos tapped, and this time the bird got past the first pipe. The second, the third—it hit the sixth. Flos’ brows furrowed together.
“Hold on. This little bird—”
“Harder than it looks, right?”
Teres asked innocently. The King of Destruction looked up from the phone. This time he saw Trey’s expression and her face. But he stubbornly tapped her iPhone.
“It’s a matter of timing. I’ve played far harder games. Orthenon tried to interest me in chess—this is—”
Tap, tap, tap. Gazi was watching her [King], the ruler of Reim and the man who’d conquered all of Chandrar, tap on the phone and watch his little bird die. Flos made it to thirteen. And then eighteen. And then four. He just didn’t have the rhythm down.
“Move down, you little pest! Why does it always move like—can’t it fly properly? What’s the point of this?”
“To win. And the bird always moves like that. It’s a challenge.”
Teres replied sweetly. She was enjoying Flos’ frustration to no end. The King of Destruction looked up with a huge scowl.
“I’m beginning to think you’ve played some trick on me, Teres.”
“Me? It’s just my iPhone. Nothing special. As simple as magic, right?”
The [King] narrowed his eyes. Then he turned.
“Magic? I never learned to cast it. On the other hand—Gazi, would you like a try with this infernal game?”
“If Your Majesty wishes.”
Gazi smiled slightly. Trey looked at her. She took the iPhone cautiously—both she and Flos handled it as if it were glass, which it did look like. And Gazi tapped the screen.
“It’s easy. All you do is tap—”
Teres’ smug voice was cut off as Gazi swiveled one eye to look at her. The half-Gazer gave her a sharp-toothed grin.
“I have seen.”
She began to tap. Her pace was measured, deliberate. She was copying Teres! And unlike Flos, Gazi didn’t get excited. One of her eyes focused on the screen while the other three went roaming. Trey watched. Gazi tapped, tapped, tapped—and hit a pipe.
“Oops! Well done, though, Gazi.”
Flos smiled good-naturedly. The half-Gazer only shrugged. She met Teres’ smile with her own.
