The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2 novel Chapter 149

Part 22

“Here, let me get that for you My Princess.” one of her bridesmaids insisted with a smile, and Translocated into the open interior of the ring-shaped table to take over the serving.

As soon as the first dish was served onto a plate Talia began feeding it to Mark, and she and Alilia were to feed him and each other from all three of their plates indiscriminately.

This left their two places beside Mark unoccupied, and over the course of the reception many of the guests used them to join the head table for a few moments of congratulation and conversation.

One of the first to do so was Amirgath, who appeared perched in Talia’s chair to Mark’s left in a small enough form to curl his tail around himself on the seat.

“Congratulations, and thank you for the invitation.” he stated as he poured himself a glass of whisky and swirled it with a very human-seeming manner.

“You’re the leader of the nation that bears your name, and it’s a state wedding.” Mark shrugged. “My point was made the last time we spoke, and I’m just as glad to have you.”

“You’ll want to try the honey-northberry elixir, it’s exceptionally good.” Talia suggested with a giggle.

“Thank you, but that’s a bit sweet for my tastes.” Amirgath replied, and tipped his glass back. “Good whisky though.” he noted as he set the glass down, then vanished.

“Hmm.” Alilia smiled as she finished a bite of roast buffalo. “That was very humble of him to appear in such a small size. I’d say it was a gesture of reconciliation. You improve everyone you interact with, my handsome love, and the first of the dragon gods is not immune.”

Mark could only laugh, as Talia was about to place the next bite in his mouth.

About once a minute during the meal one or two or a few of their friends from Hiliani or Heartwood came by to offer a quick congratulation and a handshake or a hug or a kiss, and sometimes all three.

Kragorram, Povon, Karzog, and Somonik snacked on honey-roasted boars from Felion as they lounged on the moss outside the circle of chairs around the head table. The spaces in the circle where their chairs would have been placed were wide enough for them to politely reach between for the thirty-six kilo tidbits that were automatically replaced on their platters whenever they took one.

“Is this platter Reproducing these things, or are they being Translocated in?” Karzog wondered as he helped himself to his eighth, and prepared to wash it down with another cask of Stone Islands rum.

“Translocated.” Somonik told him around a bite of pork. “Notice that they are quite uniform, but not identical. This is the third prepared dish that I have ever eaten in my long life that I truly enjoyed more than fresh raw prey. All three were first served to me within the past week, and all were from Felion. And they are nefarious! They tell you that they are merely snacks, but the damn things keep appearing and they are delicious, and before you know it you’re so full that you’re canceling your next hunt!”

“The entrepreneurs of the giants and gnomes have been working determinedly to try to find something they can sell to dragons, and they have found it!” Caria laughed. “When I considered catering for dragons at this event, I initially thought I’d have to contract some hunters to provide fresh prey. But while reading the latest market listings, there was an entry selling those ‘Draconian Fine Dining’ platters, so I spoke to a woman in Felion who told me all about it.

“The entrepreneurs there have noted that most of the dragons of Xervia and the older ones on Serminak have accumulated vast wealth over their long lives, but they seldom buy anything. Almost all dragons still build their own dens, hunt their own food, supply their own long-distance travel, don’t use furniture, prefer very durable and long-lasting goods, and tend to keep almost everything they’ve ever owned.