Chapter 24
Standing at the front gate is a young male, no more than twenty. He has long flowing crimson hair, a pale toned form, and fingertips that end pointedly as if when extended they might form claws, and patches of scales intermittently across his body. His eyes shift between a cold icy blue, a fiery red, and a shocking yellow.
"Well hello there!" Aurelius calls from the pathway connecting the manor to the rest of the city. The young man can see that Aurelius has returned without the food they had set out to obtain, or at least it appears that way.
"I'm still getting used to being in a two-legged humanoid form. This one has changed quite a bit from the one I originally had. Even my four-legged form is going to take some getting used to. Six heads and all that." The Barrghest converses.
"Are we still going to call you Barrghes then?" Zoah speaks, shifting about and admiring the culmination of what hard work both of these individuals invested.
"Seeing that my name has yet to come to me, that is the case. I am in no rush to obtain a name. It still baffles me how names are given such a high priority. Even before my transformation, my kin were named when the time was right and usually based upon their actions. The system of arbitrarily naming yourself and your surroundings is not something that makes sense to me." While the Barrghest gives his explanation his form seems to shift between giving off a high degree of heat, chilling the air around him, and charging the air with enough static that any piece of metal would get a sharp jolt if it were introduced.
"I always enjoy hearing about your culture, my friend. I hope that your memory has been getting better with time." Aurelius smiles.
"It has been improving over time as the changes from my prey settle in. I'm curious if I will be able to inherit a creature's knack for magic so that I can learn from you." The Barrghest muses.
"Only time will tell. For now, shall we head inside and have our meal?" Aurelius replies.
"I see that you are back to using some of your magical tricks. Is this one of them?" The Barrghest asks curiously.
"Unfortunately, not this time. One of my many enchanted items allows me to easily store large volumes of objects. So transporting the food was easy." Aurelius explains.
The trio heads inside the manor and delivers the newly acquired pile of food to the kitchen staff for preparation. they thank the staff in advance and then step out into the hall.
"What shall we do while we wait?" Zoah asks, looking between the two of them.
"Let us head to the study first to discuss our departure and decide on additional activities," Aurelius recommends. The Barrghest and Zoah nod their heads in agreement, they then proceed to Zoah's study, closing the doors behind them.
"Zoah, why don't you explain the process for using the planar portals," Aurelius says, taking a seat and facing a window to the massive sun crystal near the citadel.
"First, paperwork needs to be submitted through the town hall to track the location the planar gate will be linking to and who will be using the gate. This step can be ignored for those with a planar travel card like you. The fee on the other hand cannot be waived. Once paid, an escort will accompany you to the portal and activate it for you. Seeing that your few has already been paid, I can escort you there personally when you are ready to set out. There are certain special privileges for those with power and wealth, which I am sure you are well aware of." Zoohandlung explains to the pair.
"Then it seems that all we need to do is enjoy the rest of our stay here with you." Aurelius says with a smile.
"Do you think that anyone will try to make trouble for us when we set out to leave?" The Barrghest comments.
"It is possible, but unlikely. Unless you two have made enemies during your stay, or the ones chasing you have caught up, you are very unlikely to come across any trouble." Zoah reassured him.
They pass the time with some light conversation. Soon enough, dinner is set and one of the house staff informs them. The dining hall is set with a large intricately carved wooden table. Each seat is handcrafted to fit with the center piece, the table, and the supporting furnishings. Zoah and Aurelius are seated on one side of the table and the barrghest on the other. Surrounding the main table are a number of smaller and lower quality tables, where the wait staff are situated. Some move to wait on the central table while other sit back and enjoy themselves. Occasionally, they swap out to prevent themselves from tiring out. Where some other employers might not be so hospitable, Zoah wanted to make sure that everyone enjoyed the night, even if she had not invited any outsiders to the occasion.
Zoah's feast included a few standard meats, but also contained a number of strange local delicacies. There were a number of foreign fruits, vegetables, some of which were local and others imported. While the Windswept Planes could grow a few strange plants, most of the food stock came in through the portals.
Some of the inhabitants of the city have no need for sustenance as they are either dead, undead, or bound to this place in one way or another. Others, who have come here intentionally , or unintentionally, with their original form still require food and water to survive.
Aurelius, The Barrghest, and Zoah all eat until they are beyond full. Zoah's appetite is little, as a vampire she subsists on mostly blood to survive but with age she has managed to enable her system to digest a small portion of food each day.
While the meal could not replace the blood she so vitally needs, it does allow her to pass as a mortal for a single meal time, which in the long run is a be edit to her survival.
Soon enough Zoah, Aurelius, and the Barrghest retire to their respective lodgings. Barrghest decides to head outside to the barn so that he can sleep comfortably in his new, much larger form.
The next morning arrives soon enough and Zoah escorts the pair of them to the portal. As she had previously explained, she personally accompanies them and there is no trouble to speak of.
"It was nice meeting you, Zoah." Barrghest nods.
"Likewise." She says with a smile and pats one of his large heads.
"I'm glad I got to spend as much time with you as I have." Zoah smiles to Aurelius, leaning in and giving him a kiss. He reciprocates for a moment before giving her one last long large hug.
"It was wonderful seeing you again. Stay well." Aurelius says with one last smile before stepping away from Zoah and leading the Barrghest over to the whirling portal. Together, they step through.