If he gets married tomorrow. I’ll buy that too.
“Hebaron, please. OPEN UP OR WE’RE BREAKING IN!” Riftan shouts at the other side of Hebaron’s door, with the other knights peeking behind. Uslin passed his sword to Ruth, rounding up his arm and preparing to knock down Hebaron's door with Riftan.
“Come on Hebaron, it’s fine if you’re sick. At least let Ruth check it.” Gabel knocks impatiently on the tough wooden door.
“What’s wrong with him? He’s never been like this.” Ruth sighed and Elliot nodded in agreement.
“Just come out already! I promise I wouldn’t make any jokes about it. JUST COME ON OUT!’ Uslin exclaimed as he runs into the door sideways.
“You know, I can just cast a spell to open it.” Ruth breaks the rowdy silence amongst the knights.
“Couldn’t you have said that, before I threw myself on the door?” Uslin gritted his words through, rubbing his shoulders to reduce the soreness.
Ruth just shrugged and crack his knuckles. “I’m coming in, Sir Nirta! If you’re naked, I take no responsibility for my actions!” Everyone made way for the mage and watched as a vibrant rosey light transferred from Ruth’s palms onto Hebaron’s door.
“GABEL!” the knights shouted in unison, causing Ruth to bump into the now opened door.
“Great, all these commotions and he isn’t even in his room.” Uslin shook his head in disappointment.
“I saw him went in, and never came out!” Gabel signalled his hands as an emphasis, pointing from the corridor walkway to Hebaron’s room.
“You are supposed to have the best eyesight out of all of us! Which is why we got you to follow him around!” Uslin nagged angrily. "FOLLOW HIM. NOT, LOSE HIM!” Uslin landed harsh glares onto Gabel after rolling his head in annoyance. Feeling the holes drilling into his skull, Gabel stepped away from Uslin’s following eyes, to the purportedly safer zone behind Riftan.
“I really saw him come in here.” Gabel avowed to Riftan, who looked equally mad at the seemingly false information.
Amongst the heated setting, Maxi was returning from the library and popped in upon hearing the ruckus.
“My Lady, may we help with your books?” Elliot greets Maxi, his hands reaching out for the pile in her arms.
“O-Oh, it’s-s fi-n-ne Sir Elliot! Yo-u-u’re too kind, they’re not heav-vy!” Maxi blushes as she hugged the books closer to her chest, as if to prevent anyone reading the covers.
‘Those books again. Aren’t they the same books she has been reading over and over for the past few weeks?’ Riftan frowned in his thoughts, inching closer to his wife, trying to get a glimpse of the books.
“Wh-hat are yo-u-u all doing in S-Sir Nirta’s room?” Maxi asked, her round eyes softening the atmosphere.
“We’re looking for Hebaron. He’s…not feeling too well.” Riftan stops in front of his wife, stroking Maxi’s cheeks as he mutters. His eyes wondering to the books.
“He’s been acting weird lately, and we’re worried.” Ruth added.
“He doesn’t even want to drink with us after training.” Gabel whispered seriously, his fingers pointing among Uslin, Elliot and himself.
“I did not-t-ice that Sir Nirta didn’t leav-v-e the castle after dinner the-s-s-se past weeks either. I thought he was-s just too tired from all th-h-e training… I-s-s he going to b-be alright?” Maxi worried. Riftan’s eyebrows took a deeper burrow at Maxi’s acknowledgement of Hebaron’s activities.
“Maybe it’s all your f-fault, Riftan. Yo-u-u and your loco training drove S-sir Hebaron crazy!” Maxi hypothesized, hugging her books tighter with anger.
It was no secret that the knights have been training aggressively, thanks to the overtime in the infirmary, even everyone in town knows. Increasing in both intensity and duration, even the squires were bulking up twice as fast. All thanks to the Lord Commander’s newfound insomnia. Something was on his mind, and he’s been dragging the entire squad along, especially Hebaron.
“What?” Riftan blurted as the others kept quiet, as if to agree in silence, glances darted around but no one dared to meet Riftan in the eyes. However, their stances show that they were very much into the conversation.
Reading the room, Riftan hung his head slightly in shame. “Perhaps” he muttered as he looked to the side and noticed an unusual movement in Hebaron’s cloaks. Throwing that look at the knights, everyone focused on where Riftan was hinting at. Getting the cue, Maxi nodded and offered to play along.
“Herhm, we s-should look for S-Sir Nirta elsewhere since he is-s clearly n-not here. I’ll close his door!” Maxi sniffled a little as she pulled the door towards her, making sure to induce a large clicking sound upon closing the door. After which, the huge man stepped out from his set of cloaks.
“I thought they’ll never leave.” Hebaron breathed in rapidly after holding his breath for the past 9 mins.
“It’s astounding how a huge man like you can hide in such plain sight.” Riftan spoke slowly, his deep voice spooked a worn out Hebaron.
Surrendering to Riftan, Hebaron throws himself onto his bed in defeat and let out a deep sigh. “What do you want?”
At the other corner of Hebaron’s room was Gabel, making himself comfortable, scavenging for Hebaron’s alcohol collection under the table. “Wow, this isn’t empty?” An astounded Gabel pulled out the half empty bottle as well as the crackers behind it.
“Here, fish crackers, your favourite.” Handing Elliot the crackers, Gabel popped the cock off the bottle and gulped down.
“Urgh, your wine taste flat.” Gabel states. Elliot chokes on the stale crackers as the room gasps and Hebaron rolled his eyes to the side.
“WHAT?” Riftan questioned in disbelief, snatching over the bottle of wine for a sip.
Shocked at this revelation, Uslin got up from the floor and sits by Hebaron on his bed, placing his hand on Hebaron’s forehead, then on his back. His eyes meet Ruth, who gave Uslin a knowing nod.
“You don’t have a fever... So what’s wrong?’ Uslin prods as he slaps Hebaron’s ass hard. The sting sent Hebaron howling into his bed.
"Get out, just get out.." Hebaron drawled, burying himself under the sheets.
"Alright, how about we go down to town for drinks?" Riftan suggested.
Everyone’s attention shifted to the Lord Commander, who never once suggested to drink outside of the castle.
“Come on, I know you like drinking at that bar down the alley that leads to the lake.” Riftan opined. “My treat. Tonight.”
Elliot’s eyes widen as Ruth stared at Riftan, with Uslin and Gabel exchanging weird looks across the room.
“I said, I’m buying. Hebaron?” Riftan kicks Hebaron’s bed. “NIRTA!” His patience was running out as he walked over. Ruth tactfully got out of his way, watching from the sides as Riftan attempted to yank the tall knight out from under his pillow.
Like a rabbit pulling another rabbit out of his rabbit hole, everyone in the room watched the two giants struggled and it started to look comical with both equally matched in strength. Ruth started laughing out loud, followed by Uslin and Elliot, while Gabel was already rolling on the floor.
"Just leave me alone, alright! I don’t want to go to town! I don’t want to drink!" Hebaron pushed Riftan in the chest, causing Riftan to lose his balance. Elliot dropped his crackers and hurried with Gabel to grab Riftan in order to damper the impact while Ruth ran off to a corner to prevent being sandwiched. “Not today!” Ruth declares as stuck his back to the window.
Recovering his stance, Riftan dragged out Hebaron’s box of wine under the table to the bed. “Let’s drink.” Riftan announced.
“Fine.” Hebaron grunted, getting off his bed as the party reacted innately, surrounding the bed like a table. The gang sat at either ends of the bed while Ruth sent a magic note to the kitchen for meat and snacks.
“You better buy them back.” Hebaron complained, as he reluctantly passed out his stash around the bed. Shooting Hebaron back with a dirty look, Riftan downs the first bottle in record time.
“Will you have dinner here, Sirs?” Rodrigo asked, as he brought up thirds. The knights have drunk passed lunch and was now time for dinner.
“We’ll skip dinner. Just bring up more kegs.” Riftan replies after looking at the drunken states of his knights.
“You good there? You’re drinking like back then.” Hebaron directed the question at Riftan, who raised his eyebrow as if to question what Hebaron meant. “Open.” Gabel requested as he held a bottle close to Riftan’s face.
“In that cave where we thought we were about to die tomorrow.” Hebaron added on.
“Don’t try to change the topic on me.” Riftan retorted as he passed Gabel the opened bottle, his elbow nearly hitting Elliot’s head.
“It’s just spooky. I never had a woman come up to me. In my face! Telling me that she likes me and wants to get to know me better!” Hebaron whispers loudly.
Uslin cackled as Hebaron continued on.
“She even said that she thinks me and her could get along well for a future together!” Sitting across Hebaron, Gabel was having a hard time holding in his laughter while patting Ruth on the back. The poor mage swallowed an entire fish bone upon hearing that Hebaron has a suitor.
“We’ve talked about this the other night! It’s time for you to get married! Don’t tell me you forgot how much older you are than us!” Uslin smirked at Hebaron, who was narrowing his eyes at him.
“You said you wouldn’t make jokes about it.” Hebaron warns him sternly, as he confiscates Uslin’s bottle and finished it.
“I’m not making jokes. I’m just reminding you that you’re old.” Uslin gave an innocent smile that makes Hebaron want to punch him right in his perfect face. “Again.” Uslin chuckled, trying to keep a straight face.
“Do we know her?” Riftan asked as Uslin draws another bottle out of the crate. “I want one too.” Ruth signalled to Uslin after recovering from his mishap.
“Sort of.” Hebaron hung his head low, spinning the empty bottles on the floor. “But I can’t be with her… She’s.. Just not her.” Hebaron huffed despondently.
Poking the drunk man’s face across the bed, Ruth started conjuring spells, painting Elliot’s face with an assortment of colours.
“Can you imagine the rumours if I did?” Hebaron sighed as he popped open another bottle. “Me with her?’’ Hebaron points back at himself.
“You.” Elliot burps, pointing his finger at Hebaron before passing out for real.
“Just go to sleep.” Uslin ruffles Elliot’s head, that was resting comfortably on Hebaron’s bed.
“Give her a try, or we’ll get you and put you in her room.” Gabel hics, having a hard time keeping his head up.
“Well, what do you think will happen? You think I’ll marry her?” Hebaron pushes Gabel’s head up with his finger.
“Either that, or you’ll snore really loudly as usual when you sleep drunk, and. Andddd if she still wants you, you can get married tomorrow.” Uslin giggles to himself. “Riftan will pay for everything, right Commander?”
“If he gets married tomorrow. I’ll buy that too.” Riftan clinks Hebaron’s bottle as he watches Ruth’s ongoing magic show featuring a drunk Elliot.
“Ruth, I think Elliot looks prettier with lilac, not turrrrquoise.” Gabel hics again before head diving onto Hebaron’s bed, fully giving in to his drunk state.
“And you Gabel, looks prettier with my hand across your face!” Ruth shouts with his last burst of soberness left. Now standing up, he faces the wrong direction and proclaims to Gabel, “I know colours better than you!”, before landing on the floor with a thump!
“Did he break his nose?” Uslin asked nonchalantly.
“Even if he did, I’m not a mage.” Hebaron shrugged, turning his head ever so slightly to spot any bleeding on the floor.
“Seems good.” Hebaron concluded before going back to his bottle.
Uslin yawned, clinking bottles with Hebaron while Riftan lies backwards onto the floor, thankful that he decided to after all, drink in the castle instead.
