Up and Coming 13 – Fighting within the Boundaries

Eldred made his way back to the base floor of the mansion and began walking around.

‘I really haven’t done a lot of it in my life,’ he thought as he ran his hand over the bricks of a garden wall. Childhood memories were all he could summon for a comparison, recollections of a time before ambivalence had slowly choked out his sense of wonder for the world.

Silent, he walked around, experiencing the tactile sensations, the scents and the sights. Walls and fences, trees and bushes, soil and grass – for most of them it had been so long since Eldred had consciously touched them that it was practically a novel sensation.

Nyx was silent and incorporeal. Was she lingering on forlorn thoughts or was she observing him with mild glee? Eldred did not know. For once, he was too focused on himself to call out to her. Even he needed time to reflect on himself, simple creature as he was.

Squatting at the side of a flower patch, Eldred watched buzzing bees go through their work. ‘Eternal summer, eternal pollen… wonder if that changes their behaviour at all,’ he let the idle thought run through his mind. Slowly, he extended his hand towards the flowers. ‘I used to be quite afraid of bees. Mother always freaked out around them.’

The yellow-black insects scattered around the approaching limb. They flew around Eldred, humming and buzzing, before ultimately returning to the flowers. Only one of their number seemed at all interested in investigating further. It hovered close, the rapid beat of its tiny wings creating a small turbulence that broke on Eldred’s skin.

The bee landed on his index finger. A tiny tongue, or whatever it was called on a bee, flicked over his skin. Were there remnants of sugar on it from the snacks he had consumed earlier? He doubted it, but what did he know about bees. The striped animal crawled forwards, its stinger millimetres away from Eldred’s skin.

“Look at who it is!”

Eldred did not react to the voice until the bee had decided to take off. In a tranquil mood, he turned his head and looked up at a vaguely familiar face. An attractive woman with back-length, brown hair, her modest curves covered by an almost well-fitting suit. Eldred didn’t truly recognize her until she lifted her sunglasses, revealing a dark green and brown eye.

“Vex–“ Eldred began only for the disguised woman to drop to her knees next to him and put a finger on his lips.

“I’m doing you a favour here, my identity is the bit of leverage you have on me,” she hissed at him. “So do not spill it like an idiot.”

Eldred hummed, then calmly pushed her hand aside. “What do you want to be called?”

“You’re compliant,” the ‘brunette’ remarked, eyebrows furrowed. “Here I thought I could tease you for being impotently angry.”

“Oh, I am seething, but you also catch me in a strange mood.” Eldred put his hand out again. A butterfly began to land on it, only to be shooed away. The driven man was more interested in the praying mantis he had just spotted. “So?”

“Just call me Vex.”

“…Seriously?” Eldred drawled. “Are you trying to be caught?”

“Nooooooo, I think this disguise is perfectly adequate and definitely the best I can do,” the high-grade Cultivator drawled sarcastically. “I loooooove being ordered to babysit a 200 kilo manchild that thinks the word ‘cuck’ means ‘people I don’t like’.”

“So you’re here with Otto.”

“You’re really quick on the uptake,” Vex mocked. “So you should know what happens if you cross me.”

“We both know that’s an impotent threat as long as Neora is hanging around,” Eldred responded.

“That freak can’t protect you from everything… in fact, she got you in more shit than I ever did.” Vex extended her own hand above the flowerbed. A multitude of butterflies immediately flocked to her. In the attempt to all land simultaneously, they created a mess of confused insects falling and knocking into each other. None ever managed to set down. “Had she not intervened, I’d just make you the offer to work for me, if you had refused, Otto and his goons would have beat you up for a bit.”

“You wouldn’t have killed me?”

“Probably not,” she responded with a wide grin. “Though I could, of course. Offer technically still stands, by the way.”

“Even if your boss was a saint, I wouldn’t work for him.” Eldred put his hands on his knees and got up. “I am my own master.”

“How nice for you,” Vex hissed.

“Envious?”

“In a sense.” Vex opened her mouth to add something more, then closed it and shook her head. “Whatever. How about you use that bit of leverage you have on me to force me to show you how to humiliate the half-mouse?”

“…The what now?”

“Right, you wouldn’t get that reference. I mean my underling. Want to make him blow a gasket?”

Eldred was all ears.

_____________________________________________________________________

“So, I beat him to a pulp!” Otto boasted to a quiet room. “Kept slamming his face into the floor until it stopped resembling a face! HAH!” Several people shifted uncomfortably, others covertly rolled their eyes. The few pity toasts Otto got weren’t even enough to qualify as a cheer. “Thank you, thank you!” he responded all the same, then beat the bar counter behind him with the bottom of his empty tankard. “More ale!”

“There he is, as promised,” Vex whispered to Eldred. “Now, just do as I told you to. He won’t be able to say no.”

Eldred walked forwards, weaving between the tables that filled the bar. Return guests of the event occupied all the seats, filling the mahogany chairs with butts in suits. Glasses of beer, whisky and long drinks stood in front of everyone, a part of the free services provided by the event. Smart people knew not to overdo it. Otto appeared decently sloshed. He didn’t even notice Eldred’s approach until he was practically right in front of him.

“You!” Otto grabbed the freshly filled tankard and immediately started chugging. “You think you can threaten me again, small boy?”

“It’s truly impressive how shameless you are.” Eldred nodded at the drink. “Man of your size must need a lot to get drunk. Leave something for the rest of us.”

“The strong drink, the weak starve,” Otto grunted back.

Eldred was truly baffled by the ineptitude of that response, so baffled he spared himself the next barb. “How about you and I get to the poker table?” he asked instead. “A mutual associate of ours said you would love to play.”

“Who the fuck would make such a reta-“ Following a wave of Eldred’s hand, Otto looked over to the doorway the driven man had come from. A small wave by Vex was all it took for the half-ogre’s grey complexion to tilt towards a cloudy colour. “-highly regarded decision… I would…” He downed the rest of the tankard. “…love to play!”

Vex had been right, the mere implication that she wanted him to play was enough to bully him into it.

“I have been told you have chips and cards?” he asked the barman.

“Of course, sir,” the man responded and brought out both. “Thank you for interest in… the game,” he glanced at Otto with those last two words. He must have been happy to get the half-ogre and his scent of old sandwiches away from the bar. “Will you need someone to play the house?”

“I will take care of that.”

Eldred glanced sideways at a duo he had never seen before. They were young men with haughty expressions. Both had the distinct eye-shape that marked them as descendants of the Porcelain Realm (a fact that Eldred felt like he had encountered a lot recently). Their hair was long and black, pulled back at the top into a knot secured by an ornate, bejewelled ring. One of the duo also carried a folding fan. Beyond that, they were entirely Iridescian in their fashion, wearing black suits with highly ornate ties that depicted serpentine dragons.

For all their similarities, the duo wasn’t actually identical. They were of the same style, the same ethnicity and even similar height, but one’s skin was subtly darker and the other’s face notably sleeker.

Four servant ladies stepped forwards from behind them, actual quadruplets, all of them of a bottom-heavy build with nicely shaped hips, pale skin and long, black hair. They wore tightly fitting, ornate dresses of black and gold, fashion that must have hailed from a different part of their ancestor’s dimension than Neora’s robes had.

When they spoke, they did so in perfect unison. First, they gestured towards the darker-skinned part of the duo. “”The Young Master Zhi Feng of the Feng Arms corporation,”” Then, they pointed at the sleek-faced man. “”The Young Master Xu Ashura of the Ashura Industries,””

The entire bar with its 50-odd visitor began to mumble, impressed at something that Eldred had not the faintest clue about. Since he couldn’t even pretend to care by asking Avari, he just stuck out his hand. “Eldred Noiris, CEO of Neverrain Dominion.”

Xu looked at the offered handshake with disgust, then swatted Eldred’s limb aside with his folded fan. Immediately thereafter, he unfolded the green-gold thing, acting as if he had to remove a stench from the air around him. “Do not mistake my generosity for equality, upstart,” the man hissed. “We just want to be part of the humiliation of this brute.”

“Your ass is getting humiliated, cuck,” Otto growled.

Zhi’s face darkened. “Careful what you say, our families might decide to repay such insults.”

Otto’s eyes sought reassurance of his own protection. Eldred didn’t have to turn around to know Vex was no longer there. The half-ogre’s expression said it all. “Uhhh… noted…!” He tried to sound tough and grovelling at the same time.

‘Pathetic,’ Eldred thought and put his hand in his pocket. “If you want to join in, do it.” He tilted his head and smiled sharply. “But I will remember this when I surpass you.”

““HAH!”” the ‘young masters’ laughed in unison.

They moved to a long table near the edge of the room. Plenty of attention shifted with them, several people going as far as rising from their seats to be closer to the action. The barman brought both the deck and chips to the table.

Before they sat down, Xu and Zhi played a quick game of rock-paper-scissors, ending in Xu’s victory. The sleek-faced man placed his fan down on the table and sat down in a player’s seat, while his darker-skinned friend stood at the head of the table, shuffling the cards. “Oy! You’re just going to cheat!”

“Preposterous,” Zhi sneered in response. “You think men of our station would waste our time cheating against lowborns like you?”

“Games of chance like this are the only time we can enjoy a proper competition with you,” Xu added. “Be thankful we decided you’d be our entertainment for the night after you violated our ears with your horrid stories.”

The quadruplets all nodded in unison.

Eldred lazily hung an arm over the backrest of his chair. “If you two are done sharing how little in your life you have earned, how about we decide what’s being wagered?” The two ‘young masters’ rolled their eyes. Otto crossed his arms. They were all listening. “My simple idea. Red chip, 100 Iris – basically nothing for men like us, right?”

“Not even worth playing for,” Zhi declared.

“Yellow chip means the winner gets to ask you to do something embarrassing.” Eldred presented it. “Chicken dance, saying something silly, fun and games like that.” The ‘young master’ seemed a little unsure but ultimately shrugged. Otto rolled his jaw. “Blue chip is a favour,” Eldred said finally. “And not just for the game. It’s a promise between us that whoever holds onto a blue chip can cash a favour until they have handed it back. Nothing unreasonable, but a favour all the same.”

Now Zhi was properly reconsidering, while Otto was coming to the false conclusion that this was what Vex wanted from him.

“We play 3 rounds, one for each type of chip,” Eldred said. “You can bow after seeing your hand, before the community cards are revealed. If you fold after that, your chip in the pot goes down one level. How does that sound?”

“…Very well!” Zhi agreed.

“Fine by me,” Otto grunted.

“Then…!” Xu took command, slamming the deck of thoroughly shuffled cards onto the polished tabletop. “…let us begin.”

The three players each tossed a red chip in the middle of the table and received two cards in return. Eldred did as he had seen in many movies and bent his cards without picking them up. After he had seen what he had on offer, he smirked and reclined. “I am all in,” he announced simply.

“Of course you are, peasant, there is only all-in in this ruleset you laid down,” Zhi returned.

“A real beta-brain is what you are,” Otto joined in. “..I fold.”

“HAH!” Zhi laughed. “That clingy towards 100 Iris?”

“Keep spending your old money, you’ll lose it all eventually,” Otto snapped back.

“I will play along,” the ‘young master’ stated proudly. Three cards were placed in the middle of the table. Neither Eldred nor Zhi backed down. The fourth card was revealed, then the fifth. They both revealed their hands.

Eldred’s two threes combined with another three on the table for a Three of a Kind. Zhi could only return with the two 9s he had in his hand.

“Your pay.” Zhi snapped his fingers and one of the servants handed Eldred a 100 Iris note. “Perhaps it will buy you a visit to a proper hairdresser.”

“I’m growing it out,” Eldred responded.

Xu laughed. “You shouldn’t. Long hair is for men of status.”

“Is that why Otto only has that pitiful bit of hair?”

The half-ogre snorted. “Like you have any fashion sense. What do you know?”

“Last I checked, I came here with two lovely ladies,” Eldred remarked. “These two at least have sexy quadruplets around.” The servant women rolled their eyes at his comment. “You’re here with a bunch of brutes. When was the last time a woman slept with you without compensation, huh?”

Otto just grinned, showing off his crooked teeth. “You’ve got no clue.”

The word-war came to a halt as they pushed the yellow tokens to the middle of the table. Zhi and Otto were immediately more on edge. Cards were handed out. One glance was all it took for Zhi to shake his head. “I fold.”

Eldred checked his hand again and grinned once more. “I am all in.”

“Didn’t you hear him the last time?” Otto grunted as he checked his own hand. “…I am also in.”

The community cards were revealed. A King, an Ace and a Five, all of the Diamonds suite. “Still in,” Eldred stated, his smile only growing as he stared at Otto.

The half-ogre shifted in his chair, checking the cards on the table, then his hand. This continued for twenty solid seconds before Xu cleared his throat. “Make your call, you stinking barbarian.”

“Fuck you… I… fold!”

“I suppose you owe me 100 Iris then,” Eldred stated and revealed his hand. He had a Two of Spades and a Three of Clubs. In other words, he would have had a High Card with the King on the table. There was scarcely a worse hand to have.

“This is fucking stupid!” Otto roared and jumped up. Too irate to remain intimidated by the woman who was no longer there, he began to stomp away. Zhi put his fan in front of Otto’s belly.

“You lost. Agreement demands that you pay up,” he declared.

Otto growled. He circled his jaw, then reached into his pocket, fishing out some crumpled up money. He counted the bills, then threw them in Eldred’s general direction. Some landed on him, some on the table, most on the floor. “Here you go, losers! Who am I to care about 100 Iris?!”

Eldred just laughed at the hypocrite as he stomped away. Several others joined him in that. He stopped when Nyx offered him the (now uncrumpled) money. “Thank you for picking that up. How are you, my love?”

“A snowdrift remaining in the early days of Spring.”

Eldred did not know what that meant. Luckily, pleasing Nyx could be as easy as pulling her into his lap.

“A banshee…?” Xu mumbled. “Are you the man who killed a Cannibal Golem on his first mission?”

“One of the highlights of my life,” Eldred responded with complete honesty. “Why?”

“The material you gathered was quite useful to my father’s company.” Xu rubbed his chin and glanced over to Zhi. “Cousin, do you wish to continue playing?”

“HAH!” The other ‘young master’ laughed aloud, holding up Otto’s cards. “He would have had a Flush!” The room broke out into another series of laughs. Zhu handed the cards back for shuffling. “One more game–“ There was none of the hesitance in his voice anymore.

‘Does he fear embarrassment more than owing a favour?’ Eldred yawned. He had already gotten what he wanted out of this game, so it was whatever to him. “Let’s see how this goes.”

Two chips were pushed to the middle of the table. Two times two cards were handed out. Eldred took one glance at what he had, then shrugged and smiled. “All in,” he said again, turning his attention to Nyx to kiss her pale neck. An almost inaudible chuckle resonated in his entire being. He hugged his banshee’s waist tighter.

“…All in as well,” Zhi declared. “Let’s see who Fate favours today.”

The community cards were revealed. Eldred scarcely paid attention. It was only the final result that mattered. “…Two Pair,” Zhu revealed his hand.

“Congratulations,” Eldred did not think once about showing off his own. “I only have a One Pair, you win.” He put a finger on a blue chip and flicked it on over to the ‘young master’. “We are located in the Rust-Grass district, only building that doesn’t look like shit. Send a message whenever it suits you.”

The black-haired man pocketed the simple poker chip. “I shall.”