The Brothers Tuerl & The Staffs of Zeus - 14

Chapter 14-Sweet Sleep

Jennifer’s voice faded off as she looked at the people surrounding her.  Blackington’s head was swinging up and down as if it was the weight of a pendulum.  The other three had begun to steadily snore.  It seemed the only people left awake were herself and her sons.

Suddenly Blackington jolted awake, it seemed his body was not used to the hush which had taken over the room.

“Ah well, yes, that’s nice, that’s nice.”  He said groggily.  “But I am afraid that I must cut you off Jen.  I think it is all time we got some sleep.”

She stared at him for a moment, giving him a shocked, unbelieving look, but finally, after an uncomfortable silence, she nodded her head.  “Yes it is time to sleep.”  She sighed and got out of her chair.  “Sons, come along and you’ll find your new living quarters…I am sure they will be to your liking.”  She added with a wink.

Irgen and Idus got up with some effort and began their trek towards the stairway.  They noticed that as they got up their chairs dissolved into thin air behind them.  As they left, Blackington awoke the others and they followed them up the stairs.

When they first stepped onto the stairs, Irgen and Idus stopped and watched Jennifer briskly climb the stairs.  She noticed the sudden drop in noise level and glanced back.

“What are you two waiting for?”  She asked obviously exasperated by the long day.

“Well you’re magic aren’t you?  Isn’t walking up stairs kind of old fashioned?”  They glanced at each other good-naturedly, thinking the stairs were about to start moving upward.  Their thoughts were interrupted; however, by Blackington’s tired voice booming directly below where they stood.

“You have a lot to learn if you think we use magic for such trivial things as climbing stairs.  We mages do not try to impress.  We are merely humble keepers of our order, and we do not wish to abuse our privileges.  Perhaps I shall tell you more about it tomorrow, but now.”  He growled.  “Let’s go to sleep!” 

The brother’s bolted at the stern command.  They took off; their powerful legs easily lifted them up the stairs, until the stairwell came to another large stone door.  They noticed the large stone wall now rose upward encompassing the doorway creating a cage-like feel.  Jennifer stood at the entrance.  “This is the girl’s room.”  She said with a grin.  “You’ll find yours up one more flight.”

And without saying another word, the brothers ran up the next flight of stairs and came to a large opening.  They stopped, wondering why the girls got a door, while the boys didn’t, before they took a step into the fascinating room.

The room was massive and extremely well-kept. It was covered with friendly dark blue carpet.  The walls were no longer covered with tapestries, but with gargantuan windows which lined the whole of the circular room.  The brothers stared in awe at the captivating glimmer of the stars outside.  Seeing the stars made them realize the tale must have taken all day to complete.

Eventually they tore their eyes from the windows and examined the rest of the room.  They turned around and saw the stone chute, which surrounded them on the last floor, had disappeared from sight.  The staircase and the room were in full view again, and its masterful build astonished the brothers even more.  Behind the staircase, five, invitingly elegant, beds stood.  Three of the beds had dark blue sheets which matched the floor.  But two were different.  One was a vibrantly bright, light red. And the other was silver, with white slashing through it like lightning. 

As they stood there, surveying the scene, Blackington and two others emerged into sight.  “Ah!!! Now there is a sight indeed.”  Said one of the men in a gruff yet surprised voice.  He was staring pointedly at the beds.

“Yes, Harold, it’s quite the sight for sore eyes.  And I do not think this will be even the tip of the iceberg.”  Blackington’s eyes shone as he said this.  Once again the brilliant blue rushed through them.  “But right now no more discussing.  It’s time to sleep.”  He looked at Irgen and Idus.  Idus you sleep in the silver bed, and Irgen you sleep in the red one.  I’m sorry…I can’t explain more.  Let’s get some sleep.”

As he said this, his clothes and armor suddenly glowed and changed into bright, canary yellow pajamas.  He hopped into one of the blue beds, like a young child jumping onto their parent’s bed on Christmas morning.  Irgen and Idus noticed that the other two’s clothes had changed as well, and they slowly turned to look at one another, and found that their fashionable clothes had changed into the same vibrantly annoying pajamas as well.  Except, although they did not do the young men’s sense of fashion justice, they did surround the boys with a pleasant comfort which the boys had never felt before.  It was as though the soft cloth-like substance of the clothes was intertwined with the very fiber of their being.  Overjoyed with this new feeling, they too scrambled towards their beds and before they could even ponder how the bed became so soft, they lost all conception of life and time and disappeared into the realm of sleep.

Chapter 13                  Chapter 15

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