Page 104 of Distinctly Daray
“Why is every meal like this?” Ducarius muttered.
“Because once sentinels learn something, they repeat it constantly,” Victor responded to the aggrieved Skeleton Lord.
“Victor, you haven’t been mated that long. How are you already full of complaints?” Arvandus asked.
Victor’s lips curved. “Oh, trust me, that wasn’t a complaint. I happen to like everything Phillip insists on repeating.”
“Great, now even Victor is discussing s-e-x at the table,” Ducarius remarked.
“At least he’s not going into graphic detail or spelling,” Chander retorted. “Someone pass me the dressing so I can drown out the taste of all these vegetables.”
Three sentinels scrambled to thrust the same bottle of dressing at the Arch Lich and nearly upended the thing. Frowning at their overzealousness, Chander thanked them and took the bottle. He poured a grotesque amount of the stuff over the poor vegetables. The excess grossed Victor out, and he was glad he didn’t have to eat it that way.
“Quick question,” Keegan said.
“If it is about s-e-x, can you please wait to ask it until after I have left the table?” Ducarius asked. “I would like to eat my meal in peace.”
“It’s not about s-e-x,” Keegan replied. “Someone brought up the annual retreat this afternoon. I know the sentinels and fallen knights share the retreat, but it occurred to me I’m not sure which race I’d register under.”
“I would like to put it on record again that I hate the spelling thing,” Vellerynd stated.
“But you spelled too,” Baxter pointed out.
“Because I hoped it would annoy you the way it does me,” Vellerynd replied.
“I think he’s immune to being annoyed,” Benton said. “Fate had no other choice, otherwise he’d constantly be annoying himself.”
“Good point, I will remember that for the future,” Vellerynd remarked. “Sorry, I did not mean to divert everyone from your question, Keegan. Does he register for the retreat through the fallen knights or the sentinels?”
“You are a Cinder Lord, so I believe you would register through the Sentinel Brotherhood,” Alaric commented. “But I will talk to Drystan and Conley to make sure they don’t have other plans. I know they’d prefer you to be involved with yourown race in addition to the sentinels. Thankfully, you can attend whatever you wish at the retreat and be surrounded by both fallen knights and sentinels.”
“Great, thanks, Alaric,” Keegan said. “I’m looking forward to it; it sounds like a lot of fun.”
“Oh, it is,” Arvandus assured him.
“You should hope you can register with us,” Albrecht stated. “It is far faster to get through the line as a sentinel than as a fallen knight.”
“That is true,” Ducarius commented. “Their line is more party than efficiency.”
“It’s a retreat celebrating our people,” Samson said. “It’s supposed to be fun.”
“Sentinels do not find a disorganized line fun,” Albrecht retorted. “We enjoy ourselves after we have our room keys and schedule.”
“Will we all have rooms next to each other?” Keegan asked.
“No, the Darays have an entire floor to ourselves,” Victor explained. “The hotel is designed for massive Council families, so we share a suite.”
“That is wonderful news,” Phillip said. “I assume it is a vacation for you too, Sparkles?”
Victor smiled. “Yep, I spend most of it with Evergreen. He must work sometimes, but mostly we pamper ourselves while sentinels and fallen knights go to the workshops and classes. At night, we’ve attended the fun stuff. This year will be the best one yet because I get to spend it with you and Keegan.”
Baxter snapped his fingers and earned a glare from Chander. “I just thought of something.”
“Did it hurt?” Arvandus asked.
“Not as bad as being a fallen knight living with the knowledge that you used to be a far superior sentinel,” Baxter retorted.
“Gentlemen, fallen knights and sentinels are equal,” Victor stated firmly.
