Chapter 5
Wellington and I had just passed a large stone bust of some ancient Greek thinker on a wrought iron pedestal stand. I heard a slight clunking clang and suddenly the sound of Egg's scuffling little feet had turned into heavier footsteps. When I turned to check on Egg, he had grown significantly and was looking me in the eye from an even height. He averted his eyes and trilled sheepishly. Judging from his increased size, it appeared that Egg had somehow absorbed the priceless work of art and stand.
Wellington was resting his fingertips on his forehead. "I believe that was a bust of Zeus from Pompeii," he ended with a pained sigh.
"Bad Egg,” I said. Egg hung his head like a chastened dog and crept back to the spot where I had last seen the bust. A moment later the bust was back in it place sans pedestal but none the worse for wear. Egg was slightly smaller and looked pleased with himself. Now that could come in very useful I thought but I was going to have to train my little friend it seemed and the sooner the better. There was no telling what trouble he might cause if he tried to absorb the wrong item or person.
Wellington sighed in obvious relief, and continued, “This way, if you would, Sir."
I looked back over my shoulder at Egg as Wellington led us down the hallway. "Don't do that again," I hissed quietly at him. Turns out dragons can make puppy eyes better than I can.
"I believe we have time to meet one more person before dinner," Wellington said. The look on his face indicating he was keeping something to himself.
After a few seconds of walking we reached another set of double doors. This time the doors looked more like loading bay doors. They were clean and unmarred but noticeably of a utility design. Wellington opened the nearest door and held it for Egg and I.
We walked through the doorway, followed closely by Wellington, to find ourselves standing in a hybrid cross of a gym and a dojo. A bald muscular man in his late thirties or early forties was walking towards me. He was about my height but other than being in great shape, there was nothing that stood out about him. He didn't exude the power that the confusingly good-natured Smith did. As a matter of fact, he didn't exude anything.
"Declan Aingeal, I would like you to meet Coach," Wellington said formally.
I stuck out my hand as the man approached. "Coach,” I said in greeting as we clasped hands. I had a brief moment to notice the iron grip of the man in front of me before landing a few feet away flat on my back.
"He's not prepared for the unexpected, Wellington. That's an instinct. I can't teach instincts." The coach grumbled as he shook Wellington's hand in a far less martial greeting. I was still picking myself up off the floor when a sudden clang drew everyone's attention. Coach turned to come face to face with an annoyed dragon that had suddenly tripled in size.
'How are those instincts working out for you now, smartass?' I thought as I straightened my jacket and walked over to join the group with no further concern of the coach showing off or asserting dominance. Egg was still holding his prey at bay when I noticed a hook on the wall just inside the door. I walked calmly over to the hook knowing that Egg wasn't about to let the blow-hard take a single step in any direction. It took only a moment to remove my jacket and tie. My messenger bag was on the floor where I had landed. I wanted another shot at this guy and if my iPad was broken, he was in deep shit.
When I was a lot younger I had met an old man practicing T'ai Chi in the park by my house. I remembered how graceful and mysterious it had looked. I had spent a few minutes watching the man practice his forms each day for over a month as I made my way to school. Each day I had come a bit earlier to watch until I started arriving at the same time the old man did. Throughout the day and often while I was falling asleep at night, the movements would play over in my mind. Eventually I began acting out the forms in my room until the day came when I had the courage to follow the man through his practice.
Once, after getting my ass thoroughly kicked by a group of bullies, I missed a morning of practice. I was back the following day though, a bit stiff and worse for wear with a black eye and a split lip. The old man didn't say anything about my state. He did however start adding little movements at the end of every form. Sometimes it was a grab, sometimes a strike with elbow or a part of the hand. There were only two kicks and a couple of punches.
Eventually I learned that the man was a Master of T'ai Chi which I had always thought was just exercise for old people. I was wrong. I had become the protégé of a Grand Master. I continued to study under him for over eighteen years until he informed me one day that he was going home to die.
The day I went to say my goodbye was very formal and respectful in the small garden behind his small house. People were taking turns visiting him privately and sharing a small cup of tea while they said their goodbyes. I was given an incense burner, beautifully hand carved and noticeably ancient as my Master studied me over the rim of his teacup. "I have very much enjoyed teaching you Jiaozi." I had learned that his nickname for me was a Chinese term for rice dumpling, probably because I was small, white and chubby when we first met.
"I would like you to burn some incense now and then to remember me." I had a lump in my throat the size of a grapefruit but I would remain stoic out of respect for my Master. I only nodded in reply. "I would also like very much if you did not allow yourself to be beaten to a pulp ever again," he finished, in a slightly mocking but warm tone. I had been beaten up once only once, and in almost twenty years he had never let me forget it. I remember barking with spontaneous laughter which had pleased the Master greatly that day.
I turned back toward the men and dragon who were still standing where I had left them. I motioned for Egg to let the coach move freely. The only thing my Master had ever asked of me was to not let people beat me up. This bald smartass was about to get the surprise of his life. Hopefully Egg could keep his distance as I would prefer it if he didn’t eat the coach if this didn't go well. "Ok," I said, “why don't we try that again?"
The coach stepped forward with a hand outstretched. I had a feeling he was looking to humiliate me by pulling the same move on me twice. That or he was hoping to use it as a feint to hit me with something else. As I expected, Coach tried the same move with a slight variation of the timing. I slammed my fingertips into the inside of his elbow, quickly negating his move. I was prepared for the hand under my elbow and countered with a palm to the inside of my own elbow while following through with an elbow to his chin which connected with a solid thunk.
Coach staggered back and regained his stance. This time it was a more wary stance. I also notice that he wasn't in as much of a rush to engage as he had been. I'd shaken his cockiness. That was a start. He came at me again with a painting hand motion that I recognized as Kung Fu and knew was a ruse. I stepped inside the kick I knew was coming and slammed my shoulder into the center of his chest. It was Coach's turn to pick himself up off the ground. We were about to begin round three when Wellington clapped his hands twice in rapid succession.
"Best out of three I believe, gentleman," Wellington said with a chuckle.
Coach wiped his hands on his thighs and stepped forward with his hand outstretched once again, this time with a smile on his face. I took the coach's hand, still wary of any tricks, but this time he just shook it amiably. "It's a pleasure to meet you,” Coach said. “It's also quite unexpected to have someone in my care that isn't an untrained physical wreck." His smile was genuine enough. "Everyone calls me Coach and I guess that's mostly what I've been for a long time now but I'm also a trained chiropractor and yoga instructor." I almost laughed out loud as he finished speaking. I had just endured a tough sparing match with an evenly matched yoga instructor. Coach seemed to take the smile on my face as a good sign.
"You will be meeting regularly with Coach to maintain your physical fitness as well as your combat readiness," Wellington informed from behind me. "It is well that you two seem to be getting along.
We all turned at the sound of a clank to see a m
uch smaller Egg walking away from an intricate framework of pulleys and weights. My introduction to Coach had taught me to always be on my guard. It had also taught me that little dragons could put on a big show when necessary. I left Coach behind with a smile and went to retrieve my jacket and tie. I'd probably need another shower before I attended dinner or met anyone else. "We shall see you at dinner I suspect?" Wellington asked Coach.
"I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it for the world." Coach said in reply, as we reached the double doors to the training center.
Egg opened the doors for us and was wait in the hallway. I noticed my messenger bag hanging from his front arm as he didn't exactly have a shoulder to drape it over. "Hey thanks buddy,” I said with a smile. I had forgotten all about my bag.
I was starting to put two and two together and I had a strong feeling that Egg was telepathic. If he wasn't telepathic, he was the next closest thing. I was also beginning to think that something had happened to me when the 'mantle' was passed to me. I was noticing that various things I thought of were happening or being said just after I had thought about them.
"Would you like to freshen up and change clothing before you attend dinner?" Wellington said as we started retracing our steps down the hallway. There it was again!
"Wellington, there's more to this 'mantle’ that was passed to me than responsibility, isn't there?" I asked.
"Oh much more, although it can be different with each person," he said thoughtfully. "My own experience was mainly with the talents Romeo developed, but I have heard of others," he finished.
"I seem to be thinking of things just before they happen. Is that odd?" I asked.
"Precognition is definitely one of the traits for someone wearing the mantle, though sadly not one that was passed to Romeo," he added, regretfully. "The best advice I can give you is to stay alert and mindful of your situation at all times. We have staff here that will help you discover and train your talents. In the end though, just like the rest of us, you will have to wait and see what fate provides."
Ok, officially, precognition had a strong vote as the first talent to appear. I could only hope it worked while I was sleeping. Bel was still in the picture and I didn't know exactly what her feeding schedule was.
We had walked back past the Armory, past Wellington's office and were nearing the pool when we bumped into Belinde and Merrill walking in our direction. Merrill nodded at Wellington as they drew close and said, "We were just coming to meet up with the two of you, Sir." her crisp and efficient manner closely mirroring Wellingtons.
"That is very thoughtful of you, as always Merrill. I see you've taken the time to furnish Miss Dagmar with suitable attire for the evening," Wellington acknowledged with approval.
Suitable was a grossly inaccurate understatement. "You look absolutely stunning, my dear," Wellington said to Belinde in sincere compliment. Belinde was decked out in opulent white gown that was a melding of new-roman and mermaid styles in cut. Split in the center at mid thigh and tapering outward and down to just above the ankle it showed off her shapely legs. The full of folds and gathering accented her lush cleavage and narrow waistline. A pair of very stylish high heels added height. A matching pearl and silver bracelet, earrings and necklace completed the outfit. In total, the outfit had to be worth more than the car I had been hoping to afford one day.
"Bel, you look amazing!" I said with enthusiasm. I had been crushing on Bel for the better part of a year until the incident during the office party had put a serious cramp on any forward momentum. Belinde looked like a goddess in this gown and I, though capable of looking quite dapper in a suit, was sadly outclassed and I knew it.
Bel did a slight twirl to show off the rest of the dress. Unfortunately she looked just as good from behind. The open back of the dress was just as alluring as the front. The soft angle in which it scooped toward the small of her back boldly mimicked the cut of the front. I didn't stand a chance with Bel and there was no point in fooling myself. The funny thing was that if I did somehow manage to win her over, she might suck the life out of me while I slept.
Wellington lifted my messenger bag off my shoulder and opened the pool door for me. "Merrill, if you and Miss Dagmar would like to accompany me, I will take Miss Dagmar on a tour of the rooms she and Mr. Aingeal will be occupying." He cleared his throat slightly, which I was beginning to recognize as the sign of an upcoming etiquette lesson. He was holding my bag out in front of himself as if it was slightly offensive. "After I have deposited your quail bag in your quarters, I will return to escort you to dinner sir," Wellington finished.
"Thank you, Wellington,” I replied. I guess if the bag looked that much like a hunting bag, wearing it to a black tie affair might be inappropriate.
"You do remember your way to the showers?" Wellington asked me with a raised eyebrow. Egg trilled in confirmation from behind me only to have his helpfulness rewarded with a startled squeak from Belinde. My unflappable British guide was quick to calm Belinde with a slight 'shush' and hand motions. Merrill, on the other hand, just seemed curious.
"It's a lovely story that I'll be happy to share along the way," Wellington said with a smile as he caught my eye and nodded toward the showers. Egg nudged my buttocks from behind and I got the hint.
"I'll catch up soon,” I said with a wink to Belinde and stood to watch for a moment as Wellington linked arms with both women and led them down the hallway. "Well Egg, the sooner I get cleaned up, the sooner I can sneak another peek at Bel in that dress,” I said as the little dragon trilled up at me. I could have sworn that trill sounded like a wolf whistle. The little bugger was catching on fast.