Chapter 30: Chapter 30
Colter
New York City
His Ecanus powers had helped him immensely in his first day of work, his skills and strengths made him easily react to the orders of the bar’s patrons. His non-human anatomy made the bar’s productivity rise twice the usual. He carried a large number of orders and was able to set them before the customer’s got impatient.
Colter’s quickness, capability of focusing his essence into boosting his body and his overall looks took the hearts of many customers. There were more than usual at Burn’s today, and it was all because of him.
Tessa was shooting him dirty glances at the additional work they had to face, while Vida tried to apologetically make up for the increase in their workload.
Even the gossip of a hot, sexy, young and handsome waiter starting his job at Burn’s made an impact as there were more patrons than usual. Vida and Tessa had to deal with less lecherous drunks while at the same time had to endure the words these new people said to the prince who was merely doing his job.
“Oh, hey sweetheart” a mature woman called Colter, being the good waiter that he was, the prince approached the customer. “I’m a bit dazed by this menu of yours, what would you recommend?”
Colter gave her a bright smile and answered quickly “I would suggest the crab rangoons with a pint of our specialty, apple glaze beer.”
The mature women smirked at Colter’s polite response and hurriedly forced folded bills of money into his arms. “You’re such a gorgeous person, sweetie. I’m sure to come to this place everyday just to see you. Also, I’d like to order what you just recommended.”
Colter nodded again, his smile never fading: “Your will be done, madam.” With a huff, he hurried off to the counter and relayed the orders to management.
Vida
Burn’s Bar, New York City
“You bitch!” Vida thought viciously as the older women tried to flirt with Colter. She had been spying on them from a distance, keeping her emotions in check as they grabbed at him and smiled.
Other tables wouldn’t even take orders from her or Tessa, they wanted Colter to serve them which slightly irked Vida. It was not even a hint of jealousy because the customers preferred the new waiter, it was a sense of protectiveness.
She had noticed how innocent and kind Colter was to these lecherous people and she did not want them to pollute him.
But unless it went into dire straits, Vida is not able to do anything. Until Colter himself becomes annoyed at the treatment, she would not be able to interfere. In her heart, jealousy welled because she had wanted that kind of treatment only for hers. In a split second, she had even hated Tessa because she put him up to this job.
Pushing these evil thoughts downward, Vida focused on her customer’s orders while also keeping an eye on Colter who was in high demand.
Colter
New York City
“Darling, call me” a customer had told Colter as he took their bill, she pulled out a pen and scribbled digits in a piece of paper and handed it to Colter. “I would love to take you out one time.”
Thinking it was part of the job, Colter beamed at the customer and agreed. Much to Vida’s chagrin who was watching nearby.
As this last customer left the bar, Colter sighed in relief at having survived an onslaught of people. His body was not tired because his powers allowed him to run to and fro from one order to another, but his mind was slightly strained at how flirtatious the people were to him.
After cleaning up the last of the tables, Tessa announced that she was leaving after receiving a phone call.
“Always use protection, okay?” She teased Vida and Colter as he walked out the door.
In his mind, he thought of a set of armor and a shield when Tessa had said ‘protection’ but upon noticing Vida blushing furiously, he was wrong.
“Not bad, hotshot” Peter told him as he and Vida approached the counter where he stayed. “That was more than twice the usual customers. They loved you!”
Vida rolled her eyes at this but Colter only grinned at Peter’s comments.
“I was only doing what was expected of me.”
“Your payments will be released at the end of the week, as always. So, it’s time for you guys to take off and rest” Peter said kindly, shooing them from the bar.
Colter followed Vida as she stepped out into bustling New York City. In a way, she was pouting but he did not know of the reason.
“Are you okay...?” Colter asked Vida innocently and was met with a dismissive exhale.
“Vida…?” Colter followed up and she only motioned for him to follow.
“Come on then, Colter. We might miss the bus.” Vida said with a frown not meeting his eyes as they walked.
“Alright, I will follow you, if that’s okay.” The prince of Howard replied to the woman who was slightly annoyed at what happened.
“Oh no!” Vida said childishly, “Why don’t you follow that woman who pulled out a pen from her breasts and wrote a number for you to call!”
Dumbfounded and not knowing what was going on, Colter could only utter: “What?”
Vida groaned at his innocence and continued walking while saying, “You heard me, she was so into you why don’t YOU go live with her!”
Panic built up in Colter’s brain as he realized that Vida was obviously mad at him, “I’m sorry? I don’t remember her asking to live with me.”
They reached a bus stop and Vida turned to look at him with her amber eyes burning with jealousy and anger, but Colter did not realize “I said, WHY DON’T YOU FOLLOW HER AND JUST LIVE WITH HER”
Colter finally realizing what was going on let out a slight chuckle that made Vida blush, “Well, as interesting as that would be, she would have to go through you first, no?”
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King Malik
Kingdom of Howard, Unknown
It was utter chaos. The missing prince had sent the Kingdom of Howard into utmost misery, his son was missing and this was the same son who the common people loved so much. Guards that he had ordered were patrolling nonstop, trying to find a hint about where he might have gone.
The strain of this led King Malik into slight insanity. The people were living in unrest as it was only Colter who had taken the time to talk to the peasants and learn about their plights. A champion of the commonfolk as they called him.
The hushed whispers of him crossing the forbidden portal had strengthened, it was in the king’s suspicions but he had not realized that Colter would be this chaotic. Yet the thought of the younger prince violating rules and talking to Samuel the sinner in Tralfagar all but confirmed his fears.
Lowering his pride, he had tried to reach out to his missing son via telekinesis but only got silence in response. His wife, Regina, had started to turn against him at what had transpired. She was always protective of her brood, no matter what they did.
As he entered the domain of the Deity Flora, King Malik could only hope against hope itself that Colter had not done the worst sin an Ecanus could make.
“You have come at an opportune moment, King Malik.” Deity Flora told him calmly, not turning away from a floating crystal that she was focusing on.
Days ago, she had cast a spell that would try to spawn visions of a missing person and Malik had made this request in order to find his missing son.
“Today marks the third day of the spell and thus we should have results” Flora continued, trying to ease the king’s fears and paranoia.
“Show me…” the oracle muttered and the crystal, as if having a mind of its own flew towards a mirror that Flora had nearby. It merged into it and gave off a strange glow. They both stared into it as images that started off blurry started to clear.
“Colter!” The king whispered in relief as he saw the figure of his son in the mirror, he noticed that he was wearing a different outfit. It was not what ordinary people of the kingdom wore. It was not even an outfit that royalty wore. Colter stood in an alien place, an area where there were only stone paths and houses made of steel. In a split second, it was as if Colter stared into them before the mirror went block and showed them only their own reflections.
Deity Flora turned to the king, the emotions in her face unreadable as she spoke: “It seems the gossip was correct, King Malik. Prince Colter the Roaring Inferno has crossed into the forbidden portal and into a new world.”
King Malik’s fists shook, fear also almost overcame him as he processed what was going on. Yet, even in this distraught, he could not find the heart to blame himself for what Colter had done. He only focused on the fact that Colter had become so disobedient to the point that he would disobey and do the gravest of sins that an Ecanus could do.
“Tell me, Oracle…” King Malik started shakily, “What is going to happen next?”
But the Deity Flora only shook her head and wrung her hands in defeat, “I fear that I am not able to tell you what is going to happen next, King Malik.”