THE BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS
Aurelthane’s Estate — Morning After the Wedding
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The Vorns descended the stairs together:
Sereth glowing, Elaris looking like he’d only just recovered from crying, Elyra humming as she tucked Tavian’s letter into her pocket, the three of them united by a warmth that hadn’t existed this strongly since Grayhollow.
They expected chaos.
Or groaning.
Or Borin vomiting into a bucket.
What they did not expect…
…was silence.
Complete, reverent silence.
Because every member of the Crimson Dice was standing frozen around the long banquet table in Aurelthane’s grand dining hall—
—and the table was groaning under the weight of enough food to feed an entire battalion.
Steaming platters of roast ham glistening with honey glaze.
Mountains of golden-cut potatoes, crisp as autumn leaves.
Stacks of fluffy pancakes dripping in butter.
Fresh berries piled into crystalline bowls.
Cloudlike piles of scrambled eggs.
Scones.
Breads.
Cheeses.
And at least three whole roasted boars.
Even the air smelled intoxicating — butter, herbs, sugar, magic.
The Vorns stopped at the base of the stairs.
Everyone else remained dead silent.
Because they were witnessing a crime.
A cosmic, dairy-based crime.
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Pancake, Destroyer of Milk
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Pancake lay directly beneath a keg bigger than he was, the tap opened fully above his open mouth.
GULP. GULP. GULP. GULP.
His belly was ballooning.
The milk inside the keg was not diminishing.
Arden rubbed her eyes.
Arden:
“…he’s… he’s siphoning the Essence of Milk itself…”
Garruk whispered reverently:
Garruk:
“He is bottomless.”
Vex tilted her head.
Vex:
“He’s going to explode.”
Laz:
“No. No, that’s the thing. He won’t.”
Kaer folded his arms.
Kaer:
“…Is anyone else scared?”
Borin:
“I fear nae beast nor man…
…but tha’ creature terrifies me.”
Elaris pinched the bridge of his nose.
Elaris:
“Pancake… please stop drinking the estate’s entire winter milk supply—”
Pancake closed his mouth.
For one second.
Then he opened it again.
GULP.
Sereth covered her smile with her hand.
Sereth:
“Let him have it. He saved our wedding.”
Elaris sighed.
Elaris:
“He saved your boots.”
Kaer:
“He saved your rings.”
Borin (offended):
“I saved the rings! I did!”
Everyone:
“No you didn’t.”
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The Dice Finally Speak
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Elyra stepped forward, staring at the mountain of food.
Elyra:
“…Who… the hells cooked all this?”
Vex raised a trembling finger at the table.
Vex:
“That is at least four days of labor.”
Kaer:
“Who wakes up this early?!”
Arden:
“This is divine intervention.”
Garruk sniffed the air deeply.
Garruk:
“…Smells like dwarven craftsmanship.”
Every head turned to Borin.
Borin:
“What? Nae! I just woke up!”
Laz checked the kitchen doorway.
Laz:
“There’s no one in the kitchen.”
Silence.
More silence.
Even Pancake paused mid-gulp.
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Aurelthane Appears
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A low chuckle rolled from behind the pillars.
Aurelthane stepped out in full ceremonial robes, silver hair tied back, sleeves rolled to the elbows like a man who had absolutely been cooking since dawn.
Aurelthane:
“Good morning, my friends.”
Everyone stared.
Sereth’s jaw dropped.
Elaris blinked.
Borin whispered like he was seeing a god:
Borin:
“…Aurelthane… cooked this?”
Aurelthane spread his arms.
Aurelthane:
“You fought armies. You endured curses and corruption.
You survived the greatest hangovers the realms have ever known.
And yesterday…
you gave the world a wedding worthy of legends.”
He smiled at Sereth. At Elaris. At Elyra.
Aurelthane:
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
“So today, let me do the simplest thing.
Feed you.”
Elyra actually teared up.
Sereth squeezed Elaris’s hand.
Pancake finally closed the milk tap, burped once with the force of a collapsing star, then waddled up to Aurelthane and sat at his feet like a loyal champion.
Aurelthane knelt.
Aurelthane:
“And yes, Pancake. There is bacon for you.”
Pancake:
“With joy, I rise.”
The entire Crimson Dice laughed — loudly, freely, wonderfully.
And together, at last…
They ate.
A feast for heroes.
A feast for family.
A feast before peace gave way to the storm.
The Crimson Dice slowly, cautiously began eating — as if speaking too loudly might shatter the miracle breakfast into smoke.
Aurelthane sat at the end of the table, sipping tea like he hadn’t just prepared enough food to feed the Northern Frontier.
Garruk gnawed an entire boar haunch like a celebratory bear.
Kaer—stoic, always—was delicately slicing strawberries with perfect precision.
Borin was weeping quietly into his eggs.
Borin:
“I’ve never tasted anything so perfect… m’beard feels blessed…”
Arden giggled behind her cup.
Vex, already on her third pastry:
“If this man ever becomes single, I’m proposing.”
Aurelthane choked slightly.
Sereth, cheeks flushed from laughter:
“Vex, he’s twice your age.”
Vex:
“So? I like maturity.”
Laz leaned back in his chair with a dramatic sigh.
Laz:
“I swear, this breakfast is going to ruin my entire perception of reality.”
Elaris smiled gently at Sereth.
Elaris (soft):
“This feels… peaceful.”
Sereth squeezed his hand.
Sereth:
“…Let’s enjoy it while we can.”
Across the table, Elyra shifted, her circlet glinting softly.
She kept reaching for something in her pocket — fingers brushing folded parchment.
Vex noticed and nudged her.
Vex:
“Is that a love letter?”
Elyra nearly knocked over her juice.
Elyra:
“What—NO—maybe.”
Kaer’s eyebrow lifted.
Garruk grinned.
“Oh? Elyra’s got a sweetheart?”
Elyra sank lower in her chair, mortified.
Sereth, smiling warmly:
“Sweetheart or not… you deserve happiness too, little hawk.”
Elyra’s cheeks went scarlet.
Pancake, perched on the table devouring bacon slices like a wood chipper, paused mid-chew.
Pancake:
“She got letter from boy. Tavian. Nice boy. Smells like fear and flowers.”
Everyone stopped.
Elyra smacked a hand to her face.
Elyra:
“…Pancake.”
Pancake continued chewing, unbothered.
Pancake:
“What? He smell nice.”
The table exploded into laughter.
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? ELYRA & TAVIAN’S LETTER
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After breakfast, Sereth and Elaris drifted away hand in hand, leaving Elyra a moment of peace.
She slipped outside into the sunlight by a small rose arch and finally unfolded the letter.
Her heart beat fast.
Tavian’s Letter
Hi Elyra.
I don’t know how to write fancy things.
I don’t know if heroes even read letters from people like me.
But last night…
you made me feel like I mattered.
Not because you’re beautiful—
(you are)
Not because you’re incredible—
(you really, really are)
But because you looked at me like I wasn’t small.
I hope one day I can be someone who stands beside you
not someone you have to protect.
Thank you for dancing with me.
Thank you for trusting me.
And…
if your legs ever give out again,
I’ll be there.
- Tavian
Elyra pressed the letter to her chest, breath shaky.
Her eyes shimmered.
Elyra (whisper):
“…Tavian…”
A small furry head poked around the rosebush.
Pancake:
“You making weird human happy sounds?”
She laughed through tears.
“Pancake—come here.”
He waddled over, donut crumbs trailing behind him.
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? PANCAKE’S DREAM-MEMORY
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Elyra knelt, wiping her eyes.
Elyra:
“Pancake… what you said earlier… about me mattering…
you really mean it?”
Pancake nodded vigorously.
Pancake:
“Pancake protect Elyra. Always.”
She smiled, brushing his ear.
Elyra:
“Where did you come from, anyway? You said once you don’t know…”
Pancake blinked slowly — then frowned.
Pancake:
“Elyra… Pancake had dream last night.”
Elyra’s breath caught.
“…A dream?”
Pancake:
“Yes yes. Dream. Or memory. Pancake not sure.”
He tapped his head with a paw.
Pancake:
“Nice lady. Very nice. She feed Pancake bacon. Eggs. Cheese. Lots cheese.”
He closed his eyes like he could still taste it.
Elyra stroked his head, voice soft.
“And then?”
Pancake’s ears flattened.
Pancake:
“Then… fire. Bad fire. Everything red.”
His voice got tiny.
“Nice lady hurt.”
Elyra froze.
Pancake swallowed.
Pancake:
“Lady say: ‘Find Elyra. Stay with Elyra. Protect her.’
So Pancake go.
Then Pancake wake up in forest.”
Elyra’s heart hammered.
This wasn’t just a dream.
It felt real.
Like something older than Pancake’s cheerful nonsense.
Like a thread pulling through fate.
She whispered:
Elyra:
“…Who was she, Pancake?”
Pancake shrugged and grabbed another donut.
Pancake:
“Don’t know. But she smell like moonlight and flowers.”
Elyra’s blood ran cold.
Moonlight.
Flowers.
Her mother.
Her birth mother.
But before Elyra could speak—
Pancake looked up, donut in his mouth.
Pancake:
“Pancake think she love you very much.
That’s why she send Pancake.”
Elyra choked on a breath, tears welling instantly.
She pulled Pancake into her lap, hugging him tight.
Elyra (whispering):
“…Thank you.”
Pancake hugged her back with tiny paws.
Pancake:
“Always.
ELARIS & SERETH — THE QUIET AFTERMATH
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The sun through the manor windows was warm and gold, dust motes drifting lazily as if trying their best to pretend that reality was simple.
It wasn’t.
Not anymore.
Elaris and Sereth sat together on the small balcony outside their room, wrapped in the soft morning breeze. He held her hand. She held his. Neither spoke at first.
They were still shaken from the vision — from seeing Azhareth, from hearing the truth he could not say aloud.
Sereth finally broke the silence.
Sereth (voice quiet, shaken but steady):
“That… was a lot.”
Elaris huffed a laugh — thin and nervous.
Elaris:
“We were just… having breakfast. I thought the biggest problem of the morning would be Pancake drowning himself in milk.”
Sereth leaned into his shoulder, breath soft.
Sereth:
“Elaris… what does it mean?
A dragon hiding truth from a queen?
A lattice bearing another shape?
Someone warning us from inside a memory?”
Elaris rubbed his thumb across her knuckles — a comforting, grounding gesture.
Elaris:
“It means the world is shifting.”
A beat.
“And that Azhareth… despite everything, might care more than he’s allowed to admit.”
Sereth tilted her face up to him.
Sereth (gentle but firm):
“And what does it mean for us?”
He froze slightly.
Because yes — they had to talk about that too.
Elaris (awkward, voice cracking slightly):
“Right, yes. Us. The baby. Preg— the— yes.”
Sereth tried not to laugh at how red his ears were turning.
Sereth:
“Elaris… breathe.”
He inhaled sharply.
Elaris:
“I’ve faced death, devils, mirrorborn, Banshees, and my mother… but somehow this is the most terrifying thing that’s ever happened to me.”
She cupped his cheek.
Sereth (soft):
“I’m scared too.”
He blinked, surprised.
She nodded.
Sereth:
“I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know what kind of mother I’ll be. I don’t know how this will change everything. But—”
She placed his hand gently on her stomach.
The smallest, faintest flutter thumped against his palm.
Sereth’s voice trembled.
Sereth:
“—but I want this. I want our family.
And I want you beside me in every step… even the scary ones.”
Elaris didn’t speak.
He couldn’t.
Tears hit his lashes before he even felt them forming.
He drew her into a gentle kiss, forehead resting against hers.
Elaris (whispering into her hair):
“I never thought I’d have this.
You. Elyra. A child.
A family.”
Sereth:
“You deserve it more than anyone.”
He sighed, shaky.
Elaris:
“Then gods help me… I’ll protect you both until my bones turn to dust.”
She leaned into him, heart full.
For a moment, nothing existed except them, their small miracle, and the dawn.
Then—
A hesitant knock on the balcony door.
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? II. ELYRA TELLS THEM THE TRUTH
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Elyra stood in the doorway, hands clasped tightly in front of her.
Her circlet glimmered faintly in the light.
Elyra (small voice):
“Mam? Dad?
Can I… talk to you?”
They turned, instantly attentive.
Sereth’s motherly senses immediately sharpened.
Sereth:
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?
Did something—”
Elyra shook her head quickly.
Elyra:
“No no—nothing bad. I just…
Pancake told me something.”
Elaris exhaled knowingly.
Elaris:
“Oh gods. What did he eat this time?”
Elyra actually laughed—but her voice trembled around the edges.
Elyra:
“Not… food.
He remembered something.”
Elaris sat up straighter.
Sereth’s eyes sharpened.
Elyra stepped forward, kneeling between them so her voice stayed private, intimate.
Elyra:
“He said… he had a dream last night.
Except it wasn’t a dream.
It felt like a memory.”
Elaris’s jaw clenched.
Elyra swallowed.
Elyra:
“He said… a woman—
a nice woman—
fed him bacon and eggs and cheese.
A woman who smelled like moonlight.
And flowers.”
Sereth sucked in a breath.
Elaris froze.
Elyra continued, voice barely above a whisper:
Elyra:
“He said… there was fire.
A bad fire.
And she was hurt.”
Her eyes glistened.
Elyra:
“And before she—
before something happened to her—
she told Pancake…
to find me.
To stay with me.
To protect me.”
Sereth covered her mouth, eyes filling.
Elaris reached for Elyra’s hand.
Elaris (gentle, breaking):
“Elyra…”
Elyra shook her head, tears spilling freely.
Elyra:
“I think it was her.
My mother.
My birth mother.”
Sereth wrapped her arms around Elyra immediately, pulling her into her chest.
Sereth (soft, fierce):
“Oh, little hawk…”
Elaris leaned in, touching his forehead to Elyra’s hair.
Elaris:
“She loved you. More than anything.
And she didn’t leave you alone.”
He swallowed hard, voice thick.
“She sent you Pancake.”
Pancake, who had been quietly nibbling a crumb at the doorway, perked up:
Pancake:
“Yes. I am gift.”
Elyra let out a wet laugh.
Sereth kissed the top of her daughter’s head.
Sereth:
“You have two mothers now, Elyra.
One who gave you life…
and one who will spend the rest of hers loving you.”
Elyra nodded shakily into her.
Elaris wrapped both of them in his arms.
The new Vorn family—
battered, exhausted,
still glowing from a wedding and shaken from revelations—
held each other close with a tenderness no enemy could break.
And above them…
Pancake hopped onto the balcony railing and whispered to himself:
Pancake:
“Nice lady said Pancake never leave Elyra.
Pancake keeps promise.”
