by Logan Jacobs
“We fell asleep,” I said. “Fixing the bell.”
“Oh, thank the Ancients,” the count exhaled as he gripped onto his chest. “It’s fixed and working?”
“There was nothing wrong with it in the first place,” I said as I stretched my arms and cracked my neck. The stone seats may have been more comfortable, but my bed of hay was much better to sleep on.
“I’m gonna get ready for the day,” Cimarra said as she stood up with a stretch of her own. “What time is it, Kieran?”
“What do you mean there wasn’t anything wrong with it?” The count’s cheeks jiggled as he looked at Cimarra. “You saw the issue didn’t you?”
“Wade figured it out,” Cimarra explained. “Now, what time is it, do you know? I need to make sure I’m ready for the billboard installers.”
“Fine, fine, it’s uh,” the count tilted to the side, reached into his coat, and pulled out his pocket watch. “It’s half-past nine in the morning.”
“Alright, I gotta get changed,” Cimarra squeezed my shoulder as she stepped past me and into the center aisle. “Find me before you leave to talk with Rindell.”
“I will.” I nodded and then looked back at the count.
“Sooo?” the count cocked his eyebrow. “What was the issue with the bell?”
“You don’t have to worry about that, Kieran,” I said as I stood up and tried to work out a kink in my neck. “You only need to think about the show tomorrow. Cimarra and I are handling the rest. Plus, we’ll meet tomorrow before the show.”
“I still think I’m entitled to know what exactly is happening around here, especially if our alert system is broken,” the count huffed. “You treat me as if this isn’t my theatre.”
“Okay,” I said with a smirk. “Now, have you forgotten about the pain you were in only a few days ago in your office?”
“Uh, well,” the count stammered. “Wade, I only want to make sure--”
“Well, stop it,” I cut the chubby entertainer off. “Focus on the show and let me and Cimarra do what we do best.”
“Fine, I’m sorry,” the count cleared his throat as he blinked multiple times. “I’m just nervous.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” I said as I clapped him on the shoulder. “Just focus on your performers, make sure they're ready, and open up your pocket to collect the coin we are going to make together, okay?”
“Okay, Wade.” The count nodded. “I’m just so used to having my hands in everything around here.”
“But now you are going to focus on the part you do best and make more money. Got it?”
“Yes. Yes. Of course. Thank you.” The count pulled at his cape collar and gave me a slight smile. “It is far better this way. As long as we don’t anger the elves.”
“When is your final rehearsal for the show?” I asked to try to get his attention on what he’s actually still alive for.
“It’s later this evening,” the count replied with a confident nod.
“Then your job today is to make sure that goes perfectly,” I said. “Cimarra and I will take care of anything else, got it?”
“Got it,” the count agreed.
“Now, I’ve got to go handle something for us,” I said as I extended my hand toward the count. “Everything will be okay.”
“Alright,” the count said as he shook my hand, and I watched him walk toward the auditorium’s exit.
That man was a ball of stress, and I didn’t have time to keep reassuring him everything was going to work out. The reality was, I had no fucking clue how tomorrow’s re-launch was going to go, but I’ve learned that overthinking about something I can’t control will only cause me more unwanted thoughts.
I had too many thoughts as it was to try to stuff in the count’s unwanted ones in my brain, too.
“I’ll check in on your rehearsal later,” I said as I waved, left the seating area, and walked into the front lobby. Now, I had to find Dar and Penny so we could go track down Rindell.
So, I walked through the lobby and to the side door that led to the main backstage hallway. Once I was in the hall, I walked toward the very back of the theatre and then stepped outside into the muggy morning air.
Instead of walking toward the stables, I saw both Dar and Penny already heading toward me.
“We were just about to come looking for you,” Dar said as he squinted up at me.
“Were you, uh, working on the bell all night?” Penny asked, and I could tell her question carried another question within it. That hidden question was most likely about Cimarra.
“I bet he was,” Dar giggled as he stopped right in front of me.
“Shut it, ya ass hat.” Penny smacked the halfling’s shoulder.
“It was an easy fix,” I sighed. “Then I fell asleep in one of the seats in the auditorium. My neck is fucking killing me.”
“We need to go chat with Rindell, but before we do that, Cimarra wanted me to let her know when we are leaving.”
“Got it,” Dar said as he followed me.
“I think she’s out front,” Penny said and stopped me mid-step. “Didn’t she want to oversee the billboard?”
“Yeah,” I replied.
“Well, the billboard team is here,” Penny said as she pointed down the side alley.
I looked to where she pointed, saw multiple wagons parked in the alley, and a mix of halflings and humans unloading their tools.
“Alright,” I began. “Let’s see if she’s over there.”
“Why do we even need to find her first?” Dar asked.
“Not sure.” I shrugged. “She just wanted me to let her know before we left. She may have a few questions in mind for Rindell that she wants us to ask.”
“I can’t believe we are going to be working with that crazy bitch,” Penny sighed as we wall walked through the alley and toward the workers.
“She didn’t really give us a choice,” Dar added.
“But we can actually turn this whole situation into a positive and more importantly--” I started.
“More coin?” Dar cut me off and grinned.
“Exactly!” I agreed just as we walked to the front of the theatre where all the wagons were.
“There she is,” Penny gestured toward the ticket booth.
So, we walked through the workers, made our way to Cimarra, and stepped right next to the manager of the billboard company. I knew he was the manager since his shirt had his title stenciled on it. Certain halflings loved to boast if there was anything worthy to brag about.
“I was thinking right here,” Cimarra said as she pointed to the ground.
“No, no, no,” the halfling manager shook his head full of white curly hair. Then he pulled a pencil out from behind his ear, tapped the lead tip on his tongue, and opened up a small notebook that he kept in his pants pocket. “I’ll draw something up for ya, human.”
“How long will that take?” Cimarra asked as she glanced over to me as we stood next to the manager.
“Not long, not long,” the halfling said as he eyed me next to him and then turned and walked back toward his crew.
“Everything okay with the billboard?” I asked.
“There was a miscommunication,” Cimarra sighed. “But it shouldn’t be a major issue. I just want the billboard to be up for most of today, so people can see it.”
“How long are we leaving it up for?” Dar asked.
“Probably the first month or so,” Cimarra replied. “Either way, it should be fine. Are you guys headed out to meet with Rindell?”
“We are,” I answered. “You have any questions you want us to ask her?”
“Yeah, that’s actually why I wanted to talk with you all before you left,” Cimarra said.
“That’s what I figured,” I replied.
“I just want her to know that we’ll pay her girls in room and board, for now,” Cimarra said as she tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. “If that’s not okay with her, then we’d have to think of another soluti
on for our servers.”
“I think she’ll be okay with that,” I said.
“You’ll also have to explain exactly what they’ll be serving,” Penny said as she cocked an eyebrow at me.
“I know.” I nodded. “I’ll make sure she understands the severity.”
“How?” Dar asked.
“She already knows something is up with our crew, so I don’t think she’ll be stunned with the news or afraid to continue our working relationship,” I cleared my throat. “I’ll handle the Madame. Anything else you want us to address, Cim?”
“Cim?” Penny questioned.
“That’s Wade’s new nickname for me.” Cimarra smirked toward the pixie. “Not a fan?”
“Yeah, not a fan, Pen?” Dar nudged the red-head with his elbow.
“Don’t try me,” Penny groaned as she rolled her eyes at Dar. “And no, I wouldn’t say I’m not a fan, I was just wondering. Is all.”
“Okay, well, if you don’t have anything else you want us to chat with the Madame about, then we’re gonna track her down.” I steered the conversation away from the awkward wall it was heading toward.
“I don’t have anything else,” Cimarra replied. “I’ll be here with the billboard crew when you get back.”
“Sounds good,” I said. “We’ll see you soon.”
“Yeah, Cim!” Dar shouted as if he were practicing his stage voice for the show tomorrow.
“Funny,” Cimarra rolled her eyes. “If you really want--”
“Human!” the halfling manager called at her from his wagon. “We’re ready to break ground over here.”
“Hold on, lemme see what you drew up,” Cimarra demanded as she held her finger up and then looked back to me. “Good luck with Rindell.”
“We’ll need it,” Penny muttered as we continued down the road and walked toward the gallows on the end of the street.
The shadows of the executed “criminals” stretched along the road, and people tried to ignore the sight as they passed by. But just how the elves intended, it was impossible to ignore.
“How much you wanna bet Rindell tries to hire Penny within the first minute?” Dar asked as soon as we approached the execution platforms.
“That’s not even a fair bet,” I chuckled. “She’ll ask as soon as she sees her.”
“Ah, fuck,” Penny snickered as she shook her head. “I don’t know why she likes me so much. Sandy old bitch.”
“You are beautiful. How could she not?” I asked as I saw the pixie blush.
“Yeah, how could the queen of whores not like you?” Dar belly laughed.
“Fuck you.” Penny punched the halfling in the arm.
“Yeah,” Dar snorted. “That’s what she wants to hire ya to do. Fuck everyone.”
“I’ll fuck ya in the asshole with my dagger if you make a fucking peep about it again,” Penny growled. “Just fucking try me, why don’t ya?”
“Awww, Wade,” my friend chuckled as he elbowed me. “Penny is being all mean to me. Doesn’t she look cute when she’s mean?”
Our banter distracted us as we walked past the wooden gallows and continued down the road toward the Halfling District. There weren’t too many people out on the streets, only a few shop stall owners trying to bargain with us as we passed them by.
“Do you know where she’ll even be?” Penny asked as we neared Guilder Street.
“She’ll be at her hall,” I replied.
“Wasn’t it burnt down in the battle?” Penny questioned.
“It was.” I nodded. “But I don’t know the extent of the damage. Either way, she and the girls have nowhere else to go right now.”
“Nowhere but the streets,” Dar added.
“Exactly,” I said. “Not everyone has a place to call home in this realm. It’s a sad truth that I wish I could change.”
“What if you were king?” Dar asked as he squinted at me.
“If I was king of what?” I asked as I dodged a few halfling kids running by us. “Of the streets?”
“Bigger than that?” Dar chuckled. “The realm.”
“First of all, did you forget that I’m human?” I smirked at my imaginative friend.
“That’s part of the fun,” Dar offered as he pulled out his pipe. “You never dreamt about being king?”
“No,” I shook my head. “I don’t think I’d fit in with the royal crowd.” That wasn’t exactly the truth. When the keys asked what I wanted, I told them I wanted to be a king, but I didn’t mean a king like the elves with a crown and a scepter and all the symbols of power.
I wanted real power, not symbols.
“Fuck royalty,” Penny spat. “But, if there had to be a king, I think you’d make a great one, as long as you made Dar your jester.”
“And you, the concubine?” Dar flipped off Penny. “I’m serious, though, enlighten me, what would you do King Wade?”
“Hmm?” I furrowed my brow.
“Use that imagination of yours,” Dar said as he lit the pipe between his lips. “You're the brains of this operation. What would you do?”
“Well, I’d make all the races equal standing in society,” I said as we turned the corner and started to walk down the familiar Guilder Street. “Not one kind would be better than the other.”
“That’s it?” Dar scoffed and then pretended to snore. “Boring.”
“Hey,” Penny’s tone caught Dar and me off guard. “This is Ava’s guild, right?”
As we walked down Guilder Street, all the different kinds of Halfling Guilds lined both sides of the road, and each building looked specific to the guild it represented. The Murderer’s Guild had a skull and crossbones emblem painted on the side of the black stone building, and their neighbor, our potential enemies, the Assassin’s Guild, had a skull with a blade through its head.
“Yeah, it is,” I muttered as I eyed the building as if they were about to launch an attack on us. “I have a feeling we’ll be dealing with them soon.”
I wondered where Ava was and how she was coming along with convincing the guild leader that we were innocent.
“I hope not,” Penny breathed. “If they all fight like Ava, we’ll have our hands full.”
“But, at least we have Ava,” Dar remarked.
“Do we?” Penny asked and glanced at me. “Do we really, though?”
“You don’t trust her?” Dar questioned. “Even after … the … you know?”
“Not yet,” Penny said.
“She’s with us, Penny,” I confirmed. “She’s done too much to betray us now.”
“I hope so,” Penny sniffed as we walked past the Assassin’s Guild, and continued down the road for a few minutes.
“I’d make the halfling culture the only culture anyone could practice,” Dar blurted and broke the silence between us.
“And we’re back to pretending we’re kings?” Penny smirked. “You’d be such an asshole.”
“No,” Dar scoffed. “I’d be a better and nicer version of an elf.”
“Well, here’s to hoping you’re never king,” Penny pretended to toast Dar with an invisible glass.
Then we continued the rest of our walk down Guilder Street in silence, passed our old home where Selius waited for news on Hebal, and then saw Rindell’s dancehall ruins just ahead.
“You were right,” Penny eyed me from the side. “She’s where you thought she’d be.”
As we approached the ruined hall, I could see and hear Rindell ordering around her girls.
“If we’re going to rebuild, we need this cleaned up as soon as possible, ladies!” Rindell clapped her hands and dabbed her forehead with an extravagant gold lace handkerchief. She no longer wore the long black dress she had on yesterday, but a bright pink dress with a matching pink hat made from feathers.
“Madame!” I shouted from about fifty yards away.
“Oh, look girls!” Rindell turned and waved toward us with her handkerchief. “Has our savior come to collect his little doves?”
“Shit,
” Penny muttered. “I want to go back to the theatre.”
“A little too late for that,” Dar retorted.
“And look who you brought with you this time,” Madame grinned wide and pretended like she was going to faint.
“I didn’t know you liked me that much,” Dar chuckled as we stopped just in front of the rubble.
“Ain’t you funny, darlin’,” Rindell said as she held her dainty hand out for me to take, and help her off the long wooden beam she stood on. “Girls!”
“We actually have come to collect you,” I said as I took her hand and walked her down the beam until she stepped onto the street.
“I’m actually quite surprised by your fervor, Wade,” Madame said as she moved away from me and then took Penny’s hand. “Looks like we’ll be working together sooner rather than later, dear.”
“I always knew the day would come,” Penny said as she slid her hand out of Rindell’s.
“My speciality is making people come,” the madam snickered.
“I’m gonna vomit all over ya, if you don’t shut up,” Penny groaned.
“Girls!” Rindell shouted again toward the five women trying to make their way to the street. Each one of them was still in their ridiculous costumes.
“I’m so sorry about their laziness,” the madam admitted as she turned back to me.
“Listen,” I breathed as I reached for Rindell’s hand and guided her closer to me. “Is it okay if you and I talk business really quick?”
“Oh?” Rindell’s gray eyes glistened. “What else is there to discuss right now?”
“An offer and some things your girls need to know,” I nodded toward Rindell’s flock of doves as they struggled through the debris. “I don’t want them to hear it from me, but from you since you are still their ‘mama bird.’”
“Ah …” Rindell eyed me as she nodded. “An offer? Alright then, let’s take a little morning stroll. Just the two of us.”
“Perfect.” I nodded. “Penny and Dar can take the girls to the coffee shop down the street.”
“We can?” Penny grimaced.
“Fuck yeah, we can!” Dar’s eyes grew hungrier as one of the girls' breasts popped out of her costume as she climbed over a fallen wooden beam.
“For the love of the Ancients!” Rindell pointed toward the girl with the exposed breast. “Miss Coco, please stuff your tit back into your gown. No one in the street is paying you for a show!”