by Han Yang
She patted my shoulder then walked away. I watched her go, listening to the mix of a distant piano and the scream of a muffled man crying out from his wounds.
“How about I go have some fun,” I said to myself, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders.
12
Snagglewood Day 10
Laro
The dealer flung my second card onto my section of the table.
The night was young, the townspeople were all awake, and every single business was so crowded I couldn’t find a seat at a table. So, I had created one in the brothel. I ended up playing cards with the girls and guys who could have a client pull them away at any moment.
The company was nice, the conversation lighthearted, and the best part was that everyone was in extremely casual clothing. Some of the girls had really big personalities, the kind a man could get lost in.
We played for the lowest value coins Snagglewood had – chips. I provided all the initial coins, so it was mostly a fun game. The chips only amounted to about ten for a foot rub, so no one minded losing.
Besides a case where one of the girls had been crying about a lost loved one, spirits were high. Clients came in, swooped a guy or gal upstairs, then left fifteen minutes later.
For whatever reason, the girl the Madame had sent home continued to pull on my heart strings. It turned out she started serving drinks after her father had disowned her, and that man was the mayor.
Little things like that left me confused with how to handle others. Clearly, I struggled to make everyone happy with my emotionless long-term thinking.
“You’re up, Theo,” Terrance said.
Texas hold’em wasn’t invented yet, but not everything in the Reincarnation Trial was one hundred percent accurate to the time period. Monsters, for example. I found myself playing hold’em. In this case, I had a seven-deuce, giving Terrance my cards back instead of calling the ante.
The door chimed, and Mari entered, struggling with a big bowl of stew. I licked my lips. My stomach had been grumbling nonstop, and my stats said I was not only thirsty for water but also starving.
“Come to my home to eat. I must insist,” Mari said.
“Awe, but it’s cards.” I joked, tossing a full crown to Terrance. “For the girl who lost her dad. Not sure what she likes or what will cheer her up, but think of something. I wish I could have saved him and feel bad that I couldn’t.”
I may have thought the old mayor was a dunce and inept at combat, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t run a town or was a bad person.
Terrance opened his mouth then shut it, merely nodding in thanks.
I walked to the cubby holes, pulling out my dragons. Mistress Parnessi had rules. One of them was no guns beyond the foyer unless you locked them in a chest. It was another reason not to live there. A man needed his protection.
While the lack of being armed sucked… everything in the brothel was so expensive, it was empty. Unlike the other overcrowded bars, I could relax with good company on this busy night.
Braxton held the door open for his wife, a goofy smile on his face. He belched, and I inhaled a waft of pure whiskey.
“It’s the hero!” Braxton said, slurring his words.
“Ignore him,” Mari said with a head shake she had probably perfected over the years. “The lads liquored him up with shots. All the shots.”
“I was only gone for an hour,” I said with a smirk.
“Right, he’ll be vomiting soon, then snoring, then his whole night shift will be thrown off when he wakes up at the break of dawn with a hangover he’ll plead to die from,” Mari said. “Been there, done that. It’s kinda why I just wanted to have stew at home. I’ll clean him up in the mornin’, either way.”
“See why I love her?” Braxton asked, stumbling back.
I caught a whiff of the stew. “I sure can smell why.”
“The lads wanna drink. We should do that,” Braxton managed, “See, there’s Oliver. Hey, Oliver, I got a kill today! Right in the snout and into the brain.”
Braxton stumbled over toward Beer Heavenly, leaving me standing outside of the brothel with his wife.
The whole street seemed packed with people celebrating and was part of the reason why I had decided to play cards with the working folks. Across the street, an older man with a business suit and a top hat eyed me intently as if I were committing some crime.
“That’s Tarak, Roma’s suitor. I hate him with my very soul. He looks like he’s plotting too. That can’t be good,” she said. “I sure hope he’s not after her tonight. It might be the right time to make a move. We should hurry home and get to her.”
Mari glanced up at me, her blues filled with sorrow. I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly, trying to figure out if I should corral Braxton or let him go.
I went to sling him over my shoulder when Mari said, “No. Don’t bother. He’d sneak out the second you started eating. He’s a good man. Mostly. Terrible drunk. Hence, he stopped drinking for Roma. But look at him. So happy.”
She sighed contently. I didn’t know what to say or how to feel. I followed my nose and the delicious smelling stew in her hands. I tried to carry the pot myself, but she blocked my attempts, even managing not to slosh the pot.
“You upset Roma,” Mari said, leading me away from the main street.
“Uh, sorry, I guess. It was more or less to prove I wasn’t about to be used as a pawn without a fight,” I said.
“She’ll hear from the others. Hell, Yilissa will probably yell at you for trying to be nice to her.”
“Hear what? And who’s Yilissa?”
“The mayor’s daughter. A lot of bad things will likely happen now that the mayor’s dead. Vincent kept the peace for so long. I really hope the streets stay quiet tonight. And, young Theo, if you keep being nice to all the downtrodden, you’ll end up with some who become attached,” Mari warned.
We left the larger homes, transitioning into the apartments with alley stairs to each floor. Even here, the upkeep was decent. Balconies had flourishing plants, and clotheslines were emptied for the night.
“A team sounds beneficial,” I said. “Especially if we make a break for Bisben.”
“Three months on the road during an invasion sounds crazy, but I said that about the groups who fled a week ago. Things are only going to get worse,” Mari said in a resigned fashion.
A lamp or candle flickered on from a nearby home.
Mari nodded, pausing before a staircase. “I’m about to invite you into my home, my sanctuary. If you behave, you will earn a wonderful meal and some polite company. If you do not, I have lots of guns hidden.”
“Ma’am, I wish nothing more than to eat your soup and hear about local politics. I have been presented with offers, and need to mull them over,” I said.
“Not out here, the neighbors all love to gossip. You saved my husband, and I am merely treating the hero of the night to a meal and a meal only. You hear that, Grace?” Mari said, eyeing a spot in nearby shutters where eyeballs peered out.
“Roma’s been cryin’ again,” Grace said from behind the slats. “He’s a handsome one Mari. Too bad. I stopped hearing you and Braxton knocking –”
“That’s enough, Grace. I swear.”
I chuckled. “I’m super hungry. Have a good evening, Grace.”
I followed her up to the third floor. Mari knocked a special way, and Roma answered the door with a gun drawn.
“Uh…” I hesitated.
“Come on in,” Mari said.
Roma ensured we weren’t letting anyone else in then barred the door. “Were you followed?”
“Don’t rightly know. I’m not well versed on the spy stuff,” I said with a shrug. “Plus, the walk was short, and your mom has some intimacy issues, apparently.”
“Mom, you didn’t,” Roma blurted.
Mari set the stew down, brought out a set of bowls, and frowned at her daughter.
“You’re a grown woman, Roma. You know the things your father
does. But no, Grace spilled the beans briefly that your father and I don’t make a ruckus anymore.”
“All the half talk… can’t we speak plainly here?” I asked. “What’s Braxton up to? Does it involve all this shady politics?”
Roma crawled down in the small living room. She neared a slot by where the stairs would be, sliding it open and sticking out a small mirror. After a quick inspection, she closed the small hole.
“Interesting,” I muttered.
“If you were followed, they don’t want the heat you bring, Theo,” Roma said.
Mari scoffed. “Egron about shit himself. I doubt he’s seen the barrel of a gun pointed at him in some time.”
“He’s one of Tarak’s men. The real question is, where do Vincent’s loyalists go?” Roma asked.
I sat at the table, accepted a bowl of lovely stew, and dug in.
“Where’s Pa?” Roma asked.
“He’s drunk – blackout drunk soon. He’ll spend his earnings on having fun with Terrance or Barthew. They’ll knock him out so I can deal with the mess in the morning,” Mari said, and I could tell the words hurt.
I couldn’t help but let out a chortle. “They drug him?” I asked.
“Best way to get a mean drunk to go to sleep,” Roma said.
I ignored the drama, digging back in. Mother and daughter helped themselves. I may have overindulged a bit, slurping from the bowl. The ladies eyed me like I was crazy.
“Ah, where I come from, it is complementary to finish your bowl in such a manner. It tells the cook you found their cooking scrumptious,” I said.
“What’s your story?” Roma asked, focusing on me instead of her bowl.
When I rose to get seconds, she stopped me, taking over to dish the bowl herself.
“I’m here from Laro to seek shelter. I want to keep going inland then relax. Every day I manage to survive, I… grow stronger. For me, survival is more important than fighting at this point,” I said.
Mari said, “But we’re trapped.”
“And Kimi took over the town. She even has plans to ally with the Vincent faction. Did Tarak not realize this would happen?” I asked.
“Unlikely. Vincent wasn’t supposed to die and Tarak was in a bunker. Everyone needed to turn to someone. They turned to Kimi, who turned to you, and worse for Tarak, she saved all the wagons, proving she can lead,” Roma said.
I accepted my bowl with a grateful smile. “Good, the town needs leadership. What happened to Tarak’s last wife?”
“Barbra fell off her horse and broke her collarbone and her neck. It was ruled an accident by Doctor Porter,” Mari said. “That’s the official report. Rumor has it, Tarak had her pushed off. A neighbor heard her scream from the pain of a broken collarbone and then… snap. Silence.”
Roma nodded. “He’s courting a few of us… unfortunate pretties as he calls them. He goes on and on about how he can elevate us. He asked me if I liked kissing girls the last time I was hired to clean the kitchens in his estate,” Roma said.
I snorted. “Well, do you?”
She rolled her eyes, and her mom laughed at me teasing her daughter.
I wagged my spoon. “Kimi is not a fan of Tarak. Neither are you gals. But at the same time, the guy holds sway. From my seat, I’m hearing stories of a wife who fell from a horse and an old man being a pervert. Neither of which seem, and just saying seem, dubious. What does he stand to gain by marrying you and one of these other girls at the same time?”
“First, he’s old, like three times my age,” Roma said.
I held up a hand, pausing her. “If I told you that I was four-hundred years old, would it creep you out?” I asked, thinking of Taiyo.
“What? That’s not possible. You’re young, fit, and handsome. He is old, white-haired, and deemed worthy because he’s rich,” Roma countered.
“Ah, it’s more of abusing his power than his age. Appearances do matter,” I said in agreement. “Quit. Stop working for him.”
“I can’t. I’m trying not to spread my legs for coin, and it seems like a massive uphill battle. Tarak even is restricting the work Mom normally got doing laundry,” Roma complained.
I tossed my hands happily. “Well, this soup is absolutely delightful.” Meri nodded in thanks for the compliment. “Can you reload a gun?” I asked.
Roma frowned at me. “Yeah, but… but… I’ve never shot a man or practiced that much. Ammo is expensive.”
“Well, I have work, the respectable kind. I’m not going to take advantage of the downtrodden. If that doesn’t cut it for you, I need someone to help clean the Mermonts’ Estate. It’s big enough for ten people,” I said then added, “Even has a barn.”
“Damn, Kimi wants you on her side badly,” Mari said, patting her daughter’s forearm. “I’ll speak plainly. I love Roma. She’s my only child, and lord knows, we tried to have more. I want what is best for her. She has caught the eye of many men. She was even married for a short spell.
“Here in the Bisben Empire and all across Snagglewood, women marry at sixteen or so, so don’t look so shocked. A widow struggles to find love after a loss. Her virtue that men thrive for is gone.” Mari paused when I rolled my eyes. “I’m getting to the point. Tarak is not going to let her go easily. Our rent has gone up substantially. It’s to force Roma out of the shack we call home and into his arms.”
“Tarak wants someone to warm his bed. He’ll have other options. I can’t save everyone. And wait a second, did Barbra, his dead wife, not do that?”
“Rumor has it, she was screwing the gardener, who happened to drown in the Bellum River on his journey to a new home,” Roma said.
“Okay. Well, he lost a lot of power tonight,” I said with a shrug.
“He owns the casino and The Merriment, that’s the bar besides Kimi’s,” Mari said. “I fear there’s going to be a dead Kimi or a dead Tarak soon. One of them is pro you, the other is going to want you dead for being with his potential wife behind closed doors.”
“I need to pee,” I said, not liking where the conversation was going.
“There’s the bathroom, keep it in the hole,” Mari said in a motherly way.
I chuckled but shouldn’t have. There was only a slight pun here.
The apartment was tiny, and big surprise, so was the closet of a privy. I really did need to pee, but when I uncovered a metal tube to pee in, a waft of nastiness almost knocked me over. Apparently, they had a sewer system but no flushing. I’d rather have pissed in the alley.
I did my deed quickly then pulled up my quests, hiding the ultimate quest that suddenly made too much sense.
Quest:
Quest 1: You have befriended Roma and Mari. Keep them from dying for ninety days.
Reward: 0 – 1500 points depending on protection provided.
Quest 2: Help repel the next wave of invaders.
Reward: 100 additional points per kill and 1000 points if 90% of Laro survives.
Quest 3: Figure out where Braxton was abducted to.
Reward: 300 points. If found alive.
Quest 4: Kill a Prog’narock.
Reward: 250 points. ∞ rewards.
Quest 5: Kill a Webo’narock.
Reward: 250 points. ∞ rewards.
Quest 6: Explore the world.
Reward: 10 points for 1 mile explored.
I groaned, immediately jetting out of the bathroom.
“Light the candle next time,” Roma said because of my abrupt return and a sour face.
“Trouble’s coming, and it’s not a monster,” I said in a gruff manner. “Pack a bag, pull out all your hidden guns, and leave everything else. I can’t keep you safe here.”
“I don’t actually have expensive guns to shoot you with, Theo,” Mari said unhappily. “Just Braxton’s backups for –”
“Grab them. Come on, Mari, Roma, it’s not safe here, and I just got word you’re targets,” I said.
“You said you didn’t do this spy stuff,” Mari said.
Roma scoffed.
“That’s what a spy would say.”
“Get the guns, hurry.” Finally, Mari left for the bedroom. “Braxton’s been abducted, and not the kind from stiffing a hooker. I think he’s dead, probably in retaliation for Kimi moving so aggressively to recruit me,” I said.
“You can’t know that. You’ve been here the whole time,” Mari said with a quivering lip. “He may be a right bastard, and we may be on rocky ground in the bedroom, but we’ve been together for thirty years. That man is my life. Please tell me you’re not serious.”
“I can’t explain how I know, but I know. We go to my estate, sleep in a secure room, and then try to find your husband in the morning,” I said. “This could be a –”
Mari ran out the front door with a rifle in hand.
“There goes seven hundred and fifty,” I muttered.
I had to realize the situation was real and not a game. These people were exactly that, people. You tell a woman her husband has been abducted, and she does the irrational emotional thing, completely ignoring your orders.
Roma pushed me toward the door. “You’re not staying here.”
I nodded in understanding. “Hey, so, I’m at a crossroads. The longer I stay in Laro, the more I hate it, but I don’t know whether I can save everyone or even survive a trip to the interior.”
“You seem to be a few steps behind everyone else because you’re trying to coast through the evening during a political upheaval,” Roma said.
“Kinda deep.”
She shook her head. “I lost my husband to a fever almost four years ago. He went to bed with the sweats and chills. He never woke up. Pa is dead. I know it. Right here, I know it. He shoulda come home like I asked him to.”