by Pirateaba
Erin washed her mouth and hands off for the tenth time and felt the shaking and nausea stop a bit.
“What—what was that?”
Erin could only mumble as she stared into the water. She moved her head—not so much out of desire for movement as to watch for the dangerous flat fish.
The fish that had been eating her vomit was floating belly-up in the water. Erin saw the other fish were avoiding it just like they were avoiding her.
“…Poison. Gotta be.”
But was it delicious food poisoning where you got to eat twice, or the other kind that kind made you turn green and die?
“Well, whatever. I feel better now so I’ll figure it out later.”
Erin walked back to the inn as the last urges to puke left her. She’d gotten off lucky she supposed. It had only been an hour or so of feeling terrible. If it was actually serious—
Erin had to stop and smile. Serious? Back when she hadn’t been struggling to survive, oh, three days ago, being that sick would have ended up with her in bed for the next week.
“And I’d have a team of doctors feeding me pills by the pound too.”
She laughed softly. Then her smile vanished. Erin covered her face with her palm.
She trembled.
And then she walked on. It was getting dark. She couldn’t stop just now.
She was in too much danger.
—-
The key to distracting oneself was motion. Erin moved around the inn and kept busy. She cleaned the vomit off the floor, washed the plates as best she could with some of the water, helped herself to a bit of pasta and brought out more plates and silverware to the common room. Then she stored the eggs and blue fruit away in one of the cupboards, went upstairs and cleaned a few rooms. She was moving, but really she was waiting.
“They said they’d visit. But did they mean that or are they busy? Either way, I can always make more pasta and save some for later, right?”
She had a pot full of hot pasta in the kitchen and she’d served and eaten her own plate of buttery noodles with blue fruit juice before she realized it was dark. Hopefully Erin stared out one of the windows, but the grasslands were empty. The sky was so amazingly vast, the stars so numerous. It was beautiful, frightening. Erin would have loved to stare at it if she were at home, but what she was really hoping to see were two figures. But she didn’t.
“They must be busy.”
Erin sighed to herself. But it wasn’t that early in the night after all. She could wait.
The young woman sat at the table, her stomach full, her clothes torn and dirty, her eyes drooping. But every few minutes her eyes flicked to the stout wooden door. She was waiting.
—-
Relc stretched in his chair in the Guard’s barracks. It wasn’t too crowded in the early evening, most guardsmen having checked out already or begun their evening patrols. Those who remained in the building were almost entirely Drakes, aside from a few Antinium like Klbkch. They were all busy with their own tasks.
The Senior Guardsman cast an irritable eye over at the large, hunched insect hovering over a table next to him.
“Are you done logging out for the day yet?”
“Almost.”
Klbkch made a precise notation with a quill on a sheet of parchment.
“There. I have signed us both out. Again.”
“Great. Thanks. Now, wanna go check on that human? I hear—”
A large Drake bustled up to the other two. He was bigger than Relc, but only just. His chest was covered by a breastplate of burnished steel and he had a sword at his belt.
“There’s a brawl in the marketplace. Get over there and stop the fighting!”
“What? Some idiot had to start a fight now of all times? We were going to go back and—”
“Shut up and get moving!”
“…Jerk.”
“A pity. Let’s be on our way.”
“What a pain. Let’s smack some scales-for-brains quick. Maybe we’ll still have time to go to the inn afterwards.”
“You know we will be called upon to go after those who got away. And there is damage assessment, guard detail, investigating any burglaries during the violence…”
“Aw.”
“Do not fret. The human will not be going anywhere.”
“I know, I know. But I was going to eat more pasta and—”
“Relc!”
The angry shout made Relc wince and cover the two holes on the side of his head.
“Alright, let’s go. Man, I really hate the Captain.”
“Don’t insult him while we are within earshot.”
“He can eat my scales. Let’s go and get this over with.”
“After you.”
—-
Erin sat at the bar counter in the inn and waited. All was perfect.
Well, all was sorta perfect. It was at least acceptable. She had a basket of the blue fruits, more pasta in a large pot, and she’d even drawn a fresh bucket of water from the stream. She had very nearly spotless plates and silverware and all in all, she was ready for some guests.
If they’d ever arrive.
Eventually her eyes drooped. Her breathing slowed. She fell asleep while dreaming she was still waiting and awake.
—-
Thump. Thump.
Erin woke up. She raised her head and looked around groggily. It was dark.
Thump. Thump.
Something was at the door. Erin wiped the drool off of her chin and got up from the table. She must have fallen asleep waiting. But here they were. She stumbled over to the door and shivered. It was cold. Actually, it wasn’t just cold. It was…frosty?
The door’s handle was covered in a thin layer of ice. From behind the door Erin sensed something chilling, and she could feel a cold draft blowing from beneath the crack. Or was that the shivering sensation running down her spine?
Thump.
Erin jumped back from the door. That wasn’t knocking. Something was hitting the door. Hard.
“Hey. Who’s there?”
She wished her voice wasn’t so wobbly.
“A visitor.”
Was it a whisper? No. It was more like an echo. It sounded like a loud voice coming from thousands of miles away and it had an unearthly quality to it. No voice could be so deep, so spine-chilling.
“Um. We’re closed. S-sorry.”
The something on the other side of the door…chuckled. It was probably a chuckle. It was wet and gurgling.
“It matters not. I require sustenance. Food. Prove that to me and I shall be on my way.”
Food? As in the fleshy variety? Erin shuddered.
“I don’t have any. Go away!”
“I will not be denied. Open this door or face my wrath.”
That was enough for Erin. She backed away from the door.
“I’m warning you! Come in and I’ll, I’ll…”
She looked around desperately. It was too dark and she’d forgotten where she’d put the Goblin’s knives. Weapon. She needed a weapon.
“Do not anger me further. If you refuse my simple request I will—”
She didn’t wait to see what the voice would do. She could guess. Instead, Erin ran to the kitchen. She needed a weapon. A knife, a piece of wood, a spatula, anything.
Erin’s hand had found the handle of a pot when the scrape of wood made her breath stop. She’d forgotten. She’d been waiting for Klbkch and his friend. So that meant—
The door was still unlocked.
Something was pushing the door open. Erin sprinted back to the door and threw her weight against it. She knocked whatever it was back, but she couldn’t close the door fully. It was in the way.
“This is unwise. Your insolence will only bring about more punishment.”
The creature hissed at Erin. She could hear it right outside the door. It was pushing, trying to get the door open. But Erin was fueled by pure fear and she somehow managed to keep the door where it was.
“Mistress.
All I ask for is a bit of food. Provide me that and I shall be on my way.”
The skeletal creature reached its hand through the doorway. Something dark dripped down out of its bones. It splashed against the wood and vanished.
“I do not wish to become angry.”
Her hand was on the cooking pot. Her heart was dead in her chest.
“No.”
“No?”
The skeletal monstrosity seemed to recoil. It pulled the door further open and something noxious wafted in.
“A pity. But I will have you provide me with sustenance nevertheless.”
Erin seized the door and tried to close it, but the creature hurled it open. She fell back and stared in horror.
A thing with too many bones and pieces of flesh gazed down at her. It gave off a ghastly smell and crimson light flashed from its eyes.
“Give me what I desire. Or I shall—”
Erin screamed and hurled the pot.
1.09
It was instinctual. The black metal pot flew through the air even before the creature finished speaking.
“What the—”
Before the creature was struck by the flying pot it made a very uncharacteristic, very human, very surprised sound. After it was struck by the pot it didn’t make any sounds at all.
The image of the gigantic, skeletal creature wreathed in slime and darkness vanished in an instant. Erin stared as the much more normal figure of an unconscious young man dressed in grey robes appeared on the ground. He was unconscious and already had a big bruise forming on his forehead. She stared at him. She stared at his robes.
“…Huh.”
—-
The young man was dreaming. Maybe he was dreaming of something nice. Maybe he was reflecting on his life so far in a life-changing dream of revelations. Either way, the bucket of water woke him up.
“What—who dares—?”
The young man sat up, rubbing his head. Erin stared at him. He didn’t seem very mage-like. Or that impressive, for that matter. He had pale skin, brown, unkempt hair, and he smelled bad. Actually, that smell was probably his clothes which didn’t look like they’d been washed. Ever.
The mage looked up at Erin and blinked. She stared back.
“So. You’re gonna hurt me if I don’t give you food, huh?”
Erin stood up and cracked her knuckles. It really hurt, but she tried not to let it show. The young man raised one finger and pointed at her. It was only slightly trembling.
“I will have you know I am a mage of great power and I will not be—”
The mage cut off quickly as Erin lifted the cast-iron pot up with one hand.
“This. This is a pan.”
Erin waved the metal pot in front of the young man’s head. She saw him glance at it and then colored when she realized her mistake.
“In fact good Mistress, that is in fact—”
“If I say it’s a pan, it’s a pan. The important part is that I’ll hit you with it if you try anything.”
“Oh really?”
The mage sneered at her. His eyes were on her pot, but they dipped into a belt at his waist.
“Hey, stop that!”
He ignored her and mumbled something. At once, he vanished. A booming echo reverberated throughout the room.
“Behold my p—”
Erin swung her pot in the space where the mage had vanished.
Clong.
“Ow!”
The mage reappeared, clutching at the side of his face. Erin raised her pot again and he raised his hands defensively.
“Try that again and I’ll hit you harder.”
“Now look, there’s no need for violence. I can see that you are no ordinary plebian fool but an extraordinary plebian. Believe me when I say that is a high compliment from a practice of the arcane such as I.”
Erin glared.
“I know what plebian means.”
“Ah.”
“One more insult or stupid little invisibility spell and I’ll break something.”
The mage looked surprised.
“You—you could tell it was an invisibility spell?”
Erin rolled her eyes.
“What else could it be?”
The mage blinked at her. Then he muttered to himself in a not-quite whisper.
“How astute. She’s quite intelligent for an innkeeper.”
Erin glared. He coughed and avoided her gaze.
“Ahem. Well, I shall be going.”
He made a show of standing up and brushing down his robes. Quite a lot of dirt and grime fell to the inn’s floor. Erin stared at it and glared at him harder. He swept her a deep bow and gave her a charming smile. Or what he probably thought was one.
“My apologies, good Innkeep for all these misunderstandings. Please accept this recompense for your wasted time.”
He reached into the pocket of his robes and produced a few bronze coins. He made to offer them to Erin, but when she made no move he placed them on the table.
“So. You’re paying me for trying to scare me and steal food?”
The mage gave her a winning smile. It did nothing to wipe away Erin’s scowl.
“Harshly put, Good Mistress. But yes, I would like to make amends. And I am sure this payment is quite acceptable, is it not?”
Erin stared at the four bits of brassy metal. She glanced up at his face. It was quite impassive and betrayed no emotion whatsoever.
“You’re sweating.”
He began dabbing at his forehead with his robe.
“Am I? Terribly sorry. Let me just, ah…”
Three more coins appeared in the palm of his hand with a flick of the wrist. It looked like a sleight-of-hand trick. A pretty bad one, at that.
“Some people don’t like being threatened by a giant skeletal monster from hell.”
“I see?”
The number of coins in his palm didn’t change. Erin stared at him.
“Some people would take violent offence to being scammed.”
He blinked once.
“Traditionally those who practice magic are beings of great power that should not be crossed.”
“Yeah, and they have fragile bones. I’m sure mages are really scary when they’re far away, but wands aren’t good at blocking frying…pots.”
He licked his lips but his face remained calm.
“Fair point. Let me just amend my fee.”
A silver coin appeared in the palm of his hand. Erin narrowed her eyes and said nothing. Another silver coin appeared, and then a third.
She crossed her arms.
Three more silver coins joined the small pile. He was definitely sweating now.
“I uh, hope this is sufficient good Mistress. I am of course willing to pay any dues to—to make amends, but I’m slightly low on coin at the moment.”
Erin kept staring.
Very reluctantly, he reached into the belt at his side. He pulled out a gold coin and held it up.
“Would ah, this do?”
Erin relented a tiny bit. She picked up the coins in his hand without taking the gold coin. She thought she heard him sigh in relief, but his face remained impassive. He was still sweating, though.
“You know, I just wanted to see what would happen if I kept on staring at you.”
“Ah. Of course. Well, as a practitioner of the mystic arts I feel it is always wise to be…generous.”
“It would certainly save time. And you know, if you paid for everything you wouldn’t have to try to scare people to get what you want.”
“Ah, but money is so…mundane. Where would the enjoyment in life be without variety?”
“Uh huh. And you provide that by threatening people with illusions?”
“Only on occasion. And I quite understand your irate feelings. However, since I believe all is settled I shall just…”
He edged away from her and towards the door. Along the way his stomach rumbled and his ears turned red, but he kept walking. Erin sighed and came to a
rapid decision.
“Where are you going?”
His shoulders hunched and Erin saw his hand tighten on the door handle.
“Well, if you have no further need of me…I did pay, after all. So I won’t intrude any fu—”
“Come back here and I’ll feed you.”
He turned around and blinked at her. Erin was already going into the kitchen for a plate and cups.
“Here. Blue juice and some blue fruit. I’ve also got pasta in a pot, but I need to warm that up first.”
Erin set the cup and plate down and added three blue fruits on top of it. She expected the mage to dig in immediately or make a snarky comment, but he just turned pale.
“Ah. Am I supposed to eat this?”
“Yeah. It’s food.”
“And I suppose if I don’t, you hit me with that pot, correct?”
He eyes her warily. Erin eyed him back.
“What are you talking about? I’m giving you food. Are you allergic to the color blue, or something?”
Once again, the face of her guest seemed caught between wanting to say something and wanting to bolt. He pointed gingerly to the blue fruit.
“Are you aware that ah, this fruit is poisonous?”
Erin paused, the blue fruit halfway to her lips.
“Poisonous?”
He smiled at her, his face a shade paler than before.
“Highly. The core of the Amentus fruit causes painful death within hours if eaten. While the outer rind is safe for consumption, the inner seeds are toxic. You are aware of this, right?”
“Um. I am now?”
“I see.”
“…Want one?”
He eyed the blue fruit apprehensively.
“Do I have the option to refuse?”
“Look, it’s safe. I’ve eaten tons of them. Just eat around the core and you’ll be fine, okay?”
He made no move towards the plate.
“Shall we just say I accept your word? I wouldn’t dare question your authority on the subject good mistress, it’s just that—”
“Oh come on.”