by Pirateaba
“Right, right.”
Relc cursed and swung his spear angrily. It made a terrific whooshing sound as it cut the air. Erin held her breath, afraid he’d let go and accidently cut her.
Klbkch turned and bowed his head to her.
“Thank you for informing us of his class, Mistress Erin. Although he posed no threat to either Relc nor I, he is far more dangerous than we had believed.”
“Really? I thought—he didn’t seem dangerous. I mean, I hit him with a pot and that knocked him out.”
“Oh, he’s probably as dangerous as a frog in a fight. That’s not the problem.”
Relc shook his head.
“We thought he was just an illusionist. That’s annoying, but really all he can do is scare folks into giving him things. But a necromancer’s worse. Far worse. We could let him go if he was just a normal mage, but we’ve got to find him now and he knows it.”
“Why?”
Relc muttered to himself. He was still looking around and his tongue was flicking out of his mouth, as if tasting the air. It was the first time he’d really reminded Erin of a lizard from her world.
“A rogue necromancer on the loose does nasty things. Even a low-level one can bring down villages if you give him enough dead bodies, and they level fast when that happens. We’re gonna have to hunt this guy down. If we can’t catch him today, I’ll have the Captain send out multiple patrols once we get back to the city.”
Erin nodded. Then she hesitated.
“So. Does…that mean you’ll be back soon?”
Relc nodded.
“Less than an hour, but we won’t be able to stay. Sorry. I’ll try to get the patrol out faster, but you know how it is. We’ve got to shift around guardsmen on patrol, set trackers, get armed up, etc.”
“Oh. Okay. But uh, does that mean—how long does it take to get back?”
“We should be able to cover the distance in approximately ten minutes if we run.”
Relc nodded in agreement.
“So we’ve gotta go. Why? Are you worried he’ll attack you?”
“No, not that. It’s just—the city.”
“The city? What about it?”
“Um, where is it?”
Relc and Klbkch stared at her silently and then exchanged a glance.
“…You mean, you don’t know?”
“No. Should I? It’s not like there’s a sign or anything around here.”
Relc looked amused.
“Don’t be snippy. But it’s easy to spot. Look, you can even see it out the window here.”
He walked over to a window and pointed. Erin squinted out it.
“…Is it that black spot there?”
“Well, yeah. Isn’t it obvious?”
“No, it’s really not. It could be a rock.”
“It’s not a rock. Why are you having a hard time believing me? Can’t you see the buildings?”
“No, I can’t.”
“I do not believe she can, in point of fact.”
Relc and Erin turned to look at Klbkch. He studied her and then brought his face close to hers. Erin flinched as his face came close to hers.
“Do not be alarmed. I mean you no harm.”
“Sorry—sorry. It’s just the pinchers. And the eyes. It’s just—sorry.”
Relc laughed.
“Don’t mind Klbkch. He’s ugly even for an ant. But you really can’t see the city from here?”
Klbkch nodded. He seemed focused on Erin’s own eyes.
“I believe humans have more limited eyesight than you or I.”
“What? That’s stupid.”
Relc huffed to himself. He pointed out the window at the black dot.
“Look, the city’s that way. It’s only an hour’s walk and there aren’t many monsters along the way. Besides, once you get within a few miles the area is regularly patrolled so you won’t have any problems. And if those idiots at the gate stop you – which they won’t – just tell them you know me.”
Klbkch nodded.
“Or me. However, you should encounter no problems. Only those with past records of crime are unwelcome in Liscor.”
“And speaking of which…we’ve gotta go. It’s my day off, but we’ll report that annoying human maggot-mage back at the barracks. If we move fast, we might get him before he runs too far.”
Relc was on his feet. He moved so quickly that Erin was left gaping. One second he was sitting down, the next he was at the door.
“Hey Klbkch, coming?”
And then Klbkch was there too. If Erin hadn’t seen the black blur that swept past her and felt the rush of air, she would have sworn he’d teleported.
“Indeed. It is unfortunate we must leave so soon. Our apologies, Mistress Solstice.”
“No—no problem.”
“Well then.”
Klbkch nodded to her. Relc waved and was out the door in a flash. Erin was left sitting with a table full of dirty plates and a state of mild shock.
She had just picked up the first plate when the door slammed back open. She jumped, but Relc waved at her.
“Oh, sorry we forgot to pay. We’re in a hurry so—put it on our tab!”
The door closed. Erin stared at it hopefully, but it didn’t open again.
“…What tab?”
1.11
Erin stood in front of the cupboard and sighed. Loudly.
“Men.”
Erin paused and thought about that word.
“Males. They eat and eat, and eat. And then I have to clean up the dishes. Typical.”
True, she was an innkeeper. Or at least, she kept an inn relatively clean. But that didn’t make her feel better.
“Pantry? Pantry is empty. Food? Food is gone. And money—”
Erin glanced at the pile of coins on the kitchen counter.
“Money is shiny. But uh, inedible. And it’s good to have money, but starvation is an issue.”
Erin stared at the empty pantry. Starvation was a major issue.
“Aren’t there some more blue fruits around here? Here? No…here? Yep. Nice and wrinkled. Lovely.”
She could always get more blue fruits, of course. But there was a limit on how many those trees had left. And there was also a limit to how many Erin was willing to keep hauling back.
“And I’m out of ingredients.”
The flour was gone. The butter was gone. The salt—okay, there was some salt left, and some sugar too. But they were running low in their bags and with the lovely preservation-spell-thing gone they’d probably turn rotten sometime soon.
“So I’m in trouble.”
“So it would appear.”
Erin was sure her heart stopped for a good few seconds. She turned around and looked at Pisces.
“If I had a knife in my hand, I’d stab you.”
He smirked at her. It seemed to be his default mode of face.
“Ah, but what good innkeeper would deprive herself of such a magnificent guest?”
Erin reached for a knife.
“Please, please good mistress, let’s not be hasty!”
Pisces raised his hands quickly and took a few steps back. Erin glared at him. He looked dusty. And dirty. And sweaty.
“Where did you come from? I didn’t hear you come in through the door.”
“I was, in fact, upstairs the entire time. It was the simplest solution given the intelligence of those two brutish guardsmen.”
Erin blinked.
“Good job, I guess. But they’re still going to find you. You’re a criminal and you’ve got nowhere to hide.”
“Except here.”
He raised a hand before Erin could say anything.
“Please, hear me out. Rest assured, I bear you no ill will for reporting my actions to the guard. I fully appreciate the severity of my crimes, however—”
“You want something. What? To stay here? No. Nope. No way in hell.”
“I assure you I would be a quite convivial guest. And I wouldn’t ask for much. In fact
, you may be interested to know I am proficient in multiple schools of spellcasting. While Necromancy is a—passion of mine, I have fifteen levels in [Elementalist], eight in [Alchemist], and an additional six levels in [Enchanter] and ten in the general [Mage] class. Even amongst my fellow students, you would be hard-pressed to find a spellcaster as widely capable as I am. I can aid in a number of functions that would improve your inn. And I have money.”
Erin raised two eyebrows. One just wasn’t enough.
“And you’re telling me all this…why?”
He licked his lips.
“In point of fact, I was wondering if I might persuade you to shelter and provide me with my basic necessities while in this moment of dire need. I can provide you with adequate recompense I assure you—”
Erin snorted rudely.
“Right, for how long? Days? Weeks? Months? And I get to feed you, make sure no one finds you, and clean up after you? Again: no.”
“Would you turn away an innocent—”
“Innocent? You? You’re nothing more than a thug with a magic wand. Remember how we met? You tried to scare me into giving you food. And now you want protection because you’re getting your just deserts? No. No, when I see Relc again you’d better be long gone from here. And if you don’t leave now, I’ll kick you out myself.”
Erin finished her tirade and folded her arms under her breasts. But while Pisces had turned white as a sheet, he didn’t look ashamed or afraid so much as…
Angry.
He whispered a spell. Erin felt the air grow colder around her, and suddenly saw shadows twisting around Pisces’s hands. The darkness was gathering around him like a cloak. It was the same spell as before, or close enough.
Pisces took a step towards her.
“I am a man in desperate straits. You would do well not to underestimate what I am capable of.”
Erin’s heart was racing. She took two steps back and he followed.
“Antagonizing one of my power is unwise. If you have any sense, you will accede to my request. Or know the consequences.”
Her mouth was dry, but she knew it was just an illusion. So Erin forced herself to reply with more bravado than she felt.
“So, what? If I don’t decide to help you, will you hurt me? Bash my brains in? Or will you just rip my clothes off and try to rape me?”
He looked shocked.
“Of course I wouldn’t do that. I’m no barbarian—”
“Good.”
Erin’s hand moved in a flash. Pisces looked down and gulped. A knife was poking into his stomach.
Her heart was racing. She could taste bile in her mouth. But her hand was very, very still. She wasn’t sure of much in her life right now. Magic and monsters, made her head spin. Yet some things were the same. And she had no intention of being the victim here, especially where no one could hear her scream.
Her knife had a gratifying effect on her mage guest. He licked his lips and raised his hands, turning a shale paler than normal.
“Now, now. Let’s not be hasty good mistress. I was merely saying—”
“Move and I will stab you.”
It was no threat. It was a promise. And to his credit, Pisces was intelligent enough to take it seriously.
“—Allow me to apologize. But if I might say a few words—”
“No. Out.”
Erin advanced. Pisces had to step backwards or be knifed in slow motion. She forced him back into the common room and towards the door.
“Please, please reconsider.”
“No. Why should I?”
Pisces stopped at the door. Erin jabbed at him with the knife, but he refused to move back any further. He raised his hands higher and spoke with increasing speed and desperation.
“If I am caught, they will take me to the city. And there I will be judged and killed. This is a certainty, Mistress Erin.”
Erin eyed him uncertainty.
“Relc never said—”
“He didn’t want to tell you the truth! But he and I both know what happens to necromancers. We—any mage possessing even a single level in the class—are all killed on sight in this part of the world! There’s no mercy for my kind here.”
“Well—well too bad.”
Erin’s mouth was on autopilot. Pisces tried to step around her back into the inn, but she blocked him.
“Even if you’re in danger, I’m in danger if I hide you. I’m not doing that. Run away. Just run away now.”
“They will have patrols out around the city. They will scour the grasslands for me. Please, if you were to hide me I would be sure to survive.”
“No. Go.”
Erin pointed towards the door with one hand. He wavered, but made one last entreaty.
“Please, I beg of you. Just one night. Just give me sanctuary and I swear I will be gone upon the morrow. It is my death without your aid. Would you kill me? I ask you as a fellow human. Please.”
“I—”
The knife in her hands wavered. Pisces seized the moment. He stepped forwards, hands outstretched, beseechingly.
“Please, spare my life. If you have any pity in your soul—”
Thudthudthudthudhtud.
Both humans turned and looked at the door.
“Gotcha!”
It was quick. One second Erin was pointing her finger out the door and glaring at Pisces. The next, something blew past her and he was gone. Two figures crashed into a table and chairs. Erin’s mouth dropped open.
“There you are!”
The larger shape uttered a triumphant laugh as he swung Pisces around and slammed him into the floorboards. It was Relc.
“Miss Solstice.”
Klbkch appeared at her side. Erin jumped but the ant man placed a steadying…hand on her shoulder.
“Please forgive my rudeness. But are you well? We doubled back as soon as we realized the mage had not fled the inn after all. Are you hurt or in need of assistance?”
“What?”
Erin stared at him.
“Are you—what’s—I’m good. Good.”
“That is well. Then, please stand clear. We will be going about our business and I would not wish you hurt.”
That said, Klbkch gently guided Erin to one side. The fight between Relc and Pisces was knocking over tables and chairs as the Drake attempted to smash the human into anything he could while the human tried to avoid that fate.
Relc roared from the ground.
“Klb! Get over here and help! This guy’s slipperier than he looks!”
Klb nodded to Erin and dashed into the fight. She watched in stupefaction as the two tried to hold Pisces down. Oddly, it wasn’t that easy. Despite the size advantage and muscle advantage, Pisces was still managing to fend both off. Erin wondered why until she saw him push the air around Relc and send the bigger lizard flying off him.
Pisces scrambled to his feet and leapt for the door. But Klbkch caught him by the foot and attempted to tie his hands together with a piece of leather chord. Pisces shouted…something and the leather burst into flames.
It was a fast and dirty fight that had one or all three of the fighters rolling on the ground at all times. But Erin had only half an eye for that. The other eye was watching all of the furniture in her inn get smashed as they fought.
“Stop moving! Hey!”
“Desist your actions or—”
Pisces’s fingers sparked. A small explosion of lightning blasted Klbkch into a wall as Relc ducked. Erin ducked too. From behind her table she could see Klbkch twitching and making a distressed buzzing sound.
“You squirming—”
The dull thud of something hitting something echoed throughout the inn. But it was punctuated by another crackle of electricity and Relc shouting in pain.
Erin turned away from the brawl and ran into the kitchen. She emerged with the pot just in time to see Relc blasted off his feet, this time by what looked like an explosion of air.
Pisces backed away from the Drake, panting heavi
ly. His face was bruised and he was bleeding from the nose and mouth, but his fingers still crackled with energy. He turned to run, but stopped.
Klbkch was on his feet. Well, his legs. The ant man was standing in front of the door, swords drawn. He held two, one in each arm while his other two held small daggers. Erin saw Pisces gulp. She agreed. Klbkch looked like a wall of blades.
“I—I seek no quarrel with you. I am student of Wistram Academy and a practicing mage. You detain me at your peril.”
Pisces pointed a trembling finger at Klbkch. It sparked with green energy that crackled around his fingertip, but it was suddenly a lot less impressive compared to Klbkch’s armed armory.
“Regardless of your affiliation to any academy, you are still under arrest. Please surrender now, or I will be forced to employ lethal force.”
Pisces hesitated.
“My magic—”
“Is useless. Surrender.”
“Surrender?”
Erin jumped. She saw Relc getting to his feet. The Drake’s eyes were narrowed, and in his hands was a spear. It wasn’t long, but it did look extremely sharp. And the way he held it, Erin instinctively knew he was ready to use it to kill.
Pisces took one look at the spear and immediately raised his hands.
“I—I give up.”
Relc spat.
“Not likely. I’m gutting you like a fish right here.”
Erin stared at Relc in horror. But there was no joking in his eyes. He was practically quivering with rage, but the arms that held his spear were completely still and tensed.
“Gutting? Hey, that’s—”
“Don’t be hasty!”
Pisces backed away from Relc, talking fast.
“I assure you, my life is worth far more than you would ever get for me dead. This can all be solved amicably. I will fully cooperate—”
“Cooperate?”
Relc stepped forwards and Pisces pressed his two fingers together. A strong breeze flew through the inn and a flickering barrier of wind appeared in front of Relc.
“I will cease all magic and go with you quietly if you assure my life. I meant no harm to you or your companion. But we are at an impasse until you do.”
Relc’s eyes narrowed.
“By that? You think a piddly little Wind Wall spell is going to stop me?”
The big Drake’s body tensed. He crouched slightly, and then dashed into the wind wall. Relc’s massive body smashed into the semi-transparent barrier of wind. He sunk into the barrier and then the winds pushed back.