“Maybe Savall is right…fucking women are crazy!” he said to himself.
Walking into the kitchen, he gathered up some meat and cheese and threw it on a thick slice of bread. Grabbing a mug from one of the shelves, he placed his finger on the lip of the cup and began channeling magic into it.
“Agua Basura.” he commanded. He watched as water began flowing from his finger and filled the mug. Taking a huge bite from his sandwich, Tartum chewed quickly and washed it down with a swallow from his mug. As he sat in the kitchen devouring his meal, he reassessed his summon water spell. If nothing else, it was very convenient to be able to make water no matter where he was. The sound of someone entering the room caught his attention and he turned to face them. He wasn’t surprised to see Elizabeth standing in the doorway of the kitchen looking like a chastised child. Usually that look would have been endearing. Today, it only succeeded in furthering the disgust he had towards her. She seemed to be waiting for him to say something; he refused to be the first one to talk and simply looked at her as he finished his meal. When she realized he wasn’t going to speak, she looked up at him and tried to smile.
“That’s a nice hole you put in the wall, Sweetie. Rashlarr is going to be upset when he sees what you did down there.” she tried to joke. Tartum didn’t yield. She had been treating him like garbage for too long for a halfhearted joke to mend the bridge she had burned.
The look on her face indicated she knew this. “Look, umm…I know I’ve been distant lately. It’s just…that mission was important to the guild, and I had such a small part in it. I’ve been dreaming of that moment for years, and then when I was finally there the only thing I did was almost die. If you hadn’t of been there the mission would have failed, and we would be running for our lives right now. If I hadn’t of been there the mission could have still succeeded, and no one would have missed me. I don’t resent you for saving me; I don’t resent you for getting into the desk when I couldn’t. I resent the fact that I was useless and nothing more than a liability throughout the entire mission. Seeing you lauded the hero, I guess I just took it out on you while I came to terms with that. By the time I realized how I was treating you, I was too afraid to talk to you about it, which I realize was a stupid thing to do now. I’m really sorry, Sweetheart. Please forgive me!” she was almost in tears, as she finished her explanation.
Tartum listened to her explanation and was surprised that nothing she said was unknown to him. He had figured all this out within the first couple days of thinking about it. Now that she had admitted to all of it, he found himself torn. Did he forgive her and pretend like it never happened; or did he tell her if he ever saw her again he’d kill her? He noticed that the little voice in his head that liked to help him out from time to time was silent at the moment. Not even his subconscious knew what to do in this situation. The thought made him smile, and when Elizabeth saw him do it she misunderstood and a look of satisfaction briefly ran across her face. It was that look that let Tartum know she was just trying to get off the hook. He made his decision about how to handle their flagging relationship.
“Listen…You’re a real pain in the ass, you know that? One minute you love me, the next you despise me for saving your life and succeeding where you failed. I know you said you don’t resent me for those things, but fuck you. You very much do resent me for all of it, and that’s so incredibly selfish, I find it hard to be near you. Now you think after a week of making me feel like shit, you can stroll in here, corner me, babble some bullshit excuse, and I’m supposed to be excited about that? I don’t have time for your insanity; go find someone else to put up with your bullshit. I’m done.” He said to her and resumed eating. In the back of his mind, he knew turning his back on her was a dangerous move, he had his dome spells up, but he knew she could be very deadly and irrational at times. His pride refused to let him turn around or go on the defensive until she made the first move. He would not give her the satisfaction of seeing him flinch! He prepared to defend himself if needed. To his surprise, it wasn’t her knives he felt on his back. It was her. She was crying and hugging him from behind.
“Please! Please, Sweetheart! Don’t say that! Please, let me take you out in the city! You’re hungry, right? We can go out, anywhere you want, and get something to eat! I’ll pay! You don’t have to worry about anything! We’ll go out, have a great time, and we can put this ugliness behind us. Please, Sweetie! What do you say?” Her voice was a soothing balm to his wounded heart, and he felt his resolve disappear.
He was still very hungry, the sandwich had barely taken the edge off and the thought of going to a nice tavern and getting some quality food was too good of an offer to pass up. Also, it had been a week since he had felt her up against him, and he was shocked how good she felt pressed against him. He knew he was going to give in, he knew that to give in at this moment would condemn him to repeats of her temper tantrums and next time it happened she would simply go through the motions to gain his forgiveness. He was disgusted with himself but could no longer resist. Something inside of him needed her, and before he could convince himself to stand his ground, he spoke.
“Ok, babe, let’s go out to eat…Give me a second to put my things away.” he said, and gently removed her arms from around him. As he expected, Elizabeth’s tears dried up instantly and she was all smiles again.
“Oh, thank you, Sweetheart! Meet me outside when you’re ready!” she said happily. Planting a quick kiss on his cheek, she skipped out of the room, and he heard her going up the stairs heading towards the exit. He was completely disgusted with himself, he wondered how much of this she had planned and how much was improvised. She hadn’t been surprised by his answer at all; in-fact, he believe she had expected it.
With a sigh, Tartum made his way to his room. Putting his spell book on the shelf next to the other three he had acquired from the bishop, he sat on his bed and came to terms with his situation. He decided there was nothing he could do about how he felt about himself. He knew it was weak of him to allow Elizabeth to treat him like a floor mat. He also knew that dinner and sex was a small price for her to pay in order to get back into his good graces; but he couldn’t stop himself from desiring her. The idea of going out to eat really appealed to him despite everything that had happened. The thought of having sex with her afterwards got his blood boiling and his hands shaking. Summoning his will, he was able to get control of himself, but only just. He had been told about the power women had over men by Isidor, back when they used to frequent the brothel together in Zerous. Never had he realized just how powerless he was against their charms. Shaking his head and thoroughly disgusted, he resigned himself to his fate. Checking to make sure he had his components secured to his belt, he slung his staff on his back and went to meet up with Elizabeth. She may have gotten the upper hand today, but he promised himself next time she treated him like that, he would leave her for good.
…
Tartum met up with Elizabeth, and they began to head towards the tavern district. Elizabeth led him to a large building made of marble and stone. There were three chimneys extending out from the well maintained wooden roof, and all of them were billowing out a thick white smoke. The smells coming from them brought out his inner carnivore, and his stomach growled, demanding to be fed. Tartum had to wipe his mouth numerous times to stop from drooling. There was a large stone sign sitting in front of the entrance that depicted a treasure chest full of different types of meats. In bold, arching letters the name of the tavern had been carved into the stone.
“The Spoils of War, huh? Well, it smells great!.” Tartum said to Elizabeth. He was ravenous and no longer required Elizabeth’s prodding to climb the dozen or so stairs up to the entrance.
Elizabeth laughed as she watched him. “The entertainment is almost as good as the food, Sweetie!”
Tartum wasn’t sure what she meant by that and didn’t care. As long as he got to eat whatever it was that smelled so good, the entertainment could be two corpses fermenti
ng in the center of the room. He wanted to eat, and he wanted to eat now!
The doorway was covered by two large, black, furry pelts from an animal Tartum couldn’t identify. They were old and worn, but as he lifted them out of his way he noticed they were very heavy and kept much of the heat and smoke inside the establishment. If the smell of roasted meat had caught his attention outside, inside it was hypnotic. Every type of animal he could think of, and some he couldn’t, was being brought around to the fifty or so odd tables that were positioned around a deep pit in the middle of the room. The smoke and heat in the building gave the environment a cave-like feel, which he assumed was what the owner was going for. Lanterns hung from the walls and burned brightly enough to make the room comfortable but not intense enough to hurt your eyes. Tartum felt the same strange feeling he sometimes got when he was in an environment like this. He felt like he was home.
There were a modest amount of people eating at the tables, but there were still plenty of open tables for them to choose from, and Elizabeth ushered him to one that was on the edge of the pit. As they sat down, a chubby woman came up and put two mugs full of mead down in front of them and giggled. As she ran off, three more equally chubby women approached, that could have been sisters to the one that served them their drinks. Each of the women had platters full of meat carved directly from the carcass of the animal. Much to his surprise, the head of each animal was on the platter they carried. Tartum was taken aback by this unorthodox way of identifying his meal but found it exotic and decided to approach the situation with an open mind. Besides, if he didn’t eat something soon, his stomach was threatening to begin digesting itself.
“Would you like to try some wild bear?” one girl asked, as she placed a plate and eating utensils in front of him and Elizabeth. Tartum had never heard of a bear before. One look at the head let him know that its ancestors had provided the door for the tavern. He was amazed at the size of the creature’s head, easily twice that of a man’s and ten times as ferocious. Even in death, Tartum found himself wary of touching it. The serving woman saw his apprehension and giggled. She gave Tartum a large portion of the meat from her platter and left them with a wink. The second girl immediately stepped up to them and offered the next selection of meat from her platter.
“How would you two fancy some wisp? We got an ornery one from the zoo the other day, poor thing was a favored contender but was killed by that bear earlier today. It’s too bad you missed the fight! It was a shocker!” she said, as she placed a healthy portion on each of their plates before winking and running off to the next table. Tartum recognized the animal from the zoo. He had been fascinated by them, he remembered, but never thought of eating one. Now that it was on his plate, he could think of little else. He was about to dig in, when the third woman bounded over to them and offered up her platter.
“I have a true treat for you two tonight. Although the fight it lost was a good one, the spoils go to the victors. May I offer you some freshly roasted golcock?” she bubbled at them. Tartum’s jaw almost fell off his head. Reaching up, he seized the woman by the arm and locked eyes with her. The fact he was frightening her didn’t even register.
“Did you say this is a golcock?” he asked. His tone was dead serious, and he fixed her with his most scrutinizing gaze. When she didn’t immediately reply, Tartum looked at the head of the animal the woman had claimed was a golcock. To her credit, it didn’t look like anything he’d ever seen. The head was covered in a yellowish, leathery skin and its jaws were elongated. The teeth closely resembled that of a shark, and it seemed to be sneering at him. The eyes were still there and even though it was dead, Tartum felt as if the animal was evaluating him; sizing him up for the kill. The woman’s whimper brought him back to the conversation.
“Sir, you’re hurting my arm, please!” she whimpered. Tartum didn’t let her go but loosened his grip. He didn’t mean to hurt the girl, but hearing that a coveted spell component was within his reach had overridden any social decorum he might have shown her otherwise.
“I’m sorry, girl, I didn’t mean to hurt you, I was shocked is all. Tell me, is this the only animal like this you have? I’d be interested in paying for any and all eyes you possess from a creature like this.” he said. He couldn’t keep the desire out of his voice. He wasn’t sure if it was his explanation or the mention of money that eased the woman’s fear. He didn’t care; she regained her composure immediately and smiled brightly at him.
“Unfortunately, sir, this is the only golcock we have in stock at the moment. Let me get my father, he can better explain.” With a deft twist of her wrist, she removed herself from Tartum’s grasp and twirled away to fetch her father. Elizabeth was already eating but paused long enough to give him a questioning look.
“What was all that about?” she asked between bites.
The thought of acquiring more golcock eyes made him forget how hungry he was. Now that he saw Elizabeth eating, his hunger returned with a vengeance, and Tartum dove into the food on his plate. The smells that had caught his attention before did not do the flavor justice. His head was abuzz with the raw deliciousness of the meal. The bear meat was tough but had been seasoned so perfectly that every time he took a bite the flavor exploded on his taste buds. There was a smokey saltiness to the meat that made it simply exquisite. The wisp was equally delicious but for completely different reasons. The meat was delicate and supple yet incredibly juicy. There was a wild, almost fishlike quality to it, and before he knew it, his plate was clean. Taking a drink from his mug, he found it to be rather watery and tasteless compared to the meal, but he didn’t mind. He wanted more food and looked around for another serving girl to call over.
Instead of more food, he saw a big man looking down at him with a wide grin on his face. Tartum knew the moment he looked at him that his was the owner of the tavern and that he had fathered the four serving girls that he had met. He looked to be getting on in years; Tartum guessed he was in his late sixties. He was fat but it appeared to be the kind of weight that formed after an extremely fit man settled down and stopped working his muscles as much as they were accustomed to. Still, Tartum had no doubt the man was very strong, and from the way he held himself, he knew it. He was wearing a leather apron that was stained with animal grease, yet his face was clean and his smile warm. Tartum found himself liking the man immediately.
“I see you’re enjoying your meal, sir. Sorry to interrupt, but my daughter said you wanted to speak with me about the golcock?” the man said.
Tartum returned his grin and nodded. “This might be the best damn meal I’ve ever had, sir. Sorry if I scared your daughter, I didn’t mean to. I was hoping to procure the golcock eyes and wanted to negotiate a price with you, if they’re for sale.” he explained.
To Tartum’s surprise, the man didn’t seemed shocked by his proposal. He pulled a chair up to their table and sat down. He waved over one of his daughters; this one Tartum hadn’t met yet and made a mental note that this man had fathered at least five portly women. All of whom seemed to work in the tavern. She placed a bag next to him and glared at Tartum, before rushing off to tend to her other tasks.
“You casters always needed the damnest things, you know that?” he began, the smile never left his face. “I took the liberty of removing the eyes and bagging them for you. How do you offer to pay for them, good sir?”
Tartum began to reach for his pouch of gems he kept with him for just such an occasion, when Elizabeth tossed three medium sized rubies on the table. Tartum wasn’t sure who was more surprised, him or the man.
“That should be sufficient. One for each eye, and the third is for the trouble my companion has caused you.” Elizabeth explained between bites of her food. The way she handled the negotiation let them all know she didn’t expect to be haggled with, nor did she think the eyes were worth the gems she had given for them. Tartum silently promised to show her just how wrong she was, later.
The man swept up the rubies and examined them closely.
It only took him moments to confirm that they were indeed real and very valuable.
“My, my! It has been too long since I’ve had such generous customers! Ma’am, I find your offer more than acceptable, and as a thank you, may I offer you the honor of choosing the next battle?” he asked.
His offer caught Elizabeth’s attention, and she looked up at him for the first time with interest. “What do you have?” she asked. Her tone was flat, but Tartum recognized that look in her eyes; she was getting excited.
The man smiled brightly and produced a small worn paper from inside his apron. He handed it to Elizabeth. Tartum watched her eyes grow wide as she read it. He assumed it was a list of contestants, but he wasn’t sure what about that appealed to her. Holding the paper up, Elizabeth pointed at something written on it, and the big man nodded approvingly of the choices she made.
“Good, good! A fine pairing my dear! I’ll see to it right away. Please let me know if you need anything! Anything at all! My name is Hammond, and I’m the owner of this establishment!” he gushed. Bowing, he turned on his heels and hurried off.
Tartum picked up the bag up and looked inside. Seeing two eyeballs that resembled the one he had gotten from Shu-Shu, Tartum attached it to his belt. With the bag secured, he looked around for another serving woman. Waving one over that had a pig’s head on the platter, he helped himself to a modest portion of pork and began devouring his second helping. He was almost done when movement from inside the pit caught his attention. He looked and saw Hammond with the same cheerful grin on his face. He was asking for everyone’s attention and seemed to be getting it.
“Ladies and gentlemen! At special request by a most beautiful and generous patron, we have quite the match up for you now. A common, but vicious, combination of lion and tiger, weighing in at almost four hundred and fifty pounds. I present to you…A LIIIIIIIGER!!!!” Hammond said.
The Jade Mage: The Becoming: Volume 2 Page 19