“Wait, we don’t want to fight you,” Tabitha pleaded holding her hands out towards them.
“We’re not going to fight you,” Sasha hissed.
“We’re going to murder you!” Rulo yelled out.
“Get away from my lord!” Forrus shouted before she and Sasha dashed towards the girls. Sasha swung her large blade at Tabitha, the neko ducking under it then over to the side before she quickly drew her swords out. She only had a brief second to raise them both up to block Sasha’s second swing before she was knocked to the side by the force of the attack. As she crashed through a table and sent dishes and glasses flying Forrus ran towards Daemon and Scay with a howl.
“Unhand him now!” Forrus demanded as she started darting around Daemon who stood still between them, his eyes merely watching as Scay and Forrus circled around him constantly before he took a drink of his pint again.
“I just want to earn money!” Scay cried out as she tried to keep the swordsman between her and the furious lycan. “Please, I have nothing right now! Hee hee! I love your fur by the way, can I wear it? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
“Psycho bitch!” Rulo yelled as she swung her hammer down at the naga, just missing her and smashing a bench into the floorboards with a loud crash. Daemon remained still as the dust from the blow flew past his feet before he rolled his eyes from their behavior while Scay quickly slithered away low to the ground and under a table.
“You won’t get away!” Forrus snarled as she tried swiping her claws at the agile snake girl. Rulo swung her hammer over again and smashed through the table just behind Scay as she screamed and darted under another one nearby.
“Would you knock it off already?” Tabitha snapped as she jumped away from Sasha’s blade which swung down and struck into the floor with a heavy whack. The reptile girl yelled in anger and struck her blade out through the ground towards her, tearing apart the floorboards and sending splinters flying as she pressed on with her assault.
“Nobody touches my master!” Sasha yelled as she swung her blade around wildly at the neko. Tabitha backed up and blocked a swing then parried another, the forceful attacks pushing her back while her blades screeched and sparked as she tried to fend off the reptile girl with all her strength.
“Alright, I can see I crossed a line with you,” Tabitha grunted before she started swinging her blades at the reptile girl with swift strikes. She hit Sasha’s weapon which did nothing to knock it aside then jumped up as the reptile girl whipped her broadsword around in a crosscut. Landing back down she darted forward and swung one blade towards Sasha’s leg and another towards her hands from the other direction. To her surprise the reptile girl quickly shifted her stance down to block one of the attacks with her hip armor while she angled her broadsword and parried the second attack with her sword at the same time. Before Tabitha could recover from having her swords knocked to either side of her Sasha lunged to the side and whipped with tail at her, smacking the neko across the chest hard and throwing her back into a bench which she crashed right through.
“A mistake that you shall not live long to regret!” Sasha declared as she ran towards the neko while spinning her blade around then holding it up behind her.
“Hold still!” Rulo oinked as she swung her hammer down onto another table again. Scay darted out from under it right before it was crushed into the ground, sliding quickly along the floor before Forrus grabbed her tail and yanked her back with a yelp.
“This ends here,” Forrus growled as she knocked the naga’s dagger away then held her down by the shoulders while snarling at her with bared teeth.
“But I don’t want it to end here!” Scay cried out as she wiggled about underneath the lycan.
“Hey!” Daemon called out. All the fighters stopped and looked to him as he slowly turned his gaze from one girl to the other while drumming his fingers on his sword’s handle. “I just can’t take you girls anywhere, can I?”
His companions slowly looked around to seeing floorboards smashed and sticking up in places, tables and benches knocked over and wrecked, shattered dishes and glasses with food and drinks spilled about on the floor, and the windows and doors all broken after the other patrons had fled in haste from their outburst. Sasha held in her frustrated grunt then looked down to Tabitha as the neko was leaning back against the broken table she was slumped against away from Sasha’s broadsword which was held in place an inch away from her face. Rulo and Forrus glanced to each other then to Scay as the naga was whimpering with watery eyes while trembling in fear under the lycan.
“You three have done enough damage for today. You’re done,” Daemon ordered.
“But, master-” Sasha pleaded at him before freezing as he watched her with his cold blue eyes.
“Sasha. Enough.”
Sasha’s hands trembled as she slowly nodded then backed away from Tabitha while looking down with remorse.
“But, my lord,” Forrus worriedly said. “This one touched you, she held her dagger close and-”
“She’s not a threat,” Daemon interrupted her. “Look at her, she’s terrified of you. They just want work, that’s it.”
Forrus looked down to Scay with a growl, seeing the naga holding her hair over her face and peeking through it at the lycan with a shaky whimper. Rulo grunted and looked over to Tabitha as the neko slowly got back up and held her hands and blades up defensively.
“We just want to get paid for doing our job,” Tabitha insisted. “Please. We’re on your side, we’re here to help you. I have no interest in touching him, in fact I was strictly made aware that in doing so I would be signing my death warrant with Charlotte. I’m not going to do anything stupid with him, if I even talk to him badly Charlotte will have my fur for her new carpet. This is all just business, that’s it.”
Sasha, Rulo, and Forrus eyed her carefully then looked to Scay as the naga slowly parted her hair while watching the lycan with watery eyes. Tabitha glanced down to her then sheathed her blades and slowly walked over towards them.
“And go easy on the poor girl, she just wants to earn some money. She’s got literally nothing now, she’s lost everything coming out here; she needs this job. Besides she’s harmless-”
“Stab,” Scay grunted with a strained expression, hands grabbing her face as she slowly smiled and giggled with a twitching eye. “Please, want to earn money, then I can have a man and nrrghmmm! Rape. Stab. I want to wear your fur, so sexy. Nrrghmmm! Please let me help. Please?”
Everyone just stared at her in silence before turning to Tabitha. She hesitated for a moment while listening to Scay murmuring to herself again then sighed before glancing down to avoid seeing their dull stares at her.
“She may have some issues, not going to lie about that,” she admitted before smiling weakly at Daemon. “But I assure you that being what she would call a friend is actually a better alternative to being her enemy.”
“She appears completely mad,” Forrus said as she saw Scay watching her with a twisted smile on her face. “Even speaking to a filthy neko such as yourself is insufferable enough as it is, but what reason could we possibly have for wanting to befriend this one?”
A streak of purple light flew in from the doorway and across the room, striking into the barrels behind the bar and blasting them into a fiery mess. Torches were thrown in from the windows while sounds of females shouting and cackling outside began to grow louder. Black pouches were tossed into the tavern from the openings, hitting the floor and bursting into noxious black clouds that began to creep around the floor and slowly rise up in the air.
“The locals seem upset about something,” Daemon mentioned before glancing around at the girls. “Can’t imagine what though.”
“I thought they were afraid of you,” Tabitha questioned.
“Looks like they’re more angry than afraid now.”
Giant barbed stakes erupted from the ground outside and struck inward through the doorway and windows, the magically summoned timbers shattering glass and breaking throu
gh the walls as they shot up from the dirt and blocked the openings.
“What’s happening?” Scay nervously asked.
“They’re trying to kill us,” Forrus dryly replied as she stood up and looked around, seeing fire spreading along the ceiling and walls while the back of the building had become a blazing inferno from the burning liquor.
“Seriously?” Rulo scoffed. “They think they can trap us in here like this?”
Daemon finished drinking his pint then tossed the glass away before he started walking towards the front entrance. He grabbed his sword but before he could unsheathe it Tabitha quickly ran over and took hold of his hand.
“Please, let us help you,” she implored. “Dammit, this is my job. Let’s get something straight here, I have no personal interest in those artifacts, I have no personal interest in you, and although I’m not thrilled about having to work near a damned lycan I’m going to tolerate it because I have to. I’m under orders to help you finish your quest, and I am not going to give up on this contract.”
Daemon eyed her for a moment before looking back to Scay, the naga slowly picking up her dagger while watching him with a strained smile.
“Please, let me get money too. I’ll be your best friend. Hee hee! Stab,” she grunted before running her fingers along her blade.
“She’s insane, I know,” Tabitha admitted to the swordsman. “But she is strong and willing to help. I can keep her in line, she listens to me.”
Sasha, Rulo, and Forrus growled quietly at the girls then looked to Daemon with concern as he turned his sights back onto Tabitha. He then drew his sword out, a small white glow coming from it before he held it close to Tabitha’s neck. She leaned her head back slightly as she felt the sword resting against her while keeping her eyes on Daemon who was watching her sharply.
“Alright,” he cautioned her. “If you’re so insistent on aiding us then do as you wish. You and your friend can try and earn your gold, it is no concern of mine if you succeed or not, however I don’t trust witches or those they employ very well. If you or your friend cross us I can assure you that you will pay the price, and not with gold.”
“I promise, this is no trick,” Tabitha assured while holding her hands up. “Once you have all your artifacts then I’ll collect my payment from Charlotte and be on my way. That’s the only reason I’m doing this.”
“Forrus, watch this one closely. Should she be lying do as you wish with her.”
“With pleasure, my lord,” Forrus growled while glaring at Tabitha. The neko glanced to her with a low yowl then back to Daemon as he kept his eyes on her a while longer.
“Great,” Tabitha concluded. “Now that we have that settled, we should probably get out of here. Any thoughts?”
Daemon lowered his sword then glanced back to his girls, with Rulo walking up to them with heavy steps holding her hammer over her shoulder.
“I’m thinking we kill those bitches out there,” Rulo snorted as she walked past the neko towards the front entrance.
“We’re sure to have a large gathering waiting for us,” Sasha reasoned as she brought her sword up at the ready. “Since you two are so desperate to serve us then how about you go first and take down as many as you can before you die?”
“I’m to help him, not you,” Tabitha retorted with a scowl at her. “He’s the only one I’m being paid to protect.”
“Then I’ll pick you up and use you as a living shield to protect him,” Sasha hissed at her. “We’ll make sure to bury you with your gold for doing your job.”
“Um, the fire is getting bigger,” Scay nervously said as she saw the tavern burning closer to them. A few support beams and rafters fell into the inferno while the flames spread along the floor and ceiling.
“My lord, what should we do?” Forrus quickly asked Daemon. He kept his eyes ahead at the blocked entrance while Rulo swung her hammer back and poised herself to strike at it before looking to him for his approval.
“We’re leaving town, one way or another,” he answered as he brought up his sword.
“Then let’s do this!” Rulo shouted as she swung back and got ready to strike at the barricade.
“Wait!” Tabitha called out. The group looked to her as she slowly approached the orc, carefully listening to the sounds of monsters outside laughing and sneering at them.
“Why?” Rulo demanded.
“If we’re going out that way then let me go first.”
“I agree. Sasha’s plan of using you as a shield will come in handy,” Rulo said with a nod.
“That’s not what I meant. I can help turn this in our favor, just let me go out there first and talk to them.”
“Talk to them?” Sasha repeated with discontent. “What are you going to say to quell that crowd of monsters out there?”
“Trust me,” Tabitha insisted as she turned to Daemon. “I get that you’re all strong fighters, but that’s a lot of monsters out there. What do you have to lose with me evening the odds for us? Let me prove to you that I can help.”
“If that’s what you want to do, then go ahead,” Daemon answered while lowering his blade. “Rulo, open the door for her.”
“Ha, sure thing,” Rulo laughed at the neko before she swung her hammer around and smashed it through the barbed stakes, blasting the barricade apart with a loud crash. The sounds of females outside shouting and laughing more was heard as Rulo then stepped aside and gestured towards the open doorway with a smirk on her face towards the neko.
“After you.”
Tabitha held her hands on her handles and slowly walked towards the opening, seeing a large gathering of angry monsters out in the street with torches waiting for her.
“Tabitha?” Scay worriedly asked as she moved a little closer. “What are you doing to do?”
“I’ll be fine, Scay. You all can come out in just a moment,” Tabitha assured her before carefully making her way out of the tavern. She saw trolls holding spears and rusty blades, goblins wielding dirty swords and spiked clubs, gremlins with their alchemic bags and sharpened daggers, a few orcs holding large stone axes and maces, and witches with magical wands and decorated staves in hand as their focuser gemstones glowed with vibrant colors.
“Are you one of that human’s bitches?” a gremlin called out with a sinister smile. “Hand him over to us or else you’re going to know what real suffering is.”
“You were the one begging to be his little kitten earlier, weren’t you?” a troll laughed while pointing her spear at the neko. “You sure picked the wrong human to chase after. You’d best hand him over now; we’re going to put him to good use before spilling his guts.”
“What’s wrong?” a witch giggled while tilting her head with a playful smile. “How come you came out all alone? Did they kick you out of their burning grave? Hahaha!”
“I wouldn’t be laughing if I were you,” Tabitha shot back at the witch. “You witches are crossing a line that you will sorely regret.”
“Oh? Why is that?” another witch laughed while stroking her wand with a slick grin on her face.
“Because that human in there belongs to Charlotte, your alpha!” All the witches jumped a bit in surprise as Tabitha pointed to them with a stern expression. “What the hell are you thinking? I was told to watch over him by Charlotte and keep him safe, but I didn’t imagine her own followers would be so stupid as to turn their magic against him like that! Are you out of your mind? You could have hurt him, why in Eden would you try to hex and rape what belongs to Charlotte?”
“Wha- wait, what?” a witch stuttered while the other monsters in the crowd watched Tabitha with confusion.
“What do you mean what?” Tabitha shouted as she marched over and stood in front of the stunned witches. “Are you trying to play dumb here? Apoch and Astreal sent me personally to aid this human-”
“Apoch and Astreal?” one of the girls nervously repeated.
“All by order of Charlotte who has decreed that the human who goes by the name Daemon Warri
ck is hereby her property, and is off-limits to all witches in this region!”
“Her property?” Sasha growled loudly as she and her enraged companions stood near the entrance with Daemon and Scay watching Tabitha from one of the windows.
“One of you stupid girls tried to hex him in there!” Tabitha continued while pointing back towards the burning building. “The rest of you are joining this mob so as to rape and murder him? Do you have a death wish or something? How stupid are you?”
The witches before Tabitha trembled while backing up a step, all of them glancing to each other with fear while the other monsters in the crowd watched them with dull expressions.
“But… but…” one of the witches stammered before Tabitha glared at her.
“If you don’t believe me then just you wait,” she threatened, with the witches turning pale as she eyed them with a low hiss. “If you end up being responsible for a single hair on his head being out of place, then you are royally fucked. Charlotte will not be happy with you, and I could only imagine the hell she would put you through for harming what is hers.”
“You’re lying,” a witch shakily said while pointing to her. “Our alpha has said no such thing about that human.”
“I assure you I’m not, although even if I was would you really want to take that chance?”
The witches looked to each other nervously before Tabitha backed up and waved for the others to come out. Scay slithered out towards her while Daemon and his girls followed after. Tabitha crossed her arms and glared at the witches while Scay rushed up to her side and Daemon’s group walked up behind them.
“You have two options,” Tabitha warned. “You will protect what is your alpha’s from harm, or you will answer to her for failing to do so. Which is it going to be?”
Chronicles of Eden - Act VI Page 22