by Eric Vall
“Did you say something, half-breed?” Luke said mockingly, and the men beside him began to laugh. Luke joined in, but within seconds, his raucous laughter was choked off when Rana’s clenched paw slammed into his stomach.
“I thought I told you not to call me that?” Rana said darkly. The man let out a muffled yell of surprise and staggered backward a bit as his brothers stood with their mouths agape. Luke clutched at his stomach, and both he and the other men glared at the fox.
“Why, you rotten little mongrel,” Luke gasped as he struggled to steady his breath. “You’ll pay for that.”
Then all hell broke loose.
Luke released a guttural yell and lunged toward Rana. I had anticipated such a reaction after the fox’s blow had landed and had already stood before he had a chance to move toward her. I grabbed his shoulder firmly, and he whirled around to look at me in surprise. As soon as he turned, I punched him in the nose.
He fell back from the impact and knocked down both the thin man and his chubby brother in the process. The muscular brother who was still standing spat another racial slur at Rana, and she flew at him to land a series of lightning-fast punches to his face and stomach. The man groaned and toppled backward just as Luke and his younger brothers began to pick themselves up.
The remaining brothers from the table stood up and raced over to join the brawl. When two of the men went for Carmedy, she squealed and ran around to the opposite side of the table. As the attackers gave chase, Annalíse casually stuck her boot out as they passed. The first man tripped, tumbled forward and crashed onto the floor. The man behind him tried to stop himself, but he halted too quickly and tripped over his own feet to slam to the floor as well.
“Idiots,” Annalíse breathed. The tall, thin man and his portly companion jeered at Morrigan who sat calmly at the table. Her lips formed a tight line, and she whispered a single word to the ravens who perched on her shoulders. The birds immediately leapt from their master’s shoulders and dove toward the two men. The younger brothers shrieked at the birds’ sudden movement. They cowered and covered their faces as the ravens flapped above their heads and snatched and pecked at them with their talons and beaks.
Morrigan and I had shared the same thought. These men weren’t worth the use of our dark magic. Luke finally managed to find his feet, and he glared at me as he wiped his bloody nose with his sleeve. With an evil grin on his face, he pulled a small knife from his trouser pocket. He began to walk toward me through the battling throng and jiggled the blade in his hand smugly.
“I think I’ll start by carving a few notches in that ugly face of yours,” Luke growled as he pointed his weapon toward my cheek. “Then I’ll cut off three or four of your fingers. Tell you what, I’ll even let you choose which ones you get to keep.” He let out a wicked chuckle. “If you beg for mercy, I might even let you live.” If this man thought that I was going to beg him for anything he was sorely mistaken. His desperate pleas would soon fill the air, not mine.
I waited for him to get closer. He wouldn’t be getting up from my next attack so quickly. When he was only a few steps away, he gripped his knife in preparation, but I was ready for him. It turned out I didn’t need to be. As he pulled his arm back to stab at me, one of the brass candlesticks from the tables smacked him in the back of the head. Luke’s face froze, and he blinked his eyes rapidly before he slumped to the floor. As he fell, I got a clear look of Rana, a wild look in her eyes and a candlestick in her paw.
She gave me a brief nod before she ran back into the fray. I didn’t need her help, and I was certain that she knew that. She had seen firsthand what I was capable of, but I knew that she hadn’t come to my aid because she felt that I was in trouble. She had done it because she’d wanted to.
“All of you, stop what you’re doing right now!” Tom suddenly bellowed. The manic fray abruptly ground to a halt. Rana had one brother in a headlock and Annalíse had another in a choke hold. Morrigan still sat at the table with a bored expression across her face, and as she moved her lips, her ravens ceased their attacks. Carmedy had crawled underneath our table, and she peered out from underneath it.
“I think it’d be best if you folks left,” Tom said to our group. The pained look on his face told me that he didn’t really want us to go, but he didn’t need trouble in his place of business. He probably also figured that our staying here wouldn’t be such a good idea with the Bardens around.
“That’s alright.” Rana shrugged as she released her hold and dropped her victim to the floor. “We were just leaving.” The fox-tailed woman tossed her curly bangs aside and gave Luke and a few other Bardens wrathful stares as she stormed away.
Annalíse released her grip on her sniveling prey and shoved him aside as she walked away to retrieve our belongings that she had left upstairs. She returned within a few moments, and as she walked through the group of men we had fought, some of them flinched as she passed by. Carmedy crawled out from underneath the table as Morrigan rose from her place on the bench.
“But… but what about my pie?” Carmedy whined and looked sadly in the direction of the kitchen.
“We won’t be having any dessert tonight,” Rana mumbled as she grabbed the cat’s hand and led her away.
“Aww, no, but I was looking forward to it,” Carmedy pouted. “I saved room.” The furry-eared cat patted her stomach.
“Forget it, we’re leaving,” Rana said as she snarled over her shoulder at the Barden brothers who were scattered across the floor. Each of the brothers had received some sort of damage from our brawl. The men bore an array of bloody noses, bruised faces, and nasty scratches. They glowered at us as we left the tavern and grumbled amongst themselves.
“This isn’t over.” Luke pointed at me as I walked out the door. This was something that we could agree on. I hoped that we would meet again. I had barely gotten started with him.
“What are we going to do now?” Carmedy asked as the five of us walked down the street in the cool night air. “Are we going to have to sleep outside?” The cat slumped her shoulders.
The busyness of the town had disappeared by now, and the road was pretty much empty save for a few staggering men who had overindulged. The noise of the town had declined, and I figured that most of the townsfolk were asleep. The only sound that I could hear was the liveliness of the tavern that we had left behind.
“No, I don’t think we’ll have to sleep outside,” Annalíse said. “I’m sure there’s more than one inn here given that the town is so large, but I doubt that it’ll be as nice.” The freckled woman momentarily slanted her eyes at Rana. “Everyone, keep your eyes peeled for another inn.”
“What are you looking at me like that for?” Rana said annoyedly.
“I don’t know, Rana,” the warrior woman started. “I just… did you absolutely have to punch that guy?” Annalíse winced. “I was this close to sleeping in a nice cozy room.” The warrior held up her hand and pinched her thumb and index fingers close together. “Now we’re probably going to end up staying in some rat-infested dump.” I had to agree with Annalíse. While the tavern hadn’t been lavish, it had been large, comfortable, and the food had been excellent.
“Ohh, I’m so sorry,” Rana said mockingly. “Forgive me for being bothered by some scar-faced dimwit calling me filthy and half-breed. My apologies,” the fox woman sneered.
“I know, I know.” Annalíse held her hands up. “But do you think you could have handled the situation a little bit more… delicately?”
“Delicately?” Rana narrowed her blue eyes. “You’re joking, right? You know, that’s rich coming from you. You’re a slash first, ask questions later kind of girl. What would you have done if you were in my shoes?”
“You don’t wear--” Carmedy began, but she quickly shut her mouth when she saw the exasperated look that Rana gave her. “Never mind,” the cat said quietly.
“Go on, Annalíse,” Rana said as she turned back to the female warrior. “Tell me what you would have done. Would
you have let someone talk to you like that?” The fox woman’s face had begun to turn red as she spoke and as she waited for a response, she pursed her lips.
Rana made a very good point. Annalíse was certainly not the type to brush off insulting remarks. If she were to be slighted in the way that Rana and Carmedy had been, I wondered if she would even allow the person to live. The swordswoman’s comments were a bit hypocritical. Annalíse was quiet for a moment and then she released a heavy sigh.
“I’m sorry, you’re right,” the warrior murmured.
“Of course I am.” Rana threw her paws in the air. “You’re human. You don’t understand what it’s like to be Carmedy or me.” She gestured to the cat. “Pretty much everywhere you go, people are staring at you and whispering, and those are the nicer ones. There are always people like those brainless Bardens that have the nerve to say it to your face,” the fox woman said bitterly.
“I simply try to ignore people like that,” Carmedy said with a careless wave of her hand.
“But how can you ignore them?” Rana said in disbelief. “They’re everywhere. Doesn’t it bother you? Didn’t all those things that guys said to us get to you?”
“Of course, I don’t want someone to say mean things about me,” Carmedy said in a pleasant and surprisingly serious tone. “No one does, but I try not to take it to heart. I think people say stuff like that sometimes because they don’t understand you, or they’re afraid of you. We’re different, and maybe that scares them. Plus, what if their parents were prejudiced people and taught them to think this way? Maybe they grew up in a town that wasn’t welcoming of other races. They might have grown up kind of… brainwashed, you know? Not everyone has the strength or will to think for themselves.” The rest of us looked at Carmedy in surprise.
This was a remarkably astute observation for the small woman. I hadn’t expected her to give Rana such an insightful reply.
“Yeah, well, I do take it to heart.” Rana swished her tail in frustration. “There are very few places where I feel welcome. Everyone assumes that you’re up to no good when in reality, you are only minding your own business. More than half the people I pass in the street probably think I’m going to rob them blind,” Rana mumbled.
“You are a thief, are you not?” Morrigan raised a white eyebrow.
“Yes, but I’m not out here trying to rob everyone.” Rana rolled her eyes. “I don’t steal from poor folks, and I don’t steal from friends,” the fox woman said seriously. “I only steal from people that can afford it,” she whispered and looked off to the side for a moment.
“I didn’t mean to offend you, Rana,” Annalíse said gently, and she put a hand on the fox’s shoulder. “I was just really looking forward to sleeping in a nicer place. They seem few and far between in this town.” The chestnut-haired woman glanced around at the drab buildings that were showing their age.
“I know,” Rana sighed, and she gave Annalíse an apologetic smile. “What’s with you and beds, anyway? You seemed more excited about where we were sleeping than the food.”
“I don’t know.” Annalíse grinned as she shrugged. “I guess I wanted to feel spoiled. Maybe I have an appreciation for the finer things in life,” she said with a wink. “And that was as fine as it was going to get in a place such as this.”
“Yeah, sorry you won’t get to enjoy the nice beds,” Rana said sheepishly. “And I’m sorry about your pie, Carmedy.”
“That’s alright,” Carmedy said cheerfully. “I’m sure that tomorrow I’ll find somewhere else around here I can get some. Or even better, some cake!” The cat licked her lips excitedly.
“You and your cakes,” Rana said with a chuckle. Annalíse and I joined her laughter. Morrigan’s face twitched, and I thought for the second time today I had seen her smile… but I could have been wrong.
We walked along the moonlit street for a while longer and soon found another inn. Annalíse had been partially right, it wasn’t nearly as nice as the tavern we had come from, but it wasn’t rat infested. It was quite small though, and there was the faint odor of fish as soon as we opened the door. The small fireplace was crumbling, and the dusty wooden floors squeaked when we walked across them. But it was warm inside, and they did have vacant rooms. Rana deemed it “clean enough.”
After I bid my minions good night, I closed the creaky door to my room. I leaned the God Slayer against one of the knotted wooden walls, and I removed my robe and armor. As I stretched out in my bed, I noticed that the middle of it sagged a bit, but it didn’t bother me. It was still happy to be here. I enjoyed sleeping out in the open under the stars, but this was also pleasant. My minions could sleep soundly without concern.
As I stared up at the water damaged ceiling, I thought over the events that had transpired today. I had seen for myself the racism that Rana had spoken of the night they had slept in my dungeon. While Carmedy’s willingness to forgive and forget was admirable, Rana did have a right to be angry. I had witnessed the hatred that people bore for fox-folk and other half beings twice today. Once had been enough to disgust me. Rana had probably experienced this sort of treatment her entire life. Carmedy, on the other hand, had the luxury to live in a community of pacifists where there was surely no prejudice at work. She hadn’t been subject to jeers and crude remarks nearly as much as Rana had.
And then there was the fact that Rana clearly came from a poor family. Lack of means mixed with racial intolerance must have made for a very difficult life. These recent events made me want to understand what it was that she was trying to hide even more than before. Whatever it was, she probably wouldn’t ask for my help. Like Morrigan, she was a bit prideful, and she looked to handle things on her own. I hoped that she would soon understand that she wasn’t alone. She had Annalíse, Rana, and Carmedy. And me. I was sure that the other three women would be as willing to help if they knew that their friend was in trouble. And then there was Annalíse…
I didn’t find her reason for hiding on our way to the trade shop to be believable. All this business about a lover who had left her. When I thought about it, she hadn’t actually said that she was hiding from a former lover. Carmedy had interpreted the female warrior’s lack of response as a validation of her suspicions, and she had jumped to her own conclusions. Rana had leaped right after her. Annalíse hadn’t confirmed any of this, she had merely said that she had seen a man that she knew. This man could be anyone. A brother, her father, a man who wished her harm, the possibilities were endless.
Annalíse was as puzzling as Rana. Then again so was Morrigan and her mage markings, but to my knowledge, Morrigan had been entirely truthful the few times she did speak. The elf was merely extremely secretive. She and Carmedy were the only ones who had been honest. As I dozed off, my mind wandered to the dungeon we would travel to tomorrow. What treasures would it hold? What sort of deity would we find there? Whoever the dungeon’s master was, I couldn’t wait to take their power for my own. The sensation that I had experienced when I had harvested the illusion goddess’s power had been tantalizing. It had aroused even the darkest parts of my soul, and I couldn’t wait to taste it again.
Chapter 13
We awoke early the next morning and set out to take care of our business before we embarked on our next adventure. The small inn that we had spent the night at didn’t serve food of any kind, so it was fortunate that we had been able to finish our meal before the fight had broken out. However, it did leave us without a meal to start the day. We contemplated digging into our provisions to save us the time and trouble of having to find a place to eat, but on our way through town, Carmedy suddenly stopped in front of a building.
“Hey guys, look at this!” the cat-girl exclaimed in excitement. Her mouth began to water as she read the sign outside that listed the various offerings. “Let’s see,” the cat mumbled. “For breakfast, there’s eggs, bacon, and porridge available. And oh, here we go … cinnamon buns, cakes, and pies can be ordered any time of day,” the petite woman added with a glutto
nous smile.
Before any of us could say anything, Carmedy vanished inside.
“Leave it to Carmedy to find a place that sells sweets five minutes after we wake up.” Rana chuckled and shook her head as she entered the building.
“Well she did say that she would find somewhere else that sold dessert,” I pointed out as the rest of us followed behind her.
“That she did, demon man,” Rana said with a grin. “That she did.”
The feline’s selection proved to be a good one, and we all enjoyed a simple yet pleasant meal. While the rest of us declined the various baked goods for sale, Carmedy decided to indulge in the cinnamon buns. I stopped keeping track after she inhaled the fourth one.
“Hmm, that was delicious,” Carmedy purred as she licked the last bits of sugar from her lips.
“Gee, do you think you ate enough?” Rana said with a wry grin.
“Yeah, I think so.” Carmedy patted her stomach, happily unaware of Rana’s sarcasm. As she licked her fingers, the woman who had brought us our meals began to remove our dishes. “Um, excuse me?” Carmedy asked the brown-haired woman with the flour stained apron.
“Yes?” the woman said politely as she continued to clear the table.
“Before we leave, I’d like to order a pie to take on the road.” Rana, Annalíse, Morrigan, and I all stared at her in disbelief. Where did the petite woman put all this food?
“Certainly.” The server nodded. “What kind?”
“Cherry, if you have it,” Carmedy beamed.
“We baked some fresh this morning,” the server said as she stacked the plates in her arms. “I’ll bring it out in a second.” As the aproned woman walked away from our table, Rana burst into laughter, and both Annalíse and I stifled chuckles.