Seeing the look in her eyes, I stood face to face with the competitive side of her. She was ruthless and totally flirting with me—or was I the only one that felt a vehement attraction? I studied her features in that moment in a way I hadn’t allowed myself before because the thought of Aeris was always with me. But in that moment—Aeris who?
Nothing about her was masculine despite her obvious strength. She reminded me of a gymnast that was at the highest level. Her body was one of grace and power, but she still had the face of a beautiful young girl. Of course, she wasn’t a gymnast, and she wasn’t a child. Her sport was combat, and I believed her when she implied that she’d beat Manu if I didn’t. I might be at the top of those in the preliminaries, but there were still the geniuses amongst geniuses that would only appear in the main competition. She was one of them.
I swallowed the knot in my throat and turned away. I should have told her about Aeris’s predicament days ago even if I was still going to leave. “I won’t embarrass you,” I finally responded.
“I’m not worried about me.”
Was it the Head Mistress’s mission that she was really talking about? “Then I’ll have to show you that you don’t have to.”
She smiled up at me as if accepting my response, but seeing her look down and away, I knew she was resigning herself to the fact that I was ultimately leaving.
What I’d ultimately have to do was going to hurt. There was no way around it now.
***
I arrived at the restaurant with not one but two escorts. Shamash was with me to advise me if necessary, and Alexandria was there to negotiate. The lich was dressed in typical vampire fashion and looked even more out of place than I did, but Alexandria wasn’t too far off either. I still didn’t know why, but she didn’t wear the beast skin fashion that the rest of the Tir family did. It was a mystery that I’d have to ask Jale about.
It would have been easy to ask Alexandria herself, for she was walking next to me in her ankle-length black gown. We’d already arrived, however, and I suspected there might be a long story behind it. It was too late to ask now.
Shamash was following behind us. The lich couldn’t have cared less about his character’s reputation, which fit his nameless status well enough.
I’d expected the establishment to be different, but the one-story building had an open entrance that spanned the length of the wall and was unlike the rest of Hallow. There were people inside and out, with a variety of races conversing and music coming from within. The last thing I’d expected was bass, but it filled the place with an energetic tempo. It wasn’t overly loud, although with the senses of a vampire a normal concert wouldn’t have drowned out the voices of people I was trying to talk with.
“Zerin of Tir,” called out a gentleman dark elf in a vampire-style suit. “You honor me with your visit to my Maans Chophouse. I am Bahman, the owner of this humble establishment. Follow me. I will take you to Eshana Dara.”
Unlike Jale, Eshana wasn’t an actual princess of the Andheree Raat kingdom, just a talented young warrior who was here to gain experience. Seeing the reaction of the many people outside that had heard the restaurant owner’s words, she was treated no less than if she were.
I was quick to smile, knowing that vampire etiquette would be lax here. “Thank you, Bahman.”
He stepped forward and reached out his hand. “Lady Alex,” he said, with a dramatic bow. “Please, allow me.”
She placed her hand in his without hesitation. It seemed they were old acquaintances. It was also the first time I’d heard someone call her by a shortened version of her name…
I followed close behind, putting on a warm front as everyone we passed turned to look at me. That included dainty little dark elf girls and bowling ball shouldered orcs. There were even a few minotaurs and a human or two. It wasn’t just Bahman’s mention of Eshana’s name that drew their attention. Everyone seemed to recognize me. I wasn’t the only vampire either. There were a few mingling amongst the crowd. No one was acting coy around them, but many people stepped aside the moment they saw me.
I heard Eshana before I spotted her. She’d chosen a round table near the middle of the dining room with a great view of the stage. I’d heard her belly laugh several times as she jeered her opponents during the preliminaries. She sat sideways in her chair with a friend sitting next to her as they watched the show. They chatted with a gaudy carelessness that was all but forbidden in vampire society.
The dark elves had many skin tones, like Bahman’s that resembled charcoal. Eshana’s tone was like an aged silver dollar with a tinge of purple. That didn’t mean her skin was tarnished in any way. It was almost too perfect. In that way, the vampires didn’t have a monopoly on flawlessness.
We came to a stop a few feet from the table, which looked to be made of pale green wood. It was large enough to fit a party of eight or more.
Bahman announced our presence. Even with the show going on, the people at the surrounding tables all gave us a glance. The girl sitting with Eshana did the same, but my date didn’t turn around right away.
It was then that I noticed the girl with her. She was a human with midnight black hair that was braided down her back in a similar fashion to Eshana’s. She was more cute than elegant, with a round face and a petite build. What struck me more than anything was how comfortable she was sitting there. She was no slave girl.
I imagined Eshana was having a laugh at my expense, for when she turned, she gave me a sideways glance with more roguish charm than a cat. She had the larger slanted eyes of an elf, but they weren’t as overly large as they were normally depicted on the surface world. She had an exotic look, but it was less exaggerated and much more natural. It was the long thin ears that were her most inhuman feature.
“Zerin of Tir, you actually came,” she began. “I was afraid to order in case you didn’t show up and I’d have to pay.”
The owner who introduced us froze at her words. Did he think I’d come to spar with her? Well, in a sense I guess I had, just not in the way he thought.
“After ruining your swim earlier, I wouldn’t dare do such a thing,” I replied.
The human girl next to her snickered.
At the same time, Bahman relaxed, and with the reflexes of a champion server, he pulled out the seat next to her so that I could sit.
I didn’t hesitate to slide forward and plop down as if my feet were killing me. My actions seemed to be even more shocking to the owner than Eshana’s words, for he jumped back. With a big grin, I looked over my shoulder and thanked him again, ignoring his confusion.
He then took Alexandria and Shamash to the side of the room and seated them separately.
“One of everything, Bahman,” Eshana called. “The vampire is paying, so bleed him dry.”
I shook my head with a laugh. “A sampling of all the beast-blood drinks you have as well.”
Even Eshana straightened in her seat when I didn’t reprove her and added more to our order.
Seeing her reaction, I answered her unasked question. “I’ve been told by a beast-feeder princess that I have to start drinking actual blood or it doesn’t count.”
“You don’t drink blood?” The human girl leaned so far forward as she asked that she jarred her chest against the table.
When I glanced at Eshana in question, she responded, “This is Jelly. She’s a friend of mine. Now answer her question. You don’t drink blood? At all?”
“Only if I have to toast, or something. So mostly no. It keeps the temptation under control.”
The girls looked at one another and a strange look passed between them. With a shrug, Jelly pushed her chair back and climbed onto the table. She crawled toward me on all fours.
I expected things to be a bit crazy during my date with Eshana, but what in the Underworld was this?
She stopped a foot from my face and looked like she was trying to see into me. Pouting her lips, she stretched out her neck and said, “You’re not tempted at all?”
Thankfully, tonight I’d come prepared. “If I’m honest, I’m tempted to lick you to see you freak out, but then you both might think I’m a little strange. As for being tempted to bite open your neck to fill my throat with great gulps of your blood—Nope. You’re cute, but I’m not interested. Sorry.”
She stuck out her tongue like she was disappointed or something, then crawled back off the table and addressed Eshana. “This is no fun. I’m going to look for trouble elsewhere.”
When she’d left, Eshana gave me a curious look. “Is there something wrong with you? You don’t drink blood, so you’re not blood-crazed, but then why would you want to come to a place like this with a dark elf? Really…”
“I like to think that there’s something right with me,” I said, and we shared a chuckle. “But to answer your question, I was unnamed until recently, and I haven’t spent a lot of time in polite vampire society. I’m a bit more comfortable here. I’ve also enjoyed your fights and find you interesting. Plus, I feel like I owe you one after my recent behavior.”
“Interesting? We’ll see. You passed my first test far easier than I thought you would.”
“Jelly?”
“Yup. You were at least supposed to give her a nibble. But I’ll get over it, beast-feeder. Oh, and this place really isn’t that expensive, so I needed to order a lot to make you suffer a little.”
“I completely understand. Your neck burns look like they healed well. No scarring.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. You beat me. The more you bring it up, the harder I’m going to be on you.”
“I look forward to it.”
Chapter 28 – Stabby stab
In some ways, my short time in Maans Chophouse was the most fun I’d had since coming to the Underworld. It wasn’t like discovering magic for the first time or other such fantastical wonders, but it was a simple time listening to excessively theatrical music and enjoying the company of an eccentric girl and her equally silly friends.
To be honest, it wasn’t like I was expecting at all. It seemed Eshana’s mind never stopped coming up with pranks, but they were mostly harmless. Having the waiter switch my drink, calling over an extra foul-smelling orc to stand way too close to me as she spoke with him, or Jelly’s insistence on appearing randomly to ask me if I was ready to bite her yet were all devilry coordinated by Eshana herself. She didn’t try to hide it. The more I watched her, the more I got the feeling she did it out of inquisitiveness, and not because she wished me abuse.
Between her pranks, our conversation was actually much calmer. She was an open book and liked to talk. When I was trying to figure out why someone got stabbed near the end of all the band’s songs, she explained that it was an artistic expression of heartbreak. They always healed themselves after the song had ended, then simply started the next one. It was a dark elf group of six elves playing that night. Two of them were drummers, though they didn’t have drum sets as was typical on the surface world. Each drum was separate, and they were lined up according to the drummer’s preference. The stretched leather covering used was unique for each drum, and even changed the sound. I admit that I was fascinated.
There was an instrument that resembled a guitar, a flute, and a person I nicknamed the crier. The main vocalist was a female dark elf with blue tinted skin, but next to her stood another girl that was almost obsidian black. Her job was to cry and wail on cue. It was almost like they were an emo girl band, with some metal thrown in, then seemingly random ballads in the middle of their songs—before the wailing stabby-stab that happened at the end. The vocalist’s voice was incredible, but I couldn’t decide if I liked the music or not…
When it came to food, Maans really did serve us everything on their menu. Eshana’s appetite wasn’t tiny, but there was no way she could eat everything herself. I stayed in character and didn’t take a single bite. Many of the dishes ended up being passed to her friends, which was pretty much everyone there that night.
She made sure to remind them that I was the one that bought the food, which brought on a swift change in everyone’s attitude and the looks they gave me. Before I’d made them anxious, but now I was receiving boisterous thanks and pats on the back. The pats were as firm as Russ’s, which seemed to be an orc thing. Maybe Russ was half orc… He was better looking though. I suspected Eshana had planned this even if she would never admit to it. It helped me relax even more.
As for the beast-feeder drinks, there were 33 of them, although the blood used for most of them came from only a couple sources. Still, I received small stat bonuses just as I would have from casting Drain. Few of them tasted good, but not one of them tasted like blood. As Jale had requested, I tried them all and even asked Eshana how they were made.
+17 Strength
+27 Dexterity
+100 Yuck Face
It wasn’t a lot of stats, but you’d hear no complaints from me.
“So which is your favorite?” Eshana said, after I’d tried them all.
I grabbed an empty glass and replied, “This one for sure. Smith’s Dregs. Great name too.”
“A woman’s drink? You wouldn’t know this, but its name is just for marketing. It’s sugary so men aren’t supposed to admit that they like it. You should pick something that’s bitter and tastes terrible to show how manly you are. You’ve definitely failed this test. How could I marry a guy that doesn’t at least pretend to be mannish?”
After a couple hours of her ribbing, I knew not to take what she said at face value. “So you’re ready to marry anyone that picks the right drink?”
“Of course not. They also have to be able to beat me in a fight. Not wanting to eat me helps too. So you have a few things going for you. There’s also the fact that our children would be born blood hungry which would make nursing them painful…”
“Just start singing a song before putting them on, then feed them at the stabby part. Problem solved.”
“That’s brutal.”
Seeing that she was serious, I couldn’t help but scoff a little. “After everything I’ve seen tonight, that’s what you consider brutal?”
She grinned, even though her heart didn’t seem to be in it. “Motherhood is sacred. We’re not complete beasts.”
“I never thought that once, even before tonight,” I said, matching her softer tone.
“And that’s why I can’t figure you out… Are you sure you’re not drunk? Maybe you’re in love with me and are just overlooking how vexing I can be. Or maybe you really don’t mind the madness and are a little crazy yourself.”
“The last one,” I said quickly. Was it really that strange that the beverages didn’t affect me? One of the drinks she’d had the bartender switch out was supposed to make me loopy, but it didn’t affect me at all…
“No, you’re definitely in love with me. Well sorry, friend. You can’t have me unless you win the Festival of Parmida. A girl has got to have her standards. Win that, then let’s say a hundred more dinners just like this, then I’m yours. I’m very clingy though. After experiencing our music, you know how ‘stabby’ us dark elves can get. You’ve been warned.”
“Well, since I’ve been found out, I best get back to prepare for tomorrow’s fight. If I can’t even win the preliminaries then there’s no hope for me. I might as well look for another job while I’m at it since you’re going to drain my purse as dry as a shriveled corpse.”
“Then I’ll walk you out,” she replied, leaning toward me as if to look for any hidden meaning in my words.
Bahman appeared soon after, as if he’d been watching me to make sure I didn’t leave before paying. He was too experienced to give away any such thoughts with the way he acted. His voice sounded in my mind with a personalized thanked me again for coming and gave me the price. I sensed his apprehension, which made me realize how good I really had it.
Three Master Dark Orbs appe
ared in my hand, which I passed to him. They disappeared into his inventory as soon as he’d received them. It was more than he’d asked for. Tips weren’t expected in the vampire realm, but the giving of extra money for good service was universally understood.
The owner blurred into action. He spoke to Alexandria and Shamash for me. Alexandria rose from her seat while still talking to a dark elf that I’d seen with Eshana before. It looked like the negotiations had gone well. Shamash had sat alone and was like a statue coming to life as he came to his feet.
When I stood, Eshana flashed over and slid her arm beneath mine. It was as if Bahman had arranged a parade in a few seconds’ time. With Eshana and I in front, Alexandria followed with the dark elf in like manner, and Shamash brought up the rear. Saying farewell would be impossible until we got outside. The entire dining area seemed to line up and form a path as we headed toward the entrance. I was then bombarded with people wishing me luck in tomorrow’s fight.
If it weren’t for Sai and Jale, I was starting to think it probably would have been better for me to disguise myself as a dark elf or orc. I would have enjoyed their company a whole lot more.
Once outside, everyone finally left us alone. The man who walked with Alexandria bid her farewell, and she and Shamash stood back so that Eshana and I could have a moment to do the same.
My date pulled away from me and she dropped the flirty façade. “Do you think you’re going to win tomorrow?”
“I have a few things I’ve been holding back, but he’s possibly done the same. Still, I’m confident,” I replied.
“Do you think you’ll kill him if you have the chance?”
“I may have to, but if I have a choice… I don’t know yet.”
“Then I wish you well, Zerin of Tir. If you end up dying, I can console myself knowing that I gave you one of the best nights of your life.”
“Stop it. You’re going to make me cry.”
We shared one last moment of hilarity. “Thank you, Eshana Dara, for making me laugh nonstop all night. Even the music was good, but I think there is something wrong with your friend Jelly.”
Underworld - Scorching Sun: A LitRPG Series Page 24