Chương 9: Meat Shield

Back outside the atmosphere had changed quite a bit since Elias had made his expedition down into the basement. How long had he been down there? Impossible to tell exactly, but it looked like it was midday, and long beams of greenish light came pouring through any holes in the canopy overhead. The colors of the sky here seemed so moody and mercurial, even more so than on Earth. It also seemed the beasts of the jungle were awake and stirring, and there were all sorts of disturbing sounds to be heard in the distance.

Howls, snorts, chortles, and shrieks of all kinds. He listened more attentively than usual. There were animals out there. And animals meant reagents for his new Spirit Animal spell. But he knew he wasn't yet strong enough to venture out into the wilds all on his lonesome. He decided he best take Goggs' advice and hit up the tavern again. Perhaps he'd find some mercenary in there he could hire to be his meat shield while he went looking for a pack of wolves.

Elias sauntered over in that direction, keeping his eyes peeled for any new threats. The tavern was far sleepier than it had been on his last visit. And for that much, Elias was very grateful. He carefully scanned the room for any indication that Brock and those fireknights were about. Finding none, he felt the tension in his shoulders dissipate and approached the friendly barkeep with a warm smile.

"Good to see you again, lad. How are you getting on?" Elias felt a little surprised that the man remembered him.

"Don't look so shocked. I never forget a face. Particularly not after you doused Brock's sword. That story will be making the rounds for a few weeks yet. Here is a horn for you, by the way, on the house."

"Thanks very much," Elias replied.

"Yeah … I suppose I'm learning the ropes. Starting to, anyhow. Aside from all of the odd creatures trying to disembowel me, I guess you could say things are going halfway decent."

"Good to hear. To your health then," said the bartender, raising a horn in Elias' direction, but not waiting for a toast before he downed it. Elias drank as well, watching as the bartender went off to busy himself with polishing some casks in the far corner. This gave Elias some time to further study the few patrons to be found nursing drinks at … whatever time of day this was. He still hadn't really wrapped his brain around the changing colors of the sun and what they signified.

In one corner, a group of older gentlemen were engaged in some sort of complex-looking dice game. They chucked cubes and other shapes that appeared to be made out of bone, rejoicing with each roll. They were dressed in leather armor and one of them had a purple glow coming off of his shoulders. Elias thought about approaching them. But a group could spell danger, and they seemed pretty engaged in the pleasures of their game. And besides that, a lone woman had just caught his eye. At least, she seemed like a woman.

One of the few he had seen since arriving in this strange place, in fact. Only, there was something different about her. Something slightly … elven for lack of a better word. Yes, that was it. Her ears were pointy and her chin was slender and long. She had a silver swoop of hair and a few light freckles on her cheeks. But she did not seem quite as sprightly as the elves that had graced Elias' childhood stories. Instead, she had her head hung towards the bar and there were a few empty horns around her.

It looked like she was in the depths of some kind of depressive episode, at least from the way she had been tying one on. But more importantly, and to Elias' great delight, she also had a very big sword strapped across her back. This could only mean that she was a warrior, couldn't it? Although she wasn't very tall or muscular, he felt sure she could lend some skills to his reagent gathering expedition. At least, that was the excuse he gave himself to go up and talk to her.

"Hello there, miss," he said, tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. She turned and looked at him with hostile, fiery eyes. Perhaps she was far more awake and sober than she looked. There was an expectation there, and also a guardedness.

"What do you want?" she barked.

"Can't you see I'm deeply lost in thought here?"

"Well, I'm sorry to interrupt that. But I may have a proposition for you." Now she looked really angry.

"Not that kind of proposition," he said, holding up his hands. He had no idea why this felt so difficult. OK, maybe he did. He seemed to remember spending much of his formative years in a lab. Not a place where a lot of flirtatious banter occurred between the sexes. But he cleared his throat and tried to speak plainly. This was a business negotiation, after all.

"I need someone to help me … find some wolves. I'm told there may be a pack of them roaming in the jungle nearby. And I need some part of them for a reagent." She looked him up and down now, from his boots to the top of his head. And she didn't seem shy about it, either.

"What part?" she asked.

"Well I'm not really sure. See I've only been here … well, call it less than a day. And I am a druid who needs to do druid things. One of which is summoning an animal to aid me. But not without a reagent." She snorted.

"But the problem is … I'm a bit squishy at the moment, you see. I need someone with a big sword, not at all unlike the one you've got strapped to your back, to help me survive out there." He pointed in the vague direction of the jungle. If he was at all getting through to her, she was being careful not to show it. He decided he better lay it on a little thicker.

"I need a brave, stalwart, renowned warrior for an epic quest." That raised one of her eyebrows just enough that he could see he was making some headway. Perhaps flattery was the trick here, after all.

"Well, I am a world-famous warrior. So, at least you have a good eye as far as mercenaries go," she said. She reached out for one of the empty horns and turned it up, letting a few drops hit her tongue.

"I thought so," he said.

"You certainly have that look about you."

"How many echo coins you got?" She asked.

"Ten."

"TEN!?"

"Is that not enough for your services?"

"Pfft. Quit wasting my time, scrub. Like I said, I'm a big deal. If you're so perceptive, maybe you should have known that ten wouldn't even get me off this bar stool." He started to turn and walk away, but she stopped him with a hand on his sleeve.

"Wait … you aren't even going to haggle?" she asked, her voice suddenly sounding a lot more desperate.

"I don't have any more than ten coins. I could … maybe owe you another 10?"

"Another 20," she said.

"Alright, then. Thirty total. With 10 now and another twenty … like, whenever I get it?" She seemed surprisingly uninterested in the particulars of this hypothetical twenty coins. And now she had turned on her barstool so that she was facing him. A handshake was extended and accepted.

"Fiona is my name. Although I hardly need to tell you that. You must have heard tales of my exploits far and wide. You probably heard like … a song or an epic poem recited at some feast or other. That must be what brought you here to this bar in search of me, isn't it true?" Elias caught himself before he could explain the truth.

"Right. I mean, who doesn't know of the famous warrior Fiona of … the tavern. I knew I had to seek you out because no one else would suffice for a job like this." She was nodding along, so he decided to go on.

"That's right. Folks speak of Fiona with trembling reverence all through this … jungle." More nodding. More expectant eyes.

"Her awesomeness is discussed in every … place … where such discussions are held."

"OK, you are fumbling it a bit now," she said.

"But good enough. I will take your job. For I am a mighty warrior who lends my blade to those in need!" She jumped up off the barstool and pulled the giant claymore from her back, swinging it around in the air until the bartender made a cut-it-out gesture. The dice players had also paused their game to regard the commotion, but it wasn't with any fear or trepidation, Elias also happened to notice. More annoyance than anything. A few more swings and a thrust at the air, and she finally stopped.

"When do we leave?" she asked.

"Now works for me," Elias said.

"Huzzah! Woe betide you if you are a wolf because Fiona and … what was your name anyway?"

"Elias."

"Fiona and Elias are ready to run you through!" Elias thought he caught a few of the dice players rolling their eyes as they returned their attention to the game. But he couldn't be sure.

"Oh, by the way you two," the bartender suddenly said, interrupting the moment of hopeful boasting.

"Yes?"

"If you are headed towards the green sun, which is where all of the wolves are to be found, mind you, I would appreciate it if you could check on the old granary that is out there. I'm running a bit low on barley and I suspect there might be some salvageable bags out that way." # You have been offered a quest: Check the granary ruins and deliver any bags of barley you find to the barkeep. Accept? #"What do we look like, a couple of errand boys?" Fiona objected.

"Sure," Elias said.

"We accept."

"But—""Thanks," said the barkeep.

"There will be an endless horn of frosty ale for you both whenever you return."

"Alright then," Elias said, handing Fiona the ten coins that Goggs had given him.

"Let's go get started."