Chương 88: [Spectator Sport]

The group came in to the smell of something with gravy that made Parmo stop just inside the door.

"Ohh that smells good, I'm glad we came out rather than going with a pot noodle or something in the flat," he said. Their usual table was taken up by Mars, Nessa, Bram and Ronan, drinks in front of them but no food yet. They'd not long arrived themselves by the look of it. Mars spotted them first and lifted his glass.

"Alright," Leo said, pulling a chair out.

"Room for eight?"

"Just about," Bram said, shifting his frame along the bench to make space. They took their seats. Parmo looked at the bar and noticed Victoria had seen them. She raised two fingers to show she'd be right over. Luka had barely sat down before Growlie detached himself from under Mars's chair and landed squarely in his lap. The dragon kneaded once, turned a tight circle, and dropped down with a purr that vibrated up through Luka's thighs.

"Alright, mate, I missed you too," Luka murmured, finding the spot behind the folded wings without looking. Victoria appeared with her notepad. Leo ordered pie and chips before Victoria went round the rest of the table. Finished, she left to prepare their meals. Mars watched her go. Rika caught it from across the table.

"I saw that," she said. Mars widened his grin.

"She's quite the woman". The lads laughed. Nessa shook her head at Mars but all that did was make his grin wider. The door opened and Diane came in, already mid-sentence about something, Carl a step behind her carrying both their bags with the look of a man who wasn't sure how that had happened.

"I was told this was going to be a relaxing evening," Sam said as they reached the table.

"Shut up, Sam," Diane said, sliding in beside him. Carl found a chair and pulled it up. The table smiled at the two of them, Sam and Diane's antics quickly becoming one of their favorite spectator sports.

"Everyone, this is Carl," Diane said.

"Former student, current lab assistant". Sam looked at Carl with genuine sympathy.

"Condolences, mate". Carl gave a slow nod.

"I'm managing. Mostly".

"I don't take the opinions of idiots seriously," Diane said. Ronan laughed.

"Fiery as ever, Diane". Diane shot him a quick wink. Sam made a gagging noise that he tried to disguise as a cough.

"Should I go add our order?" Carl asked.

"Sure, just get me whatever you're having," Diane said. Carl nodded and headed for the bar.

"Who is he exactly?" Parmo asked.

"One of my students from a few years back," Diane said.

"One of the bright ones, which is why he's stuck with me".

"I bet he already regrets it," Sam said.

"Why would he? I'm going to make him the second smartest person in this town". Sam rolled his eyes. Nessa glanced at him, something close to dry amusement on her face.

"I'm surprised at you, Sam. You're the model student at training. Didn't expect you to be so whiny". Sam laughed.

"That's because you're actually nice and you help me. She," he said, pointing at Diane, "is a sadist and a cheat". Nessa opened her mouth and it stayed there for a second before it snapped shut. The blush came up before she had anything ready to say, which wasn't how things usually went for her. Mars noticed it immediately.

"You're going red, Ness".

"Shut up, Mars," she said, her voice returning to normal a second too late to be convincing. Bram turned his glass in his hands, looking around the table.

"I still can't get over it. How quickly everyone just got used to us".

"Why wouldn't we?" Leo said.

"You're just normal people. Different world, few extra features, but same as anyone back home when you get down to it". If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. The other four nodded. Nobody made anything of it.

"Our stories about orcs paint a very different picture," Diane said, glancing between Ronan and Torren.

"Clearly a load of nonsense".

"For those of us from Stonehall, maybe," Ronan said.

"I wouldn't get too comfortable with that assumption outside the walls. Most orcs I know are fine people but there's always the chance; I've met a few". Diane looked at him.

"Well, if they show up, you'll protect me, right?" Ronan grinned.

"Sure. I could do that". Rika's gaze moved between them, following the exchange with wide, patient eyes. Carl came back and settled onto his stool. Shai looked around the table.

"We went back to the village earlier," she said.

"There's a scout report you should probably hear. Mike's going to break the news to the rest of the council tomorrow, Diane, but now's as good a time as any". The table settled. Shai told them about the tracks. The strategic discussion around the table deepened as the group processed the implications of the scout report.

"Whatever it is, it likely came down from the wilds," Ronan said, his usual unhurried grin replaced by a look of veteran focus.

"I've fought some of the monsters from further north before. At least this one doesn't seem to be one of the smarter ones; those are the real threat". Bram nodded in agreement, his massive frame casting a shadow over his half-empty glass.

"It's probably best we add other defenses to the ones we currently have going up".

"Did the scouts see anything else?" Nessa asked, her brow furrowed as she looked at Shai.

"No, that's everything so far," Shai replied.

"But Yara is going to keep rotating parties, so we'll know more in the coming days". Mars leaned forward, thinking of the logistics.

"Let's hope the village is okay. It'll be getting short on the usual people capable of protecting the walls if they have that many out patrolling from Stonehall to here".

"I'm sure she has a solution for that," Shai said.

"She's also tasked me with asking Mike about finding someone to live in the village for a while until this is dealt with. She plans to use the UI as a way to instantly pass information".

"That's smart thinking," Ronan noted, looking impressed. Diane tapped her chin with her pen, her mind clearly racing.

"I wonder what it is. If we have familiar races here, I wonder if it's something the people from Earth have heard of".

"I wondered that too," Sam admitted, though his voice lacked its usual analytical edge.

"But then I started to picture some of the worse stuff and put a stop to it. I didn't want to give myself a reason to worry more than this already does". The group went quiet for a moment, the weight of the unknown beginning to settle over the table. The silence was broken abruptly when Growlie reached his head up and gave Luka a long, wet lick across the face just as he went to speak. Luka sputtered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Oh man, gross dude! You got my tongue!" The tension shattered instantly as everyone, Shai included, erupted into laughter.

"Man, I know you love animals, but that's taking it a bit far, mate," Phil said, grinning as he watched Luka continue to wipe his face. As the laughter died down, Shai looked over at Diane.

"By the way, I have an official invite for you to the village festival. I'm sure you bringing Carl along won't be a problem if you decide to come. It's in around three weeks". Diane's eyes lit up immediately.

"I'm coming. I can't think of much that would keep me away from visiting a real fantasy village".

"Diane, your nerd is showing," Sam said, his dry tone returning. Without looking away from Shai, Diane simply flipped him the finger. Victoria returned with the group's meals.

"Enjoy," she said, as she walked back over to the bar. The group settled into their meals, the heavy weight of the report momentarily pushed aside by the arrival of steaming plates. As the tension began to melt into the noisy background of the pub, Mars leaned forward, his grin returning.

"You five going then?" he asked, gesturing between the lads. Luka nodded, still occasionally wiping a stray bit of Growlie's drool from his cheek.

"Yeah, it sounds fun. Be good to see the village properly".

"You going to enter any of the sparring competitions?" Mars asked, his eyes dancing with mischief.

"No idea," Luka said, pausing with a forkful of food.

"It's in a few weeks, so maybe? Depends on how far we are in training. I'd like to, though. I want to test myself". Bram gave a slow, approving nod, his broad shoulders shifting.

"Good goal to have. Testing your mettle in the sparring ring is different from the training yard". Nessa, who had finally regained her composure after Sam's earlier compliment, let out a dry huff.

"I bet they end up roped into it either way. Koss is going to have something set up for them, no doubt. Probably some kind of 'welcoming' thing that she finds more amusing than anything else". At that, the heads of everyone at the table who wasn't from Earth nodded in unison. They clearly knew Koss well enough to fear her idea of "amusement".

"Well," Ronan interjected, his voice a deep rumble.

"If any of you want to spar with me, I'll happily take you on. I won't make it quick, either. Give you a real go at it". Phil, never one to back down from a challenge, didn't even hesitate.

"I'll do it," he said straight away. Phil was too busy looking determined to notice Shai's eyes go wide, but Leo caught the look. He glanced at her and grinned; Shai simply shook her head slowly, looking like someone who was already picturing the bruises Phil was going to earn. Diane leaned across the table, her eyes fixed on Sam with a malicious grin.

"Are you going to spar, Sam? I'd hate to see you make a fool out of yourself".

"Oh, fuck off," Sam replied instantly. Mars let out a loud laugh, and even Ronan's grin widened at the exchange. A little while later, the plates were polished clean, and the last of the drinks were finished. Rika stretched her midnight-blue wings, the feathers catching the torchlight.

"Well, it's been fun," she said, sliding out from the bench.

"But if you all don't mind, we have a movie to watch". The guards exchanged confused glances, the concept of a "movie" still a bit of a mystery to most of them. Diane, however, perked up.

"Which movie?" she asked.

"Two Towers," Rika replied proudly. Diane's eyebrows shot up. She looked at the group of eight, pointedly ignoring Sam.

"Well, it can't have been Sam's idea, because that is the best choice for a first movie trilogy. Well done, lads". Sam shook his head, pushing his chair back and getting to his feet with the rest of the lads and the trio. He adjusted his coat and looked down at Diane.

"Well, Diane, it's been horrible," he said with a straight face.

"Let's never do this again". Then his expression softened into a grin as he looked at the rest of the trainers.

"Lovely as ever, guys. See you all later". The group of eight filed out of the King John's, leaving the warmth and the noise of the pub behind for the cool, quiet street. As they walked off toward the flat, Rika's wings gave an excited flick.

"I can't wait," she chirped, her eyes bright as they headed off down the street.