Chapter 30:

Stryg observed the snowflakes tumble through the air with an inaudible nature. For a brief moment he forgot the bustling streets surrounding him and he was once again in Vulture Woods, sitting on an ashen tree branch, enjoying the tranquil snow.

“Ooh, the first snowfall of the year. It’s pretty. Too bad it’ll get chilly soon. I hate the cold,” a cheerful voice said from behind the hybrid’s ear.

Just like that the moment was ruined and Stryg was back in Hollow Shade. “Remind me why you’re here again?” Stryg sighed.

“What’s the matter? It's a beautiful day and there’s no classes today either,” Plum said.

“You’re the matter, or rather problem,” Stryg continued walking past the throngs of people. It was getting cold, but it didn’t stop anyone from visiting the trade district.

“Come on, you don’t wanna go shopping with your best friend?” Plum teased with a mischievous smile.

“I am not your best friend.”

“So, not my best friend, just a regular friend then, huh. Works for me,” Plum laughed and skipped on ahead.

Stryg groaned, he didn’t know how to deal with this drow girl, she refused to leave him alone. He took a few swift steps and quickly caught up to her. “Why are you here anyway?”

“I wanted to buy a few things here and there,” Plum said while browsing through a few clothing stalls. “And you’ll pay for them.”

Stryg barked out a chilly laugh, “And here I thought you were just a library pervert, turns out you're funny too.”

Plum slapped his shoulder, but he dodged. She hated teaching him the word ‘pervert.’ He always found ways to slip the insult into their conversations. “You will pay, or otherwise I won’t give you the dragon book I found.”

“What? You found a new book?”

“Yep, after searching the archives for weeks, I finally managed to get access to one of the rare book archives and I found one tome that referenced dragons in some detail. It was a lot of work, I’m not gonna lie, but we’re friends right? After all, I would never do this for someone who wasn’t a friend.” Plum looked down at Stryg with a malicious grin, “We. Are. Friends. Right?”

“...Yes,” he muttered.

“What was that? I’m sorry we don’t all have amazing hearing, could you please speak up?” Plum held her hand to her ear.

“Yes,” he grimaced.

“That’s better,” Plum smiled smugly. “Relax, it’s not like I’m making you buy a beastkin or something. You won’t spend more than a golden coin or two.”

“Golden coins, are you joking?” Stryg had gained a simple understanding of coins and gold was clearly too much for a dress. For that price Stryg could eat at the Merry Crescent tavern for months.

“Come on, I know you make decent money as professor Loh’s assistant. Take pity on this poor wee ol librarian’s assistant.” Plum held her hands between her sizable chest and gave him doe eyes.

Stryg sighed, “Only one coin.”

“Yes!” Plum made a small fist bump to the air.

“And let’s get this done fast, I still need to pick up my master’s package from the White Rose Cauldron, which is all the way across the district. So, be quick about it.”

“Of course, of course,” Plum nodded repeatedly. “Oh look at that, a new perfume shop!” She ran into the store.

“Damn you Plum.”

Plum dragged Stryg to half a dozen shops before she had declared herself finished. Plum used the time to ask him how she looked with one dress or another, but Stryg spent his time ignoring her. Plum pouted as they walked out of the final store.

“I’m glad you settled on the red dress,” Stryg said.

“Wait, you actually like it? You didn’t say anything back there.” Plum looked at him in surprise.

“Oh, no. I don’t really care. I’m just glad that we’re finally done.”

Plum groaned, “Ugh, you're useless. How am I supposed to know if people at the ball will like the dress or not? I can’t trust the sales clerk, they only wanna make a profit.”

“What ball?”

“Do you live under a rock? The academy’s winter ball of course. Everyone’s been talking about it.”

“I’ve been busy with my readings and classes, I didn’t have time to bother with the gossip of others.” Stryg spent his time trying to become the most powerful mage he could. He needed to be the strongest among his class. He wouldn’t accept any less. Not anymore. The weak Stryg would be a pastime.

“And I thought I was a bookworm.” Plum shook her head. “Well, when you’re a 3rd year and it’s your chance to participate in the winter ball, I promise you’ll have a different opinion.”

Stryg stopped walking. “Wait, Plum, you’re a 3rd year!”

“Yeah, duh. I thought I told you that already.”

“No, you didn’t. Why are you such a weak spell caster then?”

“For your information, I’m considered average in my class. Sorry, if we can’t all measure up to overachievers like you. Some of us actually want to enjoy our time at the academy.” Plum frowned at the dress folded in her bag. “Gods I hope this one is ok.”

“You looked pretty in the dress, so stop worrying about it, it's annoying.” Stryg said without looking at her.

Plum smiled, “Oh, is little ol Stryg flirting with me? Playing hard to get?”

“Dream on, pervert.”

“A heart as cold as ice,” Plum laughed. “Don’t worry, this big sister knows just the place to warm us both up.” Plum hooked her arm with his, which felt a bit strange because of the height difference, but Plum was short for a drow so she somehow managed to make it work.

“Hey, what are you doing? Let go of me.” Stryg warned.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Plum said nonchalantly.

She led him towards a food stand managed by a young man. “Two cups of hot chocolate please.”

“Right away miss, that’ll be two bronze coins, please.”

Plum looked at Stryg expectantly.

“Wait, you expect me to pay? After I already bought your fancy dress?”

“Oh come on, don’t be a miser. Besides, I promise you’ll love this. It’s perfect for the first snowfall of the year,” Plum assured him.

“Hm,” Stryg looked at the large pot of hot chocolate on the stand. It did smell nice. “I didn’t bring a mug with me.” While taverns offered mugs and other cutlery, the food stands did not.

Plum shrugged her shoulders in an exaggerated motion and pulled out a mug from her purse, “What would you do without me?”

“Have more money?”

“Do you want me to share my mug with you or not?”

“You’re lucky it smells good.” Stryg tossed a coin to the young man, “Make that only one cup.”

Plum shared the hot drink with Stryg as they walked down the street. It was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. It warmed him up similar to the time he had drunk the Fire Breath shot at the tavern.

“So, how is it?” Plum asked.

“...It’s ok.” Stryg took another sip.

Plum nudged his arm, “Sure, and that gorgeous woman over there is only ok.”

Stryg glanced at a human woman who had just passed them. Stryg had to admit she was quite beautiful, especially the way her waist shuffled as she quickly walked ahead of them, it reminded him of professor Tauri.

“She is pretty,” Stryg said.

“Heh, you have good taste too I see.” Plum made a lecherous laugh.

“If you like her so much why don’t you ask her out to that winter ball.”

Plum’s face suddenly turned a shade darker, “You know I’m not good with talking to strangers.”

“You had no problem talking with me.”

“That’s different. You literally caught me at the most embarrassing moment of my life aaaand you promised not to talk about it, so let’s not.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

Plum ignored him. “Besides, what would I even say?”

“You could just ask her out for a drink. A guard captain I know told me that’s what commoners do.”

“Come on, I don’t even know her. She probably doesn’t even see women like that anyway.”

“You won’t know unless you try.”

“Ugh, Stryg. We may be commoners but we’re magi. Commoner folk like her would be scared to even talk to one of us.”

“Seriously? I didn’t know that. I’ve talked to many commoners and none gave me that impression.”

“Did you tell them that you’re a mage?”

“...No.” The need had never come up.

“And that if they pissed you off you could kill them and raise them as undead to do your bidding?”

“Hm, I see your point.” Stryg had never really thought about it. Of course, despite being a black mage he was a failure of a necromancer, but he didn’t see any need to mention that to Plum.

“Oh, there she goes,” Plum said as the young woman turned a corner.

“And there goes your chance,” Stryg added.

“It’s whatever. I’ll find the right one for me eventually.” Plum took another sip of the hot chocolate.

“Hey, leave some for me,” Stryg reached for the mug.

“I can’t promise that,” Plum smirked and held the mug out of Stryg’s reach.

“I’ll kill you,” Stryg said with a straight-face.

A shriek pierced the air. Stryg and Plum walked past the corner to see the young woman from earlier being mugged by an orc and a human in an alleyway. People glanced at the woman’s predicament but quickly hurried on their way, afraid to get involved. The woman kept screaming for help as the two men began ripping her clothes off.

“We have to help her!” Plum said, dropping the mug.

Stryg caught the mug with a deft hand. “Why?”

“Because she’s in danger, why else!?”

“People get mugged here all the time, survival of the fittest, you know. Just let it be.” Stryg took a swig of the hot drink.

Plum looked at him incredulously, “What is wrong with you?”

Stryg tilted his head and studied her with his strange lilac eyes, his pupils narrowing into slits, “Why do you want to help her? You don’t even know her. She’s not your tribe member. She’s not your friend. Why in all the Realms would you get involved?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do obviously, plus she’s hot. Now are you going to help me or not?”

“That’d be a resounding no on my end.” Stryg took another sip while calmly watching the half-naked woman be attacked.

“Ah, screw this.” Plum dropped her dress and purse and rushed into the alleyway.

A large mountain lion appeared in the alley and roared at the two thugs. They fell to the floor with a shout of fear. Plum dashed under the lion and grabbed the hand of the young woman, “Come on, let’s go!”

The woman was confused, but she followed Plum anyway. Her free arm accidentally touched the mane of the lion, causing the feline illusion to shimmer and disappear.

“What the fuck?!” The orc gangster shouted in confusion.

The orc jumped forward and grabbed the young woman’s hair right before she exited the alleyway. He yanked, the woman’s neck snapped back as she slammed to the ground hard. Plum turned around in shock as the orc’s fist slammed into her gut. She wheezed for breath and crashed to her knees.

“Where did this bitch come from?” The other thug said as he stood up.

“I don’t know. I don’t even know what the fuck I just saw. Some animal just appeared and disappeared. I must still be tripping on those shrooms,” the orc said. He turned at the two women and grinned. “But, you two aren’t going anywhere are you?”

A small blue figure shot forward and latched onto the orc. Stryg clawed the thug’s face and neck before he had a chance to even scream. The two tumbled to the ground in a bloody mess. Stryg immediately rolled as his body touched the floor and darted towards the remaining enemy. The human drew a knife and swiped at Stryg. But the goblin slid beneath his feet and jabbed the man right in the balls. He screeched in agony as he dropped his knife and fell to his knees. Stryg yanked the man’s head backwards, exposing his neck. His claws tore through the human’s jugular in a flash. Stryg kicked the dying man to the floor. The blood-soaked hybrid took slow deep breaths as he looked around for any more threats.

After ascertaining their safety, Stryg glanced at Plum who was clutching her stomach and staring at him in shock. “Plum, you’re an idiot.”