Chapter 26

Entering through the crack in the corner, that was wedged between the hardwood frames, I turned back to see my supper going cold, whilst Peb ate his share like a Stoneman eating the dust after the stone. It was dark inside this tunnel of woes, but surprisingly, it was not cold, nonetheless, I rubbed my shoulders, checking around the small hall. There was a sour odor in the stifling air that made me want to puke into the shadows of its confinement. However, I held it in, with no desire to see how empty my stomach really was.

“So what's the reason you took me away from my dreams?”

Teka swiveled his head to give me a weird expression. Noticing that he had no words to follow up on my questioning complaint, I inquired again. “So what is the reason you brought me down here?”

“Hurry let's be quick.” He turned forward. “Watch your step.”

Peeved at the response, I watched my step, then shrieked. “Rattlesnakes!”

There was a dead carcass of a rat, lying dead at the side of me. Its furry silhouette had cloth and leather garb outlining its appearance. The odor of the dead creature was prevalent all around the confined space. This time I literally puked.

After gagging hoarsely away from the dead rat, I glared at Teka, who gave me a shrug at my silent question. “Maybe, I should have warned you?” He prompted.

In disgust, I pushed on, “Come on, let's get going.”

There was a twig spear near the dead carcass with an iron nail tied atop. Now that was a conventional use for a nail, but what would be the reason for such armament? ‘Maybe against other rat folks?’ I shrugged it off, as that.

I was familiar with the Ratfolk, and the Mousefolk, for they also lived in the forest, but as wildling creatures, who barely wear anything to cover their furry skins. Which was a lot more natural than the rats in this town. I guess civilization is wide-reaching in its ideology, even amongst the small folks.

“So what was the reason that I’m here again?”

“Well, after I took down a few rat folks, I heard something downstairs, when I was atop the wooden supports of the ceiling.”

“Heard something?”

“Yup. I noticed earlier that those giant humans, with those strange colorations in their hair, eyeing us suspiciously. So I went on to check on them.”

“I noticed that too.” But I wasn’t too paranoid to assume they were suspicious now that I recalled. I guess Teka must have felt a different vibe from them.

“Anyways, so I had to check them out. And I heard some strange things.”

“Strange things?”

“Come.”

After crossing atop the wooden frame of the tavern’s ceiling, to a chorus of cheers from below we tried to look for the peculiar group of men. Not spotting them, Teka directed us through another wall that led us above the musk smell of a barn, that was catered to the less sentient type of species, horses.

Teka turned to me, with a hush signal, as we walked atop the wooden supports of the stable’s ceiling. There were three men bickering on something, amongst their steeds.

“It told us to leave the grass folks alone.” A hoarse voice growled with the familiarity of a man used to repeating his commands.

“What about that knight?” Interjected a dullard tone.

“That’s nonsense, I told you already.”

“Those small folk can be sold for a pretty amount of Bits.” A nasal voice suggested.

After a few more feet, we had reached atop a support that was close enough to give forms to the voices down below.

“I told you already, we can’t take them. It won’t allow it.”

“Why are you following such a creature?” The nasal voice continued. “Small folk are worth a lot in Saharia, especially high leveled ones. And from what I heard, these ones fought through a dragon. Imagine, the number of bits we can get from the Arenas.”

“I told you…Felix.” The man growled, he was average in height between the large bald one and the nasally thin one. All with blue streaks running in their heads.

“What about the knight?” repeated the bald dullard.

“Shut yer trap Pog!” The man roared, sick and tired with his subordinates.

“Something going on?” A door was agape slightly to another man with a blue streak.

“Nothing, Trig! Keep watch on that little one.”

“Ah right. You know-” The man halted, about to deliver a point, “It’s just, weird...To see a grass man seduce the barmaid.”

“Just keep an eye on him? And what about Tomas?”

“Uhh, he is still in his cups.” Trig hinted.

“I swear! If he is drunk when we do this. I’mma tear him a new one, lightning mage or not, I don’t care.”

“So what's the plan again Boss?” The bald dullard Pog inquired.

“Okay, okay, they are just mentally challenged. Don’t lose your temper.” The hoarse voice muttered to himself, as he massaged both his temples. For some reason, I felt an unlikely kinship to this leader of brigands who planned on assaulting us. I could totally relate to him, with his subordinates.

Teka and I listened carefully to his plans from up above.

“Okay, this is the plan, at night. We gas the room at midnight, with what those shrink hunters use when capturing small folks. Then we go in, take the child, and make a break for it.”

“What about the other job, Boss?” The nasal Felix interjects.

“Who cares, the Mayor can deal with his own problems, this one is worth a boatload more.”

“It could be worth more.”

“Shut yer trap!” The leader snarled. “Who's the leader of The Bolt Five?”

“You, sir…” Felix and Pog both muttered.

“Yous darn right, I am, and don’t yous forget it!”

Teka and I both retreated aways from this point, already having garnered enough of their plans to stop listening to their bickering any longer. When we reached past the tavern's wooden support, I had halted.

“What do we do?” Teka asked, with shoulders tensed.

I had to consider carefully what to tell Teka and tell myself. I needed a plan to get us safely away from the situation that was ahead of us. “We fight?” He suggested. I shook my head in the negative. Fighting in such a close confinement against humans, would likely constrict our ability to fight or escape if things went out of hand. Especially when our charge is in the same room with the violence, the chances of the baby Art being hurt was very likely.

“They are only after the child? Should we let them take him?” Teka offered, albeit timidly at his suggestion.

I gave him a look that made him understand that it was not a course I would ever be willing to consider. Taking a deep sigh, I concentrated on the likely future events with makeshift plans that were conjured up through my deliberations. I figured escaping was my best bet, avoiding the violence was always the optimal method to avoid risk and conflict.

But how do I escape without detection?

They are after the baby...So If I successfully conceal Art when escaping, then my mission would be accomplished. Having an idea already in my mind, I signaled Teka to move. I cringed at what I was planning to leave behind, but this was the only viable scheme I had planned in a short amount of time.

Entering the room we rented, I spotted Oona, holding a paper straw on my half-tankard of ale. She was sucking through it, shamefully, as she drank a portion of alcohol. My face turned distraught at the image before me, which then made me shudder in what I had lost because of my impromptu escapade.

I glared at both Teka and Oona with utter outrage. Already half the mutton was already gone, but I could not complain to Oona, because she was the one who had grudgingly paid for it. Then I recalled the memory of the leader of the Bolt Five, massaging his temples. With a similar thought, I did the same before I acted.

“Okay, everyone! Listen up!” I shouted out in the room.

Sera turned and gave me the loudest “Shhh” that I never thought possible from a small lung. “The baby is asleep!” She hinted, an angry expression planted on her brows. Oona looked at me dazedly, then at Teka. She then shrugged again to sip. Peb was asleep, in a pool of stew, ale, and grime. He had scratched his stomach, which was a signal to me, that he was stoned to the world, a victim to his gluttony.

My face collapsed at the situation at hand, on what I was facing. I needed everyone with their facilities intact, for what I was about to do. An invective in my courses, I beckon Teka to help me.

We had removed the Golden fur backpack off the Knight Mecha’s sitting form. After untying the grass weavings, we began to unlatch the backplate of the Knight Mecha.

“One layer is done, three more to go,” I grunted.

After lifting up the chainmail, we had to cut through the leather fabric with my grass saw. Reaching the grass wireframe, we untied the grass support, into a rectangular opening, which led to the interior of the chest compartment.

Shoving aside a bunch of rocks and plants, we crammed in the wicker basket. With the next step in mind, I turned to scrutinize Sera and the baby who were strewn upon the bedsheets. Art was wrapped inside his cloth, unconsciously sucking on his pacifier, whilst Sera was rubbing the baby’s small clump of blonde hair, like an owner with her pet.

“Okay...Now for the baby,” I ordered in a low volume. With the help of everyone who isn't tipsy or unconscious, we lifted him up and into the wicker basket that was inside the opened back of the Knight Mecha.

Closing it tight with Sera and the baby, I told Teka to get into his position. Oona, curious and slightly tipsy, fluttered away from my tankard she had just drained, to me.

“Hey what are you doing?” She asked, fairly giddy by the alcohol.

“We are leaving,” I remarked, as latched back the backplate of the mecha.

“Wait? What?” Oona’s eyes widened at my plan. “Why?” Her face contorted with anger. “You know I paid for this room? And we are leaving?”

Taking another deep sigh, I gave her an abridged version of what I had heard from the stables and the brigands that were planning to assault us. Oona had cursed, sobering up from my telling.

“Bloody humans.” She muttered.

I told her with no consideration for her current condition, to go inside the helm and belt herself with the grass; for it was going to be a bumpy ride. Peb was still asleep, floating on his back atop the stew inside the platter. Pulling him out, I carried him into an open hatch of the waist compartment, and roughly shoved him inside, unconscious.

No mood to dilly dally, I told Teka to get Wink. Teka was hesitant at first to go out in the open space of the humans, but I told him that we had no choice, and Wink needed to get here to help me with another scheme I had cooking.

He gave me a salute then creaked open the door of the room. After he was gone, I went to Amelia's belt and pulled out the serrated knife that I had retrieved when it was dropped by the squire in the mountain path. I went inside the Mecha to pluck multiple thick grass leaves that were growing in the ecosystem inside. When I had the amount I wanted, I went back out, onto the bed sheets where the serrated knife was placed. I stitched the grass leaves with one another into a 2-meter long weaving. When I was done, I began to wrap it by layers around the serrated knife, like a sheathe, but folded with one another.

I went back to my helm where Oona was sitting, comfortably onto my cot. She had latched grass ropes onto her, adhering to my warnings. I took out one of my longest grass fiber ropes and returned back to the bedsheets with the modified dagger. I then slowly stitched the fiber ropes around the edges, loosely. So when the grass leaf extends to a meter high, the grass rope that was tied onto the edges would be stretched and fixed in their positions.

This was my backup plan. If we don’t manage to escape, then I have to use this makeshift invention. Hopefully, it all goes well.

When Teka arrived with the infatuated Wink, I had already finished. I told Wink the abridged version of what had occurred, making his mood turn sour at the prospect of leaving the Inn.

“Art’s life depends on this.” I had reinforced.

Taking my words to heart, he nodded soberly with no wink in sight. Grateful, I told him what he needs to do. Which was to make the grass that was wrapped around the blade, strong and buoyant, so it could recoil out when activated. After Wink had finished cultivating the leaves, I told him to do the same with the grass fiber rope, but this time, to make them as strong as steel.

When all things were said and done, we all got inside the Mecha. Teka was in the plumage with his Grass spear, Wink at the shoulder compartment, loading combusting rockets into the sockets, and Sera watching the baby inside.

Activating Amelia, we headed out. I swiveled her head to see the golden fur backpack the last time. It reminded me of my feats and my motivations as to why I am doing this. For the baby, my promise and for Amelia.

Suzie was the first to spot me, walking down the stairs. She gave me a wide smile, and dare I say it, a goddess be damn wink. “Where is your lovable fella?” She queried.

I know Wink was going to give it away, so I whispered a hush down below. No reply from underneath, I sighed in relief.

“Wink and the rest of my grass servants are watching the baby,” I said in my graveled alteration, albeit loudly. The audience around the tavern, inebriated from drink and song, didn’t even motion to care of my announcement.

“Okay…?” Suzie replied, awkward at my declaration.

“I’m going out to trickle my tinkle,” I proposed. Yes, that is a good excuse to get outside.

Oona looked at me semi disgusted and impressed at my foul excuse. I shrugged, as well as Suzie, familiar with men and their fancy to relieve themselves in the open.

I gave Suzie a brisk wave, as I walked out through the back door she had suggested. I was outside at the alley near the refuse of the Inn. Suddenly, a familiar hoarse voice spoke.

“Where are you planning to go?”

My shoulders had crumpled down on discerning who had spoken. Stiffening back into motion, I turned Amelia to face the three men that were at the end of the alleyway. Gritting my teeth, I prepared my mental faculties, on what was about to occur. There was only one outcome that would come of this, and it was the song of violence.

For fate would never be kind enough to give me reprieve from violent men.