Chapter 231: A God Walks Into A Tavern

 

  Nokti kicked open the old wooden door with a bang. Crow followed in behind her, careful to keep his feathered cloak low, obscuring his iridescent eyes. The blizzard howled behind them, the cold winds rushed into the tavern, snuffing out the little warmth inside. The usual tavern patrons glared at the newcomers with a mixture of hostility and suspicion.

  One particularly large fellow sauntered over to Nokti and Crow. The man’s cheeks were red and he wobbled just a bit; the whiff of alcohol oozed from his mouth.

  “Who’s da preddy lass?” he smiled, a lecherous look in his eyes.

  Nokti bared her fangs and reached for the ax hidden beneath her cloak.

  “She is quite beautiful isn’t she?” Crow said lightheartedly.

  “An who arr… you?” the drunk slurred. “Hushband, eh? Ya gonna shtop me?”

  “I would never dream of it,” Crow lifted his hands up in surrender. “That’s more of her thing.”

  “Filthy drunk,” Nokti sneered.

  “What’d ya say!?” the drunk yelled.

  “Stop it right now, Eustace!” the barmaid screamed and marched towards them.

  The drunk frowned, “But Ma -”

  “But nothing! I swear if you harass one more of my customers I’ll ban you from my tavern!” The barmaid pointed at the door, “Now unless you want to start getting your drinks in the next village over I suggest you leave now.”

  The drunk’s eyes widened, “Wai-”

  “Now,” she slammed her foot on the wooden floor.

  The drunk hung his head, dragged his feet to the door, and left without another word.

  The barmaid turned to Nokti and Crow, “I’m sorry about all of that. Eustace is usually quite polite, but when he gets deep into his cups he becomes an ass. It’s been a long and difficult winter for all of us. Sometimes drinking is all we can do to forget.” She looked pointedly at Nokti, “We aren’t filthy, at least most of us aren’t. I hope that won’t be a problem for you?”

  Nokti blinked, “Oh, uh…”

  “What my companion means to say is that we’d love a room and a hot meal,” Crow pulled out a silver coin.

  The barmaid snatched the coin and smiled wide, “Well, why didn’t you say so? The name’s Janet, but everyone around here calls me Ma, on account of me owning and running the only tavern in half a dozen leagues.”

  Nokti pointed her thumb back at the door, “So that drunk wasn’t your…?”

  “Son? Gods forbid, girl. Do I look that old to you?” Ma frowned.

  Nokti froze, unsure of what to say. She thought the barmaid looked to be in her mid-forties, the conclusion hadn’t seemed so far-fetched.

  Crow chuckled, “Sorry, Ma. My companion has a difficult time gauging the age of humans like us.”

  “Ah, right, vampires, I understand,” Ma nodded. “Well, I’m not one to judge who enters my tavern so long as they behave and pay.” She turned around and headed towards the kitchen. “Have a seat wherever you’d like.”

  “Thank you, Ma,” Crow said happily.

  “She’s old enough to have kids, right?” Nokti whispered.

  “Obviously, but best not to make others feel old,” Crow whispered.

  The tavern was mostly full, and many wandering eyes stared at the beautiful vampire and her hooded companion. Crow and Nokti took a seat at one of the few empty tables. Lin Lu stuck her small head out from Crow’s shirt and looked around.

  Nokti stared at the snow-white fox with fascination. Just an hour ago, Lin Lu had been as large as a small house, flying through the air on literal clouds of ice. Now she could fit in the palm of Crow’s hand.

  “I like this place,” Crow sighed in satisfaction. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

  Nokti glanced around the old tavern with skepticism. “Maybe…? A lot of people are staring at us.”

  “Does that bother you?”

  “Of course, does it not bother you?”

  “No. You get used to it,” he shook his head. “I think it’s the scent of cedar.”

  “Cedar? What?”

  “This tavern is built from cedar wood, you can smell it in the air. It’s nice, I quite like it,” he said thoughtfully.

  Ma returned with two bowls of stew and two mugs of ale. “Here you are, it’s not much, but winter has been hard in the Valley this year. The snows of the Rupture Mountains have fallen on us much harder than usual.”

  “Do you have any blood wine?” Nokti asked off-handedly.

  “We don’t serve blood around here,” Ma frowned. “And none of us are going to give up our own either.”

  “I wasn’t asking you to,” Nokti narrowed her eyes.

  “Thank you for the food, this is lovely,” Crow gave her another silver coin. “For your troubles.”

  Ma bowed with an exaggerated flourish, “Thank you for your patronage. If you need any more drinks, just head over to the bar.” 

  “You know I will,” Crow laughed.

  “Enjoy your stay,” Ma grinned and walked away.

  Crow dug into his food without hesitation. Nokti stared at him anxiously, uncertain. Lin Lu jumped out of his shirt and onto the table. She lapped up the stew from the bowl, while Crow sipped his ale.

  He glanced at Nokti’s untouched bowl and then her. “You’ve been wanting to say something? What is it?”

  “It’s nothing,” she shook her head politely and grabbed her bowl.

  “No need to hold back, Nokti. I thought you knew that.”

  “It’s just… I have questions. Like a lot of questions. I didn’t want to bother you…”

  Crow leaned back and sipped his ale, “I’m listening.”

  “...We’ve been traveling for weeks, searching village after village, spot after spot, hoping to find any sign of a dragon. We haven’t found anything…”

  “I’m certain there is a question somewhere in this.”

  “Right,” Nokti bit her lip. “It’s just that every time we failed to find anything, you seemed to get more… I don’t know, upset, I guess? So my question is, why do you seem so happy all of a sudden?”

  “That’s an easy one,” he winked. “I’m in a nice tavern, I have tasty food, a place to sleep tonight, and a beautiful woman to warm my bed. Why shouldn’t I be happy?”

  “I… I don’t know, I guess,” she muttered.

  Crow sipped his ale, “When you live as long as me, you learn to enjoy the small things in life. Otherwise, life becomes very dull, very quickly.”

  Lin Lu squeaked in agreement.

  “I see…” Nokti glanced between the fox and her god pensively. “Why did you leave your mask back at the Cairn Tribe? Aren’t you afraid someone will see your eyes?” she whispered.

  “I’m not afraid,” Crow’s voice carried a tone of finality yet calmness that no one would dare question. “My skull-mask is somewhat iconic at the moment. Hollow Shade’s spies know Lord Marek has an advisor who wears such a mask. I prefer to travel less conspicuously.”

  “Then what about the cloak?” Nokti pointed to his black-feathered cloak.

  “A bit conspicuous,” he said wryly. “But I would rather not travel without it. A bit of sentimental value you see.” 

  Lin Lu rubbed her back on the feathered cloak.

  “And Lin Lu seems to like it,” Crow added.

  “What is she?” Nokti asked quietly, a hint of awe in her voice.

  “Lin Lu?”

  Nokti nodded carefully, “She’s invisible to everyone around us, even if she looks like an ordinary fox. One second she’s small and the next she’s flying through the air. I’ve never seen anyone like her.”

  Lin Lu strutted about the table proudly, her tail sashaying through the air.

  Crow smiled softly, “I suppose you could say Lin Lu is a goddess.”

  “A goddess!?” Nokti’s jaw went slack.

  The other tavern goers looked over, mildly surprised at the outburst. Nokti blushed, she raised her hood and turned away, but she made sure to bow her head to the snow-white fox.

  Lin Lu squeaked in approval and jumped on Crow’s shoulder.

  “Lin Lu is a goddess?” Nokti whispered reverently.

  “She was worshiped as a goddess in the Violet Realm,” Crow petted Lin Lu’s head. “As was her mother.”

  “I… but… you’re both gods,” Nokti shook her head. “I’m just surprised, you two look so different.”

  “That’s because we are. I’d doubt you’d ever find someone like me,” he said softly.

  “So you’re an ebon god and she’s a violet goddess,” Nokti whistled. “I would never have guessed.”

  Crow stroked Lin-Lu’s head as she purred, “The nature of gods has become muddled through time with tales of myth, secrecy, and nonsensical lies. You call us gods, but that is more of a title, a way people see us.”

  “I’m not sure I follow…” Nokti admitted.

  “Do you remember what Grim said?” Crow asked. “The axlean made a very good point back in the tunnels beneath Mirror Springs. The people of the Azure Realm worship giant sea snakes that can drown entire islands and some people worship beings that they have never heard or seen. Some gods are purely myth, others are not. But the one trait all gods share, the only true nature of a god, is power.”

  “Power…?”

  “When an ant looks at you, does it see you as an equal?”

  “No, I guess not.”

  “My point exactly. To an ant, you are a giant with practically unlimited power, capable of reshaping the world as the ant knows it. You were here before the ant came into existence and you will be here long after it is gone. Your nature is unfathomable to such a small creature. This world is yours, the ant simply lives in it. Whether it be a vampire, a centaur, or a root-bison, you are all gods in the eyes of an ant.”

  “Is that how you see us? As ants…?” Nokti whispered anxiously.

  Caligo leaned in close, his iridescent eyes peeking from underneath the edge of his hood, “Oh, little one, I see so much more.”

  Nokti felt her muscles stiffen, she couldn’t move, she couldn’t breathe. Caligo leaned back and the air suddenly became light again. The intimidating god was gone and in his place was the charming man she knew as Crow. She breathed a sigh of relief and tried to hide her nervousness.

  Crow sipped his ale, “Contrary to popular belief, gods are not all-powerful. We all have our limits.”

  Nokti’s eyes widened, “Is that why you need an army?”

  “In a way Hollow Shade has proven to be a limit of sorts, for now,” he shrugged.

  “Can you not ask the other ebon gods for help?”

  “Doubtful,” he chuckled. 

  “Why?” Nokti furrowed her brow.

  “Many complex reasons like, I just don’t want to. Or simpler reasons like, well… where should I begin? Stjerne always has his head up in the clouds, he cares little for anything that goes on outside of his own thoughts and desires. Bellum is a stickler for rules she made up in the hopes of ‘protecting’ her precious Ebon Realm, rules that I care little for. And Lunae is, hm, more complicated.”

  “Complicated?”

  “Lunae is, well… Let’s just say we all trade in lies, the trick is finding out the truth,” he whispered.

  Nokti wondered briefly if Crow had lied to her? Was he lying to her now? She trusted him, but did he trust her? She wasn’t certain. Nokti shook her head and buried the thought. She’d prove her loyalty, no matter what. Crow had given her life a sacred purpose, a chance to make the Ebon Realm a better place. She would rise to be worthy of that purpose.

  She recalled a lesson from her religious teachings as a child, “You’re the youngest and Lunae is the eldest of the ebon gods, right? So, she’s like your elder sister?”

  Crow burst into laughter, a light-hearted sound. “Do you see the Ebon Pantheon as some sort of family? I suppose in a certain twisted tragic way we are. But if you wish to talk about the eldest, then you're way off the mark.”

  “...Do you mean Solis?”

  “Who knows?” Crow chuckled.

  “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

  Crow smiled and sipped his ale.

  “God of Secrets indeed,” Nokti muttered. “Or should I call you The Mystery?”

  “I’ve had many names, Crow will suffice for now.”

  Nokti fidgeted and looked around conspicuously, “...I have one more question.”

  “Very well, I’ll indulge you with one more secret,” he winked.

  “Why do you want to destroy Hollow Shade?”

  Crow swallowed his drink and put his mug aside, “...I don’t. I couldn’t care less what happens to that pitiful city built by cowards. Although, I admit, seeing it burn and crumble to the ground would bring me some level of satisfaction.”

  “Then why?” she frowned.

  “I only want what’s hidden past those shade walls.”

  “What’s hidden inside the city?” she whispered.

  “...The key.”

  “The key to what?”

  “Salvation, perhaps?” he mused.

  “I don’t understand,” Nokti said, fear creeping into her voice.

  “No, I don’t think you will.”

  Lin Lu yawned, a small high-pitch sound.

  “Yes, yes, I know, you’re tired,” Crow stood up. “We’re heading to bed.”

  “...I think I will too,” Nokti stretched. “It’s been a long day.”

  “Thank you for the meal, Ma!” Crow called out.

  “Anytime!” Ma smiled from behind the bar.

~~~

  Nokti woke up the next morning to the sound of cold winds rattling the window in their room. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and turned in bed. Lin Lu slept, curled on top of a pillow. Crow was gone.

  Nokti sat up, worried. She dressed quickly, grabbed her ax, and ran downstairs. She stepped into the dining room and froze. Crow sat at the bar, his hood down, a plate of steaming warm food in front of him.

  He noticed Nokti’s entrance and smiled, his eyes shifting in colors constantly, “Come, join me for breakfast.”

  Nokti nodded slowly. She walked towards the bar, careful not to step on the pools of blood that spread across the floor. She sat down next to Crow and tried her best not to stare at the blood smeared over his feathered cloak, nor at the dozens of horribly disfigured bodies strewn across the tavern floor and walls.

  Crow pointed behind the bar, “I noticed you haven’t drunk blood in some time. She should suffice.”

  Ma’s body lay on the floor behind the bar. There were no outward wounds, save for her neck that was bent at an odd angle.

  “Mm, these potatoes are delicious,” Crow sighed in delight.

  Nokti swallowed nervously. “D-did something happen?”

  “Hm? What do you mean?”

  She looked around the tavern, “Why did you… kill them…?”

  Crow tilted his head until his face turned upside down, “Why indeed?”

  “I thought you liked this place… I thought you liked Ma’s cooking.”

  “I do.”

  “Um… never mind,” she mumbled.

  Crow smiled eerily and kept eating.