PROLOGUE
“Is this really the damn place?”
As the sun set and darkness began to take over the sky, a hooded young woman stopped from her tracks in the middle of a road. The somewhat damp earth beneath her bare feet irritated her. The tinge of sorcery around the area sent jolts up her spine.
Upon giving the runic letter she held with her clawed hand a quick scan, she let out a groan, “Oh, come on. That’s where they’re going to meet?”
Her red slit pupils glinted in annoyance.
One step after another, she willed herself to make her way to the mortal hamlet the road led her to. She told herself, ‘I didn’t come this far to just come this far.’ Even so, she shot a glare at the seemingly harmless lit up torch she passed by but steeled herself not to break it. Causing trouble was the last thing on her mind, especially in an enemy colony.
She continued walking toward the tavern. Already the magick originating from the anti-beast ward disguised as a post was stinging her skin, but her mission hadn’t even begun. She, retracting her fangs, clenched her jaw for what awaited her in the large tavern.
The sound of mortals merrymaking within became louder and louder the closer she got. More of the torch posts and lamps inside mortal huts were lit up now. It wasn’t particularly easy for the hooded woman to pace faster, but she figured the locals would suspect her if she stayed outside, loving the dark. She had to act like one of the mortals and disregard her true nature… for now.
A tall man stopped her from entering the tavern. “Hold on there, lad.” His voice was deep and commanding.
‘This must be one of those they call bouncers,’ she thought to herself. She pressed her lips together and clenched her jaw more as she eyed the sigil on his large belt. It depicted a wolf head with a stake driven through it. ‘Yet another ward.’
The sting of sorcery irritated her doubly now but she kept her composure.
“This tavern’s not open for everybody. Take off your hood for identification,” demanded the man.
Suppressing a groan, she heeded him, revealing her shoulder-length golden hair with red bangs to the side, standing upright. She kept herself looking down, hoping the bouncer wouldn’t notice her non-mortal pupils and pointy ears.
The man smiled to himself. Surmising that this was a newcomer and a female at that, his gaze went from her lips to her cloaked chest. “I’m afraid I must collect your entrance fee first. No worries, you won’t need to pay again on your next visit. It’s a one-time fee.” He made himself sound friendlier behind the lie.
The young woman stood silent, without anything to hand to him. She put her hood back on, her gaze still cast downward.
“What? You don’t have anything with you?” He clicked his tongue three times, feigning disappointment. “I can’t let you enter then… but if you’d be willing to pay with…” His smile grew wider as he caught a glimpse of her corset beneath the cloak.
She could feel nothing but irritation, though she wasn’t sure which was more irritating. The ward on his belt and the sorcery from the interconnected torches in the hamlet? Or this mortal whose lie she sniffed and desperate attempt at getting laid was demeaning?
“Say what?!” Thuds on the wooden floor came thundering toward them soon after. A barefoot hooded, lightly bearded man approached with anger on every step and the sound of high-pitched clinks in his clawed hand, “TAKE THIS!”
The bouncer quickly stepped aside upon receiving shiny trinkets from the hooded man that rescued her. The pair entered hurriedly as the bouncer bit the gold coins, muttering, ‘Hehe, stupid newcomers. It’s one brass per head.’
Inside, the sound of mortals chattering, laughing and gambling almost dominated the pair’s pointy ears. The smell of their mugs filled with alcohol was especially horrendous to the woman even at a distance. Her nose was sharper than her late companion’s, after all.
“That perverted male human at the door,” she whispered, “…is he a typical example of his race?”
“I don’t know,” standing next to her, the hooded man nearly let out a growl. “But damn, if I wasn’t oath-bound, I would have ripped that disgusting trash to a million pieces!” Fangs out, his slit yellow pupils flared in a fit of fury.
“Calm down, we cannot draw attention to ourselves.” She reminded him, completely brushing off what the bouncer tried to make her do. She guided his mind back to their mission as they gently walked to a less crowded corner and scanned the faces of people inside.
“They’re here somewhere. Hiding. Blending in with these humans.”
He gave his bearded chin a scratch, his pointy ears listening from the rowdiest to customers who were uncharacteristically quiet.
On one table were two men – a castle guard in full armored uniform and a determined curly-haired redhead – arm wrestling. Money was being bet and spectators heavily cheered and roared for the guard who was their superior. Meanwhile, a tall woman with blue eyes and the sigil of a distant kingdom on her breastplate voiced her annoyance at the redhead, “Mordred, enough of this!”
“H-here’s your order, sir.” On another table was a lone mortal getting his refilled mug from a very young and nervous waitress. “Thanks, Irie,” he addressed the maiden casually. It was obvious from her stuttering and shaking that she was new to the job. As if to get some form of emotional support, the waitress that was diminutive in stature touched her ribbon after handing the customer his order.
Past the crowd of mortals playing cards was a table where a blonde woman sat and slipped something into her girlfriend’s mug. “Utre’s gonna be so pissed,” she giggled at the thought of her lover’s reaction when she came back for her drink.
“Look closely. They might be wearing glamor. Disguised. Their aura suppressed,” the hooded woman told her companion. She started walking away, leaving him, “This isn’t an ordinary mortal tavern. Our intel said there may be secret rooms in the wine cellar downstairs and in the council hall upstairs. I’ll inspect the cellar first. You cover this area, Akira.”
Before she disappeared through the crowd, Akira wished her protection, “Be careful, my lady. Goddess Luna be with you.”
“And goddess Inari be with you,” she responded.
Their wishes upon one another were genuine… but were the goddesses of therianthropes listening?
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There are original characters from friends of mine doing a cameo in this part.
Obelis’ Utre, Evis341’s Irie and AnimeDovahkin’s Mordred (and the knight princess Cora). You can check them all out on deviantART.
Nice to see you here too
And so it begins.. nice intro.
“What? You don’t have anything with you?” He clicked his tongue three times, feigning disappointment. “I can’t let you enter then… but if you’d be willing to pay with…” His smile grew wider as he caught a glimpse of her corset beneath the cloak.
What a p pig...
Pleased to be here ^_^
Thank you for reading, oh my!
Oh, that dude? He's nothing.