by Pirateaba
“There’s a crowd at your inn.”
“Oh! I guess everyone thought I’d be in!”
Erin darts forwards, and I hear her calling to people ahead of me. I barely recognize any of the people who’re standing in front of the inn. A female Drake…Selys? And the Antinium’s either Pawn or Klbkch—no, Klbkch is the only one with two arms, so it must be him. And there’s an older guy in his thirties who I know I’ve never seen. He’s wearing leather armor and he looks like a fighter. And…
Goblins. My footsteps stop and my heart freezes in my chest. The small Goblin—Rags is standing next to a Hobgoblin in the snow, apart from the rest. I quickly look down at Mrsha, but she’s still oblivious to the world, clutching my chest.
Erin returns, beaming at me.
“Everyone’s here! Looks like I’ve got a full inn—what’s wrong?”
Only now does she see the expression on my face. I point with one hand to the Goblins.
“Them. Get them the hell out of here.”
“Who?”
Erin turns. Then she looks back at me, troubled.
“Ryoka. They’re guests. I—”
“I’m not asking you!”
I point at Mrsha and Erin’s face changes. Reluctantly, she goes up the hill. I see her talking to the two Goblins and pointing back at me and Mrsha. I don’t know what she says, and I don’t care. I walk up the hill, away from the Goblins. By the time I reach the top, they’re gone.
Erin had that disappointed look on her face, but I don’t care. I push into the inn, ignoring the others who greet me. Only when I’ve put Mrsha down do I look around.
“Hello! You’re…Ryoka, right?”
I hear a friendly voice and look around. Selys, the female Drake, is smiling at me. She looks down at Mrsha. She’s curled into a ball in one of the chairs.
“Aw! Who is this?”
“Mrsha. She’s had a bad day.”
Selys nods and walks quietly away from Mrsha so she can speak to me.
“I know we barely got to talk, but I heard a bit of what happened from Erin.”
“Oh, really?”
Inwardly, I curse as I hear the words come out. I’m still really hostile from seeing the Goblins, but Selys just gives me a smile.
“Don’t worry. I get it. Erin is a little oblivious, but if you ever want to talk, I’m willing to listen.”
I stare at her. Well.
“I guess [Receptionists] have to deal with a lot of crap, huh?”
She chuckles.
“It’s part of the job. And after hearing about that Goblin Lord—Ancestors, I’d hate to imagine that. Is that Gnoll child—?”
“She’s the only one who’s left, yeah.”
Selys’s eyes are full of pity.
“Poor girl. Let me know if I can help, okay?”
Is it really that easy? Can you really just offer to help like that? I hesitate, and then nod awkwardly.
“Thanks.”
“Just let me know. And I think what she—what’s her name? Mrsha?—what she really needs right now is some sleep and quiet.”
But when Selys and I try to bring Mrsha upstairs, she starts slashing at both of us the instant we get near. She bites at me even when I try to sit next to her. And it turns out that claws hurt even if you have scales. We have to leave her alone. Selys and I retreat as Erin bustles around us, chattering to Klbkch and the Human.
“Oh, Ryoka! Have you met Halrac? No? This is Halrac. Um, he’s a Gold-rank adventurer.”
I nod at the grizzled man. He nods back. Unfriendly guy*. His eyes flick to Mrsha as he sits at a table.
*Wait, what the hell did Erin say about him being Gold-rank?
“Ryoka Griffin. You have my condolences.”
I turn. Klbkch, one of the damn Antinium—no. He’s one of Erin’s friends and he died once to save her. I nod to him.
“Klbkch?”
“Yes. Allow me to reassure you that I will conduct patrols of the area south of Liscor when possible to ensure the safety of Mrsha and this inn.”
“Really?”
That’s…suspicious. Why would Klbkch take so much interest in Erin? It must have to do with the individual Antinium thing and Pawn. Damn it, Erin.
But any help is welcome, so I nod. Klbkch looks at Mrsha. She’s crying again. Her small body shakes, and I feel my heart ache.
“I regret what has occurred. Rest assured, if the Goblin Lord’s army passes near one of the Hives, it will be destroyed.”
There’s nothing to say to that. I just nod. But Mrsha’s crying puts a damper even on Erin’s good cheer. She does her best, cooking up food and insisting we all sit together at a table, but she can’t get Mrsha to move and so Lyonette brings us our drinks—hot water for me and Klbkch and ale for Selys—in silence.
I glance over at Halrac. He’s sitting alone, but he keeps staring at Mrsha. Is he bothered by her? Well, of course he would be. He stops Erin as she passes a table and points to Mrsha. And then, for some reason, I see him point to a bunch of flowers on a table near one of the windows.
“Flowers? Why the hell are there flowers in here?”
Selys looks over as she bites into some spaghetti with meatballs.
“Oh, those? I think they came from the faeries. That’s what Erin says, anyways.”
Klbkch and I stare at her.
“The Frost Faeries gave them to her? Why?”
“I dunno. For some meal she cooked them. Erin was pretty mad about it at the time.”
Oh my god. She didn’t. They didn’t. I stare at the flowers as Erin goes over to them in horror. Golden flowers. Is it too much of a leap of logic to assume…?
“Did she think they were golden coins?”
Klbkch stares at me as if I’m crazy, but Selys nods. She slurps down a noodle.
“That’s right! That’s what Erin said! How did you know?”
I put my face in my hands and groan. Did Erin just not remember those old stories about faeries? I hope she didn’t waste that much food on those bastards*.
*Is bastard the right word, here? Bitches might be more gender specific, but it doesn’t really encapsulate how much I sometimes hate those damn faeries.
“Pardon me. Am I to understand these flowers were enchanted to look like coins?”
I nod at Klbkch. It feels really odd to be sitting and chatting to an Antinium, much less Klbkch the Slayer. I want to talk with him, but not with Selys around.
“It’s something the faeries do. They trick people into accepting gold that turns to flowers or disappears the next day. Erin got taken for a ride.”
“I see. This is unfortunate.”
“Yeah, but Erin says the flowers are actually useful.”
“What?”
All three of us look over to the flowers. Erin is picking some and…squeezing them? Yes, she’s adding them to a mug and Halrac’s watching her with an intense expression. What the hell is going on?
But then Erin walks over to Mrsha with a mug full of ale and a few drops of that flower nectar mixed in. I frown as she gently touches Mrsha.
“Mrsha? You okay, honey?”
Mrsha swipes at Erin, but the other girl is out of arm’s reach. Erin touches Mrsha again.
“Hey, I don’t want to bother you sweetie, but I’ve got a drink. It’ll help you relax, okay?”
“The hell is she doing?”
Is Erin trying to get Mrsha drunk? I stand up, frowning, but Krlbkch tugs on my arm.
“Please wait, Ryoka Griffin. I believe Erin Solstice may be attempting to do something beneficial.”
I hesitate. But then, this is Erin. I look back at the flowers, and then at the way Halrac’s staring at the mug. Flowers. Illusions.
Hallucinogens? Not the craziest thing I’ve heard of.
Even as I watch, Erin coaxes Mrsha out of her ball. The Gnoll sniffs at the mug, but curious as ever, she tastes some. I watch her gulp a few mouthfuls of the drink down with butterflies in my stomach. Mrsha’s eyes go wide, and then she sighs. She clo
ses her eyes, and then goes limp.
“Mrsha?”
Erin turns towards me as I approach. She lets me take Mrsha. I feel at her anxiously.
“She’s just asleep, Ryoka. Or…in a trance. Halrac says the drink helps. I’ve tried it before, and it does make you feel better.”
“It will.”
I turn. Halrac, the Gold-rank adventurer is standing behind us. He nods to me.
“Miss Griffin? Erin Solstice has a unique drink. It’s liquid memory.”
“Memory? You mean it’s some kind of drug?”
I glare at Erin. She raises her hands defensively.
“It’s just the flowers and some alcohol! It’s part of one of the skills I learned, Ryoka! It’s called [Wondrous Fare] and Halrac says it makes you feel better! He’s had lots!”
Erin looks over at him and the adventurer nods. He stares at the drink on the table.
“It…brings back happy memories. For a time. I imagine the Gnoll child will sleep after drinking it, in any case.”
I stare at Erin. Faerie flowers can be made into a magical drink? Why did I not think of that? No—is Erin a genius or just insane?
“Are you sure it’s safe?”
“Why don’t you try some?”
Erin offers me the drink. I accept the mug and stare into it. Halrac looks at the piss-colored liquid as if it’s liquid gold, but I’m not so sure.
“It’s not bad?”
“The alcohol is swill, but I’ll vouch for its effects. I’ll have one myself, and pay what you want for it.”
“Really? Ooh, what should I charge?”
“Is that drink for everyone? I’d like to try some too if we’re having samples.”
Selys stands up and stares at the mug, as does Klbkch. Erin picks some more flowers as I stare at the liquid.
It’s not like I haven’t tried…certain medicinal herbs…before. But that was just once, and I’ve never smoked or taken any hard drugs. I love to run, not mess up my body. But if Erin was confident enough to give it to Mrsha—
At the very least I should see what effect it has. I hesitate, but Erin’s already mixing up another three mugs. Cautiously, I down the drink.
Yep. That’s some crap. Did Erin buy the cheapest alcohol available? I frown as I swallow. I don’t sense any other taste, but it was just a few drops. How long does the effect l—
The world dissolves around me. Into rushing air. Into mist and smoke that drifts up from the fire.
I stare at Urksh as Mrsha sits next to me, staring up at me. The Gnolls in the camp bustle around, laughing, talking, as I stare at him. He looks up from a bit of hot fish and grins at me.
“You look shocked, Ryoka Griffin. Is this not what you wished to see?”
“No. No, I—”
I falter. Mrsha looked up inquiringly, her brown fur shining in the firelight. Urksh laughs.
“It is well. Rest here a while before continuing on your journey.”
“I will. I just—”
A piece of hot fish—mackerel, maybe, is resting in my hand. Hot enough to nearly burn my skin, but not quite. So warm and tender that I can bite into it and banish the cold of the night air. The fire in front of me warms my skin, and Mrsha sighs as she snuggles into my side.
I look at Urksh. He smiles as he sits in the cold winter air. The Gnolls laugh as they prepare to sleep for the night.
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
He nods.
“I know. But it is not you who must apologize, yes? We paid the price as we wished.”
“Yeah. It’s just—”
He shakes his head.
“Eat, Ryoka Griffin. And then, perhaps, tell us another story. The one about the [King] with the sword was particularly good, I thought.”
Mrsha nods. She sits up eagerly, and I raise the fish to my lips. The scent makes my mouth water, and I see Gnolls drifting over. They sit together, warm, happy, full. The cold air blows, but it is banished by the warmth here. I open my mouth, and my teeth sink into the hot food—
“Ryoka? You’re doing the same staring thing. Are you okay?”
“Oh.”
The vision fades. I stare at Erin. She smiles nervously at me.
“No good? Everyone’s gone silent. I tried the drink, but I only had a bit and I just felt happy when I remembered playing chess against Pawn. Is it too strong or good like that?”
I stare at the drink. It’s still half full. I put it to my lips and drink the rest down. The world spins, and the last thing I feel is myself falling backwards. And then, for a few moments, I’m sitting around a camp fire again. Laughing. Happy. And I ask for their forgiveness and know peace.
Until I wake.
—-
Outside the inn, the Frost Faeries watched as Ryoka Griffin collapsed backwards and Erin scrambled to catch her. They hovered outside in the cold, staring through one of the windows. It wasn’t that they couldn’t enter; it was just that they didn’t mind the cold and they didn’t want their conversation to be heard.
“The drink is made from the flowers. The innkeeper made it.”
“That’s not supposed to happen. Mortals don’t use the flowers we give them! They’re supposed to throw them away!”
The faeries watched as Erin laid Ryoka down and then looked at the other patrons of her inn. They all had the same far-off expression in their eyes.
“Should we remove the flowers?”
“But ‘twas a gift! We cannot take it back!”
“What if we gave actual gold? Would that suffice?”
Inside the inn, Erin brushed against Klbkch. The Antinium had gone completely still after drinking his mug, just like Selys and Halrac. Now the slight nudge sent him toppling backwards, and like a domino the Drake and Human toppled over as well. The faeries watched as Erin began to panic.
“‘Tis funny.”
“Yes.”
The faeries paused. They looked at each other.
“I wonder what the drink tastes like?”
“Swill, I heard.”
“Good swill?”
There was only one way to find out. The faeries swooped into the inn.
“Innkeep! A mug of your finest swill!”
And both Ryoka and Mrsha slept soundly, dreaming of a happier time. That was, until they woke. But though the dream faded, part of it remained, filling them up. Mending cracks in their hearts. Like a flower, growing in the snow.
2.34
Because she woke up early, Erin decided to make gravy. Everyone else was still asleep, anyways.
Ryoka and Mrsha were upstairs, but Erin had had too much trouble trying to drag Klbkch and Selys up the narrow staircase, so she’d left them in the common room with a blanket and pillows instead.
It was easy to make gravy. Erin got a pot out and fished around in her cupboard for supplies. She got out some flour, and found some of the bacon fat she’d chilled thanks to some snow she’d packed into a cauldron. It was mostly melted, but it kept the food she put in nice and cold, if a bit wet.
By the time Ryoka stumbled downstairs with Mrsha in tow, they found Erin putting out gravy on the table in a huge bowl next to steaming biscuits and mashed potatoes. That coincided nicely with Selys and Klbkch waking up on the floor. Erin beamed at all of them as her guests rubbed their heads and moaned.
“Morning!”
Selys clutched at her forehead.
“How much did I drink last night?”
“Um…four mugs? No, wait…six? Eight?”
Erin had lost count. She’d kept serving everyone the faerie flower alcohol until they’d started to pass out. It had been a long, anxious night for her. Everyone would just take a drink, stare off into the distance for ten minutes, and then keep drinking. In the end, they’d all just gone to sleep—except for Halrac. He’d left for the city, staggering slightly. Erin had been worried, but he was a Gold-rank adventurer.
“Ancestors.”
Selys groaned and clutched at her head. S
he tried to stand up and sat back down hard.
“My mouth tastes like…dead gods, that was some awful ale, Erin.”
“Hey!”
Erin opened her mouth, and then closed it.
“Well…I’ll buy some better stuff next time, okay?”
“There shouldn’t be a next time.”
Ryoka lurched over to the table as Klbkch dragged himself upwards. Mrsha yelped and scurried away at the sight of the Antinium. He looked worse for wear. Even though his appearance was mostly unchanged—the Antinium not really having skin or clothing that could get rumpled—he looked…disheveled.
“Good morning, Klbkch!”
Erin smiled at Klbkch. He looked around at her, somewhat slowly.
“I have failed to return to my Hive. That has never happened before.”
“Oh no. Is that bad?”
Klbkch nodded slowly.
“I must…excuse me.”
He put a hand to his head and paused. He had no eyelids, but Erin sensed that he was concentrating. After a moment, he nodded.
“I have informed my Queen. She has recalled the search parties.”
“Search parties?”
Klbkch shook his head. He stared at the food on the table as Mrsha tried to grab a biscuit with her hand. Silently, Ryoka grabbed a plate and spooned potatoes and biscuits onto it, and slathered everything with the thick gravy. She put it on the table and handed Mrsha a spoon. Clumsily, the small Gnoll tried to inhale the entire thing.
“So. Um.”
Everyone looked at her. Erin smiled nervously.
“How was it last night? Was the faerie flower drink really that good?”
Erin didn’t really understand Halrac’s fascination with it. When she’d tried some, she just remembered happy moments, but that was all. And yet, between the four people in her inn (not counting Mrsha), they’d downed an entire keg’s worth of her ale.
Ryoka, Selys, and Klbkch exchanged a long look. As one, they shook their heads.
“That was a terrible drink.”
“Awful.”
“Please do not serve it again.”
