“Fine boy. Don’t believe me. But it’s true. Though it’s not important, is it? Ha. All right, here, take this one. Rabbit meat out here is good. Prowst is conservative about killing them, this area of Sounderthound respects that, so they are all over the place. Really tasty, though the rest of the swine and hares in the area will look at you funny if you eat it. Though a drunk thief doesn’t care! Ah, am I boring you?”
“You’re not talking about what I want to know,” Va’il said. He took the offered food and ate it viciously. His eyes didn’t leave the drunk.
“Sorry boy, but pleasure comes first, that’s my motto! I suppose right now you can’t really appreciate the fine pleasures at the moment. Fine, fine, you win. So, I guess I’ll say what I know. Rather would wait till you calm some more, but don’t appear that’ll be happening soon,” the drunk said. He took a few bites before continuing, and then took bites between sentences.
“So, boy, here’s what I know. I was minding my own business, enjoying a fine meal, free of course, though I won’t be revealing my methods. Now I happened to be stationed somewhere, a good spot to eat. Nice and out of the way. Let me hear some things from nearby. Can’t really go revealing all my secrets. But anyways, I had earlier noticed you and your woman entering the city. I thought it’d be fun to keep watching you, but I had to shake my head when I saw you enter the Venus. That place is for foreigners and travelers, that’s true. But it’s a trap for foreigners, that’s why. Grip and all that, lure people there and then assess them, take them, etc. Bet you thought that because someone nice recommended it, it’d be fine. Well not every nice person knows the truth about their city. And sometimes they do and still fake it.
“Anyways, oh this is good meat. Oh so good. Ah, I want more salt. No, got to save what I have. So anyways, there I was, eating at a certain place, listening to the conversation going on below. See, I figured I’d eat there that night since I saw you go to the Venus. After that I had to steal from a certain place’s kitchen. They serve their master there really, really good soup. Not kingly quality, of course, but good. After all, they were hosting that group you’d meet later on. And they happened to be discussing certain arrivals to the city, and confirming with a waiter a certain couple’s description.
“One of the men exclaimed something about it being her, something about golden girl they were looking for. Anyways, two messengers were dispatched, and I think one was going to Rising. I might have paid attention a bit at this point. The other returned pretty quickly. And then they discussed waiting for night, for the time when people would be mostly asleep, and striking. Later on, they assaulted you and your woman. So, being the free and noble spirit I am, saved you from an untimely demise. Any questions?”
“Tons. You left out too many details,” Va’il said.
“Details don’t match up with me too well. I tell you boy, that group was looking for you, well, that noble girl of Rising, really. And they are bringing her to Rising on some commander’s general orders or something or other. And they were just gonna dispose of you. Unnecessary companion commoner something. Now, it’s not always in my nature to help fools who give gold away to scum, but I was feeling noble today. And lucky. After all, I ate well, and I figured I could gamble well today as well. Maybe not with money this time, but lives,” the drunk said. He finished picking at what was left of the rabbit, and then smiled. He got up and retrieved his gourd, and then drank from it for a while.
“So she was taken, again, by Grip,” Va’il said. He looked at the ground, finally breaking his bloodlust-filled gaze away from the drunk.
“Sorry boy. Did the best I could by taking you out of there. Pretty strong for a boy. Had to knock you out when it seemed you were gonna get away. Wasn’t expecting you to be that strong, even as a lupus half. So you believe me now?” the drunk asked.
“Believe you? Maybe. But I don’t trust you,” Va’il said. He ripped away the last of the rabbit’s flesh and chewed for a while.
“Good thinking boy. Don’t trust me! Ha! It may go against what I was saying, but you can trust that story. I saved your life, though I had to leave the girl behind, since she will be safe. If you head back to your own country, I’d bet on you meeting her there after a while,” the drunk said.
“You’re probably telling the truth. And I should thank you for what you did. But I can’t. Thank you for the food and telling me what you know. As for what you call saving me, I can only thank you for the thoughts,” Va’il said. He stood and bowed slightly to show his appreciation.
“Hey hey, you’re doing this all wrong. Well, I don’t really need thanks, but to hear that, boy, you’re killing me. If you’re gonna appreciate something, appreciate the right thing.”
“I wish I could. But I can’t forgive you from taking me away from Ruby’s side. For letting her be taken.”
“Boy, you’ve got a death wish if you keep thinking like that. I took the best course of action, and you’re treating me like a criminal. Well, I am, but for different reasons. I’m going to regret saving your life,” the drunk said. He looked up at Va’il, who had started smiling.
“No, that’s not it. I should apologize for my rude words. I’m just annoyed. You took what you thought was the best action. You couldn’t know then. My life wasn’t in danger. But I’ve lost Ruby. I had a chance to keep her safe, but your actions, as good as the intent was, have only served to mess everything up. I apologize for my anger.”
“Cheeky brat. Not in danger? Against four assaulting Grip knights? These aren’t your average humans, boy! Your life isn’t a joke!”
“No, it isn’t. Knights of Grip? Elites even, maybe? But those men weren’t with them. You don’t have to believe me at this point. But I’d definitely save Ruby and live,” Va’il said.
“You’re seriously underestimating. Boy, you’re annoying me now. Fine, be stupid. No, no, I guess I can do one more thing for you. Come here, I’ll show you. But this is it. After this, I won’t help you again! I shouldn’t do this even, but at this point I’m beyond being noble,” the drunk said. He got up and went back into the cave. He walked out carrying a makeshift table and a couple small stools. He sat them across from each other around the table, and then sat in one. “You sit there, boy!”
Va’il figured he might as well oblige for the moment, seeing the drunk’s reaction. The drunk put his elbow on the table and raised his hand up. Seeing this, Va’il realized what was going on.
“Ah, arm wrestling?” Va’il asked.
“More like a meter. Here, meet my hand. I’ll show you. Meet me at the resistances I set,” the drunk said. Va’il was slightly confused, but he took the drunk’s hand in his own and set up. “Okay boy, first, a regular old avian. Go ahead and push it down.”
Va’il pushed the drunk’s arm down, until it was just short of hitting the table. It stopped there, and Va’il was unable to push further.
“Okay boy. This is an avian man. Pretty weak, right? A trained avian man, there’s another inch up. Here’s a deeri, a bit stronger, right? Another half inch to go till we hit average humans. Pretty weak, right? Up further we get female slitherers. And here we get humans that are a bit stronger, probably just city guards or regular armies. Oh, but this is still pretty musclebound for most human men. And then finally we get to the middle, right where you are. You’re a half, and a lupus half at that. You’re almost as strong as an average felis, even at your young age. See where I’m going?”
Va’il nodded. He had varied his strength a bit, but he could tell that with his strength he couldn’t budge the drunk’s arm from its current point, as if he were holding onto a stone statue or facing a mirror image of himself. He tried to keep it there, but his arm was starting to fall as the drunk kept pushing.
“Okay boy, try not to get hurt. I’ll go a bit at a time. Strong felis. Extremely trained and powerful human men. Average lupus. Oh, you’re still not touching the table? Impressive, but that’s about it,” the drunk said. Va’il’s arm then touched the table, his hand unable to offer the resistance to get it up. “And here, boy, is where we stop metering by just physical prowess, and we start getting into the elite areas. Each of the four men you were about to face is about here. And they aren’t even all that special compared to some of the nightmarish monsters that exist. And raw strength is only one part of it. You’re strong, kid. But don’t fool yourself. You’re stronger than most human men, and can probably fight better too. You can thank the lupus in you for that. But that’s it.”
“Interesting. And where do you fall?” Va’il asked, smiling.
“Bah, boy, I’m just a drunk. And a gambler. And I hate seeing kids throw their life away. So, you got it?”
“One more time,” Va’il said, “but this time a standard game.”
“A game? Sure boy, if you want. Ah, I don’t see the use,” the drunk said.
