“How’sat knife workin’ out for ya?” Doogin boomed. Though there was a crowd of over three-dozen survivors around, he could be heard above everyone all at once. He seemed quite cheery despite the chaos filling the streets.
Kalos and Elana had only just stepped into the dark, smoky pub when the dwarf stood to greet them from several tables away. To his right sat Grimm, stubbornly staring at a candle on the table and refusing to look over at first.
“Doogin!” Kalos replied with as much energy as he could despite the exhaustion dulling his senses. Though they’d only just met, he felt like they had a long history together. The amazing quality of the blade he carried revealed a lot about the dwarf’s character, on the other hand, how likable he was despite his grizzled appearance was a testament to his nature. After Grimm revealed that he had known Doogin for many years, the dwarf instantly felt like family to Kalos.
Elana casually made her way to a stool near the bar, where she took a seat and quietly began surveying her surroundings.
Kalos crossed the room over to the stocky old blacksmith, who sent the table skidding out of his way as he reached out his wide, meaty hand to shake the boy’s own with a hearty laugh.
Kalos’ tightened his jaw against the pressure of the dwarf’s grip before finally answering his question.
“Honestly? It feels as natural as my very hand itself,” he smiled, expecting Doogin’s face to light up even more from the good report.
“Well o’course it does! That weapon may as well be next ‘o kin after the affinity it gave ya.” The blacksmith sharply slapped him on the shoulder before glancing over at Grimm, who was already staring back with worried eyes.
Kalos blinked in confusion. Doogin may as well have been speaking a completely different language. He had never heard of “affinity” before.
Grimm’s expression darkened, adding more heft to the awkward moment. Elana watched from the bar with the calculating precision of a hawk about to swoop down upon its prey.
Realization sank in about how far from home he really was as Kalos stood at the front of the rowdy room and looked around with bewilderment. So much had happened and so many things had changed in just a few short hours. Now, on top of it all, he felt like he was the only one in the room who had no idea what was actually going on in the city. He wanted to ask his father, but a strange emotion pushed his willingness to do so aside like a shield protecting his mind from the trauma he had experienced when he found out that Grimm wasn’t actually his father at all. He shook his head slightly to try and clear his mind before continuing on with the conversation.
Doogin fell silent for several seconds before patting him on the shoulder again, only more gently this time, and forcing another laugh to lighten the mood.
“Welp, I’m glad ya like it! It’s my finest work, yet.”
He took a seat across from Grimm and glanced at Elana out of the corner of his eye before looking back at the boy with surprise.
“Who’sat, anyway, eh?” Doogin chirped, abruptly changing the subject. The blacksmith grabbed a mug of dark ale from the table in front of him and took a long, slow gulp as he waited.
It took a moment for Kalos to recapture his thoughts before replying, “Her name’s Elana. She calls herself the Red Dagger.” He made sure to put extra emphasis on the title she had claimed with a hint of jest since it seemed like such a silly thing for someone to say in his mind. He immediately regretted it.
Doogin choked in his mug, sloshing some of its contents out and drenching his beard all at once. He quickly wiped his mouth with a sleeve while his eyes snapped over to her with an anxious expression.
Elana violently slammed her palm on the bar, refusing to look over at them again though she had obviously overheard what was said about her. Clearly she disagreed with his decision to reveal such information out loud. She nearly barked at the barmaid through grit teeth, “Strongest stuff ya got. Now!”
A young girl tending the bar nearly tripped over her own feet as she scurried over to a wooden cabinet and blindly clawed the shadows for a bottle of some mysterious brew hidden deep within.
Elana began muttering something about “insolence and idiocy” as she impatiently waited for her order to manifest itself right in front of her.
A dozen patrons immediately gathered their things while struggling not to cast any looks toward Elana, Kalos, or anyone else near them. Apparently they couldn’t leave quickly enough as they began filtering through the entrance to the outside world, stumbling into one other in quick succession.
“Kalos, you look tired and hungry, why don’t you go order some food at the bar?” Grimm’s voice was much softer than usual. It was strange for his father to talk like that. He immediately complied with the man’s suggestion, but couldn’t prevent a chill from running down his spine.
Kalos stepped toward the bar with nothing more than a polite nod. Before he had taken four steps, he heard his two elders start talking in hushed tones behind him. He was far too tired and hungry to care about what they were saying as the thought of a hot meal gripped his imagination, making him drool.
By the time he crossed the room to sit beside Elana, she had already finished half of her mysteriously strong drink and began slouching against the bar with one arm. She looked almost unrecognizable compared to when he lost everything to her over a game played with loaded dice only a few hours earlier. All of that felt like a distant memory now.
He noticed that the bruise on her jaw was starting to swell and take on a purplish hue several shades darker than her otherwise sun-kissed skin.
They sat in silence for a while, mostly enjoying the privilege of not having anything to do but remain quiet and relax a moment.
Soon the barmaid brought a skillet of Shepherd’s Pie and a mug of ale from behind the bar, then set them on the counter in front of Kalos while he slid a few tence across the smooth, wooden surface to her in exchange. He started scarfing down the meal without a word. Several minutes later, he was about to fall asleep with his head on the bar when Elana broke the silence.
“Y’always this daft?” Her expression was warm despite the unkind nature of her words.
“Only when it suits me.” His tone was sharp, but he knew it wasn’t the cleverest response he had ever thought of. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, suddenly feeling a wave of exhaustion roll over him as the blood rushed to his stomach after the meal he had just devoured.
“At least twice a day then?” she chortled, taking another jab at his ego. She tipped the mug of mysterious spirits up and squandered the entire remainder of its contents over several gulps without a breath.
Slamming the mug back down on the counter, she called for the barmaid again with gravel in her voice, “Another!”
Elana lazily turned toward Kalos and leaned closer than he was comfortable with at first. The smell of her breath caused his lungs to seize. The liquor smelled far more potent than even the Green Fairy had been.
“Yer’eally are annoyin, ya kno’dat?”
Kalos struggled to find any response at all before she continued without giving him a fighting chance, “I men..,” she swallowed, trying to clear her mind a little before correcting her last few words, “Er, mean, yer a knife fighter, rit? An you got me’a kick ya? Waz up wi’dat?” She looked utterly baffled for someone who should be too drunk to be able to express any emotion at all.
“A knife fighter shouldn’t use his feet?” Kalos asked curiously.
“I’s a her, no’a his!” She poked his cheek with one finger, correcting him for no apparent reason. Suddenly she leaned against his shoulder as if she were about to share some deep, dark secret with him.
“A true knifer ne’er touches enemies wit not but’er blade.” Her speech patterns were getting more difficult to follow, but her goofy smile and amiable nature were becoming far harder to resist as well.
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“I’ll remember that,” Kalos replied in a sappy tone. He immediately felt embarrassed.
It was hard to think logically over his bulging stomach, extreme fatigue, and foggy mind as a result of the ale, especially while garnering attention from such a disarmingly attractive young lady as Elana.
The barmaid finally sat another mug in front of them, which immediately caught Elana’s attention. She struggled to sit up straight before snatching the container and chugging it down in several gulps.
Kalos stared in amazement as she drank the mug dry over the course of several seconds before triumphantly slamming it on the counter, just like before.
Elana looked straight into his eyes as her face flushed to a bright red hue. She could only maintain composure a moment longer before placing her hands on her chest and allowing an onslaught of drunken laughter to roll from her lips. Tears streamed down her face. She wasn’t loud and boisterous, just laughing hysterically for no reason other than having consumed a dangerous amount of alcohol in only a few gulps. Something told him she had a knack for doing that kind of thing, though.
Kalos gently placed one hand on her shoulder. She had been laughing so long and hard that her stomach eventually squeezed all of the oxygen out of her lungs, leaving her body clenched with jubilation. Suddenly he was afraid she might pass out at any moment and crack her head open if he didn’t help brace her upright.
Finally she fell against Kalos’ chest, gasping for air. Upon recovering, she placed a hand on his thigh, causing his body to tense, and weakly pushed herself up again.
Elana placed both hands on the counter with squinty eyes as she tried to find the barmaid. After settling her sparkling irises on a single point of focus, she spoke with a heavy slur, “Nee’da bed, pleash. We’ave private biznus to d’scuss.”
“Yes, m’lady,” the barmaid quickly replied with rosy cheeks. She snagged something from behind the bar and quickly shuffled around to their side.
“This way please.” The barmaid rushed through a narrow doorway without so much as looking back at them.
Kalos immediately stood up, helping Elana to her feet. He couldn’t see exactly where the barmaid had gone, but he was far more concerned about getting Elana to bed before she had the chance to collapse on the floor in a heap of unconscious, dead weight.
“Thanksh!” Elana nearly shouted after the maid. She tried to take off through the door on her own, but stumbled several steps, entirely unable to recover the whole way.
Kalos instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist as she clung to his chest with a husky laugh. He glanced over at Grimm and Doogin one last time. The men were so involved in their conversation that they didn’t even notice as they made their way out of the room.
Soon, he saw the barmaid standing midway down a narrow hall ahead. From her hand dangled a large ring of brass keys of every shape and size. She gracefully unlocked one of the heavy doors along the wall and pushed it open, revealing a medium-sized room.
A sliver of early morning light was beginning to shine through the only small window they had. Their hostess slid a heavy curtain in front of it, making the room pitch black for their convenience.
The bed was very old, but looked immaculately clean and unbelievably cozy considering how tired he was. It had four posts, one at each corner, with heavy scarlet drapes hanging from each one for decorative purposes.
The room was sparsely furnished, much like the one at the Pearl Dancer’s Inn, but what furniture was there had been meticulously carved with elaborate scale patterns intended to bring continuity to the elegant ball and claw motif of the entire ensemble.
The barmaid helped Kalos carry Elana inside. Together, they gently set her on the bed before she immediately began unstrapping her boots with great determination as required by her questionable state of mind.
“Thank you. The men who greeted us will need to know..” He didn’t get a chance to finish before the barmaid responded with a quick nod and stepped back over to the door.
“I’ll put’em in the nex’room o’er when’er done talkin m’lord. Don’t worry yer’self abou’dat! Sleep well!” She left the key to their room on a small table by the entrance and shut the door behind her. A heavy clanking sound revealed that some kind of automatic locking mechanism built into the door had triggered as soon as it closed, completely sealing the room shut from the inside.
Kalos’ eyes widened when he realized that they were now safely locked together in a room that no one else had access to. A heavy thud from Elana’s direction caught his attention.
She simply sat on the bed with legs crossed in front of him. She softly whimpered while massaging one foot at a time to help relieve the tension in her calf muscles.
Kalos folded his arms tightly over his stomach, as if he didn’t want to risk touching anything in the room for fear that he might break something, and waited quietly. Soon, he caught himself again admiring how truly beautiful she was all the way down to her shapely toes, and flinched.
She had wrapped a long, thin strip of cloth around the arches of her feet at some point and crisscrossed them around each heel. He recognized it as an old soldier’s configuration intended to help protect the skin from blisters and sores. He had heard of such things, but never thought to try it for himself since he never had to spend days on end traveling without so much as a change of underwear.
“Thanksh’fer before,” she finally whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear.
Without expecting a reply, Elana slowly began unwrapping the thin, cloth bindings from each of her feet. Afterwards, she stuffed the strips into her boots and readjusted so that her legs were still crossed, but quite a bit wider at the knees than before. Somehow she was still able to maintain exquisite posture despite the completely drunken state she was in.
“I’m just glad you’re safe. Where are the others you were with?” He didn’t want to go into great detail about what happened earlier that night when she stole everything from him. He didn’t feel the need to revisit forgotten wrongs, even if they were only a few hours old. His question was simply the result of innocent concern for her well-being.
Elana’s eyes narrowed sullenly as she looked over at a flickering candle the barmaid must have lit for them after covering the window. She wiggled her toes in frustration before shooting him a glare that made him want to cringe.
“Those scall’wags ran back to the ship wit’ere tails ‘tween their legs!” Her nose crinkled as she continued ranting, “They couldn’t make’t back before Cap’n Sniveler’s crews attacked the city! Useless scum, the lot of em. I’ave a sharp word or two waitin for ‘em when they fin’ly make it through’da scalp’ines.”
He didn’t know what else to say. He understood the words she was using but not their full meaning. Her accent was almost completely foreign to him.
The girl paused before continuing with a particularly warm, inviting voice that made his heartrate shoot up a few beats per minute, “But you were there.”
Kalos watched as Elana gracefully stood to her feet and took a few light steps his way, never averting her eyes from his. He couldn’t bear the intensity of her gaze after the first step, but couldn’t bring himself to look away for fear that he might miss some incredible detail, no matter how small.
Before he realized what was happening, she gently wrapped her hands around his waist and tightly pressed her body against his while rocking forward onto her tiptoes.
Elana planted her lips so softly against his that he barely felt it. It was the first time he’d ever been kissed and all he could do was stand as still as a statue.
Suddenly, Kalos nearly stumbled. She looked straight into his eyes with a mildly surprised expression across her face. She almost seemed delighted by how he was reacting to her.
Her irises were like deep black pools, inviting him to dive in. Elana leaned forward and planted a second kiss, far more passionate than the first, upon his salty, chapped lips. She pulled him with her as she tiptoed backwards a few steps and accidentally tumbled over the edge of the bed all at once. Their lips parted rapidly as she fell onto her back, giggling wildly at herself.
Kalos couldn’t help but chuckle like a fool, being completely mesmerized by her silly demeanor and wildly magnetic movements against his.
Elana stretched her arms far above her head, perching one bare foot on the edge of the bed, and smiled up at him. He could see her chest pulsing rapidly between each breath.
His body ached for more, but he resisted the urge to fall into her completely. His heart felt like it was about to burst. He had to resist his urges, though, otherwise he felt like he would be no better than the pirates who attacked her for taking advantage of her in her current state.
“Aw, such a gentleman. Arent’cha gonna get comfy, too?” A playful grin played at her lips, when suddenly she yawned deep and long while her heavy eyelids fluttered shut for only a moment.
Kalos took a seat beside her and removed his boots as well. After finally getting them off, he sluggishly removed his new, reddish-brown jerkin, and weakly dropped it onto the floor.
Elana swiftly unbuckled the belts holding that dirk against her hips, and dropped them on the floor with a loud clatter. She immediately reached over, putting one hand on his stomach while sliding the opposite around to the small of his back, causing Kalos’ slim waist to tremor from the touch of her skin. With some effort, he managed to relax and waited as she unbuckled his dagger and sheath as well, dropping them on the floor right on top of hers.
Without warning she pushed him onto his back with one hand and straddled his stomach, longingly tightening her thighs around him. She bent down, pressing her delicate lips against his again. After several seconds of passionately locking tongues with him, Elana lifted her head and gasped for air with a smile.
Through heavy breathing, she traced the most masculine features of his body with hungry eyes and gentle fingertips. Suddenly she bit her lip in anticipation.
Kalos’ heart pounded as he struggled to catch his breath. A wave of euphoria rolled over him like a warm blanket as he quietly rested under her body, feasting his eyes on her most alluring features while every inch of him throbbed and ached.
Kalos let his hands fall to her hips with a firm, strong grip. Unexpectedly, she sank to the bed next to him while another yawn escaped her lips. Sparkling irises fixated on him like a child eagerly waiting to consume the most delicious dessert she had ever seen, however she couldn’t move for how tired she was.
They weren’t even fully disrobed before sleep started carrying them away. After only a few passionate kisses, everything felt so profoundly different between them that Kalos didn’t care what might happen next. She could pull out a hidden knife and stab him with it and he wouldn’t so much as bat an eye in response.
“Thank you,” she whispered. Her breathing grew deeper and slower until she finally lost consciousness with one foot still dangling across his stomach and her hair spread-out across the blanket.
“You’re welcome,” Kalos replied softly. He lay motionless as tranquility flooded his mind and sweet rest took him away.
Elana’s lithe form was the last thing Kalos wanted to see before falling asleep. Though he knew that only a complete fool would willingly share a bed with such a dangerous person as she, he felt like he could never feel any happier in life than he did that very moment.
©2024, K. M. Plum, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED