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Whisper ‘Pretty Nose’ Jinx
A matter of State
Part I
-Pee in box, fool the fox-
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The punch broke the heavy-set Lorian’s jaw. Jinx heard it cracking, bone splintering and half a dozen teeth clattering on the tiles. The small invested crowd hollered or shrieked, with a few that had wagered good coin on the Lorian cursing civilly as it was a long shot. The wiry Zilan just looked more dangerous. Jinx had to manage Phinariel’s fingers digging into her palm and keep an excited Assara at bay at the sight of blood.
Folmon -the dangerous looking Zilan- took a moment from dancing around his doubled over opponent –Manius was busy picking up his teeth from the floor- to bask in the small crowd’s appreciation.
A couple of things must be noted here.
For starters, the crowd was appreciative of the fact Folmon was going to give them a bit of coin back and not of his person. Secondly, the event Hulanor had set up, the latter being Folen’s partner in the brothel business, was illegal in all ‘civilized’ cities on Jelin, or under the loftier umbrella of the gladiatorial games in Greenwhale Peninsula on Eplas. Because Glen hadn’t bothered putting any law forbidding it, Hulanor had bought the villa next to the brothel and turned it into a mini arena to host such events.
Secondly plus a bit, Jinx thought –not wanting to ruin her argument- narrowing her eyes to glare at the hurt Manius, this wasn’t just her taking the girls for a stroll in the shadier side of Taras. She was on a quest, while also trying to make a bit of coin.
“This is oddly exciting,” Phinariel murmured and judging by the state of those hard nubs poking at her thin tunic, she was telling the truth. It’s all this well-oiled muscular male flesh displayed. Ye can’t fault a girl for gazing. “Don’t you think?” the flushed Zilan added shyly.
Just did babe.
“Blood,” Assara agreed licking at Jinx’s palm, already hungry again.
Eh.
Jinx paused her glaring at the hurt fighter to figure out a proper response and Folmon decided this was enough basking for the evening and stooped to grab Manius hair in order to deliver his coup de grace. Manius kneed his extending hand breaking it at the wrist and the Zilan recoiled with a pained as much as surprised yelp. Everyone gasping audibly, but none more than the three females from completely different species. The sturdy Lorian rose up amidst that sudden silence, bloody mouth hanging half-open loosely, folded his arm at the elbow and used said elbow to deliver a seemingly devastating blow at the groaning Zilan.
Right at his temple.
Down goes Folmon, Jinx thought with a grin, as the crowd exploded in protest, but for the few that had risked their coin with the moaning, mostly toothless Manius. Them fuckers are now screaming with pure delight.
“We’re going girls,” Jinx said and shoved the taller than her females through the angry crowd. “Hey, get out of the way!” she yelled trying to reach Hulanor before someone lynched him.
They made it at his small desk quickly, the plump Zilan, a couple of small gold loops dangling from his long ears very fetching, eyeing them in disbelief.
“Lady Jinx, with your… ehm, unsettling friends,” he said, an eye on the crowd leaving the arena and slowly coming their way.
“I had wagered good coin on Manius,” Jinx told him cutting to the chase.
“A silver and two coppers,” Hulanor said reading his ledger carefully. “The small bet on Manius, the larger on Folmon.”
True.
“What was that?” Jinx recoiled faking surprise. Assara hissing at the frowning Zilan event organizer, bootlegger and brothel part-owner among other things. “You wrote it wrong!”
“No,” Hulanor replied and signed for two equally sturdy-looking Zilan to approach and handle the angry crowd. “I didn’t,” he told her and pointed at his entry with a long fingernail.
“Are you serious?” Jinx bellowed, her screeching voice coming out stunningly powerful considering her small frame. “HE WON’T PAY!”
“Lady Jinx,” Hulanor said surprisingly calm given that the Gish’s words had riled up the crowd even more and wiped Jinx’s spittle from his cheek. That or he isn’t as deep in the hole as his pre-game odds suggested. “How about I give you a gold coin to go away?”
Aha. You slimy bastard! I knew it.
“A gold coin?” Phinariel gasped sounding impressed. “Why, she’s in the wrong—?”
“Fine!” Jinx yelled through her teeth, slotting her hand in Phinariel’s mouth to stop her. The stunned scribe took four fingers in easily.
Whoa!
She grabbed the coin Hulanor was holding up for her and turned around to leave, but paused and turned around to pick Assara from under the desk. The action easier said than done as the snarling Ticu was pretty heavy and very strong.
“What in allgods favor is this thing?” Hulanor asked behind her back, but the angry customers assaulting his desk prevented him from delving into it further.
The three females slipped into Folen’s adjoined Pleasure House, just as the things turned ugly. These events always end up in a brawl, Jinx thought not too concerned about it.
“You tricked him,” Phinariel said following after her, Assara holding her hand and looking about with interest, the brothel’s rooms missing their doors.
“No, I didn’t,” Jinx replied. “He just paid us to go away. I never lose. People think they’ll anger Glen and always yield, though this time that wasn’t exactly the reason.”
“How is any of this honest?”
“Phina there’s no such thing. That cunt would’ve been arrested in most cities for doing such stuff in the open! Or worse.”
“Sure, but you didn’t answer… goddess, what is she doing to him?” Phinariel asked, stopping to watch the gymnastics from the open door. The cries coming out of the bedroom disturbing.
Haha.
“He’s fine,” Jinx assured her and dragged the blushing young Zilan away. “Don’t worry about it.”
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Assara looked around the mostly empty tavern located two blocks from the brothel, then opened her mouth impossibly wide and poured everything in her plate down her gullet. Meat, potatoes and vegetables. Material spilling out of the sides of that cavernous mouth and on their table.
“Noble Goddess,” Phinariel gasped dropping her fork down. Assara burped, made another weird sound and then puked everything under the table. She picked the plate and dropped it down as well.
“Dead,” the Ticu declared. “Not good.”
The shocked tavern keeper, a balding Cofol named Darvin, the tavern’s name Culinary Delight, made to protest, but then thought better about it. I bet he wishes he’d closed up early, Jinx thought and smiled warmly.
“Phina will clean it up,” she assured him, the Zilan frowning at her words. “Do you have something… ehm, redder?”
“Ahm, I can touch up a lamp steak?” Glen had brought a lot of sheep in Taras.
“How about you leave it untouched?” Jinx countered and Assara chuckled, her face changing as her black eyes grew into their natural size. Darvin shuddered and took a step back. “Just bring it here with the juices,” Jinx added still grinning and a customer had enough and run out of the tavern screaming.
It took them a moment to realize it was actually the cook. The naughty Ticu had slipped sneakily inside the kitchen to check on the fresh meat up close. Jinx had to go and get her out herself, Assara taking a slaughtered half-lamb with her, clutching at it desperately with her hands. The lower part. They found Phinariel sweeping the floor when they returned and Jinx decided this was enough excitement for the night.
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“Where are you going?” Phinariel asked her back in Jinx’s villa. A well fed Assara was soundly asleep next to the Zilan, the monkey snorting on her shoulder.
“I need to check up on some stuff,” Jinx replied keeping her voice low.
“What happens if she wakes up?”
“You sing something her, one of your poems and she'll start singing too. If that fails you feed her the rest of the lamb. Not the monkey,” Jinx replied. “I’ll be right back.”
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The wearing a dark-grey cuirass sentry outside Taras District 'Birds Post Tower' blinked slowly, the three story square wooden structure located on the east side of the city’s bulky stable’s building and the road towards Sinya Goras Port.
“Jinx?”
“That’s right,” Jinx said with a wink. “I knew you’ll remember me!”
The Cofol stood back unsure.
Dammit.
“The Gish riding wit Lord Garth?” Jinx tried again with a groan.
Whoa that sounds very ambiguous, she thought.
“Right,” the man said, remaining dutifully guarded. “Ahm, are you lost?”
“I was thinking,” Jinx started pausing for extra emphasis. “Of sending a missive to Eikenport.”
The guard pointed at a closed large roofed cubicle set up next to the tower.
“Office is closed. It’s the middle of the night. Come again in the morning.”
“It’s a bit urgent you see,” Jinx insisted batting her eyelashes. Red-rimmed Gish eyes growing in a disconcerting manner.
“I don’t,” the guard retorted honestly and pointed at the cubicle again. “Come early, there’s a line usually.”
She used to be better at this.
It is all these Zilan cunts making stuff difficult for the rest of us.
“Can I speak to Master Kamat-Fin?”
That was the bird-whisperer or something.
“He’s sleeping. Folk tend to do it in the middle of the night.”
“Maybe he’ll wake up? I can wait with you. It’s lonely at this time, right?”
The sentry stared at an approaching City Guard patrol. “I’ll be fine Lady Jinx. Get your rest, come again in the morning.”
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Jinx thought about poking him in the eye, but decided the rest might take offense, so she smiled gnarly afore turning on her heels and sauntered away.
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There was another Lorian guard outside Glen’s villa, talking with a Cofol soldier, one of the twenty Sopat mercenaries Bohor used to secure the premises and act as Sen-Iv’s bodyguards. Jinx cleared her throat, eyed the sky turning red as sunrise approached and headed straight for the door.
The lowered spears stopping her.
“Boys,” Jinx taunted backing away. “Are ye compensating for something? Hmm?”
“Lady Jinx,” the City guard said politely, one of Fikumin’s under Captain Valentine Horton. “Everyone is asleep.”
“Was going to check on Maeriel.”
“She’ll be across the street after her shift is over,” the guard assured her. “Like every morning. It’ll be best for everyone if you waited for her across the street.”
Whoa, Sen can hold a grudge.
“Can I speak to Fikumin?”
“The Lord Shield is asleep. It was a very big day yesterday,” the guard replied. “Reckon it’ll be equally tiring for him on the morrow.”
Jinx knew that badge was going to be trouble the moment she spotted it on the dwarf’s chest. It was that cunt Metu’s fault for pushing all these ‘reforms’ and red tape on the people.
“Fuckin’ cunt,” Jinx hissed and the guards frowned.
“I beg yer pardon?” the Lorian grunted.
“Not you,” Jinx retorted and with a last glance at the slanted eyed Cofol next to him, turned around and left them fuming in her small boots.
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“Ticu,” Assara said and pointed at an island on the map, then moving her long slender finger she pointed at another island and repeated the word.
Jinx sighed and stared at the bedroom door.
“Your mate sleeps,” Assara explained with a freakish shrewd smile.
“Let her sleep,” she replied and pushed back on her chair to spy on the villa across the street through the purposefully left open main door. “There’s Soletha again,” Jinx reported.
“Why?”
Jinx stared at the unassuming girl. When she wasn’t excited Assara looked like a normal human with strange eyes and small pointy teeth. Ugh. The Ticu was now wearing a short tunic Phinariel had brought her, the light green color contrasting to her jet-black gathered back hair and no shoes.
She was also peeing on the floor of her hall without a care in the world.
“Assara!” Jinx scolded her. “Stop!”
“Why?” she asked, the wet pool under her growing.
“We don’t piss in our home girl! Where did you learn it? In the sea? Never mind, don’t answer that,” Jinx decided and grabbed her arm. “Come.”
“Where? Journey?”
“A small one.”
Jinx dragged her out the back of the villa via a small door, the small backyard there facing the street behind them. The once empty neighborhood slowly coming back to life, houses and villas repaired, or even built anew, as more and more people opted to stay near the lake. The slowly rising castle up on the plateau overlooking the Taras valley and the picturesque lake the main attraction.
As many Cofols and Lorians lived there as Zilan.
Jinx pointed near a wild bush. “There. Away from prying eyes. Ye get to do it like the Gish.”
“Pee outside,” Assara said and squatted down to resume her thing. Jinx nodded absentmindedly and glanced across the street, a Zilan sitting on her veranda glaring their way. Jinx raised her hand to greet the neighbor and the Zilan female hissed making a sour face. The Gish closed her greeting hand into a fist leaving the mid-finger pointing to the heavens.
Annoying blue cunt.
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Jinx spend the morning spying on Glen’s villa, missed Maeriel leaving for an errant and only moved from her position when Phinariel returned after finishing her work with Fikumin.
“Is he free now?”
“He has meetings and the Council will be informed on the campaign developments later,” Phinariel replied.
“Anything else?” Jinx probed, flinching at the Ticu appearing next to the young Zilan.
“Not really,” Phinariel said and gave Assara her hug. She was working as a scribe near Fikumin for some months now and had showcased an exceptional ability in letters. Phinariel loved verses and writing down stuff, Maeriel’s attempts to convert her to a ranger a total failure. “There are a couple of things I can’t talk about.”
What?
“Come on,” Jinx urged her with a friendly grin. “We don’t care about all that right?”
“Ah, I can’t. I’ll ask Fikumin to brief you, if you want.”
Bullshit.
“Pee outside,” Assara said and Phinariel frowned.
“Ahm, is she alright?”
“Outside,” the Ticu insisted taking her hand. “Come.”
“Assara, Phina doesn’t want to pee for fuck’s sake!” Jinx exploded.
“Actually…” Phinariel started with a blush. “If you don’t mind. I might need to use your facilities.”
It’s all dirt girl, we own nothing but the skin on our bones, the Gish’s eyes told her sadly.
“Why would I…? eh, go ahead. It’s out the back,” Jinx said with a sigh, her mood pensive.
“I know.”
“Outside,” Assara agreed with a smile. “Phin pee now.”
“Haha, she’s rather cute yes?” Phinariel said following the Ticu to her backyard and walking past the spot Assara had used earlier to a small stone booth at the corner of the building.
“Ugh?” Assara grunted unhappy and a bit confused Phinariel had missed the spot.
“It’s a lavatory,” the young Zilan explained pointing at the unassuming booth. No freaking way. I take the dirt comment back. Haha, imagine that! “I love nature, but there are a lot of people peeking from windows out here right? Maeriel hates it, because she gets to clean it, but I’ll clean up after me,” Phina added and stepped inside closing the small curtain behind her.
“Pee in box?” Assara asked hopefully next to a numb at the discovery Jinx.
Her words a song.
“Fuck it,” she told the Ticu. “Go wherever ye like kid,” Jinx paused thinking it through and then added. “Except for the house. And my barrel, I only get to piss in there.”
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Kamat-Fin was a slender, thin-necked Cofol, with slanted beady eyes and had a constant pained expression on his pale face, as if his bowels were bothering him.
“Lady Jinx,” he greeted her inside the Post Tower. The many small cages packed with plump birds of a couple of different breeds, but mainly pigeons with a rich teal-colored plumage. “Something urgent?”
Jinx had skipped the line outside.
“Eh. Any word from Eikenport?”
“Lord Shield has the latest mail. Castellan Metu was here earlier.”
“Uhm. You know, say I wanted to send a missive to Soren,” Jinx started. “Could I use one of these birds?”
“The Lord’s birds are on the last floor,” Kamat-Fin explained. “You’ll need the Shield’s permission to use them for personal reasons.”
“Why is that?”
“There’re limited in number,” the mail-official replied. He eyed an assistant coming inside with a stack of scrolls and sitting on a table to write them down in smaller-sized pieces of paper.
“So how do you know which bird to use?”
“There’s a symbol on their leather pouch. Each city, or stop has a different one. The bird will return there always.”
“What’s the symbol for the Canal?” Jinx asked.
“You don’t need to know that.”
Well screw you, bird-fucker!
“How about Eikenport?” She asked instead and Kamat-Fin pointed at a roomy cage with many birds squawking and looking about them nervously.
“Merchants have their own cages as well,” he explained. “The bigger the need, the bigger the number of birds.”
“So ye write what you want and just release the bird?” Jinx asked innocently.
Kamat-Fin examined her for a moment and then sighed. “Lady Jinx I have work to attend to. If there’s nothing more, I’d like to get back to it. We need to make sure every message leaves here today. Time is money where I’m from.”
“Where’s that?” Jinx retorted.
“Lai Zel-Ka,” Kamat-Fin said, smiling thinly. “The Gem Sister.”
Damnit, Jinx thought. Sen has put her people everywhere.
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“Fiku!” Jinx hollered and run after the procession marching down the street. Fikumin was at the lead with a sweaty Metu next to him and followed by the solemn-faced Captain Horton and six armed soldiers. “Lord Shield was my meaning, haha,” she added sprinting to walk near him shoving a scowling Metu aside.
“Halt!” Horton barked stopping the group.
“What is it Jinx?” Fikumin asked her, his combed long beard luscious.
“Can we talk?”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing?”
Jinx stooped near his ear. Not that you could spot one amidst all the hair. “About Sen,” she whispered.
Fikumin scowled even more and eyed those present frustrated.
“I’m going to the stables. I have to inspect Voron’s progress and be back afore the afternoon for a Council meeting.”
“So?” Jinx asked her voice trailing.
“I’ll walk to the stables with Jinx Captain,” Fikumin decided with a groan, turning his head back. “Follow me at five paces. Metu stay with them.”
“Speak,” he told her when they had gained some distance from his escort.
“What is Soletha doing here?” Jinx asked walking beside him.
“Glen sent her.”
“Something wrong with Sen?”
“Other than what is known? Not really. I’m not an expert in human… reproduction Gish,” Fikumin grunted and glanced about them. The stables guards eyeing them approaching.
“How is it with dwarfs?”
“Difficult,” Fikumin spat. “Always.”
Hmm.
“I have this feeling,” Jinx started. “I can’t shake it Fiku. Glen should know what’s going on.”
The dwarf stopped five meters from the stable entrance and stared at her intently.
“Lady Sen has informed the Council of her situation,” he told her. “Glen is in the middle of a tricky campaign. Burdening him further won’t help our leader make the best choices. So it was decided, to monitor her situation and inform the Monarch later. We couldn’t force Lady Sen-Iv to reveal her… status, without her consent. It would have stressed her even more, putting her in danger. It would stress Glen out also at a critical point, putting us all in danger. It is a matter of State Jinx. This has long stopped being just another adventure.”
“Fiku, is there something wrong?”
The dwarf smacked his lips and Jinx realized he looked very tired.
“Glen left her in charge. Yes, he gave us power, but he… I can’t go against her wishes Jinx. Nor should you.”
“We’re his friends,” Jinx reminded him and Fikumin grimaced in anger.
“She’s his wife!” he grunted and scowled at the guards listening in.
“Is it serious?” Jinx asked. “Does Soletha know? She has moved in the house Fiku.”
“Stop this,” Fikumin warned her. “Whatever it is you’re doing.”
“I don’t like secrets,” Jinx said stubbornly standing back. “I know him longer than any one of you. He will want to know.”
“Rust and ruin! Jinx there’s no plaguing secret!” Fikumin blasted her. “It’s a situation, we just have to be discreet. There’s a bloody campaign in progress!”
“Is it that bad?”
Fikumin puffed out exasperated. “Glen is about to cross the Canal. Or went beyond it already,” he finally said gruffly. “I have a ton of things to do Jinx,” the dwarf added tiredly.
“Sure go ahead,” Jinx told him and moved out of his way. “Hey Fiku,” she said when he was halfway to the entrance and the dwarf stopped to listen to her. “You never answered.”
Which means it hasn’t been a cakewalk, despite all the reports.
“Eh,” Fikumin snorted with a gesture and walked away.
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“I’m really nervous,” Phinariel said hours later and examined her hair for the third time in as many minutes. “What am I supposed to say?”
Jinx took her hands away from her weaved hair. The young Zilan was wearing the one piece silk tunic Sen had gifted her. The garment covering even less parts of the taller female than it did of the Gish, especially since Phinariel had started growing into her body.
Phina used to be less modest when she was younger, Jinx thought.
“You’ll read them a song about guarding duty,” Jinx repeated. “Call it the Sentry’s Hour.”
“I don’t have a song about that,” Phinariel murmured and stared at her painted red toenails. The cream-colored leather sandals showcasing them nicely.
“Trust me they won’t pay attention to your words,” Jinx assured her and glanced at Assara. The Ticu wore her usual tunic and had a hooded light cloak that covered her head. “She’ll make sure they are distracted.”
Assara whistled a tune without moving her lips, then gave them a toothy grin.
“Don’t smile,” Jinx cautioned her and the Ticu stopped with a pout. “It breaks the illusion.”
“Pee in box,” Assara agreed with a wink, her singing voice adding. “Fool the fox.”
“That’s right girl,” Jinx chuckled. “Yer a fast learner.”