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Whisper ‘Pretty Nose’ Jinx
Beau Ideal
Part I
-A mesmerizing breed-
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“I appreciate the quality service Famke,” Sam said in his civil voice, looking warmly at the tavern wench. Of Issir origins. “We shall take care not to cause any mishaps or shenanigans this time.”
He-heh.
Nobody believes that.
Famke, which meant wench or something in the Issir jargon so go figure, smiled at the handsome adventurer and twirled the empty service disk at the tip of an index finger before catching it springily with a naughty smile.
Aww. Our Sam lit a spark in her loins, Jinx thought, herself slightly aroused as well and they all watched in solemn silence the bountiful tavern girl leave their table to serve another group of customers.
“Keep working at it. The vibes are strong wit her. Ye might even save a coin,” Marlo instructed after a while and Sam played at ignorance.
“I’m being polite… seeing as we almost trashed their place the other week.”
Marlo belched loudly to show he could see through Sam’s bullshit. Jinx chuckled at their back and forth, lips smacking with the taste of beer on them and her eyes roamed the tavern’s crowd. They stopped at the bar where the owner was serving a small glass of black whiskey (an expensive drink for the place) to a weird couple of half-breeds.
A thin but wiry, fully braided gold-skinned male complete with a mouth of gold, with every tooth replaced by a gold case, wearing a bulky long dark coat. Next to him stood a tall Cofol-looking but for the eyes, also richly-tanned young woman wearing a Lorian-type toga under a simple brown cloak and worn out cheap shoes. She was talking with the owner, her hand cupping his over the counter and Jinx noticed her hair were cut in shorter bangs like for a younger girl.
The clearly mature girl’s profile strikingly beautiful and when she glanced guiltily about the tavern –for some reason- her expressive light blue eyes changed color to a gleaming liquid silver.
What was that?
Jinx blinked unsure.
“Damn,” Marlo gasped eyeing the woman’s absurdly feminine figure with awe. “I bet that one claps when she gaits.”
“For the love of Uher. Will ye keep your darn voice down?” An embarrassed Sam admonished him. “She could be married!”
“I could. But dis would be still too much dairy produce for just one man,” Marlo deadpanned pursing his weathered mouth. “In such a quality.”
Well, you are a rare beauty honey, Jinx thought admiring the graceful female customer and trying to hear her voice over the murmurs of the packed tavern.
“Or woman,” Jinx mused aloud and Marlo nodded.
“What pink-curls said,” he agreed with a wink.
Jinx slapped his hand over their table and the veteran adventurer groaned in protest. “I’m missing fingers Jinx!”
“But you still got the one that counts,” she rejoined and Marlo smirked raising the maimed arm’s mid-finger suggestively.
“That’s right,” he added still leering. Jinx chuckled and got up as the couple walked out of the tavern.
“I’ll see if I can learn more,” she told her companions.
“Oh, come on,” Sam protested while Marlo turned his chair sideways to better witness without shame the foreign woman’s exit.
“Sweet fucking goodness,” Marlo was heard commenting eloquently while Jinx sashayed to the bar and the owner that was still in his place, half-empty small glass of whiskey in front of him.
“How much is the whiskey?” She asked sweetly, a little upset only her head protruded from the tall counter. The semi-bald Issir owner lowered his eyes and assumed a sour expression.
“Eh, it’s you.”
Hey. Suck my unwashed toes! Jinx’s eyes told him despite her mouth voicing a different tune.
“So?”
“You want me to repeat it?” The owner grunted.
Jinx’s finger gave the glass a tap, nail clinging on the surface.
“This.”
“Girl, I don’t understand what you’re talking about!”
Jinx sighed and leaped on the counter, parking her bare right arse-cheek on the lip like an acrobat of sorts.
Only sexier.
“Get yer arse down. People eat from there!” The owner warned her but the Gish walked over his protests.
Oh, they do fer sure. It’s called arse-licking good.
Her bottom was her meaning.
“The pretty girl that just left?" She asked elucidating. "Looked like a half-breed? A quarter maybe. Some type of mix. Made a fine blend. A slave?” Her words weren’t registering with the irked gnarly staring at her Issir. “She had that whiskey?” Jinx added and reached to have a taste of it.
The owner’s rough hand cupping hers afore she could.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” he hissed slowly then blinked in shock seeing Jinx emptying the glass she’d grabbed with her other hand and slapping it on the counter. “You—”
“Are ye drunk ‘Hairy’ Von?” A customer from a nearby table cut him off midsentence. The semi-bald Von glared at him. “Got me cock hard as rock just watching her walk away just now!”
“Any spillage on the floor, I put in yer tab.” Von warned.
“She had a whiskey,” Jinx insisted a little confused.
“Yeah mate, we all saw her,” another patron insisted and Von stood back rattled.
He grabbed at his forehead to check for a fever, squinted his eyes and then glanced at the returning tavern girl.
“She could make a pretty coin fer sure,” the pirate wench told him, winked lewdly at Jinx and then gave the Gish’s exposed part of arse a good slap.
“I’ll get you for that,” Jinx warned her and the girl grinned not that bothered about it. Jinx jumped down and walked towards their table leaving Von to discuss the matter of his sudden memory loss with the others.
“Well?” Marlo asked. “Sam is interested.”
“No, I’m not!” Sam protested red in the face.
“I stand by me words,” Marlo retorted and crossed his beefy arms on his chest.
“Did you see where she went?” Jinx asked the younger adventurer.
“Out the door?” Sam replied with a funny grimace.
Hah-hah.
“Be right back boys. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Jinx teased them and headed for the exit giving them a good show.
All of them.
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Jinx stepped out of the pirate district’s tavern, blinked with a hoarse curse at the sun hurting her eyes and then glanced about the busy market street for the couple. He spotted the man standing outside a shoemaker’s workshop and made to head there but a kid appeared out of nowhere in front of her.
Boo!
Gave her a good ole startle and a bit of a shove back.
Fucking allhells.
Goddess’ milky tits!
The kid’s creepy, gaunt face –a dirty cloth made into an eyepatch covering part of his distorted façade- eyed her in silence. Jinx shivered from toes to nips and grimaced returning the sneaky urchin’s stare.
“Didn’t see ye… ehm, you alright there?” He wasn’t taller than her and Jinx was a fit Gish. The kid didn’t answer, he looked twelve-thirteen? He had a dusty cut to size cloak on and dirty pants full of stitched patches with a pair of ancient boots that left a toe visible at the top. Sun-burned skin almost to a crisp and wild washed-out blond hair. That sole eye had a hardness in it. Either hunger or thuggery, Jinx thought and opted for the former.
She got a copper coin out of her purse.
Glen always solved small problems like that.
“Here, have yerself a loaf of bread or something.”
The kid’s eye focused on the coin with interest. “It’s two coppers,” he said in a whispery voice.
“What?”
The kid scowled at her.
“It’s two.” He said in a louder voice pouting.
“Not if it’s an older loaf,” Jinx countered. “Don’t worry about the teeth. They grow back.”
Gish could do it a couple of times at least.
The kid scowled at her some more.
Jinx added another copper coin to the amount. “Here. Have a meal.”
“That’s a silver at Von’s,” the kid explained in his conspiratorial tone.
Wow, yer seriously damaged in the head buddy. Is it the blow? Was it fire? A mule’s hoof?
“Here’s another. Von is a crook. Pick another tavern for yer meals. Go away now,” Jinx told him and dropped the coins in his open palm. The Kid got a heavy purse out, opened it and tossed the coins inside pleased. Then he walked away after raising the hood over his head. It was equal amounts of silly and creepy. Jinx lost him in the crowd perusing the market stands.
Shaking her head at the strange encounter she turned to march towards the shoemaker’s place but realized the male wasn’t there anymore. A pouting Jinx placed both hands at her waist, tapping a boot angrily as she looked around. She had missed them whilst talking to that ungrateful brat.
Damn it.
Eh, you just long for Maeriel, she told herself staring at the colorful crowd perusing the ‘mostly illegal or legal’ goods of the market. Depending on how one opted to tackle this particular matter. Spotted a couple of unsavory-looking dudes of the thieving profession talking it out, some whores cackling like hens, a pot-bellied Cofol merchant discussing inflation with an illiterate pirate with badly-decaying teeth amidst the gaps and a downtrodden market dog with droopy ears that had frozen still mid-step in the middle of the road. Mmm. Jinx furrowed her thin pink eyebrows, her gaze going from the dog to the stone bench five meters away, across the market street.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
The woman was sitting there, black-hair cut in crude medium bangs framed around her symmetrical face, a long leg crossed over the other, the foot drawn up on her thigh to work on a pair of new lace up heeled shoes she had probably bought at the workshop. The thin leather straps supposed to run twice around the ankle and then tied high at the high end of the heel. While Jinx kept watching mesmerized the preoccupied female, the latter blew softly at each long leather strap she looped around a finger as if to clean it.
And miraculously she did, the dark leather turning gradually white and sparkling, as if painted or dipped in silver.
Wow. What sick trick is that?
A shocked gasp was heard and Jinx glanced at a cursing man that had stumbled upon the now collapsed dog, a weird sensation overwhelming her attune with nature Folk senses. The black market feeling charged all of sudden with accumulated energy just as it did before or after a lighting strike.
Or the use of magic.
The Gish snapped her eyes again towards the bench but the view was now blocked by the dangerous-looking man that was escorting the female at the tavern. Narrow lips split in a mean gold-gleaming smirk. The half-breed had a twin weapon harness under his bulky hooded coat, the scimitar’s wood handle carved and covered with bronze details of gladiatorial fights.
A well-travelled thug? Jinx chanced a guess sniffing at his clothes. The man smelling of dirt, burned lard, weapon oil and old dry rocks. Like a desert mausoleum but for the odor of dirty sweat.
Scratch the thug part. The half-breed had kept the Cofol goldish skin but it was darker, extra-tanned and had the eyes of a killer. His smirk grew some more at her close scrutiny revealing that all the extracted teeth had been replaced with sharp incisors that made him look like a monster.
A rich Ticu?
Which somehow gave Jinx Silent Servant vibes. She backed away and the man nodded. Jinx puffed out and raised her arms pacifyingly, her eyes glancing towards the bench. The beautiful female had disappeared again.
Jinx grimaced at the weirdness surrounding her, turned to face the second creep of the day but he was already walking away.
Fuck it.
That’s enough excitement.
The Gish cut between two market stalls to loop around towards the tavern and her friends again, narrowly dodged a mother with her son in tow carrying a large weaver basket on her head and ducked under a camel’s massive chomping mouth that had stooped to get a half-eaten apple dropped on the street. The bow she carried on her back smacking the startled animal right at the nose and it reared in panic spilling its unassuming half-asleep rider down with a bang. Jinx twisted nimbly at the tips of her toes around the escalating trouble, overdid it in her haste to get away and planted her face on a fit round hip parked in her way –probably to peruse a cloth-merchant’s stand.
The female yelped in fright almost doubling over the merchandize, but Jinx went down fully on her arse, nostrils expanding at the spicy scent emanating from the turning around –grimacing in pain- girl she had been stalking for so long.
Naossis be walking amongst us, Jinx mouthed breathlessly when the moaning young woman stooped over her. Large silver-touched eyes with hints of sky-blue blinking upon seeing her attacker and then as if she had heard Jinx’s voiceless comment, the woman mellowed up and smiled warmly.
Jinx beamed back unwittingly, a wave of euphoria washing over her body and slowly got up taking the woman’s offered hand.
“A pretty Gish in a market,” the woman hummed in a sensual cultured voice. “Must be a good omen.”
“Apologies,” Jinx blurted out and afore she could control her tongue she added. “Girl, you’re as fine as summer wine.”
Hells is wrong wit you? Jinx cursed herself.
But the woman didn’t seem to mind at all. She purred like a cat getting a belly rub. Stop it, Jinx urged her running wild imagination.
The lewd scenes coming vivid.
Long nails digging in soft fur.
Stroke and stroke.
For crying out loud!
“Whatever are you hunting for youngling?” The woman asked in perfect but stylized common. Each word given time and its own tone or touch of music.
“I’m well over twenty five winters,” a blushing Jinx croaked, all her soft bits tingling in response to the woman’s close presence.
Tits!
No, think of something else fool!
“Uhm. And that’s an expensive bow. You should sell it for a pretty coin,” the woman noted and stood back, a hand kneading at her left hip over the fabric. Oh, mama. Jinx snapped her eyes back up towards the comely face again. “I hurt it twice this year.” The face explained. “Can you believe that?”
Absolutely.
It was alarming that Jinx would believe anything she told her.
Too soon. Let’s play count the toes first, huh?
“I can’t sell it. It’s a gift,” Jinx replied instead and sucked air in to shock the system, or break the woman’s spell.
“She must love you very much. Such quality wood is difficult to find,” the woman replied knowingly interrupting her thoughts. Oh, have I got a piece of sculpted wood for you!
STOP!
Jinx thought of Maeriel and that finally got her out of her trance.
Barely.
“I’m looking for a toga of passable quality,” the woman explained in her pleasant voice, moving on from the thorny matter probably reading her face.
Again.
Jinx cleared her throat and stared at the merchandise and then at the Lorian of sorts, standing behind the stand. His eyes focused on his alluring customer shamelessly.
“This is the finest Peninsula silk,” he said in a heavy Lesia accent faking at knowledge. “Weaved by caring hand for months to reach this length and strength. Then it crosses the desert under perilous conditions and back-breaking cost. Blood and toil has been given for it to find its way to this fine market. Passable does not do it justice.”
Jinx rolled her eyes so hard she almost went blind. Everything in this market came from raids, thieving or was pirate loot.
“I just want half of it,” the woman countered turning to face him. “For an undergarment.”
“Cutting it would only increase the cost. Nevertheless I’d recommend it. We have a place to test it to ensure a better fit. Very discreet. It’s in that alley.”
Ah, you’re looking to take advantage of her, the Gish thought.
“Which is? The cost is my meaning.” Jinx asked coming to stand next to the much taller woman. Her head barely clearing a roll of fabric.
“Two gold Dinars per meter,” the man replied readily, eyes gleaming at the prospect of coin and mayhap a show.
Oh, just swallow a bowl wit hard gravel.
“I’ll give you a silver,” Jinx countered and reached for her purse.
The man shivered and then stared at her annoyed. “I can look to find you a small hankie for that.”
“Two silver. Pieces of twelve.” Jinx replied and the merchant folded his arms on his chest. He gave her an onceover, flinching startled when he reached her face.
“For half the fabric?” He grunted.
“Let me discuss it with the trader,” the woman whispered to Jinx.
Yeah, you can’t reason with them honey or talk in private.
“I got this.” Jinx assured her.
“I… have to insist youngling,” the woman said. “You should keep your coin.”
“Name’s Jinx,” the Gish replied confidently. “I want no trade,” she added a little surprised sensing the woman’s reluctance. “It’s a gift.”
“Well, it’s not.” The man intervened with a leer. “Unless you have more Imperial coins weird-looking lass.”
“Not fer you. Yer mistaken boulder-nosed human,” Jinx retorted. “Do we have a deal?”
“No we don’t. Give me another number,” the man countered standing firm. “Or we can discuss another arrangement?” He smiled at that and Jinx thought of leaping on the stand to kick his big nose in but the woman found the chance to stoop lithely forward. She touched the man’s folded arms with a graceful hand.
“You reconsidered,” she told him soothingly and Jinx glanced at her surprised.
“I reconsidered,” the man agreed relaxing. “You have a deal.”
“For a silver,” the woman bargained in the same tone.
“For a silver,” the suddenly very-cooperative merchant droned and she retrieved her hand.
“Gratitude for your understanding,” the woman told him with a pleased smile and he nodded smiling back enthralled.
“Anytime Moira,” he replied.
Welp, butter me butt and call me a biscuit, Jinx thought astonished at the turn of events.
You are a mesmerizing breed alright girl.
“Moira is a rare name. Nice though,” Jinx told her while the merchant measured the fabric to cut it judiciously.
One of the Muses.
“I had an old-fashioned mother,” she replied with a cute shrug and then added. “Stay out of the brines young Jinx. The Realm has more safe waters.”
Right.
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Jinx watched the odd couple leaving the market, her purse lighter but full of the experience. The world really is full of interesting people, she decided. Some as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. Hearing loud chomping sounds coming near her, she glanced out of the corner of her right eye for the source of it and recoiled seeing the creepy kid standing there.
“Goddess’ milky bits!” Jinx cried out, her heart beating erratically. “How did ye creep up on me again?”
The kid stopped chewing on the loaf of bread and swallowed. He then smacked his lips and eyed the irritated Gish.
“Stay away,” he warned her.
What? Jinx gasped in shock. “What did you say?”
“Ye heard me,” the kid told her in a grown up’s voice.
Jinx stood back with a frown. “Why?”
“Bad things happen to those that linger near her,” the creepy one-eyed and disfigured kid explained. “For he doesn’t like it.”
Good fucking grief.
What the allhells are these people? Jinx thought glaring at the kid that had resumed attacking the loaf of bread with large bites.
Chomp.
Chomp-chomp.
Swallow.
Repeat.
Like a machine.
Until there was nothing left. He then turned, raised the large hood over his head to hide his face and headed after the couple that had long since disappeared into the crowd, with the assured strides of a person that knew exactly where they were heading. As the kid turned, his custom-made cloak parted and Jinx saw another piece of garment underneath. A hard-leathered armored vest complete with a small weapon harness. A small dagger and a shortsword sheathed on it.
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The Gish found Marlo and Sam catching the sun sitting down next to the entrance of the tavern. Marlo was half-asleep with his drooling mouth open. Sam wasn’t, so he kept an eye out for the occasional oldfly that attempted to dive inside his friend’s mouth.
“No luck?” Sam asked her casually seeing the Gish shuffle her feet to approach them. “We were about to come searching for you by the river.”
“I was in no danger,” Jinx replied and plopped down on her arse next to them. Reached with a hand and found a chicken’s ant-infested leg bone stuck under it, she quickly tossed away.
“Ahm,” Marlo grumbled waking up, smacking his dry mouth. “All the moisture went in me back. Face feels drier than a desert’s water hole damn it!”
“I found Moira,” Jinx told them. “She’s quite a character. Not sure about her company though.”
“That her name?” Sam asked. “Where is she from?”
“She never told me,” Jinx admitted. “For what’s worth she’s a looker alright. Especially from up close. Weird city, weird people all about, I guess.”
“Beau Ideal,” Marlo murmured soberly and shifted to sit up straighter. “The perfect beauty. It’s an old expression Sibren Matts used.”
“Right,” Jinx said nodding. “I can see it may apply to her. A little exaggerated perhaps but not by much.”
“It doesn’t exist,” the veteran adventurer elucidated and got up with a tired groan. “It’s a cautionary tale pink-curls. An illusory eidolon.”
“She was very pretty,” Sam argued. “And there are beautiful creatures aplenty in Goras.”
Jinx narrowed her eyes thinking about the encounter. Were there charms at play?
Hmm.
Maybe my hormones aren’t to blame here.
“True,” Marlo agreed. “Most of them are far from safe. Yes Sam, Aenymriel included. I’m no fool.”
“Beau Ideal,” she murmured and got up herself, slapping at her short tunic and down her thighs. The garment left her legs uncovered which made the Gish look taller so she had ditched the pants the moment the winter was over.
Eh, give or take a couple of weeks.
A bit of naked skin can do wonders, when one frequents unsavory venues?
“Not a good thing,” Marlo repeated and Jinx shrugged her shoulders not as certain. Then she turned her head back towards the street again, spotted a beefy Lorian carrying a large sword on his back and a large sack in his left arm. His right offered a red apple to a hooded -equally tall but thinner person- walking next to him that carried a longbow on her back.
The female turned casually mid-stride, mouth split in half-a-smile at the kind gesture and accepted it, coming to a full stop immediately after. The man stopped next to her with a chuckle. The female brought the apple to her face, Jinx’s red-rimmed eyes growing like saucer plates realizing who she was.
Lithoniela took a bite out of the ripe fruit and gave the grinning man a nod of approval.
“Pink curls?” Marlo asked seeing her standing frozen in the middle of the street.
“Fuck me arse,” Jinx croaked in complete disbelief. “She’s here. The blue cunt!”
“Where? Who?” Mathews asked in alarm and jumped on his feet, not understanding why she had gotten so agitated.
“Well, for what’s worth. Never seen one of them up close,” Marlo admitted sadly. “Not for the lack of trying.”
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