Impatiently tapping her bare feet on the now sunlit cobblestones. She looked forward, where the line grew shorter by the minute. The feeling of impending danger hadn’t totally ebbed for her. But the others around here started to behave like everything was as it should be. Trying to ignore the whole thing. She looked at the sun. A lot of things came to her mind about that large ball of flame up in the sky. But the pressing part was quite simple. It was already close to midday. With even the sweet water from the trees having run dry, which had greatly helped during the time in this terrible torture. She began to tap out a song that played cheerfully each morning. Right before she would get a well-rounded tasty breakfast served to her. Of mostly juicy room temperature warm raw meat, cut in perfect pieces. Just what you wanted to start your day with. Her frantic energy had infected a few others already. Who impatiently were tapping along with her.

Come on …

With little else to do. And having been reprimanded for running around in circles in her spot. It was the only thing left for her to put all that energy in, which kept surging up in her muscles. As her tail was just constantly swishing around, with the unending movements of her feet. Her ears continued scanning the surroundings within their overwatch area. Carefully taking in the sounds of that unknown place. If she had known that the wait would be hours to get even this close to the entrance. There could have been a few other things doable for her lean body. A quick stealthy crawl past everyone, would have been preferable. Even climbing the wall of chopped down trees, seemed a finer course of action now. With strong quick motions, tapping out all that energy continued.

“Next.”

With a jolt. She jumped forward. Smiling with full force now, cheerful to a point. Eyes focusing past the ones before her. There was something she had been able to get a glance at. Now without anyone blocking her line of sight, she could really see it clearly for the first time. A mass of all kinds of people running around. What was more important in that moment, food or rather the smell of food. It had teased her for half the time of her waiting. Now she could see people eating! With eager mouths, chewing away at whatever was in their grubby little hands. Just maybe a little bit further. It smelled juicy, full of fat and totally heavenly to her. She REALLY needed to get there.

Ahh, food! I want that too.

“Hoo there. Calm yourself lass. What’s wrong?!”

“It’s my turn, right. No more waiting. Just let Spiko go inside!”

A duo of two lightly armored men, with rather crappy looking spears. Stood there with an expression, as if it was just their luck all the crazy ones must come through this entrance on their shift. The one that had tried to calm her down, shook his head. He could only look exhausted at her while she hopped up and down on her heels. Trying to look further down road, into the bustling city proper. More like into the deprecated area of the south gate, were all the dregs of society ran around. No one really wanted to stay longer than necessary in there. If they could afford to be elsewhere. But to her it was paradise. Were people are chatting happily like that, there is always good food.

“Lass. You can go in, just pay your taxes first.”

“You got any monster parts in that? It’s 25% of their worth in coin. The same amount of overall weight if you can’t pay up. Anything other for trade? That is 15%.”

While the first one spook with soothing tones. As he had his fair share of problematic idiots in his time. Who would be trying to dodge around paying their dues. The other one hadn’t had those reservations, shooting straight at her. With a jerk of his head, indicating her belongings bouncing around a bit too wildly. Spiko swiveling her head from side to side.

“No monster parts. Just my things. Nothing else.”

“Like what? You went out there just to take a piss?”

Snorting, the younger one mimed with a hand before his crotch. While shifting his body to the side with a swing. Which made Spiko question his sanity a lot more now.

This whole waiting thing, must have been invented by that one.

Why would he even need a hand to take a piss?

Was all that flashed for a moment trough her mind. But there was something else. A nagging thought that sprang up. Some of her hairs stood up at that.

When … was the last … I took a leak?

Shaking her head. Banishing all those unnecessary thoughts. With burning eyes, she starred at the duo. Even if one had been only speaking nicely to her.

“Take a break Herald. No need to be so crude.”

“Come on, she asked for it.”

“No? I didn’t ask for that. I got nothing like that, can I go now?”

A small shake just came from the nicer one. Pointing with his hand to a man, clothed in a robe like hers. Intricate musters were etched on the really soft seeming fabric, silver and gold shinning in the suns light. Just a clean comfortable thing one might wear. Her eyes unwaveringly, were focusing at that person. Because what she had glanced before him, made her blood freeze in one pulse.

“Go to Sir Wilhems, our Magus for this shift.”

“ … “

“Just do it lass. He will need to check if you’re indeed telling the truth.”

“Too bad we can’t just strip and search you anymore. Times be changing~”

A shifty smile hushed shortly over the insane one's face.

“But if you really don’t want that either. Our hands will be forced. HAHA!”

“Move on lass. Next!”

Her eyes showing no whites. They shifted along a line. Further away from the entrance. A sound revibrated through the air, along the cobblestones. Into metal and bone alike, with a predatory need to be heard. Rapidly growing in cadence.

Grrr Grrr

Silence. No movement came from anyone. As a feral low growling spread out.

“W-what?”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Heavy with muscles. Burdened by armor and weaponry, gleaming in the heat of day. Overall, a really hardened bunch of dangerous looking folk. That was the only kind which would even come to this south gate. Anyone daring, no rather truthfully speaking. Being stupid enough to even think about going into the monster infested woods. Was buffed up like a pro wrestler or had the needed slyness to just slick by danger and let others handle it. Those guys and gals that starred death into the eye for a living. Now stepped back. Then shakenly took two more steps, towards well anywhere else then here.

“I GOT TO WAIT MORE?!”

Stilled to a point. That only her mouth had the power to move, with quick jerky twitches. Her tense muscles aching to just unleash. Get this over with. Run like the wind and just do things her instincts screamed at her. A pressure spread onto the bodies around here. The closer to the maelstrom of emotion they were, the more their color drained from their faces. With absentminded steps everyone started to shift further and further away. Fully even ignoring, when they accidentally fell over each other. Which then made them scrapple on the ground aimlessly.

“WAITTTT?!”

Something deep down in a dark place whispered. If they ran, she hunted. It was simple to a fault. Prey was anything and everyone, different from herself. With held breath. The whispers pulled and tore at her. Repeating in an endless loop. With added power on each repetition behind them.

“What’s the meaning of this. Young miss.”

Grrr

Turning her gaze from the two that were trying to crawl away from her on the ground. She took in the sparkle of silver and gold. A totally oblivious face of that man she had seen sitting in a chair. Was staring back at her, with eyes like molten silver. Feeling herself getting lost in the current of those brightly flowing swirls. Her breathing hitched shortly. Then steadied out. Watching the swirling silver, with golden specks of light randomly flittering about. Standing there, like a statue.

“That’s better now. Tell me, what happened.”

“She … !”

A wave of his hand silenced the not so nice man. With a snap of his teeth, he went silent. Not daring to speak to a Magus again, if not asked to do so. As the robe fluttered softly. His motion turned into a finger pointing towards her head. As if stretching forward in length, the finger connected to her forehead. Ice cold tendrils prying into her very being. With a jerk, the finger was pulled back. Rubbing it with his thumb. An eye brow raised on the robed man's face.

“As I thought. You must have some good magical talent.”

Now her tail was really angrily swishing around. Showing of the speed of her muscles. By making a snapping sound of displaced air, on each turn of direction.

“Now, now. Be good, I wouldn’t want to damage perfect levy material for the army. Oh, the extra research funds I will get for you~”

From the side of her vision. Blurry to the point that she had trouble making it out from all the other movements. Ten fingers stretching out like a grotesque mockery of humanoid body parts. More akin to gnarled thin wooden branches, as they warped and twisted with a silvery gold shimmer around them.

“I must thank you. Attacking officials of the state. Just the kind of thing necessary to be forcefully enlisted. 20 Years of indentured service? Ha~”

Chuckling, the robed man continued starring down Spiko. Slowly, steadily his outstretched fingers were encircling her face. Curling up while the swirls in his eyes became ever more violent. Her tail stopped, now ramrod straight up in the air. Ears honed in on the sound of bones shifting slightly. A ripple of emotion changed her placid face. But still, she couldn’t take her vision off those dreadfully beautiful eyes.

SMACK

The silver and gold robe really frenzied out in a flurry of motion. As it and the unfortunate wearer, spun wildly in the air. Robe fluttering only for a few moments. Then with a soft sound of someone hitting a stony surface way too hard to be comfortable. All of existence stilled.

With a jolt, she came too. Her muscles twitched and made her stand up with sudden motion. Tail fully puffed up to max fluffiness. Ears leant forward fully focusing on the target.

“Don’t touch me!”

More of a soft hiss of indignation. She told the weird silver eye one off. But there came no reaction from him. The robe’s cowl had fluttered to the side. Giving free the view to a balding man’s face. Red and really hurting anyone that would look at it, a deep imprint of a long thing fingers and a small palm was starkly visible. With his overly pale skin giving the perfect background to it.

I’m so done with this! Those people are all weird!

Stomping off. But turning back after just a few steps. Pulling off the robe, pants and comfy looking shirt of the prone man. Then realizing the silence.

“Uhh …”

All around here were bodies. Twitching, with a trickle of blood flowing freely from their noses. Some even bleed from their ears. Tasting something warm on her lips. Now that her inner heath calmed. A coppery slick smell assaulted her, the moment she tried to sniff by reflex.

Hatschii Haatt—sischi Haa --- ah

A modern Art was now laying before her. Lots of red blots on a pale face, that had her signature on it. While unconscious eyes were starring out into nothingness. Rubbing under her nose, she smeared it generously on her left cheek.

Well … no one's telling me to wait anymore. I guess, I can go now.

A bit guiltily. Cause she also had liberated a shingling wooden box, from the table that weird silver eye sat on. She scurried away into the south gate area. Where everyone seemed to be taking it easy.

Napping middays sounds nice.

Her tail soon became stock still again, there it was. A stall with the most delicious smell. Meat was slowly charring towards a blackish color on one side on a thin iron grill. Shrugging, because she already had just taken almost anything that she claimed to be hers. She scooped up as much juice dripping meat into her arms, as she could. Then deciding that getting burnt by the fat wasn’t worth it.

Creak Pop Cling klin gling ling

The sound of coins falling onto stone, then rolling off in every which direction were audible. Stuffing the now momentarily empty box till it just wouldn’t close anymore. She skipped away. Box under the arm, she held the bindles wooden branch. Grabbing into her treasure from time to time, with the other. Sounds of comfort spread out in the silence.

Munch munch mun-Munch-ch

“AHHH~ Spiko neeeeeedddeddd that.”

Munch Munch munch

munch Munch munch

Soon the happy purr that had bounced off the shabby wooden shacks. Vanished from anyone, capable of hearing it. Some barking and loud hissing rose up bare moments later. The whole area was filled with frantic street cats and dogs. Stalls with had the smell of meat, insects and fish, were toppled like in a video game raid. Mobs of animals took to this opportunistic moment. With large pieces of raw meat getting pulled hastily along the ground. Some double or triple the size of the eager thief. The sounds of wet flesh sliding over another fleshy surface resounded for a good time. As all kinds of paw sizes walked over the unconscious masses. The first guards arriving at the scene, long after the animals had ravaged the place. Could just stand there. Pale as if a ghost was before them. All the bloodied motionless bodies, slowly began to rise. Moaning and rubbing at their temples and noses. Covered in bizarre markings of blood.

“H-HolD!”

As they took in more of the scene. All the people started running away, if they could move.

“Hold in the name of the King!”

‎ “Hold damit!”

“You there! Why are you coming out of that window?!”

“Stop!”

‎

That day a lot of people found themselves. Being hit by a club moments after they got themselves in order. Bound in the finest ropes, the guard had liberated from a nearby store. Then questioned “Why by the gods they all were so damned bloody! Who did this! Was it you?!” in an ear bursting quality. Noteworthy, was a group that hauled away a really stupid old man. Laughing heartily, they threw him into another cold floored cell. Talking about how the Magus would rip that one's eyes out. Lots of gory details got discussed. Because who would dare impersonate a Magus like that? Even more so here. Were the 6 State appointed Magi, had the same noble rank as the city’s lord! Ohh, they had a good laugh. Loudly discussing how that fool had gotten someone to slap him. As soon as Magus Wilhems returned or one of the other Magi came to check on the whole affair. Heads would roll.