Johnny came running back to the main room in the tavern with medical supplies at hand; medical supplies being a very flattering and lenient description. He handed Kit more towels as he tried to clean the strangers wounds. "You know, now that I can look at 'em better, this poor sod is built like steel mill and weighs about as much." Johnny could see the worry in Kit's eyes as they went along with the task a hand.

" Don't worry Old Kit, I know a thug when I see them and this ain't one of them. He is different. Now, you're a Lycan who has seen enough to know as well as I, that the man before us just isn't one of their ilk." Before Johnny could go any further with his tirade, Kit interrupted him while holding a needle to Johnny's face.

" His skin is dulling the needles. We need some more. Well, a lot more, looking at the stripes our friend here has." Without saying another word, Kit continued his work, leaving Johnny staring blankly at him.

" Skin can't dull these needles, well any needles really, but ESPECIALLY not these needles. These are my good needles I use on my favorite coat. No, no, no. That's just not possible, maybe you're just being clumsy with 'em, holding them at a wrong angle or . . " As Johnny stared at the now dull and slightly crooked needle before him, trying to come up with excuses to the spectacle he was witnessing.

" Well Johnny, I'm gonna need a few more of your fancy needles because I don't think regular one's are gonna cut it, or well, pierce him at all really. This little rescue of yours is gonna cost a dwarves' fortune if I am not misremembering the cost of these damn little things." A dwarves' fortune it was, for the needles were made with the scraps of metal left behind from crafting with the finest steel from Summit Steel Yard. A Dwarven worker had hidden the scraps and sold the needles to trusted individuals for no small price. And though scraps they were, they were sold with the promise that one would never have to buy another needle again. Johnny wept a little for his lost needles.

Few days had passed since the fateful encounter in the bloody alley and to everyone's surprise, nothing happened. Aside from the odd informer snooping around, hearing the rumor of a bloody stranger, no one came knocking at their door. No mysterious fires or disappearances, it was all rather anti-climatic. As for the stranger in question, he lay unconscious in one of the second story beds; which took no small effort from the two to accomplish. The regulars at the tavern, a combination of aged dwarves, lycans and humans, were at first weary of returning but quickly realized nothing was going to happen. So life went on and their weariness turned to curiosity. After all, old man Kit had already picked up Johnny from the streets; they wondered if another odd one would join their ranks.

One evening, while the chatter was at its peak in The Nest, Stitches silently walk down the stairs into the tavern. It took a while but everyone slowly turn their attention towards the ogre of a man making his way towards Johnny who was chatting with old Kit. His stomach was covered in bandages and he wore a jacket big enough that almost all his scars were hidden. The old men were eager to see what was going to happen. Stitches stood next to Johnny for a moment, getting his and old Kit's attention. He then proceeded to take a seat next to them. A loud crunching sound was all anyone heard as the poor wooden chair gave out under him.

"HAHAHAHA, boy, was that worth the wait." -old dwarve

"HAHAHA, that poor thing ain't but mush now." old human

" You know, I knew for a fact that this guy weighed more than 3 o' me but fuck if I didn't think of getting him a better seat."- Johnny

" Your foresight may be lacking but your hindsight is damn near impeccable"- Old Kit

Stitches simply stood up as the everyone in the tavern was rolling over laughing. He checked to see what was left of the chair and found nothing worth scavenging. He looked around the room and saw an assortment of men and beasts laughing. Some of the men present were shorter than any he had seen before and the beasts spoke like humans. He had a vague recollection of what had happened to him and where he was. He walked over to old Kit and began inspecting him. Starting with old Kits' ears, that were situated a bit higher at the sides of the head than Stitches was comfortable with, he look him over until he decided to pick him up. So it's not a costume or an illusion. I've seen warriors wear pelts and transform into beasts in the heat of battle but never anything like this. Perhaps a bloodline of the Gerkan berserkers simply never turned back and this was the result? No, men go mad if left in such a state. Maybe. . .

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

"In the name of Morten the mighty, what is this madman doing?" - old dwarve

"I get the feeling he has never seen a Lycan before, or perhaps spoken to one" - old lycan

" Maybe, where I was from, we only had humans. Terribly boring all around." - Johnny

" Hey old Kit, you gonna let the kid just rustle you or what"- old human

" Now, now, it's ok. The boy is curious surely. He barely woke up from getting intimate with a shiv and as far as we know, he doesn't speak a word of dhatmic." - old kit

Stitches suddenly came to the realization that these beast looking people were people and what he was doing was very rude. He stopped, turned to Johnny, and looked right into his eyes. He wanted to see the eyes of the man who saved him. He saw the eyes of a man content with life. Johnny was a drunken vagabond that spent his days telling stories, singing and doing odd jobs for drink. Stitches had met kings and emperors but the man before seemed so much wiser than all of them. Truly blest is the man content with his slot in life. However, Stitches was not such a man. He had lost all his loved ones, his home, and now he was lost in lands unknown. He was done living. All the old patrons that could see Stitches' face could clearly see the eyes of this broken man. The laughing died down and a somber air slowly filled the air.

"You are my savior, my benefactor. You have welcomed me into your . . ." - Stitches

"OXOOXOX ikjkjjikji tyrehajdheodmnf" -Stitches

Ok, this is awkward. I have no idea what he is saying but it sounds serious. Come on Johnny, think. Johnny stood there listening to Stitches monologue while everyone else just watched the show unfold. He is almost done now, I know. He is slowing down. So I think he is thanking me or something along those lines; so why does he look so sad? I just saved his life, he could at least look happier. Well, I'll at least try to cheer him up. He looks like a pup that's just been kicked. As Stitches' speech came to stop, he took out a pair of bloody scissors. They were the scissors Johnny had used to cut the bandages Stitches was wrapped with. Stitches held them up against his chest, the business end pointed to his heart. He spoke two words.

"Xoxo nuj" - Stitches

Kill me. He wants to die. Why? I went through all that trouble too. Well, I guess life is hard. But I ain't doing that. Johnny struggled with his request. Everyone watched on but no one felt they could interfere with what was going on. It was just between the savior and the unwilling patient.

" Look man, I know we can't talk to each other all that well and I hardly know ye' but surely you can come around to life. You only get one shot at this and that's it. Life is hard, I know. I lost everything, myself a foreigner in these lands as well. However, I know that if you stick around with us you learn to . . "- Johnny

Before Johnny could finish his motivational speech on life, Stitches stabbed himself with the scissors. However, panic soon turned confusion and then laughter as the scissors simply fell to pieces against Stitches solid steel chest.

"HAHAHA, woo, boy, I was worried there for a second. You almost got me."-old dwarve

" Ahhh, I have not laughed that hard in years. I like this guy." -old human

"Old Kit, you, where do you find these bunch, hahaha."- old lycan

Old Kit was the only one watching all these events pensively. As if that old pair of scissors could anything to that man. Bullets probably bounce off him like rain. Oh, I know better. Old kit had seen more than them. Johnny didn't really pry or suspect enough to try anything but old Kit knew better.

"Come now, settle down and have a beer. It's cheap, watered down and all we have aside from Johnny's crazy brew. Don't go ruining our work." - old Kit

After his failed attempt at his life, Stitches simply took the beer that was being handed to him by the beast man that was talking rather calmly, if intelligibly, to him. The moment had past and he was rather thirsty. Stitches took the beer, found a seat next to Johnny and was quickly reunited with the floor. The tavern roared with laughter once again. They quickly fetched him a seat that could hold him and the old boys of the tavern took turns animatedly talking to him and telling him whatever story they could remember. They couldn't understand each other but that hardly mattered to them.

Time quickly passed.