“Missus Mary Ru, this is a fine stew.” Coranth ignored the sheriff’s look. Mary Ru ignored him as she attended a cut on “Klein’s” side. Sitting to his left, the sheriff seemed content to let Mary Ru conduct her ministrations, and the rest of the tavern guests had been quick to follow the sheriff’s orders. They obediently waited outside every window and doorway into the inn. The sheriff reclined back in his chair and cast his gaze back and forth between the two parties. Coranth smiled.

The stew was delicious and describing it as fine was beyond incomplete and inconsiderate. This stew was probably better than the head chef in Rarun could do with twenty servant-chefs. Across from him, Mary Ru had moved from Klein to Rala.

Rala’s wounds were superficial; for the most part, she seemed tired and stressed. Nevertheless, Mary Ru carefully examined each wound and applied an herbal paste before wrapping a bandage around it. Coranth didn’t pay much mind to that though. He was busy watching Klein’s rapid recovery with narrowed eyes.

“Alright, folks. Time we got down into the weeds an’ sorted this out.” The sheriff spoke up as Mary Ru finished applying her bandages to Rala.

“I have a few wounds that could use that miracle balm -” Coranth tried dabbing at the smeared blood across his forehead. Coranth wasn’t worried about that wound though. He was concerned about his thigh.

The affronted innkeeper huffed and stuck her nose up a bit. “I am not wasting salve on a man about to be carted up and shipped to Jet.”

“Now, now Missus. Let’s hear what they have to say first.” The sheriff eyed Rala and Klein equally suspiciously as Coranth had already seen turned his way several times. “Alright Rala and Klein, tell your story.” The sheriff sat back in his chair and sipped from his glass. Klein was rubbing his injured arm and wincing slightly. “You do seem like the better folk...”

Coranth watched Rala’s jaw feather up before she finally spoke. “If you must know.” She sighed and looked around quickly. “I was upset with my husbands wandering eyes, ” She whispered. Klein met her eyes for a mere millisecond before he cast his eyes to the table an ashamed blush across his cheeks.

“I came and whispered in his ear that I had a few less than kind words for him and he,” She paused considering her words. “Well, normally I would say wisely, but this time it was definitely a mistake to come out with me.” Her eyes focused on Klein’s bandaged arm.

Klein’s hand went to the wound. “This weren’t your fault, darlin’.” And Klein glared at Coranth not bothering to hide the rage in his eyes. Coranth’s own eyes narrowed, this was a convincing act.

“So that’s how ya got out there. What happened after?” The sheriff bulled on.

Rala opened her mouth, but Klein beat her to it. “Sheriff, have you ever been caught starin’?” The tiniest shadow of a smirk crossed the sheriff’s weathered face. “Well, sir. I got an earful and whilst we were distracted in our… our uh discussion this good Tarun fearing fellow walks up and draws his sword on us.”

Mary Ru emerged from behind the bar holding a pitcher and came around pouring water for the group.

“I see. And you sir?” The sheriff asked. “What brought you into arms against my friends here?” Coranth set his glass down and wiped his mouth with a napkin wincing as he stretched his wounds.

“Well, I came into town from the north,” Coranth began. “ And, mind you, I have been pursued and badgered by bandits as I have traveled.” Coranth rolled his shoulders and glanced around the table. “Not many kind hearted folks out on the road.”

“Where were you comin’ from?”

“Well, it’s a long story. I am sure it is obvious I’m not from around here.”

“Damn straight.” The sheriff agreed.

“I’d say.” Klein smirked. Rala watched with pursed lips.

“I am originally from south of the Ra.” And Coranth paused.

“From below the mountains boy? You aren’t one of those savages pounding on Rukton’s walls are you?”

“I came down the Raysin River when the fighting moved closer to Rukton and Raysintown.” Coranth winced at his pronunciation of the Raysintown. The locals from that city typically slurred it and it was painfully obvious that he was not from the wet city, or even, greater Maruk.

“And, I hate to bring dire news but I do believe Rukton fell over a fortnight ago.” After a few sidelong glances Coranth continued. “At least, the forward scouts had gotten around the city and added to my harassment.”

“I find it hard to believe that you survived all that badgerin’ and strut into my town without a scratch on you.” The Sheriff cut in.

“Oh, I have quite a few scratches sir.”

Klein and Rala shared a glance.

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“Anyway, I made it into town and was greeted by the Head Sheriff in Chief of Boarslo and his friendenemy Kyle, Outlaw Extraordinaire!” Coranth winked at Klein and Rala.

“Yes, yes, my boy told me he found you out there claiming to be an earl.” The Sheriff looked at him questioningly. “I wasn’t inclined to believe him, mind ya.” The man’s eyes seemed to pierce through into his soul. “And what happened when you made it to the inn?”

“I noticed a few familiar shadows and asked the two boys to find their dad. I was sort of hoping that you’d actually come outside though.”

“How’d ya know Jamie was my boy?”

“He seemed educated and it was a wild hope. I’m not as familiar with how the backwater towns of Maruk operate, but I am used to well at least poor grammar.” Coranth shrugged. “I had hope.”

“Well uh.” The sheriff glanced towards Coranth.

“Coranth.”

The sheriff eyed him and a brief flicker of something was in his eyes. “Well Coranth, I do wish I had come out to meet the Earl of Hannover. Might have saved us a lot of trouble.” The sheriff sighed and pulled out a cigar case. It had the crest of Jet stamped into the wood with brass hinges polished bright. He brought the cigar to his lips and took a long pull. “So, you see some shadows that look like no good eh?”

Coranth didn’t answer right away. Instead he looked at the Sheriff expectantly.

“You can call me Sheriff, son. And what I don’t understand is why you didn’t come in here with the kids?”

“I’m not one to hide from shadows.” Coranth stared down Rala. She glared back.

“What reason would two kind souls, the forward scouts, and half the bounty hunters in Maruk chasin’ after you son?”

Coranth set down his glass.

“He is the Lion’s Claws in the flesh sheriff.” Klein’s outburst was met with stunned silence. The sheriff laughed, moving his cigar case with its crest a bit closer to Coranth. It seemed innocent enough.

“Son, the Lion’s Claws isn’t going to be walkin’ round these parts unattended and without his army right behind him. No need to protect your pride now, you both just look like idiots to me.” The sheriff's eyes glanced among them.

* * *

Rala watched the Sheriff looking among them. She could feel Klein tensed beside her. And she watched her mark recline in his chair and sip from his mostly empty glass. A nervous tick, but he appeared calm and relaxed. She moved her hand to Klein’s thigh.

“Klein is right. That man is Coranth, the Lion’s Claws. Right hand to the new King of Rarun and general of his ten legions.” She didn’t say it with any damnation in her voice. There was no vindictive gleam in her eyes, but there was accusation and truth in her words.

The Sheriff cocked his eyes towards Coranth. “Show us, son.”

Mary Ru approached their table and Coranth stood and let his cloak fall from his shoulders. He drew his sword. The blade was as long as a man’s outstretched arm. Rala could feel the same presence that had prevented her from ripping it away. The blade seemed to gleam unnaturally bright in the dim inn light. The true splendor of the blade was beyond even the plain hilt and past the clenched fist of the general. The iron pommel of the sword was forged into the head of a roaring lion.

The eyes were two yellow crystals that to her eyes shone with brightness equal to a sun, but it did not hurt. It just dominated the space so that the lion’s maw was hidden. Mary Ru dropped her tray and the tea pot shattered as it hit the ground. Her eyes were wide open and fixated on the gemstones in the hilt.

The tea pot’s death echoed about the inn.

And then silence.

Klein leaned back and smirked at the Sheriff.

Coranth stood with his sword slowly twirling in his wrist as if testing the weight.

“By the gods.” The Sheriff managed.

“You should not have those, child!” Mary Ru’s voice transformed into an echoing screech. “They are mine!” It didn’t sound like Mary Ru. It sounded impish, devilish. Rala could feel an enormous force coursing through the woman’s body. It was the power of a god. The very voice of Anib. She had no doubt.

Anib was here.

Mary Ru’s body flickered. Her skin bubbled. Power surged through her. Her back arched and her arms clenched in spasms. Rala watched in horror as Anib attempted to force his existence into hers. But Mary Ru’s body was not ready for the power of a god.

Her bubbling skin pulsated and expanded the power surged. Anib’s voice echoed in a cackling glee. “MINE. MINE. MINE-AHHHHH!” Mary Ru’s body combusted leaving no trace of her existence. A deafening explosion echoed around the inn. The windows exploded inwards throwing glass shards and the door slammed off its hinges.

The sheriff had stood and his chair had rocked on to its legs and fallen backwards as the inn shook. Klein was in the process of standing. Coranth was running to the destroyed window.

Rala went for the destroyed doorway.

The inn seemed to be at the origin of a faerie circle from hell. A column of smoke tripling the size of the chimney’s was the only evidence of the pillar of power that had erupted from Mary Ru. Boarslo was not so lucky. In a radius of about a hundred feet a blackened circle formed and enormous scorch marks radiated outwards from it like an abomination of Tarun’s symbol of the sun.

Buildings were split in two, roofs were burning. Not a single glass window remained. Shutters were turned into dead shrapnel. Doors directly in the line of sight of the inn were blown so far into the houses they guarded that Rala couldn’t see them from where she stood.

Screaming and the sounds of chaos were erupting around her as the town folk recovered from their shock. A man stumbled from a gloomy doorway and collapsed to the ground revealing wood shrapnel to her enhanced eyesight. Somewhere a woman screamed.

Rala stood taking in the scene. She had never seen a god lose control the way Anib had just exhibited. And Coranth had caused it.

“Move woman!” The weathered Sheriff, despite his tone, gently shoved her to one side with a sweep of his arm before he took off running down the street. Coranth leaped through the window he had been at, and Rala turned to watch him. He ran across the street to the injured man -

“Rala,” it was Klein. Rala watched Coranth kneel by the now-dead man. “Babe!” Klein turned her towards him. Her eyes met his. “What the fuck was that?”

“A god.”