The Ragan moved swiftly throughout the night and with ease into the early morning. Winthorp watched as the sun slowly began to rise over the horizon and listened to the snores of his companions. Nimbus bundled into his wings and Gabusmead slouched over, breathing heavily through his nose. The newly named elven baby; Nolan, also breathing lightly through the knapsack. With this, Winthorp pondered his thoughts of what had occurred in days past. The screams of those from his village, the gurgling of his fathers blood as he choked on his last breath. His brothers unfazed cold stare as chaos enveloped around them. Winthorp was troubled by his own weakness and how quickly he froze in those moments; fear seeping into his rough pores.

Winthorp silently suffered, scratching his thickly red beard. As he turned again to stare at his companions, he made a vow to himself that nothing would harm them moving forward.

“Yee will kick fear right in its danglin’ balls.” Winthorp mumbled to himself as to not wake the other three.

Suddenly, the Ragan began to slow its pace and delicately descended to the ground. Without realizing it, they had arrived in the land of Csteria. As the Ragan pattered its fluffy paws on the ground, Winthorp began to look around his surroundings. Beast folk of all kinds roamed the area. The village was filled with life of loud chants, dances occurring in the middle of the streets and beast children running amuck causing trouble for market vendors. The Ragan came to a halt at the entrance of the village and they were met by two reptilian beast folk. One with hazy yellow eyes, lumpy green skin and a tongue hanging prominently out of his mouth. The other with a hardened shell with beady black eyes.

“State your businessth.” The bumpy green creature said with a lisp.

Winthorp slowly climbed down the Ragan to greet the beast folk that stood a few feet taller than him. Both beast folk had weapons and steel armor that was meant to protect them from potential threats. The beast folk with the hardened shell pointed his spear at Winthorp. Winthorp raised his hands to show he would not harm either one of them.

“State your business or else we will enjoy a nice dwarven heart for breakfast.”

The bumpy green creature looked at the shelled creature with such disdain.

“Yuck, I’d much ratheresth a juicy beetleth if I say so myselfth.” the slimy green creature said disgusted at the mere thought.

The shelled creature gave a glare whispering a silent threat to the other creature who simply shrugged his shoulders. Winthorp attempted to speak up on the matter but a squeaky voice suddenly made both creatures perk up with attention.

“It’s…It’s okay. They’re wi-…with me.” Nimbus flew over to Winthorp and gently placed his tiny feet on the ground.

The two creatures looked befuddled at one another with what Nimbus had entailed. Their curiosity peaked once more as they met with another dwarf who carried an elven baby in his knapsack. The shelled creature looked as though he were about to burst into laughter at the sight of the four.

“You are all…a peculiar bunch. Not surprising with Nimbus.” The creature stared at the green creature whose pupils seemed distanced apart.

The shelled creature cleared his throat and it seemed the green creature was not responsive. The shelled creature then resorted to waving his weapon in front of the other creature’s face and he seemed to be more responsive with this heavily implied hint of attention.

“Whats?!”

The shelled creature slammed his hand into his face begrudgingly.

“Sound the openers of the gate.”

The green creature inhaled some air and his throat seemed to expand and protrude outward. Then his voice echoed loud enough for the next few kingdoms over to hear.

“OPENTH THE GATESTH!!!”

With that, the huge wooden doors creaked and the sights Winthorp saw overhead on the Ragan, were now presented right before their eyes. It was refreshing to witness a lively village again full of various sounds and occurrences. As they began to enter, the shelled creature tripped Nimbus and with this, his glasses skidded across the ground and his chin slammed down into the rocky plain.

“What’s the matter Nimby? Your four eyes are not helpful to ya?” The shelled creature sneered and the green creature joined in on the teasing.

“Yeah Nimbusth, you have a nice fallth?”

Nimbus reached for his glasses and placed them on his face. With this, Winthorp rushed over and presented his fists. As the creatures both began to share laughter amongst themselves, Nimbus reached over to Winthorp and shook his head signaling it wasn’t worth the trouble. Gabusmead silently agreed with Nimbus nodding his head as well. Winthorp placed his fists down on his sides and merely turned away back toward the village. Furiously walking forward, Winthorp turned to Nimbus.

“Yee say thee word and thee tongue will be tied like a knot and that thar’ shell will be cracked like an egg.” Winthorp said with his fist now raised shaking.

“Aye, it’s best if yee wait to stir up some trouble.” Gabusmead said cautiously. With this the elven baby faced the two creatures, sticking his tongue out toward them with dribble going down his mouth.

The hustle and bustle of the crowds were something both the dwarves found overwhelming. Tall creatures of all sorts, filled with fur, riddled with dry scales, and some as short as the dwarves. Being shoved into without any sort of apologies from the creatures, this environment had hostility every which way you turned. Winthorp grew impatient and began to shove back at those who blatantly ignored him. Gabusmead and Nimbus tried their best to keep up with the crowd despite how clogged it was with all kinds of creatures. Then, Winthorp stepped on a brightly colored tail of orange and black. Met with a ferocious roar, stunned both Gabusmead and Nimbus.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Strong heavy paws soon found their way at the collar of Winthorp’s shirt. Winthorp’s short stout legs dangled in the air and was face to face with huge pointed fangs. A snarling face with a crinkled nose was never a good sign. Winthorp was only enchanted by the beast’s unique pattern of various colors that one only sees during the autumn season. Gabusmead slowly reached for one of his many potions he concocted before their journey began. Nimbus noticed Gabusmead’s trembling fingers and placed a paw over his hands to stop him. A deep voice bellowed into Winthorp’s face.

“Seems like you lack manners, little man. You daft or trying to prove something?” The creature questioned with a hint of bloodlust in his voice.

“Yee least yee can do for this little fellar is get me a drink laddy.” Winthorp said sarcastically and the creature did not find this sly comment amusing.

The creature’s roar could be heard throughout the village but very few stopped to witness the commotion. This was something that usually occurred in Csteria; thieves, crime, and violence ran amuck throughout this creature filled land. A few animals could be spotted watching and waiting for blood to smear the ground. The orange and black creature’s claws soon extended from his spare paw and rose high in the air.

“Don-...don’t do it! Please!” The creature froze and noticed a familiar face appear before him.

“Nimbus? What are you doing with these hooligan dwarves?”

The creature dropped Winthorp to the ground suddenly and a thud soon followed up with a groan that escaped Winthorp. Gabusmead was stunned that Nimbus knew such a horrifying creature; it had the mannerisms of a cat, but the build of a bear.

“Yes…I know them. They saved and spared my life when I was the most vulnerable.”

The creature’s lengthy tail swished back and forth; dusted dirt rising with each whip of the tail. Now that their view wasn’t up close and personal, the creature seemed to have on loosely fitted clothes. Baggy pants that seemed to be worn quite often and a deep crimson waistcoat that showed the creature’s muscular yet fluffy chest. Tufts of white throughout his body and there was also a visible scar that seemed to be engraved into the beast’s right eye. Nimbus spoke up squeaky once more in front of the powerful creature.

“I promise Mr. Paws, they are good people. I trust them.”

“I have told you many a time Nimbus, its Fuzzy Paws or simply Fuzz. No need for the formalities.”

Winthorp chuckled a bit at the name and the creature growled back at the dwarves.

“You dwarven nimrods on the other hand can call me Mr. Paws.”

“Yee don’t have to tell us twice, right Winthorp?” Gabusmead jabbed Winthorp in the rib cage with his elbow to stop him from going into a laughing fit. It seemed too late for that matter though because Winthorp couldn’t help but burst into hysterics. The creature again wrinkles his nose and baring his teeth to have the dwarf stop.

“You sure they can be trusted? My name may be misleading, but I don’t like to be messed with.” Nimbus stood in front of the creature and extended his wingspan as if to protect the two dwarves.

“Ple-...please Mr. Paws. They saved my life and helped me find my glasses during night patrol. Please don’t hurt them.”

Again the creature, slightly annoyed with the dwarves, began to swish his tail as to think of what he should do. His growls merely grew to a silent hiss. As much as Fuzzy Paws wanted to tear them apart, he admired how Nimbus was able to stand his ground. Something that Fuzzy Paws had never witnessed before and he decided to heed his words. Gabusmead then decided to stand beside Nimbus and calmly explain their situation.

“Me name is Gabusmead, yee met my friend Winthorp. Listen, we just wanted to bring Nimbus home safely. We dwarves just want to go to a tavern…please.”

Winthorp shoved past Gabusmead at the mere sound of the word tavern. He presented himself in front of the large creature without a care in the world and acted as though he didn’t aggravate the creature just moments ago.

“Aye lad, a tavern fer’ us would be swell!”

The creature just merely groaned and soon led the way without saying a word. The three soon followed suit toward a tavern. As they pushed through the crowd; more sights of creatures upon closer inspection seemed to get more and more frightening. More teeth, more scales, the creatures seemed to grow taller and taller as the dwarves traveled past them. Fuzzy Paws seemed to be known in Csteria due to the crowds actively moving around him.

Soon the peculiar gang found themselves in the center of town where there were even more vendors, shops and of course the tavern. Outside the tavern there stood a tall yet portly white fluffy creature. It seemed like the creature was dusting the slightly cracked windows and using his tail to dust the nearby rotted wooded stairway. The tavern was shabby but had some sort of charm to it. Winthorp abruptly marched forward past Fuzzy Paws and lightly tapped the fluffy creatures back.

“Excuse me laddy, can yee trouble ya for a cup of your finest honey mead.”

The portly creature turned around, for a portly lot and a tavern keeper, he certainly seemed well dressed. A lemony colored bandana wrapped around their thick neck, they seemed to wear finely fitted brown pants that were freshly pressed, a gold watch chain hung around his pants loops, a belt that was barely visible over their large belly and they had a loosely fitted black shirt that was a nice contrast to their powdery white fur. The creature also had a tiny pair of golden spectacles that rested on the bridge of their nose.

“A wee bit early to be drinking laddies don’tcha think?” The fuzzy creature said with a bit of a rasp.

Suddenly, as if the creature saw death standing before them, adjusted their spectacles and sent a chill down both the dwarves’ spines.

“You wouldn’t happen to be Bilgard’s son…would ya?”

Stunned, both the dwarves looked at one another, apprehension spread across their exchanged glances. Winthorp decided to remain cautious with his next few words.

“Who wants to know, lad?”

The tavern owner soon bowed before Winthorp and the other creature that was with them also had a look of bewilderment.

“The Bilgard the bold? This is his son? Nimbus why didn’t you say anything prior!? My sincerest apologies for such poor manners on my part.”

The striped orange and black creature bowed before Winthorp as well. Winthorp soon became uncomfortable with such praise and respect.

“Aye, that be me. I am the son of Bilgard thee bold.” Nimbus soon chimed in after Winthorp’s statement.

“I was going to mention it…just when I was able to get them to the tavern.”

The creatures soon lifted themselves from the ground and their demeanor changed swiftly upon this new found knowledge.

“The name’s Feddwig the cat and I am sure you met the ever popular Fuzz the tiger. He is the muscle around these parts. Enough about us though, my goodness. Your dad was right to describe you the way he did. 'A fiery haired lad with even more fire in his heart!' I am surprised you’re here without him!”

A silence soon fell within the group and Nimbus made a gesture to them both that this was a sore subject. Winthorp decided he finally felt comfortable confiding in someone who knew his father fondly. Gabusmead rested his pudgy hand on Winthorp’s shoulder as if to comfort and reassure him.

“Aye…that is why yee need a drink. Yee will tell thee tale with a few drinks.”

With this, Feddwig unlocked his tavern doors with a key that rested in his pockets. The crew slowly marched inside, dreading the story they were about to tell.