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The Big Oof! Volume 1 Chapter 35: The First Turning Point
🕑 Added 2023-04-06 14:48:27 +0000 UTCAzeline sighed in exasperation as the crew strolled through the dimly lit streets. "If I had to endure another moment of their mind numbing drivel, “I might have just gone mad," she grumbled.
Elijah raised an eyebrow as he turned his head towards the woman. "You were acting like you were literally being tortured," he remarked dryly.
I might as well have been!" Azeline nearly shouted in distress. "It was nothing but constant bickering and then they got all buddy buddy and started yapping away without making any sense!” She continued to complain before shooting a glare Bennett’s way.
The man in question seemed completely disengaged from the conversation as he turned his thoughts inward, pondering on his recent discussion with Aranthelwenya. What he had discovered during their visit to the magic shop had truly astonished him, and he just couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of being able to wield this strange energy. Although Bennett wasn’t particularly able to grasp the concept in order to manifest the energy into reality on his own, but with the help of that little tool… He managed to create SOMETHING.
Well, more like he added something, but who cares, that was semantics.
Yana, who was still perched on Elijah's shoulder, finally spoke up, "That's nice and all, but is that wench going to have more food ready when we get back?” she said, completely dismissing Azelines gripes.
“Well, we’ll certainly find out when we get there.” Elijah responded and clasped hands behind head to rest his arms. “And be nice, I like her,” He scolded to Yana’s chagrin.
Silence soon reigned as the group continued with their trek to their temporary home, but the moment they hit the cross road leading to the stables, Elijah turned his head towards Bennett. “Hey do you need anything from the cart while we’re still out?” He asked, coming to a halt.
The rest of the group stopped with him as Bennett snapped out of his reverie and furrowed his brow. “Uhhh… Do we need anything?” the engineer asked, scratching his head. “You already grabbed extra ammo last night, I don't really think we need anything else.” He said trying to think if there was any other necessity they were missing.
“We still gotta grab the big man, his bioscanner and the rest of the spines.” Elijah said, looking up in thought. “But ya, we should have 2 extra mags each for our rifles and some more 10mm just in case we needed to fend off the big man Monty Python style.”
“Then nah, fuck it. We’ll get that garbage later, I just wanna take a bath and pass the fuck out.” Bennett said, stretching his arms out. “Plus, we can just say we’ll fart in his general direction and he’ll piss off.” Bennett quipped, chuckling to himself. Everyone else looked at him and raised an eyebrow, but Elijah laughed like an idiot having been the only one that understood the reference.
It was long until they pushed open the door to the Tavern and the warm glow of candlelight and the hum of chatter welcomed them. They were met with the sight of the town laborers and shopkeepers enjoying their food and ale after a hard day's work. The Ferfolk barmaids were busy scurrying around with trays of frothy ale and hearty meals, while the clinking of tankards and boisterous laughter created a lively ambiance.
Stepping further in, Elijah's eyes lit up at the aroma of roasted meat and freshly baked bread wafting from the kitchen, tempting his taste buds. He scanned the room for an empty table, but every spot seemed to be taken by locals deep in conversation. Finally, they managed to find a cozy corner with an empty table next to the stairs, where they squeezed in and jostled for elbow room.
“Meat? They haven’t served meat before…” Elijah said, looking around for Mara hoping to enjoy another night of her ‘service’ and whatever food they prepared.
His eyes finally landed on the short and well endowed woman as she slipped out of a drunkard's wandering hands and deftly put a plate on his table. She gave the offender a small smile before hurrying off to attend to another customer, slapping the hand that was trying to grab at her rear.
Yana, having changed her position to the top of his head, narrowed her eyes at the sight of the beastkin barmaid. "I don't know what you like about the girl, she’s just a pile of meat.” she said in a criticizing tone as her small hand lightly tapped against Elijah's forehead.
Elijah rolled his eyes at Yana's comment before grabbing the attention of a Ferfolk maid and requested a plentiful amount of whatever food they were serving. "I don’t expect you to understand, it’s a guy thing.” He said, turning his eyes up at the little fairy. “I just expect you to be NICE.”
“It’s okay Yana, I don’t get it either.” Bennett added in, snatching an untouched mug of ale from another table.
Finally, the Ferfolk barmaid that Elijah had just spoken to scampered over to Mara and pointed in his direction. With squinting eyes, Mara gaze finally fell on Elijah and his screw and instead of a warm smile that he was used to, a difficult and panicked expression spread across her face. Elijah couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease at the brief change in Mara's expression, but he pushed it aside as she made her way to their table. She put her arms under her ample cleavage and gave Elijah a flirtatious smile.
“Good evenin’, I’m assumin’ ye want the special we’re servin’?” she asked, her accent thick and alluring.
Returning the smile, Elijah nodded eagerly. "Yes, please! And can we get some ale too?" he added, gesturing to his companions. “Oh and a full plate for this little demon.” He pointed to the top of his head.
Yana was still leisurely laying on her back when she sent a powerful stop down on top of his head and continued to ignore her surroundings.
Mara chuckled at the sight of Elijah wincing, but still felt a bit uneasy around the odd and rambunctious pixie. Her mother always told her not to associate herself with any of the Fae that wandered her homeland lest they lead her to her demise for a simple laugh. "Aye, I’ve saved up a few plates especially for you, but I can get an extra for the little lady." she said before turning to head back towards the kitchen.
As she walked away, Yana yanked on Elijah’s hair, "Maybe she’s not the idiot here after all." She said in a huff. “You’re so rude!”
Elijah rubbed his head. "Hey, I’m not the one calling someone else a piece of meat."
"No, but you treat her like one.” Bennett interjected with an annoying grin on his face.
Elijah rolled his eyes at Bennett's comment. "Fuck you, idiot. Mara and I have a mutual understanding," he replied defensively.
Azeline snorted at his response. "Ya. a mutual understanding where you both scream like banshees in the middle of the night.” she teased.
With a deep sigh, Elijah rubbed his tired eyes, conceding that arguing with his friends wasn't worth the effort with all of them dog piling him. His focus shifted towards the Ferfolk maid that was twisting and turning in order to avoid the hands grabbing at her with a large platter of food. As she placed the dish down on the adjacent table, Elijah's eyes widened at the sight of the deep fried and oversized chicken-like drumsticks that were stacked on top of each other. " DUDE LOOK!" he shouted at Bennett, pointing at the platter. "Bro it’s the dodos!!" The tantalizing aroma wafting from the platter only served to intensify his hunger.
Bennetts gaze seemed to focus intensely as he head snapped over to the table, his eyes widening in disbelief at the sight of the massive drumsticks. "Holy shit," he exclaimed," Holy shit, those things are huge!" His stomach growled in anticipation as he licked his lips.
“You guys have been calling them Dodo’s since we’ve left that village.” Azeline said, rolling her eyes at their excitement. "They’re called Gloromirs." she said with an amused smile. But, neither Bennett nor Elijah gave two shits about the actual name of the strange bird, especially not when Mara came marching down the rows of tables with an oversized platter.
The large chicken surrogates were already making the two men’s mouth water, and they couldn't wait to dig in. Mara maneuvered around the crowded tavern and kicked a foot up to deftly parry a hand that was aiming for her rear before finally reaching their table. She placed the platter down with a thud, causing a few of the oversized drumsticks to topple over onto the table.
"There ye are!" Mara exclaimed with a large smile, but when she looked over towards Elijah, a brief expression of unease flashed across her face before she went back to her flirtatious smile. "Let me know when ye're done and ready to head to yer rooms!" she said happily before turning to head towards the kitchen. "I'll grab yer ales real quick!"
Elijah couldn't help but notice the change in Mara's expression once again, and frowned deeply before reaching for one of the Gloromir drumsticks. The drumstick lingered in his hand for a few more moments as his mind went over what could possibly be bothering her. He tried his best to be as friendly as possible with Mara, and considering how other patrons treated her, he thought he would be in higher standing than most.
"Holy shit, this is amazing!" Bennett yelled out with a mouthful of food, earning a few curious looks from nearby patrons. The engineer’s eyes were wide open as his teeth crunched into the crispy exterior, revealing succulent meat that practically melted in his mouth. An explosion of flavor spread throughout his mouth as he savored the juicy and tender meat. It wasn’t nearly as seasoned as what Bennett was used to, but it was still a delicious a blend of herbs and spices.
With each succulent bite, the crew couldn't help but let out a satisfied groan, savoring the unique blend of herbs and spices that made the Gloromir so delectable. Elijah couldn't help but notice how Yana had abandoned her usual perch on his head and was now sat in the middle of the table, gobbling up her own share of the feast with a zealous glint in her eyes.
As they ate, the atmosphere around the table grew more relaxed, the worries of their journey fading away with each passing moment. Soon enough, the ale arrived, and they raised their tankards in a toast to good food, good company, and good times. Laughter filled the air, along with the sound of clinking glasses and the occasional belch.
For a brief moment, they were able to forget about their troubles and simply enjoy the moment. It was a rare moment of respite in their hectic journey, and they savored every second of it.
"Ah, man... that was amazing," Bennett murmured, leaning back in his chair. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to call it a night and pass out." He scanned the now half-empty tavern, noticing that most of the other patrons seemed to share the same sentiment and had already headed home. The rest were either nodding off in their seats or stumbling around in a drunken haze.
Azeline nodded in agreement, feeling the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to her. She pushed herself up from the table, her legs wobbling slightly before she was able to steady herself. "Yeah, let's head back to the rooms," she said, undoing her hair and letting it fall past her shoulders.
Covering his mouth with his hand, Elijah let out a belch before he stood up and let out a groan as he stretched. “Mmmmm! Ya, let's call it a night.” He agreed. But once he glanced over at the table, he saw Yana was sprawled out in a near comatose state, halfway dangling off the platter. A chuckle left his mouth as he scooped the poor fairy up off the surface and gently slid her into his pocket.
The crew slowly shuffled their way to the stairs, the warmth of the ale and the satisfaction of the meal weighing heavily on their bodies. But Just as they were about to head out, Mara quickly intercepted them. "H-hey honey!” She said somewhat nervously, wrapping her arm around Elijah. “Why don’t ya’ll wait a bit and I’ll get girls to bring some hot water to your room?”
Elijah blinked in surprise at Mara's sudden approach, but quickly regained his composure and smiled politely. He felt another tingling sensation as if something was off as he replied, "Thanks, Mara, that’ll be great,"
A groan echoed out as Azeline eyed the two in annoyance, “If you’re going to fuck again, can you try to keep it down this time?” She hissed as she started to make her way up the stairs. However, Mara quickly grabbed her hand. “Ah! Wait love! I’ve um… I got ye something in the back!”
Azeline raised an eyebrow at Mara's sudden change in demeanor, but decided to brush it off. "Okay, sure, but I’d like to freshen up a bit and get my room ready for a bath." she said, pulling her arm free and heading up the stairs.
Mara's expression fell as she felt panic creep into her heart. She quickly tried to recover, plastering on a fake smile as she turned to Elijah. "Well, I guess it's just you and me, darling," she purred, running a hand down his arm. "Let me take ya’ll to the back and show you what I got fer ye!” She said to the two remaining men. But Bennett was already waving his hand dismissively as he climbed up the stairs, right after Azeline.
Hesitating for a moment, Elijah couldn’t help but be slightly spooked and looked at Mara with a hard expression. The woman seemed completely at a loss as she looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Ya, I’m going to go up to my room as well really quick. We’ll come down and check out what you got for us in a few minutes.” He said, following his crew up the stairs.
“No!” Mara shouted, grabbing onto Elijah. Tears were starting to run down her face. “W-Wait!”
Elijah ignored the woman as he pulled his arm away and made his way upstairs, feeling a mixture of unease and fear. As he walked down the hallway, staring at the backs of his crew he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was horribly wrong. The paranoia crept into his mind as he quickened his pace, overtaking his crew and reaching the door to his room first.
The man grabbed the handle and was ready to push it open when he suddenly paused and looked down. “Aze, ben!” He nearly shouted in a hushed whisper . “Come look at this weird bug I found!” He said quietly, pointing aggressively at the bottom edge of his door.
Both of his companions snapped their heads to him in confusion. Bennett seemed to stiffen up at the look on Elijah’s face, but Azeline scowled in irritation and stared at him as if he was an imbecile.
"What the hell are you talking about, Elijah?" Azeline snapped, letting go of the door handle and crossing her arms in front of her chest. “You’re freaking out? Over a fucking bug??” She sneered in annoyance.
Turning towards the woman, Elijah still had and infuriated expression on his face, but his voice was still light-hearted. “Come here and check out this bug for me, ya? I want to go complain to Mara” He said, angrily pointing his finger over and over again.
Letting out a sigh Azeline ran her fingers through her hair and relented.
“Fine, what the hell are you freaking out about?” She scoffed, walking over to Elijah and to see whatever he was pointing at. But as she knelt down to see what was making him cause a fuss, her brow furrowed.
That piece of sticky parchment that he placed at the bottom of his door had been ripped in half.
As Elijah silently made his way over to Azeline's room to check her door, Bennett whispered to him, "The tape is still intact on my door." Seeing the nod from his captain, the engineer drew his weapon, pointed further down the hallway to provide cover while the rest of his crew prepared to make entry.
Elijah had his pistol pointed at Azeline’s door, signaling for the woman herself to take a position behind him as his finger slid off of the frame of his gun and gently on the trigger. With practiced precision, the soldier ran his fingers along the edge of the door, searching for any traces of abnormality before pushing it open.
The door opened with a faint creak as Elijah and Azeline stepped into the room, their movements slow and methodical. Elijah's pistol was raised and pointed straight ahead, scanning each sector of the room for any potential threat. With precision and experience, he checked each corner, every piece of furniture that could conceal someone, and every shadow that could hide danger.
The silence in the room was almost suffocating as Elijah and Azeline moved together, their eyes darting back and forth, but focused. Their breathing was barely audible as they continued to sweep the room, making sure it was safe. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Elijah gave the all-clear signal, signaling to Azeline that the room was secure.
Walking out the two looked at each other knowing full well that whoever had been snooping around was most likely still in Elijah’s room. The two stacked up once more and repeated the same methodical entry into the room with their weapons at the ready. As Elijah pushed open the door, his eyes immediately locked onto a figure who stood stock still with several bags over his shoulder and what looked like their rifles bundled into his hands
“DON’T FUCKING MOVE AND SHOW ME YOUR HANDS!” Elijah yelled pointing his weapon at the intruder.
The encumbered intruder immediately started to drop all the items and reach for the sword at his waistline, but Azeline didn’t hesitate and darted past Elijah. Grabbing onto the masked burglar’s arm to prevent him from drawing a weapon, Azeline rocked him by delivering a full powered punch to his face.
The intruder stumbled backwards, dazed from the blow, but Azeline was already on top of him, stomping down on the poor fellow’s face. Elijah Wasn’t far behind as he moved in and sent a vicious kick into the burglar's stomach, causing a guttural squawk of pain as air rushed out.
“H-HELP!!” a rough male voice shrieked out as more stomps and kicks rained down.
But this was soon silenced by Elijah as he sent a swift kick to the groin. “SHUT UP PUSSY!” He yelled, delivering another devastating kick to the gonads.
However, the masked man's plea for help didn't go unanswered, and heavy thuds of footsteps were heard racing up the stairs. Once they made it to the hallway, Bennett saw that four burly men armed with swords, spiked clubs, and axes were now charging towards him.
Wasting no time, Bennett quickly took aim… and squeezed the trigger.
Comments
Wickerwood
Damn can't wait for the next part.
