One by one everyone in the group went down to the stream, each person bathing in the slow-running cold water. When it came to Rex’s turn, which just so happened to be the last out of everyone, he groaned silently as he rose to his feet, “Relax everyone, this may take me a while,” he added with a wry smile as everyone watched him stand.“I’ll assist you,” Kiri said, standing abruptly, her eyes twinkling slightly. Her tone quickly changed to be flatter and more serious as everyone’s gaze shifted to her, Kealy’s being the only glare, “To ensure the pain on his body is lessened.”“I bet,” Kealy scowled, her reaction jolting to surprise as Venya placed her hand on Kealy’s shoulder.“I’ll keep you company, it might cheer you up a bit,” Venya said with a smile, showing off her white teeth.“I bet,” Kiri replied, looking at Venya with a smirk as she turned to follow Rex as he started toward the water.“What did she mean by that?” Kealy asked, turning to face Venya.“I…have no idea,” Venya stu
Rex had just finished dressing, laughing at Kiri’s sighing at him covering his body when someone spoke, “Grub is safe to come to water?”“Yes,” Rex replied, tilting an eyebrow at Kiri, who smiled and shrugged, “Why wouldn’t it be safe?”“Grub knows scary lady is with you wonky leg, and Grub does not want to anger scary lady and she turn him to mush before bone god reads Grub’s skin marks.”“Grub it’s fine to come and wash yourself, I do in fact encourage it,” Kiri said, scowling slightly as her nose picked up his scent. “I’ll see you back at the group,” Kiri said with a smile, turning to walk away, nodding to Grub as he passed while he was making his way to the stream.After throwing off all his clothing to be nude before wading into the water waist-deep, Grub turned to Rex, “What was wonky leg doing with scary lady alone? You have less fear than Grub to be smiling after that.”“She isn’t so bad,” Rex replied with a shrug, throwing his tunic on over his head.“Did scary lady force you
“So you’re telling me that you and Kealy are not from this realm?” Dilo asked, her eyes narrowing.“No Dilo, we are not,” Rex agreed with a slow nod, “We are from Dracoterrum.”“So you were brought here via portal after a fight with someone who wanted you dead?” Venya asked, her face scrunched in concentration.“Correct,” Rex said, darting his eyes to Kealy quickly.“That still doesn’t make you special enough to heal the way you do,” Dilo growled.“Grub from Dracoterrum and not heal like wonky leg, Grub once bend arm to almost break, couldn’t steal from fat merchant men for long time,” Grub said, peering at his arm and flexing it at the elbow.“So how did you even get here Grub?” Rex asked.“Grub tell you he join army with friend. Grub make another friend who help him join imperial army here after I leave home again, big battle on capitol every month make me not want to die before more skin marks, so Grub starts searching for heroic monster to battle.”“And then proceeded to get swall
As Rex and his companions stopped atop a slight grass-covered rise in the ground, the outer row of houses that surrounded a small-sized town came into view. “I will have to disappear before we get close enough to the town for me to be recognised,” Kiri announced. “Are you an outlaw of some kind?” Venya asked, eyeing Kiri suspiciously. “No. But could you imagine how good your reception would be at the township of many years’ worth of people entering into your domain to do me harm and you killed them for it?” “Even if that was the case of self-defence, I can’t see it being too good a welcoming party,” Rex said, inhaling and then expelling the air loudly. “Do you have some sort of invisibility trick to remain unseen?” “No,” Kiri replied, shaking her head. Turning to Rex with a smile, she reached out and touched one finger to the top of his sternum, dragging it down to stop at the necklace she had gifted him earlier. “So the necklace?” Rex said, swallowing the rising lump in his thro
Once Rex and Kiri had rejoined the group, everyone looked at them expectantly, Kealy with one hand on her hip.“Er, what’s going on? Why are you all staring at us like you’re expecting an announcement?” Rex asked, looking around at his companions with a smirk and one eyebrow raised.“Well, that might be because you two went over there all secretive and shit, said some things in hushed tones, got all smiley and grabby hands, and then came back here and NOT expected us to want to know at least something?” Kealy scoffed, her face full of incredulity.“We didn’t get all grabby hands,” Rex said with a chuckle and a slight head shake.“Since Rex won’t tell you, I will,” Kiri said in a light, airy tone, causing everyone to stare at her eagerly, all except Rex, who saw the quick flash of a devious smile before she coached her expression. He was keen to find out what she was up to.After a few moments of silence, Grub was the first to break, “Well come now scary lady! Tell Grub and others what
Before Rex and his companions entered the town, the second guard held out his hand.“If you follow this main road, it leads from the northern to southern entrances. In the town centre, you will find our tavern and market area, which by the sounds of your reasons for being here, is where you want to be. Our residents live in the houses on the outer edge, and I implore you to not go skulking where you do not belong,” the guard said in a flat tone, eyeing every member of the group warily, especially Grub.“Sounds good, we aren’t after any trouble at all,” Rex replied, putting on a smile.“Righto,” the guard replied, stepping aside and giving Rex a curt nod, before turning back to face the first guard and taking up his earlier discussion on the pros and cons of raising sheep to goats.“Good to know they take their job seriously,” Dilo growled approvingly, “They might have a training yard so we can all train tomorrow morning.”“Let’s just hope they leave us alone, we get some sleep, have a
Taking in the scene within a few minutes, Rex could see the entire area of the bottom floor of the tavern. He was standing on the top of a platform that lowered two steps down to the main floor of the bottom level. Over three-quarters of the space was taken up with circular tables with a mixed number of patrons seated around each table, across the far end of the room was a long wooden bar with two people behind serving the customers and two girls scampered throughout the tabled areas bringing drinks and food and taking away the emptied plates and glasses to a room behind the bar, to the far left of the bar against the wall was a doorway with a set of stairs that could be seen through the archway heading up. Against the far-right wall was a small, raised platform that had a golden-haired woman singing an upbeat tune strumming on a lute and just behind her was a tall wiry man with a strange bowl haircut beating a drum. “You going to just stand there like a weirdo or come and organise ou
Gary was staring at Rex waiting for a response before the woman called Rosie stepped in and grasped his large bicep, “Please stop making trouble.”“I wanna know if he can arm wrestle, that aint makin trouble issit?” Gary replied, his words slighted by drink.“He is deep in conversation with the Assiarian woman before you intervened, let’s find him later?” Rosie said, her voice turning a little sharper and more authoritarian.“Assarians!” Gary spat, looking up at Karinna with scorn, “Wasta space and good air I reckon!”“I’m willing to arm wrestle him,” Rex said, standing so quickly Gary was bustled back slightly by his movement, Rex was sure the bump would aggravate the irritated man, but he simply looked down at Rex, rubbing his sternum where he was struck.“Little man hits good, come,” Gary said, his tone changing to cheerful, beckoning Rex to follow ov