Chapter 73: Chapter 73

They walked in silence for a time. Rain was forced to walk on the side of the road as the number of people on the road increased, not because there wasn’t enough room, but because his looming presence was causing a commotion, especially amongst the small number of horses and livestock pulling wagons. Apparently he hadn’t quite emptied Lynthia of animals, there were a few that had avoided his attention through luck or location, although it was clear they were still lacking as many carts had people pulling them rather than animals.

He felt Opal shift, she was holding up surprisingly well, although the occasional happy little moan suggested she might be holding up a little more than just well.

They headed against the flow of traffic, many eyes following them, mostly on Rain, watching warily, jittery. The succubus had clearly set the town on edge and seeing Rain wasn’t helping matters in the slightest. 

The two guards with him were able to get him by the gates without too much trouble, despite being ram-packed with people, they called out and the other guards helped clear a spot for Rain to get through. Inside was just as busy, but with every step he took it became less so, the focus of everyone inside town was just to get out the gate as quickly as possible so it was obviously going to be crowded, but the rest of the town had been cleared out, people leaving as soon as they could and the streets he padded down felt uncomfortably abandoned. It wasn’t the emptiness, it was the discarded items people had dropped in their panicked flight. A hat here, a doll there, someone’s luggage broken open, clothing strewn across the ground, a cart on its side. It felt desolate and Rain found he did not like it, Lynthia had been his home however awful a home it had been and it was weird seeing it like this.

He soon realised their destination judging by the direction and his knowledge of the streets and waited patiently for it to come into view. 

A large building with a huge front designed to impress marked with tall pillars and pointed arches. It was the town hall, the home of the town’s council, the authority below the Ranker. The Ranker ruled all, but the town council saw more to the day to day management of the town that the Ranker had no interest in.

This place was just as empty as the rest of town, a breeze blowing a lonely scrap of cloth across the paving the only movement, that is apart from the two people standing on the steps. He recognised one of them and he raised an eyebrow in question. Before he could get an answer however the two guards came to a halt.

“You’ll, uh, find your master in there monster. Just remember we had nuffin to do with whatevers been done to her.”

“I thought you said nothing has been done to her.”

“Y-yes, to the best of our knowledge, just don't come after us or anything okay? I’ve got nothing to do with this, and soon nothing to do with Lynthia, I’m leaving with everybody else.”

The one with a pick nodded. “A succubus and a giant wolf? Naw you're right it's too much. I’m off too. Hope you cause trouble for them council fucks, they no doubt had something to do with this succubus in the first place.”

He flicked the pick from his mouth sending it bouncing along the cobble then without a second glance turned on his heel and strode off, younger guard in tow. Rain watched them go then turned to the town hall.

That red haired Elf was there, the one who had been bothering Lyra. He felt he understood why and how Lyra had been captured a bit better. That Elf had had intentions for Lyra from the very start.

He strode up the steps, the Elf watching him with contempt. That expression becoming a little less contemptuous and a little more alarmed as he drew near and their height difference became more obvious. 

He looked down at the elf.

“Where is she.”

“You’re looking for your master. A mindless dog scenting its owner I suppose, you’ll find we have her in our possession.” He attempted to look down his nose at Rain, he didn't have much success, Rain’s height meant he had to lean so far back that he looked slightly ridiculous. “No doubt you will suffer if she dies as you are clearly thralled to her so don't get any ideas.”

The rotund woman beside him gently fanned her face, comfortable in the sun despite the dress she wore. Rain had to take what she was wearing in twice because it was remarkably similar to what Opal was wearing. He supposed it must be some kind of high leveler fashion. He did think Opal wore the dress better than the Human woman, though he doubted she would appreciate hearing that.

“You can think what you like. Show me where she is.”

“Now, now, you great brute. Our parties must first become acquainted before we can come to some amicable agreement.”

Rain blinked, so did the Elf. The Elf opened his mouth, then something akin to understanding crossed his gaze and he slowly closed it. 

“What is this? I’m not here to make friends, I am here to take back Lyra.

She fluttered her fan in Rain’s direction ruffling his fur and nodded.

“You’ll do. Come.”

She turned on her heel and walked away, her heels clicking against the stone as she went.

Rain and the Elf stared at her back then hurried to follow. They appeared inside the lobby of the townhall and then from there down a corridor. She didn't pause but pushed through a double door, the Elf hurrying in along beside her. Rain came more slowly, wary of a trap. This was a group of the town’s high levelers, no doubt reduced in number due to recent events but still a massive threat. He had to be extremely careful if he was to save Lyra’s life and make it out himself.

He pushed at the door and peered inside, not sure what to expect. It was the main hall of the town hall, a meeting room of sorts. A large banquet table was in the center, various foodstuffs scattered along it. More important were the people seated around it. At the head of the table sat the head of the town council, a large fat man with a bald head around which a laurel of wispy white hair held on for dear life. Beside him was a butler who was pouring a drink, rather sloppily judging by the wine stains.

In the middle of the table a person was wearing full plate armour, his heavy metal boots up on the table as he leaned his chair back on the back two legs, a wide brim feathered hat partially covering his face.

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Opposite them was a priestess, her clothes neatly pressed and folded, not an out of place crease in sight as though she had been carved from marble by an artist who detested naturalism, this carried over to her severe face too which seemed to be set in a permanent frown, although her red eyes and spikey half-inch long eyelashes offset that into something more like anger. In fact Rain was pretty sure the priestess was furious and only holding herself back by a thread of pure will.

The rotund lady beckoned him over as she paced by the table and he followed, unsure what else to do. He was already a wolf in the lion’s den, there was no point in having second thoughts now.

He was directed to a long bench by the table and reluctantly took it. The bench lasted all of three seconds before his weight caused it crack and he dropped a few inches. He felt more than heard a muffled scream into his furred chest as Opal came down with him. 

He scowled as the rotund lady put her fan to her mouth and giggled. He adjusted his rear but the bench seemed like it wasn’t going to break further despite the new downward slope toward its middle he had created.

The sound of the bench breaking seemed to jolt the head councillor awake from his musing. He blinked and then looked over at Rain.

“Ah, this is the monster you have such a problem with Zack? Big. Probably worth a nice spot of experience if I took it out. You sure of this idea of yours Lixiss?

The rotund woman hemmed and hawed then nodded. “Yes, you heard the reports, and what we suspect. I want to have this monster help fight the succubus. It hasn't been done before, and we are short on options, almost all of our strongest are in the dungeon. Desperate times call for-”

“No.” said Rain. “I am not fighting the succubus.”

“Why ever not darling? We have your master you know, whatever she holds over you we also now lay claim to.”

“Because I have already fought the succubus and won.”

There was a pregnant pause as the levelers took this shocking claim in, the head councillor choked on his drink and spluttered repeatedly into a napkin that the butler handed him.

“This is all Bullshit!” screamed Zack lurching from his seat. 

“It’s true. We fought and I severely injured her. She fled, I don't know where.”

The fan drooped in the rotund ladies hand, a swift calculus crossing her gaze, Rain claimed to have defeated the succubus and she had just let this apparently far more powerful than understood monster into the town hall.

“Oh.”

Zacks’s gaze danced from Rain to Lixiss to the head councillor. “You lied to me, this was no trap! You genuinely intended to try and make this- this barbaric monster thing fight for you! You IDIOTS! You don't understand, the succubus, that was all a lie! There is no succubus, it’s all this thing’s doing, all of it! It killed all the animals, it killed the cultists, the metal frames in the cultist’s place were for their own purposes, nothing to do with a succubus but you all went along with that slut sheep’s claims without a seconds thought!”

Lixiss rolled her eyes. “Did you really think we learned of the succubus through this Lyra girl? We’ve always known Zack, the Ranker created the cult and had them summon the damned thing, he wanted that demonic creature in town.”

Zack stared at her, a slow fear dawning on him. “You- no, that can't be, but then… why am I still here? I- we’re in s-so much danger...m-my levels...”

Rain had stopped paying attention to the conversation. His eyes locked onto the wine stains around the head councillor’s cup. Those were not wine stains, and now he was looking he could see a number of red scales scattered amongst the blood. 

Red Kobold Scales.

A section of the table crunched to splinters under his paw sending a jagged fracture up its length.

He knew, he just knew they were Red’s. Strangely, he felt a sense of anger, not protective, but possessive. How dare someone harm what was his, take his Kobold. Red was his to keep or to eat, no one else’s, he belonged to him. 

Things were beginning to spiral.

 

 

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