Chapter 198: Chapter 196: Don’t Let Her Fool You

‘Idleaf!’ After a few mugs of ale, I remembered her again and how she loved to dance and sing. And today, the band was back at Drunken Filly’s, playing her favorite songs. So besides drinking, there was merrymaking, dancing, and singing - simply the stuff she loved.

Did I mention that most of the guardsmen were still barefoot? It was a bizarre sight. One that brought a smile to my face and a pang of amusement to my heart when I thought I was behind it. The way things were looking, it was going to take a while to see who gets the bottle of Dragon Fart.

Speaking of which, my gaze fell on Palemoon, still surrounded by the guys and gals of the city guards at the bar. I had a lovely evening, enjoying the fact that people saw me for who I was, and perhaps thanks to the new tier of the [Call of Nature], unfazed by what people thought of my new-ish class. I was no longer a [Slave] to them, but a [Deviant].

Deviant - it sounded so good that my chest was heaving with pride and joy. However, the word raised questions in the minds of those who didn’t know me. Awkward inquiries, thoughts, and musings. What was my deviance about? How did I differ from them? Was I some kind of goon, a rat, part of the criminal underworld? And then there were those whose guesswork turned to my perverted lusts - awkward, embarrassing, and funny in some cases. More than once, their remarks about me, reaching my ears, brought the heat to my cheeks. Other times, it made my heart ache.

After all, it still put me on the outskirts of society, looked at with oddness, and whispered about behind my back, and that was just the guardsmen, most of whom have had the pleasure of seeing me around. And so, it raised the nagging question of whether it wasn’t better to be seen as a slave than a girl with strange hobbies. 

The [Call of Nature], its third tier, had to kick in, though. That, or simply the excitement of no longer being seen as a slave, overshadowed any dark thoughts that the gossip of others might bring. I was on top of the shit like that tonight. It was up to them how they took me, where their twisted minds had taken them because there was no turning back, and tonight and onward, I was a deviant, a [Deviant of Humanity].

So, back to Palemoon.

Why ruin my evening by dealing with her? Why was I thinking of asking her for a drink? Simply, because this was a good opportunity to erase some of the spite between us. Or add more, but that depended...on many things.

“Where are you going, Korra?” Freyde asked as I finished my mug of ale in one gulp and got up from the table.

“What do you care, Pointy Ears? If she goes to take a piss, will you go with her?”

His ears flushed, and so did my cheeks. “Screw you, Harper.”

As much fun as it was to listen to their bickering, I figured it was good to let them know what I was up to. “I plan to buy Palemoon a drink.”

“Why the fuck would you do that?!” snapped Harper, not liking the idea at all.

“She’s our squad leader,” Meneur pointed out, thinking about it. “Maybe I should do the same.” The Taurus, our squad mage, may not have liked her, but he knew it would be good to get along with her in the future.

“Or we could invite her here to the table,” Freyde suggested, taking me, and especially Harper, by surprise. 

“You’re shittin’ me, right?! Seriously! Have you forgotten already how she screwed with us?”

He gave a grim smile. “Hard to forget, but we’re going to the Labyrinth with her tomorrow. So, don’t you think we should talk it out before we engage the beasts?”

Harper gritted her teeth. “We can do the same shit tomorrow.”

True. We could have, but I didn’t want to. Who knows how this will turn out and going even more pissed off and riled up against the beasts wasn’t exactly ideal.

“Look, I’m going over to her. I’ll have a drink with her, but if you tell me not to invite her here, I’ll keep my mouth shut. So...?”

I could see her inner struggle, the grudging reluctance with which she gave in. “Fine, fine! Just don’t expect me to be nice to her.”

“I’m not sure I will,” Freyde remarked, casting a glance towards the bar. “But it’s worth a shot.”

Meneur merely nodded, wrapped in his own thoughts. And so, with everyone’s permission to invite Palemoon to our table, I made my way to the bar.

 

***

 

“Hey, if it’s not the Deviant?”

“Damn good fight, but what the heck are you...” And so it went on as I made my way through the men and women flanking the bar.

“Ah, you,” Thal, the bartender, gushed when she saw me. “You know the boss is pissed at you?”

Not the greeting I was expecting. However, despite the sharpness, there was no vexation in her voice, only amusement. Her smile then told me that I wasn’t at odds with her. The last thing I wanted to do was piss off the bartender.

“Why? I’ve never seen him.” Or so I thought.

“Lucky girl, be glad.”

“Is he that bad?”

“Nah. Only when he’s angry.”

Which he was on me. “Again, why?”

“Because these lovely ladies and gentlemen go to his tavern barefoot and complain when the floor is dirty,” Thal said as she placed a few glasses on the bar and gestured at the guardsmen around. 

“That’s their call; I’ve never complained.”

“But it was you who was shouting here: Freedom to your feet. Well, now the boss has to pay extra to the [Housekeeper] to mop the floor more than once a day.”

“Ah, I see....” I breathed, still not seeing how it was my fault. I didn’t make the bet. Hell, I wasn’t even part of it. “Is he around? Should I be worried?”

“Nah, he’s not here today. Plus, he’s like a big puppy; he just barks, but doesn’t bite. He won’t say it, but he finds the whole thing hilarious. So what’s it gonna be, Deviant? Congratulations on that, by the way.”

“Thanks. I was hoping to have a drink with the star of the night.”

“Oh,” she chuckled, then bellowed. “You heard that, guys and gals. Grey here wants to have a drink with the lady warrior. Should she get in line, or...?”

“Shouldn’t I be the one who gets to say who she drinks with?” Palemoon interrupted as she pushed her way over to me. Those few hours at the bar showed on her. Her eyes were glossy, and the confidence with which she carried herself on the training grounds was gone.

Thal smirked. “Not if it’s your night. So how’s it gonna be?” the bartender roared again to the guardsmen around. Dozens of loud voices, killing my ears, echoed back to her. Some were against it, but most didn’t mind letting me have this round of shots with her.

“Fine, then shoot away, Grey. What’s it gonna be?”

That was a damn good question that caught me off guard. With all that brainstorming on how to approach this whole thing, if at all, what drink to have with her never crossed my mind. At a loss over what to order, I looked at Palemoon. “Dragon Fart?” The best Drunken Filly had to offer.

“Not unless you want to kill me. The strongest thing I can handle is Basilisk Breath.”

“Then two of those, Thal.”

“Already on the way...and here it is. Two Basilisk Breaths.” Paying for it was a daylight robbery. But if this was supposed to make us reconcile a little, it was worth the five silvers a shot. So I raised my glass and made a toast. “To you then, Palemoon, our squad leader.”

She beamed and - like me - downed the shot in a single swig to the cheers of the onlooking city guards. “C-call me Stella,” she said, struggling as she tried to fight the effects of the drink, while I enjoyed the mildly salty taste and the warmth that spread through my body as the booze traveled down into my gut.

‘Stella.’ I tried her name in my mind and then tasted it on the tongue. “Okay, Stella. I’m Korra’leigh, but feel free to call me Korra; pretty much everybody calls me that. Are you alright?” She was quite red in the face.

“Give me a s-second.”

So I gave it to her, watching her auras flare up. “Boosting regeneration, or…?”

“Among other things,” she nodded as her face took on a healthier color.

“No offense, but I thought you’d take it with more flair.”

She, at last shaking off the last lingering effects of the drink, raised an eyebrow at me. “Where did you get the impression?”

“You withstood quite a beating when we fought.”

“Doesn’t mean I’m a good drinker.”

“Neither am I, but....”

As if on cue, after briskly dealing with the rest of drink-thirsty guardsmen, Thal showed up back at us, cutting me off. “Don’t let her fool you. Grey drinks Dragon Fart like it’s plain water.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Stella shook her head, chuckling. “You’re really built to be a tank, aren’t you?” She was referring to my Constitution, which had to be at least level one hundred, ideally more, to survive Dragon Fart. Little did she know that I was way past that.

“I’d argue about that,” I said towards Thal and looked back at Stella. “In any case, it makes it much harder for me to get drunk.”

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“Oh, that’s a bummer.”

“Depends on how you look at it,” Thal chimed in. “More coins for the tavern. One more round or something else, gals?”

I glanced at Stella, trying to figure out if she could handle one more shot. “Nah, we’re good.” A decision that would save me some coins and spare Stella some misery. 

“Thanks, Korra.”

“Don’t sweat it; I was in your shoes, So....”

“Again, don’t let her fool you. She doesn’t wear shoes,” Thal said before turning to the man, demanding his beverage.

Stella chuckled at the bartender’s remark, her eyes sliding to my feet for a brief moment before she glanced at me again, nervous despite the alcohol in her system. In fact, she seemed more nervous than a moment ago, more than I’d ever seen her before; the poise and air of posh she strove so hard to maintain through all the drinks was gone. 

“I-I appreciate you coming here. I meant it; I’m really glad. Believe me, I planned to come to your table, but...” She looked around at the guardsmen, men and women, already noticeably grumpy at how long it had taken us, but then she shook her head. “No, that’s just another excuse. I just didn’t know how to approach you, what to say.”

I got her. “A simple sorry would be a good start.”

She sighed and smiled to herself. “Yeah, guess it would. Still, I’m not sure it’s all right for me to... you know...”

As good as it was to see her fidgeting and fretting, letting her embarrass herself in front of everyone wouldn’t make me any different from her. “Okay, let me make it easier for you here. While that drink was one thing, I also came to ask you if you would like to sit with us.”

The puzzled look on her face was priceless. “For real?” Stella cast a bewildered gaze at the table where the rest of our squad sat. 

“I’m not saying everybody’s going to be happy about it - Harper won’t be - but yeah, they all agreed. So, when you’ve had your fill of fun here, feel free to join us...” With those words, I left her there at the mercy of the drinking-happy city guards.

 

***

 

“So, how did it go?” the question hit me even before I reached the table. Moreover, to my surprise, it was Meneur who asked. The leadership thing seemed to really weigh on him.

“Surprisingly well. We had a drink, just Basilisk’s Breath, for your information, and she was glad to hear we weren’t against her sitting with us. I guess she’ll show up once she breaks out of the bar.”

“So you’re saying we won’t see her for a while,” noted Freyde, hinting at the experience we all shared. When you were the one who found yourself at the bar surrounded by city guards, it took a good part of the evening to get out of there.

“I don’t mind,” Harper grunted, taking the last swig from her mug. “You could have grabbed a few beers while you were there, though.”

“And you could have said something instead of being a pain in the ass.”

“Ah, here comes the spunk,” Harper grinned, not taking my remark too much to heart. She meant that I was more, shall we say, daring when I had a few. And honestly, there was no arguing with that; I was. “...but my dear Korra, you are forgetting that you don’t have anything to drink either.”

“Fuck!” She was right.

“Are you gonna be the one going back to the bar or me?” Harper asked.

Freyde smirked and took a provocative sip from his still half-full mug. “You can wait for the waiter to come by.”

“That could take forever,” Harper argued, giving me a hard stare. There was no doubt that she didn’t feel like getting off her ass and moving.

“I think you will soon be able to quench your thirst,” Meneur said, cocking his head toward the bar. From there, much to everyone’s surprise, Stella was on her way, two mugs in one hand, three in the other. How she managed to break free from the clutches of the city guards was beyond me.

“Hey,” Stella greeted us all, remaining standing at a respectful distance, mugs in her hands. She seemed to have steeled herself before coming here, but my instincts were telling me she was still nervous as fuck. “Would it be all right for me to sit with you? I came to apologize.” To make her point, she rattled the mugs, some of the foam splashing around.

Unsurprisingly, everyone looked at Harper. “What?! I’ll take the ale.”

“That sounds like a yes to me,” Freyde translated, and, as there were only four chairs at the table, he stood up swiftly and scooted one empty chair away from the nearest table. “Take a seat.” He - in his wisdom - placed the chair between him and me, away from Harper. There was no reason to push the grumpy baker too hard.

Stella, visibly relieved, placed the mugs in the middle of the table and sat down. “For you,” she said, gesturing to the mugs while taking one herself.

“A good start,” Harper stated, taking one. “And the apology?”

Our squad leader took a breath and bowed her head. “Please accept my sincere apologies. What I did there in the barracks was not fit for a leader.” 

“Damn right!” Harper grumbled under her breath.

Stella went on, seemingly unfazed by the remark: “I took my bitterness out on you, and that’s not the way of my grandfather or Captain Rayden. They...”

“You want to be like her? Like the late Lord Egerton?” Freyde asked, intrigued, cutting her apology short.

“Yes, I do. You got a problem with that?” She asked, trying not to sound too offensive, but it was clear to everyone that it was a sensitive subject for her.

“No, not at all. Just...well, you picked some bloody great idols.”

Stela shrugged, a hint of satisfaction at Freyd’s answer flashing in her eyes. After all, in a way, he praised those she liked. “Don’t you have people you look up to?”

“Oh, please don’t ask him that!” Harper grumbled. “Or we’ll hear about his grandmother again.”

“His grandmother?” Stella wondered, cautious but eager to learn more, to get involved with us. “Was she a great woman?”

“Is,” Freyde corrected her. “I mean, she’s still alive, and as long as no one kills her, will be, unfortunately, for a long time. She’s a gnome. And no, that greedy, bossy old crone is not someone I look up to.”

Harper put on a confused look. “She’s not? The way you keep talking about her...”

“Shut up, Harper. You know damn well I hate her. But to answer your question...” he paused, not sure how to address our leader.

“Stella, call me Stella. All of you.”

“Freyde, no petty names or nicknames...”

“I call him Pointy Ears.”

“Damn you, Harper.”

“Love you too, Pointy Ears.”

He sighed and took a sip of his ale. “To make a long story short, I don’t have anyone I look up to.”

“No one?”

“Well, any swordsman worth his salt, I guess. What about you guys?” Freyde asked us, curious himself now that he spilled the beans. “Harper?”

“None of your business!” she barked back at Stella even though she wasn’t the one who asked. Our leader got the message: she’s not getting any personal shit out of her. Actually, we all got the message and better not ask her any personal questions while Stella was here with us.

Seeing what his question led to, Freyd cleared his throat and looked at Meneur and me to save the day. “I,” the Taurus said, the words catching in his throat from nervousness. “I look up to Ash Blazeglide.” It was the first time I’d heard him mention the woman - at least, I assumed she was a woman.

“Who’s that, Meneurmut?” Stella asked earnestly, quite intrigued.

“Yeah, I’ve never heard of her. Is she hot? Her name sounds hot.”

Meneur gave Freyde an amused smile. “She can be so hot that no man can touch her. Ash Blazeglide is from the Phoeniks clan and the best terran fire mage I know of.”

“Wait, from the Phoeniks clan? You mean like the legendary Phoenixes and stuff?” Ops, I said too much! What if they weren’t legendary creatures like on Earth but just common house chickens?

Fortunately, Meneur nodded. “They say they have their roots in them and still keep a bond with them. The reason why their fire magic is so powerful, or so it is believed.”

“That’s...really cool,” I gushed before everyone’s attention turned to me, and I realized it was my turn to share something I had never thought about. Well, I had a period when I was thinking about a singing career, but that was a long time ago, and I guess the names of popular female singers from Earth wouldn’t say much to them. 

“Well, I guess I don’t have one I look up to, either, but.... it would be great to be able to move like Deckard. And it’s fucking awesome how Esudein can control the his moss and nature around him,” my hand went unconsciously to my head where the surviving remnants of his gift were. “What he can do with it is mind-boggling and terrifying. Anyway, I have to prove myself to him...and to Zeewet, actually. That stupid proud Miros will see me as a dumb flightless chick until I prove her otherwise. It would be awesome to be able to soar through the sky like her, though.”

When I finished, a shiver ran down my spine as four pairs of eyes stared at me in disbelief. Once again, I said something I shouldn’t have, something out of the common sense of the humans around me. But what could I say? After all, I was a [Deviant of Humanity].

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