Chapter 108: Chapter 97 – A strange calmness

 Sitting on the wooden chair, Charlie scanned the floorboards. Flinching as Wrench placed a cup of some drink onto the table in front of him, Charlie turned his attention back to Wrench. Again, he took a glance at the floor, but he didn’t see any of the metal sheets. It seemed Wrench didn’t plan to ambush him.

 

“Five…” Wrench began, looking at the time stopwatch as he cradled the bundle of cloth in his human arm.

 

“Four, three, two…” and a flush of air flowed over Charlie’s face as the door swung open. Several wolf women stepped inside, their eyes locking onto Charlie. Wrench ignored them as he cradled the child.

 

“You're not going to tell anyone I almost left you! No, you’re not! No, you’re not!” he said in a childish tone, “otherwise the others will beat me!” Wrench said in his playful tone to the small bundle.

 

“Ok?” Ourupadia leapt to Charlie’s side, a look of fear on her face. Glancing across to Wrench, Ourupadia leant down and began to sniff Charlie. Why had she left him alone? It wasn’t something she would do.

 

Charlie stared at Wrench and remembered earlier.

 

Wrench had ensured Charlie had cleaned himself so that the Wolvanticai couldn’t have smelt any blood or anything out of the usual on him. Wrench had also shown Charlie these small blue seals with the symbol of an owl. These were able to dull the senses so that people would act irrational, it had less of an effect on the Wolvanticai species, but it had made it so that Wrench had been able to slip Charlie away from them.

 

These seals worked for only a short amount of time, and from what Charlie could gather, the current version only lasted for a couple of hours. Seemingly Ourupadia had sensed something wrong with Charlie. Thus, leading to the current situation. Prodding and poking at him, Ourupadia puffed out her cheeks.

 

“Answer!” she said, grabbing his arm and shaking it. Laughing, Charlie stood and smiled at her. Ourupadia and the others who had followed her all stared at him. Frowning, she leaned closer and began to whisper into his ear.

 

“If something happened,”

 

“Then I would have told you about it,” Charlie said as he ruffled her hair, “Anyway, myself and Wrench are just discussing some business that could help us,”

 

Moving back, Ourupadia narrowed her eyes at Charlie. He was lying, but why? Again, moving closer, she placed a gentle hand on his head.

 

“If something, anything is wrong, you tell me immediately,” she turned and stood back, allowing Charlie to sit back down. Giving her a simple nod, he took his place at the table. Standing by his side, a bow slung over her shoulder and a spear in her hand, she watched over his every movement as he carried on speaking to Wrench.

 

“I want help,” Charlie began.

 

“Don’t we all?” ignoring Wrench Charlie carried on.

 

“I want help in cutting off Mr Green Water fully. I saw the work you did with your coat. With the enchantments on it,” Wrench looked up to Charlie.

 

“Let me guess, you want enchanted weapons?” Wrench’s tone changed.

 

“Yes, about a hundred spears and some light armour. I have been looking at some of the stuff the natives make, and one of them is this special cloth from tree bark. I was thinking maybe having you enchant that into some kind of armour,” Wrench was quiet before he stood and walked away. He returned without the bundle of cloth and sat back down.

 

“Alright, I can try something… but it will cost you,”  

 

“How much?” Wrench again stood and walked over to the bar. Picking up some paper and a pen, he sat back down. You could almost see the cogs turning in his brain as he jotted down equations. Handing the paper to Charlie, he sat back in his chair.

 

“500,000 coppers?” Charlie said, his merchant instincts kicking in as Wrench could imagine machines in his mind beginning to speed up as he thought. It was a good price, and the tribe could afford it, “You mentioned a deal as well with flowing ammunition and guns into the third region?”

 

“Yes,” Wrench leant forward and tapped onto the centre of the paper. Charlie turned his gaze to it.

 

“So, another 200,000 for guns and ammunition?”

 

“Or you could have it for free,” Wrench leaned back again as Charlie’s brows shot up. Quickly though he rubbed his brow, causing the brows to fall as he relaxed.

 

“Nothing is free,” Charlie responded, knowing that Wrench was far from being someone to do anything for anyone else if it did not profit him in some way.

 

“Everything I do, I do for my town, Charlie. I killed that regiment of Mercenaries that had bothered you. But the town Lord has hired two more to come and dispose of me. That man is a puppet. Left here by a certain man,”

 

Charlie immediately knew he referred to his father.

 

“Came and killed my family and took over. He believes that an organised workforce with good living conditions and workers' right threatens his authority here,”

 

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“From the sounds of how this is going, he has a right to worry,” Charlie added.

 

“Yes and no. I was happy to leave him in charge, but the conditions he has placed on the factories place the lives of people here at threat. Seventy per cent of this town work in these hell holes, and I do not wish to stand idle. I will give you all on that list for free if I can assure the Chiefess and tribe of the third region will assist me if myself and the town lord come to blows,” Wrench finished.

 

Charlie nodded before picking up the paper. Ploughing his mind of outcomes and possibilities, he scanned the paper. These were all things the tribe could easily afford but getting them for free could help with finances in the long run. Potentially though it would open up a two-front war if Wrench ever did come to blows.

 

“For now, let's leave this on the table. I just came here to get some ammunition,” Leaning down, Ourupadia gave his shoulder a shake.

 

“Food?” she muttered. For a moment Charlie was quiet before Wrench clapped his hands together.

 

“If they are hungry, I do know a place,” Charlie went to speak and put down the idea, but hearing the growling of Ourupadia’s stomach, he nodded.

 

Before Charlie was even fully aware of what was going on, he found himself herding a group of hungry-looking Vultures and huntresses led by Ourupadia down a street. Wrench lazily walked behind them, now and then stopping to take a small seal out of his pocket and place it onto the side of a building orally.

 

Stumbling, Charlie almost buckled forward as he looked back at the group. They had all stopped. Staring toward Ourupadia, they all began to slowly follow her gaze. Sniffing the air, she yelled something in her native tongue and pointed to the glass window of a shop. In a flash, the girls moved onto all fours.

 

Glancing back to Wrench, Charlie saw him sliding into an ally way. Holding his stomach, he placed a hand under his mask. Small giggles and chuckles came from him as he watched the girls stalk towards the shop window. Now they had stopped. Charlie glanced around. Before he thought Ourupadia was just wandering in a random direction, but it seemed she had a clue of where she was going.

 

As he watched them, he saw to her side a girl. Informing her with the skill of a military adviser, the girl pointed into the shop. At this point, Charlie recognised two things. The girl hugging to the side of Ourupadia had gone with Nolkonoe and him before. And the area they were in, well it was that of the bakery. 

 

What else that gave this away was the elf girl at the far back of the well-lit shop. She sat in the corner, staring at the twenty or so girls all piling on each other to stare through the glass. Pointing to things around the room, Ourupadia sat back. Muttering a few words, the girls gathered around her. Sighing, Charlie could see them starting to make drawings in the dirt.

 

He was tired. Far too tired for this. Still, a warmth crept into his heart. Usually, he would be against them making what looked to be war plans to raid a shop, but he thought he could at least he could spoil them a little. Turning, he began to wander back towards the gates. There was a high chance they weren’t planning to pay so it was best he went back to get some money to reimburse the elf woman.

 

Walking back down the path, Charlie saw Wrench was now calm and simply scanning the street for any passer-by. Assuming the girls were somewhat safe in his hands, Charlie continued to walk. From the group of wolf girls, their ears popped into the air. Turning, they Saw Charlie beginning to leave. As the surrogate leader of the group, Ourupadia leapt up.

 

A warm hand gripped Charlie’s shoulder. Turning, he saw her tall wolf ears had pricked up as she tilted her head to her side. Seeing her concerned eyes, Charlie returned with a reassuring smile.

 

“I just need to go get some money,” Ourupadia frowned and wrapped an around Charlie’s shoulder. Bringing him closer, she looked at Wrench. Placing her lips to his ear, she whispered.

 

“If he has done anything, tell me. You act weird,” she said, her almost spotless English showing to him her seriousness. Beaming a smile at her, Charlie gently patted her head.

 

“It’s fine, just make sure they don’t break anything,” Charlie leaned to the side and stared at all the girls staring at them.

 

“No... well yes, but I follow you,” Ourupadia’s tone was serious, and from the look in her eyes he could tell declining her would just cause more problems.

 

Also, he wasn’t sure how comfortable she or the other girls would be with knowing that Wrench had seemingly eradicated an entire group of mercenaries just recently. Taking his hand from her head, he placed it onto her arm in a reassuring manner.

 

“Come then, keep me safe and make sure none of those mercenaries come after me alright?” Charlie said with a warm smile. Nodding, Ourupadia held her bow tightly as she began to follow him. Together they walked, silent as Wrench watched them disappear around a corner.

 

As they walked, Ourupadia hugged his side. In one hand she held a bow and arrow, the other was just hovering next to Charlie’s arm. Pointing high into the hair, her ears scanned around for any potentially hostile noises. Grabbing his arm, Ourupadia yanked Charlie closer. Staring toward an ally, she glared at a hooded man.

 

Coughing slightly, he took a step back. Intensifying her glare, Ourupadia’s hand wandered down the unexpecting Charlie’s arm. Gently her fingers met his as she took his hand. A little shocked, and assuming this to be some kind of advance, Charlie blushed lightly. Attempting to move his hand back, he blushed again as she tightened her hold.

 

“Safe,” she said with a warm smile to him as she watched the man disappear back into the ally.

 

With the threat gone, she moved to relinquish her grip on Charlie. But as she stared down at his hand, she found the boy to be bright red. Immediately her mind began to speed back to the night they met by the water. How he was so bright red back then. Last time splashing water onto his fiery cheeks helped, so maybe he needed it again.

 

Leaning down, she pushed his hair from his face and carefully placed her hand on his forehead. His forehead was not hot, or interesting. Blushing even brighter, Charlie went to move his hands to protect him from her touches. Before he could deflect her though, she wrapped her arms around him and lifted him into her arms.

 

Exhaustion, that had to be it. A long day in the sun and all the work must have made him so tired his cheeks were turning red. That’s how humans worked right? Flustered, Charlie went to leave her arms, but the longer he stared at her… Her eyes were soft. Very soft.

 

“OH! look he likes her!” The soft voice in his ear muttered excitedly as Charlie stared towards the large eyes of Ourupadia. After everything he had been through, the soft sound of her beating heart as she placed his head against his chest soothed him. Smiling, he snuggled against her. This was nice.

 

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