A Fair Dame

The stench permeates the air; sweat, boozes, and desperation. Honestly a typical Tuesday evening in the Resane Tavern, the only reason I still come here after a job is well my boss likes to meet here, and Delainie the bar wench a beautiful half Elf with sliver streaked dark blue hair that draped her oval face making her green eyes shine like two emeralds peaking through the waves of the evening sea. Her beauty was rare even amongst the Elves, it wasn’t only her face either her body was… “Tax! When did you get back! This was the longest mission you’ve had in a while!” A voice spoke behind me followed by a tackle and a girlish giggle “you know the rules of our contract state you have to tell me when you come back, do you really hate seeing me that much that you’ll risk getting a demotion?” I turned my head gripping my drink looking at the pale skinned gnomish man who was now pouting at me. “Can I not get a drink first Cain, it helps making your presence more manageable and you know I don’t like it when you pounce on me like that! You’re not a child.” “Welllll fine I guess I won’t tell the boss this time, but you need to send me a message as soon as you are on your way back next time to make up for it! I’ll even have fresh baked cookies ready for you!” Acting like he’s doing me the biggest favor ever and planting a kiss on my cheek before sitting on the stool next to me. You would think a grown ass man would be more together than this but for some reason the boss likes him and he’s a good handler I guess, no one tell him I said that. I rolled my eyes and wiped his saliva off my cheek “fine you have a deal. Now will you tell me the next mission or leave me to my drink.” “ Always business with you Tax! You never ask how I’m doing it hurts ya know!” Cain feigned a pain in his chest and signaled to Delainie to bring us another round, him a frilly drink and me another scotch neat. Her perfume lingered as she set the drinks down sweet and woodsy. She lingered as our hands touched and she winked at me. “So your next mission is a dozy! You’re going to be partnered with someone. Now before you protest it’s for your own safety! The Azarack strong hold that has laid dormant since the War of Azantha, as been showing signs of life recently. I know you were barely alive some hundred years ago but as Azantha was slain she used her last breath to swear she and her army would arise again to finish what they had started. Naturally you can imagine the lights suddenly coming on in their fortress set off a few alarm bells. Lucky you! You won the draw of who gets this quest and you need to leave tomorrow” “Hold on I just got back and you want me to work with some random person?? Let me guess I don’t even get a choice on this huh?” He laid a lot out there he sure can talk circles around someone. I hate working with others they always slow me down and get in the way. If I go out I at least know I am the one that messed up. This job better be quick, it sounds like some simple recon. The mission prior wore me out completely and in a lot of ways I don’t typically get worked, those sirens were beautiful, “fine I’ll take the job this tag along better not get in the way of things.” “I’m sure they won’t! They’re over in the black cloak in the corner” he said with a boop of my nose and a poof of smoke. I hated when he did that and most other things he does, he’s always so handsy. At least he was gone and I can finish my drink in peace. Delainie should be on break soon as well time to give her the news I’m leaving again, she’s going to be pissed I promised I’d help her with some work she needed done around the bar. A girls gotta get brownie points where she can. I glanced over my shoulder toward the hooded figure to glimpse what will supposedly aid me in my journey. There was a board figure nursing a gin and tonic behind them a fluffy salt and pepper tail with a white tip swayed back and forth. Freaking Cain stuck me with a werewolf he knows I don’t get along with those slobbery beasts. “You better not be flacking on me again this is the third time you’ve rescheduled and I swear I am not going to be waiting around much longer!” Delainie waltzed over to me and looked like she was about to smack me upside the head. To be fair I had rescheduled on her a lot because of Cain being so needy with these back to back errands. “D I’m sorry! I can’t help it work is work ya know! Cain just insisted it should be quick though! It’s recon on some old fortress I’m sure it’s just some gang or kids trying be to play a prank” I scoffed waving my hand in dismissal of such a crazy idea as a curse resurrecting an evil tyrant. “Plus I’ll have a pup with me to sniff out the big bads so you don’t have to worry I’ll come back to you in one peace.” I smirked and winked at her at the last line before realizing that her expression dropped and the color started to escape her. Her stature froze and her hands balled in a fist and her jaw clenched hard. “Um Delainie? Are you ok? What’s going on with you all of a sud-“ “Azantha has come back hasn’t he?”