"Thank you," Karrin says, as she hides the box beside her at the table, "I hope Sharinda likes them!"
Although Karrin talks with a smile anyone with a keen eye or ear observing Karrin would detect a slight edge to her voice . . . making her last statement sound more like a warning then a bit of wishful thinking.
The orc struts off towards ha 442 and the target.
"Think nothing of it me fine bint. Pleasure doin' business with yeh."
Traveller Smurf looks up at his large friend.
"He was kinda a smurf, don't you think?" He says sotto voce.
"You can say that again!" Karrin says, returning to her salad.
"I gots a jones for a bit of a contest if yer willin'"
"I don't play in contests, pretty boy."
The large orc grins widely at ha 442, showing off his graven tusks.
"Now that's wot I likes, a bint with a little spirit. Don't fancy tossing the shivs with ol' Shag? Not that I blame yeh, hard to play when yeh knows yer outclassed."
"Keep your eyes open for the Gaunt man," a strange hooded woman says as she walks through the bar, "and don't draw attention to yourselves, unlike some of our other meeting in this place we need to be conspicuous . . . what's that?" she says to no one in particular, "no I mean conspicuous, have a look around you, everyone's odd, it's the ones the blend into the walls that these creatures get nervous around. Just once I'd like to visit someplace without hearing screams and having blood all over the . . ."
The woman pulls back her cloak revealing her head and hair, a face that makes her look as young as a girl, and a head of hair that looks and moves like a mass of like snake like tentacles. A strange, almost deranged, smile seems locked on her face and her large intimidating and seemingly unblinking eyes take in the entire bar. An unusual toad like creature sits on her shoulder, it's long almost human like limbs wrapped around one of the lady's tentacles, and it's glowing and strangely hypnotic eyes circle around and regard everything behind the woman as if watching her back.
"No as a matter of fact I wasn't aware that I was speaking out loud," she mutters, "but than that hardly matters does it? Lets find a table and something to eat . . . what's that? Yes, I am most certain that they don't serve slugs here . . ."
Sharinda spies the new patron and bustles up to her.
"Good Peak to yeh!" She exclaimes brightly
"Welcome to the World Serpent Inn! Would yeh like a drink or some grub? We have some excellent Split Pea soup or Fhorge tenderloin on special today."
The strange woman glances at her toad like pet before turning to the server.
"Do you sell gastropods here?
Perhaps you know of a bait shop that is near?
Something small and crawly?
My familiar always wants to know, much to his folly.
As for me I'll have the usual fare,
my tastes are completely human despite my hair,
and I'm as humanoid as any in this group,
and so, I guess, I'll try the split pea soup."
Andrea stumbles though the door Looking around in confusion at the strange groups of 'people' around her.
She quickly retires to a vacant table in a corner watching nervously
Sharinda grins at the new customer.
"We have many gastropods and flies
For one such as your pet to try
Do not think his curiosity isn't right
I will bring him something squirmy to delight
As for pea soup I'll fetch a bowl
But would you like drinks, hot or cold?"
Sharinda turns about at the other new face peeking in. She yells over:
"Be right with yeh luv! Just got to get this one's order first!"
The slightly unsettling grin grows wider as the woman finds her rhymes met in turn.
"Bring me slugs then for my pet,
he says that this is 'the best place yet',
As for me I can't decide,
bring me whatever you fancy is the better side."
Sharinda grins, enjoying the doggrel duel.
"Then slugs your warty friend shall get
A bowl of slimys for your pet
And as for you I'll fix you up
With something sweet and cold in cup."
Sharinda leaves the table humming and bustles over to her other new customer sitting nervously in the corner.
"Haven't seen yeh in here before luv. What can I gets for yeh?"
The strange woman waits for the gnome to shuffle off before placing a severed head on the table.
"Are you sure I've never been here before?" she asks the seemingly inanimate object. The horrible head suddenly starts to move as if of it's own power.
"You haven't," it says, it's eyes and mouth moving as if the thing were alive, "not in this time stream anyways . . ."
"But the waitress . . ." the girl hisses.
"I seriously doubt that you or future you are the only ones that like to talk in rhymes, besides if you'd been here before I doubt the Gaunt man would want to meet here . . . he prefers neutral ground, and he almost never meets a client twice."
"So then," she says as she spins the head on the table, "is there anyone that I should be weary of?"
"The barkeeper, there's a couple linked to the elemental plane in the corner, and I see a naughty angel having a drink with the enemy in that far booth. The rest appear to be mortal or are very powerful indeed to fool these fleshy eyes. No sign of any enemies, or of the Gaunt man for that matter, but he'll show I think."
"Good," she says picking up the head, "you're going back in the sack."
"Wait," the head asks, "why?"
"Because you're too weird."
"Hey, you're one to talk! Carrying around a severed head and talking to it as if it were alive! Leave me out for a bit . . . it's dark in that bag . . ."
"Why should I?"
"I'll behave I promise."
"Fine," She says placing the head back on the table.
"Say," the thing says as it looks around, seeming to feel perfectly at ease with it's surroundings, "could I try some human food?"
Traveller Smurf looks over at the strange new arrival.
"Holy Sheep Smurf! That lady has a severed smurf on the table!"
Karrin glances over her shoulder and gasps. She squints and then turns back to her diminutive friend.
"Looks like a monkey head or something," she says glancing back, "an ape or something. What a . . ."
Krrin glances back, "if you can't say something nice," Karrin mutters, "I shouldn't say anything at all . . ."
Still trying to adapt to her new surroundings Andrea is caught off guard by the question.
"Errr...I...I'll have some Ale please Miss, Thank you. But please..where am I?"
She pales at the sight of the talking head wondering what in all the planes she has got herself into.
Sharinda smiles sympathetically, having dealt with many folks who stumbled accidentally into the inn over the yers.
"This here is the World Serpent Inn ducks," She tells the newcomer
"I'm Sharinda, and I wait tables here for Mitchifer my boss behind the bar there." Sharinda points to the massive bar and the odd-looking gentleman pouring drinks for the crowd.
"This place is a way station for travellers both intentional and accidental. If yer headed to Sigil yeh hit the door in the central back hallway fourth down on the left. Axis City, fifth down on the right. If yeh are moving on to the Plane of Air Bluphoril's door is the forty-sixth down on the right. I think the door to Union is still fifteenth on the left."
Sharinda looks at the poor woman's bewilderment.
"Don't fash yerself about it luv. I'm sure we can get yeh to whatever door yer looking fer. In the meanwhile, do yeh like dark ale or light? Name a brand and coppers to croissants Mitchifer has it somewhere." She winks
"Are yeh hungry? We have some of the best-cooked food in the multiverse."
Andrea gains a look of dawning comprehension
"Oh the World Serpent...yes I have heard rumours of this place...and of Sigil also,though what I have heard makes me uneager to travel there. The other places you speak off I have not encountered in my studies"
"But I still don't know how I got here. The last I remember was going to bed"
She frowns as if something has just struck her..and begins to search her person
"I'm afraid Miss I don't seem to have any coin on me...maybe you should just forget the ale and...."
at that moment a seductively toned voice speaks
"OH please Sweetie, have this one on me"
The speaker is a dark haired dressed in a scandalously short and low cut black and red silk dress who quickly takes the seat opposite the, now once again, totally confused girl.
"Two Varisian Ales...not the Korvosan rubbish, something from upcountry where the grain is fresh and the water is sweet. And bring the girl some oatcakes and honey, will you little one, she and I have... business to discuss and she's bound to get hungry,teenagers always do"
The woman smiles at Andrea...it's a sweet but somewhat feral smile, as if she were sizing up a tasty morsel in a confectioners shop
Sharinda looks at the newcomer with a peery eye
"Aye then. Oatcakes and honey for the bint, and two Varisian ales. We just got summat in recently from a new supplier called Crystalrock Amber Stout, if that'll please yeh. If I recall it came from close to this Korvosa burg, least that's where the peddler said he was out from."
Sharinda gives the newcomer's getup a once over.
"Would yeh be needing anything by way of grub for yerself then madam?"
"Say," the horrible talking ape head says, glancing over at the new comers, "You like human women right?"
"My social life is none of your concern," the strange girl snaps, "and I'll remind you that I'm spoken for."
"Well," the head says, "then you definitely don't want to look behind you, because I think something rather attractive (by your standards) just walked in."
The young woman slowly tilts her head to steal a glance behind her. Her cheeks suddenly glow read as she turns her head back.
"Maybe you should join them!" The severed head laughs, "that one seems to have a thing for the youngsters, and you still could pass for seventeen . . ."
"That's it," the woman snaps, grabbing the head, " you're going back into the sack."
"Damn!" The head cures as he disappears into the womans robes leaving no noticeable bulge. A trick of the eye or perhaps some kind of magic? Not that it really matters in the world serpent inn, there are strangers from all points in the universe, and all sorts of oddities can be found here. One more stranger would hardly draw an eye.
|
Sharinda looks at the newcomer with a peery eye
"Aye then. Oatcakes and honey for the bint, and two Varisian ales. We just got summat in recently from a new supplier called Crystalrock Amber Stout, if that'll please yeh. If I recall it came from close to this Korvosa burg, least that's where the peddler said he was out from."
Sharinda gives the newcomer's getup a once over.
"Would yeh be needing anything by way of grub for yerself then madam?"
The woman shifts her gaze monentarily to Sharinda
"Not for me Lil' one I'll be eating later"
She gives Andrea another predatory smile
So Sweetie worked out who I am yet?she asks the now shaken girl.
Sharinda huffs to herself and wanders back towards Karrin and her friends.
"Everything doing okay over here? How are the omelets? How's yer salad luv?"
"Great!" Karrin says, nervously fumbling with the chocolates under the table, "everything is great as usual. Say Sharinda, do you like Chocolates?"
Sharinda smiles
"Does Puck have cloven feet? I love chocolates! Why do yeh ask luv?"
Karrin produces the box
"Someone who may or may not work here suggested that you'd like these," Karrin says handing Sharinda the candies, "they were real expensive, but you're always very kind and understanding, and I don't have a lot of friends here, and I wanted to give you something nice."
Karrin clamps her mouth tight before she can ramble on further. She's a tough mercenary now, and mercenaries don't get all emotional, and so it wouldn't do her reputation good to get all weepy and teary eyed now.
Andrea lowers her head and bites her lip before answering in a soft voice.
"Yes My Lady, I believe I do know who you are..but why have you summoned me here?"
"Why have I summoned you? As I recall you asked me for aid and offered a sweet morsel to me in return...normally I wouldn't deal with this sort of thing personally but the desire for revenge burns so deeply in your heart and tastes so sweet that I had to see for myself what sort of ...client I had aqquired. Do sit up straight Sweetie I want to see that pretty face"
The girl straightens up in her chair her eyes betraying her emotions, caution, some fear and a burning hatred for something
"And will you grant me my desire My Lady..will I get my revenge?"
"Oh yes my dear you'll be given the opportunity to avenge yourself...I'm not going to pass up the chance of a piece of you, you are just too delicious. Off course if you should perish in the attempt then I'll still be claiming my prize, is that understood?"
The younger girl stiffens slightly then nods slowly
"I understand, yes.."
"Oh don't look so worried Sweets, there are currents and undercurrents moving to bring you to a point where you will gain your opportunity and I can tell you this much..you are not alone in your desires for revenge..he you seek has angered a great many people over the years and it looks like I finally have a suitable vessel to grant them their desires too"
Sharinda looks at the box in wonder.
"Aww luv, you shouldn't have."
She opens the lid, revealing a cornucopia of different sized and shaped chocolate confections.
"Arborean Elven honey chocolates! My absolute favorite!"
Sharinda gives Karrin a big hug.
"What a luv yeh are! Yeh jes' made ol' Sharinda's day yeh did!"
Sharinda sniffs, a bit of moisture glowing in her eyes.
"I'm happy to call yeh friend Karrin!"
"I'm so happy you like them," Karrin says hugging the cherubic gnome in turn, and being somewhat surprised to find tears welling up in her own eyes, "if you like them then they were worth every copper . . ."
Andrea wonders why Callistra has chosen to appear in her Lust aspect rather than her revenge one but that thought is swept aside by the next comment from the aspect sitting opposite her.
"The days ahead are going to be most interesting My Dear. Don't be surprised if your little bit of revenge leads you on to greater and higher things. But I've said enough, after all giving the plot away spoils the fun doesn't it"
"Oh there is one more thing Sweetie...but it's a secret come closer so I can tell you"
She bends forward over the table putting an ample amount of creamy bosom on show and as the naive girl leans in suddenly grabs her shoulders and pulls her in for a long lingering kiss only pulling away when Andrea begins to struggle as she recovers from her surprise.To eagle eyed watchers it is as if something passes between them.
"Just as I thought ...absolutely delicious"
She rises
"Well so long Sweetie, I'll see you again soon...second corridor..third on the right will get you home..but stay and eat first...growing girls need to keep their strength up...and your going to need lots of stamina"
and with that parting shot she leaves..winking broadly at the tentacle haired girl with the toad
Andrea sits in stunned sience for a minute and then shakes herself looking around for Sharinda
"What do you think Hop-Toy?" the tentacle woman mumbles as the stranger winks at her, the strange toad like creature makes some strange croaking noises, "Yes," the woman says in response, "I think so too."
Sharinda bustles back from the kitchens, her hands full of a huge serving plate. She stops at Malfaerr's table and deposits a large crock of steaming greenish soup in front of her. A glass filled with a honey-colored liquid redolent of apples is placed at its side. A smaller bowl filled with slugs that pulse with random colors is set down by her familiar.
"There yeh go, one bowl of Split Pea soup and a nice glass of Nova Iberian Calvados to go with. Brought yer little friend a bowl of Limbo Slugs, they squirm real wiggly-like. A bullywug what comes in here every fortnight or so swears by 'em."
Sharinda whisks over to Andrea's table. She sets down two Crystalrock Amber Stouts and a plate of gently-steaming oatcakes coated with honey.
"There yeh go ducks, summat to tide yeh over."
Sharinda looks over at the empty chair and sniffs.
"Did yer 'friend' pike off, or did she need to freshen up a bit?"
"Thank you for the food kind friend gnome,
The service and quality is just like home."
Andrea murmurs her thanks to the Gnomish woman seeming somewhat distracted.
"Friend?.....Calistra?....oh no she's not a friend..she and I merely had some business to discuss. I think... I think she's gone back to wherever she came from"
As she speaks a coin materializes on the table..
"I think that's her payment for this"
Sharinda huffs and scoops the coin into her apron.
"It's none of my business, but yeh shouldnae have any truck with a woman what comes in an inn dressed like a two-Stinger jinkskirt. She'll stray yeh wrong, she had that look about her."
Sharinda looks at Andrea.
"Can I get yeh anything else?"
Sharinda grins
I always like to serve you well
So you will think the inn is swell
When you are happy with your food
You'll remain in a tipping mood!
Andrea isn't quite sure what a 'two stinger jinkskirt' is but she can have a good guess, she giggles slightly it's a pretty sound.
"I suppose when your a Lust goddess you don't have to worry about what people think"
She sips her Ale and nibbles on an oatcake
"Mmmmh, these are good"
The strange woman tastes the soup and smiles.
"Just like I used to get at tavern back home," she says to her toad like creature, "except there's no crusty bread to dip . . ."
The strange toad like creature croaks in it's strange toad voice.
"Yes, I'm sure they're quite good," the lady says to her toad, "but I'll pass. I've got two rules, nothing still living, and nothing the looks worse then it could ever taste . . . also I'd rather not try anything that looks as bad coming up as it would going down."
The toad makes more noise.
"Sorry but those are the rules."
The toad seems to continue it's conversation.
"Yes well," the strange lady says as she looks over her shoulder at the young girl, "she wasn't in here when I made him do his initial scan of the room now was she? He did bring her to my attention when she entered, that's something I suppose, but it's true he didn't offer any warnings."
The toad offers it's response.
"That just shows us that we need to be careful then doesn't it?"
Karrin glances over at the table with the tentacle haired girl.
"I think she's talking with that toad thing now," she says to her companions, "you think she's some kind of spell caster or something? That thing might be a familiar."
Andrea looks over to the strange haired young woman and takes note of the byplay between her and the toad like thing on her shoulder. Siezed by a sudden impulse she drains one ale mug picks up the other one and her plate and walks over.
"Mind if I join you? You seem to be talking about me anyway "
She sounds more confident than she did when she arrived.
Traveller Smurf looks over
"Oh I've met plenty of talking toads in my smurftime."
He looks again
"Maybe not that smurfy though. He could scare the smurf out of a smurf at 50 paces."
Andrea isn't quite sure what a 'two stinger jinkskirt' is but she can have a good guess, she giggles slightly it's a pretty sound.
"I suppose when your a Lust goddess you don't have to worry about what people think"
She sips her Ale and nibbles on an oatcake
"Mmmmh, these are good"
Sharinda smiles at the newcomer
"Glad you likes 'em ducks. That jinkskirt was a goddess eh? Goes to show power don't make yeh any better at choosing the best getup. Like my Aunt Titania used to say, 'Dress like a jinkskirt, walk like a jinkskirt, act like a jinkskirt, be a jinkskirt.' I don't care if she can shoot bolts of lightning from her nether regions she should have some propriety."
she's talking with that toad thing
"Beg pardon, were you talking to me? I'm afraid I've been a little out of it while I was meditating."
The woman turns and looks Andrea over. Her wild and deranged eyes seem to drink the young girl in, her manic smile widens, gives her the look of someone who's not mentally all there, and no doubt for that excruciating moment of examination Andrea must feel as though she's made a terrible mistake . . .
But then the smile seems to relax somewhat and the strange woman speaks, her voice almost hypnotizing:
"you assume that I was talking about you?
but just a moment ago your table had two,
that short dress was sure to catch the eye,
as I'm sure it did of almost every guy,
but You seem nice, and worthy of talk,
join us, if my appearance doesn't shock."
She gestures to an empty seat.
"I am Malfaerr, once a mortal, if you can believe,
and I remember once being both young and naive,
but I grew in experience, as might you,
just be sure to think things through,
a lack of caution, assuming too much, or too much pride
will wash lives away like castles of sand in the morning tide."
"Beg pardon, were you talking to me? I'm afraid I've been a little out of it while I was meditating."
"So'k," Karrin says, "I was just talking in general. I guess those eggs must have been real good if they caused you to loose all sense of space and time!"
Traveller Smurf looks up from his omelet.
"It's smurftacular!"
The manic look catches Andrea off guard but then the woman seems to relax and though the speaking in rhyme is strange it's no stranger than the rest of what has happened over the last hour or so,
"Oh the lady...that was the Goddess Callistra..or at least a part of her...a very small part."
Her eyes drift over to the toad thing and she sits a long moment before tearing her look away
"Your familiar?"
Saurig wrote:
"Beg pardon, were you talking to me? I'm afraid I've been a little out of it while I was meditating."
"So'k," Karrin says, "I was just talking in general. I guess those eggs must have been real good if they caused you to loose all sense of space and time!"
"It had naught to do with the eggs, though they were very tasty. My duties to my order and my diety require certain observations at times I cannot always predict. Have I missed anything of significance?"
Traveller Smurf looks up
"Well this real smurf of an orc came and smurfed Karrin some smurfs, then that smurfy-looking chick with the smurfs for hair pulled a severed smurf out of a bag! I think the severed smurf actually could smurf! I nearly smurfed my pants! Oh, and Sharinda really liked the smurfs, Karrin smurfed them for her."
Traveller Smurf takes another sip of coffee.
"I couldn't have explained it better myself," Karrin says nodding.
The manic look catches Andrea off guard but then the woman seems to relax and though the speaking in rhyme is strange it's no stranger than the rest of what has happened over the last hour or so,
"Oh the lady...that was the Goddess Callistra..or at least a part of her...a very small part."
Her eyes drift over to the toad thing and she sits a long moment before tearing her look away
"Your familiar?"
"A familiar? Yes,
an excellent guessyou couldn't have guessed that faster,
Are you some kind of arcane caster?"