Heirs of the Gods

Ch 62.2: The Buxom Nixie

Enjoy this ELITE medieval/pub shanty sounding playlist I listened to whilst editing. It goes with the chapter!

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The Buxom Nixie was a pub located near the end of the strip. Its wooden sign depicted an indeed, busty blue-skinned nixie that had been charmed to flirtily wink at the guests and wave slim, webbed fingers.

The night was in full swing. Wooden booths full of merry fae, waitresses carrying trays full of bold coloured drinks and peculiar meals, tables surrounded by loud patrons playing games. A group of dwarvish musicians played in a corner, their fiddles, bodhrans and bagpipes playing fast-paced sea shanties that had a large crowd singing and dancing along.

Thick vines crawled up the wooden pillars and walls, making their way up to the ceiling. They were dotted with large, teacup-shaped flowers that emitted bright flashes of colour. The petals fluttered open and shut, making the lights blink in bright jewelled tones—reds, blues and greens.

"Fee flowers!" Briar explained, already tugging Ella along towards the bar. "They're magical flowers used for lighting. Gorgeous, isn't it? Better than keeping will-o'-wisps in jars anyway," she grimaced at the custom some had, to trap wispy faeries that had luminous, smoky bodies.

Briar, apparently, knew exactly what to request. She leaned upon the bar with a dazzling smile and rattled off a jumbled order. The bartender, a yellow-haired orcish woman, grinned, tipped her head and began to pull out concerning amounts of bottles of liquor, spilling them all into two glasses.

The end result was a drink a violent shade of glittery hot pink that bubbled, smoked and promised trouble. It smelled like caramel apples and vanilla, which was a sure sign it would pack a punch.

If tastes like sweets, it'll knock you arse over tits, Cedric had said once. Ella had learned that the hard way.

"Alright, two Blushing Dragons for the lovely ladies," the bartender slid the drinks over, leaned muscled arms on the bar and winked. "On the house."

Briar beamed in delight. She stuffed a small fortune worth of gold and silver coins into the half-full jar on the bar. It was probably enough to buy a hundred glasses of their drinks.

Blushing Dragon, how very fitting, Ella mused as she lifted the smoking pink drink. The border glistened with a brilliant golden substance.

"Ooh, you'll love this, it's so good," Briar squealed, lifting her glass and licking the golden rim. "My favourite."

Ella grinned wide, preparing herself for what she knew was going to be a sucker punch to the head. "See you on the other side, dear. Cheers," she clinked their glasses, licked a strip of the golden liquid and took a big gulp.

The golden garnish tasted like something spicy, mixing delightfully with the bubbly, sugary sweetness of the drink. She pressed a hand to her lips as her mouth fizzled and crackled. A hiccup broke past, coming out with a stream of small, smoky pink bubbles.

This time, she couldn't hold in the loud giggles from escaping. She only doubled over as Briar released her own pink bubbles. She didn't even fight the way her shoulders shook with a mixture of hiccups and laughter.

Two more sugary drinks later and her blood hummed and buzzed. Briar took her hand and lead her off towards the centre of the room, where music swelled and people danced.

The Buxom Nixie was known for its particular design. The middle of the pub opened up into a dancing space. The high ceilings slanted open into a wide circle, letting bright moonlight seep through, casting the entire floor into a beautiful, white spotlight.