Baylou's characters

Chapter Four : The strange man at the bar

It is said nothing quite interesting happened for a while after fern steeled in, while that is true there was still some less important but still equally entertaining story's that could be told; for example, the time Michelle met the strange man at the bar.

A loud bang came from the sofa Bartholomew was sitting on; with it you could see an angry Halobean with both sleeves rolled up, a clenched fist of rage and an overly confident attitude looking ready for a fight. This wasn't the usual bar they went to, it was a rusty old location on the outskirts of the city known for its shady regulars and more importantly the rumors of the dead people haunting the bar. Halobean was puffing with an angry smirk rolled onto her face and an almost unconscious Bart laid down on the floor clutching her stomach, "Don't make me come over there" Harth sighed as she brought her beer up to her mouth before chugging it down almost seamlessly. Fern looked up to see a concerned yet accepting lone and a slightly odd Michelle; She would usually be plastered with a smile making her hair glow ever so slightly lighter, her well-mannered outlook on life could always cheer up at least one person but no this was different, in the tinted wood covering the walls, the shaggy now more grey then peach carpet and the horrifyingly bright furniture with rips and tears her smile and mannerisms wouldn't bring the same effect as they would have done previously. "What's the matter?" Fern asked, Michelle looked for words but couldn't not find some it's like she had seen something un describable "Seen a ghost? You see this is why the octo-" Lone shamelessly started advertising the place he works for part time but stopped himself at the thought of being annoying. Harth had already taken her fourth shot before she entered the conversation "I highly doubt it's a ghost, she hasn't even finished her first drink yet" Fern was quite surprised that Harth even tried to make a joke, she doesn't seem like the type to indulge one's self in that comedy.

"YOU LITTLE" in the background there was a Kate egging on a fight between Bartholomew and her wife, there was a quite obvious winner in Halobean she had Barts collar in one hand and a fist in the other. "Don't feel sorry for Bart the number of crimes they've committed innocent people they've hurt or made feel uncomfortable, they don't deserve pity they only deserve pain" Harth stared at the three with Fern, another crash came from the corner as Halobean pinned Bart to the ground. Harth let out a sigh as she lifted herself from the bar stool and took to the fight, within seconds of walking Halobean left the way of Harth's path Kate fell silent and Bart... was unconscious already she had been for quite some time now, "BRAVO, BRAVO" Halobean started clapping at the sight of Harth adoringly "Wouldn't expect any less from a fine guard like you" Harth obliviously helped pick up the sofa and laid Bart on it ; a slightly envious Halobean pretended to faint but Harth had already left for the bar again. "That was underwhelming, the whole bar was ecstatic to see the great Harth fight" Lone flirtatiously joked to Harth as she sat down smiling it really seemed that he was the only person who could get a smile out of her. It only took a minute or so for the attention to throw back to Michelle's behavior "What are you looking at?" Lone asked tilting his head in the direction of Michelles eyeline, that's when he saw the strange figure in the corner playing poker, he had messy yet neat hair and clothes as if he was from the lower class pretending to be a higher up? Or maybe the opposite? His clothes were bright white, and his skin pale he was wrapped in clothes made for cold weather, it was about 9pm in mid-august. "Harth come see this" Lone beckoned her to look, she caught the mans red eye and then his smile as he got up to walk over to the group, Harth tightened the grip she had on her sword Lone arms just am inch Infront almost trying to shield her; "My my what do we have here" the man had a Tri-Slate-Area accent specifically a Slate one.

The Tri-Slate-Area was once a singular country ran by three brothers, eventually they split up and war broke loose, Slate locked its borders no one is able to escape apart from the soldiers sent to try take control of Area the smallest and poorest of the three countries. It just made Harth ever so more suspicious of what this man would want.

"You do look really dashing" The man said to Michelle making her red with flattery and Harth red with anger, fern noticed something was off about this man as well considering not only a few moments ago he seemed to be a ghost haunting the establishment. The conversation with Michelle and the man would continue to make the three suspicious, "What do you say? Can I have a dance?" The man asked Michelle cut in by Harth "where did you come from and why are you here?" with a somewhat attitude "I'm sorry what she means is that Michelles a great friend of ours and we wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her" Lone awkwardly replied to the man's stern face excusing her. "That is your last drink" he whispers back to Harth, "Oh don't worry I simply come on a business trip from the capital" he forced a fake smile "Somehow I don't believe that" Lone stated in an unusually monotone voice "I know I sound quite different, but I can assure you I'm from the capital" the man kept on insisting on his story while lone questioned him, this gone on for a few minutes before Michelle took Harth to the side. "I don't ask for much I can handle myself and whatever happens I'm sure you will be here to fix it yes?" Michelle seems to be desperate to accept the offer the man did almost 10 minutes ago by now, Harth looked undecided, so Michelle continued her case with Fern watching "When you and Lone first started, I remember I did the same too you but look where you are now I don't think I ever saw your proper smile before you met him!" Harth looked over to Lone and then to Fern "What do you think?" She asked Ferm "Oh me?" Fern was surprised, "Cyrus brought you in to help run the kingdom and making decisions is a big part of that, so what do you think?"

About an hour later Kate was watching Bart fighting again with Halobean outside the restaurant while the man Michelle Lone Harth and Fern sat on an outside table watching the chaos unfold from a now safer distance. "So, what is your name" Harth asked the man now more calm and sober "Fyonda, and you are Harth the great Knight known all across the world for her strength in battle, correct?" he replied to intriguing Fern, was Harth really that famous? "Thank you for allowing me to take this fine young woman out" Fyonda said blushing Michelle. "I'm actually moving here in a few weeks' time so hopefully we can see more of each other in the future" he stood up giving Michelle his hand to ask if they would like to go together, Harth gives an approving nod and smiles as the two lefts. "They remind me of you two" Fern suggested "If only Harth was that open about it" Lone giggles Harth seems unimpressed, "I can see why you wouldn't want people to know but I mean you're not the best at hiding it" he explains to Harth "Maybe I could hide it better if...forget about it" if you was there you could see in both Lone and Harth's eyes that there was Love and not even small amounts of it...

Fern Lone and Harth had chatted a bit more before they were told by the manager that they had to get Halobean Fern and Bart away at once if they ever wanted to come back here again. Harth ended up having to restrain Bart putting Halobean into a trance trying to misbehave. The next day Michelle came back with a smile on her face, "Thank you Fern, I didn't get to do it yesterday so I might as well do it today" Fern smiled back to Michelle hoping that everyone in this castle would have a positive story like her.

A few weeks passed and Fern was proven sorely mistaken.