Babel's Magic-Khadgar FanFic

Lothar's Solution

Roused by nothing more than an internal drone of her internal clock, Fain stirred silently in the middle of the enormous bed. Her body cramping in her arms and legs Fain took a deep inward breath. Held it momentarily before letting it out past her lips. Outstretching her pallid arm as she exhaled Fain noticed the assorted nicks and cuts from the scrap with Athrikus. Analyzing over each little mark the woman rotated her wrist and flexed her joints forcing them to crunch slightly in the cartilage.

A heavy sough Fain gripped the edge of the down comforter with nimble fingers. Squeezing the fabric tight in her fist as Fain drowned in her silent thoughts. Khadgar, Athrikus, even the King and Queen of this unfamiliar world, none of them here now as she clutched at the seam stiffly only pinching it firmer to stave off the tears pricking at the corners of her puffy red eyes.

"You can't live in that bed forever little monster."

The voice making Fain flinch in reaction. Instead of getting up the woman laid motionless in place. Not even turning her head as the voice sighed and boots clicked in step as they entered the room.

"I know you're awake."

Fain's grey blue eyes set forward away from them as only shallow breaths gave the woman any life to speak of. Even the arm she'd reached out to clutch the comforter with still solid in place with white knuckles fixed on the seam.

"Taria was upset you didn't eat dinner or wake up when she came in to check on you. You can't lay in my bed forever now, I need this space."

"...I should have been taken back with them, with the monsters," Closing her eyes Fain's lashes quelled the tears forming only to redirected them over the bridge of her nose. Her fingers relaxing as Lothar sat behind her on the edge of the bed she faced away from, "That's all I am here, there, anywhere. I'm a monster."

"Hey now," Lothar paused and Fain gave in turning on her back to see the King draining half of the pint he'd carried in. Noticing her watch the liquid in his mug guzzle down his throat, Lothar licked the froth off his lips and shoved the brew right into the woman's face, "Drink, you need it as much as I do tonight."

Starting with a decline Fain shook her head slowly sitting up, "My people don't-"

"You're not one of them now are you?" Green eyes looked her up and down as the woman propped her torso up against his head board, "You're stuck here now, you're my people. And my people drink. Now drink." Another thrust of the stein to her and Fain saw no reason to fight it. A smile sliding sluggishly on the King's face, Lothar broke into a full bearing grin as Fain's lips kept a sturdy seal with the lip of the mug and she slurped down gulps big enough to put a dwarf to shame.

"Look at you! A natural," Proud of her endeavor Lothar held up the third full stein, "You must have been thirsty that mead wasn't for the faint of heart."

"It doesn't taste like anything but frothy water," Doltish about his drink Fain looked on at the King bemused as she licked her lips dry of the sinful beverage.

"Frothy water?!" Lothar repeated galled at her dour first impression of his favorite reserve, "What do you know of brewery child."

"Fel liquors were all I recall being made," Tracing back what trades Fain did know of her kind was far and few behind, "It was disgusting, fire on the tongue all the way down the gullet." A silent gagging reaction as Fain thought of the administered she'd had of the toxic beverage, "Thick like a syrup, nothing was sweet about it though. Pungent at best mostly it knocked you down after one gulp."

Lothar's last bit of mead a mouthful as he took his swig all at once, held the liquid in his cheeks before gulping it down at once. To only have a sly smile creep up on his lips as the King looked over at the woman mulling quietly in his bed, "No celebration?"