Not the "Support" you were expecting

Chapter 20: The Bloody Coins (Iso's POV)

AN: Here's the next chapter. Enjoy. Next update is Tuesday. In this chapter I'll be switching between First Person and Third Person. I'm trying to experiment something. Sorry if it's confusing.

________________________________________________________________________________

The community is just like a small village. Except there is no farming field. And the houses are mostly for business selling items and food. It was cramp, very cramp that I almost became claustrophobic. People walk around and it was noisy even though it was dark already.

We arrive in the inn we were looking for. It's a small inn in this small community. It's been a long day since we arrived at Skydusk. My stomach grumbles wanting food to be consume. My body feels the collected fatigue of our travels.

Inside was the bar Yon was talking about that serves food for the people. The people took little notice of us when we entered. I got the feeling that they don't much like adventurers. Even though I'm not yet one, but I was in the company of Yon and Lors who are adventurers. Probably they think adventurers bring trouble.

I notice in the corner of the inn four unsavory gentlemen, obviously not part of the local folks. The were wearing leather armor and they have weapons. Are they bandits? Bounty hunters?

We sat at one of the empty tables and Yon approaches the innkeeper standing behind the bar. He's the typical or generic barkeeper type of character. He's fat. He's bald on top. If things were different, he'd probably be jolly. But he is not jolly. He's terrified. What is he afraid of? Perhaps the men in the corner?

Yon asks how much for a room. The innkeeper said, without making eye contact. "We have no rooms. N-no rooms. Yo-you can have fo- food. Jus- just please don't kill anyone."

This is a very strange thing for the innkeeper to say. Yon inquires again. "Are you sure you have no rooms? That seems unusual."

The innkeeper, once again trying to avoid eye contact, cowers and says. "no- no- no rooms. You can have anything you want to eat- drink. It's on the house. Just please don't get in a fight. Please don't kill anyone."

This is unusual behavior. The serving lad approaches the rest of us at our table and asks what we want to eat.

"Umd, Fobog, ugr(e) e hduml ba (i)ldih." (Lors)

Unbeknown to Iso, as soon as Lors speaks, everyone in the inn now knows he is a Kiyuwer speaker. Why did he speak even though it's risky? This is because Yon and Lors trust this specific community. This community is one of the few that doesn't discriminate Lors' race and Yon is acquaintance with most people in this community.

Meanwhile, Iso is confuse and doesn't understand what Lors said.

Many of the people in the inn turned their eyes to the bounty hunters in the corner. The bounty hunters whisper among themselves. Then without paying, without finishing their food, they got up and try to leave.

One of the people interpose his body between the bounty hunters and the exit. Several other people got up to do the same.

"Where do you think your going?" The person asks, confronting the bounty hunters. To the people of this inn, to the many people in this area, they were good and trusted friends of Yon & Lors. So, these men and women are willing to sacrifice their lives if it means this Kiyuwer speaker does not get sold out to the Church.

Of course, the Kiyuwer Speaker, Lors, knows this and will not let this people sacrifice their lives for him. He stands up. Yon follows. A battle ensues.

Iso joined them, wanting to help his acquaintances. They let him come with them to find an inn. This is just repaying the favor. Iso got to use his new-found Support Skills to help Yon and Lors fight off the bounty hunters.

Because the bounty hunters are weak or because of the support of Iso, Yon and Lors easily wins. But casualties could not be avoided. Many are injured and Yon is consoling one of the people who lost someone in the fight.

There are now four dead bounty hunters and one dead innocent person in the inn. The innkeeper is completely panicking. "I told you not to start a fight. I told not to kill anyone. Why didn't you listen to me?"

The three of us turned to the innkeeper, ready to inquire what on earth he's panicking about. Then the doors open and we soon found out why.

Floating across the floor toward the innkeeper, as though the act of walking itself is beneath him, comes a silhouette with a powerful pressure. Hull in grey and blue robes, his face hidden behind a mask. From underneath his cloak, he reaches out in pale hands clasped in a fist and says: "As per our usual arrangement."

The innkeeper, shaking, terrified as though his body is not under his own control, reaches out his palm. The Silhouette drops five pieces of blood-red silvers into the innkeeper's hand. "You are as good as your word. A pleasure doing business with you again, my friend." The silhouette said.

The silhouette turns his back on the innkeeper and with that, his water sprite minions flood into the room, grabbing the corpses and taking them to the waiting cart outside. What kind of bargain is there between that silhouette and this innkeeper, and how did the silhouette know the moment there were corpses in the inn?

We were faced with a quandary. He is obviously evil but also obviously very powerful. I don't think my stats could be compared to the silhouette. The pressure he is emitting could probably make some people faint. Yon tried to attack him but with a flick of a wrist, he was decimated, leaving him for dead.

I quickly run towards him, horrified at what happened. He didn't kill Yon, that's a good thing. I quickly chanted a healing spell to treat his wounds. The silhouette ignored us as if we were beneath his notice. Then he went on to leave along with the corpses.

"Hey, innkeeper, give us a fudging room! Do you want another dead man?!" I shouted, angry that I wasn't able to do anything. The innkeeper, scared, quickly gave us a key. Lors helped me carry Yon and followed the innkeeper to our room.

"No room my ass." I silently muttered as I close the door in our room.

I laid down the body of Yon in one of the beds. Lors went outside and got some water. I helped him clean the wounds and apply some makeshift bondage. Lors was silent the whole time. He must be feeling that it is his fault that Yon got into this mess.

"It's alright Lors. It's not your fault. It's not." I patted his back, trying to console him.

"ib il geb odkemb. It ogdi em rir geb (i)lhis." (Lors)

"You know I can't understand you, right?" (Iso)

Lors look at me with irritation. Then he stayed silent again. I wonder why the bounty hunters were so interested when Lors spoke. It was just another language. I don't really get it out all why the people in the inn made a huge fuss about it.

And who was that guy who salvage the corpses?What is his relation to the innkeeper? Damn it, there is still a lot of thingsI need to know.

________________________________________________________________________________

AN: Thanks for reading. Tips and Corrections are appreciated. This chapter is inspired by one of the videos of Matthew Colville in Youtube. Credits to him.

Kiyuwer Game Clue/Hint: The word "Tok" means "For", "Four", or "Fore". The word "hduml" means "plays" or "place".