AN: And more from the adventures of Jack the living asshole.
Trust III
Fun fact, I had come to Metamor three months after the Assault. Why does this
matter you may be asking? Because the Assault had left the Keep very broken,
very burned and very much in need of repair.
"This is the brothel?" I moaned out loud. "This place wouldn't pass as the
worst whore house in all of Isenport!" Maybe because it wasn't a whore house
twit.
The Jolly Collie stood in front of me. Or rather, the soon to be re-opened
Jolly Collie. For now it was a burned out, roofless shell, with many different
forms walking around it.
They're repairing it, it'll be back soon. I moaned again. Relax, be glad
they're getting fixed up.
"What's with this place?" I collapsed against a wall. "Every place is burned,
all the buildings need to be fixed up. This place is a shit hole." I began to
work my claws against the wrappings on my feet. "I need out of here."
People walked around me without a glance. It was as if the crowded streets
and burned buildings were not enough to deter them. I sat down (careful to
avoid sitting on my tail) and watched them.
"What keeps them going?" I asked myself. "They're all doomed. They should
abandon this place." A coyote and a rodent of some kind stopped and looked at
me. The rodent looked like they wanted to say something. "Oh get lost!"
The rodent looked taken aback while the coyote just glared at me. He
whispered something into the saucer shaped ears of the rodent, not that I could
hear, and the two walked off.
A predator and pray, interacting together. Not the kind of thing you'd see in
Isenport. I pulled my knees into me. Lightbringers and Followers in the same
city. Something you definitely wouldn't see in Isenport. I curled my tail in
as tight as possible. Aren't you supposed to be doing something?
"Yeah. I need to be going home." I closed my eyes and opened up the world in
my head. My thoughts took me south, far south of everyone here.
Now I was human, well dressed in my doublet and tights. Now I strolled the
streets of Isenport.
I was on Pudding Street, one of the winding streets that came into existence
due to the ill-lined houses. The buildings were a collection of wood against
white wash stone, thatch roof and poorly cleaned windows.
"And I'm home." The ache in my heart lessened, but it stayed with me. A
gnawing at the edge of my mind. I pushed it aside and began to stroll about my
streets.
And these were my streets. This city was my city; I would rule it one day in
the name of the Empire. "I am home. I am home."
Pudding Street was the street of bakers, confectioners and others who's trade
lay in preparing delicacies. The scents wafted about me, leaving me light
headed. I steadied myself against the wall.
"I am home." The people milled about him, a variety of colors and body types
mashed together. Yet they were all human. Not a claw or feather in sight, not
any children lecturing grown men. All human.
All was right again.
"Stand back, stand back!" My guards yelled out. Everyone knew who I was,
their future leader, their protector and guardian. And the people followed.
"I am home." I whispered as the masses parted for me. The people's eyes were
filled with admiration and respect. I waved at them and they cheered.
"Excuse me." I pushed this voice out of the way.
"I am home." The sun burned into my scales. "No, no scales. I am home. I
am-"
"Excuse me sir!"
The daylight shattered. Once again I was far from home, locked in a strange
land. I glanced up, to see something I hadn't seen in a long time.
A human woman, blond and with green eyes. Her face was wracked with concern.
I forced a smile.
"Uh hi. I'm okay." She outstretched her hand, in a thick work glove I noted.
I took it and she pulled me up. "Wow, you are strong as an ox."
"I work as...well I suppose a lumberjill is the term now." She smiled, "My
name is Aaryn."
"I'm James." I mumbled. She nodded and gestured at my face.
"Any idea what kind of reptile you're becoming?" I shook my head. "I
personally like snakes."
"I don't like any of them." I mumbled.
My hand trembles now as I write this but I'll continue none the less. I can
never fully repay you Aaryn.
"Well you'll adjust." She smiled. "I adjusted to being a woman. But I know
that look."
"What look?" I asked.
"The look of a man who could use a drink." She said. "Come on, I'll take you
to the Mule."
"The what?" Aaryn laughed.
"You'll see." She took my arm in hers and led me away. I didn't pull free
until we entered Keeptown.
"You used to be a man didn't you?" Aaryn nodded.
"I did. But that was a long time ago." She shrugged. "The male form never
suited me anyway. I can still swing an ax, that's all I need." I nodded.
"What about you, what brought you here?"
"I...I was...brought here by my father." I gripped my skirt. "Self-absorbed
son of a bitch. I uh...got injured..." It was all my fault. "And I ended up
unconscious for so long, the curse got me."
"So what was your Father? A merchant?"
"Something like that." I muttered. We passed under the shadow of a badly
damaged building. I paused for a second. "What's with this?" Aaryn frowned.
"This, why are so many houses burned and stuff?"
"It was the Assault." I shrugged. "Yule time Assault? Some people call it
the Winter Assault?"" I shook my head. "You've not been here very long have
you?"
"Just about three weeks." I said. Aaryn sighed and nodded. "What?"
"The Assault, oh Gods I don't know where to begin." She rubbed her temples.
"Where are you from?" We resumed walking.
"I'm from Isenport, in Sathmore." I said. "I was...I didn't leave Sathmore
much." Aaryn nodded.
"What do you think of Metamor so far?"
"I've not had the best introduction. It's just-YOW!" A passerby stepped on my
skirt and by extension, my tail. I leapt up into the air, briefly causing the
scarf around my neck to come free. Aaryn's eyes went wide.
"So that's what you're becoming." I scooped the scarf up and rewrapped it.
"There's no shame in that."
"So says you." I snapped. "I'm becoming a monster. I don't want this!
This..." We stopped again. "This form, I want it to stop and I want to go home."
"You poor sad thing." Aaryn mumbled. "They messed you up badly didn't they?"
I frowned and took off walking again. Aaryn scrambled to keep up. "Relax,
relax I'm just asking."
"They didn't do anything to me." I mumbled. "Never mind, tell me about the
Assault. Why would anyone want to attack this place?"
"You do know who is to the North right?" I shook my head. "Nasoj? Great
evil? End of your way of life?" No I had no clue who that was. I truly was
that ignorant in my youth.
"Is Metamor valuable?" I asked.
"Beyond a shadow of a doubt."
"And someone tried to attack it?" Aaryn nodded. "I assume you guys won?"
"As best as this can be called winning." Aaryn said. I looked around at the
twisted and burned street.
"I wish this place would be burned to the ground." Is what I didn't say. I
wanted to say it but I couldn't do it. These people can survive anything.
"I'm glad you won." I mumbled. We resumed walking in silence. I fell into a
haze and only emerged when Aaryn was shaking my shoulder.
"We're here." The building we stood in front of was not a building. It was
smashed pieces of a building, held together by hope and a tent over the top. I
looked over at Aaryn.
"You're joking right?"
"Not at all. This is actually great." Aaryn said. "The Mule was smashed to
pieces but they've started to rebuild."
"As this?" I asked.
"You'd be surprised." Aaryn said. She frowned. "I wanna get a drink too...but
I'm needed somewhere else."
"So you brought me here and just dump me?" I asked.
"I brought you here because you need a drink." Aaryn said. "Get a big one for
me lizard boy." I smiled. She's actually really cute, isn't she?
I waited until Aaryn had walked away until I went into the Deaf Tent.
The Deaf Tent was deafening. Yes, shocking. It was what you would expect
from a bar (people, drinks, mazers, bar) but without certain things, like
chairs and tables. People were crowded around whatever they could set a drink
on, talking and laughing.
The tent was smoky and dim, crowded despite the time of day. I walked forward
slowly. They're all looking at me. I need to get out of here. I pushed these
thoughts away; I did need a drink after all.
When you don't know who runs a bar or how much a drink costs, there are many
ways to find out. This was my way.
"Hey, hello!" I grabbed the arm of the first passer by and pulled out a couple
of coins. "How drunk will this get me?"
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