Bar Crawling (2/2)

Threadbare immediately started towards them...

...but stopped when Glub grabbed his ear. “Dude! Perfect timing!”

And indeed, as the larger man tried to punch Apollyon repeatedly in the face, a small tin figure leaped onto his back from further in the tavern, and brought down a mug onto the big guy's head.

He staggered, Apollyon swept his leg and squirmed free, and the tin soldier and the Knight kicked the brawler a few times to keep him on the ground before turning and charging back into the fray.

“Clever girl,” Glub murmured. “NOW I unnerstand why she brought us to this dive.”

“Oh,” Threadbare said, glancing at the falling and bleeding big man. “Should we heal him?”

“He'll be fine. They'll keep it nonlethal. Ah... I should maybe go in and make sure nobody gets too bad krunked, ya know?” Glub started toward the door. “I recommend you maybe meet us when we come out. Let them bond in their own way and all that.”

Threadbare nodded, and watched as the wooden fishmen bounded toward the fray, catching a chair leg as it sailed out the door, then charging in clubbing.

“I wondered why you were going slumming,” whispered a voice in his ear. A familiar voice, and he smiled as he turned.

“Kayin! Hello!”

He embraced the fuzzy plush catgirl golem, who was only a little taller than him. She squeaked in surprise, then hugged him back, plush arms comfy and warm against his back. “Long time no see, desu.”

“Does that word actually level you up?” he asked, pulling back and looking up at her slit-pupiled eyes. “Did you ever find that out?”

“It did once, I think. The experience is piddly so it's not likely to happen again, but it's still feels right when I say it.” Her grin showed a new set of teeth. Sharp-looking ones, made of bone or enameled metal.

“Did Garon send you? Are you coming with us?”

“No. No, Graves sent me. I'm still working with him, just been busy spying on people and things. There's something going on, but we're not sure what,” her mouth twisted into a grimace. “It's frustrating. He's pretty sure that someone's setting up for a run at us or Cylvania or both, but they're being smart about it. And that the Rumpus Room business was part of it.”

“He did say that it was very odd for Mrs. Beemer to act that way,” Threadbare said, turning it over in his mind. “And that wasn't the only odd thing that happened there.”

“Yeah. He's convinced that Daffodil's death was rigged, too. Though we're not sure why, desu.”

“I see. What can I do to help?” Threadbare asked.

“Eh... to...” she said, tilting her head and scratching her ear. “That's a good question. We don't know. I think you should finish whatever job Garon's got you doing and get back here as fast as possible. And just keep an eye out in the meantime, you know? Be aware that there's sneaky stuff happening.”

“I will,” Threabare promised, and hugged her again. “Can you keep an eye on Celia? Garon was going to ask you to do that, I think.”

“What makes you think I'm not already?” she grinned. Then the grin faded. “She's not looking so good, lately.”

“She isn't. Maybe you could talk to her? She won't tell me what's wrong.”

“I'll try.” she ruffled his head, where the hat didn't cover.

Behind them, smoke poured from the tavern, and men and women fled out the door, heading in all directions.

“I think I need to meet back up with my party now,” Threadbare said, glancing that way. “Tell Graves that I—”

Threadbare stopped, because there was no one to talk to. Kayin had left so quietly and quickly that he hadn't seen her go.

Shaking his head and concealing a smile, Threadbare headed over to where his party was emerging, stained with beer, smelling of smoke, slightly beaten-up, but smiling. Apollyon looked dazed but he was laughing, and Buttons was holding onto his calf to steady herself, walking with a slightly-bent leg.

“Mend Golem,” Threadbare said, and Buttons squeaked in surprise as her leg straightened out, and a few other nicks sealed up.

“Thank you sir,” she said, firing off a snappy salute. “Had a bit of a disagreement with some locals. All sorted now.”

Threadbare looked back into the main room, where the bartender and the mysterious old man were wearily using mugs of beer to douse the fire. Fortunately the beer seemed to be mostly water. “Should we help?” he asked.

“Hmmm... they told us to... get out,” Dracosnack said, tossing away a broken bottle that he'd apparently been using as a shank. “Probably best if we... mmmmm... just let them be.”

“All good, m'man,” Glub burbled. “So. Where we going to next?”

“Well,” Buttons said, her grin turning slightly evil. “As it turns out, I happen to know a BETTER place...”