《I Come From The Water》16: The Inn
Advertisement
(Lave POV)
The inn was unusually quite when I got there. Granted people still gambled and drinking, but no one spoke above a whisper. As if afraid to make to loud noises. I walked up to the counter where the owner was talking to some really nicely dress people. Swords hang from their waist in intricately designed scabbards.
I stood off to the side waiting for the Owner to finish. Bored I watched the people gambling. Maybe tonight I can make some more money. A tongue click sounded from the table as three aces and a run from two to five was laid down.
The sound of a hand hitting wood came from beside me. I looked to see one of the men glaring down at me. Frowning I glanced at the Owner with an eyebrow raised. Yesterday he was able to explain my room number without using words. Unfortunately he was otherwise occupied having a quite shouting match with one of the other men.
I turned back to the glaring one. “አንተ look በእኔ ላይ እያወራው ጊዜ!” His hand was now resting on the hilt of his sword. With a sigh I turned back to the gambling game.
“I don't understand you.” I said dismissively. The game they were playing was different from yesterday. It looks like the game gets harder with every round you play. Last time it was a triple and a run. Now its two triples and a run. I really want to try.
“አንተ አታርክሰው የሚል መናገር አይደለም!” The annoying shout was accompanied by thick blood thirst. The inn fell silent and everyone turned this direction. I slitted my eyes and turned back to the group talking to the Owner. The Owner's eyes were trying to signal silently to leave.
All five of the men were now glaring at me with their hands on the hilt of their swords. “ስምህ ማን ይባላል?” One of them asked. I looked back at the Owner in hopes of a translation. The man closed to me grabbed my shoulder and forcefully spun me around to look at him.
Advertisement
I swiftly pulled out my dagger and stabbed it into his hand making him jerk away. “Do Not Touch Me.” I ordered darkly. No one can touch me unless I say so. The other four were stunned by my action. I pulled on the wire retrieving the dagger and ripping the wound more making him grunt in pain.
As if the tension was snapped with that action the people ran from the inn. The men pulled out their swords while shouting in their infernal language. Blood thirst saturated the air making it feel heavy. I spun my dagger then slid it back into it's sheath. “I assume murder is illegal in this world as well. However maiming should be fine. I mean this is self defense.” I said with a cruel smile.
The men knew I was mocking them and became enraged. Rushing forward like a bull the closest swung his sword down in a large arc. It was a practiced move meant to impale the head. Well that is if it actually hits the target. I side stepped and slammed my elbow into his ribs hearing a satisfying crack.
He doubled over coughing trying to breath through his broken ribs. Ooh, maybe I priced a lung. I thought happily. Another man rushed forward while swinging his sword to the side. I pulled out my dagger and caught the blow. Surprising the man. Pulling out a second dagger I slammed it into his lunged leg.
“Really now. You shouldn't leave openings for your enemies to exploit.” The man cried out in pain and fell to the floor clutching his leg. This time two came together. They came from either side in hopes to get me off guard. I pulled the dagger out of the crippled one and flung it. It planted itself into the arm of the unsuspecting man causing him to drop his sword.
Advertisement
The other man lunged forward in a piercing move. I slammed the hilt of my dagger down on the base of the sword braking it. Then pulling the man towards me I punched him in the neck. He collapsed on to the ground gasping for breath.
Sheathing both of my daggers I turned to face the last man. He leaned against the bar while clapping slowly. Is he an evil villain? Pushing himself off he made his way towards me. “ጥሩ ስራ.”
I tilted my head trying to keep an eye on all five of the men. The one walking towards me pulled his hands up into a shrug. “ይህ ብቻ ሳይሆን አንድ ሰው ይበልጥ የተካነ ለመዋጋት ይልቅ አሳልፎ መስጠት ቀላል አይሆንም.” I relaxed my posture purposefully creating holes in my guard. The man had a loose smile on his face as he stopped about two meters from me.
Suddenly he lunged forward with his sword. I pushed the weapon to the side making it miss me. However instead of losing balance he kicked his leg up aiming for my gut. Pivoting I caught the leg and yanked it forward pulling him. Quickly he brought his sword up deflecting the dagger aimed for his shoulder.
I slammed my foot into his hip making him fall back. Pulling out a second dagger I planted it into his foot and stomped down on it nailing him to the ground. He grimaced and stabbed his sword towards me. Grabbing his wriest I slammed the palm of my hand into his jaw pushing his head up.
Taking a step back he crippled to the ground. Putting my dagger away I looked at the fallen men while frowning. They had been incredible weak. The Owner stood behind the bar sighing at the sight. “አሁን ግን አድርገናል.”
Advertisement
- In Serial23 Chapters
The Alpha Virus
When the world's most eccentric software developer takes it upon himself to end all war by wiping out most of humanity, he includes a special little surprise in his latest groundbreaking games console. His new augmented reality game, The Alpha Virus, seems to outstay its welcome long after the player signs out. Fatally flippant college student Liza Volkov has had an ... unconventional upbringing, and has finally escaped her survivalist family to seek her fortune in the wide world. But when you try to escape your past, life has a way of dragging you back down. When every day is a fight for survival, the smart and the strong come out on top. No nepotism. No class systems. No boring corporate jobs. It's a constant fight, and Liza was born to brawl. Is it so bad that she isn't completely broken up about this new world? Do you have a plan for the zombie apocalypse yet?
8 163 - In Serial40 Chapters
Shattered Blood
Some questions are best left unanswered. Obsessive Eugene law student, Haddie faces gruesome murder that leave victims impossibly incinerated. Could this be connected to her dad, who doesn't appear to age? If she digs too deep, she, or her friends might become the next set of ghastly remains. An urban fantasy origin story for the AngelSong Series with characters and magic inspired by the likes of Jane Yellowrock and Kate Daniels. Origin Story of the AngelSong Series
8 107 - In Serial193 Chapters
God Must Be Lazy He Allowed a Cultivation Anomaly
Once there was a wisp of soul, and the universe was not happy with its arrival. ---------------------------- One day, cultivators from Lower Plane arrived on earth and sacrificed the souls of more than 7 billion people to power a Formation creating a temporary spatial portal for their escape. The remaining inhabitants decided to foil their plans and a man volunteered to detonate himself at the center of the Formation causing him to be reborn with fragmented memories. This is a Sci-Fi novel set in Xianxia world. English is not my primary language. It is tremendously appreciated if you share it and even more for people bothering to leave a comment should they find it bad.
8 186 - In Serial96 Chapters
Airi in a Thousand Worlds
Normies reincarnating into a villain or villainess, NEETs reincarnating into monsters, Normies and NEETs reincarnating into the undead, hero or inanimate object, etc etc... we've seen them all. But have you seen a goddess reincarnate into cannon fodder?! Of course! Not! Follow Airi (or her clones), a goddess of Karma, in her adventures of pushing up the hero/heroine with her blood (literally), sweat (literally?), and tears (literally)!
8 141 - In Serial16 Chapters
The Class B
The unassuming Arte Bodrum is a simple AutoChef Technician with a penchant for amateur naturalism. He's never been involved in anything remotely interesting, and if he was being honest with you, would say adventures only happen in stories. Real life is never so exciting. So you can imagine his surprise when one day he stumbles into secretive meeting of black robed figures, casting him into a world far more complicated, and dangerous, then he could have ever imagined. Cover image compliments of Dylan Foley (https://www.flickr.com/photos/shoesfullofdust/)https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/3998620647"Tool Box & Levels" by shoesfullofdust is marked with CC BY 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse
8 132 - In Serial133 Chapters
Courier
Zoe Blanco moved to New York after fleeing the small town she grew up in and the Purity Church that controls it. The Church believes in keeping humanity pure. This means none of the NanoPCs known as Frames or any other cybernetics that most of the rest of the world uses and enjoys everyday. Upon arriving in the Big Apple, Zoe is picked up by her cousin and witnesses a courier weaving their motorcycle through traffic. Zoe envies the courier's freedom. Couriers transport data and on occasion small objects for anyone willing to pay the price. Secured delivery is guaranteed and no questions are asked. Like having a human servant in this corporate owned world, using couriers is seen as a status symbol for the wealthy and corporate elite. New York's criminal underground uses couriers for similar reasons. This gives the hundreds of couriers in NYC steady work. After weeks of not finding a job while living with her aunt and cousin, Zoe turns to her slicing skills to steal credits from the Purity Church and turns to the mob so she can get a loan to pay for the internal secure storage space a courier needs and a frame for herself. After making an unlicensed run or two, Zoe finds employment with a transport company and truly starts her life as a courier. This story is a mix of light scifi, cyberpunk, slice of life, a dash of action, and a smidge of fantasy. Slicing is what hacking is called in this story. Credits are currency in this story.
8 165

