Chapter 53- Lucifer Walks Into A Bar

Rose Crownwell sat in her father's study twiddling her thumbs nervously, she was extremely anxious for what her father would say.

Her father had just arrived back from a business trip in Port Sivence and he had already made it known that he was dissapointed.

Her father opened the door with three books in his hand. His glasses rested on his grey beard that was attached to his ears.

She stood up to hug him but he motioned for her to stop.

“Sit.” He said and closed the door behind him.

“Father.”

“I said sit.” He sternly repeated himself.

She reluctantly sat down and so did Mr Crownwell at his desk.

“What do you want?” He asked Rose plainly.

“What do you mean father.”

“You failed your mission, an important poi at that” He asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Yes father.”

“So now what?” He asked.

“Well I’ve been taken off covert father, I’m not high enough level for the proper missions and I will never be an admin.” She sternly said.

Her father sighed and leaned back in his chair to put his feet on the desk. He put his hands behind his head and stretched, but his podge belly strained his grey suit's movement.

“What is the purpose of a poi?” He asked.

“Either to scout a target or to monitor a suspect or criminal.” She recalled perfectly.

“Right you are Rose.”

“Is he a suspect?” He asked.

“No.”

“Is he a criminal?”

“No father.”

“Then scout him.” He said while picking something from his teeth.

“Your darn mother always puts corn into my food.” He muttered.

“But father, I'm off covert."

“You have free will don’t you? Every year you are allowed to scout someone you see worthy. You are not on a job, you could just accidentally bump into him.”

Rose realised what he was getting at.

“I don’t even know where he is?” She asked with concern in her voice.

“South.”

“South where?” She asked angrily.

Her father just shrugged.

Mr Crownwell could be considered a genius amongst the underworld. His family stems from a long line of elites who have had control in most cities in Arios. Even though he doesn’t like to show it, the man is one of the most powerful in Arios.

“Fine.” She said with fake anger, Rose was still rather happy with his option. But she wouldn’t dare show it which would make her father pleased. She knew if she could recruit a double marked it would help her regain her covert status.

“Enjoy Rose, don’t go too far south or you’ll end up in the north.” He joked, it was one of his favourite sayings when she was a child.

“Yes father, careful with what you eat.” Rose said looking down at his podge belly.

Mr Crownwell laughed, his youngest always had a sense of humour.

—————————————————————

As they were walking to the Night Owl Morpheus kept getting a murderous itch on the back of his neck. Every time he would think of his recent battles it would come back up.

They were walking towards the tavern, it was past mid-day and there wasn’t a cloud in site. The breeze was cold, but the sun offered enough warmth.

“Hey Sam, I keep getting these itches on the back of my neck. Like I want to kill everything.”

Big Sam didn’t chuckle, he had a blank expression.

“Chernobog's Bite.” He said.

“The what?” Morpheus asked. He didn’t remember Chernobog biting him.

“Just what they call it. Happens to a lot of adventurers. Obsessed with killing.” He said.

“Is there a cure?” He asked.

“Not really, ways to deal with it though.”

“Go on.”

“Think about what makes you happy, ya don’t want to kill what makes you happy.”

He put a finger on his stubbly chin. Brevair’s family made him happy, but yet again he felt happy when he was killing things.

“That all.”

“That’s the cheap version, ya can meditate as well which can help. Or ya can hire a mind mage but they’ll cost ya.”

He scowled, meditating to him was a pile of Komodo shit. They all talked about it all in the novels he liked, mentioning inner peace and congruence. How could you just sit there and think, it sounded terrible.

He looked down at the Mortal Gods symbol in his right hand which caught Big Sam’s eye.

“Ariel gave ya that?” Big Sam asked.

He nodded. “I’m still lost on the whole god situation.”

“It’ll come.” The dagi said.

He pouted, Morpheus would hope it was true.

“Did ya see those grey goblins dick?” Big Sam asked while smiling.

Morpheus laughed. “I wish I did now.”

“Size of my pinky I tell ya.” Big Sam joked.

They had arrived at the Night Owl, it looked like an ordinary tavern. A lot of people were outside drinking on benches, it was a truly popular place even at mid-day. It was located just off the main street so it wasn’t exactly a run down tavern.

Big Sam walked in first and held the door open for him, he heard a familiar voice singing in the corner.

“Can’t get rid of him.” Big Sam said sarcastically, glancing towards Hammer.

At the bar was the dwarf who led the group back to Kronos’s Keep. His head was slumped on his arm over the counter.

Big Sam sat down on a stool on his right, his arse engulfing it completely. Morpheus felt bad for the wood supporting him.

A stool over from the dwarf was a slender man with slicked back hair.

(Warrior, Level ???)

He walked to Big Sam’s side and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Gonna change into a new shirt.” Morpheus said.

Big Sam looked up to him and nodded.

He found the little boy's room and entered into a cubicle. The smell of urine filled his nose. It always reminded him of the pub he used to drink at, well almost any pub really.

He switched out his torn up shirt for a slightly larger one. It had been barely covering his marks. Even though it was a dwarfs shirt it fitted surprisingly well. It was slightly baggy around his chest but his arms fitted tight around the sleeves.

Morpheus walked back into the bar and sat on the left of the dwarf. The slender man stool over, drinking orange juice from what the young chimera’s eyes could.

“You alright?” He asked the dwarf.

“He was… such a go… man.” The dwarf slurred in between a few hiccups.

The dwarf began crying and a pool of tears formed on the counter top.

The dwarf leaned back and was about to fall off his stool but Morpheus and Big Sam held his back.

The barmaid looked over as she was pouring a pint. She didn’t look surprised at all.

“Stick’em in the corner.” She said with a sweet in her mouth.

Big Sam nodded to the lady and the two carried him over to a bench in the corner. On the wall above the bench it said ‘Drunk’s Landing’, which made Morpheus crack a smile. It was upsetting knowing the man was close to Theodore but he still struggled to feel true empathy. There were another two men passed out on the benches near him so at least the dwarf wouldn’t get lonely.

They headed back to the bar and sat on the stools again.

“You got any food here?” Morpheus asked the barmaid.

She pulled the sweet out of her mouth. “Rock bread and Komodo trimmings.”

“Two of both and ales to go with them.” He ordered.

“I, six coppers.”

Morpheus nodded.

“You sure Jack?” Big Sam asked, wondering why he was paying for his meal.

“It’s fine, least I can do.” He replied while dropping six coppers on the table.

The barmaid scooped them up and headed through a back door.

“About Natur, I remembered something while we were in the Nuetral.”

“What is it?” Morpheus asked.

“He was gay.” Big Sam answered like it was a huge revelation.

Morpheus laughed. “Thanks Sam.”

Big Sam raised an eyebrow. “At least it’s something.” He said.

“How’s that gonna help me?” Morpheus asked.

“Take a page out of Hammer’s book.” Big Sam said with a chuckle.

“Natur wasn’t gay.” The slender man on his left said after taking a sip from his orange juice.

“He was.” Big Sam sternly replied.

Morpheus moved his head back for the argument to take place.

The slender man shook his head.

“Hey look, I don’t wanna get in a row with a two hundred but he was gay.” Big Sam said.

The slender man clicked his teeth.

“I’m not going to touch you, he told Lilith he wanted to marry Jack for her to stop bothering him.” The slender man said.

Big Sam froze. “You sure?” He asked.

“Positive Dagian.” He said while finishing off his orange juice.

Big Sam leaned back on his stool, the wood supports creaking underneath his weight.

“That doesn’t make sense, the ones I read barely mentioned Natur.” Big Sam argued.

“You’ve answered your own question.” The slender man said.

Big Sam gazed down at his hands. He stretched his hand across the counter top to the man.

“Big Sam, nice to see someone remembers them.” He said.

The slender man shook it. “Lucifer, and yours?” He asked pointing his open hand to Morpheus.

Morpheus froze. ‘Lucifer?’ He thought.

“Oh it’s Jack.” He quickly said while shaking the man’s hand.

“Why’d you freeze Jack?” Lucifer asked.

Morpheus awkwardly chuckled. “Where I come from Lucifer isn’t a common name.”

Lucifer raised an eyebrow.

“Where might that be?” He asked.

“Ah, you wouldn’t know.” Morpheus responded.

Thankfully their food had arrived to break the awkwardness. The barmaid had placed their cheap meal down on the counter along with their ales.

“Thank you.” He said with a smile.

She smiled with a toothy grin while popping her sweet back in her mouth.

Big Sam raised his cup of ale. “To Theodore and the others.”

Morpheus raised his cup as well. “To Theodore and the others.”

Morpheus took a large sip and then dug into his meal. The komodo trimmings tasted like pork scratchings, the rock bread tasted like hard bread as you would imagine. The ale was much better than what he was use to.

“What happened to Theodore? If you don’t mind me asking.” Lucifer asked.

“I, no problem. He was killed by the Bright Light on a goblin extermination.” Big Sam replied.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow.

“A light spear blew his head off while he was in my arms.” Morpheus said while sighing.

“So the elf was protecting a goblin camp?” He asked.

“More like creating powerful ones.” Big Sam said with a mouthful of food.

“Speaking of creation, did you hear about the Chimera of the Bording?” Lucifer asked.

Morpheus coughed on his food.

Big Sam laughed with a mouthful of food. “I, stories spread like wildfire. Ya reckon it’s true?” He asked Lucifer.

“The war orcs were true, and why would you lie about a chimera.” Lucifer said. He waved to the barmaid to fetch him another orange juice.

Big Sam shrugged. “Only Odin knows, good story though. Would have loved to see the Ditorians faces.”

Morpheus let off a weak smile after recovering from his coughing fit.

“Don’t like chimeras?” Lucifer asked Morpheus while sipping on his second orange juice.

“No, if anything I feel bad for them.” He slightly lied.

Lucifer pouted slightly.

“What work are you into?” Big Sam asked curiously.

“I guard nobles. They pay a lot for a two hundred. You must know a bit about that dagian.”

Big Sam laughed. “Ya know you’re stuff then.”

Lucifer shrugged. “I like to read.” He said calmly.