4 Beastkin’s Tavern

It was not long till they started packing their things up to their horses, but most of the things are loaded on the gelding. Seemingly, the mare belonged to Alister while the gelding is to Hardy. Thus, Ishnaia decided to ride the gelding for reasons only known to her, particularly, to piss him off, but Hardy absolutely refused, insisting her to ride with Alister. Ishnaia protested about his idea, but ultimately gave up, for his head is as hard as his name, whereas she got bored trying to piss him.

The mare and gelding trot around the uneven lands of the wilderness, as they traverse into steep ravines while the trio chat about silly things, with Hardy and his gelding are at the front just a few feet from Alister's mare. Each of its stomps resounds with the croaking of frogs, the chirping of birds, and the cries of cicadas. Truly, the Trio are listening to the harmonic cacophony of the forest, in which Ishnaia find these moments peaceful while hugging Alister and lying with closed eyes from his back. Inevitably, Alister blushes, his heart pounding.

***

"We are almost there!" Alister announced gleefully.

"Finally, Furryland!" Ishnaia happily voiced out loud.

"Hey hey!" Hardy reprimanding shouted, "Don't say that! That's racist!"

"Furry People~~! Furry People~~!"

As they reach the end of the forest, they found themselves into an area full of wooden stump. Moreso, the area's full of mud. Their horses traverse slowly as Ishnaia voiced with a question,

"Huh, I thought furry people likes grass…"

"They're beastkin! B-e-a-s-t-k-i-n!"

"Tch, you just never give up eh, dwarf?"

"Tch, you just never learn, do you?"

"Well Prince, how far is the town?"

"Straight away, around the corner of the foot of that mountain. But it's getting late, the sun's already down…"

"Hey Lad!" Hardy exclaimed, "Lumber Mill's near here, I remember there's a Tavern four winters ago! Prolly's still there lad."

"Oh right! You lived here before."

"Whaaaat?" Ishnaia exclaimed funnily, "The dwarf lived alongside the furries?"

"Damn straight lassie!" Hardy answered proudly, "As a man of House Bogazi, I implore you to treat them with respect! I won't let you belittling them!"

"Who the fuck says I'm belittling them?"

"Now, now! Calm down both of you!" Alister implored, "Now is not the time for petty squabble!"

"Ooof, now sir prince is getting mad! Sorry your majesty! It's Harvey's fault! Harvey!" Ishnaia points at the dwarf the same time, "Go woodchopping or something!"

"It's Hardy! How many times should I tell you, my name?"

"Arrrgh! Enough!" Alister yelped "Hey Hardy! Lead us to the Tavern you're talking about! Ishnaia! Behave for a while, please."

Ishnaia and Hardy stare at each other briefly, and at Alister, made a downcast glance and weakly said in unison. "…Yes Sir."

***

It did not take long until they arrived at the tavern. It was a two-storey building with a cemented walls in the first floor and wooden walls in the second. There exist also a stable beside it, but looks more like wooden warehouse in façade. The buildings were surrounded by palisades with a wooden gate at the entrance. However, there were no guards nor watchers at the entrance. Only a fig tree watching by the side of it.

"…Is this place really unprotected at all?" Alister questions.

"Since the beginning of time itself." Hardy replied, "Why would they need it? After all, there are no monstrosity surrounds here!"

"Is that so?"

"Hah!" Ishnaia smiles, "I guess those furries are scarily powerful! I'd hate that! What I would like is to see them cry to their mommies!"

The two boys exchange glances and smiles wryly.

They then unmounted their rides and tied their horses by the fig tree. however, when Alister's about to proceed in the tavern entrance, Hardy stopped.

"…Ploughing sod." He murmured.

Alister turned, "What is it?"

"I…ah…forgot my axe."

"What!?" Alister was shock "Where? Should we look for it?"

"Er, no. It's evening. I don't think we could find it with moonlight."

At the side Ishnaia's trying to stop her laughter and said, "I think you should fight with your tiny dagger between your legs!"

Hardy glares madly at her and bellowed, "Shut Up!"

***

As they entered the tavern, there are only few, countable customers sitting and drinking. All of them are beastkin. One's a Half-wolf, or Half-dog, and One's a lizardhead, and so on. And all of them stared hard at the trio who just came in. Ishnaia noticed this and murmured,

"Hey dwarf, you know them?"

"No," Hardy murmured back, without looking at her, "I don't know most of 'em, prolly new."

"That so? Then, are we that unusual?"

"Maybe? I ploughing don't know!"

"In any case," Alister said murmuringly, "for now, we meet the keeper."

As they stride though the tavern, only their steps and its production of the wood creaking sound can be heard aloud. The Tavern Keeper stares at them through behind the fine wooden counter just in front of them. The counter is wide enough to have six seats. But none of which was occupied by any stranger. As they came face to face with keeper, who appears humanoid, only a short taller than Alister by a few meters, yet have a wolfen head and features, blue fur, naked on top with a simple ragged pants below and a fluffy tail on his lumbar backbone. One can know that this keeper is old, his white whiskers on his face and its tired eyes says enough. This keeper then began to speak in monotone as he grabs a wooden cup from beneath him for each of the trio,

"So…" he paused, "Hardy... isn't it?"

"Right on! forgot about me now eh?" Hardy answered.

"You're back after so long... and bringing friends too I see. Part of your house?"

"Yep!" Hardy replied enthusiastically as Ishnaia looks at him with one eyebrow raised, in which Hardy replied by looking back at her, shaking his head from left to right.

"I see, a visit!" the keeper nods "Do you… still remember me?"

"Remember you? Of course I remember you sir gent!" Hardy grinned, "The Legendary Master Ludwig in the flesh!"

The beastkin named Ludwig chuckled, "I'm glad you remember my name… and so I wanted to say." he looked Hardy into His eyes, "I'm not surprised that you did not notice that I am not him."

Hardy squinted questioningly, "What the!?"

"Stop filling sod in your eyes will ya? I tested you, but it seems you never knew what happened anyway. You Humes are the same, you people can never tell us apart."

"Hey hey hey!" Hardy protested, "Who the ploughing cuck are you then!? How'd you knew my name then!? What happened to Master Ludwig!?"

"I'm the younger brother, Kes." The beastkin who is now apparently named Kes filled up beers and put it into front of them. "He always talk about you; how'd you look, how you behave. I guess he's a fan of yours I guess." Kes then beckoned them to the empty seats just in front of them, "Have a sit then, drinks on the house. This might be a long discussion"

The three then sat respectively, with Alister on the left, Ishnaia on the right, and Hardy on the middle. Ishnaia glanced back at the other beast kin customers, and it seems they went back to their own business. Not for long, Hardy then speaks, "Kes, or whoever the sod you are, what's with ya playin as Master Ludwig?"

Kes leaned forward, "Those damned Erons, That's why."

"Erons?" Alister speaks, "You do mean the House Erons right?"

"Exactly!" Kes Answered, pointing at Alister in a second, "Are the Bogazi's lovey-dovey with those shite?"

"Don't ploughing assume our family was involved any of that sod!" Hardy Exclaimed violently, "You do know-"

"Why'd you left? Switching with those rotten family?"

"Left!? Don't tell me that! You know well we can't deny King's wishes." Hardy then drinks up.

"A second one please!" Ishnaia voiced loudly. Kes wryly smiles at her, replying "Ayo!". Hardy glances and deeply sighs at her while Kes Is refilling her fill to the brim.

Not a moment long, Hardy continued, "Just to be clear now, We're your lads. So don't be shy, tell us our predicament."

Kes grinned, "'Our' Predicament huh? You think this is yours too?"

"Absolutely!" Hardy exclaimed, "Or my name is not Hardy Leandre Bogazi at all!"

Kes laughed, "You're a fun fellow I give you that! However," Kes snaps.

"What the!?" Ishnaia exclaimed

Suddenly, there's a lethal blade at their necks. Their sharpness' only a breath away to their skin. A longsword to Alister, an axe to Hardy, and a Knife to Ishnaia. The trio had their eyes widely as Hardy bursts into anger, "Bugger me in horror, what is the meaning of this!?"

"A test." Kes smiles, "To see if you are capable of solving 'our predicament'"

"You!" Alister exclaimed. "Don't you know that I-"

"Shhh! Shhh! Hardy shakes his head aggressively to Alister.

"What's that?" Kes leaned forward to Alister, "What's you about to say?"

As their lives are being threatened by Kez, Ishnaia peered into some of her deepest memory. She saw People, naked, kneeling, their hands tied in the back, their heads were concealed with a bag. One by one, their necks being… Unconsciously, she bellowed,

"You FUCKS! Fuck You! I will Fucking Kill You!!"

"Oho, we had a fiery brat here huh?" Kes amusingly said.

"Lady Ishnaia!" Alister cried

Without further ado, Ishnaia slams the beastkin's jaw upward with the back of her head, then she grabs the arm with the knife, steals the blade, and throw the whole beastkin's body body to Kes' face. Kes was in for a surprise that he did not anticipate preparation for evasion as he helplessly fall down with the flying body to his face. With catlike reflexes, Ishnaia did a cartwheel over the counter with finesse and hurriedly went to Kes, kicking the body on top of him and pointed the knife to his neck. With a smile and eyes open wide, Ishnaia yelled closely to his face

"I won! release them! Or this knife will FUCK your head off!"

"Ok! ok! ok! ok!" Kes plead, "You won… you won…Put the blade down, and I won't hurt your friends."

"Milady! No!" Alister cried

"Ploughing Dog Lassie! You've gone Nuts! Don't kill him!" Hardy exclaimed.

Ishanaia then blinked twice and glanced shortly at them and back to Kes, also twice. For a moment, She then just realized what she just did. Still, after a pause, she plays on the act of menacing victor to play the scene naturally and leaned closer to Kes' right ear and whispered, "Play shit on me and I will cut your balls off YOU HERE ME!!??"

"Y-Yes, yes, O-Of course, yes…"

Ishnaia then pulled the blade off his neck and stood up, and then Kes, still visibly fresh in his utter shock with his tail tucked, signaled his boys the blades with a nod to do the same. Without conflict, they did as they are ordered and went back to their seats silently. With their watchful eyes still on the three strangers. Kes slowly stood up, his pain shows through his face, and the two boys who had their lives threatened sighs in deep exhalation, afterwards, Hardy then broke the silence in exclamation,

"In the name of sod lassie! What in the actual ploughing fuck happened!?"

"I…" Don't know, Ishnaia wanted to say, but did not so. She had not a faintest idea that she can do that. Where did she get the knowledge to fight? What unfathomable horror is that memory she had?

"But enough of that for now," Hardy continued, censurably pointing at the beastkin in pain, "Kes! What in the ploughing ass goes into your mind? Is that how you treat strangers!? Threatening the fuck out of their mind!?"

"Hardy's right," Alister concurs, "It is a good thing no one dies!"

"Dying… is the least of our concern," Kes replied nonchalantly, "For many had already died because of those Erons scum. They treat us like slaves, heck! Even ploughing selling them off! and your king didn't even lift a finger to do something about it!"

"And that justifies you threatening our lives!? Are you shitebrained!?"

"Yeah! My father would never-!" Alister cried in outburst, Kes and the others, excluding Ishnaia, had their eyes wide open

"Father? Pffft! Guhahahahahaha!" Kes laughed in derision. "Father! You say!" Kes leaned forward to him, "So, the father sent his own son after years of ignorance! Tell me, prince, can you bring back the dead? With just the three of you, what can you do against this situation?"

Alister glared back at him, "…We are here for diplomacy."

"Diplomacy!" Kes spits on the floor and exclaimed, "There is no diplomacy when that House rules over us!"

Hardy slams the table with his fist, "Then we just drive them by force!"

"By force," Kes smiles mockingly, "Easy to say, however, his pa just sent only the ploughing three of you! Care to explain why?"

"My father knows that you live in prosperity with House Erons!" Alister replied, "There had never been any messages to the King that the Beastkin's territory was in this trouble!"

"No Messages!?" Kes grabs Alister's collar towards him, "We had plenty! But the king did not respond in any of it!"

"I swear!" Alister insisted "and I will not say otherwise!"

"That… can't be…" Kes released Alister off and turn his back and leaned to the table. Deep in thought, he says to himself. "That… can't be…"

"So," Alister speaks up, "What do you want us to do?"

"The House Erons are a wealthy bunch. They have Alef Knights and Alpha Mages in their pockets. We Beastkin's here had our levels capped because of the treaty and our annexation to the kingdom. That is why we are banned to the level sanctums here to pursue past Bet. Thus, it is the highest level we can attain, and we had a few here. It was fine for us for we only wanted peace, until those Erons shit pulled on us!"

"Rank Alef huh? We can take em!" Hardy proudly said

"I know damn well you can! This lassie taught me the lesson which I would probably never forget in my life!"

"That reminds me," Hardy looks at Ishnaia, "Lassie!"

"…"

"Hey Lassie!"

"Ah!" Ishnaia snaps in her thoughts "Yea, whassup?"

"You okay? Have no worry, everything's ploughin' good for now. As I am saying, care to share your rank?"

"Rank? Hmm…" The fuck is he talking about? Ishnaia then uncaringly replied. "Secret."

"What the!?" Hardy grows irate, "I'm talking serious here!"

"And I'm Fucking Serious too! and It's a secret! Why can't you respect other's privacy!?"

"Don't give me that ploughing sod of words! You just forgot too don't you!?"

"Forgot!? No! it's a secret! And this furry," Ishnaia points at Kes, "is a fucking enemy! How can I share such important secret with him here!?"

"Hey lad," Kes leaned closer to Alister, "Are they always like that?"

"…yeah," Alister lays his cheeks to his palm, "don't be concerned too much about it."

"You twat! I just told mine, and you can't just be honest!?"

"What!? I'm not asking how long your dick is! Am I asking if I can just know it by looking at you!?"

"Ehem! Enough!" Kes roared furiously that the two stopped bickering at each other and just stared at him, "It doesn't matter how strong the lassie is, it does not change the fact the we're weaker and outnumbered! Fighting head on is out of the option!"

"I guess we have no choice," Alister stood up, "but to talk to them."

"Ah Yes," Kes nodded, "You're the king's lad. But will words work to those scumbags?"

"We shall see. In any case, do you have a bed for three and free stables for our rides?"