An intriguing request

The two entered the tavern, the man brushing his fingers through his slightly wet hair, parting and slicking back his blondish, red-tinged strands. The room contained a few tables, wooden benches sitting at their side. A bar stood at the back of the room under a small second-floor balcony.

A middle-aged man walked into the room with plates containing food, he assumed from the kitchen, noting a slight hot breeze coming from the area. The middle-aged man dropped a plate to another person sitting at the bars bench, before dropping the other plate on the side next to them, his eyes looking up to match the man's.

"Just in time, sit down. Got some piping hot eggs and toast for ya to munch on, helps the mind and stomach." The middle-aged man boasted, untying the stained, brown worn apron around his waist. Adjusting his white cotton shirt and reaching out for a brown coat left on the bars counter, the man nodded towards the girl, "Georgia, could ya get the two other plates in the kitchen whilst I reacquaint myself with,...?"

"It's Yossarian, but I prefer Yoss, or yoyo, even yarian if you would like," Yossarian replied, slipping onto the stool in front of the plate of food. Georgia begrudgingly stormed off into the kitchen. Yossarian's eyes hardened after hearing the slight sound of a quiet couple of sniffs from the person next to him.

The middle-aged man chuckled tossing back his brown curls, "I think I'll choose Yoss then. So Yoss, from what I be recalling from last night in our drunken parlour, you be visitin our lovely town to be searchin for your brother, right?"

Yossarian's attention instantly shifted from his breakfast to the conversation, "Yeah. Well, I say that but it's a thing I've been doing on the side, whilst I ... travel I suppose." He ended, his voice drifting into a low tune, a deepness emitting.

"Got something things to sort out up there, do ya?" The man asked indicating to his head

"Yeah, suppose I do." Yossarian chuckled in response

"It's something we all go through sometimes, I had my moment. Damn was that far back, troubled teen I was back then, visiting all the local villages thinking real hard about the world for a couple weeks. Hell him, Guillaume." The man stated pointing towards the elderly man next to Yossarian. "He had a big moment, went touring all statewide, visiting all the big cities and them fellas. Didn't ya say you saw some of them Alchemy men."

The old man groaned in response, "Yeah, I remember you went on, and on to me about them alchemists and witch's up over there, right? Dressed in robes, fancy jewellery and whatnot. Ohhh and you kept on going about how nice they smelled, such a noticeable scent about them. Aight that right." The elderly man grunted again in response.

The man looked back at Yossarian with a comforting smile, "Yeah, well now I suppose is your moment, take your time buddy, cos it will be the only time you set your own pace, apart from the worlds."

The man moved on, cleaning a line of glass mugs left from last nights events. His eyes seeping right into Yossarian's, a joking comfort exuding from them, yet something else. Something more careful, more dangerous.

"I must say, you've got quite the distinctive accent. Where's it from?" The man asked rather flat. His eyes were looking away, yet Yossarian understood his meaning.

Uncertainty was starting to seep into Yossarian's core, the situations sketchy atmosphere not being lost on him. His eyes quickly flashing towards the elderly man next to him, catching his old eyes looking him up and down.

Just play it off, Yoss, thought. Play it off they don't seem certain yet.

"hahah, is it that obvious, I must say I'm rather disappointed in myself then. Thought I've pulled off your people's rather illustrious style of speaking." Yossarian joked, scratching his neck, eyes closed.

"Nah, you're like a pig in a rooster nest to us locals. Gotta remove that 'e' a bit more for a 'ehhh', so yours 'well' needs more oomph and be longer too, not the short an snappy one you're given us." The man told, demonstrating through his mouth and hands. "If you get that down then it would sound better, maybe not rooster good but maybe hen worthy, so that only those in the nest could tell ya different."

"Ahhh, I see. Sorry for so poorly mimicking your accent, it's just easier to blend in." Yossarian replied, noting the man's advice in his head, replaying the sounds in his head as not to lose it's authenticity.

Georgia, strode back into the room with a clear scowl whilst carrying two plates. "You still haven't answered my question, where are you from?" The man added in a flat voice, eyes piercing through Yossarian's mind.

Yossarian clenched his teeth, his mind spinning trying to find a solution, another façade to throw out. Georgia's face eased, eyes switching between the two before placing the plates on the counter and whispering into her father's ears. The man's eyes drifted to Yossarian's right hand, now fitted with the leather glove, Yossarian catching his look, anxiousness deeply rooting within his body. How? There's no way he would know unless, the girl she saw, fuck I was careless.

The man looked back to his daughter, mumbling into her ear before turning back to Yossarian. His eyes now sweeping across Yossarian's body, stopping at the leather bag strapped at his waist, the small pouches on his clothing and brown coat that were weighted, The few totems and pieces strung on his purse and his hand once again. Finally settling on a blanket wrapped object shaped in a slight oval. Fuck, I'm screwed now.

Yossarian slowly started moving his hands back, his feet planting themselves firmly on the floor, his body loosening. "We don't bloody care about that stuff!" Guillaume shouted in a deep , grainy voice, his cry stopping Yossarian's body and scrambled mind. Georgia's father looked slightly stunted himself before his smile returned and started to eat the food that was left in front of him.

"Listen kiddo, we ain't the types that you think we are. No alchemist killer, witch hunter, religious lover fuckers who cling to the farce fucking theories and gossip for truths about reality." Guillaume went on in a gruff old tone, Yossarian's mind and body completely frozen still. "Hell we even like you folk. It's not dem damn doctors or party bureaucrats anyway that solve our issues. Wasn't it four years ago or so that lovely lady came around and purified our well. Waited a damn ten months for the party to send us some help and just some random lady comes solves the issue in a day. Fucking Ridiculous!"

Yossarian stayed still for a little bit before composing himself, a smile returning to his face. "This is indeed a pleasant shock, I must say. I'm more used to the ... you know pitchfork, torch-lit mob situation when they figure out my profession."

"Your attitude changed real fast." Georgia remarked, slicing the yolk of a egg on a piece of toast.

"Well my dear, it's a rather pleasant change of pace to hear someone say they don't want to kill you. Thank you very much, good sir." Yossarian retorted, seating himself back down.

Georgia's father laughed, "Now you don't have a breakfast like this every day. So Yoss how are you gettin by?"

"mmmh, you know taking odd jobs here and there, doing what I can with my odd set of skill, evading hunters at every step and all the while finding what I can about my lost brother. The usual."

"Well like I said last night I don't recall anyone specifically matching the description. However, I can assist you in some other way If you are interested." Georgia's father told, munching down on a buttered toast.

Yossarian stopped eating, looked the man in the eyes and pointed his fork at him, "Shoot"

"Two options, one you stay here for a time working the bar or kitchen and see what you can find from those that pass by."

"orrrrrrrrr..."

"The second option being that there is an issue in the town over that could probably use your skill set." The man finished in a sombre tone, eyes drifting away. Yossarian felt the sudden change in the mood, the elderly man looked lost himself.

"So what's the issue?" Yossarian asked, looking deeply at the two's face. The two looked at each other before looking back at Yossarian.

"Listen bucko it's nothing personal but it's not something we should discuss. It's not our place, now I see your face but ... you'll find out why if you go there and ask. It's a rather ... complicated topic, something that just best not to dwell on too much." Guillaume stated, his voice shaking.

Yossarian closed his eyes, his mind swirling with possible realities. This is obviously bad, but even that old man is shaken, what could it possibly be. Ghosts, raptors, hauntings, devils, demons, werewolves, nymphs or gorgons maybe. Fuck there's too many possible solutions to whittle down, all equally bad. "Guess I'm going to just have to wait to find out then. Sorry bartender but you got me rather intrigued now on this mysterious case."

The man looked at Yossarian seriously. "No disrespect towards ya but this ain't something so trivial."

Yossarian laughed, "When has life ever been trivial about making decisions. Sometimes you just got to roll the dice and see where you land."