12 Black Leather.

Onissa Kal-Si returned from the kitchen behind the bar once William and Artur took their orders. To the former's surprise, nothing of what they ate was remotely repulsive. It was eccentric and odd in looks, but they had eaten things way worse back in those pirate ships —such as fish guts and rancid bone soup — which made those Oksidi dishes look like the finest delicacies.

Both took the same traditional Inannan dinner, which consisted of the so-mentioned crab roe: blue, gelatinous balls that tasted fresher and sweeter than crab meat; fried glowing mushrooms: large fungi with a gamey and strong flavor similar to beef, and blue bread; an item that outside of its eccentric color and a sweet flavor, was accompanied by that supposed fermented moth milk sauce, which William was reluctant to try.

"C'mon, Will, try it out. I know it sounds nastier than eating your own earwax, but I can assure you it's better than any yogurt you've tried before. Oh god, Miris could only hope about making something as good. Yum."

Artur enjoyed each fast yet careful bite of every item on his plate. His face burned with pleasure like an orchestra cellist every time he took a piece of the blue bread and wetted it in the viscous and creamy goo.

Onissa's enormous eyes stared at William with pressure, making him feel dareful yet resilient. It was like a rotting cheese, though its name and origin were what kept him from trying it out.

"C'mon, Will. Don't leave poor Onissa hanging; she's gonna feel offended because you didn't try her special sauce. Right, Oni?"

"Eh, I'm not much of a fan of it either, but the Oksidi love it for some reason. And they say we the Katosi are the ones who only eat nasty stuff…huh," she said, resting her chin on her hand as her fingers played with her whiskers.

William noticed a tail slowly wagging behind her, its white fur contrasting with her olive skin. He put a piece of bread on the curdled mix, which got adhered to it like molten cheese.

"Fermented moth milk sauce. Is that just a name, right? this can't be made of real…."

"What else could it be, Will? People around here don't even know what a cow is. All they know is their moths, providers of their dairy and silk, though it's nothing like the fine and expensive clothing that comes from Xiali."

"Didn't you pee your pants the first time you saw a giant land crab out there, boy?" asked Onissa. "Giant moths are like them. Fluffy, fat flyers. Like the little ones I used to play with when I was a little kitty back in Katos... How nostalgic."

"I should take him to meet them someday at the mines outside the town," said Artur. "But why don't you try that already? It doesn't taste as bad when it's still warm."

William looked at the viscous substance. Its smell was not as pleasant as the rest of the food, having a slight tone of sour milk or feet. He raised the piece of blue bread and held it close to his mouth.

"Alright, here we go. It can't taste as bad as those things I was eating one month ago."

He put it inside his mouth and chewed. The thick and gooey sauce got adhered to his teeth and paladar, its flavor intenser and creamier than most cheese. It left a sour and acidic aftertaste behind as he swallowed.

"What's it like? Didn't I tell you it's delicious?" said Artur, munching his own.

"...It's an acquired taste," William slowly nodded, grabbing a smaller piece of bread covered by the dairy sauce and eating it, more by respect for Onissa rather than for liking it.

"You got it. Most things about Oksid are acquired tastes," responded Artur. "can't say the same thing about Katos…"

"You don't need to say that with the way William was ogling at me," Onissa raised one eyebrow and licked her own lips as she looked at him. "Just teasing. We have a special sense of humor. Besides, the heart of a Katosi is not something easily won. You'd die before completing one-fourth of the Trial of Yakka's Bound Lovers in the jungles of Katos…"

They chatted for a while. Onissa brought them something to drink too: blue wheat beer. It was a purple and bubbly mix stronger than most of what they were used to back in Sunia. Just one tar and William was already feeling dizzy, though Artur was at his third and looking fine.

"Anyway, let's pay. How much do we owe you, Oni?"

"30 stars. 55 including the tab you still owe me."

"And to think those idiotic guards wanted 200 stars from us," mocked Artur. "But yeah. I thought you'd forget about that tab. Here's it plus a tip for going easy on Will. Buy yourself something nice, girl. Maybe a brush for those fluffy ears. I like them more every time I see them."

He put a bunch of tiny golden coins on the bar. She counted them all and saved them below the bar.

"If only. I can barely maintain this place with how much I'm being taxed or how much those guards ask for protection money," she hissed once in discontent. "And I'm losing customers with that serial killer around. Who wants to go out after midnight and end up dead like a carcass? The Oksidi have never liked us, outsiders, anyway, but now they plainly avoid us."

"Don't worry. I told you I'd help you with that," said Artur. "Just give me more time. They make my patience run lower every time I face those guards. By the way, do you have what I… asked if you could get for me?"

"Ah yes, your—" she interrupted her own words, looking at William before looking at Artur again. "It's upstairs. You better come and see it for yourself."

"Yeah," he got up. "Will, could you hang around here on your own? We actually came here for something… special that Zho needs. He said it's very secret so you can't know what it is, and you better not tell him I told you this. We're both gonna get punished if you do. Hang on."

He crossed to the bar and followed Onissa through the grey wooden door behind her, leaving William alone with the creaking fireplace behind. What was that about?

William sighed. Of course, maybe it was too naïve to think they'd only go there for inviting him to a special dinner. Whatever their motives, they were hiding many things from him, even —and especially— Artur. He was the one alongside him in those boats who knew what was gonna happen once they reached Reniram. He couldn't trust them yet. Not even if he wanted so.

He stretched his back and relaxed in his seat. Maybe he was overthinking it too much. Although William considered himself a person with lots of internal control, his mind was still an oversaturated mess. They could be right; everything was better explained at its own time. But he had to keep observing.

Minutes passed, and nothing but the dancing fire accompanied him. He stared at the food leftovers on his plate, thinking about how crazy and ridiculous it would have sounded to eat giant crab eggs or giant moth milk sauce in another place and time.

But something dragged his attention: the seat next to him chirred as it got pulled back. A female figure sat next to him, looking like no person who could have come from outside.

Her hair was long and jet-black, bangs covering her forehead, something that contrasted with her milky and pale skin in both hands and young face, which had obvious western features.

Her mature body was dressed in tight black leather pants and jacket, both covered by multiple belts and buckles that gave it a kind of militarized design. Her boots were high and heavy, looking like something you'd use to hunt snakes.

"Hello. Are you alone? Is not Onissa home?" she asked, sounding comfortable like a regular customer.

William looked at her, her eyes full of eyelashes confidently staring at him. Although they were brown, there was some kind of warm tonality making them look similar to garnets. Something unnatural, though he didn't know what was natural and what was not in that place.

"Oh, no," he responded. "she and my friend are busy upstairs. They said they wouldn't take long."

"I see…" she used her arms to rest on the bar, stretching her back in as she waited. After a few moments of repeatedly tipping the polished bar with her nails, she spoke again. "Do you come often to this place? Nah... You look like an outsider."

"Seems like it's two of us," William signaled her irony.

She chuckled, adjusting her hair between her ear. "You're right. I mean, it's rare to see someone from outside around here. My friend Onissa moved here years ago, and she still can't help but draw stares everywhere she goes. I bet an exotic man like you does draw lots of attention."

"Yeah. Seems like I do," he smiled with half a lip and looked at her, pointing out their current situation.

Looking at her face of fine features and chest, he immediately turned his face around, feeling as if the beer had made him feel dizzier. She crossed her long legs and adjusted herself to face him directly, which only made him feel warmly weirder.

God. Maybe it was true; being a soldier for two long years, going through whole months without talking, or even seeing a feminine figure did things to your mind. He had even heard some soldiers saying they'd sleep with anything with a skirt at that point.

He only hoped that wouldn't cause him any weird situations with Miris; he had ignored her because what happened to him was something way stranger occupying his thoughts.

"Hehe, I bet Onissa has already teased you lots. She always says she wishes to meet someone who takes her out of this place or back to her home in Katos. Catgirl loves to daydream all the time. Just don't tell her I told you this. What's your name, by the way? I think we outsiders should know each other. I'm Visidia."

"William. Nice to meet you."

"You're a gentleman," she teased. "Most Oksidi don't even bother with such nice mannerisms with strangers, much less with foreigners."

"He, it already shocks me how different people are here from my homeland… Do you come here often?"

"Yes. I've got a little business with my friend right now. She's surely taking her time, huh? By the way, I often hang around here at night, so, if you're staying, we can go drink something or have fun here or elsewhere sometime. I'm an easily-bored woman."

The door at the other side of the bar creaked as it spread; Artur and Onissa came out again, the Katosi barely reaching the level of his lips without counting her large cat ears. Their attention was immediately directed to their new guest.

"Visidia?" she pronounced, looking surprised. "You're already here, I didn't hear when you got in."

"You already know me, I'm sleeker and stealthier than a cat. Do you have my room? These boots are killing me so much it hurts up to my butt. All I want is to touch my bed and fall asleep like a bat."

"Yeah, it's in the basement. Just don't make too much noise. All others are already occupied."

"Don't worry, dear. That one will be fine. Goodbye, William. Look for me some other time. I hope to see you soon…"

She got up, revealing a tall, lean body of about 170cm in height as she crossed through the bar and went into the same door Artur and Onissa just reappeared through. The Katosi looked a little bit uncomfortable by her presence, the Sunian looking similar but more curious as he saved a bag and some rolled documents inside his jacket.

How strange. Now that William thought about it, he didn't remember hearing the door opening before she was by his side. He was alone and she suddenly appeared, although that could be the effects of alcohol that didn't let his senses catch much.

"Such eye-candy, huh?" said Artur. "William! You just got up from that bed and the first you do is try to score. I didn't think you'd be such a casanova."

"Like she's gonna pay attention to you," mocked Onissa. "And I thought you guys were into more feline girls... Though I gotta say that I'm an outsider magnet. You guys better leave. Those guards are gonna get suspicious if they realize how many of us outsiders are in this pub at this hour. Nice to meet you, William. I like you. Come and visit me more often."

"Goodbye, Onissa," said Artur. "I'm sure he likes you too. Though he surely likes your guest even more. Just kidding, take care."

William said goodbye, and they finally left the pub, the street outside calm and silent compared to the vivid festival it was when they entered the town; it was almost deserted. But as they were about to leave Inanna some streets above, they heard a pair of guards gossiping.

"Why are you slacking off? The captain needs us. Someone just found a bloodless body below one of the bridges located in the east district. That serial killer, Bloodsucker, has struck again."