Chapter 23: Alone
'Maybe he's late?'
Rain tapped against the windowpane. The change in the seasons brought with it the change of weather. Rains pelted the land as if to cool off the fields for the hot summer. Grey overcast skies matched the plumes of forge smoke that wafted over the Cloud District. On and off rain showers washed the city of Hayak in drab drenched color tones. Street gutters flowed like small brooks.
The fragrant aroma of roasted earthy coffee beans filled the air of in a soothing warm miasma. Patrons sat scattered about at tables reading, chatting, and savoring the exotic flavors of a drink brought from the vast South.
Sitting alone, the cleric shivered under her yellow cloak. Her hands wrapped around the porcelain cup in front of her. Her half-finished cup of coffee did little to warm the gaping ache forming in her chest. She looked at the mechanical clock on the wall as it chimed its half hour tune for the third time.
'He's not coming.'
Hastur hung her head low in shame. She tugged at the corners of her cowl in hopes that she could bury herself in it. The mage's eyes welled and a single tear puddled down her cheek and dripped into the cup below.
'Of course he is not coming. Why would he? Why would someone ever be interested in me?'
The bell to the shop's doors chimed and a small semblance of hope filled the mage's heart but, dashed her optimism when it chimed a patron leaving instead. Emotions boiled within her.
Depression. Anger. Melancholy.
The little mage trudged her way through the rainy streets. The rain beaded against her yellow cloak. When she returned to her boarding house. She looked to her roommate. Sitting at the dining table counting out his coinpurse. Stacks of silver and copper coins stacked in neat rows to some budget he was setting forth. Freki laying curled up at his feet.
He didn't say a word. His sight stayed fixed on the coins. He didn't even notice that she had returned.
'All men are the same'
So bothered by his obliviousness to her clear heartache, she grabbed a pillow from her bed and threw it hard at the man. Coins scattered across the floor and Thaelin toppled backwards in his chair. Freki yelped as he jumped into action, head looking around for some unseen attacker.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" yelled the man, his attention returned to scooping up the coins all about him.
The half-elf merely raised her hood enough to where the man could see her burning green eyes. "Grab your cape. I need a drink."
Rather than face the mages clear wrath, the ranger chose to comply and not ask until she proved to be in a calmer mind.
Hastur hosted her tankard to her lips and refused to lower it until it was empty. When the last of her ale trickled down her throat, she let out a gasp for air then reached across the table and pilfered the rangers cup from his hand. She too downed that in one quick sitting.
"Another!" she declared slamming the mug on the table
Thaelin looked at his friend with utter puzzlement. Something was clearly wrong. And he knew better than to interfere with a scorned woman.
"So…thirsty?" his smirk was met with an annoyed scowl "Gonna tell me what happened before you drown yourself and your sorrows?"
When the serving wench could offer to refill their mugs, the cleric gave the woman a rabid scowl "Leave the pitcher!"
The mage drank half of her next tankard before answering with a brooding tone "All men are assholes."
The ranger smirked before sliding his refilled mug to his partner. "Yes, yes we are. But I think something else is bothering you."
With her third tankard empty and her mood only one iota calmer, Hastur pursed her lips. "I got stood up, alright?"
Thaelin scratched his beard. He wanted to scoff at the reason behind her outburst back at the boarding house, but a sparking a spell caster's ire would most likely end badly for him.
"I see. Want me to have a chat with him?"
The murky brown ale rushed out the leather-jack pitcher and replenished the mages cup. "If by 'chat' you mean 'bring him to me so I can cut off his testicles and crush them under my boot' than yes. Go chat with him."
Thaelin winced at the mention of severing ones manhood. He pursed his lips tight. Before her next ale could touch her lips, the ranger cautiously outstretched his arm in an attempt to take away the drink from her
"Or. We go do something else to take your mind off ball crushing."
Hastur glared at the man interfering with her drink. "You have five second to let go of my cup, or I will cut something of yours."
"Rather than test the half elf's bluff. Thaelin retracted his hand. "Look Hast. Your pissed. I get that. But rather than drink yourself dumb, how about tomorrow we go pick up a side quest for you."
"No."
"Come on. It'll be fun. Listen. I know a guy. We'll do a simple fetch quest. It will get you out, take your mind off that one dude, and you can find some cool loot. Sounds fun right?"
"No."
Thaelin rolled his eyes at the mage's stubbornness. "Alright fine. If you do the fetch quest, and somehow, if you're still pissed. I'll find that guy who stood you up and you can cut off his balls."
A wave of relief washed over the ranger when he saw the Hastur's eyebrow rise in interest. She took a quick swig of her tankard and wiped her lips before answering.
"Fine. But make sure your flask is full of rum. I'm going to need it."