Chapter 9

Ruth

Back in Dungsbury, Gatrie continued to recover at the inn above the tavern. The young nurse blushed as Gatrie flirted with her, as she continued to massaged his hurt chest. He was feeling much better after two weeks of recovery, but was never a man to turn down a free massage from a beautiful young lady.

As Gatrie was relaxing, and enjoying his massage from the pretty maiden, suddenly the door to the stairs leading downstairs to the tavern burst open, and a woman burst into the inn with a face that implied she was angry beyond words. Suddenly the young nurse stopped her massage abruptly and stepped away from Gatrie.

"Madam Ruth...you're uhh, back!" She stammered nervously.

"You're damn right I'm back!" the slender woman, with a long brown braid, wearing a white top and red longer skirt, blurted back, "Is this one of the moochers that has been here for more then two weeks without paying for one of my rooms?"

"Y...es but you see..." The nurse began to speak.

"Not another word from you!" Ruth cut her off abruptly and walked up to Gatrie and stared him in the eye. The knight looked at her hazel brown eyes and thought they would be rather lovely if they weren't so tough and harsh. "Alright loverboy, where's my money?"

"Who are you?" Gatrie asked, unsure why this tough woman had barged in and interrupted his lovely massage.

"Oh nobody to significant." Ruth replied sarcastically, as she fought the urge to slap him. "Just the OWNER of this inn and tavern and the person who's room you've been holding up for the past two weeks without paying a DIME."

"Oh I see..." Gatrie responded, trying to calm her down with his own calm tone. "So the thing is, my friend Shinon went out to go get the money to pay for our stay...so if you just wait a little longer then..."

"Oh I already heard about that guy..." Ruth replied coolly, interrupting again, "He started a brawl in my tavern, broke a lot of tables and chairs, and left with some other guy and hasn't been seen for days. Do I look like a fool to you? I know your friend is long gone...a typical room dasher, if I've ever seen one!"

"Well, once I'm better I was planning on reuniting with him and then I'd make sure we bring your money back..." Gatrie tried to reason.

"Is that so?" Ruth replied, as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a mid sized vile with a blue liquid in it. "Well we better get you damn better then, shouldn't we?"

Without asking for permission, Ruth rushed forward, held Gatrie's mouth open and poured the blue drink into his mouth. Gatrie quickly recognized the disgusting taste as an elixir, and as he tried not to gag from the taste he felt his injuries rapidly begin to heal as his strength returned to him.

"Feel better?" Ruth demanded, "Now get your ass up and let's go get my money!"

"You're coming with me?" Gatrie asked nervously, as Ruth pushed him out of the bed and threw his blue armor plates at him to throw on. "I mean...don't you have a wonderful inn and tavern to run?"

"I have people for that..." Ruth spoke as she opened the door and motioned him out, "It's not like we get patrons every day...and when we do I hear that my staff has been giving them 2 weeks without demanding rent!? Hell no, that just won't fly around here, sweetie! Momma's gonna get paid! I heard your friend was headed to the Dragon Fang Coliseum."

"Yeah, but I don't really know where that is..." Gatrie replied, somewhat unnerved by this woman's abrasive nature.

"Lucky for you, you're looking at the former chief of the arena clerics at Dragon Fang!" Ruth said, with pride, "I'll take you there, and we'll even take the short cut to get there faster so I can get paid! Let's go, big guy."

Meanwhile, outside the tavern an older man in a grey worn robe staggered into Dungsbury. He looked incredibly troubled, and very worn down, as if he had not slept for months. He was murmuring to himself and seeming to have trouble walking in a straight line.

"Just hold it in..." He muttered to himself, "Keep walking, don't speak to anybody...they don't notice...you just need...something to eat..."

"You lost, weirdo?" a thug sitting outside the tavern with his buddies taunted the old man, who looked like he was once a noble swordsman.

"No...Just...just leave me alone." The man replied, as he shut his eyes and gritted his teeth.

"What's wrong with you?" Another thug spoke as he walked over with his ax, considering a murderous intent. "Looks like you really gotta crap. Did you eat to much last night? Beans will do it for me."

"I tell you what," the lead bandit of the group of four sitting out of the tavern spoke, as they began to surround the poor old man. "Give us all your valuables and you can use the bathroom inside the tavern here...Seem fair old timer?"

"I can't hold it in...anymore..." The man spoke as he opened his eyes, which now were demonic yellow with no pupils.

Suddenly, the man was surrounded by a mystical fire, as his skin turned jet black, and he let out a horrifying and painful shriek as the fire erupted from his body, incinerating all the bandits as well as catching the tavern on fire as well.

Within moments the tavern cleared out, folks running every which way as every warrior and adventurer present tried their hand at slaying the beast of a man. Men and women ran towards him with their weapons trying to attack, but the demonic individual moved at superior speeds and strength throwing fireballs, slashing with his his rusty sword that now was surrounded with an aura of fire, and punching savagely. Dozens of brave, and drunk, warriors met their end in brief moments as this man found himself insane, and incredibly destructive.

The demon moved further down the town, hurting townsfolk and setting nearby structures on fire, as he roared with rage. Gatrie and Ruth rushed out of the building, and the knight now fully clothed in his blue armor and armed with his steel lance looked in shock at the terror in front him.

"What in the hell is that thing?" Gatrie gasped, unable to process the sight of this monstrous humanoid.

"You must be from a foreign land if you have never seen a Devilkin!" Ruth replied, "People who are taken over by there inner demons, and then they become those mindless rage beasts...we have to get out of here! This town is doomed!"

"I..." Gatrie thought about if this was a moment to try to be noble and brave, but seeing twelve dead bodies near him was enough for him reconsider. "I think that's a great idea, let's get out of here!"

"Some knight you are!" Ruth replied, surprised at the lack of honor this man seemed to have. Any other knight would have a desire to fight and protect the town.

"I'm more of a mercenary with knight training." Gatrie retorted as the two ran the opposite direction from the demon man.

Suddenly the two fell onto the ground, as there was a massive surge of light blue energy that shot down from the sky. Upon hitting the ground it created a small shock wave that sent up a dust cloud, and knocked Gatrie and Ruth off their feet. They stood up and turned to see quite sight, as the dust settled. At the epicenter of the light, stood a massive figure decked out in the whitest armor Gatrie had ever seen. He had to avert his eyes a little as the sun light hit it and the armor glistened. The armor also had dark blue trimmings and outlines. The man wore a white helmet that completely covered his head, and it vaguely reminded Gatrie of the armor that the Black Knight wore...except white. He had a long blue cape, a massive white buster sword that was made of a white metal that seemed exceptionally sharp, and a large white shield that he effortless held with his other hand. Gatrie himself was not a small man, a little over six feet, and he felt that this great knight dwarfed him.

"Holy Hell..." Gatrie stood in amazement of the warrior that came from the sky... "Who is that?"

"Holy Hell is a fair reaction..." Ruth whispered, as she too stood in awe of the great warrior. "That is Gatsu, the Great White Knight of the Kingdom of Light. He's the the commander of the Light's army, and the highest ranking official in the military under the High Priestess herself. He is the head of the Order of the Light...which is the branch of their military tasked with locating and eliminating all the Devilkin. His power is unrivaled in all of Tyseria."

Gatsu said nothing, and acknowledged nobody. He simply looked at the demon man who was still seething with rage as he looked back at Gatsu with confusion and hunger for his blood. The demon lashed forward at Gatsu, who in one swift movement swung his mighty sword. The sword began to glow with a bright blue light, and then a beam of light shot forth from the blade and completely decimated the Devilkin. Upon being struck, half of the man's body was turned to dust, and the rest felt to the ground, devoid of all life.

Those watching from their homes or the road nearby began to cheer for Gatsu, who gave them no reaction whatsoever. He simply touched his belt, and was whisked away in another blue light that came from the sky.

"Wow..." Gatrie reacted in surprised at the majestic and unusual sight he had just witnessed. His moment of awe was rudely interrupted by Ruth slapping his shoulder, and glaring at him, as if this whole event was his fault.

"What was that for?" Gatrie demanded.

"Don't act like you don't know!" Ruth replied.

"I promise you, I don't!"

"Oh don't play dumb with me, you big oaf." Ruth responded as she pointed to the corpse, "That man clearly was at the beginning of his transformation. It was the first time he raged out like that, and there is NO WAY the Light could have gotten to him as quick as they did. Gatsu came here looking for someone else..."

"Ok..." Gatrie replied, still unsure what this loud woman was talking about, "And how is that my fault?"

"Fine!" Ruth declared, flailing her hands in anger, "I'll spell it out for you...When I came home today my people told me that your friend was in a coma for two weeks without any injury...and Devilkin are known for their rapid healing! And he gets up, completely fine, and leaves...after getting into a bar fight with a whole gang before hand, and surviving! Don't act like you don't already know that Gatsu care here looking for your red headed buddy!"

"That's ridiculous!" Gatrie now raised his voice in frustration, and defense of his friend. "Shinon and I were shipwrecked here! We got beat up by a bunch of fish people...he's not a demon! Don't get me wrong, he's a jerk sometimes...but that's just normal human stuff! I've known him for years, you're crazy if you think he's a Devil...whatever."

Gatrie turned to walk away and Ruth began to follow him. He turned his head to see her following, and he asked. "What are you doing?"

"I told you that I am coming with you!" Ruth declared, as she took bigger steps to catch up with him. "Now not only do you owe me for a room...but an ENTIRE TAVERN! I know this is your fault, somehow. Crap didn't start happening in our town until you and your friend came. So I'll get my money back, one way or another."

"I think I hate this region..." Gatrie grumbled to himself as the two continued to walk out of town, "Fish people...demons...and loud angry women...it's the absolute worst!"