Let us begin with that chapter, shall we?
Chapter 3 – The Princess, The Elf, The Demon and The Wanderer Part 3
Bean, Elfo, Luci, and Koga had finally arrived in Southwold. Bean's eyes scanned the area around her. Everything looked so much cleaner, more organized, and everyone didn't look so withered down or bitter. Here in Southwold, people looked full of energy, neighbors, and townfolks were in groups conversating and laughing. Some were waving at Koga as he trotted by on his horse. They greeted him, welcoming him back to the village.
"Hey Koga, it's good to see you! Welcome back!" said one of the villagers
"Hey William, good to see you too!" Koga replied waving at him with a big smile on his face.
"HEY, GUYS KOGA'S BACK!" said a young boy named Samuel. His hair was short and blond, his eyes were bright blue and his skin was pale. The other kids of the town came rushing over to where Samuel was to greet Koga.
"KOGA YOU'RE BACK!" said a young girl named Isabella, whose hair was long and brown and her eyes were brown.
"Well if it isn't Southwold's local delinquents!" said Koga, smirking at the kids as they followed.
"We didn't see you again for a long time Koga, is everything ok?" Isabella asked worriedly
"Oh, everything's fine. I've just run into a couple of snags on my travels," said Koga reassuringly "No need to worry guys."
Samuel looked over at Bean, Elfo, and Luci. But his eyes were more transfixed on Bean "Who's the White-haired big lady? Her teeth are like a rabbit,"
A vein popped on Beans head but she smiled and looked down at Samuel "It's not nice to say rude things like that to a girl kid, they might just sock you in the face!" She bawled her fist at Samuel which caused him to back away terrified.
"Oooh what a cute kitty!" said Isabella, her eyes glowing at Luci.
"Ugh…I give up…" said Luci, facepalming
Isabella let out a small gasp "It talked!" She clasps her hands on her cheek.
One of the other kids that were following looked over at Elfo "Whoa is that a troll?"
"Hey, I'm not a troll I'm an elf!" Elfo said taken aback.
"Yeah right! Your face is too weird to be a troll!" said one of the other boys.
"Ouch…right in the self–esteem…" said Elfo sighing, patting his chest where his heart was.
Koga was doing his very best to hold in his laughter but failed and he started letting out all of his snickers and small bits of chuckles. This caused Bean to tug roughly on the back of Koga's long black hair. "IS IT FUNNY KOGA? HUH?" She yelled at him.
"OW! NOT THE HAIR!" Koga yelped.
Then Isabella gasped again "Oooh I get it! She's his Girlfriend!"
"WHAT?" said Bean, her eyes widened at Isabella
"No way! Koga could do some much better than that!" said Samuel, sticking his tongue out at bean.
"OK! THAT'S IT! COME HERE YOU LITTLE RUNT I'M GOING TO RING YOUR NECK!" Bean roared, glaring at Samuel.
Samuel and the rest of his friends laughed and mocked bean as they ran off, shouting something to do with Bean and her buckteeth.
Luci just laughed "Those kids are awesome,"
Once that greeting was done, Koga had arrived at small in where he and the trio of Bean, Luci, and Elfo got off the horse and stretched. Koga hitches his horse and lets out a big yawn. "Man I can't wait to sleep on something that's not solid ground," He said tiredly.
"I can't wait to get a good drink in my system, it feels like ages since I had one," said Bean
"Well if it's a drink you're looking for then there's a bar inside the inn," Koga informed her. He turns around to her and she was gone. He looks over at the doors to the end seeing that they were opened, then they closed "Well…"
Bean walked into the bar with a big smile on her face. The bar and inn had such a warm and happy feel. Everyone around was of course, drunk but they all looked so cheerful and happy to be around one another. This was such a different feel from the bars she would normally go to. At the front counter of the bar, a jolly-looking woman with her blond hair tied in a knot was cleaning out one of the drinking glasses. She laid eyes on Bean and smiled "Hello there missy! Welcome to Barbaras Bar and inn!" She said happily as she placed the glass down "Staying for a night or do you wanna get drunk?" She asked with a giggle.
"Both!" Bean said walking over and sitting down on a stool. "Are you the owner of this place?"
"Yup that I am! My old man passed away two years ago and I became the owner, and renamed it barbaras inn!" Barbara explained happily
"Oh I'm so sorry to hear that," said Bean with a small frown
Barbara smiled at her "Oh No worries, sweetheart," She then rubs her chin and looks at Bean. "I don't think I've seen you around these parts before."
"OH uh yeah I'm not from here. I'm just traveling is all," said Bean smiling nervously.
"Oh? Where ya from?" She asked curiously.
Bean was going to answer vaguely when Koga, Elfo, and Luci walked into the bar. Barbara gasp along with a few other guests when they laid eyes on him. "HEY KOGA'S BACK!" said one of the guests. Everyone went over to greet Koga and pat him on the back. Babara nearly suffocated him when she brought him into a big bear hug, causing Koga to let out some groans of pain. "Ooooh, I'm so happy to see you again! You've gotten so big! And my goodness dear you need a haircut!"
"It's good to see you to Ms. Barbara, and no thanks," Koga said, laughing happily.
"Come on now! I'll treat you to a drink on the house!" said Barbara, as she brings him over to the front counter.
Koga, Elfo, and Luci sat next to Bean as Barbara began preparing the drinks. Some of the guests were all looking over at the four of them. Some were talking pretty loudly.
"I must have had one too many…is that an elf and a cat sitting at the bar?"
"Wow, I've never seen an elf that looks like that before…is it sick?"
"Forget the elf that cat looks weirder…"
Luci grumbled, "Just let It go Luci…let it go…they'll burn in hell soon…"
"Am I that weird looking?" Elfo asked himself.
Barbra placed four glasses on the table. Bean noticed how small they were compared to the others in the bar. "Uh…can I get a bigger glass please?" she asked politely
"Oh, so you can handle their beverages huh? Certainly missy!" said Barbara as she switched Beans glass for a bigger one.
"Looks like Luci was right. You do love your alcohol." Koga said, placing his right elbow on the table and resting his chin in the palm of his hand.
"Look If it's one thing that I love and what helps me through the day is a nice cold glass of beer!" said Bean, licking her lips as Barbara began pouring her glass.
"Hahaha! That's right my deary!" said Barbara with a grin. "Oh, are you traveling with Koga?"
Bean grabs her glass by the handle "Well in a way yeah…" she replied softly. She had almost forgotten that Koga was sent out by her father to be retrieved by Koga. Now the four of them were being pursued by an organization out to get a key that involved Dragons. This wasn't Bean's idea of being free.
"Oooh, that's nice! And I see you also have some little traveling companions with you as well. Especially this cute right here," Barbra smiled at Elfo. "What's your name little one?"
"I'm Elfo!" said Elfo, with a big smile on his face and happy to know someone didn't think he looked off.
"Names Luci Toots, nice beer by the way," said Luci as he had already drunk his whole glass.
Barbara giggled at Luci as she then goes to clean the already drunken glass jugs. Bean looks over at Koga and noticed that he took a few sips, and his face twisted a bit. Bean raised a brow and she smirked "What's wrong Koga?"
"What?" Koga snaps his eyes on Bean.
"You know Koga you don't have to drink if you don't want to," Elfo said, staring at him.
"What's that? Is Koga still a lightweight?" said one of the guests sitting at the table.
"I'M NOT A LIGHTWEIGHT!" Koga shouted at them, and the whole bar erupted into laughter as he blushed an embarrassment.
"Oh Koga ignore them, you know they're just teasing," said Barbara, letting out a few giggles herself.
"Not a lightweight huh?" said Bean, grinning at Koga "Prove it then oh mighty Koga,"
Everyone In the bar let out an "OOOOOOOH" As they watched in interest. Koga growled and glared at Bean, who was looking at him with a big smirk on her face. Bean was the first to start the drinking contest as she lifts her glass mug and chugs it all within a matter of seconds and slams the mug back onto the counter and let out a loud burp. Everyone in the bar erupted into loud cheers for Bean. Koga's jaw dropped, and he started at Bean in shock. "Well come on Koga!" said one of the guests. Koga stared at his glass. He lets out a sigh and he does the same as Bean. Bean's eyes widened a bit, surprised that Koga chugged his beer and slammed it down to the table. Everyone watched him eagerly. Then, Koga grin. "S-See? I'm not…a lightweight hahaha!" After that, Koga passed out face first on the table.
"THERE IT IS!" said shouted from the crowd and everyone burst out laughing.
"Tch…Lightweight," said Bean, poking Koga's head in victory.
"Hey girl what's your name?" Someone asked her
"Tia-I mean, uh, just call me Bean!" said Bean, chuckling nervously
"CHEERS TO BEAN!" said The man, as he chugs his whole glass and flops onto the floor.
"Tsk tsk, the boy still gives in to the peer pressure when he doesn't have to," said Barbara taking Koga's glass away from him. "If it's one thing Koga can't stand is a pint."
"So does Koga come by this town a lot? He seems pretty popular here." Asked Elfo
"Oh no, Koga grew up here," Barbara informed.
"Ooh, no wonder he picked this town over the other one," said Bean, sliding her glass over to Barbara for a refill and Barbara does so.
"Oh yes, I remember the first time our local swordsman brought him back from the mountains," said Barbara, reminiscing about that day.
"Wait what?" said Luci confused "He was born in the mountains? I thought you said he was raised here?"
"Well, technically he was raised, taught, and loved here in town," Barbara corrected herself "A couple of swordsmen went up to the mountains to chase a giant troll that had killed our livestock. Once they made it up to the mountains they found the troll cut in half. And there he was, small, wild wide eyes with a sword in hand. Well, that's what one of the swordsmen said."
"He…killed a fully grown troll when he was a kid?" said Bean in disbelief.
"Yup, when he was…" Barbara paused for a moment trying to remember "I'd say, he was six."
"SIX?" said Elfo slamming her hands on the table. "NO WAY!"
There was a loud burp that came from a man behind Bean. A piece of his ear was missing along with his right foot. "It's not a lie little Elf…" said a man named Marco. "That lightweight over there was relentless. He came out at us swinging with a sword in hand and sliced through our swords like butter. The only thing he lacked was proper sword training, and how to speak."
"That's Marco, he was one of the local swordsmen who watched over Southwold," Barbara explained.
"I still would be if I wasn't looking like this," said Marco, burping again.
"So…Koga was left on the mountains?" Bean asked him.
"Everything Barbara told you Is what we know about Koga. When he was fully taught how to read and write. There wasn't much he could tell us either. We don't even know if his family is alive or dead."
Suddenly Koga lift's his head, causing Bean, Elfo, and Luci to flinch in surprise. Koga held his hand over his mouth and he ran to the back. Barbara giggled "Called it. Ahh, that brings back memories." She smiled. She then turns to Bea, Elfo, and Luci. "So will you all be staying the night?"
"Yeah!" Bean nods with a bright smile on her face "Umm…uh…"
"Don't worry," Barbara whispered. "It's on the house too,"
"Thanks!" Bean whispered back smiling.
Once nighttime had fully come around. Bean was sitting on her bed, staring out at the nighttime sky. She couldn't sleep at all. For the first time in two days, she thought about her father. She wondered what he was thinking right now. Was he worried about her only daughter? Or was he more worried about the wedding? Bean looked over at Elfo and Luci who were fast asleep on the other bed. Bean could only guess what was going through her father's mind. But as for Beans, she had made up hers. Bean gets of bed and places her boots on and heads over to Elfo and Luci and shakes them roughly.
"Guys come on get up!" said Bean, quietly as she could.
"Hey I'm trying to sleep here…" Groaned Luci, opening his eyes. "What's going on?"
"We're leaving out of this town. Come on,"
Bean looked down at Elfo and began shaking him "Elfo wake up!"
"N-No Daddy Elfo! I'll be good! Don't spank me on the bum bum again!" Elfo cried as he quickly lays up. The two of them were just staring at Elfo. And Elfo just stared back. "Uh…I wasn't talking in my sleep was I?"
Bean and Luci just looked at each other for a moment "No not at all," Bean replied. "Anyway, come on Elfo we're leaving,"
"Already?"
"Yes, we are. Besides, it won't be long before Koga takes us back to Dreamland, and I am not going back! So come on," said Bean as she slowly walks towards the door, she places her hand around the handle and opens it quietly. "First thing I need to do is get my sword back…"
Bean snuck down the hallway to Koga's room. She opens the door steadily and peeks in. She sees that Koga is fast asleep. She slowly walks in and looks around. Three swords were sitting in a corner, one greatsword and two shortswords. Bean walks over to get her short sword her she knocks her foot against the bed. "SHIT" She whispered and she looks at Koga. Koga didn't wake up at all or even turn over.
"Bean, hurry up," Luci whispered to Bean.
"Alright alright," Bean replied quietly as she grabs her shortsword and gives one last look at Koga. Koga looked as though he was having a nightmare. His teeth were clenched and he was sweating beads.
"Bean what are you doing?" said Luci as he stepped in quietly, carrying in an empty bag.
"N-Nothing," said Bean as she turned away from Koga to look at Luci. She then watched as Luci began pillaging around the room, taking some things out of Koga's satchel. "What're you doing?" She said in a whispered panic.
"Just borrowing some things for the road," Luci replied, just mindlessly tossing whatever he could get his hands on in the empty bag. Luci ties it up and tosses it to Bean. "Come on, let's roll,"
The Trio left the inn and head outside. Bean tied her sword around her waist and ready's the horse. The three of them hop on and they rode off. From afar, a group of people that hid in the shadows was watching from a telescope.
Noland scoffs as he watched Bean ride off "I had a feeling that punk would lead them back here," He puts away his Telescope.
"What's the plan sir?" asked one of the goons.
"You two, go into the inn and see if he has the key, you and you," He points at two others "Will come with me to get the princess," said Nolan as he gets on his horse. "Move out."
Two teams went into the inn, and Noland and his other two goons went after Bean.