High Guardian Spice: Side Bets
Chapter Two: The Milf Hunter
Basil had never ridden on a broomstick before. She had never experienced the wind blasting through her hair, the freezing bite of the air around her, and the sight of the valleys of clouds they flew through. Olive hadn't warned her about how fast they would go, and Basil was clinging to her new friend for dear life. They zipped through the sky, illuminated by the full moon and the stars above. After a half hour of flight, the two spotted lights in the distance.
"That should be Pebble, just ahead!" Hollered Olive. "If we can find a tavern or a motel to spend the rest of the night, we can go looking for my friends in the morning!"
"How do you know that's Pebble?" Shouted Basil back. "You don't have a map or compass or anything!" Olive laughed and pointed to the stars above.
"I learned how to navigate using the stars when I was a kid! See? That right there, the brightest one, is the north star. Pebble is due North of the forest we just left. I saw it on a map when I was up in Lyngarth!" She waved her free hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, I won't get us lost!"
"Okay," replied Basil, still worried. She was still on edge about these supposed friends. News could get to the village the next day about their escape, and Basil was pretty sure that most of the villagers wouldn't want two violent criminals hanging around the place. The two swooped down, descending into the outskirts of town, skimming the village streets. Looking for anyplace that might be open, they darted around the town, but no luck. Finally, after a few frantic moments of searching, they found a building with its windows lit with warm candlelight. Olive yanked her broom towards the place, anxious to get inside and out of the cold. They skidded to a stop right outside the door. It seemed to be a tavern, with a worn wooden sign proclaiming it to be the Poppin' Poppy. Relieved to be safe at last, the two landed the broom, brushed the snow off their cloaks, and stepped inside.
It was a cozy little place, with wooden floors, cobblestone walls, and a neat little bar. A fireplace crackled in the corner, lighting the space with dancing light. A sleepy bartender leaned back on his stool, nodding at the girls when they walked in. The only patrons seemed to be a man with a large witch hat, a bad shave, and a blue ponytail asleep in a chair near the door, and two others at the bar. One was a middle-aged woman, also with a large witch's hat and long blue hair, who seemed vaguely familiar to Olive. The other was another man, this one much younger, tall with long limbs and short lilac hair with long bangs, so long the just about covered the side of his face. He was chatting up the blue haired woman as they drank together, charming her with his cheesy lines. The woman, it seemed to Olive, was too drunk to really listen to the guy, but was enticed by the younger man's attention. With enough booze, it looked like anyone could be a prince charming.
Olive pulled her hood over her head tighter, not wanting to reveal her cat ears, and approached the bar. The bartender lifted his weary gaze and stood up to greet them.
"Welcome to the Poppin' Poppy. What can I get for you?" He said with a yawn.
"Do you have any milk?" Asked Olive, "I'm parched."
"I'll have some tea, if available." Basil chimed in. She looked around the place, taking in the cozy atmosphere. "Do you have any food on hand?"
The bartender nodded, and reached under the bar, fumbling about for a bit. He produced a stale dinner roll and handed it to Basil.
"I was gonna just throw it out, but I'll let you have it instead, kid." He watched as Basil munched happily on the roll. "I think I have a few bags of tea and a bottle of milk left in the back – I'll go see and prepare if I can." Basil and Olive nodded. He slowly made his way out the back, leaving the two to find a place to rest for the moment. Olive found a nice rocking chair by the fire, and Basil decided to take a seat at the bar, hoping to eavesdrop on the drunk patrons next to her.
"You know, Chicory," said the woman, "You're quite handsome. You should come over and have dinner at our place sometime. It's been dreadfully dull without my daughter Sage around, and my husband is no help at all." She cozied up to the young man, batting her eyelashes at him. Basil, trying not to be too conspicuous, kept stealing glances at the pair. The young man, Chicory, laughed and put his arm around the woman, taking a sip from his drink.
"Oh, I don't know about that," he teased. "I drink too much. Besides, I don't think you'll find me too attractive in the morning, my hair gets all tousled and frizzy." The woman giggled.
"I've heard stress can do that to you, you know. Maybe I could come over one night and help you relax?" She put her hand on Chicory's chest. He chuckled and pulled her closer.
"Oh yeah? And what will the neighbors say?" He grinned mischievously. "Maybe I'll tell them I'm helping you knead your dough, huh?" They giggled. "My hands are quite skilled, my dear: your bread won't get burned while I'm working in the kitchen, sugar. I'll even butter your biscuits." She giggled and blushed.
"How bold, yet vulgar! You're just like your mother, Chicory!" She said, face red as the fire. At this Chicory's expression darkened. Basil was still trying to understand the innuendos, but she could tell just how much that bothered him. Before he could respond, however, the bartender returned.
"You're a menace, Chicory," he chided the younger man. "Leave the older women of the town alone, you dog. I wouldn't be surprised if you've been cited by name in some divorce papers." Chicory brightened at the man's reappearance and laughed.
"Maybe if an old dog like you would be more social, I wouldn't have to keep this lovely lady company," He shot back. "You used to be quite the heartthrob, Sam! Don't be so snobbish when it comes to such things." Sam just shook his head and handed Basil her tea. She thanked him, and he walked over to Olive to give her the milk he had found. Basil took a sip of the tea – it was bitter, but hot, and warmed her almost instantly. As she drank, she could hear Olive loudly slurping down her milk in the corner. Now warmed up, Basil turned her focus back to the couple and the bartender.
"Isn't he just like his mother, Sam? He even looks just like her." The woman was insisting on pushing her talking point. She must've been far too drunk to tell that it bothered Chicory.
"I won't hear any more about my mother," said Chicory. "She's probably dead, so who cares? Let's just enjoy this moment together, sweetheart." He tried to take a sip, but the woman's aggressive cuddling almost knocked it out of his hand.
"Oh, come on! You should be proud to have a mother like her, she's best Guardian to ever live!" The woman was excited now, nuzzling Chicory's chest ferociously. "You certainly inherited her animal magnetism, hehehe!"
"He certainly inherited her drinking habits, I'll tell you that," Sam added dryly. "She would come down here all the time, drink half my inventory, and then leave most of the time without paying." Chicory nodded in agreement, downing the rest of his drink.
"She's a real BITCH, my momma," he said solemnly. "You'll never meet a viler woman than my mother: the great, the almighty, THE Lavender!" In the corner, Olive fell out of her chair with a crash. Cursing, she stood back up, now with the other's attention. She smiled weakly at them, and walked over, trying to look as casual as possible.
"So, you're mom's Lavender, right?" Asked Olive, trying very hard to stay calm.
"Uh-huh. What's it to you?" Chicory said.
"Uh… I know some information about your mom, specifically where she is and what she's up to."
"Uh-huh. So, she's alive, right?" Olive nodded vigorously.
"Oh, yes! And I can even tell you where she is."
"Oh yeah? Why should I trust a word of what you say, huh?" Olive took a deep breath and leaned in closer.
"You must have heard about the attack on High Guardian Academy, right?" He nodded. "Well, you could say I was involved directly." She lifted back the hood of her cloak, revealing her cat ears. The bartender let out a low whistle, and Chicory's eyes went wide. The woman didn't notice, still nestled on Chicory's chest.
"Holy hell, you must be Olive!" Chicory looked stunned. "I heard in a letter from Rosemary that you and that Mandrake fella damn near burnt the place to the ground!" He set down his empty glass and turned back to Olive, his attention now fully on her. "She only had good things to say about you, though. Good on you for helping her and her friends out. But I heard you got arrested? How'd you get down to Pebble?" Olive pulled up a barstool next to Basil and sat down.
"It's a long story," Olive started, "but to fill you in, our prison carriage got jumped by some goons and went up in smoke. I knew Rosemary lived around here, so I was hoping to find her here and give her some important information on the people behind all this. She and her friends are still in danger." She gestured to Basil. "Basil here is my former cellmate. We were stuck in a prison carriage headed to the coast, until the whole thing got set on fire by some goons. Basil and I helped each other out, and we're working together to find a place to lie low for a while." Basil waved to Chicory, who nodded in return. "Any chance you can help us out?"
"I don't have much to my name," he replied, "But I can offer you guys some shelter at my parent's place, just down the road. My dad's gotten sick in the last few years, so I've been helping him run his bakery."
"That would be incredible!" Said Basil. "We'll be wanted soon enough, though. There's no way the cops will just let one of their carriages be burnt down and not do anything about it."
"True," Olive said thoughtfully. "I also don't have a Terrasphere™ on me. We have basically no equipment, save what we scavenged during our escape." She gestured to Basil's swords and her own knife. 'We also don't have much of a plan, but my end goal is to find Lavender and put an end to whatever she's up to. I have a feeling that you want to find her too, friend." On the other side of the bar, Sam snorted.
"You kids are a real mess, huh?" He said, shaking his head. "I have a sister up near Lyngarth who runs the bar at a place called the Fairy Lights. It's a honeypot for criminal types, but I have the feeling that you guys might just fit in. My sister gets all sorts of customers, so if you're looking for Lavender, she might know something."
"Really?" Said Chicory. "I never knew you had a sister, Sam. What's her name?"
"Samantha. Our parents ain't the creative types."
"Huh. Fair enough."
"But why help us?" Basil inquired. "What's your angle, man?"
"Lavender still owes me money for all those years ago," grumbled Sam. "And on top of that, she was always rude. If you find her, break her nose for me or something." Olive chuckled, and Basil nodded solemnly.
"Wonderful!" Exclaimed Chicory. "I'm glad we ran into each other tonight, friends! A toast is in order; Sam, fill me up." Sam obliged him and filled up his glass to the very top. Chicory raised his glass high in the air, Basil and Olive copying him. "A toast! To friendship, and my mother's downfall!" The trio cheered.
"Well then," said Olive. "I think we should be headed out. We still need a place to lie low for the night." She got up from her barstool. "We're ready to go anytime you are, Chicory." Chicory nodded and turned his attention to the woman, who was still nuzzled into his chest, half asleep.
"Hey baby," he cooed, shaking her gently. She opened her eyes a bit and smiled. "Do you want to come back to my place? You can even stay over for breakfast if you'd like." He ran his fingers through her thick hair. "We can just leave your husband over there in the corner, okay? He doesn't have to know, baby." She giggled.
"You know it, babe. But first…" She pushed herself up towards his face and started to kiss him. Before long, the two of them were full on making out with each other. Basil looked on in awe, as Olive and Sam turned away out of secondhand embarrassment. The couple was really getting into it now, now French kissing in the slopiest, wettest, loudest way possible. They started to run their hands over each other, desperately feeling each other's skin. Their make out session got so vigorous, that after a full minute of smooching, the two fell to the ground with a loud crash.
"Is he always like this?" Olive Asked Sam. Sam nodded yes.
"I think he has some sort of deep-rooted Oedipus Complex or something." He shrugged. "I don't know. He's always been after older ladies, especially the moms. He's a weird guy, but he's a decent person." They stared at Chicory and the woman getting more entangled as the two lovers grew more passionate. "Anyways, don't worry about paying for the drinks. If you guys mange to find Lavender and give her hell, that would be enough for me."
"Thanks," replied Olive. "we'll say hi to your sister for you. Come on, Basil, lets disentangle our buddy here." She got up and had to yank Basil off her seat to get her to stop staring at the couple. As Olive was getting up, she noticed that the man in the corner was now awake. The man staggered out of his seat, approaching the bar. Olive and Basil grabbed hold of Chicory, and slowly pulled him form the woman's embrace. "Come on, you homewrecker."
"What the hell, guys?" He said, blue lipstick smeared on his face. "We were just about to – aww, shit." The blue haired man had finally made his way over and was now pointing at Chicory.
"You've touched my wife for the last time, you little weasel," he said angrily, trying to push his glasses back on his nose. "We had to go to marriage counseling for two months after your little hookup over the summer. We've been married for almost twenty years, have a beautiful daughter, and you come along just to ruin it? What is WRONG with you?"
"A lot of things," replied Chicory, drunkenly finding his balance. "But at least I'm not the neighborhood cuckold." Basil laughed, but Olive shushed her.
"I'm gonna kill you, you piece of trash!" The man swung his fist at Chicory, but he dodged out of the way easily. "I'm gonna take my marriage back from your grimy hands!" He swung again, but this time, Chicory countered with a left hook to the man's jaw. The man staggered back, and Chicory followed up his attack with a swift kick to the groin. The man let out a yell and fell to the ground.
"You make a better punching bag than a man, that for sure!" Crowed Chicory. He jumped on top of him and started to pummel the man's face. Olive grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him off the poor guy.
"You really are like your mom, Chicory," she grumbled. "That's exactly what she would've done."
"Thanks friend," said Chicory. "I guess you really do know my mom. We should get going – hey, uh, Basil? What're you doing?" Basil had knelt beside the man, who was now unconscious. It looked like she was going through his pocket.
"I'm tryna find this loser's money." She checked his other pocket and pulled out a leather sack of coins. "Aha!" She exclaimed, holding it high. "Now we have some cash for our trip." She opened it up gleefully, rifling through the bag, counting up the coins.
"Anyways," said Olive. "We should get going."
"Yeah," agreed Chicory. "We won't be able to stay the night in town, but we should be able to catch an early train to Lyngrath if we head to the train station soon. We can't chance this guy waking up and getting the cops on our tail. I hope you guys are ready for a trip."
"We rode in on a broomstick," said Basil, tucking away the coins. "Will that work?"
"Yes, but we can't all ride on it. But…" He knelt down to the woman, who was still sitting on the ground. She seemed completely undisturbed by the events she had just witnessed. "Hey, you had a broomstick with you, right darling?" The woman nodded and pointed to the corner.
"It's right over there. What do you need it for?" she asked. "Are we gonna go for a little ride?"
"Not exactly," he said. "I just need to borrow it for a while. Is that okay?" She smiled and put her hand on his thigh.
"What's mine is yours, handsome." She winked at him. He patted her on the head.
"Thanks, baby." He got up and retrieved the broomstick. "Thanks for everything, Sam. If I find my mom, I'll give her hell for you." Sam gave him a thumbs up.
"You got it kid. Remember, Fairy Lights is outside of Lyngarth, and ask for my sister Samantha. You guys should get going before our buddy here wakes up." The three thanked him and walked out the door. Now that she and Basil were joined by Chicory, Olive couldn't help but feel excited. It felt like she was actually gonna get somewhere, and these two were just the beginning of something great. She smiled, looking up at the moon. Finally, she was on track to fight back against the Triumvirate.
"My place is just down the road there. It won't take too long for me to gather some essentials." Chicory leads them down the quiet street. Snow had begun to fall lightly, accenting the already frosted over homes on the street. Eventually, the street ended, and lead out into an open field. In the middle of the field was a picturesque little cottage, smoke coming from the chimney. Once they got outside, Chicory pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the front door.
"This should only take me a few minutes," he said. "Keep an eye, will you?" he went inside and shut the door silently, leaving the other two out in the cold. Alone, Basil turned to Olive.
"Do you think we can trust him?" She said. "After all, he is this Lavender woman's son. What if he's working with her?" She looked concerned, but Olive just shook her head.
"There's no way." Olive stated. "Lavender never mentioned that she had a son, just the daughter I met up at High Guardian Academy. They're obviously not on good terms, so I trust him. Besides, I barely even know Lavender. He's gonna be crucial if I wanna take Lavender out." Basil nodded in agreement. Before they could talk anymore, Chicory opened the door, cloak wrapped around him and a bag over his shoulder.
"I'm all set to go," he said. "And look!" He pulled back his cloak to reveal a sword fastened to his side. "My mom gave me this saber a long time ago and showed me how to use it. Ever since, I've been practicing, readying myself for the day I see her again." He looked determined. "Thanks to you guys that day may come soon enough. I can't thank you enough, Olive."
"No need," she replied. "Lets get going. I don't wanna be out in the snow any longer than we have to." And with that, the trio mounted their brooms, and set off into he snowy night, headed towards an uncertain future.