Chapter Thirty Two
She marched down to the center of town, Laguna at her heels, fully armored. Jea's attitude was one of righteous anger, her fury making her even more calm and calculating than an assassin.
Jea stopped at the gates to the gaudiest house in town. Walking to the front gates in the darkening twilight, she grimaced. "Great. The old bitch is having a party. Fun."
Laguna said nothing, standing at her shoulder protectively. Jea banged loudly on the door with her fist.
A hush fell over the voices inside, and a minute later someone opened the door. A skinny little man with bushy white hair peered out at them. "Jea!" he gasped in shock.
"Yes, Uncle Oakley, its me. Now get Auntie. She and I need to CHAT."
He nodded and called, "Guendar! Door for you!" Then he looked to Jea again. "Good luck, lass," he whispered, almost inaudible.
A large, hulking, overweight woman in her fifties shoved Oakley out of the way. Her hair was a hideously dyed shade of orangey-red, and her face was slathered with pounds and pounds of cosmetics (the medieval equivalent of make-up BLEH!!). Her fake smile turned malicious when she realized it was Jea.
"Well, well.The HALFBREED returns. Do come in."
Snickers were heard around the room as the heavily pregnant Jea entered, tailed by the armed Laguna. Murmurs sprang up in the background, speculating, but Jea ignored them. She was fixed on one thing-the woman, "Auntie," who was sneering at her.
"Well, it looks like the little tramp got herself into trouble. Are you coming home to Auntie to beg for help and forgiveness, you little half- breed, vagabond whore? We all know its not your fault you were born to be a slut."
Laguna was fuming quietly. Before he could say anything on his wife's behalf, though, Jea advanced. With a vicious snarl that sounded as if a wolf had made it, the mahogany haired ranger grabbed her aunt by the front of the shirt, lifting her into the air. "Listen, AUNTIE, you snobby, stuck up, hypocritical BITCH! I am not, nor have I ever been a tramp or a whore-I left this town to get away from YOU! I don't need or want your help!
"I want the stuff you took from Papa, NOW. Either you give it to me or I will take it back, by force!" Jea turned to her Uncle. "Uncle, would you get me Papa's things? I will be taking them." The thin man nodded fearfully and dashed into another room.
Her aunt spat at her. "You can't take those! That's stealing!"
Jea shrugged. "Then call me 'Robin Hood.' I don't see how it could be stealing considering its not yours anyway. Its Papa's. Oh, Uncle Oakley, thank you."
Jea took the satchel from her uncle and casually shoved her aunt backwards. "Oh, and 'Auntie?' STAY AWAY FROM MY PAPA! If you take advantage of him again, I will come back and I will Kill you MYSELF."
She turned to leave. By the time her aunt had recovered sufficiently, Jea was outside, the door swinging closed behind her. Laguna hadn't left yet, though.
'Auntie' snapped spitefully at Jea's back "You stupid half-breed whore, you're nothing but a slut who spreads her legs for any passing male that came your way, and mark my words, you'll end up worse off than your worthless father!"
Laguna snapped. This woman presumed too much, had taken one step too far. Infuriated, he turned towards the party and the aunt. Striding by 'Auntie,' the enraged paladin drew Quar. Bringing it to bear on the buffet table, he violently chopped it in two.
Fuming, the paladin of the Order of Goku turned on the woman. "I do not appreciate your comments regarding my wife," he stated icily. "You will apologize. Now."
'Auntie' gave him a dirty look and crossed her arms in defiance. "You owe me a new table, asshole."
Laguna frown and repeated, "You WILL apologize to my wife, right now."
She sneered at him in refusal. Laguna reached out with one hand, and picked her up by the scruff. Then he proceeded to go THROUGH the front door.Literally. The heavy oaken door disintegrated and he dropped the malevolent woman on the paved path at Jea's feet. "You have no choice. You will apologize. Do it!"
The woman stared at her niece with undisguised disgust. Laguna roared, "APOLOGIZE!!!!!!" and drove his sword into the stone path, sinking it halfway to the hilt (through about 8 inches of solid stone-one piece of rock!) The whole town reverberated with both the sound of his roar and the shattering of stone.
The woman babbled a hurried apology to Jea, and rushed past Laguna in fear, reeking of the former contents of her bladder and bowels. Laguna jerked Quar from the earth and sheathed it in one motion. Then he offered his arm to his wife. "Shall we go get some sleep, Jea?"
The ranger grinned wickedly. "Of course, Lover. Let's go. I'm tired." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Have I told you lately how wonderful you are?"
"Not lately." He laughed.
They walked back to her father's house, arm in arm. At Auntie's they were all recovering from Laguna's tirade. In all the commotion, neither side noticed the enormous black wolf depositing the very exotic, venomous snake gingerly on an open back window in Guendar's room. Growling a soft thanks to the snake, the lupine monstrosity disappeared into the dark of the night, eyes gleaming like green lanterns in the woods.
She marched down to the center of town, Laguna at her heels, fully armored. Jea's attitude was one of righteous anger, her fury making her even more calm and calculating than an assassin.
Jea stopped at the gates to the gaudiest house in town. Walking to the front gates in the darkening twilight, she grimaced. "Great. The old bitch is having a party. Fun."
Laguna said nothing, standing at her shoulder protectively. Jea banged loudly on the door with her fist.
A hush fell over the voices inside, and a minute later someone opened the door. A skinny little man with bushy white hair peered out at them. "Jea!" he gasped in shock.
"Yes, Uncle Oakley, its me. Now get Auntie. She and I need to CHAT."
He nodded and called, "Guendar! Door for you!" Then he looked to Jea again. "Good luck, lass," he whispered, almost inaudible.
A large, hulking, overweight woman in her fifties shoved Oakley out of the way. Her hair was a hideously dyed shade of orangey-red, and her face was slathered with pounds and pounds of cosmetics (the medieval equivalent of make-up BLEH!!). Her fake smile turned malicious when she realized it was Jea.
"Well, well.The HALFBREED returns. Do come in."
Snickers were heard around the room as the heavily pregnant Jea entered, tailed by the armed Laguna. Murmurs sprang up in the background, speculating, but Jea ignored them. She was fixed on one thing-the woman, "Auntie," who was sneering at her.
"Well, it looks like the little tramp got herself into trouble. Are you coming home to Auntie to beg for help and forgiveness, you little half- breed, vagabond whore? We all know its not your fault you were born to be a slut."
Laguna was fuming quietly. Before he could say anything on his wife's behalf, though, Jea advanced. With a vicious snarl that sounded as if a wolf had made it, the mahogany haired ranger grabbed her aunt by the front of the shirt, lifting her into the air. "Listen, AUNTIE, you snobby, stuck up, hypocritical BITCH! I am not, nor have I ever been a tramp or a whore-I left this town to get away from YOU! I don't need or want your help!
"I want the stuff you took from Papa, NOW. Either you give it to me or I will take it back, by force!" Jea turned to her Uncle. "Uncle, would you get me Papa's things? I will be taking them." The thin man nodded fearfully and dashed into another room.
Her aunt spat at her. "You can't take those! That's stealing!"
Jea shrugged. "Then call me 'Robin Hood.' I don't see how it could be stealing considering its not yours anyway. Its Papa's. Oh, Uncle Oakley, thank you."
Jea took the satchel from her uncle and casually shoved her aunt backwards. "Oh, and 'Auntie?' STAY AWAY FROM MY PAPA! If you take advantage of him again, I will come back and I will Kill you MYSELF."
She turned to leave. By the time her aunt had recovered sufficiently, Jea was outside, the door swinging closed behind her. Laguna hadn't left yet, though.
'Auntie' snapped spitefully at Jea's back "You stupid half-breed whore, you're nothing but a slut who spreads her legs for any passing male that came your way, and mark my words, you'll end up worse off than your worthless father!"
Laguna snapped. This woman presumed too much, had taken one step too far. Infuriated, he turned towards the party and the aunt. Striding by 'Auntie,' the enraged paladin drew Quar. Bringing it to bear on the buffet table, he violently chopped it in two.
Fuming, the paladin of the Order of Goku turned on the woman. "I do not appreciate your comments regarding my wife," he stated icily. "You will apologize. Now."
'Auntie' gave him a dirty look and crossed her arms in defiance. "You owe me a new table, asshole."
Laguna frown and repeated, "You WILL apologize to my wife, right now."
She sneered at him in refusal. Laguna reached out with one hand, and picked her up by the scruff. Then he proceeded to go THROUGH the front door.Literally. The heavy oaken door disintegrated and he dropped the malevolent woman on the paved path at Jea's feet. "You have no choice. You will apologize. Do it!"
The woman stared at her niece with undisguised disgust. Laguna roared, "APOLOGIZE!!!!!!" and drove his sword into the stone path, sinking it halfway to the hilt (through about 8 inches of solid stone-one piece of rock!) The whole town reverberated with both the sound of his roar and the shattering of stone.
The woman babbled a hurried apology to Jea, and rushed past Laguna in fear, reeking of the former contents of her bladder and bowels. Laguna jerked Quar from the earth and sheathed it in one motion. Then he offered his arm to his wife. "Shall we go get some sleep, Jea?"
The ranger grinned wickedly. "Of course, Lover. Let's go. I'm tired." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Have I told you lately how wonderful you are?"
"Not lately." He laughed.
They walked back to her father's house, arm in arm. At Auntie's they were all recovering from Laguna's tirade. In all the commotion, neither side noticed the enormous black wolf depositing the very exotic, venomous snake gingerly on an open back window in Guendar's room. Growling a soft thanks to the snake, the lupine monstrosity disappeared into the dark of the night, eyes gleaming like green lanterns in the woods.