Chapter 7: Bedrock Bay
To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.
-Freya Stark
Day 5
Bedrock Bay
I woke up and clutched my side. I was getting really sick of waking up in pain. I honestly hope this isn't going to be a regular thing. I rolled over and sat up, throwing my legs over the side of the bed. I looked down and my abdomen to see a large bandage wrapped around me. There were bloodstains here and there, but not as much as I expected. I stood up and twisted around, testing my range of movement. The pain wasn't gone, but I could definitely move a lot more freely. Everything checked out just fine, really. I pulled up my arm and checked my stats;
Health: 89.4 / 120
Wow. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I mean, I knew medical brew was good at it's job but this was just impressive. I felt like taking the bandage off to check the damage, but decided against it. I wasn't a doctor, so I would wait to see how bad it was. I did a quick survey of myself instead. I was visibly pale, but not as much as before. My pants were still ripped and I was still missing shoes and my shirt. My bag still held what few belongings I had; my hatchet, club, waterskin, scorpion shells, and the journal. There was a visible scar running the length of my calf, with small dots where teeth had sunk in. My arms still had scratches that by now had scabbed over. Bruises were still apparent all over my body, but some had faded from yesterday. I sighed and closed my inventory, running a hand through my hair to counter the bed head. It was an inadequate counter. I slung the bag over my shoulder with ease and opened the window. Blinding light flooded the room as I got my first good view of the town.
The whole town was built around a narrow bay. The bay itself was formed from a narrow strip of land that jutted out from the island before curling back to form a shallow crescent. The mouth of the bay itself was actually rather narrow. So much in fact, that a bridge actually spanned the length of the opening. Along the peninsula were several buildings, ranging from stalls to larger buildings. All of them seemed to leave the middle of the inlet untouched to allow for a road to cut through. Along the ocean side were several docks, a few of which were harboring some form of watercraft. Everything from small canoes to larger sailboats. The harbor seemed rather empty, with there being more vacant spots than full ones. The side of the bay alongside the island seemed to be more residential, with a more open beach and smaller homes set back towards the tree line. The street bustled with people, many of whom were going to various shops and stalls. Down below the window, Mira was running around with Brownie hot on her heels. The monkey jumped up and tapped her back before running the opposite direction. Mira swerved and took off after the small mammal. It seemed they were playing tag.
I waved an arm and called down to her. "Morning kiddo!"
Mira stopped and looked around before spotting me. She made a face and stuck her tongue out at me stubbornly before continuing her game.
"Does this mean you're still grumpy?" I called sarcastically.
A voice rang from downstairs. "Don't just yell out the window like a fool! If you're gonna make a racket, come downstairs and do it face-to-face like proper people!"
I rolled my eyes and pulled my head back inside. I pushed open the door and made my way downstairs. A heavenly scent wafted up from the kitchen. As I walked through, my attention was drawn to the stove which was alive with cooking, everything from sizzling meat to fried eggs. A grumble escaped my stomach as I gazed at the food. I glanced around to see if Ellen was anywhere nearby. Satisfied that I was alone, I surveyed the bounty of food in front of me. There was quite a lot, much more than needed to feed only three people. "Just... ONE bite wouldn't hurt..." I reached out to pull a chunk of meat off the cutting board. I froze just before when a new sound filled the kitchen. At first I thought a chunk of fat had burst on the oven, releasing a hiss, but then I realized that I had heard it before. I stood there trying to remember when I last heard such a hiss when a glob of slime struck me in the back of my leg. I spun around and came face-to-knee with a brown dilo, frill open and hissing loudly. It's color made it blend in so well with the wooden walls of the kitchen that I hadn't noticed it when I entered. I reached into my bag and grabbed my club. I was in the middle of pulling it out when a loud smack rang through the room. I let go and clutched my now stinging hand before turning to my new attacker.
Ellen stood behind me with a wooden spoon raised high, ready to swing again. "Whadaya think you're doing, child? This food ain't free!" She smacked the spoon against her palm for emphasis. "And don't you dare get any ideas about hurting ol' Scrappy here." She pointed to the hissing lizard. "She might be old, but she can still take down a sting bean like yourself!" She pushed me towards the door. "Now get! This kitchen is for cooks only only!"
I held up my hands in surrender and walked towards the door. The dilo hissed and snapped at me as I passed. I quickly sidestepped it and darted through the doorway into the tavern. Several patrons were seated around the tables and bar.
One of them raised a hand and called out. "Oi, waiter! When's the grub coming up?"
I stood there confused. I glanced around before realizing he was speaking to me. I chuckled lightly and held up my hands. "Oh sorry. I don't actually work he-"
I was cut off as Ellen burst through the kitchen door with a platter of food. "Oh yes you do. You think I rent out rooms for charity?" She shoved the platter into my arms. "Now go pass these out to those fine gentlemen. The breakfast rush will be picking up soon, and I could use the extra waiter."
My eyes darted between the food in my arms, the angry elderly woman in front of me, and the expectant-looking customer of the tavern. I sighed, realizing I had no say in the matter, and obliged. For the next two hours, I ran food out of the kitchen and dishes back in. My stomach grumbled at the sight of all the plates of food in front of me, but I didn't dare try to sneak a bite from any of the plates. Such an attempt would either earn me another slap from the surprisingly painful wooden spoon, or a glare from the patrons, neither of which seemed worth risking. Upon finishing meals, customers would leave behind varying numbers of different sized teeth, presumably and hopefully taken from dinos. I couldn't guess what the reason for this was, but every patron was doing it so I figured it was normal. I amassed the dental haul in a basket behind the bar. When everyone had been served and the majority had left, I sat down at the bar to rest. I leaned on my arm on the table and shut my eyes for a moment. I snapped them open in surprise as a plate clattered in front of me. I looked down to see a steaming slab of meat with a side of eggs in front of me. Next to the plate were a few small teeth. I looked up to see Ellen standing with her arms crossed. "You learn quick, but your customer service is as lacking as it gets. That's your pay for the day."
I'm pretty sure I was drooling. I picked up a fork as dug in, wolfing down the meal. After the first few bites I slowed. A sparkle grew in my eye as I actually registered the taste. This was by far the best food I've tasted yet. Given most everything I've eaten so far was half-cooked or totally raw, that wasn't saying much. But it was still easily delicious. I chewed slower and savored the taste more, taking smaller bites.
As I ate, I held up one of the teeth and examined it. I opened my mouth to ask about it when the spoon smacked the table again. "Don't talk with your mouth full! Honestly child, do you have any manners?"
I swallowed and chuckled. "In a manner of speaking, yes I do."
Ellen shook her head. "Oh, what am I going to do with you...?" She looked me up and down for a minute. "Well for starters, you can get some a new attire. Bloodstained rags are just not sanitary."
"And having a dino living in your kitchen is?"
She looked at me with a deadpan expression that matched her tone. "There's a shop towards the mouth of the bay that you can barter at to get some clothes on your back." She shooed me away with a wave from her spoon. "Make sure you're back before the lunch rush. You're still paying off your bills."
I rolled my eyes and got up from the bar. I slung my bag over my shoulder and pocketed the handful of small teeth. I was about to leave when I remembered I needed to check up on Catcher. I pushed through the swinging door of the tavern and walked around back. Mira had run off somewhere, probably into town. I would have preferred she stuck around where I could keep track of her, but I guess she could be trusted. After all she's been here before. I could hear voices as I rounded the tavern.
"It looks kinda stringy..."
"Did Ellen add it to her menu? Doesn't seem like her style..."
"The teeth would be a pretty profit. Maybe we could just pry them out." A snarl replied to the last comment.
I turned the corner to a duo of men examining Catcher, who was obviously displeased. I spoke up to announce my presence. "So what's going on back here?"
The first man was heavier-looking in both weight and muscle. He regarded me casually while he worked the muscles in his jaw, seemingly more interested in freeing something stuck in his teeth than me. The second man was lanky and moved with a lot more grace. Both men wore similar attire, finely woven hide vests dyed a deep green with matching cloth pants. The second man gave me a beaming smile as if I was a close friend. "Oh nothing. Or at least, nothing you need to concern yourself with."
The hint in his voice was obvious. I glanced at Catcher who gave me a pleasing look. I nodded my head towards him. "Well, if it concerns him, it concerns me."
The man glanced between me and Catcher for a moment. "Is he yours?"
I actually had to think about that answer. I mean, Catcher was just kind of traveling with me. I didn't really consider him mine. I replied neutrally. "Yeah, he's with me."
The skinnier man glanced at the larger one, who simply continued to look at me with that bored expression. The second man turned back to me. "How much is he worth to ya?"
I tilted my head in confusion. "I'm sorry?"
The man pulled a couple teeth from his pocket and picked out a particularly large one. "How's this?"
Honestly I didn't really understand the significance of his offer. Was he trying to trade for Catcher with a large tooth? "I'm sorry, what?"
"Raptor meat isn't that expensive, so you could say my offer is rather generous. Mostly because me and my pal here are in the mood for it."
That clinched it. "Oh! Uh... sorry, but no."
A snort escaped from the man as he glanced to his cohort in disbelief. "No? What do you mean 'no'?"
"I mean no, he's not for sale."
The larger man finally spoke up. "I haven't seen you before. You must be new around here. That would explain it." He walked over to me and slung an arm over my shoulders. I suppressed a gag as the stench of B.O. wafted from his figure. This man had obviously not washed himself recently. "You see, we're not the kind of people that you can just say no to." He used his free hand to jab two fingers into my bandage, making me grunt in pain as he applied pressure to my still-healing wound. "So maybe you should rethink your mentality while we're still being generous."
Catcher growled at the men. The skinnier one turned and snapped at him. "Shut up, meat!" He whipped back to me, no longer friendly. "So stranger, what's it gonna be?"
I hesitated, not knowing what to say. These guys meant business, that much was obvious, but there was no way I was going to let them take Catcher. I had worked hard to keep him alive. I was trying to come up with the words when a third voice spoke up.
"The man said no, Bruce. Leave him be." The three of us turned to see another similarly dressed man leaning against the wall of the tavern. He wore a wide-brimmed leather hat that his half of his face. "You can bully the shopkeeps for the things you want only because they know it's necessary. Citizens like him are off limits."
The skinny man spoke up again. "Oh come on. We were just making a generous offer."
"An offer that he kindly declined, Brian." He looked at the man sideways. "Aren't you a 'master trader?' You should know when a deal's gone south."
Brian grunted. "Ugh, killjoy."
Bruce eyed the newcomer with disdain before releasing me from his arm. He patted my bandage harder than necessary, making me double over. "I'd say it was a pleasure doing business with you, but pleasure only comes from getting what I want." He waved for Brian to follow him. "We've got stuff to do. Come on."
Brian turned and spat in my direction as he walked past. "You got off easy this time. Don't expect that again."
The duo walked off into town, leaving me and the new guy. I watched him as he stood up and lifted a hand to his mouth. He let out a sharp whistle and stood expectantly. A moment later footsteps pounded around the corner as a new creature rounded it. It was about the size of a raptor, walking on two legs with small forelimbs, only it was very obviously not a lizard. The creature was covered in light tan feathers everywhere but it's long neck and legs. It had a massive, predatory-looking beak and large, three-toed feet set with wide talons. Like the dodos I've seen, this creature's wings seemed poorly developed for flight, yet still seemed muscular. The large bird was fitted with an array of straps securing a leather seat to its back. It trotted up to the man who promptly pulled himself up onto the saddle. He looked at me neutrally. "You alright there?"
I gave him a thumbs up as I rubbed my aching side. "Thanks for that."
The man nodded in response. "You might want to watch where you step around those brutes. They can make life hell for people they don't like." He urged his mount forward and began trotting off. He called back as he passed me. "Welcome to Bedrock Bay stranger."
I whipped around to try and catch him before he left. "Wait! Who are-" When I turned around, all that heard me was a light breeze. I glanced around to see where he went, but he was already gone. I frowned in disappointment and turned to Catcher. "You doing ok?" The lizard snorted in response. "So... good?" An audible grumble escaped his stomach. "So... not good. I'm heading into town now so I'll make sure to pick something up for you off I can. If I can't, well, you can have half of my food today. How's that?" It occurred to me that I'm trying to speak intelligently to an animal who very likely had little to no concept of speech. I was about to laugh it off when I noticed Catcher's excited expression. I tilted my head in disbelief that he had actually understood all that. I shook the thought out of my head. Like Joe said, there isn't time for questions we can't get answers to. With a quick wave goodbye, I turned and walked into town.
Now that the town had really woken up, the bustling streets were drowned by the sounds of commerce. Alongside the main road were plenty of shops and stalls selling various wares; everything from fish to household tools to handmade trinkets. Each stall had its own vendor calling out deals and special offers. Several townspeople walked the street, going from shop to shop. People of all ages, even children bartered with the vendors. Honestly it seemed rather busy, as if the town was packed energy. Then again, it's not like I had any towns to compare it to so as far as I knew this was normal. I was in the shopping district, so I guess this would be the louder half of town. As I walked, I noticed various people hanging fliers and decorative streamers. Everything from paper cutouts of fish to wind chimes made of shark teeth. I got so caught up in the process that I walked headfirst into a large mass in front of me. I staggered back a step and got a better look at what I had bumped into. It was a four-legged dinosaur that was drinking out of a large well in the center of the road. The creature was large, but not the largest I had seen. It bore a heavy resemblance to a Trike, but lacked to frontal horns. Instead it had a thick, bony plate for a forehead and a much more intricate crest around it's shield. The creature was laden with saddlebags and merchandise that jangled about as the lizard turned to face whatever annoyance had interrupted its drink. I held my hands up innocently as the lizard regarded me with little interest. With a snort it shook its head quickly before turning back to the water. I was about to continue walking when a terrible odor penetrated my nose. I pinched my nose shut and staggered backward a few steps. The creature must have let out a repulsive smell to make me back off; gross, but effective. I coughed and waved my hand to try and disperse the stench in front of me. "Aww man. And I thought dilos smelled bad..."
"Yeah, it keeps the predators away and makes for a good alarm system. Maybe you'll think twice next time."
I looked up at the source of the voice. A man was casually leaning against the side of the creature with a stern look on his face. I gave him a look of confusion. "Excuse me?"
The man pointed an accusatory finger at me. "Don't think I don't know what you were up to. The old accidentally-bump-into-a-fella-and-slip-your-hands-into-their-pockets-all-sneaky-like trick. That little stunt won't go over well with a pachy rhino." He patted the side of the creature. "These guys let out a stink powerful enough to ward off the worst carnivores if something gets in their personal space." He eyed me with hostility. "Great for catching little thieves like yourself. Now put 'em up. Show your hands!"
I quickly complied, eager to rectify this misunderstanding. "I'm pretty sure you have the wrong idea here..."
"I'll be the judge of that." He quickly patted down my figure, looking for anything that I might have stolen off of his dino. He was uncomfortably thorough in his search, successfully making me conscious of my own personal space. He pulled off my bag and began rifling through it, tossing aside anything in the way. He pulled out the journal and callously tossed it out. I lunged and caught it before it hit the ground, taking care not the damage the pages. I turned to the man as he finished digging, ready to give the paranoid merchant a piece of my mind. He cut me off as I opened my mouth. "Wrist. Now." I stood there in confusion. The man sighed in frustration and pulled my arm towards him, flipping the implant to face him. He peered into it for a moment as light sparked out of it. I was about to yank my arm back when he dropped it on his own. "You're clean."
I gave the man an incredulous look. "So what were you saying about personal space?"
The man shrugged. "I can't risk losing merchandise this close to the Festival. Especially when it comes from so far north." He leveled his eyes at me. "Just because you didn't actually take anything doesn't mean I believe you didn't try."
I wanted to justify myself, but honestly I was not in the mood to care all that much. I picked up my belongings and slung my satchel over my shoulder. I waved my hand in dismissal and turned to walk off. "Whatever man. Believe what you want."
The man paused a moment. "Wait." I turned back to him and raised an eyebrow. He pointed to my bag. "That chitin in your bag is scorpion. High-quality stuff too. How much you want for it?"
I cocked my head to the side. "I'm sorry?"
The man pulled a pouch off his belt and poured several dinosaur teeth into his hand. He counted out a few before dropping the rest in the pouch. He extended his hand with the teeth towards me. "How's this?"
I stared at the dental handful in front of me in confusion. Why did it seem like everyone just had randomly pulled dino teeth on them? This was the second time someone had tried to give me teeth for something. Surely insect shells were worth more than a couple teeth. In fact, I couldn't even think of what pulled teeth would be useful for. A particularly gruesome line of jewelry? The shells could at least be used to make tools or maybe even sections of armor with the larger chunks. I held up my hand and shook my head to decline. "Sorry, but no deal."
The man scoffed in disbelief and rolled his eyes before pocketing the teeth once more. "Suit yourself. You seem like someone who needs all the teeth they can get."
I frowned at the obvious insult but didn't actually know what he meant by that. I shook my head and continued walking towards my destination. The well was actually quite large, taking up so much space that the road actually split around it before reconnecting on the opposite side. As I looked about, it seemed that most of the major shops were concentrated around this circle, effectively creating a town center. I glanced at each of the shops, looking for one related to my interests. Each storefront either had an obvious name denoting what kind of wares it sold, or an equally obvious sign. My gaze landed on a an image crudely drawn shirt under a needle and thread. "Bingo." I strode across the circle and through the door of the shop.
The door squeaked heavily as it opened, grabbing the shopkeeper's attention. She turned to me and smiled. "Welcome! Let me know if you need help with anything."
I gazed around the room at the various wares. Several styles and articles of clothing were hung from hooks or displayed on shelves. "I'm just looking for something simple to wear. Preferably something more than what I have on now." I gestured to my attire which consisted of tattered pants, no shoes, and only bandages covering my lower torso.
She nodded. "What kind of price range are you looking at?"
I paused. Price range? I dug into my bad and pulled out the shells. "What can I get for these?"
The woman frowned and walked over. "Normally we don't barter here, but we're actually short on chitin this month in our armor section." She flipped the pieces over, appraising them. "I'll see what I can get you for theses." She took the shells and walked behind the counter into a back room before returning with a measuring stick of some kind. "Stand up straight and hold still for a moment dear." I complied as she held the stick up and got some measurements. "You're a bit on the skinny side, but you're tall and have wide shoulders. So maybe a large in shirts. Definitely a large in shoes. Pants we'll have to see." She pulled away and walked around the store, pulling various articles off the shelves. "You know, normally I wouldn't be giving out such a good deal, but with the festival going on I can make an exception."
I raised an eyebrow. "Festival?"
She stopped and gave me an amused look. "I'm talking about Fish Fest, silly. We get tourists from all over looking to participate." She gave me a questioning look. "Isn't that why you're here?"
I shook my head. "Nah, I'm just passing through. The Fest sounds cool though."
She looked at me strangely before shaking her head. She walked over to me and handed me the bundle of clothes. She pointed to a room in the back. "There's a fitting room if you need it. Let me know if you need anything else."
"Thanks." I walked to the back of the store and entered the small room. I set the clothes down and began pulling off my tattered pants. No sooner than I pulled them below my waist did the seam begin to unravel. As I pulled my legs out, the pair of pants completely fell apart. I frowned at the tattered cloth on the floor. "Welp... guess those are done." I pulled out the new pair and slipped them on. They were made of a tougher material, probably leather or hide, but still remained flexible. They fit rather tightly around the waist, but were otherwise just fine. I slipped on the shoes, which were made from a similar material, that seemed reminiscent of the shoes I had before. It occurred to me that probably all of the clothes Joe had given me were bought at this very store. They seemed a bit on the large side, but I could tighten them with a strap. I held the shirt out and looked it over. It was very white, much more than the one I lost, even though they were the same material. This one must have been dyed. I raised my arms to slip it over my head when I heard a light tear. I cursed under my breath and quickly pulled off the shirt, examining it. I flipped it back and forth, looking for a tear, when I felt something dangling at my side. I glanced down and let out a sigh of relief as I realized that it was my bandages that tore and not the shirt. The thin cloth fibers hung limply off of where they tore. I gradually pulled them off, wincing as dried blood peeled away from raw skin. I balled up the filthy bandage and put it in the bag to dispose of later. I ran my hand over the skin, testing it. It was sore, was extremely sensitive, and was surrounded in a nasty bruise, but the wound had closed entirely. Left behind was a crooked scar that stretched from my lower midsection to my side. "Ellen wasn't lying when she said it wasn't going to be clean... damn." I worked my arms and stretched in several directions to confirm my freedom of movement. Satisfied, I pulled the new shirt over my head and tested the fit. It was a little small, but not so much that I would have to watch how I bent over. I pulled up my implant and looked over the image of myself. My hair was still a mess, I was covered in dirt, and probably could use a good wash. I turned and sniffed my lifted armpit, nose crunching at the smell. Ok, really needed a wash. I put down my arm and pushed open the door.
The shopkeeper turned and gave me an appraising look. She waved her hand. "Turn around." I spun slowly, waiting for her verdict. "Hmmm... I guessed the pants perfectly. They really show off that butt of yours."
If the heat beneath my collar was any indication, I'm pretty sure I blushed hard. I quickly finished the turn and faced her. "Ok. Alright. Good to know. Got any other pants?"
She laughed and waved off my concern. "Oh, I'm just kidding with you. Tourists are always great fun to mess around with."
I smiled and laughed it off. "You could say I was the butt of that joke."
The shopkeeper tried to contain her laughter but only ended up releasing a snort, causing even more laughter to build before erupting in a fit of giggles. "Oh my. Get out of my shop before I die of laughter."
I winked and pointed finger guns at her. "Thanks, I'm here all week." Her laughing intensified before fading away as I left the shop. I glanced up at the sky, shielding my eyes from the sudden brightness. The sun had climbed to the peak of its arc; midday. My heart skipped a beat as I realized something. "Oh shit. I was supposed to be back before lunch." I bolted from the shopfront and down the street. I wove in and out of people in my mad dash, shouting apologies to people that I passed. As I sprinted a smell caught my nose. Up ahead a stall selling fresh meat was cooking away. I slid to a stop in front of it. "Hey, what do you want for a slice of raw meat?"
The vendor looked up from the spit he was roasting meat on. "Raw? One medium."
I looked at him confused. "... Medium what?"
The vendor just looked at me like I had just asked what color the sky was. "Teeth, kid. One medium tooth. I don't have change, so nothing big."
I paused in confusion while the man looked at me expectantly. I reached into my bag and dug through for the handful of teeth Ellen handed me this morning. I pulled them out and sorted through them, separating a larger one from the rest and handing it to him. "This?"
The vendor took the tooth and inspected it for a moment before pocketing it. He pulled out a hatchet at grabbed one of the fish displayed in a bin. He placed it on a cutting board and sliced off a sizable fillet, handing it to me. "You sure you want it raw?"
I nodded, tossing the slab of fish into my bag. "It's not for me." I turned and ran towards the Drunken Dilo, hoping Ellen wouldn't kill me for being late.
I pushed open the swinging door. "Sorry-" I flinched as a loud crack silenced the bar. I looked to the side to find a wooden spoon steadily vibrating after being thrown with enough force to embed itself in the doorframe. Upon closer inspection, there were several similar holes in that part of the wall and door. Holy shit this woman had a good throwing arm. I turned back to Ellen whose face was more red than the meat she served.
"You're late!" She pulled open a drawer behind the counter and produced another identical spoon. She wound up for another throw. "And not nearly as sorry as you're going to be."
I held up my arms in defense. "Ok! Point made! Lesson learned! Please stop throwing kitchen utensils!"
She whipped her arm downward, smacking the spoon against the counter with enough force to send a spiderweb of cracks spreading across it. "You get your sorry ass into the kitchen or it'll be the next thing I throw across this room!"
I quickly darted around the bar and into the back room where several plates of food were waiting to be run out to tables. Ellen actually had a really ingenious setup for her restaurant. The kitchen itself had all manner of cooking utensils and stations for preparing food, but what really impressed me was how easy she seemed to make it for her servers. Beside the door was a large, square countertop. Engraved in the counter was a map of the tavern's layout, complete with tables and seats. Each time Ellen finished preparing a plate, she would put it on the picture of whatever table ordered it so servers would know where and who to take the food to. It was simple, yet really smart and unique; a trait I hadn't seen a lot of so far. I scooped up an armful of plates going to the same table and pushed my way through the door. I made a point to avoid looking at Ellen who was no doubt staring daggers into me. Or staring spoons. Both sound equally deadly at this point. I walked around the bar and placed the plates down on front off the customers. All of them gave me looks that seemed like a mix of pity and amusement. I tried to give some semblance of positive service. "Enjoy guys."
I received a few grunts in response and even a few chuckles. I had no idea if that was the right thing to do or not. I walked back to grab the next round of plates when Ellen smacked me in the back of my head so hard I saw spots. "You'd better move faster than that!" She raised the spoon threateningly. "I swear, if even ONE of my customers complains about cold food..."
I'm pretty sure I paled whiter than a stimberry. This woman was god damn terrifying when she was angry. Hell, she was scary even when she wasn't pissed off. And she always seemed pissed off. A chuckle arose from the other side of the bar as I turned to push open the kitchen door. I glanced at the source to see a man in a broad-rimmed hat. He glanced up at me. "You're just a magnet for trouble, ain't ya stranger?" My eyes widened as I recognized the man from earlier. I opened my mouth to reply when another loud crack caused me to jump.
"NOW string bean."
I dashed through the kitchen door. "Got it."
"Excuse me? You'll say 'Yes ma'am' to me, understand?"
"Got-" She raised the spoon again and I gulped. "I mean, yes ma'am." I shut the door and let out a sigh as I picked up more plates. "This is going to be a long day..."
A few hours, bruises, and spoon-related property damages later, I collapsed onto a barstool after the last customer had been served. The tavern had substantially cleared out, leaving only one or two people. My brain didn't know what to think; I was tired enough to sleep, yet pumped with adrenaline out of fear of a spoon attack. Ultimately a rumble from my stomach focused me. Behind the counter, Ellen was scraping the unfinished contents off of plates and into a bin on the floor. Scraps happily munched on the... well... scraps of food. That name suddenly made sense. I hesitated for a while before speaking up. "So uh... about today..."
"If you ever walk in late again, don't expect to walk out. Am I clear?" She didn't wait for my response. "Oh, and I bet you're expecting a meal." She pulled out a clean plate and scooped out a portion of scraps from the bin before unceremoniously dropping the dish in front of me. "Eat up. And don't expect teeth today."
I made a face at the slop in front of me, swiftly losing my appetite. I glanced at the dilo, who was hungrily devouring the same thing. I looked back at the plate in front of me, considering it. "Well, so long as it's not a giant bug..." I poked at the slop for a bit, trying to work up the nerve to take a bite. I thought of something that I wanted to ask earlier. "By the way, what's the deal with teeth? I mean, they don't seem useful, but everyone has them or wants them."
A patron sitting a seat down from me chuckled. "What rock did you crawl out from? You've never used teeth before?"
I turned to see the man in the hat was still sitting at the bar. I chuckled as I came up with a response. "Not knowing things is really the root of my problems nowadays. People have to try pretty hard to make a dent-al in my stupidity." I smiled at my own string of jokes.
The man stared at me in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?" A smile broke across his face as he shook in quiet laughter. "Just what this town needs; a stand-up comedian."
I laughed with him, confident that I made a better impression than when we first met. "By the way, I never got your name."
He spun his stool to face me and extended a hand. "The name's Chester."
I returned the handshake. "Francis."
"Teeth are a substitute in trading. Say you want something from someone, but you don't have what they need. So you give them teeth which they can use in a trade with someone else to get what they need. Sure, they aren't useful in a survival sense, but they have a sort of imagined value. They can't be made by man, are produced slowly, and only be obtained by working for them. Bigger teeth come from bigger, more dangerous creatures and therefore have higher value due to the effort to obtain them. Obviously people can refuse taking teeth as a trade, but we've all kind of accepted them as our means of currency." He eyed me for a minute. "You ain't just new to town, your new to the island, aren't ya?"
Ellen chimed in from down the bar where she was washing glasses. "String Bean stumbled into my bar late last night. He's working off his room fees. I had to put him and poor Mira up for the night."
"Mira?" He glanced around the bar before leaning in, voice low. "You mean Joe's little rascal?"
Ellen nodded. I looked between the two confused. "I was under the impression that Joe liked to keep to himself."
Chester leaned on the bar casually. "Oh, he did. To be honest I only met the guy once or twice. He only stopped in for a day or so at a time. He liked to sit at the bar and chat with Ellen here. Not much anymore though. There was a bounty placed on the man a while back. 'Jahova the Informer.' An old bearded geezer living alone. Probably traveling with a young girl." He pointed to the notice board. Half of it was covered with various drawings of people, all with descriptions and a reward for information. Joe's had one of the highest numbers on the board. My eyes widened when they settled on the paper. Joe had a bounty? What had he done wrong? Was he a criminal? Chester noticed my expression. "You know, there's quite a few people here who wouldn't mind taking a crack at that bounty. Of course, no one really knows where is nowadays, so not many do. But if word got around that, say, someone had some information on the geezer..." He looked at me pointedly.
"Well it's a good thing that I don't know anything about him. Just because Mira's with me doesn't mean I know what part of the beach his hut was on or anything. I mean I don't know it's a beach hut. Or even on the beach. It could be... I'm not being at all convincing, am I?" I spoke way too fast, erasing any chance at a strong denial.
Chester simply smiled and laughed. "I'm just toying with you. I already know Joe still swings by this tavern now and again." He shrugged. "I mean, it's my job to know what goes on in this town. Ellen hasn't given him up yet, and she's the best judge of character this side of he island. Personally that's all the reason I need not to say anything." I tilted my head in confusion at him and he clarified. "Some other fellas and I do what we can to keep the town in order. Usually keeping out anything or anyone that would harm it."
Ellen scoffed. "Oh get off your high horse. You've done nothing but sit on your ass and drink my beer. Lord knows those cheapskates parading around town are doing more than you. And they're probably as much of a problem as the things you claim to protect us from!" She leaned on the bar across from him. "Do you think Pepper would have wanted you drinking your problems away?"
Chester's smile dropped and his tone darkened. "Just 'cause you've been around a while doesn't mean you know everything Ellen."
"Maybe not, but I know my best waitress wouldn't have fallen in love with the sad sight sitting at my bar right now."
Chester slammed a fist on the bar and stood up. "You shut your damn trap. I don't need this from you." He turned and went for the door.
"You haven't paid yet."
Chester slammed open the door. "Put it on my tab."
Ellen yelled out the swinging door. "If your tab gets any deeper you'll have to drop a megalodon jaw on this counter!" She sighed and sat down in a chair behind the bar. "Oh, that boy. He's on one hell of a slippery slope." She turned to me. "Sorry about that. He's needed a talking to for a good long while." I still looked at her confused. She sighed. "Lemme tell you a story..."
A/N:
Holy. Shit. I can't say sorry enough. It's been 3 weeks since aWoTaS had an update and WOW is that not ok. I was writing this and the next chapter like they were going to be the same one, but then it just kept getting longer and longer and I didn't know where I wanted one part to end and another start and it just took a really long time. Also with a lot of hype over the local sports team doing well, the bar I work in has had me work some pretty intense shifts this month. That coupled with the amount of mid-semester projects and essays I have been unbelievably busy. Also someone left a negative review. Twice. And that made me sad. But at the same time a crapton of people clicked the follow button in this past month and that makes me really happy. Honestly guys if you really want to support the story, make sure to hit that like button and subscribe-
Wait, wrong form of media.
Make sure you guys favorite or follow the story or leave a review. Even if the review is constructively negative. Nothing makes me want to write more than knowing that you guys are enjoying aWoTaS. Honestly I hope I never have so much outside interference that prevents me from getting more chapters out to you guys.
Edit: And it's totally not because so many games are doing their Halloween events right now and you've been spending all your free time on those, right?
Exactly. I would never put $40-worth of Overwatch loot crates and 100 hours of Ark above my amazing readers. Probably. Everyone ignore the fact that I have every Halloween skin, voice line, and highlight intro in Overwatch.
Don't give me that look. When you get play of the game as pumpkin reaper or tombstone bastion then you're allowed to judge.
On a more story-related note, welcome to Bedrock Bay everyone! The famous fishing village and site of intense character development and world building! If you look at the Ark map you'll notice that really thin peninsula on the western coast about halfway up. That's where the town is built. I've said before that I intend the island to be much larger in the story than in-game, but this particular location is actually quite similar to its canon counterpart. While the mainland side will be flatter to allow for building and the thin strip of land forming the bay will be wider for the same reason, the actual size of the mouth and bay contained within will be the same, if not smaller or shallower. There's a reason for that, trust me.
I have, what? 6891 words already written in the next chapter? And I'm STILL not done with it? Ugh. Anyway, I hope these chapters will have been worth the wait. Hopefully such a massive gap won't happen again.
As always, you've been a great audience, try to have a good laugh today.
-TheSurvivingComedian
