Return to Jorgaldur Volume II: the druid archer

Brawl in the tavern

She had promised herself never to be intimidated again, so she replied somewhat rough.

"No, thanks, I'll pay for my drink."

It is true that, perhaps, she could have gotten some information from that demihuman. However, that situation irritated her.

"Come on, don't be like that, just a drink," he insisted, and tried to place a hand on her waist, to hug her.

He immediately received an Elbow, which made him, bend and take a couple of steps back. Furious and in pain, he approached the panther-woman again.

"Damn bitch! Come here! I'm going to teach you to...!"

However, he couldn't keep talking. After grabbing Goldmi's wrist, she Head-butted him, and got up.

"It hurts," she said to herself, while applying Basic Healing.

The man-tiger staggered. Still half stunned, he tried to punch her, but the elf used Fast Steps to dodge, and Boxing to knock out her opponent, who fell to the ground, unconscious.

He wasn't alone, but accompanied by another man-tiger and a man-hyena. The two got up when his partner fell to the ground.

"You shouldn't have done that. We're going to have to teach you a lesson," one of them declared.

Goldmi looked at them somewhat surprised. That development was quite similar to the tavern brawls in the game. Just like then, she couldn't help herself but enjoy it, and feel a bit guilty about it.

The two of them came towards her at once with their fists raised, but Fast Steps would have been enough to dodge them even if they hadn't been drunk. After all, it is very rare to be able to afford to develop useful skills for tavern brawling.

A punch to his chin sent one of them backwards, while she dodged the other, and received him with a new Headbutt. It was followed by a tough blow to his face, and another Basic Healing in between.

"It really hurts," she complained to herself.

"Do you need help?" her sister asked her, somewhat confused by what she was perceiving.

"No need. It's under control."

The feline knew that her sister was undoubtedly fighting, but she didn't seem concerned at all, it was even the opposite. It was an aspect of her that she hadn't seen in a long time, and couldn't help a nostalgic smile. What's more, she was curious.

The lynx hid in the shadows, and Jumped over the wall of stakes that protected the small settlement. There were no beings like her there, which were capable of easily overcoming it. Then, she approached the tavern, the building where the presence of her sister could be felt, and she leaned out of a window.

There, a man-tiger approached her from behind, and received an Elbowing, while she dodged the one in front of her and hit him in the stomach. It was followed with a blow from below on the chin, which made him fall on his ass. She then turned to the one who had tried to attack her from behind, and a wicked smile appeared on her.

"Supreme Knee," she murmured to herself.

It wasn't a game skill, but one that she, along with Gjaki, had decided to try almost as a joke. Yet not only had it worked, but it had turned out to be surprisingly effective. They both used it whenever they could, and always shouted the name they had agreed on for the skill, though Eldi hadn't been so amused. In fact, he had suffered it a couple of times.

The knee slammed into the man-tiger's crotch, and he fell to the ground, writhing in pain. The male audience shivered.

"Take them away," she ordered the man-hyena, the only one who was still able to stand. He obeyed, as he was intimidated by that seemingly weak panther-woman.

"That was a good blow!" exclaimed the lynx.

"Sister!" Goldmi exclaimed silently, while looking around.

There, some were watching her in surprise. Others looked away from her. Some had even ignored the fight. Then, there were the loudest, the dwarfs, who had cheered her on from the start. However, her gaze didn't seek them, but the dark image that she perceived in a window, before it hid.

"Ups, she saw me," was all the feline said, without feeling guilty at all.

The elf sighed. There was little she could do already. So, she just let it be. She would punish her without dessert later.

"Make sure they don't see you..." Goldmi sighed.

Then, she returned to the counter, and looked back at the tavern keeper, in whose eyes she could see his admiration.

"A good fight! You haven't even broken a chair! Ha, ha. It's on the house!," he exclaimed, while pouring a small glass of a greenish drink.

Goldmi gulped it down, while trying not to cough. Otherwise, she would have lost some of the respect she had gained from the fight.

"Damn cat! She even knows how to drink!" a dwarf woman exclaimed.

"A toast to that bitch! She also knows how to hit!" another one praised her.

"She also knows where the fucking best place is!" a third dwarf, a woman, laughed.

The elf raised another drink, which the tavern keeper had quickly refilled. After all, he only invited the first one. She toasted the dwarfs, and turned to the tavern keeper.

"Tell me, how are things around here? Is there anything worth mentioning? I'm heading south, is there anything to worry about?"

The tavern keeper didn't hide information, at least not while she continued drinking and paying, although he was surprised by her endurance. There wasn't much information that interested her, except for something that made her frown.

There were no more problems in the area than some predators spoiling some traps. Sometimes, they took the preys that had fallen before the trapper arrived.

The only thing worthy of note had been the presence of a somewhat conceited nobleman, who had passed by with his entourage. His description matched someone she had known, and who she didn't want to meet again.

"It can't be him. Only in the game did these coincidences happen," she denied, although she couldn't rule out the possibility.

If she found him, she was concerned about her bodyguards, who were more powerful than her. However, she was confident that she could flee from them, either by herself or with the help of the lynx. Better yet, they could go undetected.

Whatever it be, she would have to be careful, in case that noble really was the fourth prince of Engenak, whose intentions toward her couldn't exactly be called noble.

In another situation, she might have changed her path, but now she couldn't. The call was getting stronger.