God Complex - Vol. 1

XIV. Duplicity-Part IV.

He took a deep breath and walked towards the wooden door of the tavern.

Through its windows showed the inside and its many tables. To Jun's surprise, it wasn't as full as he thought it was.

From the loud and intense singing and music made him assume that the tavern was practically full. The metal handle felt cold to the bone as he pulled the door open. As he stepped into the tavern, the whole place went silent for a second as all eyes were on him.

I think I'm just going to leave then, Jun thought sheepishly, turning around to walk back outside.

It didn't help that he had a sleeve with dried blood and slash marks on it either.

"Prejit! Why are ya running away little girl! Scared of few men?"

Jun heard a woman's voice yell out at him in an accent.

What did she just call me? Irritation and anger from the blatant overran him. Two can play that game.

"Sir—"

Before Jun could finish his retort he noticed that the only woman in the tavern was the barkeep. But not just any woman barkeep. A woman barkeep polishing a large knife.

"—Serene madame, I just am looking for directions to Perenykisk is all." Jun finished, with a slightly higher voice than he intended, as he put on a mocked smile at the woman.

Suddenly the tavern burst out in hearty laughter.

Jun felt as his face started to heat up, he looked all around the room to see laughing faces in every direction. He looked to see that the woman was laughing while she pounded her hands on the wooden bar's top.

"Ah we have kotlana[1] in here. Didn't think one of them would come in here. They usually just stay in their merchant ships and don't have guts to come out here in West."

Jun stood frozen in embarrassment as he continued to lose face.

He may not be very knowledgeable in many things about the West, but what he did know that this was a very common derogatory word about people from the East.

It may have its origins in the Yimpan Empire, but because of the empire's immense size it has spread to be of common usage throughout the West. And of course to the displeased ears of the people in the East.

Jun was soon jolted out of his smoldering anger, which he tried his very best to hide, but the woman spoke once again.

"Oh come on! Don't stand there like yer rabbit in lantern light."

After she finished the tavern paid no more attention to Jun and went back to their drinking, singing, and whatever else they were doing before his arrival.

Jun managed to suck up his contempt for the woman and walk towards the wooden bar.

The tavern was somewhat small but still had many tables for its patrons to laze about in. He looked to his right to see two women, dressed in low cut dresses, playing the two instruments he heard outside walking. One of the instruments looked very similar to the guzheng.

But instead of being more rectangular it was triangular as Jun watched her pluck its many strings. The other instrument looked to be carved into a horse or animal of some type as the woman's fingers meticulously played it. Closing it's many holes rhythmically to create the bird-like sound.

As Jun reached the bar he was able to get a better look at the audacious bar woman. She had unusual rust colored hair that was wavy and pulled back into a large, low bun at the back of her head. Her eyes were also an unnatural, piercing green.