The Alchemist at Hell's Gates

38

^^ Filigree Familiar ^^

A knock on the door made Jack's head snap upwards, terrified, but I just patted his cheek calmingly and messaged Hellen. 'Yes, Dear?' -Captain-Bordeaux.

"Uhm? Your door is locked, and we're almost at the Dungeon, and I need your help? Do I want to know what you're doing in there?" She asked hesitantly.

'You might learn some new things, actually. We'll be ready in just a moment, message the others that they can come through the portal now.' -Captain-Bordeaux. I began dressing after giving Jack a kiss, then smiled happily at his innocent blush. "Such a Cute Baby Boy..."

"Oh!... Huh, okay then... I may take you up on that at a later date. For now, we have a problem." She cleared her throat and returned to her main subject, ever the little soldier.

'I look forward to it... now what's the issue? I haven't heard the Cannons go off...' -Captain-Bordeaux.

"Well... The others are already here, and they're in your Bar. They are also very, very drunk, and they've convinced the Bartender NPC that they should get free drinks because they're in your Guild, and they've driven off all of your other customers, and-" She flinched backwards with a squeak and covered her eyes needlessly as I slung open the door, fully dressed already, then slammed it closed behind me, stomping towards my Bar with Furious patience in every heavy step. After a few seconds, she followed behind me with an oddly demure step, perhaps unsure as to who I was angry at, and why, and whether or not I would snap at her.

I stood outside the door to the bar, taking several deep breaths to calm myself, then simply rammed the doors open with a savage growl and a solid kick, staring into the abruptly silent room. Adam's Party was on the Glass Deck, apparently playing darts with daggers and putting marks into my walls, while the few customers who were still here for a quiet drink were on the other end of the Parlor, sending them irritated looks but keeping their heads down. "I apologize for the noise, your drinks are on me tonight, and I'll be handling this nonsense immediately, don't worry." I spoke quietly to the two patrons, setting twenty gold down on the table and slowly turning towards the nuisances, stalking forward like a panther along a tree limb as the severely-drunken people stared at me with curiosity, and some of the less-drunken ones with some small blossoming inklings of fear.

When I arrived, I immediately grabbed Adam by the collar of his Mages robes, and slamming him bodily off of the table he'd been standing on and onto the thick glass of the Viewing Deck, causing one of the panes to crack audibly; even the drunkest of them knew to stumble their way, slowly and slovenly, away from breaking glass under their feet, so I was quickly alone with my Drunken Mage.

"Sam-" he halted and screamed as my wrist-blade slammed down next to his ear and shattered the glass completely, the instantly-created current of wind sucking him out and dangling him by my Iron Grip as my wings flapped steadily to maintain my position; he scrabbled at my arm in terror for a few seconds, and finally halted screaming as he came to the mistaken belief that I wasn't going to drop him.

"Are you Sober Now?" I hissed at him in an icy rage, baring my sharpened, demonic fangs.

He nodded quickly, having bitten his tongue pretty badly in between all the screaming, his eyes wide and severely bloodshot.

"Do you think your friends are? Are they Fit to Challenge a Dungeon right now? To Fight by your side Reliably? To save you if you were to, say, tragically fall from a height of 4,000 feet?" I stared down at him harshly, still sneering at his pathetic silence.