Arcanum - Of Steamwork and Magic Ch. 02

She grinned, showing that her teeth were unbroken and only slightly yellow. "You call this- hic - a fight?" She laughed, wobbling slightly. Considering the girth of a half-ogre and the strength of their constitution, I tried to imagine how much ale she must have imbibed to be wobbly. A man charged at her. The man was not quite as drunk, but he was clearly no trained fighter. He swung at her jaw, having to aim up. The half-ogress caught his palm, then beamed at him as she twisted and flung him into two other men. The three went down in a drunken sprawl.

Behind her, a man drew a knife.

Virginia was there in a flash. Her staff smacked into his wrist and the knife clattered to the ground. "Bastard," Virginia snarled, forgetting herself for the moment as she slammed the butt of her quarterstaff into his stomach. The man folded up - then the half-ogre lightly thumped him on the top of the head with her hand. Since this was a hand that could easily cave in a skull at full strength, the man was only knocked immediately unconscious.

The last man was fumbling in his belt. Like Virginia, I was there in a moment, stepping up behind him. "Ah. Ah. Nope. Nope." I had the barrel of my revolver pressed to his spine and I casually reached forward, plucking his rusty revolver from where he had been trying to grab it. "I'll be reliving you of this. Not good to go shooting while drunk - you never hit the target. Be a good lad, and get." I jerked my head.

The man fled.

The half-ogress glared around herself, her fists lifted. "Where'd all those sorry- hic - sots go?" She blinked, blearily. Then she saw Virginia and I. "Oh! Hey there, I didn't see ya..." She leaned forward. A thin fog of alcoholic fumes flared from her mouth and drifted around my head. I coughed and my eyes watered, almost distracting me from the way her burlap sack hung open around the neck, showing the canyon-like crevasse between her full chest. "Hey there, little guy. I...am Sally."

She stood up straight, then slammed her fist into her rock hard abs. This produced a mighty belch from her. "Sally Mead Mugg!"

"Is that your last name?" Virginia asked, using her staff to knock the knife away from one of the men, who was trying to reach for it. Then she tapped his temple with her staff - lightly enough to stun him.

Sally paused. She opened her mouth. Closed it. She cocked her head. "I...dunno!" she admitted. "I fink...my..." She held up her hands, looking at her fingers. "Fourth boss told me it was me last name." She hiccuped again. "He was the shiiiiiiip captain."

"A sailor?" I asked. "What are you doing in a town five weeks from the ocean?"

"Theressss a river innit it?" she slurred, looking down at me. "S'got boats." She hiccuped.

I chuckled. "Fair enough."

"S'not got boats now," she said, darkly. "S'got bandits now. Ugh..." She shook her head. "They kicked me half n' to death when I- hic - tried ta get past them. If I had friends. If I had had friends. I..." She beamed down at us. "Do youuu wanna be friends?"

"No!" Virginia exclaimed. Then, quickly. "I mean...nooo, you should stay here with your...in the..." She waved her hands. I took Virginia by the scruff of her robes, turning and leading her to the corner. Very softly, I whispered to her.

"Virginia. Have we met a single person in this town who has been remotely helpful?"

Virginia frowned. "No..."

"Do you think we could take on three heavily armed bandits without some muscle?" I asked.

"No..." Virginia admitted.

"I've fought beside half-ogres before. Once they're loyal, they're loyal. And they're strong," I whispered. "Besides, she could have killed every man here. Instead, she fought with sportsmanship!" I nodded. "That's got to count for something."

Virginia pinched the bridge of her nose. Then, sighing, she said. "I could use some practice curing poisons..." she muttered. "And that girl has enough rotgut in her to rot her guts."

I smiled, slapping Virginia on the back. "There's the spirit, old boy!"

"Whaz you talkin' about?" Sally asked, leaning between the two of us. Her breath fogged the air and Virginia gagged. Then, subtly, she made a hand gesture. Pale blue light glowed around her palm, and then green fog shrouded around Sally's body. It floated upwards and a chime like noise filled the air. Sally blinked slightly, and when she breathed out again, her breath wouldn't melt through steel.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You must be recovering from your drunk!" Virginia said.

"Bugger," Sally said. She looked over at the bar. "Barkeep-" she started.

"Absolutely not!" was the only response that came from over the bar counter. Sally shook her head, then thrust out her hand to me. I took it and smiled, then winced as she squeezed me with enough force to cause my knuckles to pop and grind against one another.

"Sally Mead Mug!" she said.

"Rayburn Cog. That's Virginia," I said, then stepped away from Sally as Sally took Virginia's hand to shake as well. As Virginia used her magick to heal her hand, I leaned over the bartop and saw the man who served as barkeeper and innkeeper both crouching in a corner, looking up with wide eyes. "Uh, do you have an Elder Johanna living here?"

"T-T-The room at the end of the hall!" The man exclaimed.

"Many thanks." I would have tipped my cap to the fellow. As I had nearly no money, I simply bowed my head. Turning, I started towards the back of the inn, flanked by Virginia and Sally. Sally strode along unselfconsciously, scratching at her rump with one hand, while Virginia looked as if she was already memorizing excuses to explain why she was traveling with a roguish half-orc and a massive half-ogre woman dressed in a burlap sack and little else. We came to the door at the end of the corridor - the whole inn had a rustic décor that leaned heavily on stuffed and mounted animal heads. Johanna's room was the one with the elk's head above it.

I opened the door and Virginia walked in first. "Elder Jo-" she stopped dead.

I walked in quickly, drawing my pistol on instinct.

And saw what had shocked Virginia to silence.

Sprawled in unlovely death were two corpses on the floor. Both were men, I saw. Human. They were dressed in rough miner's clothes, and they were buzzing with flies. Virginia put her hand over her face and I frowned as Sally craned her head, ducking forward to fit through the door. Standing and nearly putting her head into the cheap ceiling lamp that provided illumination for the room - the shutters were closed, cutting out the sunlight and making it feel nearly as if we had stepped into midnight.

One of the men had a pistol on the floor near his hand. The other had three bullet in his chest. However, the man with the pistol also had a knife thrust into his eye, as neatly as if he was a target at the circus fair. The carpet between them was rumpled and had a small letter on the ground. I stepped forward and picked up the letter, frowning.

The handwriting was smooth and crisp, despite showing the exaggerated loops of being dashed out in a bloody hurry.

Virginia

I assume you are not alone. As you can see, there are people in Shrouded Hills looking for me. Luckily for me, these fellows were easily dispatched. Do not speak with anyone about the zeppelin crash, or your new companion's involvement with it. When you are able, make your way to Tarant, check the telegram office. I will leave a message telling you where to contact me.

-Johanna

I showed the note to Virginia as Sally muttered. "Who killed these poor buggers."

I opened the vest of the man with bullet holes. He had three more throwing knives tucked under his clothes. I looked over at the man with the revolver. "She used him as a shield..." I said, nodding to the corpse. "Then shot him with the revolver. Good gods, who is your mentor, Virginia?" I asked.

"She's..." Virginia paused. "She helped me when I was in a hard place, okay." She folded the note, tucking it into her robes. "Check their necks."

"Why?" Sally asked.

But I was already reaching.

And I held up the now familiar necklace dangling with the same symbol on the half-ogres who had flown the heavier than air flying machines that had shot down the IFS Zephyr: The eye surrounded by the pentagram.

"Sally, this may be where you may wish to bow out of this little adventure," I said.

Sally's grin was huge. "Are you kidding, little guy?" she chuckled. "This is bloody great!"

TO BE CONTINUED