Blood Moon Ch. 02

Claudia rolled her eyes. "Since your man last ploughed you."

"Oh," she blushed faintly. "Around a week I suppose."

"Hmm..." Claudia closed her eyes, her brow furrowing for a long moment, and then another, and another, until at last she shrugged. "You are, as far as I can tell--which is very far as I am quite good at what I do--not pregnant."

Sera let out a sigh of relief, her lips curving into a wide grin. "That's excellent news!"

"If you say so," Claudia replied, shrugging again. "Motherhood can be a wonderful thing, you might even find it to your liking... Then again, you elves live so long, you have plenty of time."

Seraphita stood up and straightened her clothing, feeling better now that she was free of at least one of her concerns. "Perhaps one day," she said, then hesitated.

"What is it, dear?"

"I'm curious about the, uh, compatibility between other races and my own."

"Depends on the race," Claudia answered, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "Humans are compatible with elves... your purple cousins are of course compatible with your kind, and I've heard that dwarves can be, though I've never seen it myself; I imagine that one would have a whole list of complications."

"And worgen?" she wondered.

"Ah, an animal lover," Claudia grinned. The double entendre was not lost on her. "Well, from what I've seen and heard the coupling of worgen and elf begets normal, half-elf, half-human children. And though I'm not certain of the exact likelihood, the possibility of the child inheriting their parent's worgen affliction is rather low."

"I see," Sera replied, oddly happy with the answer.

"I wasn't quite finished. What is increased is the possibility of twins and triplets, so if a worgen is your lover of choice then I'd recommend preparing myself for a whole litter... so to speak."

"That's very interesting, but it certainly doesn't concern me," Sera asserted, fumbling with the thong tied around her coin purse and pulling out a silver coin.

"Mhmm." Claudia sounded doubtful.

"How much do I owe?"

"Twenty silver."

"That much? It took you less than a minute!" Seraphita protested.

"Oh yes, It pays well to learn the more mundane aspects of our ecclesial path," Claudia teased, and then continued as Sera dug out a larger satchel of coins. "You know, I hear worgen are exceptional in bed."

"Mine was," Sera blurted, and then immediately regretted it. "I mean... I've heard the same... from my friends." Her cheeks reddened and she focused on transferring money from the bag to her hand.

Claudia burst out laughing, a sweet and feminine sound.

"You humans can be so insufferable," Sera complained, her embarrassment turning to frustration.

"Yes, yes... You should try being more honest with your feelings, Priestess Seraphita. I think you'll find that honesty suits you better."

"Yes, Mother," Sera replied sarcastically. "Here." She held out her hand, filled with twenty little silver coins.

Claudia smiled and shook her shiny blonde head. "Keep it, dear... 'If someone sees a brother or sister in need but refuses to help, how can the love of the Light reside in a person such as that?'" she quoted, glowing with a pleasant aura of light.

"I'm not sure if that excludes payment, but I appreciate it nonetheless," Sera said, reorganizing her bags.

Still smiling, Claudia bowed her head in farewell. "I will be here should you need me again... perhaps with a different diagnosis next time, hm, priestess?"

"I don't think there will be a next time," she said, bowing back, "but I'm grateful we had the opportunity to meet. Truly." The physician was the most genuine and kind person she had met thus far. She reminded Seraphita of some of her friends back home--friends that she dearly missed. After exchanging a multitude of reluctant farewells as if they had been friends for years, she exited the little hospital, already focused on her next goal.

Having packed her bags full of newly purchased supplies as well as ensuring that she wasn't at risk of pregnancy, Seraphita went out in search of the man who had ruined her life--or at least, the man who she suspected had a part to play in ruining it. From information passed along by her friend Alesteon Lightwalker, head of the Silvermoon guard, a magister by the name of Kaerys Soulgazer had, for some unknown reason, ordered the majority of the guards in her fiance's district away shortly before the time of his murder. Afterwards, and perhaps even more unexpectedly, Kaerys had commandeered a merchant ship and ordered it's crew to take him on a one way trip to Gadgetzan. She knew of Kaerys and had even met him once or twice, but she had no idea why he would be involved in such a plot against her. Furthermore, as of yet, she had no concrete evidence that he was involved but his suspicious activity was all that she had to go on. It was a gamble that she had to take. Either he was responsible and she would find him and wring the truth from him, or she was doomed to be an exile.

She questioned everyone that would listen including other blood elves that she saw, rare as they were, yet they either hadn't seen him or were perhaps unwilling to speak of the magister. Frustrated and tired of her duchess act, Sera entered into the first tavern she saw. It was dark, smelled of stale beer and bread, and was altogether a wholly depraved establishment filled with unscrupulous men and irritated waiters. A pair of bruisers stood on opposite sides of the shadowy bar, eyes scanning the room and making sure that everyone was well behaved and every drink properly paid for. Quickly shifting her gaze away from them, she sat down at an empty table and flagged down a server. Unlike the other servers tending to customers, he seemed happy to see her; he was probably not accustomed to seeing pretty elves in a run down dump such as this.

"Give me whatever these people don't drink," she said, gesticulating with a wave of the hand towards the other patrons.

The waiter, a young orc boy who couldn't have been older than seventeen, smiled and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

When he was gone, Seraphita sighed and buried her face in her hands. She had spent hours asking around with no luck. Her spirit was low, the loss of her previous life hanging over her like a great big rain cloud. If she failed here she would never get it back, doomed to be a renegade safe only in neutral territories--if even then.

"Mind if I sit here?" A gruff voice addressed her and she looked up to see a hawkfaced human looming over her table. He was dressed in fine leathers and a wide-brimmed hat shadowed his face.

"I'd really rather be alone," she said coolly. Just what I need, another jerk trying to get in my pants. Unlike the last one, she would not allow this one to succeed.

"I think I know of the man you're looking for," he said, ignoring her dismissive comment.

Well that changed everything! "You know of Kaerys Soulgazer?" she asked, jumping up in her seat and her voice becoming a whisper without her even intending it to.

The stranger shrugged. "Describe him to me."

Seraphita pondered for a moment then blurted: "Ugly." She paused, chewing on a defenseless strand of her blue hair. "Really ugly. Black hair, green eyes, ratty patch of hair under his lip. Probably a jerk too." She hadn't spoken to him much but from their brief conversations he didn't seem particularly friendly.

"That's him alright."

Now she was getting somewhere. "Then by all means, sit down and tell me more Mr..."

"Bolero. Simon Bolero," the man said, sliding into the seat across from her.

"Alright, Mr. Bolero, who are you exactly and what do you know?" Sera asked, sitting up straight and crossing her arms under her sizeable bust.

"Just a simple bodyguard for hire, miss. It's a common profession in cities like this one. Men like me don't have too many talents other than fighting."

The waiter from earlier shuffled up to the table, and, directing a smile towards Sera, handed her a small goblet containing a silky red liquid, so light that she could see her reflection in it. Before she could thank him, an impatient patron shouted him over to another table. Setting the drink down and turning her focus back towards Mr. Bolero, she noticed him eyeing her newly delivered alcohol like a thirsty traveler lost in the desert with nothing but sand in his waterskin.

"Here, take it," she said, pushing the goblet towards the bodyguard-for-hire with the tips of her fingers. She didn't want to be drinking while dealing with a stranger anyways.

"Thank you kindly," he said with a crooked grin, gripping the cup in a calloused hand and taking a lake of a gulp. "I already like you more than that other elf."

"Uh-huh, great. So where is he?" she asked, desperate for information.

Simon set the goblet down and licked his lips clean of any wine residue. "Right. As I was saying, a lot of us less talented folk become swords for hire around here. This Kaerys fellow was looking to hire a couple of bodyguards and ended up hiring two friends of mine who told me where they were headed."

"And where is that?" she wondered, losing her patience and a touch of acid entering her voice.

He took another sip of his free drink. "Lost Rigger Cove."

The rattling of a chair across the room startled her and she looked up curiously. A handsome man with blue eyes and dark brown hair that was almost black sat down. He was tall and human, and their eyes met briefly before he seemed to reluctantly tear them away. Something about him seemed familiar...

"Miss?" The sword for hire cleared his throat and snapped her attention back to her own table.

"Any idea why?" she responded, focusing back on the matter at hand.

"Why he's going to Lost Rigger Cove? No idea, but if you plan on following him I'd have to advise against it. It's not a place for little ladies such as yourself."

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me." She didn't exactly have a choice.

"That I cannot help, miss," he continued, ignoring her. "See, I like to consider myself a virtuous man and my mother always taught me to help those in need. Probably why I really got into this bodyguard business."

I can see where this is going, Seraphita thought, struggling not to roll her eyes. "Let me guess, you want me to hire you?" She raised an almost accusatory eyebrow, long like a strand of wheat and just as blue as the hair on her head.

"That's a wonderful idea!" he exclaimed, acting innocent as if the thought had not crossed his mind. "Lost Rigger Cove is full of pirates and that's not even mentioning the creatures in the desert along the way. It would be very unwise to go alone."

"And how much would your services cost me, Mr. Bolero?"

"For you? Thirty silver coins."

"Twenty-five or I'll go by myself."

"Deal," he said without sacrificing a thought towards negotiating.

"Very well. I am not looking for a fight though. I want this to be a quiet mission and with any luck you won't be needed." Though to be honest, she didn't have much of a plan in regards to what she would do upon confronting Kaerys.

"I pray it will be that simple," he replied, downing the rest of his drink.

They discussed things further over the next quarter hour, she explaining the bare minimum as to why she was pursuing her fellow blood elf, and he explaining what they would need for their journey as well as how long it would take. If nothing else, he seemed to be knowledgeable as a guide, and as he spoke she became more and more aware of how out of her depth she was. Even if the journey would be--as he assuredly promised her--short, she was not accustomed to trips across sandy deserts or potential confrontations with probable sorcerers and their bodyguards. When they were finished, she paid for the drink and then exited the tavern, escorted out by her new bodyguard.

"How soon can you leave?" she asked as soon as they had left the building. It was already late into the afternoon and the streets had somehow become even more crowded than before. Hordes of goblins, trolls and humans roamed the sandy streets, illuminated overhead by flashy neon signs that sparked as if communicating with one another in some sort of sign-language.

Simon shrugged. "As soon as you'd like."

"Tomorrow morning then. Meet me here an hour after sunrise." Sera bade farewell to the man and began her walk back to The Golden Oasis, eyes forward but mind lost in thought. The newly purchased services of Simon Bolero eased her anxiety somewhat, but even so she couldn't help but wish that Ren was there with her, or perhaps waiting in her apartment when she got back as if nothing at all had happened. An unpleasant ache formed in her stomach and she huffed in an indignant, scratchy anger that had her kicking every rock in front of her until at last the towering inn, it's golden palm tree shining bright, loomed before her. Stepping inside, she trudged upstairs and entered her apartment, locking the door behind her and falling into a deep sleep not long after.

***

Discreetly, and over a tankard of ale, Ren watched Seraphita as she conversed with a shady--and yes, he was shady, it wasn't just his irrational jealousy making him think that--looking man sitting across from her at the circular table they were seated at. Still in his human form and playing the part of any drunken gambler or laborer, there was little chance they or anyone else would pay much attention to him. Normally, he would march right over to her and demand an explanation for what she was doing and as to why she left the boat without him, however, with great restraint, he decided to eavesdrop upon her and this unknown scoundrel that she was with. From his vantage point, he could see both of them clear as day and even catch a word every now and then over the drunken clamor of the tavern; sadly though, most of what they were saying evaded his ears. The one thing that did stick out was a location: Lost Rigger Cove, the location he had been tipped off to a mere few hours prior.

Of course, he knew the man that Sera was after: he was a magister that had contacted him and then subsequently hired him not only to kill her fiance, but to frame her for the murder in some grand political scheme for power. Always power. Luckily, Sera had escaped imprisonment, throwing a wrench into the magister's machinations and prompting him to be hired again, this time by a different magister--one that clearly suffered not values such as loyalty and compassion, and whose name he had not been deemed worthy of knowing. Politics were not his forte but even he could tell that he was involved in some tangled web of duplicity. His new orders had been clear: tie up the loose ends by eliminating the liabilities: Kaerys Soulgazer... and Seraphita Silverbreeze.

Though he had--probably foolishly--decided against harming Sera, he was not so sympathetic towards Kaerys. Failing to honor his contract might just earn him some assassins of his own and he was determined to learn more about these so called noble men who had hired him. For despite his hands-on profession, he was a firm believer in the idea that knowledge was power, and knowing more about this shadowy cabal might keep him from having to look over his shoulder constantly. Failing that, and provided he figured out their names from Kaerys, he could always kill them until the assassins stopped, their task meaningless without their employers' coin.

Ren needn't worry about assassins now, however. It would be a while before news of his double-cross reached his nameless employer and he would use this grace period wisely. For now that meant observing Sera and this man she was clearly involved with; though, he observed with a great sense of relief, they did not seem to be intimately involved. When they left the tavern and departed in opposite directions, he had the very difficult decision of following the well dressed man--which he deemed as the more logical choice as he could find out who he was exactly--or Sera, who was the more appealing option for less than sensible reasons.

Begrudgingly, and with what felt almost like a physical pain, Ren spared one last glance at Sera before stalking off towards the man she had shared a table with. For her sake, he would determine whether or not he could be trusted.