TRC - Lord of the Glass Desert Ch. 10

Kahrin paid little heed to the brightly blushing barmaid and instead looked up at Elta and Perra. "I don't recall the color changin' as ye were tellin' about yer dreams and the monster girl's beginin's."

Elta nodded, "Exactly."

Perra looked over at Tanner, "Is that enough to convince you, Chairman?"

Tanner had been on the town council for longer than the woman staring him down had been alive, and been council chair for a third of that time. He had no room to refute Elta's and Perra's revelations. If he challenged Elta's truth spell, Tanner would call Telsin's voice of the Goddess into question. He couldn't challenge Perra's tale of monster girls being made from humans without questioning Elta's spell. The bitches waited until he revealed himself before telling the rest of the town the purpose of the green glow. All of Telsin now knew he accepted their stories as truth, at least partially. Though it galled him to no end, he knew continuing to express his own hatred of the monstrous women would cost him his position as Chairman and his influence over the town. Sometimes the way to win a battle was to lay down your weapons. Drawing in a few deep breaths to calm his rising temper, he glared up at the mage's woman, "If this is what the Goddess decrees, then we have little choice. How do you recommend we move forward?"

The tailor shot up from his seat. "You're just going to accept these half-human whores into our town?!" he yelled at Tanner.

"I do not like this any more than you," he replied, "but denying what we just saw would be foolish. Foolish men do not remain Council Chair long. Lady Perra would have us fling our arms open and invite them all in. This way, I can keep them from sending our people running for the hills as a horde of monster girls descends upon us."

He turned to Perra, "Understand this cannot happen like you want it to, Lady Perra. Our charter cannot be changed without approval from the King. As of now, no monster girls may own property inside Telsin. Any who attempt to live here will need to understand that the safety of our people comes first. That means that they will need to stay out of sight from merchants and travelers until the church's change of heart becomes commonplace.

"One last thing I will say is that no monster girl will be allowed to stay without a purpose. They will not be here to simply exist and must work toward the betterment of the people here, no different than any human who comes to live in Telsin.

"We shall draft a formal record of these changes at the next proper meeting. But for now, all those in favor of making the changes I just mentioned say 'Aye.'"

"No discussion?" said the blacksmith. "Just putting it to a vote here in front of the entire town? It's unusual for you to break convention like this, Tanner."

"After what we just saw, if the issue needs further discussion, you must have just woken up. I propose merely getting things rolling until we can meet and draw everything out on paper. This place is sweltering with so many people, and I think a few need to get to their midday meals," raising an eyebrow at the two wet spots on the front of Perra's dress, he continued, "or get others their meals."

Looking down and seeing what he was talking about, Perra swore under her breath.

The entire room jumped as a woman suddenly screamed, "Did you fuck my sister?!"

Wide-eyed, the man she shouted at backed away from the furious woman, "N-No!" he stammered as the glow around him turned yellow. Shrieking curses at him, she chased the man out the Inn's door beating on his back with balled fists.

"That's enough of that," said Elta, canceling the spell.

As the green aura around people winked out, the townsfolk began chattering among themselves, getting gradually louder in an attempt to be heard.

Tanner stood and stepped up onto the stone pad. "Quiet! The council has business to attend to!" he shouted, restoring order. "Those in favor of adopting my recommendations until we can get proper documentation drawn up?"

Jurien and Orin along with the carpenter, miller, stablemaster, and the rest of the council all said 'aye' except for the tailor and butcher.

When it came time for the 'nay's, the tailor nearly shouted the word, as did the butcher, Baret. The butcher's strong response came as no surprise since he voiced his loathing of monster girls often and emphatically. Years ago, before he came to Telsin, Baret's wife died when a reptilian monster girl attacked and abducted him. He fashioned a bone knife from remnants of her previous meals during his imprisonment and eventually killed his captor. The experience crystallized his hatred of monster girls, and Perra didn't expect him to stay with the coming changes.

To many people's surprise, Tanner also said, 'nay.' Looking back at the sea of confused looks, he clarified his vote, "It's a token gesture. The vote already passed, and I understand these changes are coming, but I sure as hell don't like it. Either way, as Council Chairman, I will try to find the best way for the town to move forward."

Jurien chuckled, "Ever the politician." Standing up, he turned to address the crowd, "We'll hammer out the details of Telsin's new direction as best we can, then have another of these town meetings in a few days where we'll share our plan and discuss any changes that need making."

"You expect us to get this done in a few days?" Tanner scoffed.

The apothecary looked back and grinned, "Some of us have been privy to Kal and Perra's dalliances more than others. Since her first dream, the Revered Mother, Lady Perra, and I have discussed the upcoming changes to the church and our town. I've used those talks ta draw up a potential first draft. I'll admit, I wasn't expecting ta need it for a few years."

"Since nearly the entire town is here, what kinds of changes to our laws will we be seeing?" the Chairman asked.

Elta spoke up, "First is that any man entering into a relationship with a monster girl needs to have human children as well. As Perra said, human women are vitally important since monster girls can't have sons. If a man wants to give a monster girl a child, he should have two human children as well, one boy and one girl. While we may be accepting them into our communities, we also need to maintain the human population for everyone's sake."

"I believe that was why Master Kal didn't want monster boys," said Bren from across the room. "Something about not needing humans anymore if there were more like me." His large hand dropped below the counter, and a moment later, Kahrin let out a surprised shriek before jumping away from him and rubbing her bottom where he pinched her. "Personally, I'm fond of human women and wouldn't want them to disappear."

People around the room laughed quietly as Kahrin cursed out the large man in a mixture of Common and Dwarvish.

"You need not worry about me," said Silma. "Although Firo striking out on her own signals I can have another child, it will be a long search to find somewhere to lay another egg. There are many years between each of my sisters as my mother searched for suitable nests and suitable men."

"You getting pregnant is the least of my worries," snapped Elta as the illusion next to her faded, "You walked into town and burnt one of our men with your power. You need to be more careful around humans and apologize to Harl."

"The man waved a weapon in my face, and I'm supposed to apologize?!"

"Yes, you are! Harl was protecting the people of this town from an unknown threat!"

"Fine, but I'm not going to stand there and let someone stab me."

"No, but you could have stayed outside the town and asked about Kal instead of strolling past our guards!"

"Ladies!" yelled Perra. "There are two women in this town who could burn down this Inn and roast everyone in it. If you are going to fight like this, please move it to the northern mountains where you can only hurt each other. There's a couple of harpies nearby who can take you there." She noticed several people in the crowd already making their way toward the exits. They weren't panicked, but they weren't dawdling either. "Silma, if you are going to be staying, you need to find a place within the town."

"I want her," said the blacksmith, catching the attention of the council and those on the hearthstone stage.

"Still pining after your apprentice and need something to stick your cock in, do you?" sneered the butcher.

Orin calmly stared at the man, "My apprentice has her own smithy in the capital and is doing quite well for herself. Since you are so concerned about the activities of what's in my pants, I'll tell you that I left pleasantly drained on my last visit. However, that may have been the last time as it sounded like she had an eye on a particular gentleman. With the number of single women in this town, I haven't wanted for company.

"Regardless, if she can do more than melt spearheads and can heat a billet for forging, the lass could be a huge boon to my smithy."

"Billet?" Silma asked.

"A bar of metal that I turn into tools and weapons."

"If she wants to lounge around on that stone and keep the place warm when winter comes, she's more than welcome," offered Ellis.

"I'm sure that the town will find hundreds of different uses for a walking furnace," said Perra, ignoring that earlier the Innkeeper wanted to bar her entry and now was inviting her in. "But those who call on her services should consider that she needs to be paid for the work she does. Just because she is a monster girl doesn't mean we can take advantage of her." Pera thought for a moment before looking back at the salamander, "Kal said you lived in a cave. Do you need any kind of special accommodations?"

Silma shrugged, "I had a chair and a bed of soft heat-loving mushrooms to sleep on. Rain is slightly annoying, but the ground here on the surface is nice and soft, so I can sleep anywhere."

"Surely I can do better than that," grunted the blacksmith. "The apprentice's room may need some freshening up as my last one spent most nights in my bed, but I can at least offer you a good night's rest. Until you decide what you plan on doing in Telsin, that is."

"Silma? Do you dream?" asked Elta.

"Yes. Why?" she replied, confused by the odd question.

"Do you have nightmares? Ones where your power burst forth while you slept?"

A long moment of silence passed as the salamander searched her memories, then went on to dig through those passed on by her mother. "I have had bad dreams, but nothing like that has ever happened."

"Ever?"

"No. Not to me or my mother from what I know." Silma felt her nipples stiffen from memories of nights her mother ended up sleeping in a human bed. Giving Orin an appraising look, she thought some of those memories may need revisiting.

"Good," said the cleric, "I'm sure our blacksmith doesn't want his house burned down because you lashed out at something in your sleep."

Silma looked over at the man and grinned, "If that's a concern, then it may be best if I sleep with him as I give those I touch the ability to withstand intense heat."

"Harlot," sneered the tailor.

"Whore," spat the butcher.

The salamander glared at the men, "Perra just spoke of payment for my services. What form did you expect that to take? Hunting is easy here on the surface. The food is so plentiful among the trees, I don't think even my appetite could ever strip an area of food. My abilities provide me shelter and safety. What does a human village have to offer besides sating my needs?"

"Have you tried human food?" Perra asked, trying to deflect the woman's ire.

"No, but I'm very curious, especially after the pleasant smells when we first entered."

"Payment methods can be discussed between her and those she works for," said Tanner. He turned to address the rest of the council. "Are there any other matters that need our immediate attention?"

Jurien raised a hand, "Expanding the council to account for the town's growth. We have discussed offering Ellis his position once again. Perhaps we could take care of that now since we are all here."

Ellis piped up from where he sat with Ada and his son, "Understand I'll be choosing Bren as my second. Since he and Kahrin are doing most of the Inn's running nowadays, he will likely be the one at the council table," said the Innkeeper.

"Why not have Kahrin as your second, then?" asked Perra.

"Ye don't want me in the council room, Lady Perra. I'll be comin' home with a sore mouth an' bottom and getting' 'em ta give me anythin' I want." Kahrin laughed from her place behind the counter, earning a few chuckles from the dwindling crowd. "Better ta have Bren do it. He takes care o' the books and has a better handle on what the Inn needs."

Perra took the people leaving as a sign Silma's strangeness, and the shock of the cleric's revelations were already fading in the eyes of the townsfolk, enough that matters of their everyday lives were more important. Only a few appeared to be holding onto their fear and disgust, but in the face of Elta's presentation, they had a difficult road ahead justifying those feelings.

The people leaving froze as the butcher jumped up from his chair, shouting, "We already have a monster fucker sitting on the council. Now you expect us to accept a monster-kin as well!" A calmness came over Baret's face, "I'm leaving. If this is Telsin's path, then I'll have no part of it," he said before stomping out of the Inn while shoving people aside.

"Much as I hate to say it, that was expected," said Jurien as Perra and Elta nodded in agreement.

The rest of the council turned toward the tailor.

"I'm not going anywhere," he snapped. "I too was taken by one of them in my younger days," he said, tilting his head toward Silma. "I managed to escape, though I was badly beaten and nearly broken. I don't like any of this, but I didn't lose my wife either."

"So now we have another vacancy," sighed Tanner. "We shall discuss prospects and reinstating Master Ellis at the next proper meeting. Meeting adjourned."

"Good thing too, or Lady Perra might've soaked ye all down with Talin's next meal," laughed Kahrin. The room had cleared enough she no longer needed to yell to be heard.

Orin stood up and addressed Silma. "We can stay and get to know each other over lunch, or I can show you to your quarters now."

The salamander smiled, "Food would be nice. But let's sit over there," she suggested, pointing at the stools in front of the Innkeeper's counter, "the chairs here aren't made for women with tails."

"After that, I could use a bowl of the Inn's stew myself," said Elta before stepping down from the hearthstone and following Silma and Orin.

Perra looked down at the wet spots on the front of her dress and grumbled, "Kahrin's right, I need to get home and feed Talin. Elta, do you mind if I take your horse back?" she asked while taking her pendant out and fastening it around her neck. A sense of relief washed over her when the moonstone and amethyst bauble rested against her skin once again.

"Go ahead," the cleric replied, sitting at one of the barstools and resting her staff against the counter. "Just turn her back toward town and swat her on the rump. She'll come back to the stables. I'm going to stay with Silma and Orin in case there are any problems with the villagers."

"That's probably a good idea. Centuries of hatred driven into people's heads aren't going to vanish with a magic light show and a few words. Send a messenger if you need me again." With a slight wave at Silma, Orin, Kahrin, Bren, and Deenah, who appeared from the kitchen with bowls of stew in her hands, Perra stepped out of the Inn and started toward the town stables.

She saw Master Baret walking toward the stable as well but thought nothing of it. If the man was genuinely leaving, he would need his horse and probably have to buy a cart for his belongings. The council would purchase his shop when he finally rode out, cleaning it up and saving it for the next town butcher.

Her first indication she needed to worry was seeing knuckles out the corner of her eye.

Perra heard a woman scream as she fell to the ground, but her thoughts were so jumbled from the butcher's punch she wasn't sure if it came from her mouth or another woman nearby.

"You fucking cunt!" Baret bellowed as his boot caught her in the stomach. "I had a good life here! You and your fucking monsters had to ruin it for me!"

As the kicks kept coming, Perra rolled away and curled into a ball, reflexively turning to what she learned years ago while enduring her brother's beatings. Blood flowed freely from her nose and a split lip. Wiping some of the blood onto the back of her hand, she would act like she was getting up but then fall over, facing Baret. Curling into a ball again, she would then cover her head and face with the blood-stained hand. This was often enough to convince Emrick he had done enough damage and to stop hurting her. Unless the butcher meant to kill her, Perra hoped Baret would react like her brother.

If he did want to kill her, all she could do is pray someone saved her before he succeeded.

Blindingly strong thoughts came through the bond, "Protect... Kill..."

Sensing what the harpy was about to do, Perra's mind snapped out of its survival mode. "No," Perra choked out as she threw herself away from the butcher and hastily scrambled to her feet. Those on the street looked on in shock, and a few men were already moving to stop Baret when an ear-piercing shriek turned all eyes upward.

"Kuto, no," mumbled Perra as she stumbled toward the butcher.

The harpy dove out of the sky with claws extended and hate for the butcher burning in her eyes. Perra threw herself between Kuto and Baret. Six of Kuto's eight claws found purchase in her chest and stomach. As the women toppled over, the look on the harpy's face went from consuming rage to horror as she realized what happened.

Kuto tumbled off Perra as they hit the ground, her curved claws doing even more damage as they pulled free. With a quick flare of her wings, she righted herself and hopped back to her injured lover. "Perra! Perra!" she screamed, her voice becoming more panicked as the woman coughed and blood appeared on her lips.

Seeing an opportunity, Baret raised his foot for another kick, then nearly fell over as something stopped his leg. Looking down, he saw a stone hand holding his ankle, but it was only visible for a moment before more of the dark gray rocks began sprouting from it, masking its shape as the stone grew, gradually encompassing his leg.

Elta ran past the butcher as he shouted for help while trying desperately to free himself from the growing column of stone. Skidding to a halt, she dropped to her knees beside Perra and the harpy, who was leaning over the unconscious woman, crying and begging for forgiveness. Shoving Kuto off Perra, the cleric rolled the woman onto her side to help keep at least one of her lungs clear. Elta's healing spell flared to life and began mending the woman's injuries.

"Please, please, save her, please, I'm so sorry, please," Kuto begged over and over.

Elta glanced up to see the bird-woman's chest plumage stained red, much like the front of Perra's dress. "She'll be okay. Just let me work," she told the harpy with confidence she wasn't feeling. Perra had lost a lot of blood in a very short time, and the bruises from the butcher were spreading the cleric's magic thin. Though she hated to admit it, Elta wished Kal was there. His ability to direct the flow of magic was better for these situations since he could put the spell's power into healing the claws' wounds and worry about the less concerning bruises later.

The thought flickered across her mind that if she were bonded to Kal like Perra was, maybe she could learn the ability from him.