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Chapter 4: The Mysterious One |
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Another one up already, i'm loving this. So we are now taking a divergence from what happened in the actually threads and moving into some territory that is important to Fear as a character. We also get to meet my other favorite character that isn't one of my own. Get ready because everything is just getting started
She wasn't sure when he had showed up in the tavern or how long he had been coming to it, but Fear could not recall ever talking with the man.
He was a dark elf with skin as black as the night sky, though maybe he wasn't actually a dark elf as she knew them. Perhaps he was only half dark elf and half something else, or maybe, as her own father had been, he wasn't actually from their world. For some reason Fear never stood to go over and speak with the man.
He was intriguing to her, different and somehow familiar to her. Had she run into him while on a contract? Or perhaps she had fought alongside him? It bothered her when she couldn't place people. Fear had overheard his name when he was talking to one of her servers. Duo.
The part that interested her more was that never once did he have anything alcoholic to drink, it was always green tea. She had seen many people go in and out of the door, but he always just appeared out of nowhere. Could he already have been staying here before she started even coming to the tavern?
As she was watching him, lost in thought, he turned and looked at her. That look sent a chill through her spine. He looked at her like he knew her, knew what she was and what she had done. It felt like he was staring right through her and into her soul. Those piercing green eyes with pupils like a snake. She looked away after only a few seconds, but she could still feel him looking at her, sizing her up.
Then she heard someone walking. Heavy boot falls on the wood floor, the sound of chain lightly swaying back and forth. They were moving towards her, HE was moving towards her. Her chest felt heavy as she turned to look just as he placed his hand on the bar top.
He was a tall man, especially for a dark elf from the underground. Muscular, and if she had to guess his height he as probably about 6'6". She had to look up at him as he spoke to her.
"If it isn't too much trouble, could you brew me some green tea. It seems that the woman who normally takes care of getting it for me isn't here today." He leaned down a little as he placed the gold on the bar, his long white hair fell forward into his face.
Fear could only nod as she got started on his tea. The man didn't seem to mind her silence, he had gone back to looking around the room.
The two stood in silence, him stoic and unwavering as he seemed to keep watch like a bird of prey, and her suddenly shy and unnerved like the mouse trying to hide from him. For the first time in a very long time she felt like she didn't know what would happen in that moment.
The silence was broken by the whistling of the kettle. As the man turned to look Fear was already removing it from the heat and preparing the tea for him. When she looked at him from the corner of her eye she once again saw him looking at her, but now he was sitting at the bar, he clearly had no intention to go back to the sofa where he had been previously sitting.
With her head down she served him his tea, and with as calm a voice as she could handle she spoke to him. "Here you go sir. Can I get you anything else?"
The man took a sip of the tea and smiled gently, putting her somehow at ease a little more. "This is fine for now, Thank you."
As she moved to busy herself with cleaning a few classes he raised a hand, once more grabbing her attention. "But, If I may ask, what is your name? You look like someone I met a long time ago."
Fear froze, looking at him. Had they met? How long ago had they met? Why did she feel so exposed when this man looked at her. She stuttered out an answer. "J-Josephina, but everyone calls me F-Fear."
Duo smiled again. "You don't need to be scared of me, I won't bite. If you still worked for Midir I wouldn't be talking to you now would I?"
At that name Fear felt like a bolt of electricity had run through her; she felt like she had been paralyzed. Midir, that name still made her feel a mixture of emotions. Anger... guilt... fear.... Hearing his name she could feel those eyes on her, those black pits with the glowing gold orbs floating inside them; always watching her. That smile, deceptive and charming, like a cobra about to strike. She could hear the way he would talk to her, the way he would say her name. It made her feel feverish, it made her heart race, it made her blood absolutely boil the way he had always spoken to her. And now it was doing it all over again, but this time it made her chest hurt, her body ache, it was hard to breath; she was cold and afraid.
The sudden touch shocked her out of the panic attack. There beside her was Duo. He looked concerned, and it wasn't until she saw the look on his face that she realized she was now on the floor behind the counter. It had been years since she had suffered an anxiety attack brought on because of her past. She was thankful it hadn't been worse, and that someone had noticed quickly.
"Are you alright?" His voice was deep, still steady but his concern was evident.
Slowly Fear nodded, her heart still racing as she moved to stand. "I'm fine." She felt drained, mentally and physically.
Duo moved to help her up, but she brushed him off as she stood. The taller man seemed confused despite the still stoic look he wore.
"I said I'm fine. I.. I just need to go rest." The barkeep moved out from behind the bar, Duo just behind her. As she walked she noticed the spilled tea on the counter. He must have jumped over the bar when she had her panic attack.
Fear stopped for a moment, not turning to look at the man behind her. "I haven't worked for that a*****e for 35 years, and I want to keep it that way. Now please excuse me." With that she moved to the stairs and up to her room.
Once the door was closed and locked behind her Fear lay on the bed, her body aching as she pulled herself into a ball under her blankets.
"That isn't my life anymore. I don't have to worry about.. him.. anymore." She couldn't even say the name herself. "I'm better than that a*****e."
She continued to tell herself that but deep down there was still doubt and it nagged at her.
Eventually Fear drifted off, her body and mind too tired to argue. But this wouldn't be the last time Midir would haunt her dreams, and it wouldn't be the first either.
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 Fearless Demon child · Wed Jan 27, 2016 @ 07:59pm · 0 Comments |
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