Morons and Monarchs

Chapter 76: Ahmya😷

The tavern is run down and raggedy, reminding me of that Encantados girl Thanatos used to hang out with. 

What was her name? Oh, Frederique knows anymore. 

They should be reaching Imbolc island tomorrow or the day after, if the brochures for the boat were to be trusted. 

People yell bar songs, and dance precariously on top of tables, their skirts rising up high and pants showing off multiple butts off quite nicely. I can't help but admire a few as I try to watch for my target. 

I pull up my silver mask over my nose, the material a bit scratchy from the multiple seams I had Garbhan's nanny to sew into it over the years. 

But it is tolerable. 

A body slides behind me and grabs my shoulder, their spindly fingers wrapping around my joint, and I jump, my elbow flying backwards and connecting with the perpetrator's stomach. 

I pivot, seething at the curled figure. 

Blue hair and a fin as a hand, the person wheezes as he holds his stomach with his arm. 

"Are you Ea?" Is this despicable man the one I was sent to find? 

"Are you the girl Bayou was speaking of?" He replies, straightening with an odd wince on his face. 

I behold him for a minute before answering, noting how his gaze takes in my mask and golden hair, odd for an obvious Laritione as myself to wear all black. I roll my eyes as his lips quirk. "I am assuming I am." 

"Good," He looks me over once, and then glances over at the few 40 some people gathering beyond us, dancing lewdly and making me want to join unabashedly. Truly, the temptation is almost too strong. "We should go somewhere more..." He searches for words as his eyes focus in on a few guys ogling us from afar. 

"Private?" I suggest, and he nods, taking my arm and steering me towards a darker alcove where the songs and the really, really bad singing is muted. 

"Okay," He begins, taking his hand off of my arm and threading it through his hair. I look him up and down, noting how he has no shackles marring his limbs. Why is he here then? And how does Bayou know him? And why did he warn him ahead of time, ruining my fun of scaring him crap-less? "You are Ahmya, am I wrong?" He continues. 

I nod, urging him to continue, as I start pacing in slow steps. 

"Bayou said you would need my help via navigation, and as Death's apprentice, I can help." He grins, and my steps stagger in my pacing. 

"I apologise," I turn my head towards him, resuming my pacing of the small  corridor. "But you are Death's apprentice?" He nods. "As in... the person who steals your soul?" I mime my hands in odd gesticulations and Ea laughs. 

"Indeed." 

"And you are his apprentice?" 

"Correct yet again. You have impeccable hearing, Miss Ahmya." 

I roll my eyes. "I need to find a mutual friend of Bayou's." I point at him. "He is in a prison cell, most likely. I need to know which one, and I guess you have the keys?" 

He nods again. "Follow me, this man seems to me like it is Bayou himself." A laugh devoid of humor erupts from his chapped lips. "This will be fun." 

I watch the tavern slowly disappear from behind of shoulders, dancing mongrels' and rascals singing inappropriate songs, and suddenly wish I would have let go for a second and danced on one of those tables. 

It will be a long night, and I could have enjoyed it while it was young.