In Defiance Of The Second Sun (MxM)

Chapter Eighteen

Guilt and regret swirled inside his ale soaked stomach as nausea settled in. He should never have said that to Samrin, no matter what the man said to him. He had his morals and smashed them to pieces out of anger. He imagined Loralies stern voice. “ Do not rise to insult, fight with peace and understanding”.

   Yoru groaned into his pillow, Firs had not come back yet and the dark sky was beginning to lighten. No rest for the wicked and he truly felt wicked. He got up, pulled his boots back on, and made his way to the tavern to retrieve his demon.

   Much to his annoyance the tavern was closed, some patrons had passed out on the tables but the barman had already blown out the candles and left for the morning. He walked to the desk to find a new face gently snoozing behind it.

“Excuse me” Yoru coughed trying to get the woman's attention. She groggily opened her eyes and as soon as she registered Yoru she jumped, clutching her chest.

“You scared me, what you wantin then?” The clerk asked. She was younger than the previous one but just as rough.

“I’m looking for a short elf, with a high ponytail…he looks quite well to do. He was at the tavern most of the night?”

The clerk thought for a moment before answering.

“Oh yeh, the drunk one. He left in the arms of a young woman as soon as closing. Only about an hour ago, he was wasted. She had to all but carry him.”

Yoru’s stomach dropped to the floor. There was no way Firs would willingly leave with some woman in the middle of the night, they were in the middle of a  crisis. He was a rude bastard, not an idiot.

Yoru ran out the front door immediately to an empty dark street. Without one thought to the Ashen’s he chose any direction and ran. With every step his heart thundered in his chest, his soul was quite literally missing.

For what felt like an eternity he ran the length of the small village. The morning vendors with fresh produce and newly baked bread watched him become frantic. He asked every one he came by if they had seen a short elf and all gave him a no.

   The sun was blooming on the horizon and with its appearance a thought popped into his head. He ran back to the inn and banged on the Ashen’s door. As soon as he smashed the door a second time it swung open and a very alert looking Cais answered.

“What's happened?” He asked immediately upon seeing the panic in Yoru’s eyes

“Someone took Firs in the night, I’ve looked everywhere. I cant find him” He said between ragged breaths.

  Cais sprung into action and pulled his boots on. The twins were still snoozing lightly on their respective beds and Cais threw another shoe from the floor at his younger brother.

Samrin grunted, slowly rising from a nest of wild blonde hair. He looked over to the two men barely registering their presence.

“S'wat?” he grumbled.

“Get dressed. We have a situation.” Cais cried.

   The four of them questioned the clerk once again for a description of the woman. He described her as short, with dark brown hair and dark red lipstick. He said she wore a black hooded cape and that she had never seen her in town before.

“Oh I saw her, sort of! Last night she bowed to me at the top of the stairs…I thought she was weird.” Yoru slapped his forehead for not going to get Firs sooner and Sabrin patted his arm.

“We’ll find him, he probably got taken for ransom by some bandits looking to make a quick coin” Cais said resolutely.

   Yoru found this to be sound reasoning. They did just arrive in town with luxurious goods and fancy clothing, they had a target on their head the moment they stepped on the dusty cobbled main street.