Messenger From The Sky

Chapter Fifteen: Welcome To The Faux

The whispering started the moment Erin and her party arrived at The Faux, and the locals seemed to appear out of nowhere. It was almost creepy, the way they emerged from their homes, as if sensing a disturbance, and gathered at the side of the road.

Erin stirred in her seat and raised her hands up to her chest in an attempt to cover herself from the eyes of the male necromancers who stood, observing her from afar. Why did they have to stare? Their gazes hinted at mistrust, although they were careful not to show it.

'Geez,' Hirst muttered. Erin looked round and noticed that looked disgruntled. 'So many bloody eyes...'

'Why are they looking at us like we're orcs?' she asked, keeping her voice low so none of the locals would overhear. 'I don't like this.'

'Didn't you hear what I said before? Necromancers don't take kindly to visitors!'

Erin puffed out her cheeks. 'I heard you. I just didn't think it was true...'

Casius' brows furrowed as he looked about the area, taking in the steadily growing amount of people 'I fail to understand what the commotion is all about,' he confessed at last. 'Why are those female Mortals pointing at me and laughing like I've grown another pair of wings?'

'What? What women?' Erin followed his gaze and saw a pair of young-looking female necromancers standing at the edge of the road. They were giggling and pointing, exchanging hushed whispers.

Anger stirred when she thought of another woman ogling Casius and behaving inappropriately around him. What gave them any right? She pursed her lips, sending the women a cold, distasteful glare. The necromancers, as if sensing her inner bitterness, stopped what they were doing and stepped back, almost shamefully.

Erin immediately began to regret her actions. Her fingers clawed at the material of her trousers and she shook her head. Why did I do that? she wondered. Allowing myself to be overcome by petty jealously? What do I have to jealous of?

Her eyes wandered over to Casius, who stared straight ahead, seemingly oblivious as to what she was doing. She examined his thin face, his dark, watchful eyes and thick, slightly tousled hair.

He's certainly charming, no doubt about it. But looks aren't what I sought out in a partner...

'Hey. Hey, Kale.' Hirst pointed to the end of the road. 'Park on up there.'

Erin looked ahead and saw that they were nearing a large, timber-framed building, similar to an inn. A sign positioned above the doors read: The Faux Bar. 'A bar?' She glanced at an eager-looking Hirst. 'Why are we stopping at a place where people don't like us?'

The dwarf sighed whilst Casius complied to his demands, guiding the horses over towards the tavern. 'Because I'm dying for a drink, and because we need to rest,' he said. 'Look, suck it up. We'll have a drink, stay for a bit and then head back out. That's not asking much, is it?'

But Erin wasn't so sure.

* * *

After ducking down in order to avoid a necromancer's boot, which was carelessly thrown across the crowded tavern, Erin deduced that The Faux Bar was far from serene. She was overcome with disappointment as she recalled the stories her father had told her about The Faux.

It seemed as though everything she had told about this place was...well, a little inaccurate.

Erin's thoughts were halted as a young necromancer came tumbling down from the balcony above, unleashing an excited war-cry. She jumped back with a scream, especially when he crash-landed right in front of her. However, her surprise was unattended to by the same man, who jumped up like nothing had happened and pushed past her, his arms waving dramatically in the air as he disappeared into the nearby crowd.