Inheritance

Part 2. Chapter 46: Dying Flame

A smile came to his face. He felt his rigid shoulders relax. He was thankful for the noisiness and merrymaking of the mess hall. It drowned out his meaner thoughts.

His smile turned bigger as he spotted Taylor taking a seat next to Pollyanna in the middle of the room.

On the fairy girl's other side was a red-headed elf. Them thought to himself gallantly, How dare he sit next to my Taylor? The cad!

Once Them got his food, he marched over to Taylor with his chest puffed out and tapped the red-headed elf on the back, "can you move over, please?"

The elf chewed his food louder and said nothing in return.

Them scowled and raised his voice. "Please move!"

The elf turned his head to the side and glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "Can't hear you pipsqueak."

Taylor giggled at the situation. "You're going to have to try harder if you wish to take your place by your princess' side."

Them sighed.

Let's just sit somewhere else, Them. Pete chirped. This elf could hurt us.

Not wanting to cause a ruckus, Them reluctantly nodded and turned around. He scanned the noisy room for a different place to sit when he heard Taylor exclaim, "goddesses! That dwarf is fat!"

"What did you say, fairy?" The red-headed elf asked ominously.

Them turned around to see the tall elf wrenching Taylor from her seat by the neck.

"I've heard of you, Arrozan. I wager the whole world has. I know how you detestable wastes of space abused your people and treated them as slaves. The world would be better off without you. I should kill you right now for insulting Eliita." The elf's grip tightened around the neck.

Pollyanna's fists were clenched. She stayed where she sat, however—evidently trying to control herself.

Them, still carrying his plate, watched with his amber eyes widened.

The Antler beckoned him—waving an index finger at him with a smug face.

His eyebrows knitted.

He grabbed his mashed potatoes in a fist and flung them at the elf without thinking.

The elf was stunned for a moment. Taylor somehow managed to choke out a laugh despite the strong fingers squeezing the life out of her.

He dropped Taylor to the floor—who was still laughing herself silly—and then he turned to Them.

Eliita, the stocky dwarf who Taylor had insulted, stood up and touched the elf's arm gently. "Terran, don't..."

He didn't listen.

He stomped over to Them and loomed over him with angry, dark eyes.

After a gulp of nervousness, Them stared the elf down with a similarly furious expression—although it didn't look nearly as menacing on a creature that was so small of stature.

The Antler gave him a patronizing pat on the head.

Them recklessly slammed his fist into the elf's knee.

The elf grinned smugly. He didn't even flinch.

Terran cracked his knuckles.

Them realized what trouble he had gotten himself into. He threw up his hands. "Are you really going to pick on someone two feet shorter than you?"

The elf stretched and his expression did not change.

His knuckles slammed into Them's stomach.

The waif doubled over in pain with a gasp escaping his lips.