Artos walks the short distance back to the general store. His body warmed by the small exertion from the fight. His senses heightened to the max so he feels every set of eyes on him as he starts up the few steps that lead to the door. Pulling open the door, Artos enters to the chime of the bell. He walks past a cluster of papers, small trinkets and other odds and sods, through the tall shelves and back to where Dec still stands.
"Doc?" he says to the plump tradesman. "Doc, they have gone. It is safe."
"W-what?" His head turns slowly to face him, his eyes glazed as if coated in sugar. "How did you... do that?" He points to the window in front of him. "You were..." he trails off as he continues to stare.
"My story is a long one." He smiles now, his face aching from the effort. "Let me help you with the mess. I will pay for anything they broke."
Doc seems to shake himself out of his trance. "No, no. That will not be necessary. Getting them to leave is payment enough." Doc forces a smile, "Thank ya. I'll take the offer of helping me clean up though."
Artos nods, "Of course. Here, let me lift that." He moves closer to a shelf that had been knocked over. With a little effort, he manages to lift it back to its feet.
Doc steadies it with big fists and nods. "Thank ya. I really do mean that."
"Not a problem. I'll help with this lot too," he says moving over towards the entrance. He looks down wondering where to start.
"You not gonna ask about the men?" asks Dec.
Artos turns to look at him, "No need. I know who they are and what they do."
"You do?" he replies, shifting from foot to foot. His sudden nervousness peaked. "How?" he whispers.
"I am against them. That is all I will say for now. You have nothing to fear from me. That, I promise." He faces Dec again and forces a smile that doesn't reach his eyes.
"Thank... you," he replies hesitantly. "Are they gone for good?"
Artos shakes his head, "They will be back. I don't know when, but they will be back eventually."
"What will we do? They will come back and slaughter us all."
"They fear me, Dec. That will keep them away for a while. And they will not slaughter you, they need what you have." He stands now with an armful of trinkets and places them on one of the shelves.
"Why..." Dec pauses, his eyes staring at him now. "Do they fear you? Surely not just from some scuffle in a random town."
Artos rounds on him now, his feet moving almost on instinct. But it makes Dec flinch backwards and his face drains of colour. "I am sorry, Dec." His face softens. "I did not mean to frighten you." He turns away before speaking again. "It was something I did, something in my past that is hard for me to speak about. Something that I am deeply ashamed of, Dec." He turns, fixing him with a steely gaze. "Can you clear up the rest?"
Dec shakes himself as he stares at Artos. Then his chin rolls wobble as he finds himself moving forwards. He reaches out a shaky hand, "Thank you, Artos. I think."
Artos stares at his hand then takes it, holding it firm. "You are welcome, I think," he finishes with a smile.
"Go on now, I can do the rest."
"I'll see you again soon," he says letting go of the big ham-shaped fists.
"And you, Artos." Then Dec goes about his business, cleaning and tidying.
Artos leaves the store with the ring of a bell and walks down the few steps to the dusty street. Men and women still look on, keeping watch at the big man, Blake still lying face down in the dust. He moves toward the unconscious body with the hope that it won't end with another fight. He moves closer watching for the slightest hint of movement, Nothing, good. He kicks the big man's leg receiving a groan in response. He steps back out of reach as Blake starts to shift and move and another groan escapes from his lips.
"Wha? Where the..." He sits up holding his head. His face shifts and he wipes at the dried red smeared across his face. He touches his nose and cries out. "My nose! My nose, I can't breathe."
"You can always knock it back," Artos says with a sneer.
Blake turns to face him, almost falling like a newborn doe taking their first steps. "You!" he shouts in a spray of red. "You did this..." he trails off looking around himself. "Where are the others?"
"They all left, Big Man. I told them to go," his voice more forceful now.
"They left me?"
"I didn't give em a choice." He pauses, letting it sink in. "You have the same choice. Leave now or die like him," he points to where Kain lies in a pool of his own blood.
Blake looks over and his face starts to twitch, his eyebrows rise and fall and he starts to puff out his cheeks. "You killed him?" he almost shouts.
Artos nods, "I did." He looks over to Kain. "Didn't give me a choice. I told you all to go. This is what happens when people like him can't listen."
"Why am I alive," Blake asks through gritted teeth. "You could have killed me easily."
"I told the others you would not be harmed. You were too heavy to carry."
Blake looks around himself, his eyes darting from Artos to the other townsfolk. "I can go?"
Artos nods, "Go, and don't return. Or you may still end up like your friend here." With that, Artos turns from the big man and walks towards the saloon. God, I need a drink.
As each step gets him closer to the saloon, he can hear a scuffling behind him. He looks back over his shoulder as Blake picks up his belongings then searches Kain for something he cannot make out. He turns back and carries on the short distance to the saloon.
He takes the steps one at a time and pushes through the twin batwing doors and makes his way straight to the bar. Artos perches on a stool and sighs. His eyes find Ernie as he hurries over to him.
"Mister Nomad, what can a get ya?" he asks, fumbling over a glass tumble he had been polishing in his hand.
Artos stares at the grimy barkeep, taking in the numerous stains across his clothes. "Whisky," he whispers.
"Right away. Right away, I say."
"Hmm," he muses. "Make it the good stuff, too."
He turns from the bar to see Daisy still sitting near the piano, the sunlight shining through a window bathing her in a warm glow. Her hair sparkles in it, turning it from a dark brown to an almost golden shade. She is lovely. Too lovely, me thinks.
"Here you go, Mister Nomad," says Ernie as he clunks down a half-cleaned glass on the counter.
Artos turns, grabs the glass and downs it in one. He breathes out as the liquor warms him. "That's not bad, Ernie. Not too bad." He smiles now and watches as Ernie visibly sags and smiles back at him. "Another."
"Right away," Ernie replies.
"Ernie?"
The barkeep turns back with a grin, "Yes, Mister Nomad."
"Firstly, you can stop with the mister nomad. My name is Artos. And I need you to gather me some things. Can you do that?"
"O' course, Mister Artos. What ya need?"
Artos shakes his head with a grin. "I need a flask of water, some bread and a map, if possible."
"Hmm, I can do that. The map though, you'll have to go see Daisy over there," Ernie points. "She can draw ya a map, she can. She good at that." Then he turns reaching for the whisky bottle. "Drink first, then the rest. Then the rest."
Ernie slaps the glass down again then hurries off through a back door. Picking it up, Artos stares at the dirty rim then downs the harsh liquid and slams the glass down with a breath. Right, hopefully, she won't be too offended about last night, eh. He stands and dusts himself off, the sunlight catching the motes as they drift away. He coughs absently and starts to walk over to the piano, he stretches out his aching legs with every step. His muscles are exhausted from the unexpected effort of the fight but he pushes forward.
"Daisy?" he asks with a grimace at the retort he was about to hear.
She turns to face him, batting her bright eyes the colour of the sky. "Well, ya talking to me now, are ya?" She stands and walks around the stool to face him. "Sit?" she says with the jerk of a hand.
"Hmm," he nods. "Thank you. About what I said—"
"Do not worry about what you said. I know what a weary man says and does, does not always mean what it means. You had that scuffle with Gain and his boys, and the long journey. I can forgive a few words." He finishes with a smile that beams across her face lighting it up to the world.
"Many thanks. I truly mean it, I do." He stares at her now, almost getting lost in the deep blue pools of her eyes. He shakes his head with an effort, "Your eyes are really blue, aren't they?"
She laughs aloud, a sweet trill not unlike a bird. "And yours are really green," she grins. "What of it?"
"Ah, nothing. It's just, I haven't seen many in a long while." He smiles back and combs back his hair with a hand suddenly realising that it had fallen out in the melee.
"You can always stare at them later, handsome?" she enquires subtly, her lashes flashing away as she turns herself into the minx she has become.
"As tempting as the offer is, I wanted to ask something else of you?"
"Hmm, your loss, eh?" She bats her long lashes once again. "Well, what have ya to ask?"
"Right," he clears his throat. "Ernie said you have an eye for drawing? Said you could help me with a map of Baron?"
"Hmm, I can help you with that," she says, her eyes lighting up as she leans in closer. She grins widely at him.
"If it pleases you?"
"Oh, it does!" she almost shouts with joy. "You have no idea what it's like to be asked to do something other than use this," she stands and gives him a twirl, showing off her petite frame and the exposed cleavage in the smallest top he had ever seen. "It would be my pleasure to draw for you, eh... what do I call you then?"
"Artos. Call me Artos."
"Hmm, a lovely name. Artos, nice to meet you." She offers her hand. He takes it in his and kisses the back of it sending a shiver through her body. "Ooo, are you sure I can't persuade you?"
"The map will be enough," he smiles, trying to appease her as he lets go of her hand. "Please?"
She jumps up with a grin, "Worth a try, ha! I'll get right on it. Wait here, I'll be back soon." She scoots off past him headed for the stairs, her frilly dress aloft as she runs.
"What a wonder this little town is," Artos whispers to himself. "What a wonder." He looks around as Ernie blunders through a door and into the bar once again.
"Mister Artos, Mister Artos. I have what ya asked for, here," he says holding up a large round canteen in one meaty hand and a canvas bag in the other. A crooked grin plastered across his face showing how proud of himself he was.
"Good. Thank you, Ernie. I'm just waiting for Daisy to get back to me with the map. How about another whisky while I wait, eh?"
"Right away, Mister Artos. Right away." He slams down the canteen and the bag on top of the counter then turns and fetches the bottle from the shelf. He brings it over and places it down gently. "Here, Mister Artos. Finest we got, this one." He pours out another shot and replaces the cork quickly. Artos downs the fiery liquid and smacks his lips at the taste.
"Mmm, it is a good one that. What is it?"
"Sullivans Cove, it called. Finest single malt around for miles. Found a couple o' cases buried out back a few years ago. Still got plenty left as most won't pay for it. But you have on the house, Madam Lettie's orders, Mister."
"Well, thank you, Ernie. I think three for the morning is good enough for now. You can put it back."
"As ya like. As ya like."
"Artos," says a sweet voice from up high. He turns to see Daisy charging down the stairs at a ferocious path. "Artos, I have it." She hurries to his side, her cheeks flushed from the effort.
He takes a rolled up piece of yellowed paper from her hand with a smile. "Thank you, Daisy. This will help a lot."
"My pleasure, handsome. I'm here to help, anytime. If ya know what I mean?" she winks.
"I know what you mean," he replies with a smirk. "Right, time to be off." He slides the shot glass across the counter to where Ernie's hand's rest then picks up the canteen slinging it over his shoulder and lifts the small canvas bag feeling the warm loaf inside. He holds that close as he turns from them both and walks through the twin batwing doors for the third time that morning.
Walking out into the blazing sun beating down on him, Artos stares out with a single thought that had been running through his mind since the second he had seen the tribal mark.
What the hell are the Dangu doing all the way out here?
Thanks for reading.
New chapters will be posted When I finish book 2 of the BrightStone saga