Chap 160: The Desert Town Sarudain

"Y'all want me to order for group?" Greg said asking as he stepped in front of the rest of us, and looking at the back of his head as he's been acting nice lately.

I hope it's not because he was ordered to tag along?

. . . . .Barkeeper's PoV, A Minute Before. . . . .

Cleaning glasses and waiting for more people to come in. The little bell rung and I heard the door to Hazlet, my new pub, open. Looks like I have more customers, That's Great! So more finally came!

Lifting my head as tonight was getting boring with no one coming in, I'm happy to see that maybe this was not a bad idea opening up a liquor shop right here

And picking my eyes up, I watched as a group of five walked into my establishment. The first was a man of sorts with yellow hair and blue eyes, he's handsome and white, usually dont get many of those types with skin like his around here? Usually dark men and lays.

Next were two people entering at the same time, one was a beautiful woman with mixed black and brown hair, and next to her was a man with the same hair.

They were both brown skinned and similar in height. But... Looking at the man, I felt like I was bewitched by his looks alone, I didn't want to take my eyes off him.

Yet forcing myself to shake my head as now's not the time for me to be gawking at some man, another just walked into the pub, but now it's a woman this time.

She was another white girl with blue eyes, but she has black hair, even darker than mine? Also it looks like?? There's hints of red mixed into her pretty blue eyes?

Hmm?

After her, one more woman came in, she too was light skinned and white, there sure has been a lot of these folk coming into our town huh? She was beautiful and gawlee it has me jealous, though she's kind of flat so I have her beat in that I suppose? But she was fair and small and has golden eyes mixed with a dash of red, it was so pretty, and looking at her, I was even jealouser.

Also she has brown hair which is common here.

I wonder if that charming man's with her?

Also I haven't seen them before?

Could they be travelers?

"Y'all want me to order for the group?" the white man said asking the few of them, and when he did, the girl most beautiful in that group glanced at him, saying.

"Go for it, we'll find a spot to sit" the brown woman said walking next to the handsome man, she's been looking for a place to sit ever since they came in.

I can tell by that look in her eyes, she's a sharp one.

But at the same time, those eyes looked daggered.

But then that black haired white girl stomped her foot foward, and yelling, "Fuck that," desterbing the few of the people in here, "Let's just take a seat where ev–"

But as she was talking like a psychopath or just some street thug, the brown man slapped her over the head as she was acting crazy, but looking at her with a very soft but very tolerant gaze, she was saying otherwise.

"Mind you manners" he said honestly surprising me.

Tapping her over the head to give her some sense, she lowered her head in the next instance, "I am. . . My apologies, Master—" cutting her off as she spoke.

"Just call me Aster. . ." he looked irritated by her.

"Sorry, Aster. . ." she said formally back to him.

Looks like a teacher and disiple thing huh?

And seeing this I couldn't help but laugh as I found it cute, and hearing me the lot of them looked at me, an with the gaze of them I tensed up as I felt indangered.

But then it vanished in the next second and the white man was standing in front of me, "Sorry about them, anyway, by chance do you sell draft beer here?" He'd asked, and glancing over the others found a booth.

Looking back to him, I calmed, "Yes! We have draft beer! Will that be all for the five of you?!" I asked even startling myself. I acted and felt so jumpy all a sudden.

What was that? Usually when we get travelers and or warriors, they usually give off a strong air to them, but these lot, they all bring off dangerous, and it's scary.

"Actually, I'd like to order some food as well for us, do you do that here as well? Or is it just alcohol?" he said asking some more, and calming myself some more.

I said, "We make food, the menu is above me actually, just write it down on a list or tell it to me and I'll bring it out or make it in a few minutes, till then, drink up~"

I said getting back to being comfortable.

And glancing over to his group, I looked at that man.

Aster? That's what he was called, right?

And looking at him, adoring him form a distance, just so suddenly he glanced back at me, and with a smile he turned his head showing teeth and friendlyness.

And it had my heart jumping around in my chest!

Gripping the counter, I looked away, those brown eyes of his were going to give me a heart attack, how can a man do this with just his look, it's so unbelievable!

"Anyways, that's all" the man I forgot was here said.

And looking at him, blushing as I felt so mixed up and flustered, I sunk down to my knees making him look at me raising his brow, "I'm sorry, can you write it for me"

I asked hitting my head against the counter and he just laughed, "Sure thing, just don't overwork yourself dear~" he's sweet, and his whole group interests me.

"Thank you—. . ." tonight's going to be long night. . .

. . . . .Meanwhile. . . . .

Lookin back to the group after I caught the barmaiden staring at us with interest, "I forgot why we came here again?" Grace said putting her head on the blue table.

Mari who was next to me shrugged.

Rika next to Grace almost fell asleep just sitting.

Now it's up to me to fill her in on this.

"Basically, we're lookin for a group of people from the black fang company, when we find them, Greg will tell us what's next" I said as that was all I actually knew?

"Didn't we ditch that man's, Greg?" Her

"No, he was scouting the area beforehand" Me

"I wanna ditch him, I don't like him" Her

"Hm? Why's that, he's our group captain?" Me

"He's a pervert, weird, and I don't like him" Her

"You don't like a lot of people, Grace" Me

"I like you" Her

"Thanks, but that's not good enough" Me

"No, I just wanna like you" Her

"..." I'm not going to get anywhere with her am I?

"Other than you being my master for the last 3 years, you've been nothing but kind to me, respectful to me, hell, you saved my life a few times too! So I love you!"

Hearing her I laughed, "I was jus doin as a companion should, Grace" but as I was saying that, Mari grabbed me by the head, pulling me to the side of her chest.

"She's not wrong, you've been too kind to us, Aster"

Mari said but I don't think she knows I remember that she's Hiro's sister, or used to be mine, shit, I think she doesn't even plan on tryin to get me to remember too.

But to be honest I'm glad for that, I'd rather us be. . .

I don't know about friends, but sure, friends instead.

Even though she's currently enslaved by my magic. . .

That's not the point, anyways, she's here by choice.

And leaning my head on her as I didn't really care too much about that, "Y'all give me too much credit" but just as I was saying that, "You're also a really big idiot"

My face went blank as she then insulted me after. . .

"That kindness you have is going to be your downfall"

And hearing her and now getting what she's saying.

"I'll keep that in mind, but I'd rather keep it though"

And sighing after hearing me say that back to her.

"Just don't die, idiot"

"That's why I have you though~"

"Ugh, you're such a pain"

"Hehe, I know, and I love it really much~"

Hearing Mari click her tounge, Grace looked at us with a deep stare, and as the redness in her irisus deepend she didn't look to be all too well, she's looks mad?

Though I don't get why, so sitting up, I asked her.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"I'm fine" she growled back at me?

"Wait, are you mad we're out of that desert?"

"No. . . " she growled even more.

"Because honestly I couldn't handle another day of that, night after night me and Mari had to use our fire just to keep ice from forming around us, then we had to make it last through the night, I thought I was going to die, I almost ran out of magic twice, it was so awful"

I openly complained slamming my head on the stone blue table, an it hurt bad, but not as bad as the magic paths of my nerves after using sorcery every night.

"I'm going to kill myself. . .This is too much for me"

But just as I was groaning as I could finally afford to relax and just let lose, I felt a hand on my head, and then a voice in front of me saying out to me, softly.

"I know you're joking but please don't say that. You'll get me sad. Anyways, good news we made it to town!"

I heard Grace say as she stopped growling and talked to me with a soft calming voice, and moving my head up and looking at her softer gaze, I said back to her.

"Bad news is we only have a thousand gold left. . ."

"Good news is we can always make more" she said.

But hearin her I rolled my head on the side and looked over to Greg as he was flirting with the barmaiden, an then I said while doing that, "It's too cold at night, and it's too hot in the day, work will be hard for us to find"

And hearing me, "Actually, your not wrong about that, but at the same time you kind of are, have you ever wondered why it's so cold at night, maybe there might be something off about the desert we can find and solve"

"Then what, we'll be rewarded by these people?"

"Yeah!"

"I doubt it, and if anything there's no volcanos near here so I doubt we'll find one with a white dragons heart submerged inside of it, it might be natural"

"There's no way this can be natural?"

"Go on, tell me why, Grace"

"It's hotter than the sun in the day, and it's colder than anything at night that it literally freezes over! With ice!"

"Mmhm. . .So what're you thinking about?"

"Windigos!"

"Doubt that" I said realistically.

"Ice Trolls!"

"Maybe, also doubt it" could be, but no.

"Ice Spirits!"

"Those exist???"

"Yetties!"

"Do you even know what a yettie is?" Really?

"No! But uh, Ice Dragon!"

"I really doubt it?" I already said that.

"Uhh! Just something okay!!!"

Hearing her I closed my eyes, but when I did I heard a clank, and opening my eyes I saw a pretty brown girl, it was the barmaiden, she was putting down glasses.

And seeing that yellow color and foam, beer huh? Ok.

Sitting up, the barmaiden looked to Grace, "I couldn't help overhear y'alls conversation an actually, the cold nights are actually a result of the plane of ice being in the north or our country, You'd actually be surprised"

Plane of ice? Now that's interesting.

But looking over to me, she had more to say.

"The plane of ice's dominence is right over our lands"

Sighing as she moved all the glasses Infront us.

"Yet, sadly the winds are blown downward"

So the cold nights are caused but that?

I would have never thought of such, but how come a elemental plane is leaking here? It makes no sense, maybe Grace's onto something, though it's unlikely.

But hearing her Grace shot up.

"Is there anything we can do to fix it!"

But shaking her head she declined her question.

"I'm afraid not, you'd have to be a powerful deity"

And looking at me, I was the quite opposite.

But just as she was going to probably blurt that out.

"Ignore her please, though I do have a question"

And turning to me, she didn't look at me directly.

But looking towards me, she nodded her head to me.

"We're currently looking for work, by chance do you know if there's any hunting or monster hunting jobs, we'd appreciate anything at this point actually" I said.

Asking her due to our money becoming tighter.

And seeing her think about it, "I don't know much bout monsters, but I'd suggest you join the hunter's guild if you're looking for that kind of work, but it'll take some time for y'all to get accepted, how bout another offer"

Hearing her, I crossed my hands leaning backwards.

"Yes, go on," we're also missing a lot of information.

"I have to deliver a shipment soon, bodyguard me for the trip to there and back and you'll be payed in gold"

She said but before I could even talk to her about it to maybe try and gain a little more info on the trip, Greg who sat next to Rika and waking her up, just said out.

"You have a deal, considered us all hired miss!" Greg

He said without even thinking about it, and that had us looking at him and Grace growling as even she wasn't that Nieve to merely accept a quest just like that. BUT as both her, and the others were going to yell at him.

I interviewed saying. "Excuse me, but we can make gold anywhere, why do you want us to come? Since clearly you've been eyeing us this entire time, so what else is in it for us, Madam, what do we get from this"

And hearing me the others glanced over with a brow raised but I knew what I was doin, and hearing me the lady laughed, holding the tray she used for beer in her arms and looking back to me with a smile, she said.

"Gee, madam makes me sould old, Miss or Avery is just fine, anyhow, you're right, I've been eyeing y'all, but that's just because they don't look to be from our parts, so those three just had me curious you know"

She said looking to the three lighter people with me and Mari. They do draw attention, we need some new robes. It'll make us more blenable and less noticed.

"Also, when we get to the porter city, I'll be there for a few days so while I'm getting stuff from my suppliers, I can ensure you, you can find more work there before we even have to go, so you can get more money too!"

"Plus, by the time you get back, your hunters card will be made and stuff, so you can do more things here"

She said, and it made sense, go with her and collect some bounties or favors before we come back and also get paid, it's a fast way to easily get money.

Sitting up some, I looked at her an' then to the others, saying and asking them if we should go or not go. But one thing was for sure, Greg wasn't deciding on this.

"So what do y'all say, wanna see if we can make some coin by doing this, or should we just stay here" I asked them an' Greg spoke out but I didn't really care much.

"I'm down for anything!" Grace

"I'm tired, I'll do what y'all do after I get sleep" Rika

"I'll follow you, you pick for me" Mari

Hearing them, I guess it outweighs not going?

So looking back to her.

"When do we head out, Avery"

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Friday, November 18th, Year 15