Chapter 268

Hold the cloak tight. It's not quite dawn and they won't be able to see what you are, so since you appear to be a child, just run with whatever I say, we should be able to get in through the gate without a problem. Once we're through we'll go to an inn and I'll arrange for a healer." Brain said as the low wall came closer with every step.

Layali gave a quiet nod, the town ahead loomed large in her eyes, 'Walls, I've heard of those… so that's what they look like when they're not around a building.' She thought and stepped a little closer to the back of the swordsman.

"Whoser!" A rough, crude and weary sounding voice came from the top of the low wall. One look said that the town was fortified against bandits, not real threats. He was wearing boiled leather armor and carried a spear as slothfully as any of the bandits Brain once led. The 'guard' was leaning against it like he was an old man and it was a mere walking stick, and he had a crude growth of dirty beard to match the rest of his slothful appearance.

"Brain Unglaus, I'm traveling with my daughter, and I'd like to stay at the inn!" He shouted up at the guard, a man next to the sorry excuse for a guard was carrying a short sword in a sheath, and no shield.

'If I were a gambler, I'd say it's probably rusted.' Brain mused, but the sword bearer did have a torch, and he tossed it over the side of the wall to land near Brain's feet, proving he was accurate at least. The glow of the flickering light in the predawn hours before the sun rose illuminated Brain and his companion, who were quiet for a moment.

"Whatta you want?" The spearman asked, "Whas yer business?" He asked as if Brain's answer were inadequate, which perhaps it was.

"My daughter was attacked by… a monster." Brain answered, 'That's even true.' He thought, and went on, "I need to pay for a healer and, if possible, I'd like to buy a horse."

Layali bristled when the blue haired human referred to her as his daughter, but realizing it was a lie to get in the walls, she went with it, allowing him to continue the deception.

"Yeah… yeah fine, you got money to spend, you can spend it here, but if you head'n north toward Carne Kingdom, don't go thinkin to stick around here long. Move on quick, we don't like vagrants. Spend yer money and get out." The crude guard commanded, and glanced to the sword bearer.

The bearer disappeared from view while Brain said, "Aye sure, we'll be quick, gone by nightfall."

The noise of a large wooden plank being lifted and dropped with a thud, came from the other side, and a moment later the gate opened outward on one side.

Brain didn't say anything, he only headed for the gate. Layali grabbed the cloak near her throat and pulled it tighter so that the hood wouldn't come down, and just above the waist so that she could be sure that it wouldn't expose the nakedness beneath.

The ground was cool to her bare feet at least, and not so bad to walk on, but no sooner than she entered the town than she was assaulted by the stench of humans and their animals.

The way was open at least, with few people about at so early an hour other than guards, but with the multitude of buildings of simple wood and rough, crudely cut stone, Layali realized that this was larger than any village. 'It seems so large…' She looked up at the tops of single buildings that looked more like one building stacked on top of another, most of which had staircases on the outside which led up to an elevated side door.

"How many people live here…?" She wondered out loud, though she hadn't intended to ask, Brain answered anyway.

"A few hundred, maybe a thousand made up of multiple different families." He said, and she gasped from behind him.

"So many?" Layali wondered aloud, 'He's got to be lying, there's no way that many people could live in one place.'

"Somewhere in that range, this is just a town though, and not even a really big one, cities can have hundreds of times as many as the largest town. Kami Miyako is the third largest human city after Re-Estize and Arwintar, and it has over one hundred and fifty thousand, or so I've heard." Brain explained, and Layali's mind whirled with both disbelief and raw, unbridled terror.

"Please… please take me inside… take me inside somewhere… please… I'm begging you…" She said. Her body felt stiff and she had to shut her eye and follow him by the sound of his steps. "So many humans…"

It was hard not to pity the quivering little thing at his back, "We're going to an inn now, just keep it together for a few minutes. It's been some time, but I've passed through here before and it's just a short walk from the gate." He answered as gently as he could.

With the promise of relative safety, she quickened her steps, ignoring the pain in her feet to let them carry her past Brain himself until his own pace picked up to match her.

On quick little steps he led her forward until he pointed to a swinging wooden sign with a bed on the face of it which swayed a little in the morning breeze. "Right there, just stay at my back and I'll get a room upstairs."

Layali couldn't speak, her jaw was shaking, as was most of the rest of her, save for her feet, which she took the utmost care to mind, reaching the door a step ahead of Brain, she froze. 'Humans will be in there.' She shivered, his hand went over her head and beyond her to press against the door. It swung open to reveal a host of smells of smoking food and frothy beer. But it was largely empty on the lower floor. There was just one obese older peasant with a bald head and a scar on his cheek who was busy washing out some wooden mugs when the bell above the entrance tinkled and its ringing drew his deep set dark eyes.

"Brain Unglaus, it's been a few years." The obese old peasant said with a gruff, cheery voice.

"Oddball, what are you doing here?" Brain exclaimed, briefly taken aback enough that he withdrew a half step.

Had the swordsman not sounded so pleasantly surprised, Layali felt for sure she'd have turned and run out of the building.

"Moved, course. Figure there's money to be made on travlin' types like you, what with the new Kingdoms to the north… kinda surprised you remember me, even if'n you don't member my name quite right. It's Oddval, jackass." The obese old peasant said with a cheerful cherub smile.

Brain felt the little hand of the elf girl come behind and touch him on the lower back, it drew away instantly as if it burned her to touch even the shirt he was wearing, but he sensed the question behind it.

"This is my daughter, Layali, and Layali, this is Oddball, he has a very unusual talent… he remembers everybody's face and name, even if he hasn't seen them for years. He grew up in the same village I did, though a few years ahead of me." Brain explained, and the old man looked down at the girl like he was studying some rare specimen.

"Bit shy to be your kid, huh Brain?" He asked when Layali moved behind Brain's back again after briefly looking past the swordsman. For a moment the air was tense.

Then it was gone and he perked up before Brain could come up with a suitable lie, "But hey who says kids have to take after their folks, still I find it hard to believe you ever stroked anything but that sword of yours. You want a room, yeah?"

"Yeah, and some food, and I need a healer and a horse." Brain explained, "I'm headed to Arwintar for the tournament."

"A healer, you look alright, somethin get the best of you?" Oddval came around the side of the bar with steps faster than one would have expected of someone so round.

"Not for me." Brain said, "She got attacked by a monster, it's gone now, but it messed her up pretty bad."

"This isn't a one horse town, Brain, but it is a one healer town, and he's gone, went out with a party to fend off a bandit group what holed up in the hills, they been gone a couple days now." Brain frowned.

"Listen, I got a poultice, if I apply it the right way, it'll slow down the healin' and keep her from gettin' sick. No charge, for old times sake." Oddval suggested.

"Slow it down?" Brain asked.

"Yeah, how long ago she get hurt?" Oddval asked, he was already reaching for a pouch at his side.

Brain felt three taps on his back. "Three days." He answered.

"Damn, surprised she's still alive, she's tough as you, that's for sure." Oddval added and let out a low whistle. "But listen, you let somethin' get healed natural like, that scar or wound, it's part of yah, an' then normal healin' magic is as useful as a broken dick in a whore house, get me? That's why I've still got this beauty mark'o mine." He traced a finger over the scar on his cheek. "Gotta slow it down but can't let her get sick, now you want my help or not?"

Brain thrust out his hand. "Sure thing." He answered.

"Nah, you don't know how to use it, I applied lotsa this stuff to drunken brawlers, ain't like a potion or just straight herb there, boy. Here-" Oddval casually flicked the top of Layali's hood back. "Now where's she-"

Layali couldn't scream, the meaty hand flung back her hood and exposed her elven features, her face, her hair, her mutilated ears, and the injuries that peppered her body.

"Brain…" Oddval whispered, "This ain't no daughter of yours…" his deep set eyes couldn't widen much, but the surprise on his face mirrored the raw terror on Layali's. Brain's response was instant, he stepped close to the old man and covered his mouth.

"Okay fine, she's not my daughter Oddball. She washed up from the river, I didn't do any of that stuff to her. She's just following me north, I'll drop her off somewhere safe, and just want her healed up real quick, now… you're not going to shout, are you?"

"Mm-mm" Oddball said through muffled fingers and shook his big round head back and forth. Brain stepped back, releasing his hold, and the old man gasped.

"Wash your hands, boy, they taste like stale fish." Oddval said and spat into the water where the mugs sat soaking, briefly forgotten in the moment.

"So, do I need to move on, or?" Brain left the question hanging, the hood stayed down and Layali shivered like a leaf.

Her missing eye seemed to stare into his soul, her jaw was dislocated at the least, broken at worst, her ears severed down to stumps of themselves like a mockery of humanity, and even at a glance it was clear that it was no ordinary monster that did it to her. "No… no. I got a room, you got lucky, Brain. If I'd been from round here?" The obese man shook his thick head, "Place ain't got much soul for anythin that ain't all human, you know? But I'll help you out… gotta hide her up in your room though."

"Yeah… thanks Oddball." Brain said with a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry about it, now here… girl, I'm gonna have to touch you a little, but I swear it ain't gonna sting much, sorry about the stink." He said and pulled a small clay vial from his pouch. He put the cork in between his teeth at the side of his jaw and tugged. It came out with a pop and then he dipped a chubby finger into the top. "Gonna be quick, so just be patient, kay, Layali?" He asked, his voice lost some of its gruffness, and having heard what the old man had to say, she nodded, and though she remained stiff she did not move.

His finger came away coated with a black jelly like substance which smelled foul and was flecked with little dots of white and green. He rubbed it around her eye, and put his finger partially into the socket, though he moved with care, she still whimpered a little.

"There's… there's more, ain't there, girl?" He asked with an ache in his gut.

She gave a tiny nod, "Let me get you to your room." He said, his face turning an ashen gray, "We'll do this there."

He led the way up creaking stairs, and with trepidation and terror still swelling in her heart, mind, and gut, Layali followed behind Brain.

He opened the door to a room, unlocking a crude wooden door, "Only one bed, sorry." He said and patted it, "Sorry, but I need you to show me what been hurt…" He trailed off when the one eyed halfling simply pushed the cloak off.

"Gods above!" Oddval gasped and slammed the door at the myriad of injuries he saw.

Layali stared at him in silent accusation.

"Weren't a normal monster, but it's a monster alright… you ain't gonna like this but… I gotta know how to apply it, what'd he do…?" Oddval's fingers tensed around the clay vial until he felt it crack.

"Used me like I was a woman… or like I was a boy." Layali answered and stared down at the floor.

"It was Cerebrate." Brain said, barely more than a whisper, "You've heard about his reputation, he did this to her. She's coming with me to watch me kill him."

"Make it slow if you can. I ain't an elf lover or nothin', but damn I never seen nobody do even this much pain to a dog… 'kay little miss, I gotta put this everwhere he hurt you, I'll be careful, but you don't wanna get sick, or heal the wrong way."

"Just be quick." Layali said, and Brain went to the bed and held out a hand, she took it without thinking and climbed on to lie down and look up at the ceiling. "Just pretend you're somewhere else and close your… eye, it'll be over quick." The old peasant promised.

"I know how to do that." She said numbly and closed her eye to wait for it to end.