Chapter 17: The First Night

Completely submerged under the brisk water, graum frantically struggled to stand in the water. The pond was surprisingly deep. After moments of struggling, he finally managed to find his footing and poked his head up over the waters surface.

"Bwahahaha" Bjorn laughed hysterically as he hunched over, holding his sides.

Anger swirled inside graum as bjorn laughed.

"Think that's funny do ya'?" Graum gritted as spiteful ideas formed in his mind.

*profane flames*

Graum began to heat the brisk water at a rapid rate. Steam soon arose from the pond all the while, Bjorn held his ribs as they hurt from all the laughter.

*guise:off*

Graum couldn't help but retaliate. He closed then opened his eyelids, exposing his scarlet devil eyes. With his guise gone, graum could utilize more mana.

*profane flames*

He continued to heat the water, until the water around him began to bubble and boil.

Minutes past, and bjorn finally contained his laughter. Bjorn looked to The pond as thick steam rose from it.

"Wait! Brother!! I can't get in! the water it'll to hot." Bjorn exclaimed.

"The water seems fine to me." Graum replied with a spiteful grin.

Since it was his flames that heated the water, that and his natural resistance to fire. Graum was, for the most part impervious to scalding water.

"I was just playing around. Don't be like this" Bjorn replied trying to appeal to Graum's judgment. But Bjorn's pleas fell silent on Graum's vindictive nature.

"Better hurry and get in, before all the water evaporates." Graum snickered mischievously.

"By the gods." Bjorn sighed as he took off his shirt and pants. "Earth mother, grant your child protection. HARDEN" he chanted, invoking his protection spell.

Bjorn hardened his body with mana in an attempt to take away the sting from the near boiling water.

Bjorn quickly jumped into the pond and washed himself as quick and efficiently as he could before the boiling water over powered his protection skill.

It took Bjorn 5 minutes to clean the dried goblin blood and stink off of himself, and in that time he gradually felt the water temperature increasing. Afterwards he jumped out of the scolding pond, and began to dry himself off with a towel.

A brief thought of retaliation crossed his mind. 'I should throw brother's towel in the pond...' he though; but ultimately decided it was in his better interest not to incite Graum's vindictive nature anymore than he already had.

"Aren't you getting out? Supper will be finished soon." Bjorn asked as he put his pants and shirt on.

"Nah, I'm not hungry." Graum replied as he swam to knee high water.

Bjorn watched as steam arose from Graum's cloths as he stood in the knee deep water.

"You know we've been unconscious for days right?" Bjorn asked with a concerned tone.

"How can you tell?" Graum inquired, as he took off his pants then his shirt.

Bjorn looked up to the sky and pointed at the moon.

"I remember the waxing crescent moon . But now it seems almost like a half waxing moon." Bjorn explained with a competent grin, as he continued to the at moon

"Huh... I guess your right." Graum chuckled, taking Bjorn at his word, he turned to swim towards the spot where Bjorn had initially pushed him in.

As graum turned around, Bjorn's stomach winced with discomfort. Seeing the many deep scars riddled across Graum's back.

Even though he was subjected to the cruelties of war, what had been done to graum was on-par… if not worse.

"Graum..." Bjorn began but stopped.

"Yes?" Graum asked.

Bjorn wanted to ask him about the scars, but he knew they were a very sensitive topic for graum... even more sensitive than his human facade.

"Just be sure to eat something... an army marches on its stomach, you know." Bjorn replied.

Graum gave an appreciative smile amidst the steam "Thanks, I will."

Bjorn turned around and headed into the guild hall.

"A few days unconscious huh..." graum said aloud to himself as he swam around trying to find a spot in the water where he could sit with his torso submerged but not his head. "Looks like I'm a little behind on my meditations" he remarked as he found the spot he was looking for.

Too keep himself from succumbing to the malice he often found himself exposed to, graum would meditate. This also helped to keep his own malice in check. Lastly it helped keep his mind clear and focused.

*profane flames*

Graum focused his flames from the neck down. As he concentrated, the water began to sizzle, creating a fog that loomed over the water. With the atmosphere set, graum closed his eyes and began his introspection.

-Bjorn-

Bjorn entered the back entrance of the new Zennith guild hall, and walked down the long hallway passing the forge room to his left. Then the foyer came into view.. and with it, the aroma of cooked meats, paired with the sound of searing vegetables.

-grrrggggg-

Bjorn's stomach howled, followed by drool dripping from the corner of his lips. He paused briefly to wipe away his secreting saliva.

"Pull it together warrior." Bjorn said aloud to himself before he continued onward.

As he walked into the area considered the foyer, he saw a line to his left. Each person held a plate with dining ware that led to a counter that Tanora and the twins, Rheila and Rheske served food behind.

Bjorn looked around the many tables for a plate and dining ware, he quickly spotted the items he needed and hurried towards them, upon obtaining them, he took his place... at the end of the line. To his surprise the line moved quickly, although... that wasn't much of a consolation to his howling stomach.

Before he knew it, He was next.

"I was wondering when you would show up." Tanora smiled as she extended her hand for Bjorns's empty plate.

"Oh, well... goblin blood can be hard to scrub off." He chuckled, giving her his empty plate.

The twins gave a disgusted expression when Bjorn mentioned blood. Bjorn saw the twins reaction and realized he must've said something inappropriate.

"Sorry, that probably isn't appropriate 'table talk'... at least that's what brother would say" Bjorn apologized nervously, recalling a time when graum scolded his dining etiquette.

Tanora smiled as she loaded Bjorn's plate with a large helping of grilled meats and an even larger helping of vegetables.

"It's alright, I'm sure these aren't the eating arrangements your use to." Tanora replied as she carefully handed Bjorn his almost over flowing plate.

As bjorn took the plate, the aroma of the plate caused Bjorn to giggle with glee.

"If you want, take a seat at the table where Mink is sitting and we will join you in just a moment." Rheila suggested.

It then occurred to her that: Bjorn probably had no clue who Mink was "Oh! Mink is the one sitting by herself, the one with auburn hair." Rheila added with a cheery disposition.

Bjorn turned his head to see the girl that brought him and Graum the towels and salt, sitting alone at the edge of one of the long tables.

"That would be wonderful!" Bjorn exclaimed with delight. "Will you be joining us too?" Bjorn asked looking at Tanora.

"Asking me to join you for supper? How bold" Tanora flirtatiously teased.

"Oh..well..uh... I don't want to be rude." Bjorn replied nervously, he didn't know how to handle Tanora's flirtatious remark.

"Hun, I'm playing with you. I have a few things to do so, maybe next time." Tanora winked.

Bjorn felt his flustered cheeks begin to turn red.

"Uh... I'll be over there waiting..." Bjorn replied while looking at Rheila.

Nervous, Bjorn then walked over to where Mink sat. As bjorn approached her, Mink looked up from her plate.

"Those seats are taken." Mink remarked to bjorn as he began to sit.

"Rheila told me to sit here and that she and Rheske would be joining momentarily." Replied bjorn as he sat the plate on the table.

"If your going to lie, atleast make it convincing." Snickered Mink, as she wiped her lip with a napkin.

"But I'm not lying..." Bjorn replied with a sad tone as he began shoveling food into his mouth.

Mink looked at bjorn with disgust as he devoured his meal. To her, it seemed like Bjorn stopped breathing just to shovel fork load after fork load of food into his mouth

"I think I'm going to be sick." Mink remarked with a queasy stomach at the sight of watching Bjorn eat.

It took Bjorn only moments to completely clear his plate, not a morsel remained.

"Are you playing nicely, Mink?" Rheila asked as she approached, her plate in hand with Rheske beside her.

Mink turned her head looking at Rheila and Rheske with terrified eyes.

"You've invited an animal to dine with you..." Mink replied with soft trembling words.

Rheila chuckled off Mink's statement, attributing her comments of Bjorn to her stand-offish personality. Rheske and Rheila placed their plates on the table and joined her and Bjorn for supper. Mink scoffed quietly to herself and continued eating. She made small cuts with a fork and knife to keep her helpings bite sized. Her manners were more refined than that of bjorn.

Rheila sat across from Bjorn while Rheske sat to his left. Rheske's excitement couldn't be contained as her tail began to flick from side to side, "I love when they serve chicken". Her eyes brightened as she began to munch down on her portion. She turned her head to Bjorn and asked, "Bjorn, didn't Tanora load your plate full?"

Bjorn chuckled and responded "Yes, she did"

Rheila's ears inquisitively perked up, tilting her head she couldn't help but ask, "And... you ate it all?"

Bjorn laughed a little louder

"of course I did! No food goes to waste."

"But Bjorn..." Rheila chuckled nervously, "I think a few pieces of chicken had bones in them.."

"Oh yeah, I know" Bjorn stated plainly, not understanding the point she was trying to make

Rheske continued to nibble at her meal whilst looking over at Bjorn, she asked a muffled question in between bites " do bones taste good or something?"

"I guess, yes" Bjorn answered as he groomed the minuscule crumbs from his beard. "I've got what you call an Iron Stomach!" He grinned striking a masculine pose.

"Are we supposed to know what means?"Mink asked.

"It MeAnS: I can eat just about anything and it won't cause me any problems." He stated proudly.

" You're disgusting" Mink remarked as she lightly cleaned her lips with a napkin.

"I actually think that's kind of amazing." Added Rheske as she nibbled at the last of her meal.

Mink shifted judging eyes from bjorn to Rheske

"I'm sure that is very useful whilst on your travels.." Rheila remarked unsure how she should feel about the knowledge presented to her.

The conversation soon fell silent as Rheila, and Rheske finished their meals.

"Bjorn, will you be lodging at the guild... or did you have other accommodations?" Asked Rheske breaking the short silence.

"Umm... THEY, better not be lodging at the guild." Mink decisively interjected.

As Mink voiced her complaint, Rheila scanned the tables for the graum.

"Hey um... oh, sorry to interrupt Mink. But where's Graum?" Inquired Rheila.

"Now that you mention it sissy... I haven't seen him since Mysti's office." Rheske added, also scanning the dinning tables for him.

"Brother said he wasn't hungry, and besides...." bjorn paused swiveling his head from left to right amidst the bustling, over populated Foyer. "He doesn't do well in crowds." Bjorn let out an uneasy chuckle.

"Doesn't do well in crowds, Is it because he's standoffish?" Rheila asked keeping in mind her first meeting with him.

"Is he shy?" Rheske added softly.

"Well brother can come off as stand-offish... but i wouldn't exactly say he is shy either.." Bjorn explained.

"Is it because, like you, he's a pervert?" Mink sneered with a low and cold tone.

Rheske and Rheila looked at each other in surprise, as mink blatantly accused their saviors as perverts.

"We. Are. Not. Perverts!" Bjorn quickly denied mink's accusation.

"Is that so? When Rheila, and Rheske were found why was their cloths cut at provocative locations. And unconscious?" Mink snidely inquired.

"Because they fought a pack of goblins! Rheila had been hit with an arrow. And grazed by another that had been coated with a poison, and Rheske lost a lot of blood after being stabbed by the GOBLINS." Bjorn explained in an aggravated tone as mink insulted his honor.

"And how did you know the arrow that grazed Rheila was coated in a poison? Unless you are familiar with those kind of underhanded tactics..." replied Mink with a Suggestive smirk.

"No, I don't believe in using those sort of tactics. But I would be a fool, if I didn't acknowledge other beings, use such deplorable tactics." Bjorn replied in a low stern tone. "And you best believe, when it comes to goblins. THEE most deplorable tactics will be employed. Besides... it was brother that came to the conclusion the arrow had been coated with poison." he finished.

"So HE's the pervert?!" Mink continued, finding humor baiting Reactions out of Bjorn

"Mink... that's enough..." Rheila spoke up.

"That's mean even for you..." added Rheske As she noticed Bjorn narrowing his eyes at Mink.

"Why don't you ask him yourself." Bjorn smirked, standing up from the bench, reaching across the table, grabbing Mink by the hand.

"?!?" Rheila and Rheske expressed their surprise with dropped jaws as they saw Bjorn stand up, taking mink by the hand and proceed to tug her across the foyer and to the back entrance of the guild hall, all the while Mink loudly protested.

Bjorn flung the open the doors leading to the bathing pond.

"Brother make yourself decent! You have a guest!" Bjorn announced loudly with a cheerful tone as he exited the guild hall; pulling Mink along with him.

"There is no way, he's been out here all this time." Mink scoffed as she tried prying her hand out of Bjorn's grasp.

The area enclosed behind the guild hall had been dimly illuminated by a half moon that leered behind some stray clouds, and a thick veil of steam.

"I don't remember the weather being this warm... or foggy." Mink said aloud to herself in bewilderment.

"Hmmp" Bjorn scoffed loudly behind a proud grin.

As Bjorn pulled mink closer to the pond, the fog became more dense and the temperature became even warmer.

"Back already brother? Or did you get kicked out for eating to much?" Graum chuckled from somewhere within the fog.

Mink shifted her perceptive eyes from left to right trying to find where the voice originated.

"Haha... No." Bjorn sarcastically mocked. "Someone wanted to ask you something...face to face." Bjorn looked over his shoulder at mink.

"If it's the girl from earlier... hmmm...ummm... haha, well I forgot her name. It was the towel girl. If it's her, I would rather not see her again." Graum casually replied, his voice seemed to come from all directions.

"ThE ToWeL GiRl?!!!?!" Mink shrieked in an outrage.