Good Food

Hardy finally got out from some hole he found that leads to outside. He turns his head back and find no mad pursuer following him. He finally sighs and found respite for a while. He was kind of feeling bad when he left Pinta from that madman Vandaldor, but one thing he knew is that, that madman endears Pinta, so much that he would kill anyone who had just cause her even a tiny bit of pain.

*sigh*

He sighs again, wondering where he should go next. The battle rages on from left to right, beastkins versus beastkins, man versus beastkin, and… armored men with wings? What in the name of? He decided that this is not the time to guess if they're friend or foe, he should get out of this town as soon as possible. Good thing that among the litter of corpses, there's also an ample number of blades to use for protection. Thus, he picks up some axe and swings it around to acquire the feeling of its weight and its sharpness. At first, he was not satisfied with what he picked up, so he threw it around and picked another…then another, until a silvery coating axe with blade as big as his head claims satisfaction with his heart and decided to go with it.

Not knowing where to go, he just went with his guts and pick whichever road that he feels that will let him flee from this free-for-all civil war. Time after time, lunatic beastkins came to attack him by which he disposes them easily. He was learning their patterns of movement after fighting them for quite some time now. But things never seem to be easy until he found some frail looking dog beastkin who was downed, needing help as that person is about to be chopped in his helm by his own maddened kind, who looked like a bodybuilder cat. Hardy steps forward to initiate his helping hand and with his whole strength left, sliced the lunatic beastkin's torso with two strikes. He turn towards the frail looking dog beastkin and asks,

"Are you okay?"

"Ye-Yes, Thank you."

"Let me ask then, what's happening 'round here? Been in prison and all of the sudden, those maddened beastkins who are sandwiched inside their cages got free from their imprisonment. What's the deal?"

"In Prison?"

"Yep, know anything bout it?"

"I guess you're safe." The beastkin nodded to himself, "Truth to be told, I had no idea. We were standing ground as our boss's plans to bust all our kind from the prison. Little we do know that is would cause such strife and chaos among ourselves-"

"Wait wait wait," Hardy interrupted him, "you people…bust 'em out!?"

"…What did you say?"

"What?"

"You say 'you people'." the beastkin emphasized, "You think us Dvor beneath you people?"

"Dvor?" Hardy shakes his head in vexation, "Wha?"

"That's the name of our race! We are not beasts! You people named us! We are taking back."

"Alright fine! I get it! I'm sorry!"

The beastkin who calls himself dvor glares at him for a while, then turns and says, "I'll let you off the hook for now."

"Oh, uh… thanks?" Hardy replies carefully while thinking how sensitive this guy is.

"It seems you need a lecture about good conduct, especially towards other species."

"I guess?"

"Truthfully, so I shall give you my name. I'm Gat, son of Bak." The dvor beastkin reaches his hand to him for a shake. Hardy stares at his outreached hand and replies,

"Ah, I'm Hardy, son of Harold." And reaches it with his and shakes their hands.

"Hardy? I think I had heard that name before."

"Maybe just a similar one, My name's not that unique."

"Oh…"

"By the way, what's this Dvor?"

"The true name of our kind, the one we call ourselves since ancient times. It was not until our lands been conquered by you people that we are called otherwise."

"Ah yes, the Kralurzan Wars. Heard it lasted a decade."

"It is. We're just defending our lands. And we've defended until the last. Yet, the joint effort between Gesnerian humans and Quen'al elves used a cowardly move against us. To turn our kind on us!"

Hardy thought, 'isn't your kind the one's who attacked first?' but refused to speak further or he will have a fight he never asked, so instead, he says,

"And when they won, they've decided to change your kind's name?"

"Exactly! And this time, we will take it back! Starting with the Erons…yes, I finally understand now."

"Understood what?"

"These," Gat spread his arms, "All of these. Boss planned this all along! For our kind to flourish once more!"

Shite, I don't like what he's saying. Thought Hardy as he prepared for a fight by readying his gripping his hand harder to his axe,

"Yes…" Gat nodded, "So that's it." He then turned his eyes towards Hardy, "Because you saved me, I will let you off the hook for now."

"Well yeah, you already said that."

"But the next time we meet, we're enemies! Thus, this is farewell!"

Gat runs away farther from him. Hardy sighs, he really thought he was in for a battle.

Then not long, he heard a scream from the direction where Gat went. It must be that he went down as soon as expected.

"That fellow had a rotten luck huh." Hardy said to himself amusingly. Not wanting to deal with more battle, he seeks and took the locations where there are few noises of clashing swords, cries, and flesh being torn apart. The best bet to pass through would be the alleys of the town. Thus, so he went and turned, battled against lunatic beastkins and take his way once again. It was kind of a maze per se. But an easier maze than when he was in the prison, albeit without any companion this time. It got him then thinking,

"Did the lad and the lassie had already come here?" If so, then he must seek them first. If not, then he should warn them to discontinue their trip. But the question is where, where they might be this time? Should he stay or leave Durakhal?

"Damn."

With the chaos around here, maybe the Erons needed held more than ever, but that racist Vandaldor might have been back. However, the father… what's his name again? Ahh yes, Eustadd Erons. Maybe he is reasonable enough to exchange information for help. After all, House Bogazi and House Erons are part of the Gesneria Kingdom.

"Alright! Damn! I guess I had no choice but to seek the Lord Eustadd!"

***

Ishnaia went back to the Balai with haughtiness and heavy foosteps, hoping to find Alister and Reonne. She didn't really care if this place crash and burn, or whatever blood she should spill. This place is a goner no matter what she does. She felt stupid that she tries to be a hero earlier.

*Growl*

But she felt hungry. There must be a cafeteria or some sort here. Because after all, this is the headquarters of the house. The castle of these Erons suckers. She wandered around like someone who is at home, unfettered that this is not her home. For her, it is quite a good thing rather that, there are few of those Eron knights. Some just took a glance at her, others just outright ignore her. Everything was totally fine and peaceful. And by peaceful meaning, no violence happening inside.

She finally found the dining hall. There, just from the entrance, she whiffed a good smell of food she recognized as a boiled meat with seasonings she doesn't know the names, but familiar with it. What she knows that it is something from roots maybe or a fruit? Either way, she's in for a good food…as long as there is no trouble getting it.

As soon as she stepped inside, she found the place almost empty. Almost. She found someone's eating, three or four of them. One was standing at the side, an old lady who is quite tall as Hardy, conversing with them. At her surprise, she knew the faces of the three of them, and knew quite well because her adventure started with them. One of them look overhead and saw her, quickly recognizing her and stood up as his smile reaches almost into his ears,

"Lady Ishnaia!" He cried out rushing towards her,

"Alister!?" She's quite taken aback by surprise at whom she discovered, she instinctively slips a smile from her lips for a while, and quickly fixed her face in a pouty expression as soon as she noticed it. Alister reached out her hand and grasp it forward as gentle as possible.

"I am so glad that you are fine!"

"Huh!? Why are you glad when I sold you out?"

"Because I never failed to trust you, Lady Ishnaia. You did what you could for us to save us right?"

She blushes and turns her face away from Alister, quickly saying, "I-It's not I care about you or anything you idiot! Besides how did you arrive with that thinking?"

"Lord Eustadd told us." Alister said and faces the man himself, sitting at the table with the same food as the rest of them. The old man Eustadd smiles at Ishnaia and the latter eyed him with disgust clearly seen to her face. As if from cue, Eustadd said courteously to her,

"How about you sit with us Lady Ishnaia and taste the good food made by this wonderful Aunt Minky."

"Yes," Alister seconded, "Join us at the table. Please."

Ishnaia glances at Alister, then to Eustadd and to the cook, and she noticed the fourth person, Reonne, was sleeping by the table, with a tankard on side.

she pointed at him with her finger and said, "That guy's drunk already huh?"

"Yes," Alister said, "says he needed it more than food."

"Hey you two lovebirds," Aunt Minky called them out "You eating or not!?"

"Well Lady?" urged Alister

"Tch, 'kay fine!" Ishnaia says poutingly. Moreover, she's hungry anyway.