Tavern of kindling

Meham was continuously running uphill being chased by dark silhouettes, slowly the distance closed between them, he got surrounded by them.

"WHAT? what is going on?!" Meham was gasping continuously.

One of them came at him landing a punch, which barely grazed Meham's face, it was so fast that the cut appeared long after the hit, it was cold up here but the real tension made his body fuming, he know that being offensive would not be great in this situation.

"Can we talk about this?" the silhouettes did not respond or react to his vocals, the one in front of him moved again, his eyes were glowing blue, this time Meham could not even focus him beyond the first step all he saw a massive flash of dark miasma.

'it's an Axe Kick!,' Meham instantly blocked his head by placing his fists above his head.

*Bam* the shadow side kicked his kidney which also broke his lower ribcage.

On his knees he suddenly lose focus, his sight became blurry, blood gushed out of Meham's mouth.

'I am nowhere close to these monsters' he looked above, the silhouette standing on his face, he could focus on its appearance now, it was a man in fancy blue attire fitted for a supposed champion, he looked Meham dead in the eyes.

"You should have never come."

"You…, why are you here? " while Meham was in a half-conscious state, he clearly recognized this vice, a shock of fury aroused inside him for some reason, he tried to stand up but noticed the other shadows were looking in the direction of the top of the mountain.

"HAAA!"

One guy is fighting against a group of shadows, his aura is similar to these strong figures but out of control, he seems to be in rage, and for Meham it was getting harder to stay conscious.

"He seems to be keeping them going beyond that point " Meham looked beyond it there were four child-like figures beyond him and the shadows are trying to get to them.

"Hahaha, That's right that idiot thinks of himself as Messiah, a hero" Another shadow responded to Meham this time he was wearing heavy armor and carrying a huge axe.

"GET HIM" the shadow with ominous red eyes ordered the rest, they all moved in an instant reaching him and starting clashing one-on-one.

the guy in rage seemed to have the upper hand in one on one situations while keeping others at bay with wide-range waves like slashes, but one of them whose eyes were glowing green just fazed through the fight and reached those kids and hold a dagger on one of their necks, the lone fighter instantly calmed down.

"Please… don't" he begged.

The green silhouette slashed the throat without mercy.

Meham felt an emotional crack inside him as the red-eyed silhouette stepped toward him.

"if only a mortal could keep such a responsibility"

*Stomp*

"No_ " Meham jumped out of his slumber, he was breathing heavily.

*Thrash*

"Oww," A little girl wearing an apron was down on the floor right beside him.

"I am sorry if I surprised you" Meham leans his hand to get her up, but she instantly sprang up without help.

"No it's fine, I was just trying to wake you up, you seem to have a nightmare, sir"

"I am fine, I do have some time" he did not remember what he saw exactly only the tension remained chill to him, he was trying to remember it.

*Pat Pat* "There There, it's okay it was just a dream "

Meham raised his eyes looking at her, his uneasiness starts to fade away.

"What are you doing?" Meham asked while distancing himself from her little reach.

"It worked for me, when I was little I get scared at night sometimes, Maa used to rub my hair and hug me, it was so nice, but she told me not to kiss or hug strangers, so I can only give you head pats" she seemed a kind little soul who concerns for others.

"I am sure she doesn't want you to pat a strange Man either_"

"What is your name?" she ignored his words.

"..., Meham"

"Lisbeth, but everyone calls me Lily!"

"Okay, are you open to anyone like this?" Meham seemed really conflicted since he would never do that but at the same time he does not want to ignore her, afterall she was so nice to him.

"Well most of them are locals so I know them all, I know I should avoid strangers but there are rarely new faces here, how can I let that go?"

"I see…"

"Lisbeth, since when last time did you see a new face here?"

"Oh please call me Lily otherwise it feels weird, and last time was about five years ago they were emergers like you."

'Hmm this is the only first major town led by the path and is east of the forest and the inn is the only place the guards assign the emergers to, considering few deviate from this obvious straight path, I still not matches the ratio Chi told, there should have been a new group every year or two.' Meham went deep into his trail of hypothesis.

"Umm… Mister?"

"Oh sorry for zoning out, Lily"

"By the way, how could you tell I am an emerger? "

"Oh because you have a bounty on you."

"What? Where is it?" Meham sprang up from his chair and ran toward the notice board hanging on the wall.

"Hehe, I was kidding." She was also surprised to see how he shifted his tone on getting alert, "Mom, told me about you. "

"Oh, it was a joke_ " Meham took a sigh of relief, "wait, mom?"

"Lily! are you messing with Meham?" Barbara showed up after getting free from the kitchen.

"Nooo," Lily rolled her eyes.

"Wait does this mean she is your daughter?"

"Why, don't you see the resemblance?"

"Well you both touch my head without my permission"

"Should I not" Barbara made puppy eyes.

"..."

"Nah I was just stating the resemblance"

"Oh by the way Meham, you should be careful about what you do, people really can target you with bounty only for getting under their nose" Barbara made a serious expression.

"You think I would poke my nose in others' business, trust me I am the last person to be an uninvited guest"

"Oh, are we having a party Ma?" Lisbeth's eyes sparkled.

"Yes dear someday in next week, how about you check on the tables?"

"Okay," Lily rushed toward the corner table and immediately start a friendly chat.

"Phew, she seems like a hard worker and good at making friends"

"Well her father was a cheerful man too" Barbara lowered her eyes.

"Was?"

"He was a kind noble, got executed on false charges"

"I see" Unaware of his own intentions, he felt something at that moment, he considered its sense of grief but it was something else.

"So have you married again?"

"Umm no, as you can see I am already a mother of a growing lady, she is all I have."

"If you don't mind how old are you two" He was quite hesitant to ask this, but the real reason was the revelation of Suchi's age.

"Well I am twenty-three and Lily will be nine next month"

'Okay so only emergers seem to have a longer lifespan, also again similar to the medieval times setting, she was 14 when Lily was born '

"Listen, Barbara, where I am from it is average that people married around the age of 30, but in the end, it is up to you." after this Tedtalk, Meham started drinking the juice she brought quietly.

"Uhh, Thanks Meham" Barbara took Lily for some work.

'...'

'Fuck, what did I just blurt out?'