It was getting late in the day and the shrimp boats were coming in, along with that awful smell that always seemed to make me hungry despite my churning stomach. Like the smell of a fish market, the smell is so bad it makes you want to retch, but then for those of us who truly love sea food, it makes our mouths water as well. I was suddenly reminded how hungry I was. I had skipped lunch trying to chase down a story on our elusive Captain of the Talon Knights, Serneity's city guard. But that's what I do, chase down stories. I'm Cythia Skyhawks, one of the best reporters for the Serenity Tides.
Sighing heavily I stepped through the double doors to the best sea food eatery in town, the Screaming Banshee Inn and Tavern. I don't know why they bother putting 'inn' in the title, the rooms coast more a night than most folk make in a year. The small evening crowd was unusually rough looking, I assumed they were sailors off that trade ship from Sandhill that pulled in toady. I love this place, but sometimes I think it's a little too close to the docks.
I glanced around at the other patrons. Jack was behind the bar as usual, the barmaid Becca was trying to keep out of the way of graving hands as she served the sailors, some long haired bard was playing a romantic melody with his guitar on stage, and Rayven was nowhere to be found. He was the owner, a good friend, and even more importantly a good source of information.
I was just about to sit when I heard Becca raise her voice and some drunken laughter from the sailors. I walked over to Becca and asked if she needed help. I put on my best brave face and hoped the sailors would back down since there were now two of us. To my great disappointment they didn't. They began to circle us like sharks and move in, they smelled worse than the shrimp boats.
One of them grabbed me and pulled me toward him. I tried to slap him, but he caught my wrist and twisted it up behind my back as he pulled me up against him. I averted my face trying to gain fresh air, finding it hard to breath past his odor. I briefly wondered how Becca was doing, I couldn't see her, but it didn't sound like she was doing any better. The sailors behind me were angry and I heard one slap Becca hard then she got quite. I was to lean later that she carries a small dagger in her belt, she had used it to cut one of the sailors.
Jack tried to come over the bar to help us, but one of the sailors threw a knife at him and he fells back below the bar with a cry of pain. I couldn't see well what happened and didn't know how badly the tender was hurt. I was beginning to lose hope. Jack was down and I think Becca was out cold from that slap. Suddenly there was a sound of wood splintering and the big sailor that had a hold of me made a funny face before letting me go and falling to the floor.
I gasped and stepped back so he wouldn't pull me with him and then looked up into the brown eyes of the bard, who was still holding what was left of the guitar he just broke over the sailors head. I don't even remember hearing the music stop. The bard reached for me and I could tell he meant to help so I quickly stepped to him. One of the sailors tried to grab me, but the bard pulled me hard out of the sailor's reach and rushed by me. By the time I regained my feet and I turned to see what was going on the sailor lay on the floor with part of the guitar sticking up form his gut, blood coming from his mouth.
I wanted to turn away from the violence but my reporter instinct was too curious. The song the bard was playing when I came in was sweet and longing, in no way did his music let on how savage his really was. I watched in horror as another sailor stepped forward and promptly got his neck broke, he too fell dead at the bard's feet. The other sailors were starting to have second thoughts, but then again there were still four of them and only one unarmed bard.
One of the sailors drew his sword and came at the bard. I'm still not sure exactly what the bard did, he was so quick and skilled that a non-fighter like me had no hope of keeping up with his moves. In a flash he sailor was unarmed and stepping toward me. I stepped back and looked to the bard who had his back to me and then looked back at the sailor just in time to watch him fall dead, cut by his own sword. How I still don't know.
The sailor that had been holding the unconscious Becca tossed the barmaid at the bard who was walking toward him. The bard caught Becca in his left arm and without missing a beat he lunged forward stabbing the sailor clean through with the sword in his right hand. The bard dropped the sword and let it fall with he sailor as he turned to face the other two and he still had a firm hold on Becca.
The bard smiled as the last two sailors ran and then he turned to me. He looked me up and down, at the time I thought he was checking me out, now I realize he was making sure I was okay. "Jack, still with us?"
I opened my mouth to point out my name wasn't Jack, but stopped when I heard a groan from behind the bar.
"I'll live" Jack responded as he stood using the bar to pull himself up with. The knife had only hit his shoulder. Jack looked to Becca in concern and I followed his gaze back to the bard that held her.
Becca let out a small moan and the bard sat her in a chair while ordering another bar maid to get some ice for her swelling cheek. After making sure Becca was seen to by the other barmaid, who had been cleaning the rooms upstairs, the bard turned to me.
"Thank you." I stuttered after what seemed like forever though I know it was probably only a few seconds. The man standing before me was over six feet tall, had long brown hair, a golden bronze tan, and obviously a lot of skill. I wanted to do an interview, maybe over dinner. I extended my hand in greeting, hoping my face wasn't as red as it felt hot. "I'm-"
"I know who you are Miss Skyhawks." He interrupted as he shook my hand with a warm, yet somewhat mischievous smile.
"Well that's not fair because I don't know who you are." I responded. He simply chuckled and took his hand back. I pouted a bit and was about to ask again when someone caught the attention of everyone in the room.
"Captain!" I turned to look at the man who called out. He was a young man with dark brown skin and black hair. He was dressed in the uniform of a Winged Sentinel.
"What? The Captain? Where?" I asked looking around, hoping I'd finally get to meet the man who was running crime out of our city.
"Prince Joshy has been turned into a frog. The king requests your presence at the Korali castle right away. Lysander is waiting outside to fly us there." The young man informed. I gathered immediately that Lysander was his griffon partner and at first I thought he was talking to me. That King Reddrick wanted to give me an exclusive, but the bard cursed and stared for the door. My jaw almost hit the floor when I saw the Griffon Knight salute the bard. I realized that the man who just saved me was none other than the Captain of the Talon Knights, Captain Matthew Shikara.
"Jack, tell Rayven I'll stop by later." Captain Shikara called over his shoulder as he walked out to the waiting griffon. I thought about asking Jack about the Captain and how he and Rayven knew him, but then I realized I had the story of a life time to catch. The crown prince and only heir to the Korali thrown had been turned into a frog! I ran out the door and caught a taxi carriage to the castle, the day hadn't turned out so bad after all. But I still didn't get to eat.
the characters and storyline on this page are � by Kehle Shandley. No part of this story or it's characters can be reproduced in anyway without premission.