168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsu8syO9lld
"This has officially gone too far, Kallista. Get off the damn table!" Mercutio stamped his foot on the rickety wooden floors, causing the whole tavern to shake. Good! He needed her to know how serious he was.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxxpVaux4K
"Oh, shut up, Mercutio! You always try to ruin my fun!"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeKUrnK8V8
"Only because you're so reckless." Mercutio was beginning to regret ever agreeing to work with the rogue. Last autumn, she checked in at the inn he was staying in. She announced that she required the assistance of a mage and was willing to pay handsomely. All my peers advised me against it, but I was broke. So, I packed up my humble belongings and joined her on this quest. I wish I hadn't. This isn't one of the epic adventures you read about in the storybooks. I spend 20% percent of my time digging up graves in search of magical artifacts and the other 80% saving Kallista from bar fights and other bad ideas. Right now, Kallista was doing gymnastics on the tables, and it needed to end. She'd be no help to him if she injured herself. He repeated his command. "I'm serious, get down now!"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkZnaC9kag
She stuck her tongue at him like a petulant child. "No." She danced a little jig on the table just to aggravate him.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS20RUl0oRi
"Knock it off, you're making a scene."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxX4szrMdoq
"Good! I love being the center of attention. Hey, everyone, order whatever you want. Dinner's on me, boys!"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZ0Xh0kCj1
The entire tavern erupted into cheers.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLG9kjVKVv
"No, it's not, that's not in our budget."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRG1aOnFR4
She puckered her lips into a frown. "Go to hell, Mercutio!"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKR907JGx0
"Yeah, go to hell, Mercutio." Said an Orc at a nearby table. "I want free dinner!"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cpuCxzIEz
The entire bar booed at him, including Kallista.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHxLL8RzQ7
"You know what? I'm leaving!" He spun around and trudged towards the door.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzk2w9ZISe
"Good riddance," Kallista muttered as he stormed out.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7geUMeM1mU
The tavern's music grew quieter as he stomped down the quiet city streets. He clenched his teeth and muttered to himself. "She wants me to leave? Fine! Let's see how long she can last without me! She'll regret treating me this way!"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6p7jxhzXEp
Mercutio had nearly made it back to the place where they were staying when a member of the city guard stopped him. "Halt, citizen!"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5JW2QRHSn
Mercutio raised his hands in surrender. "Is everything alright?"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhWtO8HIwY
The guard showed me a wanted poster with Kallista's face on it. "We're looking for a rogue, who's been causing some trouble in local villages. We hear she has a mage traveling with her; one who uses forbidden magic. Have you seen anything?"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtq9SCWXOX
He glanced down at himself. He'd opted to change out of his magician's robes into something less conspicuous before he went to the tavern. Long sleeves covered his enchanted rune tattoos. No one had any reason to suspect he was a mage they were looking for. "She's causing a ruckus at the tavern."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbs79dzei2J
"Is the mage with her?"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUm68WEGkl
Mercutio refused to make eye contact. "No. They went their separate ways."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXl4pzUXXoO
...
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQ5PLsvlc2
Mercutio thought he'd sleep peacefully without the sound of Kallista's incessant snoring, but something akin to guilt clawed at his gut, keeping him awake. He shouldn't feel this way; Kallista brought this on herself. He buried his head under the blankets and tried to forget about his betrayal, but his mind lingered on thoughts of her, cold and alone in a jail cell. Needless to say, he didn't get any sleep that night.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfmGvn3CPx
He spent the early hours of the morning deliberating if he should go to the dungeons to see if they'd captured Kallista. He knew it was most likely a terrible idea, but he needed closure. He stopped by the bakery to pick up a fresh loaf of bread before heading over to the prison. Just because she's an ass doesn't mean she deserves to starve in there."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhUBI2Hy0i
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwcBdCxGXQ
"I know why you're here."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fK41o5Iei
"You do?"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGpUHb4Kt5
"You want the cash reward for her capture, don't you?" The guard dropped a fat purse full of coins onto the counter. "Here you go. Don't spend it all at once."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjq7jMFP18h
Mercutio silently pocketed the money. "Can I see her?"
The guard shot him a skeptical glare. "Why?"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTubGS0ctpt
Mercutio cast a persuasion spell on him. "Please, sir. I must speak with her."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pC5b8mX6z
"Fine," the guard relented. "I'll give you five minutes and not a second more."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NlUZWHffd
Mercutio brushed past the counter, "Thank you, sir. I'll make it quick."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwB1iYvvs15
...
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMbCBgwuBw
Mercutio tiptoed down the dark corridor as he scanned the cells for any sign of Kallista. He spotted her lying on a bed bug-ridden cot staring at the ceiling with a blank expression on her face. He was surprised she hadn't started a prison riot by now. A pang of guilt churned his insides. He sent her here. Mercutio hesitantly approached her. "Um, hey." He didn't know what else to say.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHnalbGH7f
Kallista brightened up at the sound of his voice. She sprung up off the cot and clutched onto his wrists through the prison bars. She looked as though she wanted to hug him.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpETqPej2l9
"Hey! No touching the prisoners!" the guard scolded.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5tl8U0S0q
Kallista let go. "Mercutio, You came! Are you here to pay my bail?"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqbFuPmnMv
"Gee, I would, but someone spent all of our money last night."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡav1XpeeiAc
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Whoops."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TKb5eTaEd
"Whoops indeed. The reason 'I always try to ruin your fun,' as you so eloquently put it, is so we don't get into situations like this one."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4QwRwTK0L
She at least had the decency to look guilty.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wNMhEEF1M
He slipped the loaf of bread between the cell bars. "Here, eat up."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkoeI8PkNk
She pressed the bread to her nose and took a large whiff of the yeasty aroma before nearly devouring the loaf whole like a snake swallowing a rat.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumwjg6N9cK
"You're a real pain in my ass. Do you know that?"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgslKFkNJE
"Is that why you sold me out?" She asked through a mouthful of bread.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwLEfalXiC
That made him freeze in his tracks. "Who told you? Was it the guards?"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzH4hDUPLGy
She swallowed. "You did. Just now, but I had my suspicions before then."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEOCDNx5Nc
Dammit! He'd forgotten how clever she could be.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5YP7oEybXE
"Listen, I know I'm not the easiest person to work with. You deserve a less terrible partner. I'm sorry I can't be better."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJ9nYN8h9y
"I'm sorry, too. I never should've sold you out."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eyMRkTqLC
She shot him a hopeful look. "Does that make us even?"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeYBhrB7xp
He subtly cast a lock picking spell on the door to her cell. He lowered his voice so only she could hear. "Meet me on the tallest hill outside city limits at sunset. Please, try not to draw too much attention to yourself as you're escaping prison.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPA4HXdfQYp
She shot him a grateful smirk. "I suppose I can be subtle just this once."
ns3.141.12.150da2
