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"Devon and Damien"Chapter 6: Act 1
The travelers passed through the swinging tavern door, slightly apart from one another. A few glances passed over the two from a number of questionable men, all of whom seemed to give off an odor of corruptibility. Devon stopped for a moment to scan the area, only to be jerked forward by the hand of his rude companion. Devon objected to his mishandling: “Hey, no need to-” “Shut up,” Reklaw demanded under his breath, saying no more than that. The two sat down at the bar, remaining quite close to the door. “Keep, an ale for my friend and I,” Reklaw motioned. “Sir, I do not drink,” Devon said. “I don’t either,” Reklaw said under his breath once more, “but you’d better shut up and learn to act.” Devon eyed the bartender as he began to fill what he considered to be swill into a ragged, dusty cup. Further in the distance, a lone girl caught Devon’s attention. She was scantily clad in loose garments, and seemed possessed by the spirit of lechery. The woman winked at Devon, who, in turn, forced a smile and looked to the bar’s surface, on top of which a cup of ale had appeared. It seemed even viler than he had imagined. “Stay here,” Reklaw said, forcefully tapping his finger to the counter’s surface. Without any further notice, Devon watched as the mercenary pulled himself from his seat and calmly ventured into an adjacent room. Devon felt quite out of place here, and began to resent Reklaw slightly for abandoning him here. “He brings me here as an equal and then discards me to pursue his own means. What sort of person is he?” Devon’s thoughts dispelled as the woman he had noticed earlier filled the seat next to him. “Hey, big fella,” she said with a raspy, irritating tone of voice. She apparently enjoyed smoking pipes, an activity usually solely reserved for men. “Looking to have a good time?” Devon continued to look into his untouched ale, avoiding eye contact with the woman. “Miss, I am already having a good time. I expect if I had much more, it would depreciate the fun I was already having.” “You’re not making sense, hon. Listen, my man is away on business, if you get what I’m saying.” The woman, although quite attractive physically, repulsed Devon, an upstanding man, in every conceivable way. “I am flattered, miss, but I must decline.” Devon heard the woman get up from her seat and walk away. “A Joanna she is not,” Devon thought to himself. “Even if she was, I would never... Well, we’re both better off.”“Hey, kid,” an angry voice came from behind, spinning him around on his revolving stool. An incredibly large man standing nearly a half more than Devon’s own height was vaunting his bulk over the First General. “My girl says you were sayin’ things to her that you ought not be sayin’. What do you have to say about that?” “Yeah, what you got to say about that?” a voice stated from behind the large man, obviously belonging to the woman he had dismissed moments ago. For a moment, Devon saw humor in the situation: the woman’s boyfriend had a more effeminate voice than she did. Thinking better of laughing, Devon cleared his voice and replied: “Sir, I said no such things towards your lady friend.” “Oh? That’s not what she says, and she ain’t no liar.” “She also said you were away on business,” Devon remarked, pointing out her untrustworthiness, but only seconds later realizing he had implicated himself. The man’s brow furrowed as he clenched his teeth and curled his fist. Not knowing what to say to clear his name, Devon merely smiled, an action he would later regret. “Oh, you gonna get it now,” the woman said from behind, her head wagging madly from side to side.The hulking giant hurled Devon from his seat, as nearby patrons became to holler in amusement. Rolling back to his feet, Devon held out his hands in objection. “Sir, please! I do not wish to harm you.” The giant made a muffled noise of irritation and supremacy and lunged towards his opponent. Leaping over the diving man, Devon kicked the man in his backside, sending him careening out of the nearby swinging doors. One of the two doors snapped from its hinges as the crazed thug burst in from the outside. Devon leapt backwards onto a table, which toppled upward into the oncoming fist of the jealous boyfriend. The brute’s hand collided with the metal underside of the table, eliciting a cry of pain and regret. The table toppled back to its upright position, with Devon on top of it. Slamming his fist into the man’s face, the assailant dropped unconscious at last. In actuality, the fight had lasted only a few sparse moments. A few of the other men in the tavern hooted their approval and patted Devon on the back. The woman that had started the incident hovered over her unconscious boyfriend’s body and spat. “Good fer nuthin’ worthless man.” She looked up as another body slammed into her, sending her and the unconscious projectile into a nearby wall. The body belonged to someone Devon had yet to see in the tavern. Turning, Devon noticed the source of the peculiar, living weapon: Reklaw had returned from the back room. “That’s not any way to treat a lady, Reklaw.” “That was no lady. I only treat people well if they earn my respect.” Devon considered this for a moment. “What about the boy you gave the coin to earlier? You treated him well enough.” “He’s a little thief. If I had given my equipment into his care without gratuity he would taken something for his own payment, as I’m sure he has with your horse already. Be it a single coin or a bag of coins, he’s a corruptible creature, just as everyone else in this town. Sometimes you have to buy into social lies for your own ease.” “What of him?” Devon said, motioning towards the man Reklaw had thrown. “Information. Let’s get out of here. Prying eyes and leering ears are my second worst enemy.” As the two ventured out of the tavern, Devon tore himself from looking back out of concern for the situation that he might have caused. “What’s... what’s your worst enemy then?” Devon asked. He received no response.The two returned to their steeds; as Reklaw had predicted, Devon was missing two silver coins. “Sometimes you have to buy into social lies for your own ease,” Devon thought to himself, remembering what Reklaw had said. “The world certainly isn’t that bad,” Devon continued in his mind. “At least... not all people. If Reklaw really meant that, I wonder if he thinks the same of me? And what of himself?” “We’re heading to the outskirts of this town,” Reklaw seemed to interrupt. “My ‘friend’ in the bar had dealings with the assassin we pursue. The two apparently exchanged information: the assassin informed the man at the bar of the location of a family fortune, which is not of our concern, obviously. In return, the man informed both the assassin, and later myself, that ‘she requests your audience at the usual meeting grounds.’” “’She?’ Who is it he spoke of?” Reklaw shook his head as the two rode on. He had not looked at Devon since the two began to ride. Devon felt this might be Reklaw’s way of bragging on his anticipation of the stable boy’s actions earlier. “I have no idea. The man in the tavern knew only that much – he had received the information from another local man, who lives in the Paulson mansion.” “So,” Devon began, “am I to assume this is our only lead?” “Not quite,” Reklaw stated. “Tell me, during the murder, can you remember anyone of immediate importance to the family not being present?” Devon thought for a moment and shook his head as he spoke, although Reklaw still had not laid his eyes upon him. “No, not that I can think of immediately.” “Think harder. Reason. The message said a woman was seeking the audience of the assassin.” Devon resented Reklaw for treating him like a fool, but thought back to the assassination once more anyway. Suddenly, the image of a woman appeared in his mind. “Yes!” he exclaimed. “The wife of Nathan himself, Lady Calista, was missing during the banquet. I am certain that she was there before that time, as I saw her greeting the guests upon my arrival.” “Then she is our greatest suspect as of now. If nothing is found at Paulson mansion, we will pursue this woman.” “But,” Devon began, “certainly she is not a part of this foul play. She loved Nathan more than life itself. As well as that, she is a renowned member of the church. She is an incredibly devoted holy woman.” “And the idea that she can sin surprises you? Really, Devon, you’re more foolish than I had first thought.” “Is that why you haven’t looked at me since we left?” Reklaw rode silently for a few moments. “Actually, I was getting tired of looking at that smudge on your nose.” Devon crossed his eyes and noticed a small amount of soot on his face, which had apparently gotten on him during his fight.The two rode on silently for a few minutes more before a mansion came into view, clouded by trees that had enveloped the valley below it. Although covered in vines itself, it could be discerned even from this distance that the interior, which would be made out easily through the excessively large windows, was well kept. Reklaw stopped for a moment, and turned. “This is called Paulson mansion because the previous owner was thus named. Do not speak of his name in this house. The owner is a polite man, but also a vile and detestable man. He will have you killed in an instant if you do not suit his liking.” The mercenary eyed the mansion for a moment. “We will address him formally, as Mr. Everson, as he is known in this area. He considers himself to be refined, and it would be in our interest to consider him as such as well. We have to learn what his tie is with the assassin and Calista, through conversation, not force.” “You needn’t instruct me. And we still are not sure of Calista’s betrayal. Judge not, lest you be judged.” “I’m being realistic, Devon, which is less than I can say for you. Whether or not she is guilty is not an issue for me – it is rather if she has committed a crime or mindless participation.” “Do you really think so little of humanity, Reklaw?” “I am part of humanity as well. Is humanity not entitled to some humility?” Devon sighed. “You’re… frustrating, Reklaw. Even aside from your desire to hide your face, you are perplexing. What happened to you that has warped your perspective?” “...Enlightenment.” “Perhaps...” “Indeed,” Reklaw responded. “But remember: you have only recently met me. There are two sides to every coin; judge not, lest you be judged.” Devon nodded. “And so shall humanity humble itself more so.” The two turned, and made their way towards the mansion’s front doors. |
