Tales from the Tavern

Not Who They Seem

This story is an exercise in showing that people aren't always as they appear, in multiple ways. It takes things to a bit of an extreme, and some might find the content objectionable. You're warned!

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Sarien set the steaming dish on the table and joined her family around it. Eriq to her left, tousle-headed and only four. Seraa, her beautiful daughter on her right, almost ten. Last, across the table, Kerj, her husband, grin still roguish despite reaching into middle years. She smiled and pulled away the lid, revealing a lightly browned turkey.

"Smells wonderful, dear," Kerj said, lifting a knife and beginning to carve.

Almost no time later, silence descended while the family fell upon their meal. Finishing, Sarien wiped a drop of sauce from Eriq's chin. He glowered fiercely, and she smiled, tousling his hair.

"Can you clear the plates?" she asked her husband. "I'll take the kids for a walk. Eriq said he wanted to see the castle again."

Kerj groaned, but said, "For you, dear," and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

She gathered Eriq and Seraa and went into the evening, a small hand in each of hers. She wove through streets, sky above fading from yellows and oranges to reds and purples. Eriq and Seraa bickered, and Sarien sighed in mock exasperation, but spoke only once, when Seraa thought they were going away from the castle.

"Nonsense, sweetie," Sarien said. "The way just looks different since it's almost dark."

Minutes later, they entered a dark alley where a city guard stopped them.

"I'm sorry," he said, "There's suspicious --"

He fell silent when a dagger flashed in Sarien's hand, sliding across his neck. Seraa screamed, tried to run, but Sarien caught her, a hand over her mouth, and dragged both children down the alley. Stopping at a door marked in red, she knocked. It cracked, and a face poked out, black hood hiding features. Recognizing her, the cloaked figure allowed her in.

"Them's the sacrifice? They does look good."

Eriq squirmed, but Sarien held tight. Ignoring the question, she said, "There's a guard dead back there. They suspect, and now they'll know. Quickly, make everything ready."

"Yes, mistress, but others, they ain't here yet."

"Then hide the body, and be ready as soon as they are."

The man turned deeper into the cavern-like room, produced silver pincers from his robe, set them by a table made of gears and iron cuffs. Then, while Sarien dragged her children toward the table, he vanished down a tunnel opposite the door. Still holding a hand tight over Seraa's mouth, Sarien wrestled a sobbing Eriq onto the table. She had one small wrist cuffed before Seraa bit her middle finger, teeth grinding on the joint. Hissing, Sarien back-handed the girl across the face. Her small body flew a pace, rolled to a stop against a wall.

Sarien massaged the back of her hand, almost returned to a writhing Eriq when the door to the alley crashed open. She just had enough time to see a crazed figure emerge from the darkness. A single leap and he crossed the intervening space, his beard bristling in her face, eyes flashing in madness.

"Queer things Goff hears, creeping in shadows. Bad things. Goff dislikes bad."

He reached for Sarien, claw like finger nails stabbing towards her. Her dagger slashed, but the man caught her wrist effortlessly, twisted. He grinned when he heard it snap. Sarien groaned, but rammed her free hand into the man's throat; he only laughed, grabbed her face in return. His nails drew blood before he tossed her against the wall. She crumpled in a heap, unmoving. Goff moved to the table, unlocked the cuffs, and ignoring the boy's eye-rolling terror, gathered him gently in one arm.

"Shh," he murmured. "Goff is not bad. Goff will make you safe."

He lifted Seraa in his other arm, left through the door. The last light had not yet faded in the sky, and Eriq calmed slightly. Swift running through the streets brought them to the castle gates.

"Guards," Goff cried. "Guards! Goff needs guards!"

When the first uniformed man appeared, Goff passed over Eriq and Seraa, exchanged a few words, and disappeared into the night, promising: "You with Guard, now. Goff like Guards. This one will keep you safe."

Then he was gone.

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Thanks for reading this story! I hope it wasn't too bad a read, and things turned out all right in the end. Vote, share, and let me know what you thought!