Fantasy Short Stories

Inn my sights

The dark wooden door creaked as I pulled on the handle. A waft of warm air carrying the aroma of stale mead and fresh bread rushed over me, ushered out by loud and raucous sounds of the inn erupting into the quiet streets.

Whatever vessel of power drew me here, came from my world. This wasn't some everyday phenomenon. I wouldn't be the only one to feel "the call" that began three days ago. But now, so close to it, I felt like I was standing in an oven and looking for the hottest spot.

A worldly assortment of patrons filled the tables and booths. Locating a small table in the back, hoping that when it moved again, I could follow it to the source.

In the middle of the dining area, a table of adventurers celebrated. They punctuated their cheers with the colliding of their tankards, spilling mead everywhere. Not everyone was rowdy at their table. Amongst the cheerful chaos, one man at the table stood out. He was knightly compared to his rugged and ragtag companions. By the zealous slaps on his back, he appeared to be their leader or perhaps the hero of the day. Seldom have I been attracted to a human. However, I was enamored by his charismatic presence, which overpowered my body, mind, and even my mission.

A muscular woman with dirty blonde hair and a shirt that wouldn't qualify as a loincloth, blocked half my view as she sat across from him. In my favor, his face was not blocked, and a passing glance over her shoulder was all that it took for him to discover my flirtatious stare.

His rich emerald eyes shined while his jaw hung loose. I wondered if my demon-born body tempted him. My dark spiral horns, the texture of my violet-hued skin, or my tail, which swayed back and forth. What fantasies had I unleashed?

My tongue danced across my lips, overshadowing the woman across from him. Realizing she lost her admirer's attention, she turned and followed his trained focus on me. As she furrowed her brow, her eyebrows joined together into an enraged caterpillar.

Standing up, she knocked her chair over without a care and proceeded toward me.

Sitting in my chair, I smoothed my dress with my legs crossed while she pushed her way through the crowd. When she reached my table, she blocked the exit from my chair and clenched her fists.

Smiling as I sized her up, "Your group seems to be enjoying themselves tonight, celebrating?"

She scoffed, annoyed. "Stay away from us, demon," she said with all the tact and charm of a charging bull.

"What if I chose not to? You seem like a spirited group." My lack of any outward signs of intimidation made her lip twitch.

"I'll tell you what I'm gonna–"

A giant flaming rock crashed through the inn's wall, demolishing three tables next to us and crushing several people in the process. Then, another rock and another followed through other walls.

Panic spread as people dove under tables and behind the bar, while dozens of hellspawns began to flood into the room through the holes.

The barbarian's voice boomed over the chaos, "Rexx, they followed us. Protect it!" The knight nodded. Rexx sprang from his chair in the same motion, whipped his shield from behind him, and smashed one of the creature's faces in.

Hellspawn swarmed the table as they attacked everyone near them. I hate those little shits. They remind me of goblins with wings. Except they shit themselves less.

My staff materialized before me while my rival began to reach for a chair. Striking my staff on the ground, she stopped and watched as a colossal ice sword formed in her hand.

Before she could react, I yelled, "GO!" As a group of hellspawns charged towards us, I flicked my staff and sent hundreds of shards of ice tearing through their fiery flesh.

Without another word, she jumped on top of a nearby table, using it to launch herself into the middle of the room. As she landed, the giant sword cut two spawns clean in half and a third after another swing.

Her companions were already fighting. The hellspawn had begun to swarm around their table. It had to be "the call." That must be what Rexx needed to protect and why the hellspawn attacked the inn.

Fighting my way toward Rexx. I froze the hellspawn before striking them with my staff, causing them to crumble. When I joined the others, we fought side by side in uncanny synchronicity: freeze, slice, and shatter. It was efficient and deadly. Soon, we began looking for targets, our enemies staining the floor.

The barbarian turned to me. I hoped we would not pick up where we left off. However, her words were lost forever and replaced by a single thud. Her honey-brown eyes rolled back as she collapsed into my arms. I lowered her to the floor; only then did I see the fletching of a crossbow bolt lodged deep into her back through her heart.

Her companions... her friends, disemboweled and utterly obliterated the vile creature that made the fatal shot.

This was not how I wanted to approach the embodiment of my desires, Rexx. There was no flirting between us. That would be in poor taste. After exchanging a few words to pay my respects, I left the inn.

Hours later, far from the inn, I retrieved the silver dodecahedron from my cloak, stolen from Rexx in our brief exchange. The vessel's purpose was unknown to me, but it had come from my world. If left in an outworlder's hands, it would continue "the call," to free itself.

I am saddened he will judge me a heartless thief who robbed them of their greatest treasure as they mourned. However, I can sleep soundly knowing I did the right thing, even though we will not share the same desire if our eyes meet again.