Fast Food Furries Book 1

Chapter 14b: The Whale

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Buh

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"Meowww," said Pup.

"Shh," I urged her. "You're drawing attention."

"Mrrp?" asked Pup.

I gave her a pet behind the ears, then under the chin, prompting her to roll onto her back. I sighed as I complied with her obvious demand and gave her a firm belly rub. The city of Dar Kerbin was active at night. The people here worked hard all day and drank hard all night. I sat on the cobblestone street outside of a rambunctious brewhouse. My hood was drawn but I wasn't exactly hidden.

"Hey," came a stern voice. I glanced up to see the proprietor of the brewhouse—a lanky, grumpy dwarf—leaning out a window glowering at me. "Surely you're aware that folks such as yourself are not welcome in this part of town unless you have coin to spend and a belly to fill with drink. You and that mangy wretch you call a pet need to leave. Now!"

"Right away, my good sir," I said, trying to defuse the situation.

"I was talking to the cat," the brewmaster said with a cruel chuckle.

Pup rolled back onto her feet, standing now on the wooden crate she was on. "Hissssss," she said to the dwarf.

"Ah," I said, standing and bowing to him. "Of course."

He scoffed and turned back inside.

"Seems like we'll need another spot to wait, Pup," I said to my feline friend, extending my arm. She ran up it and balanced herself atop my head perfectly.

"No need for that," came a familiar voice from behind.

"Master Inri!" I said, relieved.

"Mrrreow!" said Pup, equally elated.

Inri approached with a few others and a horse in tow. "There will be time later for introductions," I said. "We should get somewhere quiet."

I led the group through the streets, enveloped by noise from surrounding taverns and breweries. We found a back alley that led to the piers jutting out into Kad Honalbeff, which were pretty inactive at night. The lake reflected the rich blue and green of Veptaan above into a distorted line as the water lapped at the stone docks.

"Everyone," said Inri, "this is Buh."

Pup climbed down to my shoulder and I removed my hood.

"Oh," said the eldest, a young high elf woman. "You're a skugg."

The younger boy nudged at her arm. "Alarn," he said sternly.

"Yes, yes," I said. "I know we skuggs don't have a glamorous reputation—"

"But you will not find a finer friend or kinder heart than Buh here," Inri said.

The younger girl stepped forward and we grasped arms in greeting. "I'm Naelo," she said. "Inri's daughter."

"Ah," I said pleasantly. "I've heard so much."

The young man was next. "Elrin," he said. "Inri's apprentice."

"You must be good," I said. "And patient," I added with a wink to Inri.

"I'm Alarn," the older woman said. "I apologize for my comment."

I waved it off. "Far from the worst I've heard today." Pup jumped down and began nuzzling everyone's legs one-by-one. "That's Pup," I said with a chuckle. Pup approached the horse, who kneeled so they could bump noses.