A Monster Like Me

The Black Lizard

Dazai squinted as he stepped into the inn, his eyes adjusting to the dim illumination cast by old spell candles and a warm, crackling fire. It had been so long since he'd been around people that the sensations nearly overwhelmed him: conversation, plates clanking, and the shrill piping of a bard at his reed pipes rang in his ears, and the thick, smoky air threatened to choke him.

"Come on," Chuuya said, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the bustling common room. Dazai followed dumbly as Chuuya led him to the bar, seeming completely at home in this place. Dazai, on the other hand, felt uneasy. He avoided crowds whenever he could, and when he wanted a drink, he'd go to The Lupin Bar. He wished he was sipping a whiskey on the rocks with his best friend instead of getting dragged through this rustic, crowded place by a short ginger. 

"Ah, Master Nakahara, it seems you've made a friend. Never thought I'd see the day."

"Hirotsu! It's been too long," Chuuya exclaimed, smiling up at the silver haired innkeeper. "This is Dazai, my... friend, yeah." 

Dazai gave a slight nod in greeting, a bit wary of the stranger. He had the black skin and white hair of a drow: the cave dwelling, spider taming race of dark elves. Hirotsu, however, didn't seem to fit the bill, much like how Chuuya wasn't at all the dragon he'd expected. His appearance and demeanor were all the polite and gracious host. 

"Well, its nice to meet you, Dazai. Want a drink? The first one's on the house."

"Uh, sure. Can I get a whiskey?" Dazai asked with an uncharacteristic timidity. 

"And I'll have a red wine. Oh, and we have some stuff to sell, cause shitty Dazai keeps complaining about my cave not being a 'comfortable living space.'"

"Is that so? Shouldn't you be able to buy him some things, Chuuya? You're rich as a king!" Hirotsu asked with a light chuckle, making Chuuya's face redden. He knew that his greed was a bit ridiculous, but by the seven hells, he was not going to share his gold with Dazai. 

"If he wants it, he has to work for it. I already give him food and a place to live-"

"Raw meat and a cold, dark cave," Dazai cut in, shooting Chuuya a glare. He was still a bit bitter about being dropped into a monster infested forest cause the dragon couldn't spare a few gold coins. Chuuya immediately began to argue back, telling him that his cave was very nice and that he should feel lucky to live there.

"Well, I can certainly take a look at your wares," Hirotsu said, only the slightest quirk of his lips suggesting that he found their bickering amusing. He poured their drinks, then turned around and banged on the door to the kitchen. "Tachihara! Handle the customers for me, will ya?" He called, then gestured for the duo to follow him. Wooden floorboards creaked as they walked to a quieter room in the inn. Bookshelves lined the walls, and a few comfortable chairs were set up around a low table.

"Now we can speak properly. What are you selling, Dazai?" The old drow asked, his tone polite. Dazai set his bag on the table, reached inside, and set a few of the monster trophies he'd gathered on the table. 

"Ghoul blood, dire wolf teeth, and spider eyes?" He asked, looking over the gristly wares with a practiced eye. 

Dazai nodded, impressed. "I have more in my bag, but first I want to know if you're interested in buying. They are all really fresh, so they should make good alchemy ingredients."

"Yes, I think I will buy these, they're quite valuable. Did Chuuya kill the monsters?" 

"Nah, it was the skinny little guy over here. He's quite the fighter; gave me this when we first met," Chuuya said, holding out his bandaged arm. Hirotsu looked back at Dazai with a newfound respect, wondering how such a young, unassuming human had wounded a dragon and taken down so many monsters. Red eyes, a sign of evil and strange powers in humans... there's much more to this man than meets the eye...