Azure Chronicle

Taphouse Tunder

HACK

Knock knock

I put my side-iron down and hobbled to the door.

Leanin over I took a look through the peeper to see that dame.

"What ya want? Gah, cant an old man sleep."

"Hack, you weren't sleepin."

Twits started squawking.

I looked at her.

"Rat." 

I opened the door and Lore swiftly entered.

"Az cant come along." She whispered.

I looked down and scratched my belly.

"Aww, well, I dont see why he can't"

"He is a child Hack."

"That monster destroyed his home, en if anyones got a bone teh pick with it... It'd be him."

"Do you want to be responsible for his death?"

"A man oughtta be responsible for his own life. Whether he likes it er not. He is his own man now."

"I say we leave him here in Titum, if he follows he follows."

"So what are ya gunna do? Leave him in the streets?"

"Isn't that being his own man?" she shot.

I thought for a second, "So his home got wrecked and yer gonna tell him he can't get his revenge and abandon him on the streets of Titum?"

Silence

"He is his own man, but he ain't been taught to be a man, he's been taught to foller orders. Fight when he is told to fight, retreat when told to retreat and die when someone else thinks its time to sacrifice. The boy needs help Lore, and we are what he has."

Her face grew tight, then relaxed. "Fine, he stays."

LATER IN THE NIGHT

I finished polishin my side-iron and holstered it under my jacket.

I'll be out fer the night Twits.

She made a simply chirp and settled down in the corner.

I walked out the hotel, my nose led me to a taphouse called "The UFO" a daft looking disc spun on the roof. Half the folks thought it was called a taphouse because the beer taps, the other half thought the dancin. I swung the doors open, even late into the night the house was full uh hoofers, music and quin of all kinds.

The ladies were a dancin to "Gamblin Man" seems it'd been playin in all the taphouses around. Some new craze they were callin "Electro-swing" it was better than that damn opera them fancy folk was diggin.

"Gambling, rambling, he's hanging by a string
Fate will be his end, but luck a loyal friend"

I found my way through the sea of drunks en hoofers and bellied up to bar.

"What pleasures you this evening sir?" The tender walked over cleaning a glass.

"Briggs Diesel Juice."

Within a couple seconds the man slid a thick glass mug filled with dark orange, almost black drink topped with white frizz.

I took a sip and a man sat down beside me and slammed his glass down.

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. 

"So youse gonna lead a convey on out" the man belched "on out and kill youse an umbra eh." The man laughed almost coughing.

"It ain't no Umbra" I said plainly

"Heh, ooh. I betcha its satan incarnate eh. Ha"

"You gonna say somethin er you gonna flab your chops all night?" I stared him down.

"I cant believe that ol Mash is gonna let you drag anudder convey out into ye ol desert as blight bait, heh, mans got more money en sense." He took another chug.

I grabbed the mans throat mid chug, liquor sprayed out his mouth and his eyes bulged.

Several men stood up and drew knives.

"Tam, you ed better stop pushin me round boy."

"Hack!" The tender yelled.

The music stopped.

"What!?" I snarled.

"Hack why don't you go on home. We don't need any taphouse thundering in here tonight."

I stared at the helpless man for a few seconds then let him go.

"I think I will, ain't no good men here." with that I grabbed my mug and left.

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AUTHOR COMMENTS

Lore is just kidding right? She wasnt really gonna leave Az......Right?

Hack wasn't even drunk yet. Dang, that jackhat probably deserved it though.

They let him take their mug...lol