Advanced Clockwork: Young Writers Prize 2014

Chapter 15

The winds were picking up around them, the stench of alcohol and rain wafting with it as the clouds above them circled around above in an ugly green hue. The town before them was as he would have thought it would be, a stupid little outpost by the border of desert and uncharted lands, filled with drunken fools and shady figures. The buildings weren't even recognizable, just simple rotting wood, poor construction, chipped and destroyed paints coming off the walls, and the very roads were covered in dust that hid the road underneath it. The only thing that was decent were the wind turbines just a little ways away that supplied the sad excuse of a town it's power, as if the people of the town even needed it. They probably could have gotten along better just with the drinks in the bar.

Christopher growled a little as he stared at the scene from the top of his horse-like steed, a few of his men behind him waiting for his orders. He didn't take too many, just three of his best men that he would trust with his life if it came down to it. That wasn't going to be enough, he knew that, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve. He looked back at the three heavily dressed men, the sweat running down their faces and pooling around their backs as they tried not to give into the desert heat. He sighed and nodded to the town, the men looking at it with distaste.

"All right, we rest there for a while and see if we can dig up any information about our gypsy raiders." He commanded, the men wrinkling their noses a little but still followed orders as they road the rest of the way into town.

Christopher followed a little ways behind him, his eyes traveling around the area as he tried to find something that didn't fit with this scene. Something out of the ordinary that most towns like this didn't have. But there was nothing on the surface, so far.

They tied up the creatures they road in on outside the local inn and walked in, one hand on their guns as they entered the saloon portion of it. The normal hustle and bustle of it all went silent, all eyes staring at the Captain of the Royal Guard and three other Guards as they walked right up to the bar area.

"What can I do for you, Captain?" The bartender behind the bar asked, cleaning a glass in her hands with a rag and avoiding his reddish brown eyes. "Brandy? Poli Twist? Scotch? Or are you here to arrest me?"

Christopher arched an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing as he leaned on the counter. "Depends, you raid the Pantlo house last night and shoot an innocent performer?" Her eyes widened, her head shooting up to look him dead in the eyes with her mouth hanging open.

"Wow, really? Someone actually did that? I thought that was just a rumor!" He sighed, looking into her blue eyes and sifting just a little through her memories. He didn't find anything out of the ordinary, but there was an interesting thought that she had about him when they walked in that amused him.

"It did happen ma'am." Christopher said calmly, a hint of a smile on his face. " Have you seen any gypsies coming into this city within the past few days?"

"No." She answered bluntly, leaning over the counter showing off her low cut corset with a smirk on her face. "But, then again, this is a city of gypsy trade. You might get lucky."

"Ma'am, could we have a few rooms?" One of the guards asked, the noticeable hitch in his voice giving him away to his rather flustered shock at the show of so much cleavage. She smiled and nodded, taking out a few keys from behind the bar and handing them to Christopher.

"Four rooms, I assume?" She asked, puffing up her chest a little and looking rather proud of herself. He nodded and she grinned. "That would be twenty Requa, please?"

"You bitch!" One of the other men growled, giving her a bitter glare. "Bet you don't make the others pay that much."

"In actuality, I do." She shot back, splashing liquor in his face. "Now, back off and pay up."