The Broken Song

Chapter Eight

 — Eltarraven, Svartalfheim —

Eltarraven. There were pigsties nicer, and cleaner, than whatever backwoods, shady shithole this place was. There seemed to have been some sort of plan here. The middle of town looked as if its constructors had started out with the best intentions, but by the fourth or so building they had clearly given up. Lulu could only stare up at the stone building in front of her, the second story lopsided because of its unfinished nature. Later, someone had slapped wooden boards diagonally from one wall to the other to complete the structure.

"That is, like, the saddest roof," she remarked in passing.

With a shake of her head, Lulu continued down the muddy street with Idelle in step beside her. The two women were clearly of interest, every local stopping in their tracks, mid-task, to watch them pass. Lulu stared back just to make them uncomfortable. Perhaps this place didn't get too many visitors, but they were just humans. Well, one human and one...incredibly diversely inspired lady. It wasn't like they were dancing through the streets naked while sacrificing children and eating the devil's chocolate.

Wait.

What was the devil's chocolate? Was that a euphemism? No, it couldn't be. It didn't make any sense. Unless it did. Did it? Was it some sort of expression? Had she heard it before, or had she just made it up? She had heard it before, hadn't she? Maybe not. It's not like the devils popped up often to hand out chocolate. If they did, she imagined they would be much more popular with the people.

Lulu stumbled, her body colliding with Idelle's. Her companion had stopped at the end of the street, looking over at the hangman's block in the square ahead. How it could hang anyone was beyond her. It was the ricketiest looking thing she had ever seen. The mild wind made the base wobble, the three frayed nooses hanging there shaking with the movement.

"How do people live here?" she asked with a wrinkled nose. "I just... I've been here for five minutes, and, already, I want to kill myself."

Idelle hushed her with a harsh look and a soft smack to her stomach.

"What? C'mon, Dell, they have to know this place is shit. I'm pretty sure I saw a cat riding a pig back there. Even fleas have to be bored out of their minds here."

"No one's asking you to stay!" An elderly dark elf growled unhappily as she stopped to point a gnarled finger at Lulu. Her silver eyes narrowed, ashen skin crinkling as her face conjured an ugly sneer.

"What a shame!" Lulu pouted mockingly at the old woman. "I was hoping to get tetanus and dysentery and die!"

"Humans. Always shitting on everything you see! If you think it's so bad, then fix it."

"I'd love to. Where's the nearest torch store?"

"Up your ass!"

"Lovely," Lulu clapped as the old woman turned her back and shuffled down the street. "Classy! She's so classy everyone! Learn from her, and her mastery of language! I certainly feel richer from her wisdom!"

"I'm a man!"

Lulu's laughter echoed loudly in the quiet town, growing when she saw the mortified look on Idelle's face. She didn't stop until her friend had dragged her down the rest of the street toward the hangman's block and pointed to a Halfling standing nearby, a rooster strutting happily by his feet as the Halfling tossed more seed on the ground.