Tales of the Red Rogue - A Heroes Arrival

Chapter 9

A small human in a red cloak ran between my legs, I first though it was Shean, the blacksmith did say he had saw her running out of town in a red cloak, but before I could even shout out her name I felt a sharp burins main spread across my inner calf.

"AGH!"

The creature in red turned around to face me, its snout was long like a dogs but instead of fur it was covered in crimson scales, beady yellow eyes peered at me from under the cloak, you could feel the seething hate the creature felt by way its nose snarled and twisted, rows of sharp teeth could be seen protruding fro its mouth, its tiny clawed hands wrapped tightly around a small short sword wet with my blood.

"You little bastard what you do you think you're doing!?"

I grabbed at the dagger on my hip, and wrapped my hand tight and the leather strapped handle pulling it out ready to fight this little red demon.

The create burst into a full sprint in the direction of the warehouse at the sound of my shouts, I was far faster but as I got closer it let out another lash at me with the sword and spat words in a guttural language I didn't understand.

I threw the dagger at its back leg, piercing through the cloak and into flesh, it let out a high pitched screech and tumbled to the ground knowing up dust from the pathways.

Taking advantage of the creatures current predicament I climbed onto of it pinning it to the floor, the red scaled beast struggled in my arms whilst I pulled my second dagger out, it tried to claw me in the face as one of its hand wiggled free but I ducked out the way.

Thank god for my reactions.

I sunk the danger deep into the red creatures ribs and up into its lungs, it gasped for breath, its eyes went wide, frenzied and then still.

What was this thing?

It looked like tiny red lizard person, it even had a tail, the scales it had felt far harder than that found on a normal lizard and it stank as like stagnant water and dirt.

I gave the thing a sharp kick with my undamaged leg to check it was defiantly dead and it helped to get some of my frustration out.

I may as well see what this little creep has, I'll have this cloak.

I pulled the red cloak off its back and tied it around my neck, it only went down to my hips due to the size difference between me and the scaled creature but it will still give some protection from the weather and I looked pretty good in it.

Whilst I was rummaging around in its pockets I found out that it was in fact male and it had nothing of value on its person, I pocketed the rusty sword as I could sell that to the smith and on its rope belt I found a scroll of parchment with a red dragon head painting on it.

I'm starting to feel like I'm getting involved in some weird secret society, like the ones those crazy people on the streets of Keryn shout about all the time.

Are tiny lizard people real?

I mean half dragon people were real but they weren't this tiny and they could talk like anyone else, I have no Idea what this is.

I ripped the shirt off the thing and wrapped it around my leg to stop the bleeding, I didn't want anyone to know I had been hurt, once I was all patched up I limped back to the Pickled Hat, with the creatures body over my shoulder.

I stopped outside the door I rested against the wall and shoved the body into my bag as best I could, the size made it quite easy to hide.

I shouldn't let anyone know I've been hurt, I don't know how deep this cult goes or who's involved with it, I should just pretend everything is fine and head to bed for now and go talk to Sheans mother in the morning.

I assume she's safe, I doubt she would assist in the kidnapping of her own child and I'm pretty sure that this these worshipers of The Corruptor of Dragons are the ones behind the disappearance of Shean now.

The door creaked open and the sound of the bar flooded into my ears, It helped me forget about the pain I was in and made walking without a limp far easier, I've been in far more pain than this in the past anyway...

"Have a nice walk princess?"

"Yeah, it was refreshing to breath in the night air, can I get a drink?"

I took a seat as an excuse to take some weight off my leg and took a quick look around the bar to see if there where any dragon cult suspects.

"Now that you can pay for it you can have as many drink as you want."

She handed me a mug of cider and I took a long drink, I wasn't hiding the fact I had a body in my bag too well apparently, I was holding it closer to me and it clearly looked misshapen.

"What's got you got in your bag their kid?"

"I had a problem on the walk..."

"What sort of problem?"

"Look."

I opened my bag as little as I could, she peaked in and her face twisted with disgust, I thought for a moment I had overstepped with her, that she'd think I was a murderer or too much trouble for the town, that she'd kick me out of the bar and do a Whiteglen Circle me.

"What the hell are you bringing a Kobold into my bar for, those things stink, at least you had the decency to kill it."

"I... Ummm... you're welcome?"

"I'm not thanking you asshole, here, there's a basement that I keep 'spare meat' in, put the thing in there."

She handed me a key and gestured to a door behind the bar.

I hopped over the bar and skipped through the door, on the other side I was met with a store room, full of alcohol, breads, salted meats, and bagged goods.

On the floor there was basement door latch that had a few potato sacks on top of it, it took a second to move them with my injury but after unlocking it I climbed down into the dark room below, it just had hanging animals on hooks, still creepy, but after the night I had just gone through I was expecting far worse.

It was freezing down here but the new cloak helped a bit, I dumped the body out on the ground and took one last look at it thing that had ruined my night.

What have I gotten myself into... I really hope there aren't any more of these things, easy to kill but I don't even think boiling them would get this stink off.

I retired to my room soon after I locked the basement back up and gave Dagna back the key, my leg was starting to hurt and I wasn't in the mood to be around anyone.

Probably should get some use out of the room I've been paying for.

The room was small and basic, a single straw bed and a chest for my belongings was all that decorated the inside, I decided to keep everything on me, I didn't trust this town enough to leave things laying around yet.

What am I going to do with that body downstairs... it's not exactly like I can sell it for meat.

I pulled my shoes off and put them at the bottom of the bed, they were truly ruined at this point, their was basically no sole left of the things.

The smith might be willing to turn the little bastard into some boots, that could be a fine solution to my two problems.

Cuddling up into my new tattered red cloak with my head on some mostly soft pillows, I went to sleep, hoping my leg would be healed by the morning.