196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4utKk4M3U
"This has officially gone too far, Kallista. Get off the damn table!" Mercutio stamped his foot on the rickety wooden floors, causing the whole tavern to shake. Good! He needed her to know how serious he was.
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBjm9CAmo0
"Oh, shut up, Mercutio! You always try to ruin my fun!"
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjZdeQAD4j
"Only because you're so reckless." Mercutio was beginning to regret ever agreeing to work with the rogue. Last autumn, she checked in at the inn he was staying in. She announced that she required the assistance of a mage and was willing to pay handsomely. All my peers advised me against it, but I was broke. So, I packed up my humble belongings and joined her on this quest. I wish I hadn't. This isn't one of the epic adventures you read about in the storybooks. I spend 20% percent of my time digging up graves in search of magical artifacts and the other 80% saving Kallista from bar fights and other bad ideas. Right now, Kallista was doing gymnastics on the tables, and it needed to end. She'd be no help to him if she injured herself. He repeated his command. "I'm serious, get down now!"
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIeR1d8uDB
She stuck her tongue at him like a petulant child. "No." She danced a little jig on the table just to aggravate him.
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdO56R7LVD
"Knock it off, you're making a scene."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkypcFjRkiK
"Good! I love being the center of attention. Hey, everyone, order whatever you want. Dinner's on me, boys!"
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Cz0vHNy4L
The entire tavern erupted into cheers.
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKv2Dtdnwt
"No, it's not, that's not in our budget."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsgdxLcFlX
She puckered her lips into a frown. "Go to hell, Mercutio!"
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUyst04LV7
"Yeah, go to hell, Mercutio." Said an Orc at a nearby table. "I want free dinner!"
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWiou1pGV3
The entire bar booed at him, including Kallista.
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mwoPExLMc
"You know what? I'm leaving!" He spun around and trudged towards the door.
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqiZQoCFM0o
"Good riddance," Kallista muttered as he stormed out.
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhiqRi4Pxe
The tavern's music grew quieter as he stomped down the quiet city streets. He clenched his teeth and muttered to himself. "She wants me to leave? Fine! Let's see how long she can last without me! She'll regret treating me this way!"
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnYPsoQhkV
Mercutio had nearly made it back to the place where they were staying when a member of the city guard stopped him. "Halt, citizen!"
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLdyZJiXlP
Mercutio raised his hands in surrender. "Is everything alright?"
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBi1g0ZPqA1
The guard showed me a wanted poster with Kallista's face on it. "We're looking for a rogue, who's been causing some trouble in local villages. We hear she has a mage traveling with her; one who uses forbidden magic. Have you seen anything?"
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuoGLQzGxr
He glanced down at himself. He'd opted to change out of his magician's robes into something less conspicuous before he went to the tavern. Long sleeves covered his enchanted rune tattoos. No one had any reason to suspect he was a mage they were looking for. "She's causing a ruckus at the tavern."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIkNFSryPE
"Is the mage with her?"
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5yA5YyjT5
Mercutio refused to make eye contact. "No. They went their separate ways."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFv8YHJjbq
...
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrT4Yeo55y
Mercutio thought he'd sleep peacefully without the sound of Kallista's incessant snoring, but something akin to guilt clawed at his gut, keeping him awake. He shouldn't feel this way; Kallista brought this on herself. He buried his head under the blankets and tried to forget about his betrayal, but his mind lingered on thoughts of her, cold and alone in a jail cell. Needless to say, he didn't get any sleep that night.
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4JKnFN8md
He spent the early hours of the morning deliberating if he should go to the dungeons to see if they'd captured Kallista. He knew it was most likely a terrible idea, but he needed closure. He stopped by the bakery to pick up a fresh loaf of bread before heading over to the prison. Just because she's an ass doesn't mean she deserves to starve in there."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeYDY026UX
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6vKH4UOCU
"I know why you're here."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloKjrow1YU
"You do?"
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7K2mBdSeY
"You want the cash reward for her capture, don't you?" The guard dropped a fat purse full of coins onto the counter. "Here you go. Don't spend it all at once."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK205T5XZ45
Mercutio silently pocketed the money. "Can I see her?"
The guard shot him a skeptical glare. "Why?"
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrtDNY8zKt
Mercutio cast a persuasion spell on him. "Please, sir. I must speak with her."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoMvRKsEo7
"Fine," the guard relented. "I'll give you five minutes and not a second more."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWGmyYgbZn
Mercutio brushed past the counter, "Thank you, sir. I'll make it quick."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡru1ogl7xru
...
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrG96BKApk6
Mercutio tiptoed down the dark corridor as he scanned the cells for any sign of Kallista. He spotted her lying on a bed bug-ridden cot staring at the ceiling with a blank expression on her face. He was surprised she hadn't started a prison riot by now. A pang of guilt churned his insides. He sent her here. Mercutio hesitantly approached her. "Um, hey." He didn't know what else to say.
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhPQ1yQWfy
Kallista brightened up at the sound of his voice. She sprung up off the cot and clutched onto his wrists through the prison bars. She looked as though she wanted to hug him.
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFikiAcynX
"Hey! No touching the prisoners!" the guard scolded.
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EpSqUW1j4
Kallista let go. "Mercutio, You came! Are you here to pay my bail?"
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8JDhdkFbq
"Gee, I would, but someone spent all of our money last night."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbypdSixos
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Whoops."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9hM0Nbb2o
"Whoops indeed. The reason 'I always try to ruin your fun,' as you so eloquently put it, is so we don't get into situations like this one."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70ELPNvjFU
She at least had the decency to look guilty.
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ184GtaZ25O
He slipped the loaf of bread between the cell bars. "Here, eat up."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTeDWztqIL
She pressed the bread to her nose and took a large whiff of the yeasty aroma before nearly devouring the loaf whole like a snake swallowing a rat.
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mkGaUSwLy
"You're a real pain in my ass. Do you know that?"
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYbXNL0qkl
"Is that why you sold me out?" She asked through a mouthful of bread.
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCK1dkL6fPp
That made him freeze in his tracks. "Who told you? Was it the guards?"
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHparz8in5t
She swallowed. "You did. Just now, but I had my suspicions before then."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNTY2OX3yS
Dammit! He'd forgotten how clever she could be.
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTdhLouvZB
"Listen, I know I'm not the easiest person to work with. You deserve a less terrible partner. I'm sorry I can't be better."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7wuiDyfS9
"I'm sorry, too. I never should've sold you out."
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohp4VhEOL5
She shot him a hopeful look. "Does that make us even?"
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI12BGjIs65
He subtly cast a lock picking spell on the door to her cell. He lowered his voice so only she could hear. "Meet me on the tallest hill outside city limits at sunset. Please, try not to draw too much attention to yourself as you're escaping prison.
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCd1yF6s96
She shot him a grateful smirk. "I suppose I can be subtle just this once."
ns3.145.75.232da2
