137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlRS2EqX4W
"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.
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Qd1o4jHtj
"Oh, shut up, Mercutio! You always try to ruin my fun!"
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKwb71IVJK
"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!"
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqLt31u2gX
She stuck her tongue at him like a petulant child. "No." She danced a little jig on the table just to aggravate him.
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxBmun9NF0
"Knock it off, you're making a scene."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfut4lRlfWP
"Good! I love being the center of attention. Hey, everyone, order whatever you want. Dinner's on me, boys!"
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAP2Rq7i41l
The entire tavern erupted into cheers.
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6xclk2JnM
"No, it's not, that's not in our budget."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYSw7jeeeY
She puckered her lips into a frown. "Go to hell, Mercutio!"
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0C8z2Wh6gT
"Yeah, go to hell, Mercutio." Said an Orc at a nearby table. "I want free dinner!"
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfI3ECoNfEV
The entire bar booed at him, including Kallista.
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmijNaORD44
"You know what? I'm leaving!" He spun around and trudged towards the door.
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZ7hI1atuq
"Good riddance," Kallista muttered as he stormed out.
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzICLHnXsav
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!"
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgab1MbQrO
Mercutio had nearly made it back to the place where they were staying when a member of the city guard stopped him. "Halt, citizen!"
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjs9kq1L9q
Mercutio raised his hands in surrender. "Is everything alright?"
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7YzfQ1OYv
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?"
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAAKn4HdF2
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."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyTalZP8wC
"Is the mage with her?"
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEf7IycNFC
Mercutio refused to make eye contact. "No. They went their separate ways."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKsKPMWh7a
...
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5J109DWLh
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.
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQijJsHndZf
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."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukRpWLwj4G
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnFVoZ8n2o
"I know why you're here."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5zhvonLwb
"You do?"
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7p44qLa4qe
"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."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3H4ugLYgQV
Mercutio silently pocketed the money. "Can I see her?"
The guard shot him a skeptical glare. "Why?"
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfnn59q3TK
Mercutio cast a persuasion spell on him. "Please, sir. I must speak with her."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3jXy4CFyY
"Fine," the guard relented. "I'll give you five minutes and not a second more."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6q6jehFv5x
Mercutio brushed past the counter, "Thank you, sir. I'll make it quick."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiJq86PUPU
...
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZ4kMJiHMT
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.
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLN8kNZ9ccQ
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.
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcwk44WDFH
"Hey! No touching the prisoners!" the guard scolded.
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP86p4BJvlw
Kallista let go. "Mercutio, You came! Are you here to pay my bail?"
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCms4B7J6J
"Gee, I would, but someone spent all of our money last night."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWn6GHgRuc
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Whoops."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4YnJnCgsU
"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."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1AkvJE1YF
She at least had the decency to look guilty.
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctZSzPeCIx
He slipped the loaf of bread between the cell bars. "Here, eat up."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVW5HJNm9Sx
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.
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LQinKwRfg
"You're a real pain in my ass. Do you know that?"
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6e3fRWWIn
"Is that why you sold me out?" She asked through a mouthful of bread.
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ021ngB1lrD
That made him freeze in his tracks. "Who told you? Was it the guards?"
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43rbytyE6v
She swallowed. "You did. Just now, but I had my suspicions before then."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbYk6jPqoS
Dammit! He'd forgotten how clever she could be.
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZb7q8G4iXA
"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."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3LKyjnIzZ
"I'm sorry, too. I never should've sold you out."
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEbdby0MjO
She shot him a hopeful look. "Does that make us even?"
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvXdrHmMVp
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.
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGMmJ39r9L
She shot him a grateful smirk. "I suppose I can be subtle just this once."
ns 15.158.61.42da2
