138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡel79cEvxHm
"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.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQujbYIoMB4
"Oh, shut up, Mercutio! You always try to ruin my fun!"
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NJnnhO3bR
"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!"
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3BwM6bnfM
She stuck her tongue at him like a petulant child. "No." She danced a little jig on the table just to aggravate him.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqEab4kS9Ew
"Knock it off, you're making a scene."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5vBhqVsQe
"Good! I love being the center of attention. Hey, everyone, order whatever you want. Dinner's on me, boys!"
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSUrwhlfWN
The entire tavern erupted into cheers.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvnJ716NFr
"No, it's not, that's not in our budget."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWuD04eSJZA
She puckered her lips into a frown. "Go to hell, Mercutio!"
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV95I6LaQQw
"Yeah, go to hell, Mercutio." Said an Orc at a nearby table. "I want free dinner!"
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHdofwlzNY
The entire bar booed at him, including Kallista.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVswuRDvcTd
"You know what? I'm leaving!" He spun around and trudged towards the door.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23BTSG7ALr
"Good riddance," Kallista muttered as he stormed out.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67ZzCnT50z
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!"
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYU2Ea572Y
Mercutio had nearly made it back to the place where they were staying when a member of the city guard stopped him. "Halt, citizen!"
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0nH113OpH
Mercutio raised his hands in surrender. "Is everything alright?"
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdpLBsuMbk
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?"
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3bNayJYyY
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."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSh84rCCbo
"Is the mage with her?"
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnkDrg5AeL
Mercutio refused to make eye contact. "No. They went their separate ways."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo49uXaRUB2
...
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6K0jjHZz3
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.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnXr9Em2kx
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."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqstWlBh992
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAhjSM3b2g
"I know why you're here."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxErMdlq5b6
"You do?"
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYSqqmPC0d
"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."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmIPOrKSbP
Mercutio silently pocketed the money. "Can I see her?"
The guard shot him a skeptical glare. "Why?"
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1TO3YmLA8
Mercutio cast a persuasion spell on him. "Please, sir. I must speak with her."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEIislalXH
"Fine," the guard relented. "I'll give you five minutes and not a second more."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqatrOPveS
Mercutio brushed past the counter, "Thank you, sir. I'll make it quick."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKDLP0STVO
...
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhWBayBsW4M
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.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJ0GhsUVac
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.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpTRz2snPB
"Hey! No touching the prisoners!" the guard scolded.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDlalD464X
Kallista let go. "Mercutio, You came! Are you here to pay my bail?"
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcROlP9waFE
"Gee, I would, but someone spent all of our money last night."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlA1pVBv9fg
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Whoops."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1O5EEcGAEH
"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."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31KvfV8kb5
She at least had the decency to look guilty.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnnryuYEKT
He slipped the loaf of bread between the cell bars. "Here, eat up."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8hOe7gMai
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.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYu30QcfpPH
"You're a real pain in my ass. Do you know that?"
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNj8qNhD7JT
"Is that why you sold me out?" She asked through a mouthful of bread.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kdTeDzU7m
That made him freeze in his tracks. "Who told you? Was it the guards?"
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuZGaWKPb9
She swallowed. "You did. Just now, but I had my suspicions before then."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZbpQKhAlv
Dammit! He'd forgotten how clever she could be.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETZbfn3jD1
"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."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWe0lwwnPq
"I'm sorry, too. I never should've sold you out."
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2j5DgHZUMM
She shot him a hopeful look. "Does that make us even?"
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡar8CRg8gZZ
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.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0inDmsDGp
She shot him a grateful smirk. "I suppose I can be subtle just this once."
ns 15.158.61.19da2
