Tender Mercies: Book 2 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Yamara recounted, "I met several people in the Tavern of the Broken Axe. Most of them human or of some recognizable demi-human race. First off was a human rogue named Sanger. He seemed harmless enough, though he desperately wanted people to believe otherwise. A nice enough man I suppose, but there just was something missing from our interaction...

Then there was Alystin. A dark elf in every sense of the word. A thief and potentially so much more, I do believe. Very good at what she does, or so she claims. Nonetheless, her behavior certainly did not convey professionalism as much as it did sensuality and a deadly beauty.

Jashin was another dark elf woman, though she was a necromancer. There seemed some sort of relationship betwixt Jashin and Alystin, but what it was I never found out. I have seen a few drow in my time now, including those two, and it seems as though the entire race is quite pulchritudinous.

It would take me hours or days to even describe all the people I met there, even though most have little or no bearing on my tale such as Jucinda or Tarna or Molly or the drunken troll or the card playing ogre. That brings me to the most important one though, Alesha.

What can I say about her? She was beautiful in a way that no other human I have ever seen can be. Powerful as well, and in so many ways. Even with her powers handicapped, she was able to alter and reshape the fabric of reality around her.

She mentioned being a semi-permanent resident of the tavern and proved a good companion to share some time and conversation with, in between the other activities of the tavern. Indeed, she seemed the only one unwilling to give in and sate her more carnal desires that often arose in such a place. During our talks we shared much, often I did so without meaning to tell her as much as I did. I shared with her even more then I have told in this telling, and I would like to say she did the same, though I am, as always, unsure of the feelings and beliefs of others.

In the end we seduced one another I think. She was desperately trying to avoid doing anything that might cause her to fall back into any of her bad habits, and I was searching for someone to help me forget Brina. For a time it turned out that we did a great job for each other. Even now thinking of Alesha's soft lips, full breasts and shapely thighs, let alone the talents of her fingers and tongue, sends a tingle of excitement through me.

Soon, the tavern was not enough for us. I knew by then of Alesha's imprisonment within the tavern. She believed that she could escape, but to do so, she would need to reclaim her sword.

She wove a compelling tale of what had happened to her. Corruption by dark Gods and demonic influences. She told me of her repentance and how her time in the tavern free from any outside influence had caused her to see more clearly what had happened to her and allowed her to seek to amend her ways. She had claimed that all she wanted was to begin anew, away from all that had been ruined before. She claimed that she knew of the harm she had caused and knew there was no way to right the wrongs she had committed, she had only a chance at beginning fresh in another place.

She told me of her brother and what had happened on this world, Earth. How she had hid him from Kelnozz and Garryk and how she had instructed him to seek out her sword and with it quest to gain her freedom.

---

"That explains it," Jason muttered, leaning back. He had felt himself remember Alesha all to well when Yamara had described her, and found that it sent shivers down his spine and blood to his groin. He adjusted himself to a more comfortable position before continuing. "Those assholes that broke into my apartment must have been her lackeys."

"Not hers, her brothers," Yamara insisted. Then, under her breath she muttered, "I think."

If Jason heard the latter comment, he ignored it. "Whoever's they may be, they have the sword and if what Kelnozz told me is true, that's a bad thing. I've seen a lot of weird shit since they came into my life, and apparently that's only a fraction of the weird shit out there where you guys all come from. I guess that sword has a few souls trapped in it. A powerful demon among others. I should have trouble believing it, but somehow it just seems my sort of luck lately."

"Talifernon."

"Huh?" Jason said, not understanding the word Yamara had spoken.

"The demon's name is Talifernon. He was Alesha's familiar," she explained.

"What's a familiar?" Jason asked.

Before Yamara could answer the door opened and Bill walked back in. A half smoked lit cigarette hung out of his mouth and he looked in innocently. "Hey kids, mind if I come back in? Starting to rain out there and dammit, I'm bored."

Yamara looked questioningly at Jason. She was willing to follow his lead apparently. He nodded and motioned for Cowboy to take a seat. "It's a long story, Cowboy, so hang tight and I'll catch you up when she's done."

"A familiar is a wizards pet. They share some kind of special bond that enables them to share powers with each other, in a limited fashion. I don't really know how any of it works. But, while the bond is in effect it is very stressful and even often painful to a wizard if their familiar is slain or banished. In Alesha's case, Talifernon was an exceptionally powerful familiar. Most familiars are common creatures such as cats, birds, even frogs and the like. Some rare powerful wizards have lesser demons such as imps or magical creatures like pseudo-dragons. That Alesha had a major demon such as Talifernon as a familiar is a testimony to her great power while she was at her peak."

"What the hell-" Cowboy began, stopping halfway in his descent to a chair.

"Oh, I forgot to mention something," Jason said with a smirk. "You're probably not going to believe a damn word of this either. Just smile and pretend we're not crazy for a little while longer."

Bill stared at him for a long minute then just shrugged and chuckled. "Whatever you say, Jay, it's your show." He sank into the chair and stabbed out his cigarette in the ashtray on the end table next to him.

Jason smiled weakly and turned back to Yamara. "So why you?"

She glanced at Bill and sat up on the bed a little straighter. Hiding any discomfort, she swung her legs off the edge and faced Jason directly. "I came here to steal the sword from you and return it to Alesha."

Bill chuckled and reached into his pocket to fish out his pack of cigarettes. "Gotta give her points for honesty!"

Jason ignored his friend and stared back into Yamara's unsettling eyes. "It might not have been as easy as you think," he said matter-of-factly. "If anybody who does not know the proper release on it tried to take it, it would have set off some alarms and brought the buildings guards running, not to mention me."

"I'm not your average thief," Yamara replied with a faint smile.

"I gathered that," Jason said darkly. He glanced at Cowboy and scowled when he saw the shit eating grin on his face.

---

Yamara had been showing some signs of weariness so Jason had suggested she get some more sleep. Bill and he had outside and stood under the narrow dry walkway that the overhanging roof protected from the drizzle outside. Once there Jason told Bill as much of the story as he could remember and piece together, which took considerably longer and was more thorough then he had intended.

"I haven't had one of these in years," Jason muttered as Bill held out his lighter to ignite the cigarette he had given him.

"Just like falling off a bike, you never forget!" Bill said, grinning.

Jason scowled but puffed until the end glowed red. He took a few experimental drags on it and was surprised to feel that while it had been years, his lungs had not forgotten. "Tastes like shit," He growled.

Cowboy laughed.

"Any suggestions?" Jason asked, getting back to the heart of the matter.

"Sure, we ditch the bitch and head for the border. You still got that riceburner don't ya?"

"It's a custom Honda Valkyrie putting out more torque and horses then your fat boy does!" Jason protested.

"Still a riceburner," Bill said, grinning. Jason scowled at him and flicked the mostly unsmoked cigarette away. Technically he was right, it was a Japanese bike, even if it was a badass cruiser.

"You ever see that dyna glide I picked up a couple of years ago?" Jason said, thinking back to his small motorcycle collection he had built over the years.

"You bought a Harley? Thought you were never going to come over to the dark side?" Bill said, genuinely surprised.

"Yeah well, they've got a sound you just can't beat and I love a loud bike. Besides, with the fuel injection and rubber engine mounts, it doesn't shake my fillings out like your hog."

Bill shrugged. He enjoyed his ride, and so did most of the women that rode with him, but not everybody was perfect. "Okay, so we go grab that bike and head for Mexico. I know this place along the gulf coast not to far south from Texas that's a great place to lay low for a while."

Jason chuckled. "That'd probably be more fun then we deserve. Last time we went to a bar in Mexico we got arrested, remember?"

"Not my fault you can't handle real tequila," Bill said, glancing at the slowly brightening horizon.

"And it's not my fault you had to try and score with the owner's daughter!" Jason countered.

Both men laughed and stayed silent a moment while they remembered the 'good' old days. "Getting old, bro," Bill finally said.

Jason grunted something that was a cross between an agreement and an expletive.

"She's cute enough I guess," Bill admitted at last. "And she's got that really weird accent that I can't place… that kinda helps her story out some. The marks on her skin I noticed can be explained away as scars that have faded a lot, but man, you're talking about twenty or more years of fading, and she ain't more then twenty or twenty one or I'm a nun."

"Well sister, she told me she was twenty three."

Jason received a rude gesture involving a certain finger for that remark, but Bill continued nonplussed. "She's healing fast, that's for sure. What is it about her that's got you hooked though? You've had better looking women and women with more reasonable stories."

"Guess I'm a sucker for a hard luck case," Jason joked. That earned him a sarcastic laugh from his friend who knew him better then that. "Okay, I don't really know why I'm throwing my lot in with her. There's just something about her. She's different and I think she's genuine. More honest then any other women I've ever known."

"Thought she told you she's been a thief, a spy, an assassin, and who knows what else?"

"Well, there is that," Jason admitted with a sheepish grin. "But in some sick and twisted way that lends credence to her honesty."

Bill shook his head and looked away. "I think you're thinking with your dick man."

Jason briefly remembered the one night he had spent with Yamara and smiled wistfully. "Could be, Cowboy."

"You really gotta get that sword back?"

"Yeah, I do. I gave them my word and if that wasn't enough, then these are not the types of guys you want to piss off."

Bill cursed and spit. "Well I'm not saying I believe a goddamn thing that either of you have told me tonight, but you know me. I'll be damned if I'm gonna let any of us stick their necks out on their own."

Jason smiled and clapped him on the back. "Thanks Cowboy, I owe ya."

"You owe me more then you'll ever be able to pay, Jay. Remember that time in Saudi?"

"What are you talking about? That was me pulling your ass out before her husband, the sheik, caught you!" Jason said.

Bill grinned. "Yeah, you should have distracted him instead of getting me out. She had one helluva set of great titties!"

Both men laughed some more. Finally they calmed down and returned to thinking about the situation. "Any idea where these jokers hang out?" Bill asked.

"Not yet, but I'll find out." Jason promised.

"We gonna need any more help on this?"

"Sure could use Lurch." Jason said quietly.

"Yeah," Bill agreed softly. "Damn shame about that kidney transplant not working for him."

An unspoken moment of silence passed between them at the memory of their teammate and friend. "I think the three of us can handle it."

Bill nodded and then clapped him on the shoulder. "Go get some sacktime Jay, I'll stand watch."

Continued in Chapter 5

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