Chapter 197: Delays
Raz drummed his fingers consistently over the wooden table, leaning to one side seemingly uninterested in the meeting he was in. Mesa's voice seemed muffled to his ears as he gazed out the window to the side, catching a glimpse of Felix as he awkwardly saluted a few guards passing by. His blue-green eyes grew narrow as the pacing of his tapping fingers slowly increased, the room around him growing mute as a loud ringing echoed in his ears. It wasn't just the familiarity of that boy, but faint images of that cat mother Emyri flashing through his mind that kept him preoccupied.
Their served drinks rippled slowly from the surface, the patterns speeding up until the cups started to tremble. The captain reached out for a sip, nodding in agreement to Mesa's plans before pressing his lips against his cup for a drink. He recoiled quickly, planting his glass down and alerting Mesa as the two stared down at the frothing, sizzling beverage steaming as it began to boil. Rolling her eyes, Mesa slid her chair back and slapped Raz by the arm, snapping him out of his daze.
"Raz, pay attention!" She bellowed, hands on her hips as she glared down on him. "Keep those tricks for when we catch the cat girl."
The captain stood by and said nothing, simply passing his glass aside while the siblings composed themselves.
"Apologies," Raz cleared his throat, scooting his chair in. "You were saying?"
"Your sister was explaining to me this plan of yours, something about spreading monsters across the forest because... why, exactly?" He grimaced, "Seems counterintuitive. Forgive me for questioning your methods, Miss Mesa. But I fail to see how freeing those arachnids will benefit us in any way? And then this attack on Fort Bowey, why were we not informed until now?"
"Because, Captain, we believe none of our camps are safe." Mesa explained, adjusting her skirted dress before gently sitting down. "Bowey Fort had remained well-hidden under their noses for months."
"Fort Solas at the south was also burned to ashes," Raz added, sliding a map along the table surface for the captain to see. "We had the misfortune of discovering that ourselves when we returned."
The captain swallowed, feeling a drop of sweat roll down his cheek. "Was Father Perdilius harmed?"
"No, of course not. My brother would see to it that he was well protected." Mesa responded with confidence, much to Raz's surprise. He leaned back as the corner of his lip angled upwards in a subtle smile. "Have you read any reports of creature sightings up north? Spiders, Slimes, Snakes, anything?"
"I can't say that I have. My men and I have been scouting in search of-"
"Irrelevant." She leaned over the table, planting both hands down as her kinky blonde curls swayed slowly while framing her grinning face. "Those creatures cannot reproduce or coexist without a source of food to go around. The elves were formerly tasked with reducing or possibly removing their population from Faehorn forest. Our war has disrupted their focus and allowed the monsters to roam freely, feasting on whatever wildlife or carrion they find."
"We noticed slime residue on the ruins of Solas as we passed by." Raz chimed in, his eyes glancing between her and the captain. "Those monsters only fighting for survival of their own species. By sending those spiders into the forest, we believe it'll help narrow down any hideouts where the elves lie in await."
"We need to retrieve one last cat girl for dad's ritual." Mesa pulled away with a confident smirk. "Not just any cat girl. This one is being kept by the Rangers, and they are hiding out there. This recent attack on Fort Bowey may just be a coincidence, but with the ritual being so close I think it's best we don't take any chances."
"And you're sure just a handful of spiders will do the job?" Asked the captain as he ran his grubby fingers over his stubble, fidgeting in uncertainty.
Mesa giggled and crossed her arms. "We made quick work to contain dozens more. They're being sent in the south direction of the forest, near Bowey. See, what happened there wasn't an assault, it was a rescue. Somehow, they learned about the Nekomata we had working there and sought out to free them. Admittedly, these Rangers are slippery. The forest is where they hold an advantage. But if we turn the forest against them, then we have a fighting chance."
The captain nodded back in agreement. "So, what do you need from us then?"
Raz reached out for his drinking, pausing as his eyes darted toward the window. He thought he saw movement there, but upon taking a sip from his drink he was reminded of his past incident as he spat out the boiling concoction.
"Manners!" Mesa yelped, recoiling away from him.
The captain chuckled back gathering their drinks. "I'll send someone to fetch us new drinks. Perhaps a meal for us to enjoy? We did just get a recent delivery from the city."
"No, I'll go." Raz offered, collecting the cups in hand and making his way for the door. "Mesa?"
"Sure, why not." Mesa shrugged, crossing her arms behind her head as she followed behind him. "Maybe grab a snack for Big Brother as well."
"He's not-" Raz paused, shaking his head before pushing out the door. Once outside, he poured the cups onto the dirt while Mesa walked past him. He was looking at the ground when suddenly a shadow crept over the outline of the building, frightening him with a gasp. He turned around and stared upwards, stepping back just to find nothing on the ceiling from his view.
"Hey, what's gotten into you?" Mesa asked, tugging at his arm. He hesitated to look away before following her away, unaware of Spi'Reto pressed onto the rooftop floor wide-eyed clutching his bow. The elf waited another minute before feeling like he could breathe after coming so close to being discovered. He looked to the side, eyeing the building where he sent his friends over to meet with Nukka and Sauza.
Felix slipped back inside, relieved to find Sauza helping No'Vak and Sans pull a few bags into the wagon.
"Oh hey, glad you're here." He looked around. "Um, where's Spi'Reto?"
"He said he'd return, needed to check on something first." No'Vak answered, firmly securing the knot to keep the bag sealed. "Okay, we got what we need. Soon as he's back, we can leave."
"We can't do that." Felix said in a low voice.
Sauza hopped off the wagon, wiping his hands. "Something the matter?"
"Nukka said there were friends in here." Felix sheepishly explained, rubbing his arm.
"You found more Nekomata?" Asked Sans with a raised brow.
"Friends!" Nukka poked her head out from around the wagon with a lifted expression.
"I found some friends but getting them out of here will be difficult. I was hoping to run that by with Spi'Reto first."
"What's so difficult, are there that many?" Sans questioned.
"It's... they're not cat girls. They're centaurs." He admitted. "Around six of them."
Slowly, their expressions shifted from hopeful to looks of concern. Sauza sat at the edge of the wagon, hanging his head down. Sans and No'Vak exchanged looks before the tall male shook his head.
"We can't save them."
"What? Why not?"
"We just can't. They're too big and too many. We don't have the space."
"So, we go out now and come back for them later. Right?" He smiled, but his optimism dropped when the elf dejectedly denied the option.
"It's not that simple."
"Why not? Look, if you guys have problems that's one thing but we can't let them stay here. I promised them we would free them and that's what we need to do."
Sans scoffed. "Don't make stupid promises. Besides, you don't tell us what to do."
He frowned and looked to Sauza for support. "Sauza, come on. We can go back if we just talk to Alma. I'm sure she'll understand."
Sauza breathed in. "It wouldn't hurt to ask her. But first we should focus on what we can do now. Better to leave while our opportunity remains."
Felix sucked in his lip, weighing their options. Even the centaurs were in disbelief when he promised he'll help them.
"Fine, but I need to talk to them before we leave."
"You're leaving?" Nukka asked in a sad tone.
No'Vak groaned and held his arm. "Don't be stupid, as soon as Spi'Reto comes back we'll leave."
"He's not here yet." Felix frowned, freeing himself. "It'll be quick, I just need to let them know we'll be back."
"Stupid human." Sans sighed, rolling her eyes seemingly irritated and exhausted.
"How are you so sure?" No'Vak called out. "If you do something foolish, we'll leave you behind!"
"You can't leave without me, I'm the stupid human remember?" He snarled back, his honey brown eyes flaring as his cat eyes glared back at him. Before the elf could make a move, he slipped out through the curtained entrance leaving them in darkness once more.
"It's that girl, isn't it?" Mesa teased, leaning onto his arm with a knowing smirk. "The mommy? Was it her hips? Her luscious bosom? Oh, oh! It was her eyes, wasn't it?"
"Shut up." He grumbled, shrugging her away. "It wasn't like that. We exchanged words, nothing more."
"Better be. I get that those girls can attract weak minds. They are quite revealing." She teased as they both turned the corner around a building, just as Felix stepped out from the building and crashed into her. The pair were knocked off their feet, falling on their butts as Felix's leather cap slipped, exposing his messy brown hair.
"Hey-!" Mesa whined, rubbing the bruise on her forehead.
Felix's eyes snapped open, shocked to find them again as he picked himself up on his feet in a hurry. "C-Crap, sorry!"
Mesa groaned, glaring at him. "Watch where you're going!"
"Yes of course! Sorry, ma'am."
"Ma'am!?" Her eyes flared up as Raz snickered from behind her, "Do I look old to you, brat!?"
"No-No, not at all." He waved his hands in a panic, sweating profusely and backpedaling. She was stepping toward him with a fire in her eyes, pointing a finger to his face. "Please, I'm sorry-!"
"Mesa, let him be." Raz ordered, scooping up the leather cap and wiping the dirt off. "Surely, he didn't mean to cause harm."
"Yea, sure. Whatever." She huffed, snatching the cap from her brother's hand and slamming it against Felix's chest. "Here's your stupid cap."
"Right, thank-thanks." Felix stuttered, his lip quivering as he planted the cap back on.
Mesa's eyes blinked repeatedly, her temper dropping as something caught her attention. Suddenly, she softened up and elbowed Raz before approaching Felix.
"Hey, you're the one who delivered the food here yes?" She asked, stepping to his side. "I'm sorry, my temper got the worst of me. My brother and I were just about to eat, care to join us?"
"I, uhh-" He blinked, clearing his throat as she hooked her arm under his, trapping him in place.
Raz stepped in with an arm on his shoulder. "Where's your friend? Deliveries are driven in pairs."
Felix cursed in silence, finding himself in a pickle. "I er, I went alone this time. He was unwell."
"Wowww, all by yourself?" Mesa giggled, nuzzling against his arm. "You're quite brave. Come, let's share a meal together! It's the least we can do to reward you for your courage."
"Lead the way." Raz encouraged as they walked off.
Spi'Reto snuck to the corner of the building, glancing around the corner and spotting them walking off. He shook his head before slipping into the building before anyone could see him.