Chapter 389: Onions
A scream echoed from the crowd of onlookers. Most of the commoners seemed surprised, shocked even, at the sight of the two dead orcs lying in their own pool of blood. But they were even more scared of the group standing over the corpses. Most were goblins, though there was a pair of humans and a drow. They had seemed harmless enough, teenagers walking about the plaza in the early morning. Now, with bows and daggers in hand, even a few spears, no one thought them harmless.
Jack kept his eyes on the crowd and slowly handed Melfyn a washcloth from his pocket.
Melfyn smiled gratefully and wiped the blood off his hands. Jack was a human, yet he had grown up in the streets an orphan like the rest of them. In Melfyn’s eyes, Jack was as much a Cinder Brood as any of them.
“Um, Mel…?” Mr. Meeves called out hesitantly.
Melfyn glanced at the old baker with a tired smile, “Sorry about the trouble. We’ll personally pay the Jagged Blades a visit and make sure they understand that your shop is under our protection. They won’t bother you again, I promise.”
The baker nodded satisfied. “Thank you, Mel. Your order is ready by the way.” The baker held up a sack filled with fresh loaves.
Melfyn grabbed the cloth sack and muttered a quiet thanks.
The familiar shouts of the guards echoed in the plaza. Melfyn heard the clanging of the guards’ armor before he saw them. His friends and tribemates glanced at him questioningly, wondering if it was time to run. He shook his head and gestured for them to stay.
Running from the guards wouldn’t help the image of protection they were trying to cultivate.