Realm of Monsters

Chapter 761: Nibbles

The screams of the dying haunted Titania as she huddled in the dark of her caravan’s vault.

“I’ll be back, I promise.” Naomi turned and closed the vault door behind her.

“Wait, no, don’t leave me!” Titania screamed. She awoke in a soft bed with roughspun sheets, covered in sweat. Her heartbeat thrummed in her ears and she glanced around, taking in her surroundings. It was a small room. The walls were made of clay. There were no intricate designs or patterns on the floors or walls. She wasn’t home. The memories of the last few days came back to her in a swirl.

“Noct!” Titania sat up and looked at the other bed. It was empty, the bedsheets folded. Her heart dropped and the world suddenly felt much larger and scarier. He had abandoned her.

“I’m here.”

His voice was like a flame in the darkness. Titania turned to find him sitting on the windowsill, staring out at the street. She exhaled in relief. “I thought—” she swallowed her words, too embarrassed to say them aloud.

“I know,” Noct said, his green eyes never leaving the window. “You can go back to sleep. There are still several hours of sunlight left.”

“Oh…” she nodded and lay back down. “Are you going to sleep?”

“I slept enough.” He paused and glanced at the door.

“Hello?” Sam’s muffled voice came through the door, accompanied by a knock.

Noct grabbed one of his daggers and hid it under his sleeve, before he walked over and opened the door. The innkeeper was wearing the same apron from last night. The bags under her eyes were a little darker. Strands of messy blonde hair poked out from her linen coif. She had been working all night, Titania guessed.

“About the horses you requested,” Sam said.

“You found some?” Noct said.

“Well, I have good news and bad news. I asked around and it turns out every single stable has been emptied and their horses sold. Even the camels have been sold. But the good news is the caravan in town is looking to sell one of their horses.”

“Is it strong?”

“Aye, it’s a draft horse. But they’re only willing to sell it to the right buyer.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’m not sure. You’ll have to go see for yourself. The caravan is staying at the southern edge of town.”

“I gave you those golden rings so that you could acquire the horses for me. Not to tell me where to possibly buy one.”

“I am aware. Here.” She handed him a pouch full of coins. “This should cover the cost of the rings, minus your room and board, and my commission, of course.”

“Of course,” Noct said dryly.

Sam turned to leave. “Oh, and one more thing. If you want the horse, you should probably head out soon. I hear the caravan is leaving before sunset.” And with that, she was gone.

Noct closed the door and threw on his cloak. “Hey, kid. I’m gonna step out for a bit.”

“I’ll go with you,” Titania said.

“You should get some sleep. You’ll need it for when we head out.”

“I’m not staying here. Not without you.” She was already out of bed and getting her boots on.

“Fine. Stay close. And this time let me do the talking.”

“Okay. I won’t say a word, promise.”

~~~

“Whoa, she’s so big!” Titania leaned over the fence and pointed at the massive horse drinking from a trough of water while the rest of the horses watched from afar.

Noct picked Titania up by the back of her shirt. “Don’t lean over the fence.”

“Your daughter seems to like Nibbles,” laughed Agrin, the caravan’s horse master. He was an older fellow with a belly that stretched his tunic at the seams.

“She’s not my dau—” Noct sighed and shook his head.

“What does Nibble like to eat?” Titania asked, undisturbed by the fact that she was still dangling by Noct’s hand.

“She eats dry grass, sometimes barley, if we have some,” Agrin said.

“Can we get some barley, Noct?” Titania looked up at him with doe eyes.

“No,” he replied curtly.

“Pleeeaaase?”

“I’m not even sure if we’re buying this horse,” Noct said. “The innkeeper went on about ‘the right buyer’ or something.” He glanced at Agrin, “What was that about?”

“Did I say that? I don’t really remember,” Agrin laughed awkwardly. “Anyways, it’ll be twenty silver coins if you want the big lass.”

Big was the right word for Nibbles. The mare was larger than any horse in the caravan’s herd. Her brown coat was pristine with corded muscles wrapped around her body. She was a draft horse by all accounts. Not ideal for long desert travel, but perfect for hauling a caravan’s wagons.

So why were they selling her? Noct wondered.

She didn’t appear sick. Was she injured, perhaps?

“Has she suffered any injuries recently?” Noct said.

“Nibbles? Pfft. No, she’s as strong as can be,” Agrin said.

“Then why are you selling her?” Noct said.

“He’s not.” A young woman walked over. “I am.” She wore a loose white garb; sand and dust had stained the edges. Her red hair was wrapped in a long braid and a pair of curled horns protruded from the sides of her head. Freckles dappled her olive skin. A pair of pale yellow eyes were staring down at Agrin. “Care to tell me what’s going on here?”

“I, uh,” Agrin swallowed. “Look, Lena, I was just trying to help. Honest.”

“Shut up. Go look after the camels before I have a word with my father and have you scooping animal shit for the next fortnight,” Lena said.

Agrin nodded mutely and ran off.

“Sorry about that,” Lena said.

“And you are?” Noct put Titania down.

“I’m Lena, this caravan’s horse master.”

“I thought the fat man was the horse master,” Titania said.

Lena cracked a grin. “Nah, he’s one of my stable hands. My guess is he thought he could finally get rid of Nibbles, that’s why he lied to you and your dad.”

Noct clenched his jaw but said nothing.

“I take it the innkeeper told you about Nibbles?” Lena said.

“Something like that,” Noct replied.

“You were only going to sell Nibbles to the right buyer. That’s us.” Titania smiled wide and pointed her thumb at herself.

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple,” Lena gave a bitter smile. “You see how Nibbles is drinking water all alone?”

“Yeah?” Titania said.

“That’s because Nibbles doesn’t play well with others. She bites anyone that gets too close to her, including other horses. It’s gotten so bad that the stable hands won’t go near her. I’m the only one Nibbles tolerates, barely at that.” Lena pulled up her sleeve, revealing a bite scar all across her forearm.

“Is she for sale or not?” Noct asked.

Lena looked him up and down skeptically. “That depends. Are you an expert horse rider?”

“No,” he replied.

“A horse master?”

“No.”

“Then I can’t in good conscience sell you Nibbles. It would be a danger to you or the horse.”

“I can handle the horse,” Noct said.

“You wouldn’t be the first man to think he can ‘handle’ Nibbles. Until they get close to her and she bites off their face. Is that what you want?”

Noct raised an eyebrow. “You seem to have me figured out already. You tell me.”

Lena crossed her arms. “Look, I get it. You’re ‘tough.’ Well, so is every other desert dweller that says they can handle Nibbles. Just this past year, I’ve seen a dozen men like you try to put a harness on Nibbles, only to run away screaming while holding half their face in their hands. So, how about you save us the trouble and go find another horse?”

“You’ve never met anyone like me.” Noct leaped over the fence and approached the giant horse.

“Men and their pride,” Lena muttered.

“Don’t worry. He’s really strong,” Titania said confidently.

Lena gave her a pitiful look. “No one’s that strong.”

But Titania wasn’t listening. “Hey, can I ride her too?” she called out, but Noct didn’t bother to turn around and answer.

“Nibbles is a draft horse. You don’t ride her,” Lena said.

“What’s the difference?” Titania asked.

“The difference is you don’t get up when Nibbles hits you,” Lena said.

The voices faded into the far back of his mind as Noct approached the giant equine. When he was only a few paces away, Nibbles stopped drinking and raised her head. She huffed under her breath and trotted over, lips pulled back, teeth bared in a snort.

Noct bared his teeth in return. “I do not fear you, beast.” If he were to tame this animal, he would have to meet it on its own terms.

Nibbles huffed one more time, but then she relaxed her jaw and stepped back.

“Better,” Noct nodded.

“Run!” Lena yelled.

Nibbles stood up on her hind legs and kicked with her front legs. Noct rolled forward, under her legs. He jumped to his feet and caught her rib cage with his hands. With a roar, he lifted the horse into the air. Nibbles squealed in indignation and tried to kick him from underneath her.

“Fuck,” Noct cursed under his breath as he evaded her hoofs within a hair’s breadth. He gritted his teeth and rolled her in his hands until she was upside down. Nibbles tried to leap off, but without any proper leverage she dangled in the air helplessly.

“Your dad is… strong,” Lena said, wide-eyed.

“Yeah, you should see him fight,” Titania said proudly. “One time, there were these bad guys and he was like ‘bam’ and ‘wacha’!” Titania punched and kicked the air in re-enactment.

After a few minutes, Nibbles’ outrage died down and she stopped kicking the air.

“You ready to talk?” Noct rolled her back upright and settled her down. He quickly stepped out from under her and met her massive dark eyes. They stared at each other for a tense moment. Nibbles huffed one last time and went back to drinking water from the trough.

“I don’t believe it,” Lena whispered.

Noct patted the horse’s side before walking back over to the fence. “The deal was twenty silver coins, right?”

“...Yeah.” Lena looked him over again. This time, her gaze was full of pensive curiosity. His cloak had fallen off during the scuffle, revealing his rulus features. Though his arms were covered in bandages, she saw no tattoos, not even on his neck or face. “If you don’t mind me asking, where are you two headed?”

“Olduun,” Titania answered immediately, before covering her mouth with her hands.

Noct sighed. “We’re going east.”

Lena smiled wryly. “Right. Well, the horse is yours.”

Noct handed her the pouch of coins. “There is a little extra in there to cover a saddle and some grass for the beast.”

“Oh, and some barley,” Titania said.

“And some barley,” Noct added dryly.

“Alright. I’ll get one of my stable hands to take care of it for you.” Lena scratched her cheek and glanced at the horizon. “You know, our caravan is heading to Olduun to resupply. You two are welcome to travel with us in the meantime. The roads haven’t been safe ever since the midnight sun. It’s best to stick together while traveling. And besides, the gods know I could use some help harnessing Nibbles and ordering her to do anything, really.”

“We’ll be fine,” Noct said.

“Aw, can’t we go with them?” Titania asked.

Noct pulled her aside. “It’s best to travel alone, trust me.”

“But they’ll have tasty food and warm beds, and wagons, and—” Titania’s stomach growled. “I’m hungry.”

Noct closed his eyes and swallowed a groan. “Just for toni—”

“Yes!” Titania skipped over to Lena. “He said yes.”

“Are you sure about that? Your dad doesn’t seem very inclined.” Lena stared at Noct’s annoyed expression.

“Yeah, he always looks like that,” Titania said.

“Well, in that case. Welcome to the Iron Lena’s caravan,” she opened her arms wide and gave a flourishing bow.

“Iron Lena’s?” Noct asked.

“You heard right,” Lena said.

“Is it your caravan?” Titania beamed.

“Yup,” Lena replied with a hint of pride.

“I thought you were the horse master?” Noct asked.

“A girl can be both, you know. I hope that won’t be a problem.” The look in her eyes made it apparent she was ready to start a fight otherwise.

“Why would it be a problem?” Noct asked, somewhat curious.

She took his indifferent tone as apathy and glared at him. “Lots of men have a problem with a woman leading a caravan, even though plenty of women lead noble houses. A bit stupid if you ask me. Are you stupid, Mister—?”

“Noct. Do I strike you as ‘lots of men’?”

“I’ve hardly spoken to any rulus before, so I suppose not,” she begrudgingly admitted.

He walked past her. “Then there’s your answer.”

“I think he likes you,” Titania whispered to Lena before running off after Noct.

~~~

A cold wind swirled into the inn as a stranger walked through the door. Sam gave a quick glance at the cloaked stranger before going back to wiping down a few clay cups. The inn was bustling with travelers and townsfolk alike. It was great business, but terrible for her back. She would have to hire a few more serving girls at this rate.

The stranger sat down at the bar, right in front of her, and dropped a couple of gold coins. Now that caught her eye.

Sam snatched up the coins and slipped them into her apron pocket with a deft hand. “What can I get ya?”

“The strongest drink you have.”

“We got some dwarven fire ale, all the way from the Bronze Realm. But a word of warning, most people can only handle a few sips.”

“That’s fine.”

“Alright,” Sam shrugged. She got out a bottle from under the bar and poured it into a cup.

The stranger grabbed the bottle out of her hands instead and downed half of it. Sam tried to get a good look under his cowl, but all she caught was a few locks of white hair.

He licked his lips and put the bottle down. “It’s subpar.”

Sam frowned and put her hands on her hips. “I’ll have you know that’s the best dwarven ale across the Aurous Realm. Just because it burned your tongue doesn’t mean it’s subpar. It means you are.”

The man’s hand twitched at her words, but he relaxed and pulled down his hood with a long exhale. “Apologies. It’s been a long day.”

“I-It’s okay…” she stammered. She had never seen a man nor woman so beautiful, it was as if she were staring at a statue carved by the greatest artists in the realm. His eyes were the softest hue of purple and there was a mesmerizing warmth to them. She could get lost in those eyes for eternity.

The stranger ignored the sudden looks he was getting from the bar and the inn as a whole, and offered her a few more coins. “I was hoping you could help me.”

“Anything, I mean—ehehe,” she chuckled awkwardly, “What do you need?”

“Are you the innkeeper here?”

“Yes, I am.”

“And what do they call you?”

“Sam. But my name’s Samantha.”

“Samantha, such a pretty name. Why do people call you something as mundane as Sam?”

“I, uh, I dunno,” she laughed abashedly.

“Well, Samantha, I’m looking for someone. A young sune girl. Ten years old. About this tall. Small horns even for one her age. Dark hair. Golden eyes. Olive skin with the faintest tint of red. You’ve seen her, haven’t you?”

“Yeah. She was just here yesterday.”

He leaned forward. “Where did she go?”

“She went… Wait,” Sam frowned and shook her head. “Who are you? And what do you want with the child?”

The stranger sighed and hung his head in disappointment. “This would go easier if you simply answered my questions.”

Sam narrowed her eyes. “I think it’s time you leave now.” She looked over at one of the crowded tables. “Boys! Escort our guest out of here.”

Five burly men sauntered over, hands on their sword hilts. “It’s time to go, friend.” One of them reached over to grab the stranger’s shoulder. Several white spears sprouted from the stranger’s back and stabbed all of the men through their chests.

Sam stumbled backwards and reached for the dagger at her side. A white blade appeared in the stranger’s hand. With a flick of his wrist, the blade shot forward, pierced Sam’s waist, and pinned her to the wall. She gasped for breath, blood pouring down her legs, and weakly scrambled to remove the blade, to no avail.

Screams echoed behind the stranger as people ran towards the door, but he paid them no mind. Try as they might, the door would not budge open.

“Now, Samantha.” The stranger sipped the bottle of spirits. “Tell me, where did the girl go?”