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  Asher leaned back. “Nah.”

  “I’m out then,” José said, grinning. What good was a sex partner who didn’t want intimacy? None. He yawned and stretched. “It’s your turn to keep watch. Good night.” He curled up on the soft forest floor and breathed in the earthy smell of it. Drifting off to sleep, he wondered whether Asher would finally give up his pursuit.

  Chapter 5 - Small Towns Suck

  Asher woke Blind Guy when the little bitch came fluttering back to them with the first rays of sunlight. He hated waiting around, and the more daylight they wasted, the longer it would take them to get out of this forest and back to a world with running hot water.

  “Seriously, how aren’t we there yet?” he said after they’d been walking for an hour or two.

  “We could be, if you weren’t ridiculously scared of flying,” Blind Guy shot back. The lavalight stopped to give him a disapproving look. Ignoring her, Asher rolled his eyes at Blind Guy’s back. Then almost ran into him when Blind Guy just stopped walking. “There's people.”

  Asher glanced at the thick trees around them. He would have thought Blind Guy was making it up if he hadn’t known him for a while now. The woods were silent. Aside from the birds and the insects and the leaves; a forest was never really quiet. “You think they’re out to kill us?”

  “I don’t know. Keep your guard up.”

  About ten minutes later they came face to face with two girls who wore about as much clothing as prostitutes— the kind Asher wouldn't have spent money on even if he were straight. All the skin they revealed was colored pink and orange, as though a rainbow unicorn had thrown up on them. They froze as their eyes fell on Asher and Blind Guy. One of them drew a dagger and changed her stance, ready to attack.

  “Whoa,” Asher said, “the bitches want to fight.”

  “Bitches?” Blind Guy sounded about as perplexed as Asher felt.

  “We don't want to fight,” the one without the dagger said. She was slightly smaller than the other one and violet hair was flowing over her shoulders. “Please stop.” She laid a hand on her green-haired friend’s back, who still looked like she was going to bite. “I don't think they belong to them.”

  “Belong to who?” Asher asked.

  “They're just such an odd pair,” the angry bitch said, relaxing her stance.

  “Look who's talking.” Asher rolled his eyes at the rainbow colored girls.

  “Who are you running from?” Blind Guy said.

  “The fox.” The green-haired girl spat the words. “Him and his people.” She averted her gaze to the ground, stared at a leaf as though it had offended her. “You would do well not to run into them.”

  What a drama queen.

  “Calm down, sister,” the smaller one said, her hand still on her friend’s back.

  Beside Asher, Blind Guy tensed. “It was nice talking to you,” he said, “but I think we should go on. We have a long way ahead of us.”

  “Of course,” the small one said, “if you keep following that path you'll reach a village that—”

  “Thank you, we'll be fine. We have a guide,” Blind Guy said, and just like that, he walked off into the trees. Asher rushed after him over the uneven ground.

  “What the hell was that?” he said when he caught up to him. The sharp smell of rotting wood hung heavy in the air and made him wrinkle his nose as he inhaled.

  “The lavalight warned me of them,” Blind Guy said, “she thinks they're dangerous and I'd rather be safe than sorry.” The little fairy was flying beside him in the air and Asher eyed her suspiciously.

  “Who is that fox they were talking about?” he asked.

  “Apparently the leader of a small rebel force. I’ve heard him mentioned here and there. I try not to concern myself with it too much.”

  “What are they rebelling against?” There were a number of things worth fighting for in this world. Paved roads, hair conditioner, fashion choices…

  “From what I’ve gathered they’re mostly half-breeds and people in love with people of other races.”

  “So they’re like the fantasy gay rights movement.” Asher had never thought much of them in his own world. Gay marriage and such didn’t interest him. He didn’t want to hang a rainbow flag over his house. So long as no one threatened his right to fuck around, he didn’t get what all the fuss was about. If people stopped insulting him for being gay, they’d insult him for something else. People were like that.

  “I guess you could say that,” Blind Guy said, pushing a branch out of the way.

  “Alright,” Asher said, “now about that village—”

  “A small one,” Blind Guy said. “If we’re lucky there won’t be any forces stationed there.”

  ***

  A few hours later the lavalight told them, or well, she told Blind Guy, that they really were in luck.

  “Finally!” Asher ran up the overgrown path that stretched out before them, winding its way along the trees. Maybe they would have decent food. And alcohol! He had given up on finding cigarettes anywhere, but booze was still a valid option.

  The sun was starting to set above them when Asher saw the first huts of a small village in a valley that spread out before them. The buildings were made of wood and straw. Easily inflammable material.

  “Don't even think about burning anything,” Blind Guy said.

  “Don’t tell me what to think.” Asher went off ahead, following the sandy street that led into the village. Blind Guy was such a spoil-sport.

  The huts in the village were so small Asher would have had to duck his head in the doorways.

  This started to make sense when he reached the town's square and saw the inhabitants of this village. Their size and form reminded him of penguins as they waddled around the well that stood in the middle of the square. Upon closer inspection, these creatures had tiny hands, unlike penguins. The coloring was all wrong, too. But they could have signed up for the army anytime, covered in dirty green, brown and yellow as they were.

  One of the army penguins waddled over to Asher. “Traveler?” it asked and threw its little arms up, making Asher want to poke it.

  “Uh… yeah,” he said instead.

  “You with him?” The penguin-thingy pointed behind him and Asher looked around to see Blind Guy wandering onto the town's square followed by the little bitch.

  “Yeah.”

  “Inn's over there.” The little guy pointed out a building on the other side of the square. It was taller than the rest of the huts and had a door that Asher thought he might fit through.

  “Okay,” he said as he scrutinized it. “Do you sell alcohol in this dump?”

  The small creature nodded. “Best Ikura Special in all of Altasia.”

  Asher raised his eyebrows, but nodded. Whatever. He wasn't picky.

  Once they entered the large building, Asher's eyes shot towards the bar area. People were talking loudly and the smell of grilled fish hung in the air. He left Blind Guy to talk to the beast at the reception and went off to check it out.

  He let his gaze sweep the room. A few wooden tables stood in no apparent order. Most of them were occupied by these penguin-like creatures, laughing at each other and cheering on a little group of penguins that stood on a table on the far end of the bar as they juggled grilled fish. Occasionally they threw one into the cheering crowd.

  Asher spotted only one other human being in the room, sitting at a table of his own, looking strangely out of place between the little beasts.

  Ignoring him, Asher sat down on a free stool in front of the counter, behind which one of the army penguins was busy mixing some sort of drink.

  “Hey, little guy,” Asher said and the penguin peered up at him as he went on with his business.

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Get me something to drink.”

  “Something?”

  “Something strong, I don't really care what.”

  The penguin muttered something under its breath that Asher didn't quite catch, but part
of it sounded a lot like 'stupid humanoids.'

  “He'd like a Fish-Mix.” A strange voice said to his side, and Asher turned to get a look at the newcomer.

  “You're paying that,” he said to the guy as he gave him a once over. It was the human who had sat in the back when he'd come in. The man had to be around his own age. His skin looked like he could use a session in a sun studio and when he laughed, he revealed a set of sharp little fangs that gave his soft features a feral touch.

  “Certainly,” the stranger said and took seat next to Asher, making him edge to the side. The man was attractive and he acted friendly, but something about him radiated danger. Maybe it was those fangs. Asher stared at them as the stranger went on speaking.

  ”I'm Ruigi.” He offered his hand to him with those words but Asher didn’t want to take it. No reason to get too friendly with this guy.

  Instead, he turned to look at what the bar-tending penguin was doing. Were those fish eggs he was putting into the drink?

  “So, who are you?”

  Asher glanced back at Fangs, as he had dubbed him in his head, but Fangs averted his dark eyes when Asher tried to meet his gaze. Curious.

  “I’m Asher.”

  “Pleasure to meet you, Asher.”

  Asher shrugged and grabbed for his drink as the bartender shoved it over to him. Tiny orbs swam in the blue liquid. Asher chugged it back. “Not so bad,” he said, content with the bitter taste of alcohol that burned his throat.

  “Of course it's not bad!” the bartender said, flapping his arms. Asher ignored him and took another sip.

  “You should try the Special Mix if you like that one,” Fangs said and ordered one of those for himself.

  “Later.” The night was still young and he wanted it to last for a while. If it hadn't been for all the army penguins, this could have been like home. Wasting the night away, getting drunk, getting laid.

  “Who are you talking to?” Blind Guy approached the bar and Asher turned around to face him.

  “Uh…” Asher shrugged. “Guy who's paying my drink.”

  “The name's Ruigi,” Fangs said, reaching a hand out to Blind Guy who didn’t take it either. Asher was busy emptying his drink, when Blind Guy pressed a key into his hand.

  “The rooms on the second floor, second door to the right. Think you can remember that?”

  “Whatever.” Asher set his glass down and looked up as the penguin pushed Fangs's drink over the counter. He took it before the stranger could and sipped on it, watching from the corner of his eyes as Fangs covered a surprised look with a neutral expression.

  “Ugh, strong stuff,” Asher said, putting the drink back on the counter. Fangs gave a short laugh and ordered a new one.

  “I'm going to be playing the piano for a bit to pay for our room,” Blind Guy said and turned to leave.

  “'Kay, bye.” Asher waved him off and refocused his attention on the guy who was sponsoring his alcohol. Getting free drinks hadn't been a rare thing for him back in the real world, so he didn't think much of it. Something about Fangs was weird, though. He just couldn't put his finger on it. But then, everything in this world was weird in one way or another.

  The army penguins broke out into a song and made Asher want to sing along, but as he didn't know the lyrics, or the melody, he kept to tapping his foot on the ground and downed the rest of his drink.

  “So what brings a dragon to this part of the world?” Fangs asked.

  “We’re just looking for a way back to our home world.”

  “Your home world?” Fangs looked only mildly surprised. He leaned in a little closer to make himself heard over the singing. “You're a long way from home, aren't you?”

  “You bet,” Asher said. “In my city we've got cooler bars than this. And we keep our penguins in the zoo.”

  “Penguins?”

  Asher shook his head and waved the bar penguin over to get another drink. “Doesn't matter. It's a whole different world. Really.”

  Fangs laughed. “Intriguing,” he said. “So where are you going from here?”

  “I'm not sure. I just want to get home, but Blind Guy insists on finding Stoner and Snakes, too.”

  “Stoner and Snakes?”

  “Yeah, he’s made of stone and she has snakes on her head.”

  “You were with an earth elemental and a medusa?”

  “Yeah,” Asher said. He shot Fangs a suspicious look before he accepted his new drink from the bartender. People who faked too much interest were usually out for his ass.

  Fangs said something Asher didn’t hear. The sound of the piano distracted him. He looked over to see Blind Guy playing it on the other side of the room, accompanying the penguins’ song.

  He hadn't known that Blind Guy could play, but he was good at it. Listening, Asher wondered what else Blind Guy was good at. What else he could do with those hands.

  Fast and catchy tunes filled the room and Asher drummed his fingers on the table along to the beat. When he looked to the piano again, Blind Guy was smiling as his hands moved over the keys. Asher sipped on his drink. His eyes were fixed on Blind Guy's hands as he blocked out the background noise of chattering army penguins and clinking glasses. And Fangs.

  “So you said you want to find your friends?” Fangs raised his voice.

  Asher shook his head, still not looking at him. “That’s what he wants.” Asher didn’t really care either way, but since Blind Guy was the one with the guide fairy, they had to do things his way.

  “I see,” Fangs muttered.

  Asher chugged back the rest of his drink and hummed to the tune of the penguins’ song. Fangs ordered something fishy to eat for them both. “Let’s move over to a table for eating.”

  Asher nodded. Whatever. Walking across the room, Asher began to feel the alcohol go to his head. Not an unwelcome feeling, but surprising. What was in those drinks?

  The wooden benches to the sides of the table weren’t very comfortable, but the view was alright. Closer to the piano. Asher barely spared Fangs a glance as the food arrived, along with another drink.

  “Could be better,” he commented after taking a few bites. The smell of seafood made him remember the restaurant his dad used to work at, and he scrunched his nose up.

  “True,” Fangs said, “but their alcohol is still the best you can get around here.”

  Asher nodded and turned his attention back to the piano performance to take his mind off the food. Something, maybe the alcohol, told him that he should be contributing, and he sang along to bits and pieces of songs, making it up as he went. He didn't care if he sung a note or two off key. The drunk penguins around him didn't care much either. Some of them actually sounded worse than him.

  Scooping up some leftover fish from his plate with a fork, Asher hurled it at one of the gruesome singers. He would have missed, if the penguin guy hadn't jumped to catch the fish with his mouth, and then turned to smile at him. Asher frowned and made a gesture with his hand that nobody in this world could appreciate before he went back to listening.

  “So where are you going from here?” Fangs asked.

  Asher didn’t turn to look at him. “Don’t really know.”

  “You seem quite taken with your friend.”

  “I want him to fuck me,” Asher said, fixing his eyes on Blind Guy’s hands again. That Blind Guy flat out refused bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

  “He rejected you?”

  Asher turned to glare at Fangs. He didn’t like the sympathetic look. “You wouldn’t, would you?”

  Fangs’s eyes ran him over and Asher liked that look much better. He could deal with seeing people checking him out. What he couldn’t deal with were blind people not being interested.

  “I don’t think I would,” Fangs said.

  Asher felt a small smile tug at his lips. It felt good to have someone appreciate what he was offering.

  That was when the music stopped. Asher didn’t notice until Blind Guy sat down on the bench next to him. “Wha
t are you eating?”

  “I don’t really know,” Asher said, turning to him. “But Fangs paid for it.”

  “Isn’t that nice.” Blind Guy pursed his lips, and Asher wondered whether he was pissed because they hadn’t ordered anything for him.

  “Let me get you something,” Fangs said.

  Blind Guy got up. “No, that’s fine. I think I’ll just go to my room.”

  “Asher said you were looking for someone,” Fangs said. “Maybe I can help.”

  “Can you now?” Blind Guy sounded as though he wasn’t interested in what Fangs had to say, but he stopped moving.

  “I just so happen to know where they are.”

  Even Asher looked up at that statement. Blind Guy sat back down.

  “You do?” he asked with a mixture of skepticism and real interest in his voice.

  “I'm not giving up my information for free, though.”

  “Of course not,” Blind Guy said with a grim smile.

  “Don't you have enough money already?” Asher asked, hating how the words flowed together as he spoke. Why wasn’t Fangs affected by the alcohol?

  “I'm not interested in your money.” Fangs inched a little closer to him. Asher eyed him warily, making the stranger smile. “No, it's not your body that I'm after, Asher. Though—”

  “What do you want?” Blind Guy cut in.

  “Blood.”

  “Huh? Whaddaya mean?” Asher's mouth fell open, his eyes fixed on Fangs. So that was what those sharp teeth were for. He pictured them sink into his skin and swallowed. “You some sorta vampire?”

  “Sorta,” Fangs said with a slight smile.

  “What do you want with Asher’s blood?” Blind Guy asked.

  Fangs turned to look at Blind Guy. “I believe that’s none of your business.”

  Blind Guy’s brows furrowed. “How much?”

  “Oh, don't worry, he'll live.”

  “How do I know you're not lying?”

  Fangs leaned back against the bench. “You don't,” he said eventually.

  Blind Guy crossed his arms in front of his chest. “There's no way I can trust you.”