Claire had finally arrived at the bar after running. Arlo had been running after her the entire time, but she didn't have time to wait for him. She just wanted to make sure Rithargus was safe.
But was he really here? Wasn't he underage? Was he taken here by some bad lizards who thought he was easy prey?
'Argh!! If he is in trouble because I neglected him then this would be my fault!!! After all maybe I shouldn't have taken him.... I really am unfit to be in the position I am in...'
A number of concerning situations played out in Claire's mind, but she decided the only way to find out was to enter and see for herself.
The bar was shabby. The city streets were lined with tall wooden buildings that formed a long curvy grid with thin alleyways, and they were all around 3-5 stories tall. It seemed that these lizardmen weren't just warriors, but they actually had the engineering skills to create these buildings and roadways. It would have been quite impressive if Claire wasn't so worried for Rithargus.
She burst in the door and scanned the room quickly. She saw a bartender cleaning glasses, and three lizardmen standing near a purple slime who had his feet kicked back and was ingesting some beer through sticking his hand in the glass and absorbing it.
"Ah, you might want to throw these glasses out, barkeep! You'll probably die of poison if you reuse these!"
"Understood, esteemed customer!"
What was going on!?!?
How had Rithargus- that Rithargus who was so obsessed with trying to protect his loved ones- have become delinquent so quickly!!??
Was Claire a bad influence on him?
Or perhaps it was because he wanted to take out his anger on the lizard people for abusing his kind?
Claire didn't know or understand, but she knew one thing.
She grabbed the hand of Rithargus. Of course, she was not effected by the poison, as every time it tried to seep into her arm, time reset and the poison returned to its location as part of Rithargus.
"Rithargus!?! Where have you been!!? I've been so worried about you, and looking all over! We're leaving this village right now, and I want you to head back to the slime village because I can't afford to be protecting you when I go onto the next one! Come on! Get up right now this instant!"
Claire had turned into a nagging mother, and Rithargus slowly got up and obeyed.
"I understand... I will return to the village to be with my family. Hic."
"ARE YOU DRUNK!?! How could you do this!!?! What will the other slimes think!?!"
"Uh... hic..."
"I know that your mother isn't here anymore, but from now on if I have to act as a mother and discipline you then I will! Got it!?"
"Hic... yes..."
Claire lent a shoulder for Rithargus to lean on and he stumbled out of the bar.
Clearly he had been drunk on power and alcohol.
Good grief! How was Claire supposed to be a hero if she allowed underage slimes to be drinking on her watch!?
Arlo opened the door for her, and approached her once more before she left into the streets.
"Determined... is there anything you need of me?"
"Just ensure that your leader shows up to the meeting. And do something about those rumors that are spreading about me! Shut them down!"
Claire left Arlo somewhat clueless.
'Eh? What rumors?'
After this, Claire stumbled down the streets with Rithargus until he sobered up, and when he was sober he then was sent back to his village by Claire, after a strict scolding.
She hoped that he would be alright, but seeing as he was just fine having a nice drink at the expense of those young lizardmen she didn't have any problems letting him go.
She ended up deciding to return to the inn that the lizardmen had offered for the night and after cleaning the eggshells from her hair spent her night fretting over what to do next.
"Agh.... now I have to go to the birdmen village... will things turn out the same as they did here? Or perhaps even worse..."
Claire spent the rest of the night unable to sleep, and rolling back and forth as the worry filled her heart. Little did she know that this little misunderstanding would slowly chip at both her mind and at the world around her, shifting the gears of fate in a direction she could never have predicted.
-----
The next morning, Claire woke early to avoid contact with any more lizardmen. While she wanted to clear up the misunderstanding, she felt that it would be impossible if there were many people up and around, and that it was something she would have to do little by little, one person at a time.
Even if some others were awake, she had the hope that she would be able to show them that she was not out to harm them, and that she was not trying to conduct any sort of reign of terror over anyone.
However, when Claire stepped outside her room, she was met with an entourage of lizardmen, all kneeling and waiting for her to get up.
Lined down the hallway, each lizardman seemed to be holding out a different delicacy or drink- all types of meats, fruits, vegetables, and beverages fitted for breakfast. They all knelt there silently with their eyes closed, not daring to take a breath.
Claire walked down the hallway awkwardly, not daring to even speak.
'Surely this isn't for me...'
'Yeah... there's no way... they must be waiting for someone else! Like Arlo, or their king!'
Claire knew that this could not be the case, as the king would not be staying in an inn like this, nor would Arlo in all likelyhood.
However, she could hope.
She passed through the hallway and exited to the city.
As she was about to exit the hotel however, one of the lizardmen spoke up.
"Determined, was the food we prepared for you not to your liking? If there is any preference that you have we will make it immediately! Please forgive us for not inquiring beforehand, but we would never have dared to interrupt you in your sleep!"
Sigh.
It was for her.
'Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Why do these lizardmen think so much of me!? Why are they treating me like some sort of king.... no, worse than that... they're acting like I am some sort of dictator here to take over their lands!'
"Ah! I didn't know it was for me! If you went all this way to make it for me, then of course I will have breakfast before I leave."
A sigh of relief came from the lizardmen holding the platters, and they all brought them to a table and one of them pulled out a chair for Claire to sit.
Claire was a regular person. She had never been to fancy restaurants, and she had certainly never been treated like this before. It was too much for her to handle.
'I can pull out my chair for myself....'
She sat down and the lizardmen quickly started filling her plate and cutting up the meat and vegetables for her. Some eggs were served, and Claire simply watched with an awkward smile.
Claire went to pick up the fork, however one lizardman took it along with the knife, and began cutting her food for her in an attempt to feed her.
"I can do that by myself thank you!", Claire said with an annoyed look on her face.
The lizardmen reeled back in fear, bowing to her with a "Eeek! Forgive me!"
Claire finished eating, on her own, shooting glares at the lizardmen around her.
She didn't want them to hate her. She wanted to be the hero who would unite all races, in combination with the antiheroes. But, they were going too far to treat her like this. She didn't want to be treated like a ruler much less like a baby.
Claire left silently, every vein in her head bulging from annoyance. She was ready to just leave this place.
And so, finally, she was able to leave and began to journey towards the birdmen village.
Authors note:
Hang in there Claire! It will only get worse from here!
I mean... don't give up! Or something like that...