"Hahaha, Good luck, don't die," He waved me in, opening the door with an ear-piercing screech. As I was walking in I overheard their words. "Wonder how long it'll take before she's torn apart in there?"
"Let's bet on it!" The other replied.
"A week,"
"Hahaha, that alcohol turned you dumb! I say three days," They both laughed.
White Bun snickered on my shoulder, "Miss, you're going to take that insult?"
"Why should I care? They're just foolish words spouted by foolish people," I scoffed.
"Should we tell her the rules?" One man laughed.
"Nah, let her find out for herself," The other replied. I raised my brow. Just what were they talking about?
I walked in and the doors creaked to a close behind me. I scanned the environment inside. My nose instantly scrunched up and my lips down. I covered my nose, blocking it from the putrid scent of pee and alcohol. Cigar smoke clouded the air, a thick milky fog permanently hanging in the air. Countless eyes laid upon me, yet, no one was in the streets lined with small shacks all leaning to the side. The rotten wood's aroma wafted in the air. Tables were thrown on the hard cracked ground, some broken, some turned over alcohol jars shattered on the floor or stacked upon still intact tables.
"This place is so disgusting!" White Bun held his nose with his soft white paws and complained.
"White Bun shut up," I whispered as I glanced all around me in a fighting stance, feet slightly apart and hands up to my chest.
"Wh-"
"I said shut up," I interrupted him, "This place is lawless, you think they won't jump at the chance of a talking fox?" I whispered. Hearing my words, he covered his mouth with his two paws and his fluffy white tail sunk between his legs.
I walked along the muddy, uneven road, constantly checking my surroundings. The country was small, so I soon reached the centre of it where a large platform stood with stone steps surrounding it to climb to the top. It was still midday so the sun bore down, heating the cracked dusty ground.
"Are there no inns here? Where is everyone?" I tapped my chin. Just as my words fell a booming horn sounded piercing the silent air. I covered my ears and squinted my eyes from the sound, even after the horn sounded my ears still rung with the deep pounding of the horn that shook my entire body.
I looked up and in place of the empty city stood many people surrounding me in a circle, some standing, others squatting and some with alcohol bottles and cigars in hand, but all of them had one thing in common; a crooked smile reaching up to their ears as they bore their eyes into my frame.
"Hello there, little lady," I spun around at the voice. The man behind me had a wide smile, revealing his yellow teeth to the air. His smoky breath hit me in the face like a rock. His brown shaggy hair hung to his shoulder and something discoloured his clothes, and I didn't want to know what that thing was. "Don't be scared, this is how we welcome newcomers. Ain't that right, boys!"
"Yeah!" Multiple people answered raising their bottles or cigars.
"What is this?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"There's a rule for this country, upon arrival you have to beat one of our guys here to stay. If you win the first battle, every week you're obliged to battle with someone by drawing of lots if you lose you either get sold to the slave market or you become a slave to the one you lost to,"
"Why should I?"
"Haha!!" Everyone laughed "You think you have a choice? It's the way we do things here either you follow the rules or we don't mind taking matters into our own hands," The yellow-teethed man said in a low voice.
"Does this rule count for everyone?" I inquired.
"Yes, but this is the only rule of this country, anything other than this you're alone. We don't care if you're kidnapped, raped, murdered, hell even if you were tortured in the middle of the street no one would bat an eye. After all, this is the Lawless City,"
"I get it. So who am I gonna fight?" I placed my hands on my hips and asked.
"Me," A sturdy man emerged from the circle of men. I looked up, straining my neck to meet his eyes. Layers upon layers of muscles rippled on his body, tensing at each of his gigantic steps. Tiny eyes perched on his face, contrasted against his gargantuan frame, a worm-like unibrow donned his forehead. His thick red lips stretched into a smile and his teeth bit down on a thick smoking cigar. "Shall we little lady? I'll hold back so I don't smash you into smithereens," He plucked the cigar out of his mouth and licked his lips, coating it in a slick sheen.
"Thank you," I chuckled and swept the hood off my head, revealing my face. My silvery hair flew out, shimmering under the glaring sun.
"Haha, I was going to sell you but maybe I should make you my girl. How about it?" He laughed "Your silver hair is rare too bad you have black ends,"
"My appearance is of no concern to you," I walked up the stairs of the stage. "Shall we?" I place my hands on my hips.
"You don't want a weapon?"
"My fists and feet are weapons enough,"
"Feisty aren't ya? That's fine, it's always fun to break in the feisty ones. I'll be sure not to injure that doll face of yours,"
"Thank you, I'll try not to ruin yours any more than it already is," He scrunched his face, wrinkles crawling over his face, his unibrow caving into his small eyes. He climbed up the stairs, the ground shaking beneath him. "May the best fighter win," I bowed slightly. He didn't respond.
"I'll let you make the first move,"
"Thank you," I smiled, I cracked my knuckles, I placed White Bun on the ground.
I sprinted to him; he stood with his back straight, ready to take the blow. I raised my foot using the momentum and jump kicked him in the face. As my foot collided with his face, various cracks rumbled in the air. He flew back off the stage. I turned in the air putting my hands to the ground flipping and landing on my feet. "Thank you for going easy on me," I bowed again and picked White Bun up, placing him on my shoulder. Silence hung in the air. Everyone stared at me, but soon raucous laughter shattered the quiet.
"Peanut! You let a girl beat you? How stupid can you get!?"
"Haha, I wonder if there's a brain in that thick skull of yours!" Everyone laughed, chugging their alcohol even faster.
"Nice one little lady. It would be a pity if you ended up in Peanut's collection," A man threw a hand over my shoulder and laughed.
"Collection?"
"Of girls," He breathed out cigar smoke in my face, blurring my vision.
"Oh. Where is the inn? Do you have a weapon and armour store?"
"You're not surprised by what I just said?" He asked with a tilt of his head. Should I be surprised? It's not unusual, that demon father had many wives and some nobles have many wives as well. I shook my head to his question.
"You have some guts. The inn is over there and if you're looking for some armour there is the best place. Weapons are there and clothes over there," He pointed in different directions.
"Thank you,"
"No problem, remember the drawing if lots are the next week on the stage. Stay safe till then, don't wanna see you get sold to the slave market or made into someone's sex slave," He laughed and breathed more cigar smoke in my face.
"What slave market,"
"There's a slave market opposite the stage, and don't say it's illegal, this place has laws, there are no laws," I nodded and walked to the clothes store. I bought a fresh dress, gloves and cloak. I headed to the weapon store and stocked up on sickles and daggers, then headed to the inn. In the room, I plopped to the bed, exhausted.
'Are you going to practice with the magic stone?' Al asked.
"No, I just want to rest now,"
'When do you plan on leaving,"
"I'm not sure," I sighed. "I need a bath," I pushed off the bed and went downstairs.
"Miss, I'm hungry!" White Bun complained.
"I told you to shut up," I glared at him. White Bun shrunk his head back, tears filling his violet eyes.
I went to the front desk with a scrawny man resting his head on the table, snoring. "Hello, where is the bath,"
"Huh?" The man lifted his head, rubbing his eyes "A girl? The baths are mixed, though," He pointed to a room. "Good luck little lady," He yawned and rested his head down again. I turned away from him, to meet many hungry eyes staring back at me, glinting in an evil light.
Guess I can't take a bath right now," I sighed and went back up to my room.