"Hey Alicia, how much for a beautiful fresh loaf of bread?" Tanen asked with a warm smile.
"You know it's free sweetpea as long as it's for-" She started as she wrapped a loaf in a piece of beige cloth.
"It's for my friend," He replied in a hushed tone as she slid the bread over the table and into Tanen's hands.
"Just don't tell anyone about this then," The girl whispered as she turned around to help other customers. Tanen quickly shoved the bread into his satchel while also placing a few silver coins on the table as he said his thanks and walked down the road.
As he made his way towards the edge of town he double-checked his belt for his dagger as Cal would have his head if he left it at home or lost it, as he bought it as a gift with what little money he had.
"Oh man, you are in for such a surprise," He chuckled as he entered the thick forest. The walk alone in the forest was always the worst. Rarely anyone came to the village through the forest as it was full of dangerous animals and hundreds of stories about insane hybrids, murdered, bandits and just about your usual scary legends to keep the children in line. The ferocious animals were certainly true and even more so were the bandits, though he has yet to run into any killers or monsters from old stories. Then again who needs to fear the woods when your debatably as scary childhood friend practically lived there all year.
As he got deeper into the forest a rhythmic thumping noise got louder and louder. Passing just a few more trees, bushes and ferns Tanen's friend Cal came into view, his tanned skin was shiny from all the sweat and his lightly coloured hair was pulled up into a ponytail giving a view of his brown scales on the back of his neck. The rest of his scales were visible down his back as his off white shirt was sticking to him and the scales on his arms visible as he always rolls up his sleeves when he works or gets stressed. Cal paused his swing to look to his right only to see Tanen staring at him. Placing the axe on the ground he wiped off the sweat from his forehead.
" Tan, you're staring again," Cal said as he reached for Tanen's satchel. The smaller man quickly reacted smacking the wandering paw away.
" Hey! Don't get grabby," He said as he moved his body so it was further from Cal and his grabby hands. "manners young man." With that said a crooked smile made its way onto Cal's face.
" Please, let me have the bread," Cal replied with a fake pout in his voice.
"Yes, you may," Tanen replied as he removed his satchel to hand over. The bag appeared laughably small in Cal's massive hands as he held it in one while the other grabbed the cloth wrapped loaf.
"Mm, fresh.. from Alicia right?" Cal said as he sniffed the bread, "she always makes the best sourdough."
"Man she makes the best in the country I bet," Tanen exclaimed with a grin, "I got that bread for free cause I'm so charming," He stood puffing out his chest. Cal laughed at the actions of his friend placing a hand on his head.
" Yeah, yeah, more like annoying," Cal said ruffling Tanen's curly light brown hair.
The two sat and talked for hours sitting on some tree stumps. Tanen kept the conversation flowing with his terrible jokes and overflowing confidence, while Cal was often the silent observer of his friend's odd antics as he was either chopping the fallen trees from earlier into firewood or sharpening his axe.
"Damn man no wonder the women all flock to you," Tanen exclaimed as the other was chopping wood.
Cal paused when he heard that and turned around, "What're you talking about?"
"Well, you look like a tanned god man! With your sun-kissed skin and long hair and.." Tanen paused as he caught himself on his words.
"And my what?" Cal asked while his face moved into a complete shit-eating grin
"You know," He replied as his face flushed pink, "well the women always talk about your muscles and how strong you are," Tanen finished his face fully red at the statement.
"They can flock to me all they'd like, they don't stay long anyway," Cal responded. He was used to people coming up to him for a night of fun. Usually other hybrids but occasionally he would get a woman who decided he was hot for a hybrid. No matter how many times he's heard that it still hurt all the same. He rarely knew what to even call those who aren't hybrids as calling them human sounded wrong or left a bad taste in his mouth. Hybrids are human too just a bit different. Both sides had harmful words for others. Hybrids called those who weren't like them regs or norms but that wasn't much, while they called hybrids dirty or monsters while they called themselves the pure ones if they really hated hybrids. Nothing hurts him more though than being told he's lucky his scales can be easily hidden and live a somewhat normal life. It's truly the only reason he's heard from people who wish to sleep with him as he wasn't as obvious as other hybrids, still an adventure for them but not enough for them to feel disgusted. Cal didn't mind sleeping around, it made him feel somewhat loved even if it was for a few hours during the night.
"Man, don't be so depressing," Tanen said as he picked up his satchel. Something clicked in Cal's head suddenly.
"Hey," Cal said grabbing his friends arm, " let's leave this place"
"What and go where?" Tanen asked confusion lacing his soft features.
"That's the thing we could go anywhere we want. Maybe we could find that rebellion people have been talking about," Cal continued as him and Tanen walked back through the dark forest. Cal could see Tanen's face, he had that look he always had when deep in thought. His brows furrowed and he chewed on his lower lip.
"Ah fine," Tanen finally said as he released a huge sigh," and stop giving me those puppy eyes dude."
"I wasn't giving any puppy eyes," Cal countered quickly. The two continued to chat as they neared Cal's cabin at the edge of the forest.
"Let's leave tomorrow then," Tanen said. Cal simply nodded as he headed inside leaving Tanen to walk through town back to his own cabin where his mother and father waited for him.