A week later and we are still on the sea. I finally had my quarters to sleep and rest in while the others had their own. Trace was in the Captain's room, helping with Eric about our course and he's making sure we're in the right direction; Unfortunately, Eric's asked for Flora to pose for his painting.
What I've been doing was studying the Keidran language. I've accomplished learning basic words understanding sentences so far. Meanwhile, Me, Natani, and Keith were in the same room together. It was a medium-sized room with the walls made of stone and the floor made of wood.
We three wore casual clothing; Like Natani was wearing a dark grey shirt and brown pants while Keith wore a light grey shirt and dark grey pants and both of them had a bandage wrapped around their paws; I was in my Crye Combat shirt and Crye Combat pants with my empty holster strapped onto my thigh. Natani and Keith were in combat postures, meaning these two were ready for a hand to hand battle.
"Alright! I want a clean fight. That means no weapons and no magic. Just Hand to hand combat." I said. "No weapon and no magic, just fist." I announced in Keidran.
"You ready?" Keith asked.
"Ready when you are. And don't even think about holding back against me." Natani responded.
"After this is over you're going to wish I did!"
Then to my right, I saw the two slaves coming down carrying some equipment for the ship. "Hey, check it out." The dog chirped.
"Hm? Oh, yeah, they've been training down here for the last couple days. Never seen 'em fight though..." The fox said.
"Is that right...My next meal says the wolf guy wins." The dog announced in Keidran.
"You're on."
It's a relief to understand what these people were saying and I'm just glad Keidran isn't hard like Pashto, the language spoken in Afghanistan
Natani made the first move and threw a punch at Keith. However, he was able to block the attack. Natani quickly switched from fist to legs and threw a roundhouse kick yet Keith was able to catch it.
"Watch your step!" Keith said and he kicked Natani's other leg.
"Ack...!" Natani yelped and fell to the ground.
They both spoke in Keidran which was too advanced for me to understand but before I knew it, Natani straight up kicked Keith right in the groin area. He recoiled and yelled something in a language I've never heard and I stepped in. "What's wrong, Keith?" Natani asked.
"Woah, what fair fighting is this?" I questioned Natani.
"As an assassin, I was never trained to fight honorably."
"Goddammit." I said in English.
I saw a punch coming straight for me and I quickly dodged the attack by stepping aside. As his attacking arm was extended, I used this opportunity to strike him on his chest with a chop, stunning him. I then shifted behind Natani and wrapped my arms around his restraining him from doing any further damage. "Ah, hey! Lemme go! This isn't fair fighting!" He pouted.
"You're right, this isn't!" I retorted.
"Grrr... stop pulling my arms like that! Something's tearing, it's too tight...!"
"What?"
"...m-my bandages!"
I then felt his weigh shifted a bit forward. I was so confused about what he meant until I took a peek and saw what I thought couldn't be possible. I saw a pair of tits on Natani's chest. I thought I was dreaming for a minute, or I was hallucinating. "What the fuck..." I mumbled and let go of him.
"W-what just happened? Did he... just become a she? Did the human do it somehow?" The fox slave asked.
"It must be black magic..." The dog said.
"Eh? Uh oh, they saw... black magic...? Hm.. Worth a shot..." Keith said and walked up to the two. "Yes...! He used his dark human magic to turn him into a woman! Or something... So... go away! Or... he'll do the same to you! I guess.."
They both were scared shitless and ran out of the room as fast as they could and suddenly Natani grabbed me by the shoulds and shook me constantly as he yelled at me in Keidran which was too fast for me to understand. After the shaking stopped, I just turned to Keith with a confused expression. "He's begging you to not tell anyone what you saw." Keith stated.
"Oh... well... I not care." I announced and Natani released me from his grasp. "You don't...?" He asked.
"No. I not care if you are boy or girl. I won't tell other. Promise." I said.
"Thank you, Marcus. Also, you're Keidran is bad." He said and both of them chuckled.
"Kiss my ass." I said and scoffed.
On the outside, I remained calm. On the inside of my head, I was freaking out. Was Natani a girl this entire time? Why does HE have boobs? And why are they much bigger than Floras' boobs? Did Keith knew about this?! Is this why Natani was hugging Keith in that bath? So many questions flooded my mind which made my head spin.
Another week flew. Same shit, different day. I continued studying and understanding Keidran and gotten better. I was able to understand more words and was able to speak small fixed sentences and I could tell being on the sea for two weeks straight is driving Natani insane. But this isn't my first time on the seas. At times I usually stay onboard the Navy's ships to other places like Somalia, protecting civilian cargo vessels from Somalian pirates.
It was night and Trace, Flora, and I was at the mess hall digging in on our food. The hall wasn't too fancy, with a bit of decoration on the walls like wooden steering wheels, wooden paddles, etc. The food, on the other hand, was average. We had a piece of load bread that was soft. Two pieces of fried chicken leg that were crispy and mashed potatoes. It reminds me of the food I had back when I was stationed in the Army bases in the Sandbox.
I was sitting just across Trace and Flora who had been sitting together as they feasted. While I was busy with my food, the room was filled with silence apart from the sound of my fork hitting the plate as I scooped up a forkful of mashed potatoes and Trace broke that silence. "Is that your third serving?"
I looked up and noticed he looking over at Flora who was happily eating her meal. "Mmhm. I've been so hungry recently. I'm not really sure why." She responded.
"You've also been pretty quiet. Anything wrong?"
"Mmmm, nope. Well, actually... I've been thinking... We've known each other for a long time now, right?"
"Heh, it feels like it. It's only been a few months, though."
"Well, that's a long time for us Keidran, and well... I've been wondering... I mean, even though it would be impossible to do... have you ever thought about... well... um... ...Marriage?"
I instantly chocked on a piece of chicken I just had eaten and coughed multiple times. Trace, on the other hand, seemed like he just saw a ghost. He dropped the fork he was holding and it hit the ground with a clink.
"Trace...? Trace, relax! I didn't mean it seriously! I was just speaking hypothetically. Ya know, if you'd thought of it."
"Oh, well, no. I hadn't really considered... Well... I'm full! I.. think I'll go get some fresh air... upstairs."
"Oh, okay..."
Trace quickly got up with his tray and dashed off. I took a napkin from the table and proceeded to wipe off my food from my mouth. I turned back to Flora and saw her with a sadden expression. "I'm sure he'll accept your offer." I said and she looked up at me.
"You think so?" She asked.
"I believe so." I said and got up from the seat. I walked up to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Cheer up. Trust me, he'll want to marry you." I said and a smile formed on her face.
Week three and the weather isn't on our side. It has been raining heavily with thunderstorms to accompany it, making the sea a bitch to ride, and not only that; Natani has been acting strange lately. He has locked himself in his room for two days straight like some kind of angsty teen and I was walking down a hallway when Keith arrived in front of me. "Hey, Marcus. Have you seen Natani around lately?" He asked.
"Affirm. But I think he's sufferin' from a cold. He locked himself in his room two days ago and won't come out. He asked me to bring some food for him but won't open the door, told me to just leave it there. It's been a while since I've gotten him anything, though."
"Eh, I guess I'll get it for... uh... him."
"Yeah... him..."
I nodded and he strolled past me. I sighed and continued to wander down the hallway. I headed towards the library to study more Keidran and when I reached there, I found Katherin sitting on a one-person sofa. Next to her was a wooden stand with a lit-up candle with shelves filled with books beside the stand.
She must've heard me coming in because she immediately diverted her attention from the book to me and waved. "Oh! Hi Marcus! What's up?"
"Nothin' much. What's up with you? Readin' a book?"
"Yeah! I was just practicing my reading."
"Practicin'? Eric never taught you to read?"
"Actually, I used to be owned by Master Eric's brother. He never let me learn anything, but Eric saved me from that place." She said and stood up.
"Well, that's good to know."
"Anyway, I can't read well, but I can show you what I know... I usually read the ones with pictures, they're easier."
"Pictures? Lemme take a look at it." I said and reached my hand down. She handed me the book she was reading and when I took a look at the pages, all I saw were lewd paintings of female naked Keidrans in lewd poses. I quickly closed the book, with my eyes looking like I've just returned from combat and kept the book aside. "Maybe I can teach you readin' actual books." I said and she looked at me with a confused look.
The next few hours, I've managed to teach Katherin to read actual books instead of that fetish mess.
After that, I continued with my objective which was to learn more Keidran. Soon, I went to the room where Natani and Keith usually train. I had my Crye combat shirt removed and had been doing pushups for a while now. When I finished my set, Eric walked into the room which I didn't expect so I got up with my body and abs moistened with sweat.
When I saw him, he was covered bruises and cuts, as if he had been in a fight. "Woah, what happened to you?" I asked.
"Honestly I'm not sure. One minute I'm drinking tea, the next Flora's telling me not to corrupt Kathrin. Then I reassure her with a harmless pat on the rear, and... this happened." He replied.
"That must've been rough."
"Oh, while you're here... I've heard word that you know some magic...?"
I felt irritated and annoyed at best. Those two must've believed that bullshit to the point that they've been avoiding me for the past three weeks and now rumors are spreading that I used magic. I sighed and grabbed my combat shirt and walked off.
"Hey, wait... where are ya going? Change Mike! I need a new fox girl!" Eric shouted.
"I ain't changin' anyone into a fuckin' girl!"
Four days later and I felt like we're close to land than ever. I recently complained to Eric about how the slaves have been intentionally avoiding me for the past weeks ever since that incident. This time, I was wearing my seventy-five-pound gear, with my weapons holstered. I got up to the deck of the ship and peered into the distance. I could see land! Not just any land, the Basidian islands.
We were heading towards the docks which had a town behind it. But in front of the docks had four stone statues on rocks standing high and mighty. All of the four carried weapons; like the first two carried spears and the two behind them carried swords; Not to mention like they wore some type of armor. Not only that, behind the town were beautiful and majestic mountains that pierced the blue sky. "Holy shit..." I mumbled, dumbfounded. It may be beautiful but as a Special Operations soldier, I must stay on alert.
We landed onto the harbor and the plant dropped onto the docks. I was the first one to get down from the ship and it was a relief finally stepping out of that ship. When my boot settled onto the wooden docks, I aimed my carbine left and just saw the ocean we came from. I switched to my right and observed the town which was littered with Basitins. Some of them doing work and some pregnant. They didn't look like hostiles so I lowered my carbine. "All clear!" I announced and switched the fire-mode to safety.
I turned around and saw Eric walking down the plant followed by Kathrin from behind. "It's so nice to finally get off that ship!" Katherin cheered and Eric helped by holding onto her arm. "Hey, watch your step, now. Here, let me help you, my dear..." Eric said and Katherin was on the docks. Soon, the rest of the group got off the ship with Trace and Flora first and Keith and Natani second. Keith was in his uniform I guess, with the blue robes, shoulder pads, and the helmet. It must be a great day for him to return home. "Wow! Look at all the... Keiths! There are Keiths... everywhere!" Flora chirped.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Keith asked.
"I... uh, sorry. You all do kinda look alike..."
"True." I said and chuckled.
"That's not true! I don't look like any of them!" Keith protested.
I scoffed and turned my head to the town again. But this time, I saw a formation of armored Basitins wielding spears. In the middle of the formation were three very distinctive Basitins. The one on the left looked very old. He had light grey fur, used a thick wooden cane to walk, and had half of his left ear cut off. He also had small glasses just below his eyes and had a long chin beard and a ponytail behind his head. He also wore a dark yellow cape and black robes which covered his entire body.
The one in the middle looked young, light brown fur, and had a scar that cut through his left eye down to his cheek. He wore a brown cape and the same black robe but this one had a strange symbol on it. The symbol was in dark yellow and was the blade of a sword facing down and instead of a handle, it had a crooked circle with a small dot in the middle. It was also surrounded by crystal-shaped objects which were odd.
The one on the right was much buffer than the rest. Heavyset and dark brown fur. Instead of a cape or robe, he wore fancy yellow armor from top to bottom. He also had a symbol on the right side of his chest which resembled a scorpion of some kind. I had no idea of they were here to greet us or bash us into the ground, so I couldn't take that chance.
"Guys heads up! We got multiple unknowns approachin' us from the town." I announced and switched the fire mode back to semi-auto and kept my gun at the low ready position.
"What have we done to warrant the attention of all three Basitin generals?" Eric asked.
"Generals? You know these guys?"
"Not really, but I've heard about them. Let me see if I can recall... Ah, yes... I remember. The one on the left is the intelligence general, I believe. He's a veteran of the military."
"So, he's a fuckin' spook. Didn't know the CIA was here." I whispered.
"He's been around since the Keidran-Human wars. They say his knowledge rivals that of dragons. The big guy on the right is the arms general. In brute strength, he's the strongest of all the Basitin. He's a match for even the mightiest of beasts... such as a dragon."
"Fucker looks like the size of a truck." I mumbled.
"As for the third... I don't recognize him. But he must be the current standing master general. He's supposed to be a lethal combination of both intelligence and strength. The most powerful basitin. Able to take down even... a dragon."
"Probably an alternative to Special Forces, you gotta be shittin' me."
Once they got close, I placed my finger on the trigger and counted how many of them are there. Four soldiers and three generals. Suddenly, Keith stepped in front and slowly got closer to them while I readied myself to go guns blazing. "...You?" Keith asked as he approached the middle General.
"Surprised to see me? I'm surprised, too. I never thought I'd see your face back here after all these years. I was sure you'd be gone for good. But now you're back. So..." Then the General quickly brought Keith into a hug and lifted him off the ground. "Grah!" Keith yelped.
"Welcome back, brother!"
"Alaric... I... can't breathe!" Keith pleaded and the General lets him go.
"General! Such gross displays of public affection are not at all decent. Besides, this one is no brother of ours. He is an outcast, as you're well aware. Hmph! You come to us with your feet uncovered. How indecent... Have you gone so native as to walk around in the dirt like a common dog? Have you no shame? Or have you grown used to living like a Keidran?"
"Seems like Gramps forgot his pills." I mumbled quietly.
"I'm sorry, General. I didn't remember—" Keith stated until he got interrupted by Gramps.
"Don't you speak out of turn, Former Keiser! You may have left as a child but you're an adult now. You follow adult laws." Gramps said and Keith turned his head to the side for a bit. "Look at me when I speak to you, boy!" Then out of the blue, Gramps slammed his thick wooden cane onto Keith's head, which threw Keith onto the ground. "Augh!"
I got irritated at Gramp's attitude towards Keith, and I could feel my blood pressure rising. I just wanted to walk up to him and punch him with all of my strength. "You always were the runt of the litter. You have brought disgrace to your people and your nation. Why have you returned?" Gramps asked.
"That's enough, Alabaster. Let the boy explain himself." The Master General announced and Keith got onto his feet.
"I was banished on the condition that I could return if I brought back Trace. I have done so. You should recognize him."
I turned back and saw Flora leaning towards Trace with her arms around him. "Flora, get up... we're supposed to be on our best behavior here." Trace said.
"Nya, my legs are tired..." She pouted.
"That is him...! But... no, it can't be!" Gramps or Alabaster stated. "Never in my years has anyone returned from banishment! The conditions were supposed to be impossible to accomplish! You were meant to accept your punishment with dignity and die! You were not supposed to return!"
"And yet he has. It's out of our hands now, General. We have no choice but to grant little Keith access back into our glorious society. It is Law." The Master General declared. With that out of the way, I lowered my carbine and switched it to safety once again. The formation turned around and started to advance towards the town and we all followed from behind.
As we were walking through the Basitin town, all of the folks were eyeing us. I observed each one of the folks and noticed that all the female Basitins I saw were pregnant. "Everyone's looking at us." Flora announced.
"You guys do kinda stick out." Keith stated.
"Hey, is it me or are all the women here pregnant?" I asked.
"You're right, Marcus. That's why I don't tend to visit the islands this time of year." Eric retorted.
"What? I don't get it."
"Marcus, Basitins... um, we... only mate once per year. At the same time." Keith explained.
"What? Why in God's holy kingdom would you fuckin' do that?" I interrogated him.
"Well, all females live together on the inside of our city. While all the males live outside the city. Living together, all our females have their cycles at the same time once per year. So we have one week set aside for... reproduction. Outside that, it is not permitted."
"That's... horrible..." Flora commented.
"It's not! It's efficient and organized. And law."
That was completely mind-blowing and interesting. Seems like these people are addicted to this law thing which already worries me. "Jesus H. Christ..." I mumbled quietly.
We arrived in front of a large building that appeared to resemble a tavern. I hope they have enough rooms for us to stay in as we are a large group. "You will stay here in this tavern. You and your friends may feel free to look around and buy supplies. But do not leave this district, and respect the curfew." The Master General stated and turned to Keith. "Keith, you may be one of us again, but you are not yet free. You will be summoned soon to stand trial. Prepare yourself, my friend."
Keith nodded and the General turned to Eric. "You, human. Are you not Eric, the slave trader?"
"Why, yes, I am." Eric said.
"Are those Keidran your slaves?"
"Well... the spotted one is mine. The tiger is Trace's, and the wolf is his own."
"Very well. We tolerate Keidran, but we ask you, keep them under control."
"Yes, most certainly." Alabastor joined in. "We may tolerate their kind, but we do not tolerate their promiscuous ways. And make sure their feet are covered next time they're out. Public nudity is unlawful."
"We leave you now, Keith. Good luck." The Master General said and the generals and soldiers left. I was confused about what Gramps meant by nudity. It was odd to hear that.
I walked forward and held the doorknob of the main door and swung it open. The door opened with a creak and we entered the tavern. "Ah, customers! Welcome, welcome. I've been expecting you." The reception guy said.
The Basitin had chocolate brown fur and had hair over his left eye. I noticed a gold ring hanging from his left ear and the guy wore a navy blue robe.
Minutes passed by and we were waiting in the main room of the tavern and sat around a large table to accommodate us. Flora had to wrap bandages around her feet and doesn't seem to be taking it too well. "Keith, why do I have to wear these silly things?" She asked.
"Sorry, Flora. The feet, ankles, the base of the tail, and between the legs are what we consider nudity here."
"That sucks." I commented.
Then Eric came back from the reception desk. "Hey, guys. Everyone's signed in now. Go ahead and stretch your legs or relax. We've got four rooms to ourselves upstairs." He announced.
"Four rooms! But... we need at least five!"
"Sorry, Keith. That guy said they only had four." Eric said and placed four keys on the table. "Here are the keys. Looks like you'll be sharing a room with Natani again."
"Aw, man... Not again."
"What? What's wrong? I can't understand a word anyone is saying!" Natani announced.
"It's nothing to worry about." I said, chuckling and we took one key.
Twenty minutes later, we stepped outside the tavern for some fresh air and sunshine, and to explore this place. It felt weird seeing all the town's folks are Basitin. "Alright, I'm going back to the ship to get some supplies." Eric announced. "We'll all meet back here at dusk, alright?"
"Got it." I stated.
"Okay, let's look around, Trace!" Flora chirped.
"What do you want to look for?" Asked Trace.
"Food! Good food! I'm sick and tired of the ship's meals! I want fresh meat! Still bleeding! Mmm..."
"Heh, well that's... disturbing. But if it's what you want, okay."
"I'm going to walk around too." Keith said.
"Yup, comin' with ya, Keith." I declared and Katherin went with Eric to the docks, Trace and Flora wandered off into the town, and I and Keith went off in the opposite direction and as for Natani, well he didn't want to be left alone, so... "Keith! Marcus! Don't leave me here alone!" He said and caught up with us.
As we journeyed through the town, I noticed that Natani and I were much taller than the rest. It was like being a skyscraper in a rural town. I also noticed the guards here seemed intriguing. They wore gold helmets like Keith's, only they covered most of their face leaving the mouth and chin and ears. They also wore gold armor that concealed their entire body except for their legs. They wore a black robe underneath which concealed their legs until their feet which had bandages wrapped around. The guards here also carried sharp spears all the time which looked like it could cut through flesh easily. If I were to engage these guys, distance would be my best bet. Unless they have archers but, I don't think arrows wouldn't do any damage to my plates.
"Hey, where are we headed?" Natani questioned.
"...You'll see eventually." Keith replied.
We were about to cross a stone bridge when all of a sudden, a Basitin guard stepped in front of us. "Keith Keiser! I would not recommend going any further... You are advised not to leave the docks." The guard declared.
"I'm well aware of that, but there is something I must do. If you won't let me pass, I will challenge you to let me through."
"Challenge, what?" I mumbled.
"I would not advise you to challenge me, Brother. I heavily outrank you. You'd have no chance."
"Natani, Marcus, get back."
"Huh? Why?" Natani asked once again.
"I guess they are going to fight." I stated and we both took a step back. I let my carbine hang and crossed my arms.
Keith drew his sword out and both of them got into a fighting stance. Keith ran up to him and threw a strike at the guard with his sword but the guard was able to block it with his spear.
"What's going on? Why are you fighting? Should I be fighting, too?" Natani questioned.
"Relax, this is normal." A feminine voice said and we turned our heads to the person. It was another Basitin soldier but he looked young, had light brown fur and yellow pupils.
"Wait, you can speak Keidran?" I asked.
"Yes, some. Just enjoy fight. Happens often." She announced.
I turned my head back and saw the guard shoved Keith with his spear as Keith struggled to get a hit on this guy. "Damn, this guy is good..." I whispered.
Keith quickly swung his sword, only for it to be deflected by the guard's spear. However, Keith quickly spun around and went in for the strike but the guard pulled out a sword and blocked the attack. "Graah! A sword!" Keith chirped.
"You're giving away your intentions." The Guard stated.
They both knew their fighting styles very well, but the guard, being in the military longer than Keith, meant the guard had an advantage. And seems like Keith knew that because he then spread his arms apart and legs wide open. "What the fuck...?" I mumbled.
"Arms wide open? Brother, you're becoming... slopp— eh?"
As the guard strike his sword down, Keith dodged the attack by completely stepping aside and before the guard could react, Keith brought a clean uppercut to the guard's chin, forcing the guard's helmet to fall off. "God damn!" I said and laughed. "Let's fuckin' go!"
"You are better than I had thought. Your rank masks your skill. I concede to you, Brother. I will not stop you from crossing this bridge. But I still would not recommend it. I will take responsibility for my actions here." The guard stated.
"Oh, my. Your friend is quite... amazing..." The young Basitin commented.
"Oookay... This girl's getting a little too excited from watching them fight." Natani mumbled.
"We can go now" Keith announced.
"Okay." I said and Natani and I followed him across the bridge.
"So, Keith... That last move..." Natani chirped.
"Oh, you noticed? I learned that from you when we practiced sword fighting on the ship." Keith uttered.
"Learned from me? ...I didn't think you would care how I fought."
"Well of course I would. You have a lot of skill. There's always something to learn from another good fighter."
"Oh... I see..."
"Oh boy, this is where it starts." I mumbled quietly.
We left the dock area and went to an isolated location not too far away as the town still could be seen. It appeared we were entering into a graveyard of sorts, with stone walls surrounding an open area and statues of Basitin in armor and posses. "Ah...! Wait!" Natani spoke.
"You alright?" I asked as I and Keith shifted our gaze to him.
"This... this is a graveyard, isn't it?"
"And?"
"We Keidran do not have... "graveyards"... We burn our dead... and scatter the ashes and remains in the forests. Keeping your dead together in boxes, as if... on display... You delay their return to the earth... It's h-horrible!"
"Look, Natani. I didn't ask you to come along. If you're afraid, you can stay out here or go back, it doesn't matter to me." Keith announced.
"I... I'm not afraid! It... it's just rows of dead bodies... under the ground... w-what's to be afraid of?"
We marched on into the graveyard and towards one of the statues. It was a statue of a Basitin soldier. He had the same helmet that Keith had and also similarly resembled Keith. "So... That's your father, huh? I can see the family resemblance... I think." Natani mumbled.
"Why does he get a statue? Was he a General or somethin'?" I questioned.
"You could say that... My father was once the arms general. But I didn't come here to see him. I only came to pay respects to my mother. I couldn't care any less about him." Keith said with a hateful look in his eyes.
"I mean, I love my father, God may he rest easy in Heaven. But what did your dad do to make you hate him?"
"...I don't like to think about it. It was what got me banished years ago... My father... was a great general... But he was a terrible person."
"You said once that you were blamed for your parents' deaths. But... that wasn't true, was it? You didn't really—?" Natani asked.
"It is the truth... Well, at least partly. I could never have harmed my mother. She was unusual for a Basitin... She sheltered me from fighting and battle. She loved my father greatly, though I don't know why. He furiously disapproved of the way she treated me. My father always seemed to hate me... for being weak and uninterested in fighting... But... I had never thought he hated her. I eventually did go off to military training, just as every Basitin does. I came home one day to find that my mother was dead. My father had killed her, beaten her to death. If he hadn't been so intoxicated, he may have killed me as well... As he was, he practically fell on my spear... But... that was a long time ago. I was not allowed to pay my respects to my mother, back then. Just give me a few moments."
"Alright, we'll leave you to it." I said with a sigh. I could never understand what pain Keith had to go through, which makes me happy that he has friends he can rely on and trust, and makes me happier that I'm one of his friends.
As we waited for Keith near the entrance, Natani and I were in the middle of a conversation when we heard Keith coming towards us. We stopped talking and turned our heads to see Keith looking in a much better mood than before. "Alright, I'm ready to leave." He said.
"Are you sure? We don't mind waiting." Natani uttered.
"It's okay, I actually... feel better now. I've finally gotten it off my chest."
We were about to leave when suddenly a voice spoke out from behind us. We turned around and noticed it was a Basitin. He didn't look like a soldier, considering he isn't wearing any armor. This Basitin had his eyes closed and had small circle glasses below his eyes. He had brown fur and wore a brown leather cap. He also had crystals hanging down his necklace and wore a brown cape and a black robe. He and Keith both spoke in what I assume is Basitin which I didn't understand, but then the Basitin pulled out a piece of note and read it which caught the attention of Keith. Soon after, the Basitin left with the note and Keith hurried off; with Natani and I following from behind.
We returned to the town and made it to what appears to be a large building with two doors and two gates. There weren't really doors but curtains in doorways. "Public baths, huh? I'm surprised. You Basitin always seem very... prudish." Natani commented.
"We are... but, like all the races, not everyone can afford to have an in-home bath. You can get a private bath drawn, however, for a couple of extra coins."
"Should've expected it." I mumbled.
Keith walked through one of the open gates and before me or Natani could enter, he closed the gate immediately. "hey! Why'd you close the gate on me and Marcus?" Natani interrogated.
"I'm sorry, Natani, I can't let you in here. These are the men's baths. By the law, women are not allowed to step beyond the gate. I know you don't consider yourself one, but... physically you are. And one of the generals asked me to meet him here privately, sorry Marcus."
"Law forces me to keep you out. I'm really sorry..."
"You really into this Law thing, huh?" I said.
"That's not fair! What am I supposed to do? I can't go into the women's baths!" Natani protested.
"Hey, don't bare your teeth at me! I said I was sorry. I'll be out later, just go back to the tavern..." Keith stated.
"C'mon, let's just go." I said and patted Natani on his shoulder. He didn't take it too well and off we go back to the tavern. As we were walking back, we happened to come across Trace and Flora who were walking together. "Hey, Natani! Hey Marcus!" Flora greeted in Keidran.
"Hey, you two. I suppose everything's alright?" I asked, in Keidran.
"Yup! And you...? Where's Keith?"
"Feh! Keith... Why should I care where he is? He wants to hang out with his Basitin friends... so, fine! I don't care what he does! I don't need him!" Natani pouted and walked off.
"Erm... what was that all about?" Trace asked.
"He's just... jealous. Meet you guys back at the Tavern." I said.
"Alright, later Marcus!" Flora waved. I nodded and we went our separate ways and followed Natani back to the Tavern.
Several hours later, I was in my room in the tavern, right next to Keith and Natani's room. I had my stuff right on the desk as usual, along with my boots. I peered out into the window and saw the sun setting behind the tall mountains as the last ray of light pierced through the window. I climbed onto the comfy queen-sized bed and allowed my body to just sink in it.
My eyes closed and I took a deep breath in allowed myself to drift to sleep. But then, loud yelling from Keith and Natani's room broke that process. "I told you! I don't need your... chivalry! I'm perfectly fine on the ground!" Natani yelled.
"And I told you, I don't need the stupid bed! Just take it and be comfortable!" Keith protested.
"You slept on the floor for me last time! Now I should be the one to do it! Stop being so stubborn!"
The arguing went on for about a full hour until it stopped. It was dead silent and dark, with only the moonlight from outside as a light source in the room. I closed my eyes once again and sighed, slowly dozing off to sleep.
It felt like a second before I found myself awake. I groggily lifted my head and slowly opened my eyes only to see my room covered in darkness. I turned to the window to my left and noticed the moon was still out. I stretched my arms before throwing the covers off and swinging my legs over the edge. I assume it's somewhere between four-thirty and five o'clock in the morning since I trained myself to wake up during those times.
I stood up and took off my Crye Combat shirt. I looked down at my torso and placed a hand on my hardened six-pack. "A little workout wouldn't hurt..." I mumbled.
I took my hand off my abs and started to do side straddle hops or Jumping jacks as civilians called it. I jumped and landed with my legs spread wide and my head going overhead. I then jumped once again, landing onto my normal position with my feet together and my arms at the sides.
After repeating the same moves for a while, I felt droplets of sweat running down my temple and onto my face, neck, and torso. I felt my heart beating faster and my legs become heavier and my breathing became rapid. So I stopped doing Side Straddle hops and waited for my heart rate to slow down and my breathing to return to normal.
It took a while to recover and once I did, I got on the ground and into the prone position. Then, I raised my arms, lifting the upper half of my body, and brought my arm down to return to the prone position. I did this as fast as I could in the shortest amount of time and in about two minutes, I managed to do 87 push-ups. As expected, my arms felt like they were on the verge of breaking, my breathing was constant and at a high speed and I was covered in sweat.
Several hours later, the sun was already up in the sky and I refreshed myself in the public baths. I had to wait until the curfew was over before I could use the public baths. I found it weird that they would have a curfew as a normal lifestyle but I won't judge. I walked down the stairs of the tavern and saw Natani on one of the seats. He or she, I don't know anymore, was wrapping a thin line around a couple of blue crystals. Once I got off the stairs, I walked up from behind him. "Hey, Natani. What ya doin'?" I asked.
"Just... making a crude mana necklace. I'll be able to cast spells while leaving my hands open for weapons." He replied.
"Sweet."
I then heard the door in front of me opening with a creak and footsteps coming in. I and Natani lifted our heads saw and saw a Keidran. It was a fox Keidran and by the height and features, it was female. She had red fur but white fur surrounding her mouth and black fur at the tip of her ears. She also had crystal blue eyes and long brown hair. She wore white long sleeves and had a small golden object in a circular shape hanging around her necklace and wore a black cape with red at the sides. She seemed frightened when she laid her eyes on me.
"Ack! A... a h-h-human!" She yelped.
"Oh God, here we go..." I mumbled and cleared my throat. "Do not fear, I come in peace." I said slowly and in Keidran while lifting my open hand and placed a palm on my chest.
"Y-you can speak Keidran?"
"Yes, I can speak Keidran. I am a friendly human."
"Oh... well, I apologize for interrupting... My name is Laura of the Coastal Fox Tribe. Do you know if a Basitin named Keith is staying here? They... told me this place is where I could find him."