"Mister! Hey, Mister! Wake up!" A voice echoed through his foggy mind. He stirred but didn't wake. His mouth tasted bitter, and his body felt extremely heavy, weighed down by exhaustion and the remnants of last night's indulgence. The insistent tug on his shirt grew harder, impossible to ignore any longer.
He opened his eyes slowly. His former reddish-orange eyes were now a deep, bloodred. His hair had turned stark white. He stared at the brown-haired girl tugging his shirt by the collar. Her apron was severely beaten by dust and wear, and she clutched tightly at her tray as she tried to rouse him. A prominent scar ran across her forehead, as if someone had once tried to split her head open. Her brown eyes met his, and he looked away.
He rose slowly from his seat and stared at the dimly lit bar. It was the crack of dawn, and the sun was still fighting its way through the thick clouds outside. The room felt stale, the air heavy with the lingering scent of spilled ale, stale smoke, and old wood.
"You have a room, you know," the girl huffed.
"Why would you sleep here? Were you that drunk? Anyway, leave before the boss comes. Remember, he doesn't like you." She added quickly, glancing nervously toward the staff room.
"Right, right," Dan yawned, rubbing his face. "I feel like I was run over by a cart." He sighed. "Did I drink that much? Oh, Croc!" His voice rose a little as he scanned the bar quickly, looking for his companion.
"She's upstairs," the bar girl said impatiently. "Now go." She groaned, trying to drag Dan off his chair.
"Alright," Dan sighed sleepily. "I'll go back to my room. I have a mission by noon. I'll need the rest." Besides, Dan pinched her on the cheek. "Stop calling me Mister. Do I look that old? My name is Mov." He smiled.
"What in the bloody hell is going on? Who's there?" called a grumpy, agitated voice that sounded like stones being scraped together.
Dan vanished at once, leaving the bar girl to handle her business.
"It's just Mira," he heard her say as he slipped into his room upstairs.
Dan opened the door to his room and stepped inside. The space was dark, the heavy curtains drawn tight against the world outside. The air hung thick with the rich, lingering scent of roasted meat and cooked fish. Two beds occupied the room — usually kept far apart, but for some reason someone had pushed them together. Dan walked over and yanked the curtains open, letting the weak morning light spill in and bless the cramped quarters.
He stared at the large girl sprawled across both beds. She could have easily been six feet tall even lying down. Her short black hair reached just below her neck, slightly tousled from sleep. She was a tad muscular, her body toned from years of survival. A large, lizard-like tail curled around her like a protective serpent, claiming most of the space. She had taken over both mattresses completely.
Dan watched her for a long moment. It had been about two weeks since he had pulled her out of a terrible bind, and they had become reluctant companions ever since. Croc had been with a band of thieves, trafficked like cargo, when Dan stumbled upon them. The measures of security placed around her had been astronomical — chained, muzzled, and locked inside layers of cages. After rescuing her, Dan understood why. She was a beast on the battlefield. Despite having a normal human face, her teeth were considerably more frightening than most, and she made it a point to use them whenever possible. They had agreed to work together until they were ready to part ways. So far, she hadn't reunited with her people, making them companions for a while longer.
Dan stared at the girl in her undergarments, now sucking absentmindedly on the tip of her own tail in her sleep. Seeing her rest so peacefully across both beds left him slightly irritated. She had left him downstairs at the pub even though she was the one who had forced him to drink in the first place.
Both beds rose slowly from the floor, hovering a few feet in the air. Dan sat by the small window, morning sunlight cutting through the dusty glass, watching it all with a wicked little grin. Like flipping a pancake, he twisted both beds upside down.
A loud crash echoed through the wooden floor.
Yells of disapproval immediately boomed from the boss downstairs.
"Fuck!" Crock cursed, rubbing her sore tail as she hit the ground hard. "You mean ass bastards!" She glared at Dan, tail twitching.
"You almost made me break my tail. Do you know how painful it is to suddenly fall on it?"
"I'd do it again if you just lie down and hog both beds to yourself," Dan smiled wickedly.
"How could you abandon me downstairs while you hugged both beds all night? You almost got me another earful from the boss."
Crock scoffed and looked away, cheeks puffed. "It's not my fault. You're just severely weak against wine."
"Is the bed that worth it?" Dan asked slowly, narrowing his bloodred eyes. "You added something to my drink, didn't you?"
Crock started sweating, gaze darting everywhere except at him. "Whatever do you mean?" she stuttered.
"Never mind," Dan sighed, letting one bed float gently back into place. The sheets smoothed themselves out as he stood and sat on it. "I'm confiscating your pay on the next job."
"Uh? Why?" Croc protested, eyes widening.
"Well, if the first thing you buy after payday is something to knock me out, I reckon you don't need the money," Dan shrugged, lying back down. "Don't worry, you'll get your share in a week."
"But I'm my own person!" she yelled, jumping up and tugging desperately at his clothes with teary eyes.
"I pay for our food, our lodgings, clothes, both our necessities," Dan said calmly, shrugging her off. "Now that I think about it, you don't really have anything you wanna buy, do you?"
"The hell!" Croc shouted, voice cracking.
"You're mean!, I hope you get hit by stray lightning" She bolted out the room, slamming the door behind her.
After a while, Dan heard the manager yelling downstairs — meaning Crock had stormed out of the pub. The second bed slowly floated back into place on its own.
"She'll be back," Dan thought, staring at the ceiling. "It wasn't the first time she's done something like this… except maybe this time."
The door suddenly flung open. Mira stood there, looking distraught and flushed, her apron crooked and hair messy from the morning rush. "Aren't you going to go after her?"
Dan didn't stir. He just pulled the sheets tighter around himself. "Why?" he asked without even turning to look.
"What do you mean 'why'?" Mira yelled, practically vibrating with frustration. She was still half-dressed from work, looking almost naked in her worn undergarments. "Why would you let her leave like that?"
"Oh. That's the only exception," Dan sighed.
"She hadn't left before in just her undergarments." He yawned loudly. "I'll go get her in an hour."
"Go now and take her clothes with you!" Mira yelled, voice rising.
Dan walked down the crowded morning street looking severely wronged, shoulders slumped. He stopped random people, asking if they'd seen a demi-human girl running by in just her undergarments. Most chuckled but pointed him in the right direction — Croc was simple-minded; even when upset, she never hid far from the inn.
He crossed narrow alleys and open squares, her sturdy pants and tank top slung over his shoulder. The air buzzed with vendors shouting, carts rumbling, and the smell of fresh bread and street food.
Something shiny suddenly caught his eye. He stopped dead in the middle of the street — and nearly got run over by a speeding horse.
"Sorry," he muttered as the driver hurled curses at him.
Just opposite him, about fifty meters away, a girl with golden hair was sneaking around suspiciously. She looked taller than him and mildly pretty, but she wore shades and a large hat pulled low, clearly trying to hide her face. She darted from cover to cover — behind crates, around corners, using every bit of shadow she could find.
Dan scanned the area. She wasn't following anyone. "Is she running from something?" he thought.
He knew exactly who she was, even with her shabby disguise on. Even though it had been an extremely long time — even by his standards — there was no doubt. It was Lilly. Dan and Areia's old friend from back when the human kingdom still existed. After their first encounter years ago, they hadn't seen each other since.
Lost in thought, Dan didn't realize the girl had stopped moving. Now she was staring straight back at him, frozen in place, just as he stared at her.
Lilly took off her glasses. Her golden eyes shone brightly even under the shade of her extremely large hat. Her blue dress fluttered softly in the morning wind. Even from the distance, Dan could tell she was trying to say something. She opened her mouth, but no words came out at first.
She took hesitant steps toward him, abandoning her hiding spot and whatever she had been doing.
"W-wh-why? Wh-what are you doing here?" she stuttered as she got closer. "Mum said you all were dead… I can't believe it. Dan?" A single stream of tears poured down her left cheek. She let go of the glasses — they shattered on the cobblestone ground.
Abandoning all tact, she rushed forward and hugged him tightly.
"What the freaking hell," she sobbed into his shoulder. "Even a letter from you would have sufficed…"
Dan stood there shaken, arms hanging awkwardly. "Um… aren't you supposed to be hiding from something?" he whispered. "Also, people are staring."
"All that can wait. But first—" Lilly's words were cut short.
"There she is!" came a loud, extremely angry voice.
People scattered out of the way as a giant of a man rushed toward them. A group of armed thugs followed hot on his heels, all looking furious.
"I have nothing to do with you, mister," the man addressed Dan carelessly. "I'll take her now — this wench." He barked at Lilly. She quickly hid behind Dan.
"Do you know him?" Dan whispered to her.
"I may or may not have tried cheating him at his casino," she whispered back, trembling.
"Hey kid, don't ignore me," the large man growled. He was enormous — the kind of height that would put Croc to shame. "Hand her over to me and you'll walk away peacefully."
People began gathering around, forming a loose circle to watch the situation escalate. Dan eyed the growing crowd. Fighting here could put innocent people in danger, but it was always in the nature of dwarves, humans, and other species alike to stop and witness these kinds of scenes.
"How much does she owe you?" Dan asked calmly. "Surely we can settle this without me handing her over."
"I don't want the money anymore," the man snarled. "The rules of my casino are simple — pay up or we take your limbs. The balls on this girl to even step outside after running away without paying. I'll sell your organs, you whore!" He barked, spraying spit toward Dan. None of it touched him — it evaporated before reaching his face, but no one noticed.
"I'm sure we can work this out without you trying to kill her," Dan said again, still calm.
"Just how much does she owe? I'm sure it'll be better to just give you your money and let you be on your way."
"A thousand dwarven gold coins!" the man bellowed.
The entire street went silent for a heartbeat.
"I might as well just hand her over," Dan thought. "That amount of money could buy a large village." He had originally planned to pay with the ring, but he had left it with Areia before leaving. There was no way he could summon that kind of gold in the blink of an eye.
"Um, mister… is there any other way we can settle this without killing her?" Dan smiled awkwardly.
"Dog shit!" the man barked. "I'll just kill you with her."
"Whoa!" Dan raised both hands in surrender. "Let's not escalate this, please. And sorry, I can't hand her over." He paused, voice steady but serious. "Also, please don't attack. My companion isn't as forgiving as I am. I don't know where she is right now, so for your own safety… don't attack first."
"Gut them!" the large man growled.
His men rushed forward, brandishing blades and axes.
Dan wasn't sure if the first man would ever fight again. His axe had barely swung up when something exploded through the crowd, grabbed him by the arm, and used him like a pinball. The man's arm tore clean off as his body shot skyward and crashed into a nearby building with a sickening thud.
Croc stood up slowly, dropping the severed arm. She towered over Dan — his head barely reached her shoulders. In just her pants and bra, her toned abs gleamed under the sunlight. Her eyes were deadly as she stared at the retreating men. She was muscular, but not so much that she lost the soft traits of a girl.
"What are you doing, you cowards?" the large man barked. "She's only one demi-human. Surely you can take her down!"
"But sir… her tail," one of the men protested, voice shaking.
"What of it?" the boss growled.
"I've seen her kind before. She's a reptile beastkin — an extremely rare breed. I don't think we should be fighting someone like her."
"You're mercenaries! I paid you all for this!" the big man roared. "Running because of a girl with a lizard's tail?"
"Sorry, but I quit," the man said, dropping his blade. "She just took out your leader. There's no way we'd fare better. We'll refund your money. Boys, let's go."
The large man stared in bewilderment as all his hired thugs bolted into the crowd and disappeared.
"You tried to touch the contractor," Croc hissed. She walked toward the giant man with dangerous, slow steps — the way a crocodile moves in the wild right before it strikes.
"I'll rip you apart." Her jaws opened wide, revealing an abnormally large set of sharp teeth. She lunged at him, clearly ready to end it.
The man pulled back in pure horror and tripped, falling hard on his back. Croc stopped about a meter away from where he lay cowering on the ground.
It took the man a full minute to realize she hadn't started clawing him apart. He looked up, trembling, only to see the tall demi-human girl severely flushed and looking deeply offended.
"Ouch!" she yelled. "Don't grab my tail!"
"If I didn't, you would have killed that man," Dan grunted, still pulling her tail and dragging her backward. "The man isn't in the wrong here… well, not enough to die."
"Yeah, yeah, I know now. So let go of my tail!" Croc yelled, face burning red. "It's weird and highly uncomfortable!"
After calming Croc down, Dan tossed her clothes toward her.
"I'm sure you don't realize it 'cause of your nature, but it's weird walking around like that," he said, walking past her and approaching the big man who was scrambling to his feet.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you," Dan smiled gently. "Honestly, I'd be pissed too if I got cheated out of that much money. Since I don't have it right now, I'd be happy to work for you for a while to cover the debt. Someone of your caliber must have a couple of jobs worth that much, right?"
Croc quickly pulled on her tank top and sturdy pants, then turned around. She caught Lilly staring at her with wide golden eyes.
"What is it? I'm not into girls, in case you're wondering," Croc said suspiciously, narrowing her eyes.
"No, no, it's not that," Lilly flushed, embarrassed. "I'm just wondering how you ended up with such a nice figure."
"Ewww, gross! Get away from me," Croc hissed, inching backward.
"Croc, cover your ears. Lilly, you too," Dan said suddenly.
"What?" Lilly asked, confused.
"Just obey," Croc scoffed, already clamping her hands over her ears. "Nasty bit of magic this one has."
"You should too, mister," Dan smiled at the large man. The guy obeyed, though reluctantly.
Dan cleared his throat and faced the gathered crowd, voice carrying clearly.
"FORGET EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED HERE."
The street fell into an eerie silence as the spell took hold.
"Now let's blend in with the crowd," Dan hissed. "Quickly, while they're still in the trance." He beckoned to Croc, Lilly, and the large man, slipping away into the moving people before anyone snapped out of it.
Lilly stood in the middle of the busy street with Croc, one hand holding down her large hat to hide her face. Croc kept shifting away from her like she smelled bad.
"You don't need to do that," Lilly yelled, embarrassed. "I'm not gonna suddenly try to harass you!"
"As if you can," Croc replied, scooting another few inches away. "I'll bite your hands off before you try something so slimy."
Lilly let out a nervous laugh. "But really… I'm not into girls either."
"For someone who just put me in a mountain of debt, you sure are in a good mood," Dan said, appearing out of nowhere while holding a crumpled leaflet.
Lilly shrieked and leaped back, clutching her chest. "Don't sneak up on me like that, Dan! I almost had a heart attack!"
"I have lots of questions for you," Dan started.
"So do I," Croc added, arms crossed. It was rare for her to ask questions — she wasn't dumb, she just hated complicated stuff unless it was necessary.
"Go first, Croc," Dan suggested.
"Who's Dan?" Croc asked, tilting her head. "I assumed she was talking to the contractor, but he doesn't go by that name… unless he's using some alias."
"What?" Lilly looked at Dan, totally confused. "But isn't he—"
"It was a name used to mock me back when I was a kid," Dan sighed. "Nothing serious. It just stuck with her."
"Lilly, please remember to call me Mov, okay?" Dan smiled.
Lilly stared at both of them, confusion all over her face. "He's Dan… hiding his identity? Come to think of it, did he always look like this?"
She scanned the noisy street quickly. "Where's Areia? I was certain a girl like her would follow you till death. I'm surprised she's not with you right now. What's up with that?"
"Well, this will take a while," Dan said, smiling softly. "Let's find somewhere to sit for now. We have some catching up to do."