C.U.C.K.E.D H.E.R.O Ch:13

This was taking forever.

“Five hoondred and ninetay odd eight. Squeak. Five hoondred and ninetay odd nine. Squeak…”

Hurry up Hurry up Hurry up

“Six hoondred. Squeak. There, all ‘counted for. ‘Spose yer ‘appy now.”

“Again, I'm really sorry I offended you. I didn't mean to imply you weren't trustworthy. I genuinely didn't know if I was supposed to count them or not.”

The overweight mouse-man bartender stared me down. Six hundred gold coins out of their bag and neatly lined up in front of him.

Apparently counting your rewards money was a faux pas. It wasn't that I thought he would intentionally cheat us, I just wanted to be sure it was correct. With four shares of the reward we were twenty gold short of the five hundred we needed, so I thought double checking the amount would potentially save on time.

“Cen-grad-u-lations on yer vick-torey. Squeak.” He said dryly. Giving me no indication he was going to accept my apologies.

“Uhh… thanks… I've got to run, so I'll just-”

“Hang on a minute. Squeak.” The bartender grabbed my hand. Stopping me from pushing the pile of gold into the bag so I could finally get back to Hailey. “Don't cha think we ‘ought to count it again? Squeak.”

“No, please. That's not necessary.”

“Hmmm… I think it ‘tis.” The bartender smiled at me. Twirling his whiskers as he gleefully enjoyed my suffering. “You just stay there now and watch Squeak.. Wouldn't want cha ta think I was cheating ya now would we.”

I slunk back into my barstool. Keeping my big mouth shut before I could make things worse for myself.

I couldn't stop thinking about Hailey. She could look after herself, but I still worried. An endless anxiety that swirled around in my stomach as I waited for my torment to end.

“Now let's see ‘ear… One gold coin. Squeak. Two gold coins. Squeak. Three gold coins. Squeak…”

*******

“Here's your cut.” I told Sandor, showing him the thricely counted gold.

Sandor watched me push it over to him with the same apathetic look he always gave me. It was supposed to have been his job to collect the reward, and I didn't even get a thank you for doing it for him.

“Thanks for your help out there. We couldn't have done it without you.” I said. Trying to stay polite.

“Mmhhhhmmm” He huffed. Drinking from his mug and acting like I had disappeared.

“Umm… there is one more thing I wanted to ask you…” I wasn't sure if me asking him for a favour was the best idea, but I didn't have a choice. I didn't want to go back twenty gold short, Maximus didn't seem like the type who would accept an I.O.U for any amount of gold.

Sandored stared at me with his normal blank expression, but I could feel him internally rolling his eyes. Well, no point in buttering him up anymore. I just needed to lay it out plainly.

“We're still twenty gold short for Vance's antidote. And that's with all of our shares, even Myla's! So, do you think… uhhh….” I hated talking to Sandor. He wasn't giving me anything. No sign of angor, or acceptance. He was either about to physically throw me out of the tavern, or he'd just throw some gold at me so I would leave.

“Where's Hailey?” He asked instead. Finally looking me in the eyes.

“She's waiting for me to bring the money back. Been waiting for a little while now actually… So do you-”

“I want her.” His gruff, monotone voice left me with no idea what he wanted her for. To negotiate with? To keep? To eat???

Okay, maybe that last one was just internalised monster racism on my part.

“You want her to heal you?” I guessed. He looked physically fine, but maybe his ‘health bar’ or whatever was low.

“Just like before.” Sandor grunted, and for a moment it even looked like he was smiling.

The last time she healed, or buffed Sandor she'd ended the session looking distressed. I didn't want to offer her up for another session without even asking her about it, but what choice did I have?

I think she was just stressed from the craziness of our situation back then anyway. She's still friendly with Sandor, so he can't have done anything wrong.

“Deal. Twenty gold for a healing session with Hailey.” I went to count out my coins, but Sandor grabbed my hand to stop me. That was getting really annoying, why couldn't anyone just ask me to stop.

“Take it all.” He said. Sounding all too charitable for a moment. “I'll take Hailey for the night.”

He wanted her to spend the night with him… that sounded kinda sketchy…

“I don't think that's necessary…”

Sandir flailed his nostrils and tightened his grip on my hand. His neutral gaze deepened into one that made me glad my bladder was empty.

“I mean… uhh…” Every second spent here was more time Hailey had to spend alone with that creep. She was probably wondering what was taking me so long. It's not like I could just text her an update. I just needed to get this over with and apologise later if need be.

“We have a tentative deal.” Sandor's gaze began to relax back to normal. “I'll tell Hailey the deal, and if she doesn't agree to a longer session, then we'll pay you back the hundred gold? Fair?”

Sandor didn't seem pissed anymore, but he still held my arm. Maybe thinking the deal over?

“I can't force her to do it if she doesn't want to.” I told him as firmly as I could.

“Hmmpfftt… she will” Sandor let go of my hand and relaxed back in his chair. Leaving me to collect the gold.

I hurried to shove it all back into the bag. Should have just asked him before counting out his share. Stupid waste of time.

I left without saying goodbye. I doubted he cared for one, and I didn't have the time for it.

Hailey was waiting for me.

******

“You'll have to wait in line to see her then.”

“This is ridiculous! You saw me inside! You- you heard me talking to your boss! Just let me inside so I can pay him!”

Why could nothing be easy?

“Back of the line.” The Cyclops pointed to the line of eight or so guys. Mostly hybrids of wolf's, snakes and other scary looking things. A rough looking crowd for a rough part of town.

In the time it had taken me to run to the tavern, get the money and run back, it had begun to get dark. This quiet back alley transforming into a more… colourful area.

On the way over, two different scantily clad women had offered me ‘a night’ with them, and a few literal bunny girls tried to drag me into their bar. It made me feel even worse about leaving Hailey here, this place was seedier than I'd thought…

Seeing somebody else get in line, I gave up my argument with the bouncer. With my luck he'd ban me from the store if I kept going.

I stood in line with everybody else. Silently standing in the light of a glowing red orb that floated above the door to the shop now. The occasional person who walked by noticed the light and then turned around to get in line.

Maybe the store was only open erratically? That would explain the line all of a sudden. People bought what they needed when they could. I would have asked someone, but these weren't the talking types. Besides, everyone was avoiding eye contact. Not just with me, but with everyone one in line. Like they were ashamed to be here. Which, given some of the things they sold, made sense to me.

The line may have been long, but it wasn't moving slowly at least. Each guy spending four or five minutes inside before they left the store and the next guy could go in. Weirdly, nobody who left was carrying anything. No potions, or bags for stuff to be in. They all looked satisfied though, so they were getting whatever it was they wanted…

Maybe you were just supposed to drink the potions in store? Save the alchemist from having to constantly buy more glassware? What you do with the leftover flasks is never really a consideration in fantasy games…

After waiting nearly an hour, it was fully nightfall and my turn to enter. The Cyclops bouncer giving me the stink eye as I brushed past him to go in.

“Welcum! Payment up front, and please remember not to finish…” Maximus was sitting at the counter. Writing in a ledger when he noticed who had walked in.

“Ohh… it's you…” He closed the book, rolling his eyes back and gesturing for me to come closer. “Send the next one in Sal!”

“Yeah, it's me.” I dumped the bag of gold in front of him. Happy to be done holding the weights sack. “I'll need a hundred gold in change.”

“Yes yes yes… SAL!!” Maxus screamed at his bouncer. The front door opened as the guy behind me in line walked in.

“Welcum! Payment up front, remember not…” Through his hood, I watched Maximus's eyes dart between me and his customer. “Well… you know…”

“Do you have to do this while we're talking?” I asked as the man placed a silver, or maybe it was platinum, coin down on the counter and stepped into a private room.

“There isn't much time and business must go on!” Maximus smiled all too wide. Sliding the coin over to me. “Your change sir.”

So the coin was worth one hundred gold? I trusted that it was. Didn't want a repeat of the tavern experience.

“Where's Hailey? Or Vance?” The store was empty now besides the two of us. Hopefully Hailey was just looking after Vance, but if something happened…

“Your friend is fine.” Maximus hissed. “He's just down here actually. Sleeping soundly.”

I peered over and found Vance lying on the floor. Completely knocked out.

“He'll be fine by the morning.” He reassured me.

“And Hailey?”

“Ohh she actually decided to do some work for me…” The alchemist looked around the room. Avoiding eye contact.

“Work? What kind of-”

Gluuck Guuahh Gluuaagh

A muffled sloppy wet sound echoed out of the private room. A woman and a man moaning. Familiar sounds…

That's right slut, take it all the way down

I could just barely make the words out, and I couldn't believe I was hearing what I was hearing…



Porn…

It had to be porn! Actual, videographic porn! From our world, just like the toys were. No big deal in our world, but here? Here it was probably a one of a kind experience. No wonder everyone was acting shy in the line. Whatever connection Maximus had was probably giving him the videos too. Maybe a TV screen as well to play it, or a projector? I didn't want to enter the room where guys jacked off to porn to find the answer.

“She's… uhhh… sorting things in the back room…” Maximus gave me a slimy smile. I don't think he was capable of not looking like a creep. “She had her eyes on our, speciality items… She needed gold and was more than eager to work for it.”

The stuff from our world! She knew it was important and wanted to buy it! That was so Hailey, always looking out for the group.

“Great, I need to talk to her.” The porn continued to increase in volume as I stepped behind the counter. From the sounds, I'd say it was a girl deepthroating. Probably one of those really rough videos, the guy wasn't giving her any breaks to breathe. Just the constant wet gurgling of her throat being used.

“Ohhh no, you can't!” Maximus physically blocked me from opening the back door.

“Why not?”

Nugh.. fuu… NguuHuuhhHhhhugnhhh….

The video came to an explosive finish. I couldn't tell if it was the guy in the video or the guy in the room who was groaning like that, but whoever it was sounded completely satisfied.

“... employees only…” Maximus gave me a weak chuckle. Locking the door with a key. “Feel free to talk through the door!”

This was weird, but before I could question it anymore Maximus ran off. Escorting the happy patron out and bringing in the next one.

Well it didn't matter. Hailey was here and I'd tell from her voice if she was okay or not. She never liked to say when she was feeling down, but I could always tell. It was a skill I'd developed after months, years really, of caring for her. Other people might be oblivious to her struggles, but not me!

No matter how hard she tried, there wasn't anything Hailey could keep hidden from me!