The Butcher of Gadobhra

Ozzy had never realized how loud a kobold could snore. As he pulled his wagon through the streets of Wolfsburg, Myrna was wrapped up in a blanket in the wagon bed, using a pile of coins for a pillow. Ozzy wondered how closely related kobolds were to dragons. His mentor in grilling had been delighted in the buckets of coins she had won and didn't seem to care that they were silver and copper. He'd mentioned going by a bank and exchanging them for a smaller stack of gold, and she'd hissed at him while hugging them.

She'd made him promise to take her shopping after her nap and given him an address to drive to. After that, she promptly fell asleep. It had been a long and busy day for her, and she didn't have the stamina of a contract worker. Ozzy was a little tired, but the contract in his pocket had him excited. Centurion Gaius had asked for the same deal he had given to the Red Banner. It wasn't money in his pocket yet, but he would have no trouble collecting upon delivery. When Gaius had found out that the Red Banner had a thousand barrels on order, he'd brought the matter up with Gus, who thought it over and then written out the order in Ozzy's pocket. The Emperor had signed his full name and then stamped the paper with his signet ring. There would be no trouble getting payment from the Office of Acquisition.

As he was walking down the street, the smell of food came to him from the open window of a fancy restaurant. The lovely scent of coffee came to his nose, followed by the smell of pancakes. His stomach growled in response, and something feral inside him craved a large mug of caffeine. Coffee was expensive to import to Sedgewick, and he'd been drinking mostly tea for the months he'd been in the world. What little coffee they had been low quality, strong and dark, but without the delicate flavors he was smelling. Myrna wasn't waking up for a few hours, so he arranged the barrels in a pile to hide her and turned her on her side to alleviate her loud snores. Then he'd left the wagon next to the building. He noticed two young boys leaning against the wall of the next business, watching the street. He smiled at them and gestured to them. They walked over but kept their distance from him.

"Need something, mister?"

"Why, yes, I do. I noticed you two lads don't have much to do right now, and I wanted to have you guard my wagon while I go inside for a quick bite to eat. Just keep an eye out, and if anyone tries to steal something, yell at them and come get me. It's just empty barrels, but the awning is worth a few silver."

They looked at each other and conversed in low tones. "Sure, but it will cost you ten copper for each of us. Good guards don't come cheap."

Ozzy handed each of them a silver coin. "They don't, and I only hire the best. Don't rummage in the wagon; those heavy barrels could roll and crush you. And if you hear any snoring, ignore it. My partner needs a nap. Grumpy as hell if they get woke up, and they'd be upset, I'm stopping for breakfast." The silver pieces disappeared, and the boys went back to leaning against the wall of the building, this time on either side of his cart.

Guards hired, he took a moment to use Cleanse to make himself presentable and went inside to see about a large breakfast.

Whoever had built the building had been worried about security. The windows on the first floor were narrow, and the door was heavy and made of foot-thick oak but balanced well on its hinges. Pillars shaped like dragons flanked the main entrance. The upper floors overhung the street and had fancy windows of leaded glass. He hoped the cooking was as good as the architecture.

He stepped inside the small anteroom and was greeted by an older woman wearing a fancy, sky-blue robe with silver and white trim. She held a large book under one arm, and he noticed the ink stains on her right hand. She smiled in a friendly way at him. "Greetings, sir. You're up early, or did you travel all night?"

"Working selling sausages to hungry people. But now I'm the hungry one. I smelled coffee and thought I'd come in for breakfast."

Ozzy looked into the large room beyond. A bar ran the length of the establishment, with every seat full. Men and women in armor and robes were talking as the bartender set at drinks at a steady pace. Around the room were a dozen stout tables with a mix of chairs and stools around each. None of the furnishings were the same, as if they came from a dozen places. Many of them were small thrones of various designs. All of the tables were occupied by groups eating and drinking. From the mix of armor and weapons, all of which had the aura of magical items, Ozzy was getting the impression that this wasn't a normal place to eat.

She paused momentarily, looking at him, and then waved her hand as if shooing away his words. "Oh, pish-posh, a large strapping lad like you? You look famished. The least we can do is fill up that belly. Don't be shy. Just follow me, and I'll get you a table and a pot of coffee. I can hear your stomach growling from here." She took his arm and pulled him into the next room.

Ozzy went along with her. She felt like his own grandmother. No sense in being rude and leaving. And he wanted that cup of coffee. He wondered where they got their beans—something to find out and buy a few pounds.

"Here's a nice table we can work at in the middle of the room. Doris? This young man is hungry. Let's get him a pot of coffee and a double plate of pancakes and toss a dozen eggs on the side." She looked at Ozzy and smiled. "Growth spurt? You'll need to eat a lot more than usual." You start eating, and I'll get some information from you." She opened a page in her book and began writing. "My name is Eliza. You don't mind telling me a little about yourself, do you? You seem interesting, and I love discovering interesting people's stories."

Ozzy looked around the room. People were paying attention to him without directly looking at him. They were curious. He wondered why. That didn't matter, though. What mattered right now was a good breakfast and making Eliza happy. No harm telling her a few things...was there?

The food arrived. Two plates of golden brown pancakes dripping with honey and butter alongside a plate of eggs. Doris filled his large mug of coffee and left the pot. He savored the first cup black, noting the hint of hazelnut. The second cup was enhanced with thick cream and a spoonful of honey. Equally good. He dug into the food.

"My, this is almost as good as the food Suzette cooks me back home. Nice to find home cooking in the big city." It had been the thought of Suzette that gave him a clue to the puzzle. He'd watched Suzy wrap taxmen and Fae lords around her fingers using just a touch of her enchantment skill. A smile, kind words, and a bit of magic went a long way. Unless you tried to use it on a contract worker with hefty mental protections and a girlfriend who was a master at it. He looked forward to some interesting conversation while he enjoyed his breakfast.

"I appreciate the food. But I'm not that interesting a guy. Just a simple butcher selling sausage."

Across from him at the table, Eliza was considering the conundrum in front of her. He wasn't simple and couldn't be here just for breakfast. A Ward of Shunning protected the building. People hurried on past without looking at it. If pressed, they'd admit they knew a building was there, then shrug and forget about it. A person could see the building at the Third Tier but couldn't cross the thresh hold of the doorway. A strong Tier Four or Tier Five could push their way in with difficulty. Yet, this man had walked into the building like he hadn't even known it was there. And then asked for breakfast like they were a simple tavern. Granted, they did make damned good coffee.

Luckily, he was actually hungry. She'd taken that and wove it inter her Enchantment, and he should be quite agreeable to her suggestions. A dozen people around her watched carefully, having seen her coded hand gestures. It was too much coincidence that he came in today, but at the same time, dozens of people had already arrived for the meeting. They were as curious as she was about this man—time to open him up and put the details in her book.

"I can see that you're the local butcher of a town in the north, Sedgewick. Not a town I've visited in my travels. Is it nice?"

"Yep. I like it there. We have our share of problems with gophers and squirrels, but I'm sure every town has that. I keep busy with my work and enjoy a beer now and then. What more could a person want?" Two more pancakes disappeared as he speared them with a fork and ate them in a few bites. "Excuse me. It was a long night of work, and I've been eating extra lately."

She looked at his lean frame. "You certainly don't show it; from what I can see, you're all muscle. I assume you're well into the fourth tier?"

He flexed his arm, wincing a bit. "Lots of muscles, yes, but sore muscles. I ran into someone stronger than me last night. But, no, ma'am, I'm only in the third tier. It's hard to gain levels when you work a double shift each day, killing cows and smoking the meat. Not much time to chase dragons and do crazy quests. But that's the job I signed up for—no complaints from me. I've got a nice little butcher shop, a partner that helps me run the smokehouse, and some good friends. "

Eliza knew he was telling the truth. She had a skill that would have told her if he was lying. But third tier? He felt much stronger. " I see. Who do you work for, then? I'm sure that you're more than a simple butcher."

Ozzy pushed back his empty plates and refilled his coffee. "Is any Butcher really simple? Sure, I'm a local craftsman, but I deal in death and blood in a way most people can't wrap their heads around. That makes it hard for people to feel comfortable around me. Luckily, a nice smile and kind words can go a long way. I'm sure you understand."

He sipped his coffee, and his eyes met hers, unclouded by her skills. A chill went down her spine. How was he not affected at all by her abilities? He was playing with her. Fine, time to move to a more direct conversation

"Now, dear, tell me the real reason you came here today."

Ozzy swallowed the last of his coffee and set down the empty mug. "Coffee and pancakes."

Eliza's smile faded a bit. He was blocking her somehow, yet that felt like a true answer. She focused her enchantment on him directly. "Yes, dear, but what was the other reason, and who sent you?"

She kept her eyes on him, and Ozzy seemed to think hard on that question. He was resisting answering, thinking of something, and delaying his answer.

Doris brought him another pot. He poured a cup and drank it down while Eliza waited patiently. Finally, he shook his head, sat back and chuckled. "Wow, you are really good. Subtle as a brick to the head, and I was still trying to give you an answer. But I don't have a better answer for you. Coffee and breakfast were all that was on my mind."

She pouted a little. "Direct questions usually work on someone with as many muscles as you have. I wasn't expecting you to have that many points of Intelligence or so many layers of mental resistance to shield you. But, it changes very little. This is my domain, surrounded by my people. Who sent you here?"

Ozzy poured more coffee. If he was going to get into a fight, he might as well enjoy a few more cups while he could. A waitress was walking past him with a huge steak on a platter. "Miss? I'll take one of those when you get a chance. I still have some room. And if you have any pie, I'll take a whole one." She smiled at him as if ordering a 40 oz. steak and a whole pie were normal. He turned back toward Eliza. "I hate to disappoint you, ma'am, you seem nice, and the food here is great, but my only motive for walking in the door was coffee and breakfast. Is there something wrong with that?"

Eliza sighed. "Please, let's not play these games. You walked through a Ward of Shunning that should have kept you from even noticing this place. Care to explain that?" Around her, people shifted in their seats, everyone in the room looking at the two of them. "Our order meets yearly to choose new recruits and decide on our labors for the coming twelve months. And you wish me to believe that you just strolled in here for no reason other than a cup of coffee? If you came to apply for a position in The Order of Heracles, this is the wrong way to go about it. And if you came to spy, you will regret it. Now, I will ask my questions once again, and if I don't like the answers, I'll turn you over to someone else who won't ask so nicely."

Ozzy realized he wasn't going to get to eat that pie.

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