C.U.C.K.E.D H.E.R.O Ch:16

“If everybody is ready, then I'd like to call this meeting to order.”

“What the hell are you talking about Mason? There's three of us here.” Vance leaned back in his chair, kicking his feet up onto the table. “You don't have to call us to order. Just start talking.”

Vance had been back on his feet for only a morning, and already I was regretting saving his life.

“Sure. Whatever.” I didn't have the energy to deal with him right now. Last night's sleep was rough. “I want to talk about-”

“Why is it just us three anyway?” Vance interrupted. “Shouldn't Myla and Sandor be at this party meeting?”

“Myla's done enough for us already, I don't want to burden her anymore. And you said Sandor was sleeping in Hailey?”

The beautiful, curvy, scantily clad Elven woman at the table stares off into the distance. Despite being physically flawless and blemish free, I could still see the signs of fatigue. The blank stares, how she retreated into herself, the early beginnings of dark circles under her eyes.

Her body was different, but Hailey was still in there. That's what I kept telling myself. Even when she was acting weird, Hailey was still in there.

“Hailey?” I put my hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”

“Hmm? Oh! Uhh… sorry what did you say?” Hailey blinked the sleep out of her eyes, running her slender fingers through her dishevelled golden hair.

“Didn't get much sleep either did you?” I asked. Putting my hand over hers.

“Hmm? Sleep… uhh… no. I mean yes! I… I slept good. No, not. Not good. Just okay…”

“Maybe you were further away from all the racket…” The room I ended up getting was on the same level as Hailey and Sandor. I thought all the noises I heard were coming from their side of the hallway, but I guess it must have been the other side.

“Wait, what did I miss?” Vance put his feet down and sat in his chair properly.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing!”

Hailey and I spoke at the same time. It was nice to see we were still in sync.

“Doesn't sound like nothing…” Vance muttered.

“Can we stay on track? This is why I wanted to be formal.” Vance rolled his eyes at me, but waved for me to continue. “Thank you. So the others are busy, but this only pertains to the three of us anyway.”

“You want to talk about going home again?” Vance signed. “We just got here? What's the rush?”

“Yeah dude, we just got here and you've nearly died already!” I don't know how he could be so cavalier when he was the one that got stabbed and poisoned.

“Eh. Shit happens.” He shrugged.

“I really don't think you're getting the gravity of this situation Vance.” I told him.

“No, I don't think you're getting it.” Vance leaned into the table. Pointing at me. “We've literally been transported to another universe. With magic, and hot chick's, and the freedom to do whatever the hell we want!”

Vance was staring at me like I was the idiot. As if I didn't get what he was saying.

“Yeah, I get that dude. But things are not working out for us. We need to change something. We need a plan.”

“What? A plan to abandon this literal fantasy world? Why the hell should we?” Vance was raising his voice. Thumping the table for emphasis.

“You nearly died! How is that not registering for you?!”

“Maybe because I'm not a little bitch.”

“Oh I'm FUCKING sorry, maybe next time you're bleeding out I'll-

“Boys boys!” Hailey raised her hands, gesturing for us to shut the hell up. “Let's calm down. Please.”

Vance and I both sunk back onto our chairs. Looking away from each other.

“Can we agree that this word is more dangerous than we originally thought it was?” Hailey asked both of us, but she was looking at Vance.

“Yeah… I guess…” He mumbled.

“And can we also agree that there's more going on here?” Hailey turned to look at me now. “That there's some connection back to our world here?”

“Yeah, there is.” I tapped my finger on the table.

“So, we have plenty of leads that we can, and should, investigate.” Hailey kept looking between the two of us. Making sure we were listening to her. “But, that doesn't mean we're leaving this world anytime soon. Right?”

“Right.” Vance and I groaned in unison.

“Good.” Hailey’s face had perked up. “So we all agree with each other. Nobody needs to get mad.”

I felt like I'd just been scolded by my mother, but honestly, that was a good feeling right now. A normal feeling.

Normalcy was what we needed right now. Hearing Hailey sound like her usual self helped. The only difference here was that it worked. She always tried to keep us from fighting at the table, but Vance never listened. I didn't know whether the change now was from a growing confidence inside her, or just because of her new looks…

“So what's your big plan then?” Vance asked me.

I took a breath and gathered my thoughts again. Hailey was sitting up straighter, looking more focused than I'd seen since we got here. I wish I could pick her up and carry her to bed. The two of us snuggling together under the sheets. Sleeping the day away.

If only we could. But there was too much to plan, to do, to learn. We didn't have the luxury of free time. Not yet

“I see two options.” I started explaining to them. “Firstly, there was that Wizard Myla told us about.”

“Angar?” Vance recalled. “But he was expensive right?”

“Expensive sure, but knowledgeable.” I nodded my head. “We still barely know anything about this world. Werewolves and Goblins exist, but do Vampires? Ghosts? And how does magic even work here? Hailey, you've used a few spells? Do you even understand it?”

“Umm…” Hailey averted her eyes. Blushing a little from the embarrassment of not knowing I assumed. “It kind of just… happens…”

“See? We don't know shit about this world, and a wizards library seems like a good place to learn.”

“Okay, but how would we pay him?” Vance asked.

“More quests?” I winced as I said it. “But I'd rather avoid any more combat if we could… Maybe we could trade him knowledge about our world for some from his? Or is that dangerous information to give away…”

“We could always trade… other… favours…” Hailey was looking off into the distance again. Still blushing.

“I could see a wizard having a few simple errands we could run for him.” I nodded my head. A reclusive old wizard was bound to have some letters that needed delivering. Or some herbs and stuff we could gather. Hopefully less dangerous work than what the quests offered.

“Y-yeah… exactly…” Hailey agreed.

“I could read books or run stupid errands back home.” Vance scoffed. “What else have you got?”

“The only other lead we have was the name of that town Maximus mentioned.”

“Avantis.” Hailey provided.

“Yeah, that one.” Vance looked confused, so I explained it to him. How the alchemist he stayed with had items from our world. Supplied from wherever and whatever Avantis is.

“So that's our other option.” I said. “Leave this town behind and travel there.”

“Travel the world and see the sights, or read some dusty old tombs. Gee, I wonder which I'd rather do?” Vance rolled his eyes.

“Don't forget that it would probably mean leaving behind the few people we know in this world.” I explained to him. “I doubt Myla would uproot her life here just to follow us around.”

That gave him pause. As much as he wanted to go out and explore, it would mean leaving behind the one girl with low enough standards to fuck him.

“Maybe… maybe Sandor would escort us there…” Haileys eyes went wide and her hands twitchy. Was she scared about being attacked on the road? I didn't see why else she'd want him to tag along.

“If we paid him he might.” I thought about it. We probably would need some protection or a guide, but did we really need to go with him? “We're getting ahead of ourselves. We don't even know where this place is or how to get there yet.”

“But no matter what we do, the first thing we need is more money.” Vance affirmed.

“We could get jobs?” Vance looked physically disgusted as I said it. “It's not glamorous, but you made some good money working for Maximus Hailey.”

Hailey slunk back further into her chair again. Nodding while keeping her lips firmly shut. Whatever burst of confidence she'd received seemed to be short lived.

“I'd rather risk my life doing some bullshit quest.” Vance crosses his arms. Stubborn as always.

“We can have a look, but we really need to find something easy if we do…” I don't think I could handle doing anything Goblin related again.

Silence fell over the table. Each of us thinking about what we wanted to do next. Crippled by the long list of possibilities.

“So… what should we do then?” Hailey broke the silence. Looking at me for direction.

Vance was watching me as well. Listening to what I had to say for once. It gave me hope. Hope that someday we could find our way out of this mess. That we might actually be able to work together. To save ourselves, and maybe even this whole world… If only we knew the right path to take.

“We do what the party always does in times like these.” I smirked. Thinking back to simpler times.

“We vote.”