Dear Elle,

  Yesterday was fun! :D I haven’t ever been to a carnival before and I enjoyed the rides. :) Hope we get to play again before we go home!

  Love, Sarah

  P.S: Do you have any pets? Papa Joe has a big smelly dog, but I like him. :)

  Joe had not been to a carnival since he was a child himself, and the process of getting ready for one with a small child was an unexpectedly fraught ordeal. There was the setting and reiteration of expectations that still somehow went unheard by Sarah, despite the little catgirl looking straight at him. Then there was the sisyphean task of bleeding off her almost nuclear levels of energy for what felt like hours before they were to meet up with Ellie’s parents. By the time the trio finally left for the carnival Joe was already exhausted and had a new found understanding of child leashes.

  Despite numerous reminders to stick close to them, Sarah continued to lead the charge, often weaving in and out of others in her hurry forward. Eventually Joe had to put his foot down and confined the wiggling six year old to his shoulders until they reached the rendezvous point. Sarah initially protested, but once she realized that her perch allowed her to see over the crowd she stopped struggling.

  This vantage point also meant that Sarah was the first to spot the other half of their party.

  “I see them!” She screeched, flailing around trying to get her friends' attention. Joe had to clamp down on Sarah’s legs to keep her from falling off.

  “Sarah, hold still. I just about dropped you!” It was no use though. Once Ellie had spotted her, Sarah twisted in Joe’s grip easily breaking free and disappearing into the crowd. When she reached her friend they embraced so hard Sarah managed to divot her lamnotta friend.

  Their joy was short lived however as Moira stomped through the crowd, storm clouds in her eyes and a reprimand on her lips.

  “Sarah Fairchild, do not run off again or so help me we’ll go straight back home!” Sarah withered under her mothers reprimand. She looked like she was about to argue when Rachelle cut in addressing her own child.

  “That goes doubly for you too Ellie. You and Sarah need to stick together and stay with at least one adult at all times, do I make myself clear?” Rachelle fixed her own child with a practiced look that got the little lamnotta nodding immediately. Sarah was more recalcitrant, folding her arms while her ears flattened against her hair.

  “Sarah.” Joe rumbled, doing his best to mimic Rachelle’s look. Surprisingly it worked, causing Sarah to droop visibly and mutter an almost inaudible “ok.”

  Despite the somewhat rocky start the children did do better once they reached the carnival proper. The carnival itself was held in a grassy field on the outskirts of Southgate normally used to graze brox, a fact that was more than evident despite the carnival workers best attempt to remove the evidence. Beyond that one mildly distressing surprise that Joe was assured would scrape off just fine once it dried, the carnival was everything a Joe expected from a fantasy setting. The grounds were a warren of brightly colored tents and open fronted vendor stalls arranged into a web of temporary roads with vaguely discernible districts.

  The pair of children were immediately drawn to the games and rides, while the adults were more interested in the vendor stalls. Moira had immediately keyed in on the sound of a blacksmith's anvil and had made her intentions to spy on them clear.

  “Go,” said Joe, waving his hands in a shooing motion. “I’ll watch Sarah and Ellie, you guys go look at the vendors.”

  “Are you sure?” Moira asked, her tone trying to convey a reluctance her body language did not reflect. Joe gave a shrug and a smile.

  “We’re here all week, if I want a chance to loop through the vendors I can do it later.”

  “If it’s all the same,” Geller cut in from his position beside his wife. “I’ll go with Joe and let you ladies shop on your own.”

  “Are you sure that’s wise?” Rachelle asked in a mock serious tone. He nodded solemnly, his face just as impassive as Jill’s always was.

  “I am sure. While I love and adore you Rachelle, any opportunity I can escape going shopping with you I will take.”

  Joe thought for sure he was about to witness a fight break out between their new friends, but Rachelle just gave a hearty laugh and wrapped her arm around Moira. She gave the blacksmith a squeeze before responding. “Fair enough, but you’re not escaping me Moira. It’s no fun shopping alone, and I do inflict it on my poor husband possibly a bit more frequently than I should.” Teams thus picked, the two groups split and went their separate ways. Moira and Rachelle leaving arm and arm while Joe and Geller herded the children off.

  As far as conversation companions went, Geller was the perfect partner for an extrovert. He listened placidly, only occasionally interjecting with a comment to prove he was paying attention. He kept his anecdotes and comments short and to the point, rarely straying into side tangents or new topics. Joe could easily see how he and his lamia partner got along. Unfortunately Joe was not an extrovert, which meant their conversations were prone to long pauses propped up by stilted observations as they watched their kids ride the various attractions.

  Honestly, some of these things wouldn’t look out of place back home. Joe thought to himself as Sarah came whizzing by screeching at the top of her lungs. This is obviously a ‘Yoyo’ ride. The ride in question was composed of a central pillar bolted into a large wooden platform. At the top, attached to a pivot was a massive hoop that had ropes dangling down around its circumference. Attached to these ropes was a plank of wood that made a crude but effective swing seat. There were no safety restraints, or really anything other than the riders own inclination not to die keeping the passengers in their seats.

  At least Sarah and Ellie seem to be having the time of their lives. Joe thought as the bright pink lamnotta zipped by. She’d wrapped her long lamia style tail several times around the rope and was holding on for dear life. Then again, if either of them slip, they may not have a chance to experience much more. I guess when you have literal magic potions capable of curing most things, public health and safety is a little bit more loose and fast.

  The pair of friends ended up needing to sit down for a few minutes once the ride was over, so Geller guided them to a set of public tables before disappering off to find them something soothing to drink.

  “Alright,” Joe said, showing no mercy to the two six year olds flopped bonelessly against the table. He sorted through the handful of iron manacoins he had out as he continued. “You’ve got enough left to ride about three to six more rides depending on whether you pick the one or two manacoin ones. After that we’re going to go find your mothers and we’ll have lunch.

  At the mention of food both children groaned.

  “I don’t feel so good.” Sarah whined, not lifting her head from its position against the rough wood of the tabletop.

  “You’ve been on half a dozen variations of a spinning ride, what do you expect?” Joe countered. He leaned across the table and blew into her ear, causing the appendage to twitch and its owner to swat at him. By the time her hand came around however, Joe was already leaning back out of the way.

  “Lemmie alone” Sarah whined piteously.

  “Not a chance, little cat.” Joe chuckled, “you did this to yourself. Perhaps in the future

  make better choices.”

  Joe could just about hear her response, but choose to pretend he hadn’t. Her mom wouldn’t have been pleased to know Sarah had such a vocabulary.

  Geller soon returned with what smelled and looked to Joe exactly like iced mint tea. It had been sweetened with bits of fruit that bobbed merrily amongst the chips of ice. Joe found it quite refreshing and it seemed to perk up the children to no end. By the time they finished their drinks the two were up and ready to go once more.

  <><><>

  Becky pressed her back as tightly as she could to the brick of the back wall. There was no way she could make it to the other end of the garden in time to stop the rear gate from opening so instead she did her best to melt into the shadows and see what happened next. With any luck it’s just some croarks and this will just be some funny story I tell Joe when he gets back. Becky thought to herself as she crouched low to the ground.

  It was not a croark.

  It was Higgins. Becky was alone and it was Higgins slinking through the gate, his silhouette backlit by the dim reflected light of the streetlight out front. Becky pushed herself back further into the shadows of the garden wall, trusting in her superior night vision to stay ahead of her stalker. The man was clearly up to no good. He slunk from shadow to shadow, seeming to test every step before committing to it.

  What the hell does he want? Becky thought to herself. She wasn’t ready to step out just yet, not without first discovering what he was up to. Higgins slunk his way right up to the back door of the shop before gingerly tapping lightly on its surface, somehow expecting to be heard while also remaining quiet. Almost immediately the door rattled in its frame as Goober hit the other side without apparently slowing down. Since the door didn’t have the good grace to yield to his onslaught, he let loose a barrage of barks. The sudden noise caused Higgins to jump backwards. His heel caught on an uneven bit of ground causing him to end up sprawled out on his back in the packed dirt of the garden.

  It was the prat fall that got Becky caught. She wasn’t fast enough at strangling the snort of derision at seeing Higgins fall on his ass. Higgins' head jerked up at the noise. Even though Becky was sure he couldn’t see her in the shadows, she knew she was caught.

  “Becky?” Higgins asked, staring right into the shadows she was lurking in. “Becky, are you out here? I need to talk to you.”

  “Becky sighed through her nose before answering. “Yeah, I’m over here.” She watched as Higgins scrambled to his feet, brushing dirt off his pants as he stood.

  “Can you come out here? I want to see your beautiful face while we talk.” Becky debated staying in the shadows, but she knew from experience that Higgins would continue to ask if she didn’t. Let’s just get this over with. Push comes to shove I can just let Goober out. She thought as she stepped forward into the weak light. She took as few steps as possible to make herself visible to Higgins. It was a wasted effort however, as Higgins closed the distance as soon as he spotted her. He opened his arms as if he was going to hug her, which made Becky take a step back. Higgins paused, dropping his arms to the side as he gave her a wounded look.

  “Why wont you give me a chance Becky? I know I can make you the happiest woman on the planet if you’d just let me.” He whined.

  “Why?” Becky put her hands on her hips and glared daggers at the much taller man. “It’s because I said ‘no’ and you took that as a ‘not yet’. You’ve spent the last two years harassing me at work and in the halls between classes. I’ve tried to be nice Higgins, I really have but I’m done with this! Go, get out of here and never bother me again.”

  “Becky, I”

  “I don’t want to hear it. Gods you’re lucky I didn’t bring my handshaker out with me. Go!”

  Unshed tears filled the edges of Higgins eyes, making his wounded expression look even more pathetic. Becky would have felt sympathy for the worm, had she not seen him do the same thing on other occasions.

  “Please Becky. Just-”

  “No”

  Higgins didn’t budge from his spot, and it finally occurred to Becky he was standing between her and the door. Damnit, unless I go around to the front I’m stuck here. “ I’ve got a lot of restocking to do, Higgins. Get out of my way.”

  “Please, if this really is the end, at least take this. Something to remember me by. Something to remind you of what could have been.” Higgins hand dove into one of the pockets of his robe before returning holding a necklace. It took Becky a moment to register that it was the same necklace he’d left at her work the day she’d met Joe. “I just ask one thing; could you put it on for me? Just once. I want my last memory of you to be wearing the necklace I worked so hard on.”

  Becky felt the bile rise in her throat. She’d sooner wear a wreath of leeches than let that necklace get around her neck. If I accept that thing and put it on, Becky thought to herself as she glared at the shiny bauble, I just know he’ll take it as an acceptance of his advances. Nothing else I’ve said is going to matter. He’ll just come back again. “No,” she finally said, her expression hardening. Fuck it, at this point I’ll just go around. She turned away from Higgins and made her way towards the back garden gate. “You have until I get around to the front door to get out of here or I swear by all the gods I’ll call the guard i-”

  Instinct alone allowed Becky to dodge what happened next. It wasn’t until she was airborne that she even registered the rapid thumping of running steps behind her, her powerful legs having acted on their own to propel her straight up and over Higgins head in a tenth of a second. Twisting midair, Becky struck out with both diminutive hindpaws. The nails raking across the back of Higgins head as they sought purchase to launch her sideways and away from her attacker. The blow wasn’t as strong as it would have been had it come from one of her larger hobbish brethren, but it did what it needed to do. Higgins staggered as she was launched backwards towards the rear door of the shop. She hit the ground and rolled, absorbing the impact of the rough landing and springing to her feet.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Becky made a mad sprint for the door, but before she could get it open a hand gripped her long tail near its bushy tip and yanked her backwards. She screamed and kicked out, catching Higgins across the jaw and opening up three parallel slashes where her claws dug in. One of Higgins' large boots came down on her tail, pinning her in place and bringing another scream to her lips as the weight of the much larger man caused the vertebra to dislocate. Becky rotated as best she could in her prone position, lashing out with fists, claws and teeth wherever possible to fend off her attacker.

  Higgins for his part, seemed more interested in getting the necklace over Becky’s head than protecting his own. He weathered her strikes and only dodged where necessary to keep him on target. His singleminded determination to get the necklace on Becky threw up all kinds of red flags to her, and she did her best to dodge, bite and roll wherever possible to make his job harder. It was a losing battle however. Higgins greater weight made it impossible for Becky to get out from under him and after no more than a few seconds of struggle he’d managed to shimmy up her body and pin her at the shoulders with his knees. At that distance she could hear him muttering.

  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to have to hurt you. I didn’t want it to be like this, but you made me. I wouldn’t have had to be so rough if you’d just put it on yourself.”

  “Higgins! Stop! Whatever you’re doing stop it!” Becky squirmed under him, but it was no use. Her smaller frame lacked the strength necessary to shift him off her.

  “No, no you’ll be happy. We’ll be happy you’ll see. I’m going to take care of you. You won’t have to worry about anything ever again. I’ll be quick, I promise. This isn’t going to hurt and afterwards we’ll be happy.” A manic light burned in Higgins eyes as he shuffled his legs forward one last time and pinned her head in place with his knees. Becky’s eyes were locked on the pendant as Higgins slowly lowered it over her head.

  <><><>

  The quartet ended up needing to initiate a rescue mission when Rachelle and Moira failed to show up after the girls had burned through all their ride money. Geller didn’t seem at all surprised by this development, with his only comment being ; “better her than me.”

  The vendor district of the carnival looked like a live-in ren fair to Joe. Granted, he thought to himself, most of this world reminds me of a live-in ren fair. Most of the stalls were simple awnings or tents erected in front of more vando style wagons, all vibrant colored in hues that were at odds with one another.

  The wares they peddled ran the spectrum between more traditional carnival fare like candies and trinkets all the way up to tailored clothes, tools and furniture. JOe was pretty sure he even saw one industrious looking lanoli showing a young couple around a vando he was trying to sell.

  For as packed as the ride district had been, the vendor area felt even more overpopulated. The tight alleys that ran between the various vendors left only enough room for three people to stand, almost. In practice the way was often choked by stationary groups of gawkers and the inconsiderate. It made tough going for the little group as they weaved back and forth looking for their lost members.

  I’ll have to come back here sometime when it’s just me and Moira, Joe thought to himself as he dodged around a particularly oblivious group of humans who’d chosen the center of the path to stand and have a reunion. Joe eventually spotted a glassy-eyed Moira trailing behind Rachelle, who herself was examining a tray of silver earrings while holding a one sided conversation with the blacksmith.

  Moira locked eyes with Joe and silently mouthed “help me” behind her companions back. It was all Joe could do to keep himself from laughing. The reunited group set off to find something to eat, eventually settling on a stand that sold what looked to Joe like deep fried tacos. The shells were crispy, having little flavor themselves acting more as a vehicle for the filling. Said filling was a heavily salted mix of meats and crunchy vegetables all soaked in a rich tasting fry oil. It was everything JOe could have asked for in carnival food, despite knowing he was likely to pay for it later with a stomach ache.

  At some point however, the fun had to come to an end and another hour or so saw the two family units bidding each other goodbye.

  Ellie and Sarah were absolutely heartbroken at being separated once again. They actually refused to let go of each other until JOe suggested they become penpals. With mailing information exchanged, the two friends finally relented and their respective families were able to start heading home.

  Sarah was insistent on writing her newly minted best friend a letter as soon as they got back to her grandparents house. However as the walk drug on she started to move slower and slower, finally needing to be carried on Joe’s back the last leg of the walk.

  “Sooo,” Joe asked, hiking Sarah up to a more comfortable spot on his back. Her eyes were already closed, body totally relaxed in an apparent doze. “How was your girls time with Rachelle?”

  “Oh gods above, that woman is the slowest shopper I have ever delt with.” Moira said with an explosive sigh, causing Joe to let out a bark of laughter.

  “It couldn’t have been that bad.”

  “You weren’t there Joe.” Moira threw her hands into the air, as if to beseech the aforementioned gods. “She had to touch literally everything in every stall! I swear we spent twenty minutes looking at baby clothes.”

  “Baby clothes?”

  “She was comparing colors for what would match Ellie's skin tone.”

  Joe cocked an eyebrow “For baby clothes? How big were these theoretical babies?”

  “Not big enough! The poor lady running the stall spent so much time helping Rachell. She looked about ready to strangle her when we left without buying anything.” Moira rubbed her temples, seeming pained by the memory of what she had to endure. “And don’t even get me started on jewelry!”

  “Ok, I wont.”

  “She kept bouncing back and forth between booths comparing stock, haggling prices between vendors, generally being the sort of cud chewing fence rider any shop owner loathes to deal with.” Moira glared up at Joe. “Do you know how much jewelry she finally bought?”

  Joe hiked a gently snoring Sarah back up onto his shoulder. “A lot?” he hazarded. I’m going to have to remember ‘cud chewing fence rider’ , that was a good one.

  “One set of earrings.”

  “You’re kidding me.”

  “I’m absolutely not! My feet hurt so bad after all the back and forth.” Moira whined, her shoulders slumping with exhaustion.

  “Aw, I’ll rub them for you when we get back.” Joe offered.

  Moira shot him a loving look. “Could you? That would mean the world to me.”

  “Of course, I wouldn’t have offered if I hadn’t intended to.” Joe leaned over and planted a kiss on her forehead. The action brought him close enough to catch a whiff of her scent. Despite not having been in the forage for days, her hair still smelled of smoke and iron, mixed with the floral perfume she’d chosen to wear.

  “You’re an absolute treasure Joe.” Moira snuck a peck on his lips as he straightened back up. Joe responded with a snort that got him a raised eyebrow from his blacksmith. “What?” Moira asked, tilting her head to the side as she looked up at him. “Do you not believe me?”

  “I’m just some guy.” Joe responded. “I’m sure you could find better.”

  It was Moira’s turn to snort. “Excuse me? Did you not see who I picked when I was left to my own devices?" She cocked an eyebrow at Joe, who shrugged. “I’m sure it started out fine, some people are like wine and sour over time.”

  “Or get better.” Moira added, gently bumping Joe’s bonier hip with a plush one of her own. “Or do I have your wife to thank for how sweet you are?” Her smile faltered as a blush spread across her cheeks. “Ah, sorry if, u, talking about her is painful.”

  Joe gave her a reassuring smile. Shuffling Sarah to a more comfortable position, he took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “It’s ok Moira, and yeah. I learned a lot from Mary. To be fair though, she learned a lot from me too.” Moira gave a hum of acknowledgement, but it was clear from her expression she regretted asking. JOe gave her hadn another squeeze to bring her back to the conversation. When she looked at him he continued. “Honestly you probably would have killed me if we’d met when I was younger.” Joe chuckled. “Mary as a saing for putting up with my shit early on in our relationship.”

  Moira quirked an eyebrow, so Joe elaborated. “I was a great cook, but the cleanup? I was less than great at.” Joe let go of her hand to help support Sarah again. He had to hike her back up from where she’d slid down his back. The action made the six year old grumble quietly before wiggling more into his warm back. “I let things pile up. I was used to living alone where the mess wasn’t bothering anyone but me. Mary on the other hand liked things neat. It was something to do with her parents, they weren’t the cleanest and always seemed to have problems with insect infestations because of it. Mary was very sensitive about leaving food out.”

  Joe glanced back to Moira to find her nodding along. When their eyes met, she looked away. A silence stretched between them as she seemed to be mulling something over. “Do you mind if I ask how she died?” Moira eventually asked.

  Joe thought for a moment, wondering how best to translate the accident into something MOira would be able to understand. “She…was run over by a cart while out. The driver had been drinking heavily and was going far too fast for conditions. He didn’t stop to help either, just kept going. By the time someone else found her, she was gone.”

  “I’m sorry Joe.” Moira said softly. She set her hand on his side, seeming to try and send him some reassurance through her touch.

  “It’s ok. I never want her to be something that’s just not talked about.” Joe said, repositioning a grumpy Sarah once again. They had to wake her up soon after, as they had arrived back at Githa and Howe’s house. Sarah managed to stay awake until bed time, but was too tired to do more than read on the couch the rest of the day. Once she’d been put to bed for the night, Joe slipped out the back door and into the warm night air.

  He located a filigree’d metal bench under the spreading arms of some sort of short, flowering tree. The boughs overhead scented the air below with a faint sweet smell occasionally accented by the falling of tiny white petals as the wind tugged them from the flowers above. Once Joe was comfortable, he glanced up at the expanse of glittering stars above

  “You’d have loved her, Mary.” JOe murmured to himself, unconsciously wringing his hands back and forth in his lap. “Although I guess I would have never met her if you were still here. Still, I hope you approve of her.” Joe glanced down, becoming aware of the nervous motion of his hands. He clasped them together to stop from fidgeting. “I’m still learning how to parent. Sarah’s a spitting image of her mom and I’m more than a little in over my head I feel like. I never really thought about how I would be as a dad, but I think I’m doing ok. She doesn’t seem to hate me at least.” Joe paused, his face scrunching up like he’d chewed a whole lemon. “I could do without Minsk, but for the moment he’s here so I’ll just have to live with it.”

  Joe took a deep breath, opening his hands back up and examining the lines that crossed his palms. “I just want you to know, I still love you. I will always love you no matter what.” He lapsed into silence, unable to think of what else to say. A sound from the house made him look up to find Moira slipping out the back door.

  “There you are. I was wondering where you’d gotten off to.” She said as she spotted him on the bench. “Mind if I come sit down?”

  “Not at all,” Joe answered, scooting over to give her room on the bench. Once she was settled he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Moira leaned her head on his shoulder as the two of them stared up at the stars together.

  <><><>

  Mi’Takal was a proud mother, she loved her family and would do anything to see them thrive. However, there were times she really wanted to kill her husband. He’d left the rear door ajar again. It was an ingrained habit, she reminded herself, something he’d picked up to help combat the stuffiness of their overstuffed shop. It had been fine, helpful even, right up until they had hatchlings.

  Mi’Takal cursed under her breath again as her sleeve caught on one of the rowan bushes wickedly sharp thorns. The vegetable spikes weren’t strong enough to bother even a hatchling's scales, which was how the little angel had managed to wedge itself all the way back against the garden wall. Her once beautiful blouse however, had fared far worse, now sporting several holes she was tempted to patch with pieces of her husband’s hide.

  Under normal circumstances those thorns would have been just as much of a detriment to her child as to her, snagging the hatchlings onesie and holding it in place until its mother could reach it. Tonight had been bath night though, and the little one had slipped off between tub and towel. It now squatted naked in the rowan bush, munching its way through a still wriggling cricket it had snagged during its mad dash to get away from its mother.

  Mi’Takal was so lost in her quest to retrieve her child that it wasn’t until the first scream split the still night air that she even registered the noise from next door. As the echos bounced off the surrounding buildings Mi’Takal’s head whipped around to the dividing wall between their yard and Joe’s next door. Now that she was listening, there was obviously something going wrong over there. Mi’Takal glanced back at her hatchling buried in the shrubbery. It had moved on from its cricket to a particularly large spider. It’s bulbous body being a good enough distraction for at least a couple minutes.

  Mi’Takal broke into a run, clearing the width of the garden in less than a second. She scaled the wall in little more than that as well, her claws finding more than enough purchase in the rough mortar between the bricks. What she saw made the breath catch in her throat.

  A dark shape struggled with Becky near the center of the bare garden. Despite the moz goblin’s best efforts, she was clearly unable to dislodge her attacker. Mi’Takal bit her lip. Oh, what to do? No time to call the guards. Cha’s watching the other hatchlings and even combined I doubt we could do much to a human, Mi’Takal vacillated on her perch. Her brave heart told her to stop this, but her sensible mind knew she’d only add another victim if she intervened directly.

  Becky screamed again as her attacker stomped on her tail and pinned her to the ground. I have to do something! Maybe if I can get on their back I can scratch their eyes, or at least distract them enough for Becky to get out from under them! As Mi’Takal steeled herself to leap into the fray, her eyes fell on the rattling back door of the shop.

  <><><>

  Becky struggled with all her flagging might, but Higgins was just too heavy to be moved. She couldn’t take it anymore and shut her eyes as she felt the cold metal of the pendant brush her forehead as Higgins looped the chain behind her head. With them shut, Becky missed the moment Goober hit Higgins like the wrath of Dog. It wasn’t until Becky heard the screams that her eyes popped open. The first thing she saw was the underside of Goober. This was a sight that, while not the worst, certainly ranked in the top five. The gnollhound stood protectively over Becky, head whipping back and forth with Higgins robe trailing from his mouth like a ragged comet. It wasn’t until Higgins screamed again that Becky realized the man was still inside the robe.

  “Are you alright?” Mi’Takal asked from Becky’s left. She set a petit hand on the moz’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze which brought the moz goblin back from her opened mouth observation of Goober rearranging Higgins anatomy.

  “What? I, Yeah I think so.” Becky responded, unconsciously rubbing her neck. She tore her eyes away from Goober to look for the necklace Higgins had tried to force on her. Centrifugal force had apparently ripped it from his hands, sending the bauble flying off into one corner of the garden plot. Becky pocketed it to make sure it didn’t end up back in Higgins hands.

  In the time it took her to look Goober had been treating Higgins like the worlds largest chew toy, thrashing his head back and forth violently using his pharyngeal jaws to ensure that he could not escape. When Becky looked back to the carnage it was to see whatever piece of Higgins Goober had gotten a grip on part company with the rest of him. Finally released, the wood be attacker sailed through the air and into the rear garden wall. Unfortunately the blow wasn’t enough to kill him.

  Higgins had just enough time to scramble to his feet and dig out a coin before Goober tackled him back into the wall. Whatever spell he’d been preparing to defend himself went wide as Higgins was reintroduced to Goober's own chaotic brand of G force.

  “Should we stop him?” Mi’Takal asked as she and Becky watched Goober.

  “I don’t see why we need to right now.”

  Mi’Takal glanced up at Becky. Now that the little kobold was standing next to her, Mi’Takal could see the dark splotches coming up on Becky’s green skin that told of heavy bruising. Mi’Takal pulled a sour face, hating that she needed to be the voice of reason. “The guards may not like it if Goober kills him. They might decide he’s too dangerous and have him executed.”

  “The forest’s not too far away. I’m sure the croarks could finish off a human body before anyone found it.”

  “Becky…” Mi’Takal injected the one word with all the authority she used on her hatchlings and husband. It was thankfully enough to get the moz goblin to cave, her soft droopy ears dipping even further at the one word rebuke.

  “Oh alright,” she sighed “Goober, put him down.” Goober dropped the sodden mass that was Higgins, who moaned piteously and attempted to crawl away. Becky opened her mouth intending to Mi’Takal to summon the local guards. Before she could however, the air was split by the piercing shriek of sirens. All the lights in the chemist shop snapped on, their normal soft yellow light replaced by a vivid red as they flashed and screamed.

  Becky’s head snapped to the still opened doorway as the smell of smoke finally reached her nostrils.