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Chapter 5 - The Lion's Head Pub

8th Day of Nova 117 I.E.

"Something eating you, lad?" Naf asked Bart one day in the alley. They'd gotten to know each other fairly well over the last while, and had spent some time using some herb together. By that point, Naf knew about Bart's situation, but the ursar knew the dwarf didn't really care. Listening was just a means of peddling more of his goods. And it worked well.

"I need something stronger. It needs to be good enough to take the edge off." Bart ran a paw through his hair. It was messy, disheveled and greasy, and it hung in front of his eyes. He knew he could use a bit of grooming, but he didn't want to waste any time or money doing it. That would take away the resources he needed to feel happy.

Naf chuckled, as if the defeated tone of voice Bart spoke with wasn't there. "The green ain't working so well for you anymore, is it?" The dwarf stroked his beard and stared at the the wall across from him, as if peering intently through the bricks at something interesting. "I have just the thing for you." He reached into his cloak and produced a small pouch.

"What's that?"

"It's a human drug from somewhere down south on Jha'zal. They call it Heaven's Kiss. This stuff will make you feel like you're on top of the world again." Naf held the pouch in front of Bart's eyes, and gave a yellow grin as he watched the ursar follow it as he moved his hand. "Ten silver pieces for this shit. It's gonna cost you 'cause I gotta get it smuggled across the border."

Bart winced when he heard the cost of the Heaven's Kiss. It was double the cost of the elfin herb, and he could barely afford that as is. "Pricey. You sure it'll work better?"

"Have I ever steered you wrong, lad?"

"Fair enough." Bart counted out the money and bought the pouch from the dwarf.

Naf grinned as he tucked the money away. "Watch out for the withdrawal on that stuff. Oh, and you snort this stuff. Licking it doesn't do a damn thing except make your tongue numb. Unless you're into that sort of thing..."

"Thanks for the warning," Bart said as he tucked the pouch away. "By the way, do you happen to know of a good tavern around here? I'm looking for something with cheap food, good ale, and beautiful lasses."

The dwarf nodded his head knowingly. "Ah, I get it, you're looking to wet your whisetle, eh?" Naf nudged Bart in the stomach with his elbow.

"Aye," Bart replied with a lecherous grin. He was beginning to develop an appetite for something far more intimate, and he didn't care if his only option was a dwarf.

"I know exactly where you can go," Naf said. He put a hand against the small of the ursar's back and led him down the alleyway, opposite of the way he'd come. "The Lion's Head Pub is exactly what you're looking for. Good food and some decent swill. Not to mention the lasses!" He pointed northward. "It's just outside the Golden Rows. The sign outside has a big lion on it, so you can't miss it."

Bart gave a nod of his head. "Aye, I think I know the place."

"Just go in, sit down, and they'll take care of everything. You might even get one of the fine one's to serve you," Naf said with a chuckle.

With a quick check of his coin purse, Bart said, "Looks like I need to head home after I try a bit of this. Thanks, Naf!" He quickly scurried off to his usual hiding place in the abandoned smithy, far from prying eyes.

Once Bart was in his spot, he poured a bit of the silver colored powder onto his palm and inhaled it. The powder burned his nose as he snorted it, and he felt light-headed and dizzy as soon as he took it. The Heaven's Kiss hit Bart a lot faster than the Green had, leaving his body with a more intense numb feeling than he had before. He barely felt the blood dripping out of his nose as he sniffed and wiped it away with the back of his paw.

Once again, he felt happy and safe, without a care in the world. In fact, he felt better than even that. He felt like he was on top of a hill, looking down at all of Galria's problems and turning his nose up at them. The ursar was better than everyone, and he felt like he really believed it, too.

All the fear and anguish that had plagued him since his birth seemed to slip away, like sand between his fingers. What had he been so afraid of all this time, he wondered. He could vaguely remember the way he always cowered in front of Remi and Garen, and it made him angry. Why was he like that? He was better than them!

Taking another deep snort of a half pawful of Heaven's Kiss, Bart waited until his nose bleed subsided and then got up to head home. Now that he was feeling as good as he was, it was time for him to sate his hunger and his thirst.

Bart felt no fear and no trepidation as he walked into the house. The Heaven's Kiss was far more powerful than he could have anticipated, and he liked it that way. He heard the familiar crumpling of paper as Remi got out of his chair, but Bart ignored him. He sauntered into the kitchen like a being with all the gold in the world, and bee-lined for a loaf of bread that was sitting on the counter.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Remi shouted.

"Eating," Bart said before chomping the loaf in half in a single bite. He chewed noisily with an open mouth to accentuate his point.

Remi's face turned beat red as he began to fumble with his belt. "Why you ungrateful son of a bitch! After all we do for you, this is how you repay us!?"

Bart caught the belt in his paw as it rushed to strke him. With the bread clamped between his teeth, he gripped the leather and ripped it out of the dwarf's hand. Remi winced as the metal buckle sliced his palm.

"Why you-"

"Shh, just wait," Bart said after finishing the bread. "It gets better."

Using a long, sharp claw, he sliced the buckle off and let it clatter to the floor. He then folded the tattered belt in half and quickly began to scarf that down as well. His teeth made quick work of the worn leather. It had the texture of jerky, with an indescribably salty taste from years of it being used.

He wasn't even sure where he had gotten the idea to do such a thing. He recalled somewhere hearing that leather was edible, and his mind ran with it.

Remi stared at him and sputtered nonsensically as Bart devoured his belt. The ursar grinned at the look of utter disbelief on the dwarf's face. Did he really think that he could beat him with something that could be eaten?

"I'm sorry, did you need that?" Bart asked. He pushed his way past Remi, and headed towards his bedroom. Neriti stared in shock as he sauntered by. She cast her husband a look, seeking an answer for what to do, but Remi was at a loss as well.

Bart retrieved some money from his lockbox and came back out. Apparently, it was ample time for Remi to recover as he tried to swing at the ursar. His wrist became trapped in a meaty paw. Neriti gave a shriek, and Garen came bolting down the stairs to see what was going on.

"Take your hands off of me, you bastard!" Remi shouted. Garen made a move to jump in, but froze when Bart's claws flashed out of their sheathes.

"I'm going to make this very clear to you, Remi." Bart spoke in a low, gutteral voice. Deeper than he'd ever thought his voice was capable of sounding. Was it the narcotics doing that? "If you ever so much as touch me again, it will be your flesh my claws find a home in."

For good measure, Bart flexed his fingers and allowed the light to shine off the smooth, yet sharp and black edges of his claws.

"Next time, it will be you I'll be chewing on." Bart spat out a small chunk of leather that he was still working on into Remi's face. He let the dwarf go, then stomped triumphantly out of the house.

* * * * *

Loud music echoed from the Lion's Head Pub as Bart approached it. The sound was greatly amplified by his ears, but it was in a way that was almost pleasing. His confidence grew as he approached the door. Light glowed around the edges from the brightness of alchemical globes. He was drawn to it with moth-like tenacity. His paws sought out the all too small handle to open the door.

Everything intensified as he entered. His senses were besieged by sights, sounds, and smells that almost has him reeling in his narcotics-addled mind. He was acutely aware of the dwarven bouncers that eyed him warily. They were clad in black leather doublets and their bodies seemed surrounded by a blurred aura when Bart looked at them. The vibrant reds and oranges of their beards were aglow as if their faces were wreathed in flames.

The ursar nodded at them, putting on as indifferent a face as he could make. He didn't belong there; he was far too young. He hoped that perhaps he could slip in and no one would question him. Even Naf had been telling him for months that he looked older than his age would imply. How could the average dwarf know? Bart had allowed his muzzle fur to grow out and appear shaggy like a real beard, just to add to the effect.

Fortunately, all the bouncers did was return the nod as the ursar looked around for a table to sit at. He had asked Naf what to do when he got to the pub, and he said to take a seat and a barmaid would serve him, eventually.

The booth seats along the walls seemed the only things capable of supporitng his bulky frame, so he waited a moment until one freed up and he slid into the spot. It was across from the bar itself, and the way it was angled, Bart had most of his back to the barkeep.

"Good evening!" sang a gravelly voice. Bart looked down at a busty dwarven lass in a fur lined blouse and leggings. She wore an apron over her outfit, and it had a few stains from spilled ale on it. Her hair was wavey and fell around her shoulders in blazing orange curls. The top of her blouse was cut in such a way as to draw the eyes to her ample bossum, and he quickly realized he'd been staring. Instead of feeling embarassed, he was surprised to find himself grinning as widely as his muzzle would allow.

The dwarf woman lips curled into a smirk, one born of amusement rather than offense. "My name's Aila, and I'll be looking after you tonight. What can I get for you?"

"Are you on the menu?" Bart said brazenly, confidence welling up from deep inside some unknown well.

The woman let out a hearty laugh that was music to Bart's ears. "I can tell you'll be a treat tonight. How's about I start you on the house brew and we'll see where the night goes."

Bart tossed her a silver coin. "I look forward to whatever the night brings," he said with a wink.

When Aila turned to leave, Bart looked around to be sure no one was paying attention to him. He had his back to the bar, and no one seemed to care that he was there. The ursar quickly pulled out a pinch of Heaven's Kiss and snorted it right out of his paw, then licked his palm and fingers clean to eliminate the evidence.

He sniffled a few times and felt his heart flutter when he saw Aila return with a foamy mug of some dark drink.

"This here's Shinkicker Stout, brewed locally by a family that lives right here in the Golden Rows," Aila explained. She set it down and put her hand on her hip as she waited expectantly for him to try it.

"Thanks, lass!" Bart said. He took up the cup and downed a hearty portion of it before his eyes bugged out and he had to set it down quickly so as not to cough into his drink. He turned his head and gulped to avoid spraying Aila with ale.

The dwarfwoman laughed at the display. It wasn't mocking, and Bart found himself chuckling along at his own expense. It was an odd feeling to be laughed at playfully like that, he thought.

"There's a reason it's called Shinkicker. Do you like it?" she asked, to which the ursar replied with an emphatic nod of his head. "Good! Just flag me down when you need a refill, fuzzy!" Aila reached over and scritched Bart behind the ear. He had to fight to keep from pulling away, as he was used to being struck, not handled affectionately. He watched her leave and smirked as she moved.

There was something about the way that she looked that lit his torch. Bart couldn't put a finger on it, but as he took another cautious gulp of his drink, he found that he didn't care about the why.

The night was a blur as the Heaven's Kiss hit him full force. Combined with the alcohol, he was no longer able to think straight. By his third drink (or was it his fourth?) Bart had already snorted all the Kiss that he'd brought with him. He began to feel more brazen with each passing moment, as if the powder had been confidence manifested in a physical form.

Aila returned with a refill and a plate of mutton. "I figured you would be getting a bit hungry, fuzzy."

Bart burped loudly and said, "Thanks! Why don't you join Bart here for a bit?" His words were slurred, and he swayed in his seat to the sound of some unheard beat of a bard's drum, but he felt like he was on top of the world and he didn't care about anything by that point. All that mattered was feeling good.

"I suppose I could spare a moment for you," she said coyly. She turned her head and nodded to someone Bart couldn't see, then sidled up close to the ursar.

Bart draped an arm around her smaller frame and said, "This is more like it."

For the next hour, they ate and talked together. Or at least, Bart ate and talked. At the same time. The words flew from his mouth like bats from a cave as the table was peppered by partially chewed meat. His swirling thoughts couldn't keep up with him. More than once he found himself bragging about a life he'd never lived, such as the time he braved the cursed Evergloom Woods... on his own!

Through the whole thing, Aila listened intently and clung to him like they fit together. Her hands roamed his body, and Bart relished the attention. At some point, her hand had sneaked its way up into his shirt and was roving through the forest of fur it found there.

"I should be getting back to work," she said after the second hour of listening to Bart. She sounded disappointed, and Bart couldn't allow that.

"Aw, lass! The night's still young!" Bart proclaimed a little too loudly. "Stay, there's so much more in store for us."

Aila smiled at him. "I suppose I could make some time..." She traced a finger over his chest and moved to get up. When had the buttons on his shirt come undone? "How's about we go upstairs for a little... privacy?"

Bart grinned and was up the stairs faster than a man being chased by death, carrying the dwarfwoman with him. No one went to the upper floor that night, and the pub cleared out shortly after that.