//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 // Story: Mocha's Story // by Mocha Star //------------------------------// I returned to the room with Lom and Retalia, the innkeeper wasn’t anywhere I could see, but I didn’t care. All I wanted was to get a nights rest and a meal in me. And I was tired of seeing my equine friends graze, they deserved a real meal, even if it was full of vegetables. I knew gryphons ate meat so there was a chance I could get some tasty protein, too. Yes, humans are omnivores, we eat meat and vegetables, but don’t need meat to live. It’s just how we grew as a species, which meant the herbivore diet of grass and hay were not on the menu. The prospect of a meal really got them excited but I was beat, and I did not trust an unknown town with a gryphon as its defender. So, we took a good nap and woke up at about eleven at night. I was the least upset of us three since it was my idea to nap at what was about five, we’d slept past the point when anypony would be awake. I bit the bullet and kept them quiet by offering to raid the pantry. Stumbling over a few random lumpy objects I finally stubbed my toe and cursed through clenched teeth letting me know I’d found the coffee table in the living room. I hopped a couple steps then tripped over a large object that wasn’t there earlier. It was dark, the shutters were closed and a little light leaked in but I had terrible night vision and no, before you ask, I couldn’t see in the dark. I had a line of text to tell me what weapons I was linked to and a few lines dedicated to telling me how much ammo I had. Had I spent thousands of bits, creds I mean, on bionic eyes, this story would be far, far different. I climbed over the thing and stumbled to the next room. The dining room table was of moderate height to accommodate several types of creatures of different heights that may have stayed over the years. I made my way to the kitchen door, or so I thought it was, to find another row of rooms. I walked slowly and looked at each one; open door and empty. I got a bad feeling suddenly, things weren’t adding up. Where was the owner sleeping if I was looking at the whole of the building right now, why a dining table with no kitchen or place to cook. I gripped my pistol on my hip and unlatched the holster. I was wearing socks so I had the softest footfalls of any creature I’d met so far, but I hadn’t had a shower for almost a week and my clothes were just dank. I closed my eyes and listened for any sound before I heard a creak where the lump was and I turned to it. “What are you? Show yourself?!” I shouted with authority, but I didn’t pull my weapon, just raised my left hand, palm out, to show I had nothing in that hand but the other was dangerous. “S-sorry, I heard you and I just lied down, I hoped you’d go back to your room. A-are you going to eat me?” I sighed and relaxed a bit, but kept myself on edge, just incase. “No, I thought you were dangerous. A thief or something, you know. I apologize, what’re you doing out this late? Where’s your bed?” “I sleep across the street with my wife, I was going to give you the papers. The defender was confused but I have convinced him all is well and the trade is complete, I will be leaving with my family in two days, sir.” I stood tall and scratched my head, I still have to get used to my hair growing in, I thought first since I liked to sport a no hair look. My second thought was that this guy was crazy. “Can we get some light in here, please?” He scampered around the living room, I saw a spark, then a lantern lit. He held it in his teeth as he walked to about a length from me and set it on the floor. He turned to what was a saddle bag back then and pulled out a sheet of paper, trotted to the welcome table by the door, and placed it, gently upon it, turned to smile at me with a grateful grin, and went to the door. “Woah, woah, woah. Wait a second, you’re being too cryptic. What’re you talking about?” The doors were simpler than the ones we use now. Wood posts held up with nails on a cross board set high and low with a rope tied on both ends serving as the door handle and a latch at the center to act as a really crappy lock. They were inventive that they opened both ways on a swinging hinge, though. He let the rope go from his mouth and looked back to me, smiling wider. “You’re not getting anymore from me, sir. You’ve paid and we bumped on it, do you disagree?” “Wha-? No, but-” “Than I, and my family, thanks you. Goodeve.” I watched him prance out the door before closing it gently. I walked to the paper and looked at it and grunted. I couldn’t read a word; it was dark, and I wasn’t exactly literate in this language yet. That’s something they never tell you about magic, you can speak a language with a spell, but reading is just as impossible as seeing a rock with wings. Discord not included. Well, I took it back to the room and told the others of the weirdness I had just experienced. They agreed that it was odd, but perhaps it was a local custom. For all I knew that was a receipt and he was just telling me that since I had paid so much he was taking his family away for a couple days. The more I thought about it the more I made sensible scenarios. About two in the morning we fell back asleep, all in the same room, with me on edge still, waiting for a mob to charge in with torches and pick axes. I would have prefered the torches and pickaxes. We walked out of the inn and looked to see a cart being loaded by two stallions while a mare and two foals were under it staying cool. “Hey, buddy, what’s going on?” I asked another earth pony named Jonathan, as he passed by me. “Dunno, looks like he’s loadin’ up his cart.” “Wow, thanks.” “Anytime, freak.” I looked at him as he trotted away but couldn’t blame him, by local standards I was a freak, just like a plethora of talking barnyard animals were to me. I figured I’d check back on him later and looked for a pub. Every town always had to have at least one. I just had to find it. While I was pondering where it could be Lom called my name before she followed Retalia into the pub, located directly to the right, next door to the inn. I smiled to hide my irritation at them finding it before me as I walked in. Six tables all knee height, no chairs, and no creatures in sight. Wooden floor that was well taken care of and a row of mugs made from clay or something lined the polished bar top. “Huh, nice place, but no food?” “What you talk!? Make best food in three tick-tock moves! What?” A goblin, of all creatures, stood from behind the bar. Her pointed ears were cut near the top like earrings were ripped out, but other than that what I saw was a normal goblin. A female from the awful makeup it wore. “I’m a human, these are horses, and we’re hungry. What do ya have to eat for weary travelers such as we three?” It’s eyes sparkled at the prospect of a sale and chance to cook. “Have much, many, many foods,” it said in that goblin high pitched squeaky voice, “You eat meat or only, ground plants,” she almost spit the word ‘plants’. “Well, I eat both, and they eat plants,” I said to my friends that were looking around at the walls and the single window against the wall to our right. I had just noticed that against the far wall were two alcoves with tables and chairs. Ah, that’s where I can sit, if I come alone. “You not need pay, first meal free for traders. Big, big traders! I make you food and them plants, be back, no take mead or charge double,” she shouted gleefully to me as she disappeared behind the bar. A small door squeaked as I turned to take a floor spot, they followed suit at the center table. “So, that was kinda weird, what’d you think?” Lom and Retalia looked to each other then me. “Yes, odd. Are many this odd in world, we wonder?” Retalia asked in his soft baritone. “I think so. I guess we’re a good team, neither of us knows anything about this world. What do you think he’ll bring you to eat?” “I want berries and leaves from the herb trees,” Retalia said calmly looking to the place the goblin was. “Oh, I want grass, but no grass, crunchies from ground.” “Ah, I see. I want eggs and anything, to be honest.” “What are eggs?” Lom asked. Suddenly I got both their attention. “Well, where birds come from.” “We call those nests,” Retalia stated looking to the table and resting a hoof on it, applying some pressure. “I mean what’s in the nest. Crunchy shell, soft inside, come in many colors; eggs.” “Oh,” Lom chirped, “We know those. Baby birds from those. Tasty, yum, yum.” She patted her belly and smiled to Retalia who was sporting a smirk of his own. “Yes, yummy. When eaten with berries best.” “You love your berries, ever have wine? Can’t stand the stuff myself but plenty of people, apparently, say it’s the best berry drink ever.” “Wine? I try some, give.” “Woah, where’s the manners? And I can’t give, but I can ask. When the food arrives I’ll get you some.” “Yes, good. I grow very hungry and thirsty.” “Me too, me too. Lom likes good foods, crunchies are best though.” “Wait, you eat eggs, Lom? I thought you were plant eaters.” “Hush, Lom,” he started before looking to me, “We eat when they fall; too high to get. Cannot crawl on trees like runners. Very happy time to find one.” “So, it’s a deliecacsy? Cool, I guess,” I said shrugging the comment off before turning to my little follower. “So, Lom, how old are you,” I asked finally. I didn’t realize I didn’t ask earlier. “Hmm, nine times the flowers on the Mota trees have made berries since she was foaled,” Retalia answered while she looked to be counting. “Retalia, yourself?” “Twenty three times they have flowered.” So, you’re old enough to be her father?” I asked with humor while he glared at me briefly, “And I didn’t know you were almost as old as me. I’d have figured you both for adults.” “Lom is almost adult! Two more flowers and I will be,” she said in a forceful whine. “No, Lom will be adult when she is ready to bear foals and has a proper mate.” “O-kay, so you’re only nine? I really thought you were older, but I guess it makes sense with how you act.” “Yes, me big mare,” she said factually with a nod. “She will be,” Retalia sighed, “then big trouble will follow. That why I follow her here, you not know trouble she make, and we not trust you and her alone,” he said giving me a look any father would give a colt who came to pick up his little filly. “Woah, there’s not gonna be any of that happening, I prefer my lovers to look like me,” I said with a hint of revulsion as I held up a hand and wiggled my fingers. The approving nod from Retalia was enough to satiate me. “What’s ‘lovers’ mean?” We both winced, Retalia and me. “Retalia will tell you all about it when you get back to your room.” The look he gave me could melt ice in a blizzard and I did feel a bit of remorse for what he was going to have to go through but, I think it was a good revenge for the tail thing. A squeak was heard from the counter, a few seconds later the goblin returned with three plates that were covered by plates, you know, to keep the heat in. They were on a tray balanced on its right hand with three small towels on its elbow. It walked slowly, so as to not spill the tray, placed each plate before us, and smiled a crooked toothed grin. If she wasn’t being so cordial I was have sworn she was going to bite me with her sharp chompers. “Take plates off, creatures. Take plates off and look-see with eyes at yummies I make.” The others used their noses to knock the tops off and, seriously, squealed in glee at the vegetable platters before them. Raw carrots, celery, onions, things I’d never seen littered their plates and they wasted no time digging in. I was far more worried to see what was under my plate. Would it be chopped eyes or some goblin delicacy that would make me ill? I opened it to see a nice cheese omelette with a simple bunch of berries next it and a small pile of meat under it, after I inspected it. “Goblinses knows grass eaters no eats meats and scaredy of it easy. I hide for you, is bird from skies, no worries,” it said in a hoarse whisper, no pun intended. With a growing grin I picked up the spoon that came with the plate and cut a small piece off before putting it into my mouth. Gloriousness it was great. The first real food I’d eaten since I got there, here, this world. And I knew I deserved it and the goblin was pleased to see me happy to eat as it nodded and scampered away. Returning with drinks a minute later in mugs before each of us was some local mead of the highest quality. We toasted our meal, took a drink, then swallowed hard. It was sure strong, whew. I can still remember the taste. Fermented berries, apples, and herbal tones that made me think it was a fruit salad that had been left in the sun too long. Lom gagged, Retalia swallowed and politely put the cup in the center of the table, and I followed suit with him. It was up to the youngest of us to ask for water, fresh water, with which we ate and finished our meal. With a sigh I leaned back and caught myself with my hand as a crutch behind me while my right hand rubbed my belly. I straightened my legs under the table and the others laid their heads on the table in delight. “That was the best food I’d had in weeks, thanks goblin buddy.” “My name Xitax, goblin cooker of many foods and maker of drinks. Very best goblin in Sploy court and kingdom, yes, yes. You go home now, rest, eat later, and pay with much trade,” she said grinning again, this time a few feathers were in her teeth and I that realized I had fresh meat. I appreciated that more that they all knew. “C’mon, let's check this town out,” I suggested as I got up to standing again and waved the others to follow me. Getting up quickly they followed me out. “See ya soon, Xitax.” I waved a goodbye in return to Xitax’s ecstatic wave and we left. The town was alive with a hustle and bustle of earth ponies, several cows, a minotaur that was looking intently at my armor, and the gryphon guardian. Once the gryphon saw me she flew to me, stopping ahead of me, and smiled. How does she smile with a beak? “Rea, so nice to see you, and to what do we owe the pleasure?” “Just saying hello to the new owners of the hotel.” My mind went blank as I tried so hard to understand what she’s said. “I had never heard of a wealthy people such as yours that throw Ranovite gems like nothing, but we’re pleased to have you in our town.” “B-b-b… W-what? Ah, I, what now?” “Heh, translator broken? You can have one on the house, but the next one’ll cost ya okay? Consider it a good faith gesture,” she said. “N-no, my, it works fine. What did you say about me buying something, now?” “Oh, c’mon. You traded a Ranovite gem to the inn owner. He’s moving to the next city over, Rew, to start a new life and retire.” “W-w-w-w-w-what?! I-I didn’t mean to-, but I just-. Only a couple days was it! I didn’t mean to buy the place.” “Well,” Rea chuckled opening her wings, “you know the laws, all trades are final unless you both agree to dissolve it, and I can tell you they aren’t going to.” She took to the air and began a simple spiral as she went higher to survey the town, I guess, while I looked around and got a lot of awkward yet pleased looks. “Well, shit,” was all I could say.