//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 Riverside Day 1 // Story: The merchants new life // by Jade Copperfield //------------------------------// Mud Skipper inn early morning BANG BANG I opened my eyes at the sudden noise that has invaded my dream and also awoke me along with a massive headache that will probably not leave for a few hours. I was still laying on the bed from last night except now it looks like I have completely destroyed it with the blanket on the floor next to it and the pillows scattered around. There was also very light claw marks but that shouldn't be very noticeable, but my black feathers prove to be scattered around like they always do when I sleep more intoxicated than any man with a family would do. I looked at the window and whish I hadn't. "FUCK MY EYE'S"! I shouted at the top that my dry throat could allow and subsequently covered my eyes the best I could. I also fell of what remained as a bed during my outburst which most likely caught the attention of anyone outside the door. I heard some voices outside the door but I stopped caring all that I was concerned about was getting some water and luckily my stuff was still in the corner of the room near the door. I began crawling towards my pack when I noticed some more things in the room there was a few shards of glass near one of the walls and my bottle from last night was on the ground in the middle of the room. When I got to the pack I opened it and grabbed my canteen I immediately started downing the water as quick as possible. When I was almost half way done I heard a door be unlocked and opened. I looked at the doorway and noticed Sarah from yesterday but now wearing a white top and similar brown pants. She spotted me and said" Are you okay I heard you shout not to long ago"? I stopped drinking for a moment to respond but my luck disappeared and I started coughing. She walked toward me a bit but I raised my claw to stop her. When I stopped coughing I responded" I'm fine just need to drink". As I continued to drink the water the boy from the counter yesterday came in. He asked" Is everything ok up here". His eyes seemingly grew when he saw the state that the room was in. Before he could begin to complain I started first. "I will fix the room up before I leave and pay any damages so don't start screaming". That seemed to shut him up for a little bit. He said before he left" I will hold you to that". Then he started walking out and most likely into the lobby and he left me alone with Sarah. I decided to ask Sarah" Why are you here"? I looked at her expectantly but I didn't get what I wanted. She asked" You drink don't you"? I look at her hoping this doesn't end badly. "And what makes you say that". She then starts getting annoyed at me. She put's her finger to her lip as she starts listing off" Well there is an empty bottle, glass shards, a wrecked bed, and you are shirtless in a corner drinking a lot of water". "I'm not ready for this so early in the morning well not until my headache stops".I clutch my head to try and stem the tide of my headache but it didn't make a difference I was still unfocused. I decided to give her the answer she wants. "Yeah I do and it's none of your dam business now why did you come over here"? She looked at in silence for a while probably thinking of why this kind gryphon was drinking him to sleep some nights or drinking in general. But she seemed to not focus on that topic and gave me an answer. "I wanted to show you around town today for repaying you getting me back here safely". She seemed generally sympathetic so I decided to not stay angry at her. "Ok I will take you up on that offer besides I need to give you something". I hope I don't regret this later. I grabbed the Black box from my coat and handed it over to her. She took it with a curious look in her face but I think she realized what it was before she began opening it. "This was on him wasn't it". I simply nodded at her and she proceeded to open it. Her face turned from down to straight up crying in ten seconds flat. She collapsed next to me and I started helping her the only way I knew by holding her and just being there for her. She started crying into my chest making my fur and feathers wet but I didn't mind I just let her cry for a while longer to get it out of her system. After what might be five minutes she stopped crying and she said" Thank you". I sat there with her for a minute after until I finally convinced myself that we need to get up. "We should probably get going you still have to show me around and I can't stay here forever". She stood up and moved toward the door slowly. When she was at the door she stopped and waited for me to follow. "I still need to get ready just close the door I will be out in a minute". She finally left and closed the door and with her gone I started to go to the door on the other side. When I opened it I was met with a stock standard bathroom with sink and toilet but no shower. After I was done in the bathroom doing the usual stuff I went to my pack and grab my coat. I went to the door as I was putting it on and grabbing my bag of now more valuable than my life coins and what was previously called Bits not like that was a dumb name. When I exited the room I said" Ok where will this tour begin at"? But I noticed she wasn't here at all. Annoyed I went down the stairs and saw her talking to the reception boy. Something about the key she borrowed I didn't pay much attention as I continued walking down stairs. When I got down she hadn't noticed me so I sat in one of the chairs near the door without a care in the world. Eventually she turned around and noticed me and said" When did you come down"? "I came down when you were talking with him". After a brief pause I added" So when will the tour begin"? She seemed to think for a sec but quickly began. "I think you should see the Help center then the post office and then it is mainly up to you". I looked at her and questioned why a help center but I didn't care it was her tour and I do want to see what a post office looks here. I said" That seems okay and to add I would also like to see a few shops some clothing and other stores like nick knacks and antique shops". Sarah began leading me outside and responded to my saying" I can understand clothing since you don't seem to wear a shirt or shoes, but why those other stores". I sigh and added" Because I sell a variety of items I need to see what I can pick up and what they can take and I don't have intentions of getting new clothes yet I mainly want to sell some blankets and cloth". She seemed to stand attention more and look back at me with a questioning gaze. "You were complaining about the heat yesterday you should get knew clothes and why are you selling them blankets"? I sigh deeper and begin" Blankets are just fabric and I have way to many to count also I don't plan on spending much money while I'm here". Sarah finally got stopped questioning me and we walked all the way to the help center which did not look very friendly when we entered. There was no one here and the only thing that stood out was the chairs and the jail bar. She began by waving her hand around" This is the help center here you can sign up and go around helping people if you do it you get money, I used to work here when I was younger". I look at her dumbfounded, this is not a friendly looking place. "You kidding me right this seems like a place you go to talk with someone that is in jail". She looked at me like I was an idiot and it seemed someone else didn't like what I said earlier. "Hey I can't help it that everyone sucks at interior decoration". A older sounding voice said from the bars. I look over there and stare intently at it. I said" I'm going to the post office besides I don't have a need for money but thank you for telling me that". I turn to leave through the door but before I went I added" And to help you should probably remove the bars and put a painting up". With me being done with that place Sarah led me to the post office which indeed looked like a post office from the outside. But when you enter It looked more like a pet zoo than anything else or like that one house in Ponyville, but the name of the owner often escapes me. Sarah began just like the help center" This is the post office and yeah that's it there's not really anything here other than mail and Wright wyverns". Speaking of wyverns a white one landed on my shoulder and coiled around my head. She did describe them well but there more like a snake with feathered wings and a round head. I tried getting the animal of my head but it would not budge and Sarah started giggling at my attempts for freedom of personal space. "Oh it seems Sam likes you". I looked at the direction of the male voice and saw a dark skinned man behind a counter. He was also wearing a multi colored beanie probably for the hell of it. I point at him and then to the lizard currently strangling me and said" Ok so can you get it off of me"? He walked over to me and said" Sam get off of this guest". The wyvern obeyed but the owner added" And it is a he and his name is Sam". I raise my claws in mock surrender" Ok I will call it a him and call him Sam so Sarah are we going". She nodded and now we where going down some random street near the help center when she noticed a clothing store. She led me into the store but I raised an eyebrow at what manned it. It looked like a squirrel but it at the same time wasn't, it had big huge ears, hands with tiny retractable claws, and had a tail that was long and thick near the base. I walked close to her, yeah I think her and to my better judgement kept on staring down at her. Her feet was also similar to a bunny but seemed to have wrappings around them. She looked up at me with her Ruby colored eyes and said" Welcome to Riverside Haberdashery the only store in Riverside that sells top hats". I wasn't fazed that she waved at me actually I think I was frozen solid like if you put something in a ice box for three days straight. When my gaping beak and facial expression didn't shift the creature started to shrink down and start nervously giggling. She creped away from my gaze and moved to Sarah. She asked Sarah" What is wrong with your friend". My eyes narrow to slits. "I don't know he didn't behave like this when he saw me". "So what is it and why is it staring at me out of everyone else in this shop"? Sarah didn't answer immediately instead she walked over to me and waved her hand in front of me, no movement. She poked my chest, no reaction. She tested touching and hitting me in all places but I never reacted until. "Hey Ruby you might want to cover your ears". The now named creature called Ruby complied and almost immediately after Sarah kicked my lower half, no response. She was about to shrug her shoulders when the loudest yell in history rang out. I yelled" MY FUCKING JEWELS"! At the top of my lungs almost to the point that glass started cracking. I fell on the floor holding any male creatures prized possession. I heard both the girls fell to the floor laughing. "Why did you kick me there"? I ask with a wheezy and quiet voice. I managed to make out from the laughter" Because you were staring at me". When I looked at the creature now known to me as Ruby I managed to make out that she was wearing blue shorts and a white top. I manage to stand up and give the girls a stare that if any gryphon, pony, unicorn, and Pegasus would run dig there own grave and commit suicide over it before I moved and inch. And the grave would be unmarked because I often gave this stare to swine and scum of the earth that do sick shit for a living. "You are so lucky because I often give this stare to creatures that don't deserve to live but you two aren't that bad so yeah, now can you tell me what you are". She stood up and tried to lower her laughter but it didn't succeed for a few minutes. Ruby started" I will start only when you tell me your name and what you are". "Fine my name is Jade and I'm a gryphon that wants to sell items to the owner of this shop". She raised her ears a little bit at the name but didn't start laughing. She also raised at selling and her eyes shrunk quickly. "I'm so sorry that happened I will do anything so I don't get fired please don't rat me out to my boss please have mercy". She spoke that very rapidly but I didn't really care, but I did learn she just worked the counter or floor. I sigh and respond" I wont rat you out and besides you didn't kick my in my family jewels" I point to Sarah" Sarah did so yeah I'm going to get revenge or she owes me a favor". Ruby's features lightened up while Sarah's right eye began twitching a little bit. I continued "So now you know me tell me more about what you are and yourself". Ruby began more relaxed" Well I am what most people call a Jakkai, and we are a bunch of overly traditional whack jobs". I look at her and simply blink. She continued" We are not all traditional mainly that village near Farun is and others similar, and fun fact we lay eggs". I didn't care about the egg part after all I hatched from one so I'm indifferent but I need to learn more about this places main religion to truly understand what she said about traditional whack jobs. I look at Sarah and said" Your going to have to fill me in on traditions here and thank you for the talk". I look back to Ruby and put my claw out to her. she shook it and I began my next topic. "Back to what I came here for can you talk to your boss and see if she might be interested in certain blankets and Fabrics I will come back tomorrow to confirm". I noticed the setting sun so I decided that was best and she nodded and we went on our way out of here. I told Sarah that she should take me back to the inn and she should go back to where ever she lived. As we were walking she decided to ask me a question that through me of guard. "Do you think you have any weird or odd diseases on you". I raised and eyebrow and put my claw to my beak in thought. "Judging how everything is going so far I shouldn't have anything out of the ordinary I will most likely just pass around the common cold from my world since I have no history of anything else and do you guys have magic"? She nodded and her hand produced a very small fire. I tried to whistle but failed horribly. "Well since magic does exist nothing bad should happen but I should be more worried than you". She looks back at me in surprise to see my down face. "I will have to deal with all your diseases with no magical aid at all so I'm going to have moments of pure agony at times but hopefully I will get through it". She looks at me with sympathy and I look at her as the sun disappears over the horizon almost taking my breath away at the sheer beauty of it all. After we stood there enjoying the sunset two moons appeared above our heads, one a ethereal green the other a almost pink red. "Wow I never seen that before". She simply giggled at my child like wonderment but we continued onward back to the inn. When we got back to the inn I we exchanged goodbyes but before she left I gave a hug from behind and said" Thank you for everything except for kicking me in the balls". I think her face turned pink but I wasn't sure so I'm going to except it as that. Without another word I walked to the inn and up to my room but noticed it was locked and I left my key there after a quick rummage through my pockets. I walked back down stairs to the counter boy. "Hey um I need help getting into my room I seemed to have left my key in it". He turned around and with a face of annoyance walked around the counter, grab a key and walk upstairs to unlock the door. I said" Thank you". To him before he slammed the door on me and left me alone in my room. I took off my coat and found the key on the dresser under my hat. I looked through my pack to get some Blankets for the talk with the shop owner and added the info of where the key is and to never forget it. "Ok that is everything ready for tomorrow and".I looked at the bottles in my pack but I adverted my eyes and told my self not to drink. "I actually want to dream tonight so no alcohol your not coming out to day and that should be it, good night to no one like it has been for about ten years".