Day 86 of Winter, 512 AV. Bethsyliss was awfully tired. She had spent the previous day trying to sort out her thoughts amidst the emotional storm brought about by her recent bonding with the Kelvic Ronin Invictus. Her night had been disturbed by dreams that required a great deal of her energy to upkeep without her being able to identify their purpose. Sleeping had proved to be more exhausting than regenerating. She had arrived late at work, which she considered a feat for managing to drag herself to The Scorched Skull where she had been hired as a barmaid several days ago, and had to suffer Ssahnya's reprimands. Although she was a viper Dhani like Syliss, Ssahnya had no pity for her coworkers. She took her job as head barmaid very seriously. While she was always friendly with Syliss outside of the workplace, she could prove to be harsh and merciless inside the tavern when rules weren't applied. Additionally, Syliss was subject all morning to Jaben's expressionless stares. Syliss had not figured out the head bartender of The Scorched Skull yet, because he always remained cold and almost never uttered a word. She did not know, therefore, whether the Benshira was mocking her or scowling at her. Either way, it was nothing to be proud of. Syliss sulked around the inn, sluggishly attending clients and trying to make herself as inconspicuous as she could. On the strike of the fifteenth bell, Syliss's stomach began to growl. She had not eaten all day, and was dying for a bite. She was about to fetch herself a loaf of bread to nibble on, when Ssahnya came hissing at her. "Ssstop!" Her voice cackled like a slaver's whip. "Sylisss, you don't get to be late and then help yourssself to a meal." She paused, then added sardonically: "Don't think of it as a punissshment. Think of it as positive encouragement to help you get here on time next morning." Syliss moped around for a bit, her stomach producing increasingly distressing sounds. She was desperate for food. Some time after the eighteenth bell had struck, The Scorched Skull suddenly became crowded with people looking to get drunk before supper. Syliss's eye caught Ssahnya. She was swamped in orders that kept coming at an alarming rate. The right thing to do would be to help her with the ordersss, she thought cunningly. The sssmart thing to do, though, would be to grab a piece of bread while she'sss too busy to look. I think I'll do the smart thing. Syliss crept discreetly behind the counter into the kitchens and sneaked her way towards the bread. She grabbed a loaf and wolfed it down voraciously. Still hungry, she helped herself to another, and got carried away. It so happened that while she sat in a corner eating the bread, Ssahnya barged into the kitchens to fetch an order. Syliss crouched down, hoping her boss wouldn't see her. But that failed. Ssahnya, her acute reptilian sense of smell tipping her off, spotted Syliss fairly easily. She walked up to her, fumes sputtering out of her eyes. She drew in her breath between gritted teeth, quite obviously containing her anger. "Maybe it is punissshment that you need," she hissed viciously. "Now that you've ssstocked up on energy, I want you to go and fetch a ssspecial delivery from Rasken. That way I won't have to do it. Sssee how that worksss?" Syliss pouted slightly, but she knew better than to complain. Besides, this was a minor chastisement, and she rather liked the Dhani owner of The Serpent's Elixir who had recommended her to The Scorched Skull. It was a chore nonetheless. Syliss obediently replied: "Yes, ma'am," and slowly made her way out of the tavern's kitchens. "Fassster," Ssahnya commanded. Syliss picked up the pace to a brisk walk. When she passed Jaben who was working at the counter, she caught a glimpse of his half-disinterested, half-amused look. "I think it would be wiser to run," he whispered with the hint of mocking in his voice. "I'm not going to run, Jaben," Syliss answered. She was met with a shrug that told her to suit herself. So, she ran. |