Rise (War Witch Book 1) (77 page)

Unaware of what was happening around her, Chara had marched down the street, snuggled in the giant coat the Ogre had given her. She popped into the first clothing store she passed. The pretty young Halfling minding the counter had asked how she could help, and Chara had simply opened the coat, showing the little lady.

In retrospect, she wondered if that was rude.

To her annoyance, the only thing they had in her size was a red and gold bustier styled top and a matching skirt that only made it halfway to her knees. Irritated, she'd demanded to know why, only to learn she had wandered into a Halfling clothing store. Everything else was literally too small.

Figuring things could be worse, she paid for it, changed in the dressing room, then thought to ask after something to wear under the skirt. The lacy thing the Halfling gave her didn't seem like an improvement over nothing, but she took it anyway. Staring in the mirror, she decided it was still better than what she used to wear back home.

Wrapping herself in the coat, she'd launched out again, knowing where she needed to go, and what she needed to do when she got there. By the time she arrived at Rayne's however, she felt the street could be polite and stop waving at her like that.

It didn't even occur to her that she was drunk.

She pulled on the door a few times, then tried pushing, which worked much better. Staggering in, she cast about for a moment at the ever-dark front room, the rainy day outside doing nothing to help illuminate the place. A little frustrated by that, she began trying to pick her way forward.

"Rayne? Where are you? I need to talk to, hey, there's something sticky here, and where are you? I need to talk to, ow, what was that? Rayne? Where are you? I need to talk to—why is that thing looking at me? Rayne? Turn the damn lights on already, I can't see a thingy on the shelf looks weird."

Light flooded the room as Chara bumped into the counter, realized she'd navigated the room, and felt rather proud of that. A moment later, Rayne came down the stairs, yawning, wearing an entirely too see-through nightgown.

"What's all the noise about?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"I knew it," Chara declared, jabbing a finger at her.

Rayne blinked a few times. "Knew what?"

"They are pert!"

"What's pert?"

"Your boobs," Chara whispered.

Rayne cocked her head and stared at her in confusion. "Say what?"

"They're pert," Chara declared again.

"Heard you the first time," the Half Elf said slowly. "Are you drunk?"

Chara spluttered in indignation. "I am not! You might be! I can't tell from here, but you smell like it."

"That's you, sweetie," the Spellweaver said.

"Oh," the other woman replied, sniffing herself. "I may be drunk."

"You think?" Rayne asked.

"Not well at the moment," Chara said, waving a hand about. "Your boobs are pert."

Rayne sighed heavily. "Yeah, we covered that."

"Did we?"

"Yup."

"Still true."

"Thanks."

"It smells funny in here."

Hanging her head, the Half Elf drug herself over, slipped an arm around her, and started her toward the stairs. "I think we should get some coffee down you."

"Weee!" she giggled.

"Oh, come on," Rayne grimaced.

Managing to drag the young woman up the steps, Rayne noted that it wasn't just the booze she was smelling coming off her, but something else as well. She didn't really care for it, either. She wasn't sure what was going on, but Chara was definitely not herself.

Depositing her on the couch, Rayne blew her hair out of her face and nodded. "You stay here. I'm going to go make some coffee. Okay?"

"Sure," she belched, making a grab for the Half Elf's butt as she turned to go. Yelping, Rayne scooted away quickly, giving the other woman a worried glare as she melted over, landing face down on the seat.

Heading into the small kitchen, she set her coffeepot up and put it on the stove, jabbing the activation rune as she muttered to herself. "Always ends up the same. I try to make a friend, offer to be there for them, next thing I know, they're passed out drunk on my couch smelling of sex. Anybody ever think I’d like to pass out on a couch smelling of booze and sex? Oh, Hells no. Too busy getting plastered and laid."

Guido clattered around her feet.

"I'll have you know that talking to oneself is a sign of great intelligence," she snapped.

The trash pile shimmied at that.

"Go check on her," Rayne grouched. "Make sure she hasn't thrown up on the rug or something."

Guido scooted away, rustling as he went. Rayne sulked in the kitchen as the coffeepot began to perk. Some days, it just didn't pay to go to bed in the morning.

Once the coffee was ready, she poured a cup, adding a few drops of an elixir she kept on hand for just such an occasion. It would neutralize the alcohol in Chara’s bloodstream, effectively sobering her in a matter of minutes. Of course, she'd have to go through the whole hangover in that space of time, but seeing as how it wasn't her who was drunk, Rayne didn't care much.

Returning, she found Chara still face down on the couch. Sitting the coffee aside, she levered the young woman up, sat next to her to keep her from falling over again, and offered the brew. Chara stared at it in amazement for a moment.

"What the Hells were you drinking anyway?" Rayne asked.

Chara shrugged as she sipped the coffee. "Onation stoop, I think."

"Onerian Stout?" Rayne exclaimed.

"That was it," Chara nodded. "I only had three glasses, though, so it's okay. I'm totally fine."

"Honey, they use that stuff to put down lame horses," the Half Elf replied in awe. "I don't know how you're even standing."

"I'm not," Chara told her. "I'm sitting."

Rayne nodded slowly. "Right. Never mind. What were you doing drinking that stuff?"

"The Ogre gave it to me."

"What Ogre?"

"The one I was drinking with, silly," Chara giggled, then reached out to grope her breast. "Pert."

Rayne groaned in dismay. Then she moved her hand. "Just, drink the coffee. We'll talk in a few minutes."

"You're pretty," Chara told her. "Can I kiss you?"

"Normally, I'd say yes, but right now, Hells no," the Spellweaver said, pushing her back as the other woman leaned in, aiming for the air behind Rayne's head.

"Oh, shit," Chara groaned, leaning over. "I think I'm gonna puke."

"Not on the rug," Rayne whined.

"Aw, my head," the young woman whimpered.

Rayne patted her on the back. "It'll pass in a minute."

"I'll be dead in a minute!"

"No, you won't," the Half Elf sighed. "I don't think. Maybe. It's dicey."

"Gods, something died in my mouth," Chara groaned.

Rayne rolled her eyes. "Probably."

Chara leaned back, looked green for a minute, belched, than sagged. "That is some wicked coffee."

"I do what I can,” Rayne smiled patiently. "Now, what in all the Hells is going on?"

Chara rubbed her eyes. "That would be a long, strange, story."

"Well, you woke me up from the first sleep I've had in four days, so you might as well entertain me."

Looking over at her, Chara offered a weak smile. "Sorry. I didn't know where else to go. I think. Things are kind of hazy after I left the cafe."

"I can bet," the Spellweaver nodded. "What are you wearing anyway?"

"I really don't know."

"Why are you wearing it?"

"It was the only thing they had in my size."

Rayne frowned. "Come again?"

"It was a Halfling fashion shop," Chara told her, waving it off.

"Why would you... wait, never mind. I'm not sure I want to know."

Digging around in the bag she'd carried in with her, she held up the shirt she'd been wearing. "Cause I was walking around town in this, that's why."

"So many questions," the Half Elf mumbled.

"Long story, like I said," the other woman sighed.

Rayne stared at her, worry all over her face. Chara groaned as the last of the Ogre whiskey was expelled from her system, looking over at the little Half Elf in appreciation. Guido shuddered on the floor.

"So, what's going on?" Rayne asked.

Chara laid her head on the back of the couch. "From the start?"

"Please."

"Okay, but I warned you."

"I'm warned."

Chara took a deep breath. "So, this morning, Esteban and I got in a fight, cause he wanted to stop helping Ramora, and I do want to help her. We screamed at each other, and he left."

"Who's Ramora?" Rayne asked.

"Blessed of Ramor," Chara replied. "Friend of mine. The Cleric I mentioned."

"Got it," Rayne nodded. "Go on."

"So, anyway, after he left, I went to talk to Ramora, and she agreed with him! Said I should stay here instead of going with her to hunt down Draco. Can you believe that? After everything we've been through together."

Rayne held a hand up. "I have no idea what you've been through together, or who Draco is."

Chara blinked a few times. "Oh. Right. Draco, Dark Blessed, bad man."

"Ah, okay."

"Me and Ramora, well, she's mute, but I invented a sign language, and you know what, never mind it, that's a longer story," Chara sighed, waving it off. "Point is, Draco wiped out her village when she was a kid, and I want to help her kill him."

"I'm with you now," Rayne nodded.

"So, after that, I got pissed, cause everyone is telling me to run and hide, like I'm a weak little girl, and that's not fair, cause I shot up the inside of that flying citadel, you know?"

Rayne shook her head.

"Oh, right," Chara groaned. "Anyway, there was an Ascended there, and we teleported up, and I used the mystic handguns to shoot a bunch of Demon Seed, even longer story, short version, I blew it up."

"Neat," Rayne applauded.

"Thank you,” Chara exclaimed. "So, not a dainty little girl that's needs protecting, obviously, right?"

"Clearly," Rayne agreed.

"Thank you, again," she nodded. "Anyway, I got pissed and went for a walk, but it was raining, and I wasn't paying attention, cause I'm all mixed up about Ramora and Esteban, and why I'm in love with both of them. Then I ran into Nerec, and next thing I know, we’re having sex."

"Whoa, what?" Rayne cried. "Nerec?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Biggest philanderer in Lansing, honey."

Chara nodded. "I can see why."

"Eww."

"Trust me, no."

"I don't like penis," Rayne shrugged.

Chara mulled that a second. "Okay, so eww for you. Anyway, I felt bad about that, so I ran off from there, and ran into this Ogre, who bought me a drink, and this is his coat by the way, and he made things make a lot more sense. So, he gave me some money to buy some dry clothes, and I came here, because I'm a warrior now, and I need your help to kick Demon Seed in the nuts."

Rayne nodded slowly.

"What?"

"That makes no sense at all," the Half Elf replied.

Chara sighed. "Yeah. I know."

"Can I ask something?"

"Sure."

"What the fuck?"

"I don't know!" Chara cried. "I don't know anything! It's all so mixed up, I don't know if I'm coming or going. I feel like I'm in love with Esteban, but I don't know why. I feel like I'm in love with Ramora, but I can't be, cause of Esteban. I feel like I'm cheating on her when I'm with him, and if I think of her, I feel like I'm wanting to cheat on him. Then I did, even though I didn't plan to, and I felt better, and worse, all at the same time. Not to mention, when I saw Ramora and Leto together, I felt jealous, then he died, and now I feel bad about that, too!"

"Actually," Rayne told her, a horrified look on her face. "I meant what the fuck made you drink Ogre whiskey with an Ogre?"

"Oh," Chara said slowly. "I don't know. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Right."

Chara covered her face and screamed into her hands. "I just want to not think about any of this for a while. I don't know what I'm supposed to even feel. There's only one thing that's clear, so I'm hanging on to that."

"What is it?"

"I don't want to run away and hide," Chara said, staring at the wall sadly. "I don't want to cower. I want to fight. I need to fight. What the Demon Seed do, it's terrible. I need to stand up to it. Even if I do it by myself."

"That is a spectacularly bad idea," Rayne advised.

"Which is why I need your help," Chara told her, offering her a weary smile.

"I'm not much of a fighter, really," Rayne said.

Chara's expression changed to annoyance. "No, dumbass, I need a sword. I need you to get me a sword."

"Yeah, you've got those," Rayne said, pointing to the mystic handguns in her bag.

Chara nodded. "They aren't enough. I need a weapon for when they get in close."

"Do you know how to use a sword?" Rayne asked.

"Nope," she admitted "But I can find someone to teach me."

The Half Elf sighed and nodded. "You've set your mind to this, then?"

"I have," the other woman nodded. "It's the only thing I am sure about."

"Okay," the little Half Elf nodded. "I'll get you a sword then."

Chara gave her that weary smile again. "Thanks, Rayne."

"You're welcome," she said. "Just don't try to kiss me again. Not till you've, like, rinsed your mouth out, at least. And had a bath."

"I don't smell that bad," Chara grumbled.

"You don't have Elven senses," Rayne reminded.

Chara frowned. "Fine. I'll go find a bath."

"Idiot," she groaned. "You can use mine. It's right over there, through that curtain."

"Thanks, again," Chara smiled. "Again, again, I mean."

"It's what friends are for," the Spellweaver said. "Apparently."

"Can I crash on your couch?"

"Shit," Rayne muttered. "You can crash in the bed. It'll be fine."

"You sure that won't be awkward?"

"Yeah, cause you are so turning me on right now," the other woman said dryly. "What with boy smell all over your cooch."

Chara snickered. "Sorry."

"Don't be," she replied. "But, seriously, do take a damn bath."