Summary:
Callum, having recently gotten paid for his mercenary work, unwinds at the nearest sleepy tavern. He catches the attention of a strange patron. A short energetic girl who propositions him for a drink, and much, much more.
Callum walked out of the guild with a newfound heftiness in his step and the clink of coin. It was good to get paid. Helping the people was good, too, but making sure he had a warm bed and an even warmer meal to retire to were a slightly bigger draw. Though, this time his payment included a hefty extra amount, meaning he had actual spending money.
Not that spending money really mattered much in a smaller village. It was a wonder Callum even found work here. He walked along the old stone road, looking out at the quaint buildings. Maybe it'd be nice to settle down in a place like this. Most people didn't even give him another look as he walked through. Settling down would come after building a nice nest egg. For now, he'd simply indulge in one of its few taverns, spending his hard earned coin on some liquid relaxation.
Picking no particular establishment, Callum walked in and sauntered on over to one of the many tables, sitting down with a sigh. The aged wood surprisingly brought him some relief. Callum hadn't realized just how much that job took out of him. He relaxed into the chair, letting his muscles unwind as much as possible.
"And what will you be having on this fine afternoon?" a barmaiden asked, sidling up next to his table.
"Anything warm and that will keep me happy until the sun sets," Callum replied.
"Cider, certainly." She walked off.
Callum let his gaze follow her. She wasn't half-bad. Probably had too many passes this day alone for her to consider him, however. The barmaiden return with his warm drink, setting it down in front of him. He set out a few coins, which she gladly took up.
"Thank you, sir. Call if you need anything!"
He gave her a nod and downed some of his drink, enjoying the fruity warmth settling in his gut. Callum let out a relaxed sigh and looked out at the rest of the tavern. Most of its patrons were human, a few odd-lookers, and a few outright non-humans. One stood out in particular. A bluish creature that shimmered in the candlelight, almost like a puddle or a stream. Callum's brow furrowed. He hadn't drank that much, had he?
Squinting, Callum focused on the creature, trying to make sense of its form. It was definitely a humanoid, and by the lack of yelling, it must not have been a threat. Currently the creature was bobbing its head back and forth as it drank up from a mug of its own, the dark fluid dribbling into it and slowly fading away into its body. It was short, too, and only had an ornate cloth wrapped around its waist and some sort of tie in its hair. The creature whipped around to look at Callum, striking orange pupils staring at him. A devious smile grew on its face.
Not wanting to draw any trouble, Callum glanced away, sipping more of his drink. Too late for that now. The ooze-creature hopped from its chair and grabbed its mug, waltzing over to Callum's table. As it approached, he could make out finer features it bore. Wide hips, a feminine gait, pointed ears, a swaying tail, and amorphous hair. She was definitely female, even if he still wasn't exactly sure what she was.
"Buy a very special girl a drink, hmm?" she said, shaking her mug.
Callum wasn't sure how to respond at first, brow furrowing at the short creature before him. She seemed harmless enough, but looks were deceiving. She certainly was special, in any case.
"Sure, sure," he said. "Uh." Callum looked to the barmaiden. "Another drink for this one," he called out.
The waitress rolled her head, retrieved another drink, and returned to Callum's table, setting it down.
"Thaaaanks Eloise! Be on your way now!" the ooze girl said, waving her hand.
"You'll get nothing but headaches dealing with her," Eloise replied.
"Jealous I got to him first, huh? Maybe you'll get the next one." The short girl pulled a chair from the other side of the table, scooting it up to Callum's side. She then plopped herself down on it and sized him up.
"Something you need?" he asked, taking another sip.
"What's your name, big guy?"
"Callum."
"You don't look like a Callum." She tilted her head. "Big hero guy like you? You need something like... I dunno, Titanius the Conqueror!" Her arm shot up, mug held up high.
"Just Callum." He pursed his lips. "And you are?"
The girl's eyes widened, then she nodded. "I almost forgot to introduce myself. I am Lazula the Massive! Impressed, right?"
A few other patrons groaned upon hearing her yell. Callum held back a smirk. Massive was the farthest thing from her character, save for maybe her volume. She was petite, really, and, looking at her, she was admittedly cute. Callum found himself wondering what it would feel like to touch her. Like water?
"Impressed is one word for it," he said. "I don't think I've seen a creature like you before." At least, not in a coherent shape like that.
"I'm a dragon. A blue dragon. Powerful species, as I'm sure you're aware. You can gasp whenever you like, I'm used to it." She set her mug down, grabbing the fresh drink.
Dragon? It might explain the oozing horns, but that didn't quite flow logically.
"You seem more--"
"Yeah, yeah, I may be an ooze now, but! I was a dragon. It's a complicated story." Lazula nodded. "If you buy me a few more drinks I might even..." She paused, hand gesturing at the air as if she could pull the word out of the aether. "Regale it to you."
"I'm afraid I'm on a bit of a budget. I'm sure someone else would love to buy you a few rounds."
"The guys around here are too dimwitted to sink into a story like mine."
"We've already heard it a hundred times!" someone yelled.
Lazula slammed her drink on the table. "And you should be thankful for all hundred of 'em!"
The ooze-girl was clearly a regular here. One with a big mouth. It was no wonder nobody batted an eye at her, she had already beaten everybody over the head with her presence. Lazula looked back to Callum.
"So, you're a big hotshot adventurer guy, right?" she asked.
"I'm flattered, but no, I just take jobs and get paid."
"A real mercenary." Lazula elbowed him with surprising strength. "Just like me. Seeking all the money in the world. I had a big hoard once, probably as big as this whole place." She shook her head. "No, it was big as this whole town."
"When you were a dragon, that is?" Callum asked.
"Yeah, when I was a dragon!"
"How far along are you getting that back?"
"Well, uh, y'know, times are tough. I'd be farther along if this stuff didn't taste so good." She flung her head back and downed the rest of her mug, letting out an exaggerated sigh of delight once she was done. "There goooooes the last of my coin."
"I bought you that drink."
"Oh, well, wanna buy another drink for a girl down on her luck?" She leaned over, rubbing her head into his arm. It was gelatinous and soft. Strangely warm, too.
"I think you've had enough for one day, don't you?"
"Y'know, I like you."
Callum raised a brow. "Uh, thanks?"
Lazula looked up at him. "Looking out for a poor girl. Not a lotta people would do that."