Chapter 97: Fixing a Broken Soul.
Just as Lia was about to pounce on the prone and rather nervous-looking Raymond there was an urgent banging at the door that made Lia snarl in frustration and irritation.
"What and who is it?" she demanded loudly.
"It's Abigail dearie and I'm really sorry to interrupt your private time with your man but I have something of an emergency on my hands that needs you both, may I come in?" the voice of the mother hen who ran the place came through the door.
Lia glanced at Raymond with a look of concern that barely masked her irritation, "One moment my male needs time to cover himself and what is his is for my eyes only so if you wish to keep them do not attempt to open the door," Lia said sternly.
"U-Understood dearie," Abigail stammered obviously surprised by Lia's aggressive command, she obviously wasn't used to dealing with Claws.
Raymond sighed and reapplied his clothing as quickly as he could, as nervous as he had been he had also been excited to be on the receiving end of Lia's attention because they were honest and pure, if he had to give Claws one thing it was that they never hid their intentions from you, you knew where you stood with them at all times.
"Alright you may enter now," Lia said opening the door lock and allowing the mother hen to step nervously into the room to face down the wrath of a denied Claw Raymond felt a tickle of guilt at it being happy that it was her on the end of the ire and not him.
"I'm so so sorry for the interruption dearies I know this was a special night for the pair of you but we have a very strange situation downstairs, one of the Featherguard has come looking for you specifically and she seems.......desperate, she burst in demanding to see the strangers from the ground, the ones here to make a peace treaty between us and the Brotherhood, she said it's of utmost importance that from speaks with you, a matter of life and death she said," Abigail explained.
Both Raymond and Lia looked at one another and a note of deep concern passed between the pair as Lia nodded her large horned head, "Passions can wait and grow this requires our attention now," she said and Raymond nodded.
"Go grab Zixxy my gut tells me we're going to need her help, I'll go meet this Featherguard," Raymond said and Lia nodded and vanished as Raymond turned to Abigail.
"Take me to her," he said and Abigail looked relieved as if he would refuse her request.
"Thank you, Raymond I knew you were a good soul so I did," she said and she quickly bustled off with him in hot pursuit.
As they reached the lobby of the inn Raymond spied a very nervous and kinda distraught looking female Valkyrie who to his eye kinda looked like an eagle with feathers as black as an oil slick with patches of red and white here and there along with a long luscious fan like tail what was tucked up against her back waiting for them.
"I'll leave ya in peace laddie take yer time," Abigail said before vanishing back to her room.
As soon as she spotted Raymond she ran to him her massive talons clattering on the wooden floor, "Are you the leader that the elders spoke of? Raymond?" she enquired quickly and with a desperate note in both her voice and her eyes.
"That's me and who might you be?" he asked.
"My name is Jewel I am one of the Featherguard, an officer and I need your help desperately, the elders tell me that you have humans in your group and that you know a lot about them correct?' she said quickly causing Raymond's eyebrows to raise and a hard note of caution to his heart.
"Yes, that's true why do you ask?' Raymond said before suddenly a little voice echoed into his mind.
"Because she has done something horrible and needs help to fix it, accept her request Raymond there is a soul in dire need of help we must go quickly I feel it!!" Zixxy said into his head.
"Because I need your help, I-I-I was granted a human servant from the Brotherhood a captured soldier taken the last time they assaulted our lands, he was spared a death sentence for what his people did on the condition that he serves me as my indentured attendant a-a-and I made a horrible mistake and now he's injured and I don't know what to do or how to fix it please help me!" Jewel cried grabbing Raymond's massive hand in both of hers as both Lia and Zixxy appeared on the stairs.
Lia snarled as soon as she saw Jewel gripping Ryamond's hand in desperation, Unhand my male at once!" she snapped and Jewel let go without a second of hesitation.
"M-M-My apologies I did not mean to touch what I was not invited to, b-b-but I am desperate, m-m-my servant needs help and I don't know where to turn, please I do not wish him to suffer for my mistakes, please help me," she said her voice sounding more and more desperate by the second.
"Take us to him at once and quickly," Raymond said and Jewel's eyes lit up and her head nodded.
"Follow me quickly!!" she exclaimed and rushed out of the door with the trio in hot pursuit.
She lead them through the city to a house that obviously belonged to her, as soon as the four burst in Zixxy rushed past them with a speed that no one knew she was even capable of dashing into what appeared to be the bedroom and instantly the sounds of someone being tackled and a struggle was heard.
Raymond and Lia dashed after her and instantly saw her wrestling with a white-skinned young-looking human male that was covered in a litany of marks and what looked like talon cuts to his chest, he was holding a rather sharp-looking knife and was apparently trying to stab himself with it until Zixxy had intervened.
