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Chapter V
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Chapter IV
The Road To A Man's Heart
"So, this is the place, huh?" Dante asked, looking at the sign.
"Yup, The Drunken Whore," May said with a grin.
May opened the door and allowed Dante to enter. The inn, slash bar, was filled with the strangest people Dante had ever seen in his life. The drunkards, the whores, the con-men, the swarthy and filthy, they were all here. Other than that, the place looked pretty cool.
"Looking for your mommy, boy?" A big muscular man said stepping up to Dante.
"Relax Payne, he's a friend," Payne grumbled, returning to his seat.
Dante checked his pants to see if he'd wet himself.
"Don't be scared, he's nice, once you get to know him," she said smiling with her eyes closed, "sit down at the bar while I get us a room."
Before he could answer, she left. Dante shrugged as he made his way to the bar.
"What'll ya have, kid?" said the balding, one-eyed bartender, spitting into a glass and then cleaning it.
"Nothing now, thanks," Dante said looking at all of the strange bottles.
Suddenly the cold, hard, reality hit him. He wasn't going back home. What Calysta told him was a lie. He was probably going to die here. There wasn't anything he could do but live his life here, wherever here was.....He sulked, trying to hold back the tears of sadness and fear that were pushed back through this whole ordeal. His throat hurt. The way it always does when you hold back your tears. He wiped his gathering tears on the sleeve of his coat.
"Things that bad, sonny?" the bartender said, looking sorrowful."
"Worse," Dante said in a muffled voice.
He kept thinking, "Why me? Why me? Why me?...."
"Here buddy, have a drink, on the house," the bartender said, sliding him a glass.
"Thanks, sir," Dante said taking the glass.
He started to glup down the odd liquid. It felt warm, cozy. Now he realized why men turned to drinking. It made you feel secure when all was wrong with the world. It was the feeling of a mother's embrace in a bottle. He felt better, a little tired, but good. He felt he could take on this world with a happy face. He got up and decided to go look for May. She ran up to Dante.
"Com' on! Let's get to our room!" she said, grabbing him by the hand, going up the stairs.
"Wow!" that was the only word to describe the room.
Briliant tapestries, candle-lit lighting, soft carpeting and..........
"ONE BED?!?!?!" Dante said as his eyes widened, "What the hell is this?"
"Oh, this was the only room they had left," May said rolling her eyes.
May remembered the ordeal she went throught to get this room....
"I NEED a one bed bedroom!!!!" she screamed, pounding on the inn's table.
"Th...those rooms are all filled up," the innkeeper said with a sweatdrop appearing overhead.
May reached over the table and grabbed the innkeeper by the collar.
"I, NEED, A, ROOM......" May screamed, grabbing the innkeeper's collar.
"The only room we have is our "sweet-suite", it's a hefty price and it's used for....hehehe, you know?" the innkeeper said with a smug look on his face.
"I'll pay it," May said, putting down a bag of coins.
The innkeepers eyes widened from joy then to fear, "But THAT room's being used by someone else! I can't just kick him out! He'll have my head!"
"Your head now, or later," she said as she drew out her sword.
Just then, a man, half dawned in armor and arm slung over a cute girl, entered the room.
"Aaaaah, ha...ha..ha, Master Allen, we were just talking about you," said the innkeeper.
May released her grip on Galad and turning to Allen.
"No, no, just this lady would like to have your room, that is, if that's alright with you, sir," Galad said, rubbing his neck.
"Well, It just so happens that I'm finished using that room for today," Allen said, holding the girl a little closer as she blushed, "So don't worry about it. You don't need to solve things with violence, but you've got spunk, I like that, you're alright. Maybe later I'll come back to you."
He winked at her.
"I'll pass," May said, rolling her eyes.
"Ha Ha Ha Ha! Playing hard to get!" said Allen, with a grin, "I'll definitely be back."
With that, he tossed the key to Calysta and paid Galad for Calysta's room.
"Woo hoo!" May said, jumping into the air. "Tonight is my lucky night!"
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Chapter V