Despite the relative daylight outside, the tavern was...bleak. As this was Fanli's first, and perhaps only time seeing it, she took every aspect of it in.

Ved and Wen found a table with ease—as most things with them often came without trouble.

Fanli meant to keep up but the dark beams of the structure high above piqued her interest. This was a very interesting place. It resembled a cave to a point.

Surely, there was more to taverns.

And while the windows were open, the myriad of smells from others certainly resonated.

Fanli bumped into someone. The man scampered back. He countered and grinned at her under his hat. The stranger wore a lot despite the summer air.

The slight nod was all Fanli got before someone called her name.

Upon reaching the table, she looked at the seating arrangement. Ved and Wen sat across from one another, Pest between them. That left the only open spot by Ved, closer to Wen.

Fanli stood there like a fool rather than sit down. One reason was Pest who, one hand on the back of Wen's chair, watched the table. They looked like a sweet couple.

It was foolish to think it, but somehow, Fanli made up her mind that Wen's chair had been meant for her, but she'd been too busy admiring this dingy place.

No matter where she sat, Pest wouldn't care.

Ved lost patience. "Are you sitting?"

That time, the working of Pest's jaw caught Fanli's eye, and she told Ved, "I'd rather sit with my back to the wall. Could I take your seat?"

Wen let off a sigh. "Pest is closest to the wall. You can just switch with him, and he'll sit on this side."

Pest cleared his throat and Fanli eyed him. Must they really do this all night?

Of the two twins, Ved rarely took his own comfort into consideration. But like Wen, his patience wasn't his best quality.

With a sigh, Ved stood and took the seat beside Wen, intended for either Pest or Fanli, leaving his own chair by Pest open.

Finally, Fanli could sit.

It wasn't without consequences. "So much work for one ogre," Wen grumbled.

Though it hadn't been very loud, it certainly resonated. Fanli decided to keep out of trouble. The food wasn't as good as the hunchback's wife's or even Fanli's mother's. Still, it was an interesting experience.

Fanli picked at the meat. It was in that moment that she realized how close Pest had managed to lean.

"You don't like it?"

"Of—of course I do." Fanli made the mistake of glancing at Wen.

The hunchback's daughter was not impressed.

Whispers traveled throughout slowly but when they reached Ved, he leaned over to Wen then nodded back.

All eyes shifted to the strange man from before. Now, he sat at his own table with a woman dressed in white. It was no dress that she wore. It resembled a large shirt which reached past her thighs.

Something tapped Fanli's shoulder and she sat up straight, alarmed.

It was only when that finger traveled to the nape of her neck that she found the courage to glance at Pest who watched her with a smile.

With all eyes focused on the strange couple, Pest leaned in close to Fanli and whispered, "Now.... About my revenge...."

Fanli opened her mouth to protest but shut it again when Pest's thumb brushed against the back of her neck. The touch was so tender that Fanli's body reacted the strongest yet.

By the time the murmurs all around made sense, Pest had reached down under the table to put Fanli's left hand on his right knee before putting his hand on the back of her chair yet again.

"A what?" someone asked.

Fanli struggled to keep her eyes open. Each time she flinched, she'd involuntarily grip Pest's leg. In those instances, he'd brush her bare skin to soothe her. But once her grip loosened, he'd stroke the freckles again for a reaction.

That one action by him had her imagination running wild. He'd even started experimenting with changing the intensity of his play.

Hands trembling, Fanli gripped his knee. Her plan was to cause him some discomfort, maybe pain, to get him to stop. Despite her usual strength, whatever he was doing to her disarmed even that.

By far the worst was when he realized it.

More than once, Fanli had to resist the urge to run her hand up his leg to stimulate him in kind. But her body cried out for some further stimuli.

Fanli wanted to warn him, but speech failed her. At this rate, she risked losing her mind sitting right there getting fondled in broad daylight.

His thumb making a circular pattern had her panting despite her efforts to close her mouth.

A pair of eyes caught hers and her body tensed. It wasn't the face she recognized of the ogre in human form, but the golden eyes and the curious expression. Lowgli.

He watched her, brow creased. Unlike other ogres who sat in a crowd, Lowgli sat on his own. His look of concern meant he was, perhaps, aware of what Pest was doing. Shame burned in Fanli but even more so when Pest caressed her again and her eyes closed despite her efforts to keep them open.

How did she look to him? Was he embarrassed now for ever having found interest in her?

The idea that he was alone was what concerned her—that was very un-ogre-like.

"It is a faun!"

A faun?

Fanli's eyes started to close involuntarily due to Pest's efforts.

Someone approached Ved who stood to talk off to the side. Once he returned, he eyed Pest.

The direct scrutiny should have forced Pest to stop, but instead, he kept on with his playing against her neck, stimulating her.

"Something wrong?" Pest asked him.

Ved's brow furrowed. "Not sure. What exactly are you doing?"

"Just enjoying my meal."

"Whatever it is," Ved warned. "It's pissing off the gents. Some ogres are complaining."

Pest gave Fanli's spot a long press with his thumb.

Her body locked up. As much as she worried her breathing was too heavy, she certainly longed for Pest to continue.

"Just enjoying my meal." Pest said, gesturing with his chin to indicate the strange couple in the distance. "Might want to look in on them, though."

Two men approached the couple.

"My friend says you're a faun," one said.

The man trembled. "I'm—I'm just visiting."

Another man snatched the hat, revealing the two horns.

"It is a faun!" the other marveled.

"Then that means...this one's...?" One man leaned away and regarded the faun's companion. "A fairy? No, a nymph maybe."

She snatched the hat from him but upon standing to do so, it became too clear she was wearing a large shirt after all.

"We've paid for these!" she snapped.

"Calm down, my love," the faun assured her, "they're just being friendly." He rummaged through his coat pockets for several gemstones. "Here. I'm sure this is what you wanted."

Between two fingers, he held one. Both men shared a glance, and the faun cleared his throat and retrieved more.

Once paid, the two men walked away. "Don't know if'n it's sanitary to take anything from a faun."

"Money is money."

The faun's hat landed on the table. He grimaced as he picked it up.

Eventually, he managed a smile. "Well, it certainly is different from home."

Head still hung, the nymph took the hat, fiddling with it as she apologized. "This was a foolish idea."

"No. It's different. It's certainly exciting and besides the Jaffo patrol is right outside, we'll be perfectly safe." He looked her up and down with affection. "You look very stunning. Even in clothes. And who knows, maybe—maybe the singing will start soon. This is the liveliest place, that ogre had said."

Pest's playful touches stopped. Fanli realized why and gasped.

"Is that...?"

Leaning into her, Pest whispered, "Stop staring at them."

But it was hard not to. Especially after witnessing them intimately at a lake mere days ago.

"If you want," Pest continued to mutter, "I can do to you what he did to her." He pressed his thumb to her neck to punctuate his words.

Fanli's face heated.

"Whatever you two are whispering about, care to share?" Wen looked between them.

Pest sat up, ignoring her as he watched the faun couple.

To the outside eye, he looked like yet another curious bystander, but Fanli's thoughts drifted to the same place Pest's no doubt where—a nymph down on her knees, a faun behind her.

And it may have stayed right there if not for witnessing the affection they shared for one another now. The faun tried to be cheerful despite the eyes fixed on him and his woman.

In truth, Fanli'd never seen one outside that enchanted forest. Even the trolls of that woods refused to leave. Trolls born outside who venture in rarely return, claiming it far more comfortable.

Now, the touches to the back of Fanli's neck resonated between her legs and she didn't know how to counter it.

She risked turning her gaze on Pest only to find him watching her with a smile similar to that of the faun. He surprised her by resting his hand lower on her back, no longer taking interest in the freckles.

"But there's no music," the nymph complained, scanning the room. "This was a wasted journey and a waste of your precious stones. I'm very sorry."

"Nonsense. This is a very memorable experience."

One of the previous men returned. "Oi. We've talked. Another jewel, if you please, faun."

From here, now able to think straight, Fanli recognized the transformed ogre. And if his height was any indication, he was massive. Their markings matched that of Lowgli—hunters.

"Pest," Fanli whispered, "they're in trouble."

But it was Wen to answer, "That forest doesn't fall under my father's responsibility. Ignore them and let's talk to the matter at hand—the mountain."

To Fanli's shock, Pest pulled his chair closer to the table, his hand no longer on Fanli's back. Instead, he held her leg, patting her.

"Pest?" Fanli protested. This was their faun after all, in a manner of speaking. "Shouldn't we help them?"

"Help them how?" Pest scoffed. "Do you see the size of those two. They chose to come here. They know what they're getting into. What sort of man—or faun—takes a half-naked nymph into a place where he can't defend her? It's got nothing to do with us. And stay out of it."

Fanli's heart broke. In one quick action, she flicked his hand off her leg.

Pest sighed. With that, he turned his attention to Wen who hurried to bring up her plans for going up the mountain.

In the distance, the faun lost another gemstone. When he firmly refused, finally, one ogre pounded the table. Ved jumped out of his chair to intercept them.

He wasn't the only one. The barkeeper hurried there as well, begging, "Come on, gents. This is not the way. No need for bloodshed. He's half your size."

Fanli took interest in her food with that. In a lot of ways, she understood the nymph's regret—she now shared in some of her own. A brief glance showed Lowgli no longer watching her.

Despite Ved's approach, the ogres didn't back down. In fact, yet another joined.

Wen kept going on and on, Pest with his eyes on the table. It felt like everything around them was descending into madness and they were at the dead center, miserable.

Pest's fist landed on the table, accompanied by a sharp yell which carried on until it formed a song. "None be as merry as the Fae!"

He jumped up on his chair and the entire room fell silent.

"Right," Pest announced, "we've got some guests—well, visitors, and I'm sitting here with two beautiful women. Less fight and more cheer. Barkeep, bring the ale here!"

Said barkeep looked stunned. His eyes settled on the three big ogres before him and more than likely, he considered his business.

"Of course!"

A cheer sounded and Pest broke into song. Fanli looked up at him, amazed. How could he command an entire room of people by just telling them what to do?

Music started from somewhere and within minutes, the atmosphere all around them changed entirely.

More to satisfy her own wishful thinking, Fanli watched the faun and the nymph. Their enjoyment was clouded by the three ogres still standing close. When she allowed her eyes to scan for Lowgli, she found him gone.

Pest plucked one woman from her chair and danced with her. then another, making his way to the nymph. Once he got hold of her, the faun was alarmed but calmed when Pest came back and took him by the hand as well.

With them safely at a new table, Pest made his way around the room to unified claps. Few things could rival the voice of a fairy. Fanli asked herself if this was fairy magic after all. Maybe it was, but deep down she knew it was just Pest's survival instincts.

For him, there was no rescue. Fairies gave none. It was in their creed. Ogres tended to gang up to achieve a goal. Fairies only ganged up to achieve vengeance. But not rescue.

As such, Pest knew how to read others. But the way he took over the entire room made her into a believer. He was a fairy through and through.

Wen also looked enchanted as she watched him. "It's good to see him back to his old self." She asked Fanli, "Wouldn't it be great to have him always in such high spirits?"

Fanli's stomach sank.

This was a problem. She had to be sure. "Did he use to do this a lot last year?"

"Constantly. It was what made this place so popular."

And...what made Pest retreat into the enchanted forest to get away from the fame.

Now when Fanli watched his merriment, she could see the act. And she could also guess all the ways he'd do something reckless to take away the anger of being made into a spectacle.

Ved made it back to their table, relieved. "Good. This will cheer everyone up. But that was close."

"What was?" Wen asked.

Her brother leaned in. "One of the patrollers, he's an ogre, said that something in this pub was triggering those two. Putting them...in...."

He whispered the last part, but Fanli still heard it.

Musk.

The music died down to cheer and applaud—the faun and his lady were particularly pleased despite the mortal danger just moments ago.

Ogres in musk. There was a reason they came back to that faun and his half naked woman—to provoke a fight, then claim victory.

Fanli took some comfort that Pest had positioned the couple in question closer to the door, and closer to the patroller.

The cheering of the crowd had Pest standing to take a bow. Once he sat again, panting, he didn't care when he leaned closer to Fanli and whispered in her ear, "Now stop pouting."

She turned her head to face him, and the smile was a bitter one. They said nothing to one another.

A crack came in his emotional armor, and he looked at the table before them. He hated this.

Her heart broke for him.

It certainly came back to life again at a start when a shadow fell over her and she looked up to see the same two men towering before her instead.

One looked somewhat uncomfortable but the other, the bigger one, was bold.

"Here."

Two tiny gemstones came to a stop before Fanli. She didn't know what to make of it.

Then the other one added, "If you're still working."

"Working?" Fanli looked up at them, confused.

Ved cleared his throat. "Gentlemen—"

"This doesn't concern you," one countered. He turned to indicate Fanli with a nod. "We're talking to the whore."

Fanli's world imploded.

She waited for some sort of jest in their expression but instead saw something else—herself. Of age ogress in heat sitting with humans. Was that what she looked like?

No one said a thing—no one but Wen who let out a laugh. "I guess that outfit was a bad idea after all, Fan."

Fanli wasn't amused, neither was Ved.

He stood.

It was foolish to look to Pest for help, this was an ogre matter, so why did Fanli do just that?

The faux fairy in question simply watched the table.

All the energy needed from him to put everyone at ease often drained him. Fanli told herself that was why he didn't move or acknowledge the situation now.

A hush fell over the crowd when someone walked in. Three figures made their way from the door.

Fanli recognized them.

The dragons.

Ved spotted them, too, and swore under his breath. The two ogres looked back at them but if they were concerned, they didn't indicate it.

True to ogre form, another man approached Fanli's table, then another. When the number rose to five, even Ved appeared nervous.

"Gentlemen, I'm going to need you to step back."

"We're talking," one said, pointing a finger at Fanli, "to this one. We're waiting for an answer."

Wen was good enough to laugh. "Well, obviously, your payment wasn't enough."

Ved, Fanli, and even Pest turned their heads to look at her.

In that moment, Wen realized her misplaced joke. She must have when three more gems landed on the table.

"And now?"

Wen sat up and told them, "My father—"

"To hell with your hunchback father," another one fired back.

There was no rebuttal to follow. Shame robbed her of that.

This was getting them nowhere. Left with little recourse, Fanli pushed back her chair and stood. Her life flashed with each second she trembled there.

"Fan, you're not leaving with these brutes. Sit the hell down."

But Ved didn't seem to realize that it wasn't really up to her. Dragged out or walked out, they'd get her out.

A warmth filled the room, but Fanli couldn't say where from. Pest stood as well. Whatever his intent, they'd never know.

One ogre turned to a tap on the shoulder. A fist propelled him off the ground. The second one charged but chains wrapped around him, and he crumbled to the ground.

Their fall revealed the three dragons at their backs, each wielding a spiked ball on the chain.

"I don't need your help," Pest seethed.

"Oh?" the woman asked with a smile. "But you look like you could do with it. But we'll be taking that ogress, if you don't mind."