Chapter 4 - A Pixie’s Offer
The familiar sensation washed over Giu before he drove a fist into the face of an avian. It wasn’t strong enough to kill, but the way the crow’s head turned at the impact made him concerned for a few seconds.
He was still breathing. Tea flew over with a string of rope in hand.
“You almost killed him, Gi,” the pixie chastized. “Learn to hold back, why don’t you.”
“I was holding back. Not my fault they can’t take a punch.”
He looked over to the other highwaymen. They were sprawled around the woods, some more caved in than others. While he had been attempting to pull his punches, there was only so much he could do when fighting literal teenagers. 
“Alright,” the pixie said, having finished tying up the crow. “I’ll alert the Nivens. Hang on.”
Tea’s forehead crystal glowed. Their eyes shut as they concentrated. Giu shrugged, resting against a rock while Tea did their negotiations. It wasn’t until the glow was gone that the pixie spoke again.
“Silver pounds collected,” Tea said. “C’mon. We’re done here.”
“Yeah yeah,” Giu retorted, getting up to follow his landlord.
This was how things had proceeded ever since he’d joined up with the loanshark of a pixie.
Every day there was some new issue. Some days he’d be given menial tasks like trimming hedges or painting walls. Other days he’d get slightly more demining tasks like babysitting or catching butterflies. Tea rarely got involved. They always sat back barking orders the entire time.
“So when’s my break, paw brain?” Giu asked.
“You getting to sleep at night is your break, Gi. Plus, what would you even do with a break? Sit there and do nothing when there’s silver pounds to be had?”
“For you, maybe. I’m still waiting for that first cut.”
“Hey, I bought you new clothes. That’s gotta count for something.”
“If it’s between money and fashion, I think I’ll go naked.”
After a few minutes of waiting, the flying train dropped from the sky, coming to a screeching halt on the grass.
The sun had begun to set. And being the last stop of the day, there wasn’t much of a line for the two to get past. Giu fished through his pockets, pulling out a strip of jerky for the ride. Tea was content with a bowl of cookies. Where did- He put the thought away. As if it mattered.
In the week he’d spent with Tea, he’d seen all sorts of things appear around the pixie. Mostly small objects. Bowls. Knives. Cards. He assumed it was just magic. How it worked was hardly his concern.
“Can I at least get some credit?” Giu asked. “I have been busting my tail for you this whole time.”
The pixie scoffed. “Oh, yeah. Congratulations, Gi. You worked a whole week. You want a cookie?”
Giu shot the pixie a look, but they barely acknowledged it.
“Just be happy you get to work at all,” Tea went on. “Trying to find jobs isn’t easy, y’know. My customers know me. They trust me. But now I gotta carry your stupid fur around. That complicates things.”
“I never forced you to take me in.”
“And I didn’t force you to save me, either.”
Giu felt a slight twinge. Even Tea looked, for the briefest of moments, surprised. Their gaze quickly shifted to the window.
“You made an investment,” Tea said. “That’s what I’m doing too.”
Tea punctuated the statement by biting into a cookie. Something about the way the pixie spoke made Giu wary of pressing the subject further. He bit into his jerky, letting the silence drag on for the rest of the train ride.
***
Tullula was in the throes of the nightlife when they touched back down in the city. Several of the townsfolk were closing up shops, a few avians yawning and flying off to who knew where.
Tea came to a sudden stop.
“Something up?” Giu asked.
The pixie’s ears twitched. Their paw was tapping against their thigh, tail lashing behind them.
“What if I met you halfway?”
 “Huh?”
The pixie’s ears twitched again.
“I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. This is a peace offering. You want to negotiate your pay, don’t you? If you want, we can talk over…drinks?"
Giu frowned.
Tea was a lot of things, but nice wasn’t one of them. To offer something so mundane out of the blue set off immediate warning bells. It didn’t help that Tea was suddenly stiff as a board. 
“If you’re trying to bribe me-”
“It’s not a bribe,” Tea said. “It’s a gift. I don’t want you thinking I’m ungrateful or anything.”
Giu’s frown waned.
“If that’s true. I might take it. I still want my money, though.”
“We’ll negotiate. I know a decent spot. You ever been to the Red Frog?”
“Can’t remember.”
“Oh. Right. Well…I guess just follow me, then.”
With that, the pixie flew on ahead.
Several night-shift paladins were swapping stories as the two travelers passed. Giu caught a whiff of ale on their breath. When Tea finally stopped, he understood why.
A wide sign held up by a scarlet amphibian statue stood on the west side of Tullala Villa. Candles with neon flames were scattered over the building, each flickering in and out as they floated around the establishment.
Red Frog, huh? Wonder if the food’s any good here.
Following Tea, Giu was greeted with an angelic lute and unintelligible shouts. The silver-haired pigeon behind the instrument sang her song loud and proud despite half the words being drowned out by drunken patrons.
“You a regular here?” Giu asked after they’d gotten drinks and found a table.
“I tend to avoid public spots in general. Cheers.” 
The pixie toasted their wine glass. Giu took a moment to sniff his. Though Tea claimed it was light enough they wouldn’t be hurling chunks late into the night, he still had trouble accepting the pixie had only generous thoughts in mind.
Still, after dipping his tongue in the grapey liquid, the sweet tang was hard to resist. When he pulled away, Tea was smiling, their paw resting on their chin.
“I take it that’s a good sign,” the pixie said. “Should we continue negotiations or just drink the night away?”
Giu shoved his drink aside. “I want my money, Tea.”
The pixie chuckled. “Worth a shot.” The smile faded, Tea’s expression turning serious. “I’ll be frank with you, Gi. I don’t mind giving you your cut in advance, but I need you to be aware of the…implications.”
“Such as?”
“Well, let's just say there are a lot of eyes on me in the Villa. And everywhere else, really. Most people wouldn't know, but for those that do...well...I know you’re an amnesiac and all, but the minute I start paying you, it’s gonna get out that you’re working for me.” 
“That ship's already sailed, T. I’ve been ‘working for you’ for a week.”
“True. But I thought I'd give you an out anyway. We'll see if that attitude lasts in…three…two…one…”
A loud shatter broke through the tavern noise.
The minstrel’s song halted, all drunken patrons ceasing their chatter as every person in the establishment turned towards the now broken entrance. Standing over the splinters were four giants in gray leather jackets. The one at the front scanned the room before growling at the sight of Giu’s table.
“Pixie!” he roared.
Giu glanced at Tea, who was casually sipping wine.
The giants all made a B-line for their table. They were massive, covered in brown and black fur. Bears without a doubt. The one at the front was the shortest, but even he gave the rabbits a run for their money.
“You got some nerve showing your face here, pint size,” the short bear said.
Tea stopped sipping only to look back at their cup.
“This is really good wine.”
They continued drinking. 
The bear bristled. He slammed a fist straight through the table, wood clattering into bits and the metal tray falling to the ground. Giu’s cup fell as well, but he’d already finished drinking by then.
“Don’t you ignore me, you-” The bear reached out, but his hand stopped long before it met its target. Fangs gleamed in his direction, but Giu kept up his grip, giving the bear’s wrist a firm squeeze.
“Bad implications, huh?” Giu asked. “So expect more like this, then?”
Tea set their drink down, a smirk forming.
“Something like that, yeah.”
That was the only heads-up Giu would get.
Tea lunged forward, tossing out drink and glass as they took flight. Both shattered over the face of one of the bears while Giu squeezed the short one’s wrist even tighter.
Energy flooded through his veins. The short bear made a swipe, but the attack again fell short as a form change enhanced fist collided with his cheek. 
“Gwauh!”
The bear flew back, crashing into a nearby table. Giu smiled at the impact. He stood ready to take on the rest only to find Tea kicking one of the bears in the face. The pixie’s forehead gem glowed. They spun in the air, reciting some incantation.
“Tsuchluyavan!”
The liquid across the glassed bear ignited into flame, jacket and all. The man dropped to the ground, another rushing to try to put him out. Tea looked on with pride.
“Since when could you do that?” Giu asked.
“What, did you think I was just some helpless fairy?” Tea retorted. “Oh. You might want to take care of that.”
Giu raised a brow. That was until the feeling of merciless intent washed over him. He whipped around, a mass of glowing brown fur filling his gaze. The jacket ripped and tore away, muscles pulsating as sharpened fangs grew into daggers. 
“Shouldn’t have got involved, mutt,” the short bear growled through his teeth.
The bear’s fur began to rupture, sharp metallic blades springing out across his frame. In a matter of seconds, he’d become more porcupine than bear. Giu swallowed.
“I take it you mean him,” he said. “Crap. Any chance you could do that flame thing again?”
“Not unless you got more alcohol. Plus…” As the pixie trailed on, Giu noticed the other bears getting up. One pulled a giant cleaver from its back. Another had fists covered in ice. And yet another was brandishing a glowing green sword. Tea groaned. “I might have bitten off a bit more than I thought.”
Giu could only respond with a nod. 
“Right. Welp, here goes nothing.”
Giu launched forward, energy drifting to his frame. The short bear’s swipe was swift and vicious, but predictable. Giu dodged the blow, diverting energy and striking out with a hard uppercut.
The short bear stumbled slightly. That was enough. Giu turned on his heels, grabbing the nearest drink and tossing it at the other bears. Tea’s forehead glowed, but the liquid never met its target. A wall of ice sprung up to catch the wine.
“Cra- woah!”
Giu stepped back, his skin hardening around what would have been a nasty disembowelment. The short bear slashed and slashed, its long claws meters long and more than capable of severing a limb on contact.
But it was slow. Compared to the rabbit he’d fought in the woods, the man might as well have been moving like a snail.
Giu ducked a blow, kicking the short bear away and turning his attention back to Tea, who he saw getting slashed with a sword. The metal tray in their hands made for a poor shield.
Springing forward, Giu drove a fist into the closest bear he could find. The one with the cleaver. Being a normal blow, it had little effect, the bear quickly retaliating. It was only then that Giu form changed.
With a single kick, he sent his boot through the weapon and into the bear’s face. His assailant fell backward into a heap. The swordsman and ice wielder took instant notice of their fallen comrade.
“Pip-”
A metal pan slamming into the back of the swordsman’s head dropped him out of the fight as well.
Only two bears remained. The ice wielder and the short one. Tea looked ready to claim another victim, the metal pan held high like a battle trophy. Giu could feel his energy levels running dry.
But the blaring of a horn cut the fight short.
All heads swerved at the sound, clattering footsteps following a horde of shining blades and white armor bursting through the open entrance. Giu froze. As did everyone else in the tavern from the other fighters to the patrons who’d been watching. 
“It’s the paladins!” someone in the crowd shouted.
That was enough to break the trance.
Every dog, cat, and avian ran into different directions. Tea cursed under their breath, flying for the nearest window with Giu not far behind. The procession of paladins were quick to follow.
***
The streets were swarming with armored soldiers within minutes. Giu and Tea both fell to the ground, panting from behind an alleyway. Somehow they’d managed to escape jail time for the time being, though the canine could already see getting home would be a pain and a half.
Who he'd escaped with didn't help matters in the slightest. 
“Stupid villies,” the short bear growled. “No self-respecting bear in Ling-Li would call the paladins on a good fight.”
 The responses he received were a series of groans from the two bears the ice wielder was carrying. The ice wielder themself gave a blank nod to their boss's words.
Tea leaned against the wall.
“You’re preaching to the choir there, Redge. What kinda world are we living in where we can’t settle our differences in a good street fight anymore?”
Both of them nodded in agreement to that. Giu could only look on slightly confused.
In the chaos of the escape, he hadn’t questioned the fact that the bears were following their trail. In fact, he had fully assumed the fight would restart as soon as they found a safe place to hide. That thought went out the window when they ducked into the alley. The ice wielder stopped to put up a wall. So far, none of the paladins seemed to have noticed. Nor had the bears attacked.
“How long you think they’ll be out for this time?” Tea asked.
“I give ‘em a few days,” Redge said, cracking his neck. The spikes had long since retracted back inside his body. “Gotta say, pint size. Was not expecting you to still be this brazen? This a new partner or what?”
Giu stiffened, ready on the off chance the bears were lulling them into a false sense of security. Tea, on the other hand, seemed no more casual than if they’d been talking to a brother.
“I don’t take partners, Redge,” the pixie retorted. “He’s an investment. Hopefully a good one. Speaking of which.”
The forehead crystal glowed again. The pixie reached up to it, their paw coming back with a small brown pouch they pulled from who knew where. They tossed it Giu’s way.
“Here,” they said. Giu caught the pouch, the jingle of coins reaching his ears. “Do what you want with that. I don’t really care.”
Giu looked inside, his eyes marveling at the glistening silver money he found waiting for him in the bag’s contents. When he turned back to the pixie, they had a paw extending the short bear’s way. 
“Call it a draw for now?” Tea asked.
Redge smiled. Their enormous hand enveloped Tea’s.
“I’ll make sure to bring more men next time around,” he said. “You better not lose the mutt before then.”
When the two finished shaking, the bear turned to his people and gave a wave of his hand. Whatever it meant, the ice wielder seemed to understand, nodding and forming a pillar of ice out of the ground. Both bears rode it up to the nearest rooftop. It shattered the minute they jumped off.
“See ya’ around, pint size,” the short bear called back as he disappeared.
Tea waved back, a triumphant smile still held across their face. It was only once he was sure the bears were gone that Giu decided to voice his concerns.
“So, what was that all about?” he asked.
Tea flicked their tail, still staring out at the rooftops.
“Simple business exchange, Gi. You wouldn’t understand.”
Giu could only scratch his head at that. Yet another enigma to add to the Tea pile.