Chapter 24.4: Rousing Wepp

The two continued on with their unintended captive. By the time they reached the inn, Penny had handed her bundled landlord back to Minkus once more. He’d carried Wepp the remainder of the way, rejuvenating himself as he went. In the end, that arrangement was easier for them both.

In a secluded alley just a few buildings down from the Shining Inn, the two set Wepp down and unwrapped him. Perhaps it was the change in movement from the long walk, but Wepp suddenly started to stir.

In a flash, Penny had her sidearm drawn, inches from the waking asura’s face. Wepp blinked open his narrow eyes, zeroed in on the barrel of the gun, and yelped like a wounded cat. His head wobbled, his eyes rolled backward, and with a gentle thunk, he collapsed to the cobblestone alleyway once more. Minkus and Penny exchanged a wide-eyed look.

“Penny,” Minkus exclaimed, looking down at her still drawn weapon. “You pulled a gun on him!”

She grimaced, fumbling for words. “Oh, I wasn’t going to— I just— well, it worked, didn’t it?” She quickly re-holstered the pistol and shook Wepp to ensure he was asleep once more. “We can talk about that later. Let’s just get this little jerk inside before he wakes up again.”

Minkus nodded grudgingly, and the two hoisted Wepp, Penny wrapping an arm beneath one of his shoulders and around his back, while Minkus held him up around the waist from his other side. Between them Wepp’s feet dangled in the air, one a foot higher than the other, further highlighting the difference between the human and asura carrying him. Penny hoped they could sell the story that they were bringing yet another drunken friend to sleep off his stupor in their room.

“Sweet Dwayna,” Gill said, just above a whisper as the two passed through the front door and into the gaudy public room. He came around the desk, arms extended to help. “Mr. Large, my word. What’s the matter here?”

“Yes, um— well—” Minkus searched for words.

“Our friend,” Penny broke in, her arm still wrapped around the unconscious asura, “he just had too much fun at the pub. A little sleep, and he’ll be good as new.”

“I see,” Gill said, nodding. He looked Wepp up and down again, seeming to hover a time on the strand of spit stretching from the balding asura’s mouth to the chest of his coveralls. Penny offered him a half smile.

Minkus smiled wanly as well. He could sense both Gill and Penny’s uncertainty.

The round innkeeper considered something. “Mr. Large,” he said gesturing toward the desk, “may I speak to you?”

Minkus looked at Penny and released Wepp fully into her grasp. The unconscious form dangled for a second as she tried to grapple him into a more manageable posture, and Minkus stepped away, tugging at his ear and wondering what came next.

“Mr. Large,” Gill said quietly as they approached the front desk, several feet away from Penny. He turned away from the woman so only Minkus could see and hear him. “I won’t say I’m not concerned about the company you’ve been keeping.” The man quickly looked back over his shoulder before leaning in. “The lady’s state the other day was one thing—seemed very kind of you to care for her. But this fellow? He’s been drinking so hard, he’s not even conscious. It’s none of my business I suppose; you can keep the friends you wish to. But they do say a man becomes the people he befriends, and I’d hate to see such a fine fellow as yourself become the likes of these.” There was a moment's silence. Then the innkeeper seemed to suddenly hear his own words. “Meaning no offense to your friends, of course. We all have our problems to bear.”

Gill let those words sit for a moment, collecting himself before changing topics. “That aside, though, your room is only designated for two. If this new friend plans to stay here, we’ll need to revisit your sleeping arrangements. We have the public sleeping quarters on the third floor. There’s currently no one there to bother, and the price for three beds is a few coppers less than your current accommodations. We’d be happy to move you.”

Minkus glanced at Penny and their unconscious captive. He had no personal experience with this type of circumstance. Really, if he was honest, he half wanted their kidnapping to be discovered, in hopes that that sunken feeling in the pit of his stomach might come to an end. However, he could imagine Penny’s snappy response to being put in an open room, where potentially anyone could walk in when Wepp woke up. He supposed it really wasn’t wise, especially when Minkus couldn't say what exactly came next.

Gill recognized his hesitance. “Or,” he said, brightening his voice, “if it suits you better, we can move you to a larger private room. Three beds will cost half as much again as your current room, but you and your friends will all be comfortable.”

“Yes. Yes, please.” Minkus sighed his relief. “We’ll take the larger room.”

He reached into the coin purse at his hip, but the innkeeper stopped him with a wave of his hand. “Oh, no, Mr. Large, you needn’t do that. You are a trusted customer. You pay when you leave.” He leaned in closer, still with his back to Penny. “It’s your friends I’d be concerned with. Do make sure they pay you for their stay, Mr. Large. Nice man like you, I’d hate to see your kindness taken advantage of.”

Minkus repositioned his hands around the innkeeper’s and shook gently, smiling his gratitude. “Thank you, Master Gill. You are very kind as well.”

“Ah, there is one more thing,” Gill mumbled. He seemed to work to find words he didn’t want to say. “We had a complaint about noise the day after your arrival: something about loud voices and stomping coming from your room.” The man raised his hand as if to ward off a rebuttal Minkus didn't have. “Now, I haven’t heard anything further since your lady friend sobered up, so I haven’t said nothing to you about it, but with this next friend of yours, I need to ask you to keep the noise down. I wouldn’t want to have to take action with one of my favorite customers, Mr. Large, but I need to consider all of my guests. You understand.”

Minkus nodded emphatically, glancing around the innkeeper at Penny and raising his voice so as to be heard. “Yes, we will be very quiet for the other guests.” Penny rolled her eyes but nodded just the same, and Minkus went on, “Thank you so much, Master Gill.”

“Patty,” the man called, after shaking Minkus’ hand once more. “Please see these nice folks to room three. They’re going to be needing the extra space.”

The serving girl situated the trio in their new room once again, moving over all their things from their previous accommodation. She’d only taken one or two long looks at the still unconscious asura Minkus and Penny dragged about with them. Her composure was impressive.

Closing the door behind her, Patty returned to her work elsewhere in the inn, leaving Penny, Minkus, and the collapsed Wepp to themselves.

“What do we do now?” Minkus asked, wringing his hands and looking to Penny for some sort of direction. This was all so new and so uncomfortable.

“Shhh,” she said, “I’m figuring that out.”

A hand to her lips, Penny thought for a moment, taking a visual account of the room and its contents. She looked back at Wepp’s form on the bed and nodded to herself, suddenly taking a few quick strides to the writing desk against one of the walls. She took the chair away from the desk and moved it to the middle of the room, seemingly equidistant from every other object or piece of furniture. Then, taking Wepp in her arms like a sack of bolts, she situated him on the chair. “SP-1,” she commanded, “twine.”

Gears whirred, belts turned, and Penny stepped across the room to grab a narrow sack from the grip of the mandible extending from the side of her smartpack. She returned to Wepp, who sagged over the back of the chair, and removing the thick string from its sack, she set to wrapping it in tight loops around him.

Minkus stood, watching and tugging uncomfortably at his ear. He thought he wanted to say something, but it took him several seconds to determine what that something was.

“Penny,” he asked quietly, “is that— necessary?”

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye as she continued her work. “Depends. How happy do you think he’s going to be when he comes to and finds himself here?”

Minkus winced at the thought of Wepp, or anyone else, waking to find himself in a strange place and strapped to a chair. Still, he guessed Penny’s point was sensible. He stepped closer to test the tension on the bonds. “Just— well, don’t tie it too tight? We don’t want to hurt him.”

The human, making her last orbits around the chair, shook her head. “Yeah, I know, Biggie, but we also don’t want him getting loose.” She shrugged. “Of course, if he gets out of hand, we can just scare him again. What a weird little man.”

Minkus nodded as Penny tied off the wrap. Wepp was now tied sturdily to the wooden chair, his arms pinned to his sides. “He’s not going anywhere,” Penny said, standing upright to admire her work.

For several moments the two stood, quietly watching the person strapped to the chair as though he were scheduled to awaken at any second. He wasn't, and he didn’t. Wepp never moved, his head laying still on his chest, his ears overshadowing both shoulders, and his bald head impeding any good view of his face.

Frowning, Penny leaned forward. “Hey, you,” she demanded, “wake up.”

Nothing happened.

“Wip!” she called again.

Minkus approached a step. “I think it’s Wepp.”

The woman rolled her eyes. “Fine, Wepp. Whatever your name is, wake up.”

She waited a minute, standing upright again, but her stiff posture and tapping foot said she was getting impatient. With a huff, Penny stepped forward and slapped him across the cheek. Wepp went right on sleeping, his head rising and falling atop his chest with each breath.

“Penny!” Minkus yipped.

“What?” She turned to Minkus. “Nothing is working, and we need information.”

Minkus fumbled for words. “You can't just— that's not how— well, it’s not right.”

She eyed him, and he didn’t divert his gaze, though in truth he wanted to. After a moment, she looked almost embarrassed.

“Oh, fine,” Penny groaned, slipping back toward one of the beds and sliding herself onto it. Minkus hopped up, seating himself beside her.

Together they waited for several more minutes, watching intently. Penny flipped a small wrench in her hand, and Minkus began to hum. He thought it made the situation less uncomfortable.

“Gods,” Penny growled. “I can’t take this.” She flipped the wrench across her knuckles and stuffed it back into her hip pocket. “SP-1,” she demanded, sliding off the bed and moving toward her smartpack, “pipe-wrench and ratchet.” Out slid each item in turn as she took them from the distribution mandible. With the tools in hand, Penny moved on Wepp.

“What are you—” Minkus began, but he cut short when the woman cocked back a hand. No, she cocked back both hands, with a weighty tool in each of them. Minkus jumped. “Penny, no!”

Before he could finish, Penny swung the tools in two wide arcs. Instead of striking Wepp, though, she clanged the two metal instruments together, inches in front of the asura’s closed eyes.

Minkus and Wepp screamed in unison. Penny jumped, spinning back on Minkus with wide eyes and raised hands.

“What? What is it?” she yelped.

Minkus gulped air. “I— I thought— you had the wrenches up, and I was afraid you were going to hit him.”

Penny glanced at the tools in her hands, and her expression quickly soured. “Gods no, Biggie! I’m not a monster.” A sardonic grin spread suddenly across her face. “Besides, what information would we get with his brains all over my wrench?”

Minkus forced an awkward smile but couldn’t bring himself to laugh.

“Oh, it’s a joke,” Penny groaned. “Lighten up.”

There was a sound of shifting behind Penny, and then a voice spoke up in subdued horror. “My brains all over your what?”

Penny turned back around to Wepp, who was now awake, tugging at his bonds and frantically scanning the room.

“Miss Arkayd, is that you? Why in the ever-turning alchemy would my brains be on your wrench?” Wepp panted. “And why am I bound? Where in Tyria am I? What is happening?”