Critical Failures II (Caverns and Creatures Book 2) by Robert Bevan Read Free Book Online Page B

of that description.” He started to close the door.
    “Butterbean!” shouted Tim.
    A sharp bark broke the silence from within the tavern. The minotaur lowered his head and allowed the door to swing open. Butterbean padded out past him and licked Tim’s face. Tim hugged the wolf around its neck and scratched behind its ears. He looked ecstatic… until he suddenly didn’t.
    “Wait a second,” said Tim. “Where the hell is my sister, you hairy bast—”
    Tony the Elf punched him in the gut, taking the wind out of him. He gave Tim a few seconds to breathe. “Feeling better, big guy?”
    Tim nodded.
    Tony the Elf stood up. “I think what my friend was trying to suggest is that you haven’t been one hundred percent straightforward with us.”
    “Look,” said the minotaur. “That’s why I don’t let you people in my tavern. I don’t want the kind of trouble that you always tend to bring with you. All I can tell you is that she left a while ago with her bard friend and some other guy. They left some of their shit behind. Hang on a second and I’ll go get it.” He returned a minute later and set two backpacks on the ground at Tim’s feet.
    “You just let some stranger drag my sister out of here?” asked Tim.
    “Nobody was dragging anybody. She looked happy enough. Now thanks for picking up the dog. Don’t let me catch you around here again.” The minotaur slammed the door shut.
    “This is bullshit,” said Tim. “She never would have left Butterbean behind. He’s her Animal Companion.”
    “So what are you going to do?” asked Tony the Elf. “Bust in there and beat the truth out of him? He’s three times as tall as you are, and probably weighs twenty times what you do.”
    “Surely the four of us together could put up a –”
    “Get that thought out of your head right now. That’s how you get killed in this place.”
    “But my –”
    “Even if I was willing to risk my life – and let me be absolutely one hundred percent crystal fucking clear on this – I am not, that would make three of us. Not four. The dwarf girl isn’t one of us. Remember? I’ll go out on a limb and assume she’s not suicidally insane. And just in case you didn’t notice, that’s not some furry orc wearing a Viking helmet in there. It’s a fucking minotaur. If you go through that door, you will not return.”
    “Your point is taken,” said Tim. “Got any suggestions?”
    “Do they keep their tubes in there?” Tony the Elf glanced down at the two backpacks.
    “Their what?”
    “Their character sheets.”
    Tim’s eyes went as wide as tennis balls, and he dropped to his knees and started digging through a bag. He frantically unscrewed a scroll case and uncurled the paper. “Fuck, this is Chaz.” He quickly discarded it and tore through the other bag.
    Dave picked up Chaz’s character sheet. “Well, at least Chaz is doing okay. He’s still got a couple of temporary points missing from his constitution, but his HP is full.”
    “Oh, thank God,” said Tim, holding up the other sheet. “Katherine’s still at full hit points.”
    Tony the Elf let out a long, satisfied sigh and smiled. Tim jumped up and hugged him.
    “What the hell is going on?” Jorn asked Dave. “What are you guys so happy about? What about his sister?”
    “This is another one of those cultural differences.”
    Tony the Elf allowed Tim to continue hugging him for a short time, and then gently removed his arms from around his leg and his head from his crotch.
    “The girl and her friend are okay for now. I suggest we head back to the Whore’s Head. We’ll set up a rotation to keep a watch on the character sheets. But we are going to need some rest before we organize any sort of search for them.”
    Tim wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and nodded.
    “Can we walk you somewhere?” Dave asked Jorn.
    “No, thank you. I don’t live far from here.”
    “I hope you’ll come back and visit me at the Whore’s Head