Glen - The Desert Beat

"Damn....it...all......" A few haggard words wheeze out of my mouth as I weakly walking through the desert; Dragging an unconscious Kitsune across the ground with a rope attached to my waist and carrying Sarah on my back piggy back style.
Why are they like this as I trek through the desert? Ami tripped on a twig and hit her head on something, and Sarah supposedly stepped on something sharp and said she wanted to be carried the rest of the way. Frankly, I think she either got extremely lazy or had some ulterior motive, but I wasn't in the mood to process any thoughts at the moment.

After some time, the three of us finally reach the desert oasis town of Hamal....or that's what I assume it is. It could be wrong since the map had the name scribbled over so many times in what looked like sloppy children's handwriting, but I don't care at this point. As we near the town Sarah grumbles out "Aww, we're already here.", as if she was enjoying the ride.
Upon entering town I get Sarah off of my back and look around. Humans and monsters freely live together here, unaffected by any laws of the Church in this neutral and independent territory. Because of that, you can see the two of them happily coexist together side by side. There's a Lamia selling trinkets at a stand to a group of men among numerous other merchants, a young Lizard girl with sandy scales and little boy running around together, a Sphinx sitting by herself on some sort on stone slab with a "talk to me, please?" face, a tanned Succubus in transparent garbs trying to lure people into her establishment through belly dancing, and much more. There's a lot going on here in this bustling town.
As I finish looking around from where I've been standing for the last three minutes, I tell Sarah to stay put as I try and find an Inn.

Wandering through the sandy streets, I search for an Inn, but end up finding three bars and an ornery Centaur complaining and throwing alcohol bottles instead. "Hmmmm." I stand besides yet another bar to contemplate where to go next when I hear slow, controlled footsteps and a voice saying "You shouldn't wear such dark attire in this heat, Mr. wanted~". Out of reflex, I grab the hilt of my blade and turn to face whoever is behind me, only to have a knee slammed into my gut with enough force to empty the contents of my stomach. The assailant quickly hops back a number of feet before being sprayed with gastric juices and charred lizard bits, and begins to assume a taunting stance. I do not know who this person is, do to having their face covered, but the form fitting white clothing they are wearing clearly showing off womanly hips and large breasts. Though unarmed, it seems she clearly knows how to fight with just her hands and legs. Her lithe build also suggests she's very agile, which poses a big problem for me.
I draw my sword and stare my opponent down with a cold glare....only for her to wave her finger at me "Tsk tsk, you shouldn't point weapons at 'strangers'~" Her voice is starting to sound familiar, but before I can put my finger on it she quickly maneuvers across the ground towrds me! I wait until she is close enough to me, before slashing at her legs to slow her down and cripple her.
My blade slices through the air at blinding speeds...but it is easily caught by the woman and parried away with only her bare hands. Before I can even blink or think of something to do next a foot is kicked into my face, sending me into the nearby wall. My body weakly trembles as I try and stand up once more.
I knew she was going to be trouble, but this is just plain ridiculous... The assailant crosses her arms and puffs out her chest before boasting out "I think you've had enough, so it's time to end this!" Her voice sounded even more familiar that time. You're wide open!" She shouts while darting across the ground. ...Though it's too bad I was too preoccupied with trying to remember it instead of stopping her from getting close once more. I try and slash at her once more, but she dodges it with the grace of a crane before fluidly uppercutting my chin and punching me in the solar plexus with metal shattering force. I crash into the ground after having the wind violently knocked out of me, as well as possibly having a few organs displaced. While trying to deal with the extreme pain coursing through my body, and correcting my breathing, the unknown woman walks over to me and crouches down before me.
She stares for a few minutes before laughing. "Seems you are still as tough and hardy as ever. That blow would have killed just about anything else."
"..." I can only wheeze and groan in response to her.
"Oh yeah, that's right."  She then slams her hand into her palm, as if realizing something, before pulling off the mask covering her head. Underneath it was fiery red hair in a pony tail, dark brown eyes, tanned skin, and a large cheeky smile beaming at me like a second sun. Ah, now I know who this is. Excluding the tanned skin, and the chest size, she hasn't changed a bit. "It's nice to see you alive,-" She pats my right shoulder, "-Big bro~" It was my younger sister, Anne, all along. Though not related by blood, she's still family to me. She's always been like this, though I sometimes wish she wasn't.
"Anyway-" She grabs my foot and begins dragging me across the ground like a dead animal. ", let's meet up with your friends and take them to meet Dad. I'm sure he'd like to listen to what happened to you just as much as I do."
"Ah, so he's here too. It's good to know he's still alive." I think to myself as I'm dragged across the ground in public. Nobody does anything about this, as if it is something they've already seen before. A few kids laugh and point, one even blushed and stared as if she was thinking lewd thoughts.
It takes a few minutes before I'm brought back to the entrance of town where Sarah and Ami are, though it seems Sarah fell asleep standing up while I was gone. Anne walks up to Ami and lightly pokes her in the tail with her foot, causing Ami to awaken and look around confusedly.
"I-uh-huh?" Ami babbles while trying to understand where she is.
"Get your friend and follow me." Anne politely tells Ami while poking her fluffy ears.
"But-uh-" Ami continues babbling.
"C'mon!" Anne speaks up while walking away.
Ami pushes Sarah with all her might and slowly pushes the Knocked out Dragon girl forward towards the red haired brute of a girl.

Anne eventually brings me to a simple, nameless bar with Ami slowly catching up behind us. Anne finally lets go of my foot and happily skips inside, leaving me with Ami and the sleeping Dragon. I barely manage to get myself standing and weakly shuffle inside with Ami following me. The inside of the bar is a little dim, but welcoming and simple. A good number of tables and chairs are set around the room, with a few drunk monsters and people sitting at some of them. They either merrily drinking or napping.
In the back was a very nice looking bar table with a large assortment of various liquors and liqueurs behind it. Standing at it was an familiar old man who hasn't changed a bit since I last saw him with, Anne sitting next to him. He still has the same gray hair and stubble on his chin, and is reading the very same stained book about making proper apple cider as last time. This old man is Fredrick A. Benet, my step father. In his younger years he was a world famous mercenary and considered one of the strongest humans alive in his prime. His skill with a spear was unrivaled. He adopted me years ago after his daughter thought I was a dog and tried to keep me as a pet after finding me in a pile of mud. How did I end up there? Well, you're not interested in that, are you?
"Well well, look who came slinking back after running off so many years ago. And he even brought friends." Fredrick suddenly speaks up while closing his book. He takes off his reading glasses, which look like they belong on an old woman, and proceeds to make a cold yet caring expression at me as I walk up and take a seat next to Anne. Ami slowly follows and awkwardly tries to get Sarah into a seat as well.
I let out a light chuckle, which causes a bit of blood to fly from my mouth, and smile at the old fart, "It sure has been a while. It's nice to see you're still the same."
"I could say the same to you too-OH!" Fred stops talking and looks down at something below him. "Who told you to use teeth?! Whatever, we're done for now." A friendly and apologetic female voice blurts out from underneath his table, followed by a giggling Succubus with no chest and notable hips crawling out and leaving out the front door while waving.
....Still the same old perverted man alright....
Anne coldly glares at her father as if she could burn a hole in him "Dad, I could have sworn you said you would give this up."
Fred quickly starts panicking under her heavy gaze "I-I said I'd give up sleeping with multiple women and settle down! ....Eventually. Baby steps!"
Anne shakes her head in response to her father's excuses. It's kind of nice to be home.

Ami pokes her fluffy eared head over the bar counter and intently stares at the people who are completely new to her. She looks at the two strangers with eyes beaming with curiosity, before turning to me and blurting out "So who are these guys?"
"This is my Dad and sis, Ami." I say as I point towards the two of them. Ami looks at me for a few seconds, before looking over to Fred and Anne for another few seconds and awkwardly waving one of her hands at them.
"Why hello there, little one!" Fred greets the little Kitsune with a warm smile and an extended hand. Ami backs away from said hand, as if it was the filthiest thing in this room. This action depresses the old man a bit.
"Hello! Nice to meet ya!" Anne shouts out enthusiastically while forcefully shaking Ami's hand and patting her head. This hurts the Kitsune. Anne continues to pummel Ami while turning her head towards me with a curious face. "So do you mind explaining who these two are and why you went missing for over eight years or so?
"Well these two are my friends-" As I talk, Sarah, who was sitting up while sleeping in a chair, falls over and impales one of her horns into the hardwood floor below. Ami escapes Anne's violent and brutish hands and tries to free the slumbering Dragon from the floor's evil grasp. "-Anyway, I'll explain the reason why I left then another time. It's a little long." I try my best to buy some time and not have to tell a long ass story. Hopefully they'll buy it.
Fred shakes his head, sighs, and takes a swig of a bottle full of pale blue liquor. "Can you just give us a simple and short version for once instead of holding it off until later?"
"Yeah!" Anne suddenly shouts out as she slams her fist into the table, causing a pink scaled Lizardman in the back to spill her drink all over her lap, which results in her crying like a 3 year old.
"Hmmmmm." I put my hand up to my chin and begin to contemplate my answer to the fullest of my cognitive abilit- "No."
"Fine fine." Fred awkwardly waves around a glass of liquor in his hands before gulping it down with a disdained look. "Can we at least get an explanation on where you're going?"
"East, to the next continent over."
"The east? What for?"
"I've got some reaso-"
"Oh, is it about that one Dragoon Castle? The same one you went on about when we were like 11?" Anne crudely interrupts.
"-Fine, yes!" I continue what I was saying while throwing my arms in the air in a tantrum.
My stepfather cups his chin in thought for a few seconds, "East, eh? So you're planning on going their using the port town up north, right?"
"That's right."
"Even though everyone there would want your head on a pike for what happened over 8 years ago?"
"Yes."

"What happened 8 years ago?" Ami raises her hand in question, but is ignored.

"Well, if you are going up there, I could pull a few strings with an old friend of mine and help you out."
"You'd do that?" The thought of some help greatly elevates my mood and brings a smile to my face.
"Of course, but while I work things out I would need a few.....favors done...." He chuckles lightly towards me while sneering.
The smile on my face leaves quicker than a naked Paladin running away from a pack of monsters that are on fire, "......What kind of favors?"

"Hello? What happened 8 years ago? Anyone? This juice tastes awful..." Ami speaks up once more, and receives no answer once again. She continues to drink from a random glass that was left there with a pretty down expression.

"Oh, just some errands and requests the locals here need help with."
"Why should I help them out?"
"Because messaging people with letters takes forever, and you need something to do in the meantime. This is also my hometown, so I want to help it out in any way I can!" He puffs his chest and looks up to the roof with tears in his eyes.
..........."So you're lazy and pawning off work to me because I'm around?"
"That's right." He flatly blurts out with a straight face.
"And what about Anne? Why not make her do it?" I ask Fred while waving my hands around in frustration.
"She's a big girl, and is busy doing her own things."
"Like bullying the townsfolk and learning to read?"
"Yes-" Fred immediately ducks and barely avoids a large chair that was thrown towards him, "-Anyway, you guys look tired. You can use the rooms upstairs for lodging until I get things worked out. Until then, though, you'll be helping out around town starting tomorrow-"
"Great, thanks." I interrupt him with a grumble of sorts while standing up and hurling Sarah over my shoulder. She's bloody heavy....
"-Doing all sorts of fetch quests and escorting-" He continues going on about various things that annoy me.
"OK! I GET IT!" I yell out in frustration as I slowly walk up some stairs behind the bar, doing my best to carry a passed out Dragon and Ami. I really don't know what happened to her, honestly. Don't really care at the moment.
I just want to get some rest and get the sand out of my boots and pockets....