Smurfed Behind: The First Sign Of Trouble/Part 2

"Wake up, Empath," Polaris announced. "We have reached Kleindorf!"

Empath opened his eyes and realized that he was dreaming. It was now dark and all the passengers on the transport wagon had gotten off here and the horses have been stabled. He gathered his belongings as he and Polaris hopped off the wagon. Empath winced in pain as he hit the ground with his feet.

"Are you all right, Empath?" Polaris asked. "Your people seem pretty capable of safely landing from such heights without injuring themselves."

"This smurf can guess that this smurf hasn't been used to being this dependent upon this smurf's third eye abilities," Empath answered, surprised himself. "It's been a good long while since this smurf even tried jumping without the use of a third eye." He quickly massaged his foot, cursing himself for the loss of the third eye's ability for healing his own injuries. "Now we need to find a place to stay for the night or something."

Polaris looked around his immediate surroundings, trying to find somewhere in town they could stay, when he noticed a brightly-lit place in the center of town, where they heard lots of music and loud noise, laughing and hooting and hollering. "That must be a human version of Tapper's own tavern in the Smurf Village, Empath," Polaris guessed.

Empath sighed. "More like a brothel, Polaris. There are humans who are a bit more savage in their behaviors than either Smurfs or Psyches. Their perverse desires for flesh and drunkenness lead them to such places that even Tapper wouldn't want to run if there were a hundred Smurfettes in our village. We should stay away from such a place."

"Strange that there is a small lighted door on the other side of this brothel, right down the far end of that alley, which is no bigger than either of us," Polaris pointed out.

Empath saw it himself. "What kind of beings would live next to such a decadent place of lust?" he wondered with some foreboding.

"We can investigate that for ourselves, and see if there is anybody that would offer us temporary residence until morning," Polaris suggested.

Empath nodded, realizing that they didn't have a wide variety of choices and that this was their first journey out into the world without the use of their third eyes.

Empath and Polaris entered the lighted door in the alley and saw what appeared to be a tavern, though it was a bit darker and more unkempt than the one Tapper ran in the Smurf Village. In this tavern were a random collection of trolls and other similar beings gathered around, being served or entertained by several woodnymphs, some of which were suggestively dressed. The room was full of noise as a band played music and the customers hooted and hollered and whistled at the employees. They sat themselves down at an empty table.

"Looks like you're the only two new customers in town," a woodnymph spoke as she approached the table. Both Empath and Polaris noticed that she looked very big and broad for a woodnymph, but otherwise was beautiful. "This joint's full of regulars, always wanting to get lucky with the ladies, even though they aren't for anymore than looks. So what can I do you gentlemen for?"

"Nothing, thank you," Polaris answered. "This one does not need a drink."

"We just came here to rest before we continue our journey, ma'am," Empath explained.

"This place isn't a hotel, and you won't find any peace and quiet here," the woodnymph snorted. "But stay a while, and I can make sure my girls will make you feel right at home here. Any kind of drink I can serve you?"

"That won't be necessary," Empath replied. "Besides, we don't carry any money with us."

"You sure won't get far in your journey if you don't have a few coppers to your name," the woodnymph commented. "So what's your hard-luck story? Family left you two without a cent? Some sugar-and-spice did something not nice to you and took your money?"

"This one’s friend's people have not returned to our village since yesterday, ma'am," Polaris explained. "We have set out to find where they might have disappeared to. Empath's female friend is also among the missing."

"Hmmm...not sure I've seen anyone here that looks like you, blue eyes," the woodnymph replied, staring at Empath. "Though something tells me they forgot something very important about you when they left in such a hurry."

"Well, it was this smurf's birthday when this smurf found them missing..." Empath began to say.

"Ha, I knew it!" the woodnymph exclaimed. "Birthday boy comes home and nobody's there to light the candles. If you're looking for a celebration, you've come to the right place. The name's Lilliput, by the way. And what may I call either of you two gents?"

"This smurf's name is Empath Smurf, and my friend here is Polaris Psyche. But we didn't...!"

"Oh, don't be shy, Empath," Lilliput said, eager to engage them in the goings-on. "How old are you supposed to be, anyway?"

"155, but really, Lilliput, we didn't come here to...!"

"Ooh, looks like I've hit the gold mine," Lilliput said, amused. "How can an older gentleman like you manage to stay so young? I happen to like older gents anyway; they seem to have an air of dignity and respect that's lacking with the young ruffians that pass by here." She grabbed Empath by the arm and pulled him so close to her with such strength, Empath's face was buried in Lilliput's bosom. "Oops, maybe I shouldn't rush you into this part too quickly...we have all the time in the world for that!" She smiled as Empath removed his face from her chest. "So...what old-fashioned moves can an older man like you teach an older woman like me, huh?"

Empath felt too embarrassed by Lilliput's sudden advances to answer. - Polaris kept sitting at the table, uncertain of what to do, when one of the servant girls came over. "So, is there anything I can do to entertain such a cute man like you?" she asked pleasantly.

"That won't be necessary, Miss," Polaris answered flatly. "Psyches do not need such physical stimulation as your services provide to keep ourselves occupied."

The servant girl shrugged. "Okay, then, mind if we just simply talked about something?" She sat herself down at the table where Empath had sat.

"Would this be beneficial to you, Miss, taking time from your work just to converse with this one?"

"You can call me Daffodil, sugar, or just Daffy," the servant girl replied. "And no, I don't have a problem just sitting and talking with a customer. That's one of my specialties, other than dancing around on stage looking pretty for the boys over there." She pointed out to another employee moving herself around to the wicked delight of a few scruffy-looking trolls with their mouths hanging open, smiling all the while.

"Do you actually enjoy this kind of occupation, Daffodil?" Polaris asked. "This doesn't seem like something anyone even like Lilliput would expect you to engage in as a permanent vocation."

"If you're asking if I'd want to dance around like that forever, blondie, then let me tell you something about myself," Daffodil answered. "I actually want to be a ballerina, which is what some of my sisters became. But nobody among my people wanted me for anything than fetching water and doing errands. I became so sad that I flew away from home, but when I reached here, I lost my wings and I couldn't fly myself back home. That's where I found Lilliput, another woodnymph who lost her wings. She put me up here, gave me a job serving drinks. Some of the other girls taught me to dance. I felt like part of a family being here."

"But are you still happy being employed to someone who would have you display yourself like that other lady on the stage?" Polaris asked.

Daffodil sighed. "I love Lilliput like an aunt I never had. I don't want to break her heart about leaving this place, but I do dream about going back home into the forest and seeing my sisters again. I'd love to hear how they lived their lives and if they'd forgiven me for leaving home."

"If Lilliput truly loved you as you say she does, she would understand that you'd like to leave here at least temporarily to visit your sisters in the forest, Daffodil," Polaris suggested. "Why wouldn't you want to try asking her for that?"

"Woodnymph wings don't grow back when they are lost," Daffodil snapped, "and besides, my people look down upon woodnymphs who lost their wings. How can I even hope to go back there and face the embarrassment and shame I brought upon myself?" She found herself near crying when Polaris reached out and touched her hand.

"This one too knows what it's like to be estranged from one's own people," Polaris said sympathetically. "Since this one left Psychelia three years ago, this one feels permanently disconnected from the collective consciousness of the Psyches, so this one no longer feels as if this one is a part of the Psyches anymore. However, this one's friend Empath and his father Papa Smurf have allowed this one to experience a different kind of 'collective consciousness' in the Smurf Village, where all are treated as equals and are accepting of outsiders. Empath himself has lived most of his 150 years of living outside the Smurf Village, and though at first he felt unaccustomed to the ways of his own people when he first visited them, he eventually came to know all there was to know about living as a Smurf and has grown into one since then."

"You are fortunate to have such a friend, even one so much different than you, Polaris, that cares about you no matter how different you are," Daffodil commented, briefly looking at Empath dancing with Lilliput. "I don't think I can muster up the same courage that you have to overcome the fear of not being seen as a stranger."

"Daffodil, your wings may never heal…but the wounds of your heart can be healed with time and patience, if you are willing to give it a chance," Polaris said candidly.

Daffodil felt her tears drying as she heard Polaris' gentle words and saw him looking in her eyes, like somebody who truly wanted to help her. - Empath was still dancing with Lilliput, trying to tell her more about himself while also trying to keep himself from falling for her advances, when he heard a crashing noise in one of the rooms behind the serving area.

A door opened, and one of Lilliput’s girls fled quickly out of the room, looking hurt and very terrified. Empath was surprised to hear a familiar voice from within the room, cursing at the girl who fled before him.

It was Vanneghkar, one of the Schliphargons he encountered on board their mothership. He emerged from the room he was in with the girl, a dagger in his hand, ready to kill someone with it.

Lilliput saw what Empath was seeing with similar disgust. “Excuse me, old timer, but I’ve got a business to keep respectable from such ruffians like him,” she pardoned herself before she headed toward Vanneghkar.

Empath headed in the same direction, hoping to stop Vanneghkar before he hurt anybody else. He had no idea what he was doing here, but he wasn’t going to let him run loose like a wild bull in a store full of expensive earthenware.

“Whoever you are,” Lilliput warned, “this place is not for you to harm any of my girls in, so take your things and get out.”

“And who are you, female, that you should order a Schliphargon warrior around like a mother v’renethak to a child?” Vanneghkar shot back, obviously drunk on something. He shook his dagger in Lilliput’s face in the hope of scaring her away with a very threatening look. “I shall have my way with who I want, wherever and whenever I want, so don’t interfere with my getting what I want.”

“You’ll have to get through this smurf first, Vanneghkar,” Empath stated as he stepped in between Lilliput and the Schliphargon.

Vanneghkar looked at Empath and chuckled. “So the soft-bellied blue warrior returns to challenge me. I hope you’ve enjoyed the intimate company of these females before I rip open your insides and skin you alive.”

“If you’re so intent on using that knife for that purpose,” Empath boldly retorted, “why don’t you use it now while you have the chance?”

Polaris couldn’t believe he was hearing Empath challenging Vanneghkar to attack him. He and the surrounding customers stood back as the two would-be combatants faced and circled around each other.

“What are you afraid of, p’targaphne? A little blood on the floor of a filthy tavern…namely the blood of such blue-skinned filth like you?”

“You certain you’re not here to dance with me? This smurf can go all night in circles if needs be. Certainly you can last that long while you’re holding up a knife.”

Finally Vanneghkar charged at him with the knife. Empath simply sidestepped him and tripped him up, causing him to fall face-first onto a table, tipping it and whatever drinks were on it over, disrupting the other patrons, causing them to curse.

Vanneghkar picked himself up from the floor, grabbed his knife, and angrily returned to face Empath again. “Well, what are you waiting for?” Empath asked.

“You’re going to wish you begged for mercy instead of challenging a true warrior like me,” Vanneghkar spurted.

“You’re certainly not proving yourself to even be a good warrior, with all this wagging your tongue at this smurf,” Empath answered back.

Vanneghkar charged at him again, but this time Empath ducked under him and just simply lifted him up over himself, catapulting him into yet another table, causing yet another round of drinks to be spilled and more customers getting all riled up.

Empath hoped this fight would end soon, but Vanneghkar wasn’t one who would go down easy. He staggered as he made his way back onto his feet to face Empath yet again.

“You’ll be dead rotten mvruthegthe meat when I’m through with you!” he snarled as he charged at Empath a third time. This time, though, Empath was unable to dodge his attack as the Schliphargon ran right into him, plowing him into a table by the wall where more customers had the misfortune of seeing their drinks getting splattered and their fun time being ruined by this ongoing fight.

One of the customers, a ragged toothless troll, obviously had enough of this. “Take a hike, you turtle head!” he shouted as he flung a glass mug of ale at Vanneghkar, causing him to reel as it broke against the back of his head.

Empath painfully picked himself up off from the floor and took advantage of Vanneghkar’s disorientation by picking up a chair and swinging it as hard as he could against him. The Schliphargon finally fell to the floor unconscious.

But another unruly customer decided to teach Empath a lesson as well. He slammed his glass mug hard on Empath’s forehead, smashing it and causing Empath to fall on the floor unconscious.

The place was getting out of control, with some of the customers now fighting with others and the servant girls ducking for cover and safety. Polaris helped Lilliput restore order to the tavern while Daffodil dragged Empath to a back room where he could recover.