"And who might you be?" Gabe eyed the new comer that was so bold to make such a claim in broad daylight. He wore a brown coat with white buttons, a bottle within the right inner pocket blatantly in view. If not for his poorly kept face and equally bad sneer, many could have passed him off as a merchant of high standing.
"Who I am doesn't matter, as me and my boys are here to get a drink." At the man's words, two other thuggish lackies appeared, one of them being a head taller than most people around them. The nearby spectators all began to leave the area, fear and nervous anxiety marring their expressions. "And as it just so happens, you two are paying." The thug leader continued speaking, his confidence growing as he watched fleeing villagers retreat to their homes.
"Boss, the shorter one seems this is a joke." The larger lackey pointed at Gobsung who was still gorging on honey. He approaches closer, ready to take the jar for him. "I wouldn't do that if i were you." The big man paused as if actually considering Gabe's warning before he decided to brush it off. "Ill do what I want! it seems like YOU guys don't know how much trouble your in."
The jar is swiped from the goblin's hands. However, because of how much force was applied, the sweet nectar was tossed to the ground, its container shattering and the delicious food item bleeding out onto the ground. "Damn it. Ah whatever, ill find something else later. Oh?" The possible enforcer of the trio watched with mild amusement as the shorter victim began trembling. Believing he had successfully frightened Gobsung with his strength, the brute rests an arm on his head as he says "Gonna cry little man? The world is a cruel place. How about you run home to mama and-" The words died in the brutes throat as he looked into the expected tearful eyes, only to see bloodshot, feral ones staring back. and then hell broke loose.
"ARRRGGGGHH!" The leader and the dagger wielding lacky snap their attention in surprise as they heard the pained yell of their largest member. Both thieves felt thunderstruck as they watched him flail his arm about, with the deceptively diminutive target latched onto his arm, gleaming fangs ripping through skin. "GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" As if to comply with the brute's plea, Gobsung pulled back with all his might, landing to the ground with a red mass. Dropping the flesh, the goblin hisses with a venom more deadlier than a cobra. "Shit! its a goblin! bail, bail!" The three flee the area, with the wounded brute clutching his mangled arm as he shakily drags himself away.
"Alright, they left, you can relax, we'll get some more later. No need to try and rip their faces off too." Gabe affirms the agitated goblin flailing in his grasp." A half hour passes since the incident as the duo are now in front of Matt, who had just placed the closed sign for the kitchen area. "I was shaky on how well you rookies could fight but turns out ya got more grit than I thought, especially that one." Gobsung wraps his arms around the new honey jar he got, warily eyeing Matt. "I don't want your dang honey, I'm the one who gave it to you! But there is something else that I would like from you." If Gabe had eyebrows, they would definitely have been raised at Matt's words. "And what would that be?" A dagger suddenly finds itself near Gabe, the sharpened tool reflecting the evening sun shining through the windows. "Who are you really?" Tension lays in the area as the two stare each other down.
Finally, a sigh escapes from Gabe as he raises his hands to the hoodie. Pulling the fabric down, leaves flutter to the inn's wooden boards as Gabe reveals himself. "As you can see, I'm not entirely human." Matt huffs in annoyance at those words. "Even a blind man could tell something was wrong, mud for brains. You rustle A LOT when you move and don't think I didn't see the suspicious amount of leaves in my trash cans." The info Matt gave the tree creature really floored how this would play out. But there was something more important Gabe had to know. Turning to the goblin that had finished eating the jar of honey, he asks "Did you know about the rustling sounds?" A vigorous nod was what he got in response. "Tree never asked. Thought you knew ready."
Matt interrupted before the train wreck could continue. "You still have not answered my question- WHO. ARE. YOU?" "I'm Gabe, not much else to me really." Matt's brows furrow as if he is trying to find any underlying meaning. Suddenly, the dagger stabs into Gabe's arm. "Hey what the hell are you- wait...that didn't hurt?" Confusion overtakes Gabe's initial anger as he looks towards the weapon still lodged in his arm. "Well, seems like your the real deal." Matt pulls out his dagger, and to Gabe's surprise, there is not even a puncture wound. Predicting what Gabe will ask, the old innkeeper raises the mysterious dagger. "This here is a dagger made of Glowvite. Does jack squat to a regular living creature but is VERY effective in unmasking creatures we call Kyokutas."
"What the heck is a Kyokuta?" Matt sheaths the dagger as Gabe continues his string of questions. "Kyokutas are vile shapeshifters that love taking over lives. One day, your neighbor is your neighbor, The next... not anymore." A chill runs through Gabe at the thought of a loved one not being who they actually were, but a monster. "No one knows what they are looking for, but they always show in the darker areas of cities. Best advice? never trust the shadows." Matt wipes clean the counter as he gives his two cents on Kyokutas.
"Now then, ya got those two coins or not?" Gabe wordlessly reaches into his pouch he bought two weeks ago and places two gold coins, mind still focused on the warning he had just received. The keeper of Ox's Grazer takes the coins and pulls out two pendants. "Here's you tickets in. Lose these and the guild won't let you off the hook. Meet by the center at dawn with the others." Gabe thanks Matt as he heads upstairs, leaving the old man with a napping goblin drooling on his newly cleaned counter, much to his ire.