Page 18 of Asmodel

A human.

A human male. There were many humanoids in the galaxy that looked like humans, and with his psionic sense, Asmodel had no trouble telling the difference. But this guy, this guy was one hundred percent human from Earth.

Sitting in a disreputable tavern surrounded by aliens of all shapes and sizes.

Asmodel stood at the edge of the man's table with a wide stance and crossed arms.

The man appeared to be in his prime with a rugged air that spoke volumes of his survival and resilience. His attire, a mix of practicality and style, included a weathered leather jacket that had seen better days, over a dark, form-fitting shirt. Hard to tell what else he wore since he sat behind a thick, round wooden scruffy table that hid the rest of him. His psychic sense picked up an unknown type of weapon under there, aimed in Asmodel’s direction with a steady hand.

“Tell me, what’s a human from Earth doing here?” Asmodel narrowed his eyes at the rugged figure. He examined the man’s aura, trying to absorb as much about him as he could through silent inquiry. He did the same to the small group of aliens behind him. What he got was they wanted nothing to do with the notorious figure sitting by himself. Not sure why. The guy didn’t seem all that dangerous sitting there all by himself.

The man eyed Asmodel with a smirk, lounging with his free arm across the back of the booth as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“What’s it to ya?” The man’s gravelly drawl was a sharp contrast to the boisterous hum of the muffled conversations around them.

“I am interested in hiring you to take me to CeluriaVO.” Asmodel laced his tone with firm confidence and an underlying layer of urgency. He stepped closer to the booth to get a better sense of the man. What he picked up was a bit of a surprise. A tinge of panic from the guy belied his nonchalant attitude.

“What?” The man cocked his head. “I look like a cab to you?”

Asmodel studied the throbbing vein at the side of the guy’s flushed neck. How interesting. Fear oozed from his pores.

“Organic man,” JR13 whispered. “I believe there are several hostiles headed to this establishment. I overheard them saying they were eager to claim a bounty on this human. You’d better advance the negotiations.”

Negotiations? He hadn’t even gotten this guy's name yet. Asmodel pushed out his psychic tendrils to grab a brief glimpse of the emotions coming from the outside of the tavern.Hmmm, JR13 was right. A blast of antagonistic intent headed their way. “Mind if I sit?” Asmodel waved to one side of the booth.

The guy shrugged. “Makes no never mind to me.”

Not sure what that meant. Keeping his attention on the man, he plopped onto the outer edge of the booth and settled onto the lumpy seat. Holding out his hand in the manner of the modern humans, he introduced himself. “I am Asmodel from Earth. And I believe we can help each other.”

The man hesitated, eying Asmodel’s outstretched hand. After a moment, he raised his brown eyes to hold Asmodel in a firm gaze. “I am Raxx Jorlen.” With a firm grasp, he shook with the hand he’d had across the back of the booth before letting go. He leaned back with a nonchalant air. His hidden weapon under the table didn’t move. “So, what gives you the idea I need help?”

Asmodel leaned on the table and laced his fingers together. Lowering his voice, he answered. “Less than five minutes away, there’s a group headed to this pub intent on either tearing you apart or selling you to the highest bidder.” He shrugged. “Could go either way at this point.”

Raxx jerked his head back, then narrowed his eyes. “What makes you think…”

Asmodel sliced a hand through the air. “We don’t have time for this.” He glanced at the bot perched on his shoulder. “JR13, how much time do we have?”

“Three point five minutes.” The bot replied loud enough for Raxx to hear.

Raxx glanced at Asmodel’s shoulder before his lips thinned. “What do you have in mind?”

Asmodel sat back. “If you agree to take me where I want to go, I guarantee I can get you safely out of here.”

Raxx tapped his forefinger on the faded wooden tabletop marred by scratches, stains, and cracks, his head tilted with a slight frown.

Time to convince the guy. Asmodel trusted his instincts, and they screamed he and this guy needed to get out of here. Like right now. “You’re outnumbered and outgunned.” His smile wasn’t warm. “I can more than even the odds.”

The man secured his hidden weapon in a holster at his hip and placed his fist on the surface of the table. Any attempt to look cavalier vanished. “Oh, how so?”

Asmodel scooted out of the booth and stood. With little effort, he changed his appearance to mirror the man sitting in front of him. Down to the shirt and jacket he wore.

“I can act as a decoy and draw theidimmusto me so you can make your escape.” All he had to do was freeze the aliens before they got close to him. Not that he’d confess that part of the plan. No need to share all his secrets just yet.

Raxx didn’t so much as twitch at the change of Asmodel’s appearance. Never taking his eyes off him, he slid out of the booth. He stood next to Asmodel, his gaze roaming over him before staring into his eyes. “It could get rough,” he warned. “There are certain, ah, individuals pretty ticked off at me.”

“Really?” Asmodel smirked. “I never would have guessed.” He crossed his arms. “But don’t worry, that’s nothing I can’t handle.”

Raxx shrugged. “Well, if you’re sure, you’ve got a deal. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.” He glanced at the loud exclamations rising in volume at the entrance to the tavern. He nodded to the other side of the room that had to be the back exit. “I’ll meet you the next block over in front of a red shack with an image of a sexbot on it.” He tensed as the noise at the entrance grew louder.

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