Chapter 1
It had been a bad day, a really bad day. For one particular Bugbear, disowned by his clan, the day was just going to get worse. The really bad thing was that he didn't even see it coming.
The city was named Windworn, the tavern was named the Golden Eagle. He had traveled from the swamps of Dracon Lake to the far west. A fight with his father, the King of the Iron-Claw Clan, had resulted in his exile. He traveled to Windworn hoping for acceptance, for a warm, passionate welcome. He got neither.
The tavern was incredibly crowded when he walked in, and he drew more than his fair share of looks from the patrons. He worked his way through the crowd and up to the bar.
"What'll you have, ugly?" The dwarf behind the counter asked.
The Bugbear snarled at him. "Just give me a mug of ale."
"You show me some coinage first." The dwarf said, leaning across the counter.
The Bugbear reached into his belt pouch. A cross look suddenly came over his face. "My coin's are gone.." He murmured.
"Looks like someone's not getting a drink after all." The dwarf said as he removed the mug from the counter.
Discouraged, the Bugbear looked around the crowded Tavern. The first person that he noticed was a small female Halfling sitting at the bar next to him.
"What are you looking at?" He snarled.
The Halfling squinted her eyes and leaned in closer to the Bugbear for a closer look. "I don't know.." She said. "But it's ugly!" She said and crinkled her nose. She leaned back and signaled to the dwarf behind the bar for another drink.
She never saw it coming. All of a sudden, the Bugbear caught her with a backhand that lifted her off her seat and threw her across the Tavern. She landed on a table and eloquently rolled backward off the table landing on her feet. By the time her feet touched the ground she had already unsheathed two daggers from her belt and had them ready.
"I don't know what the hell your problem is, buddy, but you are about to pay for it." She yelled at the Bugbear. "Dearly."
"You took my Gold!!!" Roared the Bugbear. He started throwing tables out of the way in an attempt to get to this pesky Halfling. "It was in my pouch right before I sat down!"
"You're not only ugly, but you are stupid as well!" She flicked her wrist and a dagger flew through the air and found it's mark in the bugbear's leg. He let out a howl of pain and dropped to one knee. "I'm telling you that I didn't take your gold. I'm also warning you to return to your seat or leave this Tavern, the choice is yours."
The Bugbear pulled the dagger out of his leg and threw it to the side, hitting a Kobold right in the chest, accidentally. He drew his axe and continued advancing toward the Halfling. As he drew his axe, the Halfling exchanged her dagger for a small steel shield on her back and the short sword that was at her side. As the Bugbear advanced, the center of the room cleared and it was just the Bugbear and the Halfling. The Bugbear struck first with an upward swing of his axe, which the Halfling blocked effortlessly with her shield. What she couldn't block however was the left cross that caught her square on the chin and spun her around. She staggered backward and fell over a chair. Her sword and shield slid across the floor and disappeared into the crowd. That was the least of her worries, though, as she was now dazed, confused, and had a very angry Bugbear bearing down on her.
To be continued...
It had been a bad day, a really bad day. For one particular Bugbear, disowned by his clan, the day was just going to get worse. The really bad thing was that he didn't even see it coming.
The city was named Windworn, the tavern was named the Golden Eagle. He had traveled from the swamps of Dracon Lake to the far west. A fight with his father, the King of the Iron-Claw Clan, had resulted in his exile. He traveled to Windworn hoping for acceptance, for a warm, passionate welcome. He got neither.
The tavern was incredibly crowded when he walked in, and he drew more than his fair share of looks from the patrons. He worked his way through the crowd and up to the bar.
"What'll you have, ugly?" The dwarf behind the counter asked.
The Bugbear snarled at him. "Just give me a mug of ale."
"You show me some coinage first." The dwarf said, leaning across the counter.
The Bugbear reached into his belt pouch. A cross look suddenly came over his face. "My coin's are gone.." He murmured.
"Looks like someone's not getting a drink after all." The dwarf said as he removed the mug from the counter.
Discouraged, the Bugbear looked around the crowded Tavern. The first person that he noticed was a small female Halfling sitting at the bar next to him.
"What are you looking at?" He snarled.
The Halfling squinted her eyes and leaned in closer to the Bugbear for a closer look. "I don't know.." She said. "But it's ugly!" She said and crinkled her nose. She leaned back and signaled to the dwarf behind the bar for another drink.
She never saw it coming. All of a sudden, the Bugbear caught her with a backhand that lifted her off her seat and threw her across the Tavern. She landed on a table and eloquently rolled backward off the table landing on her feet. By the time her feet touched the ground she had already unsheathed two daggers from her belt and had them ready.
"I don't know what the hell your problem is, buddy, but you are about to pay for it." She yelled at the Bugbear. "Dearly."
"You took my Gold!!!" Roared the Bugbear. He started throwing tables out of the way in an attempt to get to this pesky Halfling. "It was in my pouch right before I sat down!"
"You're not only ugly, but you are stupid as well!" She flicked her wrist and a dagger flew through the air and found it's mark in the bugbear's leg. He let out a howl of pain and dropped to one knee. "I'm telling you that I didn't take your gold. I'm also warning you to return to your seat or leave this Tavern, the choice is yours."
The Bugbear pulled the dagger out of his leg and threw it to the side, hitting a Kobold right in the chest, accidentally. He drew his axe and continued advancing toward the Halfling. As he drew his axe, the Halfling exchanged her dagger for a small steel shield on her back and the short sword that was at her side. As the Bugbear advanced, the center of the room cleared and it was just the Bugbear and the Halfling. The Bugbear struck first with an upward swing of his axe, which the Halfling blocked effortlessly with her shield. What she couldn't block however was the left cross that caught her square on the chin and spun her around. She staggered backward and fell over a chair. Her sword and shield slid across the floor and disappeared into the crowd. That was the least of her worries, though, as she was now dazed, confused, and had a very angry Bugbear bearing down on her.
To be continued...