CHAPTER 6
The door of the Golden Dragon Tavern and Inn slammed open. The occasional customer turned to see who the newcomer might be, but the majority continued their conversations or drinking without even a single moment's pause. Out of the stormy night came a traveler in worn brown cloaks and a broad-brimmed hat carrying with him only a crossbow and arrows slung over his back, and a thick, leather-bound book. He walked through the room, dripping water in small puddles behind him, and sat down at the bar.
"Can I get a glass of whiskey here?"
Regarding the stranger dubiously, the tender nodded and turned to get the order.
The cloaked man set the book down on the bar and undid the strap holding his crossbow. Some of the more curious customers came up to sit at the bar, craning their necks to get a better look at the gold lettered writing on the book's cover.
Soon, the bartender returned with the whiskey. "That'll be 6 coppers. Pay up."
Nodding the stranger reached into the recesses of his cloaks and pulled out the prescribed amount of money, tossing it on the counter. Downing the drink, he looked around the room, then leaned forward in a conspiritory manner. "Psst! Tender. I need some information from you."
The bartender had seen these types before. Hunters. Hunters of men. Always looking for revenge. It was best not to become part of such a twisted web. "Sorry, sir. Nothing to say. I know your kind, and it wouldn't do for me to get involved with whatever it is you're doing."
"Miles! I'm surprised at you! You're always the one who says that we shouldn't generalize, yet here you are doing exactly that." A young barmaid stood, hands on her hips a jug in one and a tankard in the other. Turning, she smiled at the stranger, her pretty eyes sparkling. "Hello, stranger. My name is Hilde Schbeiker."
He nodded to her in greeting. "I'm sorry I've disturbed your business here." Tipping his hat slightly, he slid from the seat, gathered his belongings, and walked out the door.
*****
Miles scratched his head in wonder as the bar began to turn back to what it had been doing before the intruder had inturrupted routine. "Strange man, Hilde. Don't think I've met anyone stranger."
"Aww, he's not that different. It's just that he keeps to himself more than any of these finnicky gossips we get around here." She smiled, something she was known throughout town for doing quite often, and went to fill the tankard and jug. Hilde gave the old bartender a playful wink. "Besides, I bet you anything there's a story there."
Miles chuckled and went back to cleaning the bar. "And if anyone's going to find out what that story is, you're the one to do it, eh Hilde?"
"Yes. It'll be my new project." She walked from behind the bar, carrying a tray of orders. "I'm sure it'll be fun."
"Hey, Hilde!" Came a random voice in the crowded room. "There's two whiper-snappers over here that claim to know you."
"Ah! Do they happen to be named Alex and Mueller? Yes? Well, send 'em over to the bar, Fredrick, but scare 'em a little first, will you?"
"Aye, Hilde. That I will."
When she made it back to the bar, she was greeted by two boys, about the age of 16. Both had faces smeared with soot and clothes that needed both a washing and a few repairs. Only, the blonde was much taller and thinner than his friend who had brown hair.
"So, you two been getting in trouble?"
"No, Hilde. We haven't done a thing wrong, honestly." The blond piped up as he caught the perturbed look on her face.
"Nothing except coming here. I told you two not to hang around this area of town."
"Miss Hilde, I really must-"
She glared at the brown haired boy. "And I told you not to call me that, Mueller. It's Hilde. I thought you of all people, Mueller, would have the sense to listen to me when I told you something." Hilde began to bustle around the bar, doing nothing inparticular save vent some of her anger on the counter-top as she scrubbed it. "Just go home. It's late for you to be out anyway."
"But Hi-"
"No 'buts', Alex. Leave."
A bit downtrodden, the boys obeyed, trudging out of the tavern through the back door, as they always did.
*****
"Dammit, Alex! I'm tired of being treated as if I was a child of 2." Mueller leaned against the stone wall of the tavern as they emerged into the alley.
"I admit that it is a bit tiring, Mueller. But we do sometimes act like children. Maybe we deserve it?"
Mueller glared at his friend. "Deserve it? What are you saying? We don't deserve this kind of treatment. No one does. Even our so-called friend Hilde Schbeiker treats us like babes in arms."
"Well," Alex shrugged. "What do you propose we do about it?"
"Run away."
"What?!"
"You heard me. We'll run away from here. We can find adventure and better lives." Mueller's eyes were now alight with a powerful fire. "Think of it, Alex. Adventure. And maybe some respect. When, and if, we return people will respect us for going out on our own and making our fortunes. No one will ever treat us like children again."
"Adventure. Wow! That sounds great, Mueller! But, adventure? Here?"
"I heard rumors about the Duke Khushrenada. Heard he has been alive for centuries now. I'm sure you have too." His friend nodded. "I've also heard tell that he lives off of the blood of innocents. We'll go to the Manor Khushrenada and ask for work. I'm sure something needs to be done up there in that huge place."
Head filled with tales of adventure and promises of respect, Alex and Mueller snuck off to begin their preparations. Their minds were already made up as to where they would go.
The door of the Golden Dragon Tavern and Inn slammed open. The occasional customer turned to see who the newcomer might be, but the majority continued their conversations or drinking without even a single moment's pause. Out of the stormy night came a traveler in worn brown cloaks and a broad-brimmed hat carrying with him only a crossbow and arrows slung over his back, and a thick, leather-bound book. He walked through the room, dripping water in small puddles behind him, and sat down at the bar.
"Can I get a glass of whiskey here?"
Regarding the stranger dubiously, the tender nodded and turned to get the order.
The cloaked man set the book down on the bar and undid the strap holding his crossbow. Some of the more curious customers came up to sit at the bar, craning their necks to get a better look at the gold lettered writing on the book's cover.
Soon, the bartender returned with the whiskey. "That'll be 6 coppers. Pay up."
Nodding the stranger reached into the recesses of his cloaks and pulled out the prescribed amount of money, tossing it on the counter. Downing the drink, he looked around the room, then leaned forward in a conspiritory manner. "Psst! Tender. I need some information from you."
The bartender had seen these types before. Hunters. Hunters of men. Always looking for revenge. It was best not to become part of such a twisted web. "Sorry, sir. Nothing to say. I know your kind, and it wouldn't do for me to get involved with whatever it is you're doing."
"Miles! I'm surprised at you! You're always the one who says that we shouldn't generalize, yet here you are doing exactly that." A young barmaid stood, hands on her hips a jug in one and a tankard in the other. Turning, she smiled at the stranger, her pretty eyes sparkling. "Hello, stranger. My name is Hilde Schbeiker."
He nodded to her in greeting. "I'm sorry I've disturbed your business here." Tipping his hat slightly, he slid from the seat, gathered his belongings, and walked out the door.
*****
Miles scratched his head in wonder as the bar began to turn back to what it had been doing before the intruder had inturrupted routine. "Strange man, Hilde. Don't think I've met anyone stranger."
"Aww, he's not that different. It's just that he keeps to himself more than any of these finnicky gossips we get around here." She smiled, something she was known throughout town for doing quite often, and went to fill the tankard and jug. Hilde gave the old bartender a playful wink. "Besides, I bet you anything there's a story there."
Miles chuckled and went back to cleaning the bar. "And if anyone's going to find out what that story is, you're the one to do it, eh Hilde?"
"Yes. It'll be my new project." She walked from behind the bar, carrying a tray of orders. "I'm sure it'll be fun."
"Hey, Hilde!" Came a random voice in the crowded room. "There's two whiper-snappers over here that claim to know you."
"Ah! Do they happen to be named Alex and Mueller? Yes? Well, send 'em over to the bar, Fredrick, but scare 'em a little first, will you?"
"Aye, Hilde. That I will."
When she made it back to the bar, she was greeted by two boys, about the age of 16. Both had faces smeared with soot and clothes that needed both a washing and a few repairs. Only, the blonde was much taller and thinner than his friend who had brown hair.
"So, you two been getting in trouble?"
"No, Hilde. We haven't done a thing wrong, honestly." The blond piped up as he caught the perturbed look on her face.
"Nothing except coming here. I told you two not to hang around this area of town."
"Miss Hilde, I really must-"
She glared at the brown haired boy. "And I told you not to call me that, Mueller. It's Hilde. I thought you of all people, Mueller, would have the sense to listen to me when I told you something." Hilde began to bustle around the bar, doing nothing inparticular save vent some of her anger on the counter-top as she scrubbed it. "Just go home. It's late for you to be out anyway."
"But Hi-"
"No 'buts', Alex. Leave."
A bit downtrodden, the boys obeyed, trudging out of the tavern through the back door, as they always did.
*****
"Dammit, Alex! I'm tired of being treated as if I was a child of 2." Mueller leaned against the stone wall of the tavern as they emerged into the alley.
"I admit that it is a bit tiring, Mueller. But we do sometimes act like children. Maybe we deserve it?"
Mueller glared at his friend. "Deserve it? What are you saying? We don't deserve this kind of treatment. No one does. Even our so-called friend Hilde Schbeiker treats us like babes in arms."
"Well," Alex shrugged. "What do you propose we do about it?"
"Run away."
"What?!"
"You heard me. We'll run away from here. We can find adventure and better lives." Mueller's eyes were now alight with a powerful fire. "Think of it, Alex. Adventure. And maybe some respect. When, and if, we return people will respect us for going out on our own and making our fortunes. No one will ever treat us like children again."
"Adventure. Wow! That sounds great, Mueller! But, adventure? Here?"
"I heard rumors about the Duke Khushrenada. Heard he has been alive for centuries now. I'm sure you have too." His friend nodded. "I've also heard tell that he lives off of the blood of innocents. We'll go to the Manor Khushrenada and ask for work. I'm sure something needs to be done up there in that huge place."
Head filled with tales of adventure and promises of respect, Alex and Mueller snuck off to begin their preparations. Their minds were already made up as to where they would go.