Chronicles of Ardavia

Chapter 2

The Quest

While Meit and Greenbottle were at the bar getting tanked, the others found ways to occupy themselves. Cade was out pickpocketing the few patrons, while Jason kept his nose buried in his spellbook. Most importantly, Indiana was meandering around picking up information on the goblin issue he had heard of.

He was speaking with a short fellow robed in a blue mage cloak. He was obviously a gnome, judging by big blue eyes, short, stocky stature, pointed ears, and large dwarfish nose, with a nasally voice to match. "Hum, how odd...usually out of towners don't bother to be concerned with the affairs of this town...or even aware, except for folks from Goldar."

"That'd be how we heard of it." Indiana responded, jerking a thumb in the drinking dwarf's direction. "He's from Goldar."

The gnome looked in Meit's direction. "Is he---"

"Nope, his brother." He said, pushing his rimless glasses up the bridge of his nose, and sweeping back his long raven hair behind his pointed ears. "Anyway...what do you know of this "goblin problem"?"

"Well you see, we've had recurrent problems with the town treasury. Goblins have been robbing it. They've got an encampment a bit north, but nobody here has sufficient arms to get in there...well except for young Saritoga down the road, but he's rarely around....ANYWAY...just head straight north, through the Avri forest outside of town. Before long you should come to a short cave. That's the entrance to the village, I think."

"Um...how exactly do you know all this?" the elf suspiciously asked.

"Scrying." Was the simple response.

"Ah, righto. Well, thanks again Mister...uh..."
"Migus. Frivus Migus."

"Mister Migus, thanks." He finished, passing the gnome some coins in gratitude, and stood up from the rustic wooden table.

A drunken holler came from the other end of the tavern. "No YOU have no honour!" went the slurred voice, followed by a hiccup. Greenbottle. It was obvious someone so short would be sloshed after just one mug.

Meit however was on his third pitcher. He was in the antisocial stage of drunkenness, basically as if already at the hangover. He gave Barnes a rude dwarven gesture, and took a deep swig. Jason sighed loudly, then approached the bar. "Uh, excuse me sir. Who might I have to see about...well, getting a room. You can see those two aren't fit to even leave the building."

Aram, the bartender thumbed back to a door on his left. "Go talk ta either Talia er Anika." He muttered, half asleep, leaning on the polished bar.

"Uh, thank you." Jason replied, then moved for the door. He pushed the swinging wooden door open, and saw two winding staircases on either side of a tall desk. At the desk were a female human, and a female dwarf chatting it up. "Um, pardon me?" Jason asked, approaching the desk.

The human, a tall, lovely blond with thin spectacles adorning her rounded face, acknowledged the wizard's presence. "Hi there, you looking for a room, hon?"

"More than one, actually. Do you have three rooms open, ma'am?"

"Are you aware how out of the way this small town is, sweetie? I find it a wonder we even have an inn...but hey, it's an easy living. And cut the ma'am stuff. Everybody knows everybody here, call me Talia."

"Charmed. I'm Jason. How much for the three rooms?" he asked, rather monotonously.

Talia huffed in annoyance at how much this Jason lacked in social skills. "Two silvers a per, six silvers."

Jason simply unpocketed the six silver pieces, and slid them across the desk. The dwarven woman, seemingly lost in thought, took the money and tucked it into a safe. She was looking out the door to the tavern, watching this curious dwarf man in armour, even though he was uncharismatically drunk.