Part 7

"Didn't I tell you I didn't need your help?"

"Who do you think was standing back making sure your Voidwalker didn't …well…for lack of a better phrase, bite the dust?"

"I could have handled it myself! I didn't need your help Thundabolt!

"Fine Tearie, next time I'll just let you go off and you can protect her, all by yourself!"

"Keep your voice down! Or you'll wake Eirika!"

"It's too late for that." Eirika replied as she sat up.

"So, who are you, where are we, and how did I get here?"

As the paladin began to respond to the question, but the warlock intervened before he could let out even a puff of air.

"I am Tearie, one of the few higher skilled warlocks in the Knights of Davion, the bastion of peace, the protector of love, and the arm of justice; I am the protector of noobs, the defender of the weak…"

"And the biggest Ego you will ever encounter in the known world." Thundabolt muttered as Tearie continued reciting this rehearsed speech.

"…and this is thundabolt" Tearie said shortly after her speech was finished.

"We are camped right outside darkshire, we discussed it and figured that it would be better to wait till you regained consciousness before venturing into town, we want to be as inconspicuous as we can, after all, you never know who could be watching." Thundabolt said, answering Eirika's second question.

"As for how you got here, Thundabolt raised you off the road and onto his saddle before you passed out. Then, we rode here, and set up camp." Tearie said, answering Eirika's third question.

After they ate and cleaned up camp, they walked into Darkshire, heading for the Pub (or inn, as some of you people would call it). As they passed the threshold of the inn, Eirika became distantly aware of the sensation that someone was watching her, but this had become a common occurrence for her in Duskwood that she ignored it.

As soon as they came into view of the tables they realized how full the inn was. Everywhere you looked there were tables full of guests, eating, drinking, laughing, passing gossip, and some were even so drunk they were passed out on the table.

Even though she could barley hear over the clatter of plates, the thud of mugs on the wooden tables, and the general roar of the guests talking. She was able to hear her name being called from over by the fire. She tried to ignore it, but Tearie had already heard it and it was too late to stop her. As Tearie led the way, Eirika followed behind, and Thundabolt came trailing behind for her protection.

There, by the fire, was a table that seated six. The first three seats were occupied by two female Nightelfs and a human female, the first two Eirika recognized as the two she had met outside Stormwind those long weeks ago, Gwynneth, and Kechara. The third was introduced to Eirika as Ashalind, a warlock. After they had all exchanged their names Thundabolt excused himself to go get them some drinks. He returned with eight beer mugs, one for each of them, and three for himself.

After Thundabolt had returned with the drinks Tearie started "interrogating" their table partners, until Eirika felt that Tearie knew everything about them someone could possibly hope to know. Then, as Tearie asked even more questions, Eirika found herself gazing off into the fire. She felt herself go back, back, and even farther back, until the flames of the fire started to form shapes, shapes she recognized vaguely, then as they became clearer and clearer.

The flames started forming a face, the face got ever clearer, she could first recognize the nose, than the hair, than the mouth, than finally the eyes. As she stared into those cold, hard eyes she found herself lost in her own mind, she felt an unbearable weight start suppressing her from all around, she tried to scream but she could mutter even a breath, she began gasping for breath. But she could get any air into her lungs, she finally threw herself from her chair.

Breaking the eye lock broke her out of the trance. She felt herself going into convulsions, she felt her muscles tense and release, tense and release, finally it subsided and she jumped up and ran from the inn, tears streaming from her eyes.

To be continued…