Tavern Archive #3

b] "but let's not discuss about my family's history now."[/b]

“Deal,” she replied. “You won’t discuss yours, and I won’t discuss mine.”

"Not exactly a godly nectar, but I am mortal afterall," he took another sip,

Mortal after all, she thought. Funny choice of phrase.

"so Jes, how is your sobrerity at this moment?"

She tipped the mug up, emptying the last of the liquid. “Halfway there,” she replied with a wink. Then she shrugged. “I stopped, at least.”

"How could you not be anyone's type? You're a bag of good ol' beer guzzling fun,"

She smiled at him, shaking her head. He looked so young to her. “I am beer guzzling fun.”

“Deal,” she replied. “You won’t discuss yours, and I won’t discuss mine.”

Good at least now I won't have to say how much my father was a cold hearted bastard that every time I looked at him I wanted to beat his face in, a smile crept his lips, but he quickly shook it off.

“Halfway there,” she replied with a wink. Then she shrugged. “I stopped, at least.”

"I suppose that's a good thing."

She smiled at him, shaking her head. “I am beer guzzling fun.”

"Yes you most certainly are."

“So, lightweight,” she said jokingly. “Where does one find work around here?” She finally reached for the water that had been brought with the food. It was warm and tasted like nothing… no wonder she drank so much ale.

“So, lightweight,” she said jokingly. “Where does one find work around here?”

"Depends on what kind of work you plan on looking for."

"Depends on what kind of work you plan on looking for."

Jes thought about it for a moment. "As I am just passing through, I'd need something... temporary. Anything really, as long as the contract is fair and attached with a decent pay. I'm not an assassin, not a thief, either. So anything of ignoble origins will be passed over."

Already starting to sober, she began to lament the loss of liquior. This boy had come in after a full day's work, had gone upstairs. "What is it you do here that you live in a tavern?"

“How’s the horse son?” The stable boy gave the exotically dressed stranger a once over before rushing over to the stables he had kept the man’s brown mare. It was a good horse, a calm creature that had not given him any problems the last week and a half. A common horse for a outlandish traveller.

“She’s been good sir.” He untied the reins and opened the low door to escort the creature out. “She had a little fright the other day when one of the other horses kicked a racket, but other than that, she has been nothing but calm.” He handed the reins over to the man somewhat reluctantly; it always felt like a goodbye. Although here at the Jester’s Lute, adventurers and their horses always seemed to return.

Isas nodded as he took the reins, took a single silver from his pocket and handed it to the boy. Not bad for a week’s works. Once he got settled, he turned to the boy who had already turned around and was closing the tables doors. “A calm creature you say?” The boy nodded, then closed the doors.

Well, they had a long way to go. Smiling, genuinely smiling for the first time today, Isas started heading north. A calm horse. Serene. He nodded to himself as his surrounding flew by. “Serene is a fine name for a horse. Now go, we got a long way to ride. Hana doesn’t like to be kept waithing.”

"As I am just passing through, I'd need something... temporary. Anything really, as long as the contract is fair and attached with a decent pay. I'm not an assassin, not a thief, either. So anything of ignoble origins will be passed over."

"Good luck with that then."

"What is it you do here that you live in a tavern?"

"Like you, I'm just a passerby, however, I'm waiting on a couple of people. Plus my work flow is a bit slow as well."

“Waiting on some people, huh? Me, too.” She circled the top of her empty water glass with her finger. “Just, more a different kind of waiting, I guess,” she said with a half-smile and looking back at the boy.

Once you start running, you can never stop, she thought.

“Waiting on some people, huh? Me, too.” She circled the top of her empty water glass with her finger. “Just, more a different kind of waiting, I guess,”

"Want to describe it to me on who you're waiting for?" He raised a questioning eyebrow, either she wasn't fully sober yet, or she was hiding something. Whatever it was, she was doing a good job of it too.

"Want to describe it to me on who you're waiting for?"

Jes shrugged. “Let’s just say there are quite a few of my fellow tribesmen who would prefer me… not quite so alive.” She figured they would catch up eventually, but she’d be able to lose them again. She had many times before, and would many times after. No escape from the eternal hunt, there was nothing she could do but run. “Some think I’m just a deserter, and that’s good enough for a hunt to them. But others know…” She absentmindedly put a hand on her chest, where beneath the shirt lay the green pendant, but removed her hand just as quickly when she realized what she was doing. Just knowing she would be on the run again soon sobered her up plenty. Her eyes held the alert quality again, the clarity of mind would follow soon.

“Just be careful if you do meet them, Tim. They’re not exactly merciful.” She ended with a genuine smile. It felt good to tell the truth, because no matter how long she lied, things still caught up with her. She would see how far she got with truth this time around… maybe even make a few friends out of it.

“Let’s just say there are quite a few of my fellow tribesmen who would prefer me… not quite so alive.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Some think I’m just a deserter, and that’s good enough for a hunt to them. But others know…” She absentmindedly put a hand on her chest.

He wondered what lay beneath her shirt. Did she steal something? Or is it something... much deeper? He realized he'd been staring at her chest for a few moments and he averted his eyes. He didn't want her to think of him as a pervert.

“Just be careful if you do meet them, Tim. They’re not exactly merciful.” She ended with a genuine smile.

"I've been to hell and back and I don't intend on a warrior to best me yet. If you need help, I'll do what I can," he put a fist to his chest, then he removed it, "you just rest easy right now, plenty of the people here will defend you, that I can guarentee."

He finished the rest of his tea.

"That is... if you're willing to accept our help," he made a small grin, but then turned it serious, "so, what is it that others know?"

"I've been to hell and back and I don't intend on a warrior to best me yet. If you need help, I'll do what I can," he put a fist to his chest, then he removed it, "you just rest easy right now, plenty of the people here will defend you, that I can guarentee."

She smirked playfully. “Where’s your shiny armor, young knight?”

"That is... if you're willing to accept our help," he made a small grin, but then turned it serious, "so, what is it that others know?"

“How is it you’ll offer help not yet knowing why I run?” She let out a breath slowly. “I have something they want, but it’s technically mine.” She said the words, a little unsure of herself. She half-joked when she spoke, but it was true all the same. “They need it for their world domination plot. My father…” She stopped herself, a hand on her chin to signal her thought process “Wait, didn’t we agree not to talk about families?”

She smirked playfully. “Where’s your shiny armor, young knight?”

"In truth, its not as shiny as you might think."

“How is it you’ll offer help not yet knowing why I run?” She let out a breath slowly. “I have something they want, but it’s technically mine.” She said the words, a little unsure of herself. She half-joked when she spoke, but it was true all the same. “They need it for their world domination plot. My father…” She stopped herself, a hand on her chin to signal her thought process “Wait, didn’t we agree not to talk about families?”

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, I have at least one reason as to why I'd protect you. You're on the run, they're trying to kill you, you have something that belongs to you, they want it. Plain and simple."

“How noble.” She realized the irony of her words only after they had left her mouth. She let out a laugh and shook her head. “Sorry, poor choice of words. Hmm… how about dignified… or gallant. That’s a good one. How gallant.”

With every word, clarity returned and soon it was as though she had not had a drink in days.

“How noble.” She let out a laugh and shook her head. “Sorry, poor choice of words. Hmm… how about dignified… or gallant. That’s a good one. How gallant.”

"Whatever so pleases you Jes," he nodded his head.

He noticed that her words seemed to have cleared up quite quickly, as though she had never had a drink in her life. He wondered why, maybe whatever she had would reveal something of interest.

"So you gonna tell me exactly what you have?"

"So you gonna tell me exactly what you have?"

“Exactly?” She raised an eyebrow, then turned her gaze down. “It’s better that you don’t know, but if you stick around long enough, you’ll probably find out.” Wow, she thought, cryptic much? “Sorry, I just mean that blurting that kind of information out in the middle of a tavern is not a good idea…”

Would she tell him were they alone? Possibly. She’d learned that even when the stone is out of her hand, she can survive. As long as the stone never bonded with another, she could still escape, keep it safe. Looking back up at the boy, she asked, “Who are you waiting around for anyway?”

“Exactly?” She raised an eyebrow, then turned her gaze down. “It’s better that you don’t know, but if you stick around long enough, you’ll probably find out. Sorry, I just mean that blurting that kind of information out in the middle of a tavern is not a good idea…”

"I can understand that, maybe in a more private area."

He looked down into his cup, this is more serious than I presumed, he thought it must be very important, then again, they are trying to kill her.

“Who are you waiting around for anyway?”

He made a small smile as he stared into his empty cup, "My sister, and a friend," he looked back up to her, "want to take a walk?"

She shrugged. “Why not?” There was nothing left in the tavern for her, now that the drinking was over. She was up and walking before he could react. She turned just as she reached the door, asking with a nod. “Shall we?”

“Why not?”

She got up before he could fully react, she headed for the door and turned to him at the entrance, then she gave him a nod.

“Shall we?”

He walked over to her, "Yes I think we shall," they both walked outside and wandered around the town.

"So what first?"

Jes walked out the door, stretching as she met the sun again.

"So what first?"

“What first? It’s your town. And it’s your turn. Life story,” she demanded. “Or at least the abridged version.”

“What first? It’s your town. And it’s your turn. Life story,” she demanded. “Or at least the abridged version.”

"I was born into a family of nobles, wasn't raised very good, began to train in the use of swordplay and spectra, became a merc, and here I am. That's all there really is to say."

She shook her head passively at his answer. “Wow. That’s really… abridged. I learned nothing I didn’t already know.” She kicked up a bit of dust and stopped walking. “What is your purpose here? Why are you so quick to know me?”

She bit her lip, a bit suspicious for no good reason. No way he could be after her, he wasn’t exactly a tribe soldier, but they’d hired mercenaries in the past. She kept her arms loose by her side, just in case.

“What is your purpose here? Why are you so quick to know me?”

He stopped walking, his back turned to her, "I'm looking for a cult, about two years ago I was sent out on a mission to find a cult bringing out something very unpleasant. My mission is to stop that cult from summoning whatever dammed horrors they're going to bring to this world."

He turned around and folded his arms, "As for you, call me a skeptic, but something that happens to belong to you, is trying to be taken back by the people that gave it to you. Sounds like you stole it."

"I'm looking for a cult, about two years ago I was sent out on a mission to find a cult bringing out something very unpleasant. My mission is to stop that cult from summoning whatever dammed horrors they're going to bring to this world."

“Sent on a mission? And what is this unpleasant bringing?”

"As for you, call me a skeptic, but something that happens to belong to you, is trying to be taken back by the people that gave it to you. Sounds like you stole it."

She scoffed. “It is they who stole it in the first place!” She thought for a moment. “Well, half of the them, anyway. And rather than given, it was thrust upon me before I even knew what it was I held. Thinking it merely a spoil of the war, I accepted, and then I was stabbed in the back.” He didn’t need to know it was literally…

She considered what she was saying, but it was justified. He seemed a bit preoccupied with his own wars to bother sticking around for hers, and hers was a war fought before his time. Though he was a fellow Raythian, the stone would not bond to just anyone. It did seem to be rather picky with whom it bonded.

She touched the side of her neck, her most recent scar. It hadn’t bonded with that man who attempted to take her life by taking his. She smirked, remembering how he’d cut his own throat only to give her an easy escape as he soaked the grass with his blood.

“I guess there’s no real harm in telling you… no harm for me, anyway, but don’t mistake either side of the war to treat you with respect should they learn you know me.”

She began slowly walking again, staring at the ground, watching rocks scatter as she kicked them unceremoniously. “I hold a very important artifact. I protect it from my father and brother, who would use it to gain power beyond any man’s. And I protect myself from its original owners. As long as it is with me, it is safe. So I will keep it safe as long as I can.”

She shook her head and forced a smile, turning to the young boy. “Your turn now, young brother. What evils are you preventing from surfacing?”

“It is they who stole it in the first place!” She thought for a moment. “Well, half of the them, anyway. And rather than given, it was thrust upon me before I even knew what it was I held. Thinking it merely a spoil of the war, I accepted, and then I was stabbed in the back.”

He stayed silent.

“I guess there’s no real harm in telling you… no harm for me, anyway, but don’t mistake either side of the war to treat you with respect should they learn you know me.”

She began slowly walking again, staring at the ground, watching rocks scatter as she kicked them unceremoniously. “I hold a very important artifact. I protect it from my father and brother, who would use it to gain power beyond any man’s. And I protect myself from its original owners. As long as it is with me, it is safe. So I will keep it safe as long as I can.”

"Then you speak the truth."

She shook her head and forced a smile, turning to the young boy. “Your turn now, young brother. What evils are you preventing from surfacing?”

He sighed, "Armageddon."