“Porridge!”
The young bar maiden plopped a bowl of pale looking slop onto the counter.
Telhari snapped back to his senses, staring down at the girl’s innocent face. Her smile was sweet, but her eyes were stern. He looked down at the bowl and eyed the wisps of steam that wafted upwards. Telhari re-sheathed the sword on his back, relaxed his body and slowly sat down, turning his back to the men.
“Thank you,” he told her.
She nodded firmly and walked off.
The men in the tavern, still uncertain, kept their weapons drawn, though most had lowered them and began to relax themselves.
“Anyone else got an order?” the bar maid called into the crowd. “Another mug of ale for you, master Flegan?”
Master Flegan looked around in mild confusion, before finally trading his ax for his mug.
“Aye.”
With the threat of violence quelled, Telhari finally began to eat his porridge in silence.
Stupid. To let them get the better of me…
After finishing his meal, Telhari pushed the bowl toward the edge of the counter and collected himself. Then, he stood from his stool, dropped a silver coin on the counter, and slid it next to the bowl. But as Telhari started toward the entrance to the tavern, he stopped suddenly as something on the signpost caught his eye. There was a piece of familiar parchment fixed to the post. He plucked it off and began to read.
10 Nobles reward...
“Hey!”
In the Malendarian hills…
“Hey!?”
Telhari sighed.
He looked up from the parchment to see the young boy from before staring up at him with intense eyes. Telhari raised his brow.
“Is there something you need?”
“Yeah…actually.”
“…”
“My name is Ellis!” the boy said as he pointed to his chest with pride.
Telhari stared blankly.
“What’s your name?”
“Telhari.”
Ellis stared back at Telhari with a smile as the silence grew between them. After waiting for a few seconds, he nudged the young woman forward.
“Oh, uh— I am Marybeth,” she said.
“I see.”
“We may not look it, but we’re adventurers!”
You don’t look it.
“And we want you to join our guild!”
“What?”
The word shot out of Telhari’s mouth before he could even process it— like gagging on a fowl stench.
“Yeah! Our guild!” Ellis said again. “We’re always on the lookout for strong people to join our ranks. We thought those idiots were good enough but…Well they don’t recognize a golden opportunity when they see one.” Ellis’ eyes turned greedily toward Telhari as he spoke again. “And you made ‘em all scared without even lifting a finger!”
Thinking back, Telhari now understood why the men had acted the way that they did— he too wondered if the boy was mental. However, as a seasoned lore master with centuries of experience, he knew how to handle situations with finesse.
“Are you mental?”
…Maybe not.
“C’mon Ellis, it ain’t worth it. Sorry to have bothered you sir.”
The young woman grabbed at Ellis’ arm and tried to pull him away.
“No way, Mary, we need him. I saw it with my own eyes, he can do mag—”
Telhari’s hand covered the boy’s mouth so fast Marybeth let out a yelp. Then, he looked up; no one seemed to have noticed the exchange. Telhari bent down closer to the boy so he could be heard at a whisper.
“I would speak carefully. There are those in this world who fear what they do not understand. Fear enough to do far worse than start fights in a tavern.”
Ellis nodded.
Telhari held his hand over Ellis’ mouth for a few seconds more to ensure the message had sunk in, before finally letting go.
“Well fine, I won’t say nothin’. But if you can…do that,” Ellis said as he wiggled his fingers, “Then that’s all the more reason to team up!”
It can’t be helped.
Telhari scanned Ellis from head to toe. His eyes moved so slowly over every aspect of him, that Telhari could see Ellis become increasingly nervous as he watched.
“You are not fit to be an adventurer. Nor are you fit to be headmaster of any institution, let alone a guild.”
Telhari lingered in silence before continuing. “Your body is not trained enough to wield the weapons you possess. You act rashly— without prior thought. And your naiveté might be endearing, were it not coming from a boy on the cusp of manhood.”
Ellis couldn’t speak. He just stared blankly at Telhari with his mouth clenched tight.
“Hang on!” Marybeth said as she cut in. “There is no need to be so rude!”
“Much worse than my words will befall you both out in the wilds. There will be none who reward your politeness with good will. You are guaranteed nothing. It is an ugly, bloody, vile world beyond the safety of this town. A place that children have no right to be.”
Marybeth had nothing to say, though she so obviously wished she did. Her eyes burned defiant with the passion of a slighted child.
Telhari looked at the two of them with pity.
“Do not be so quick to throw away your lives for petty glory or coin. The life you seek only ends one way.”
At that, Ellis found his voice once more.
“Then what about you?! If it’s such a shitty job, why do you do it?”
“Because I have skills that others do not.”
Telhari took the parchment from the signpost and held it up to the boy.
“Do you know what this is?”
“It…It’s a contract….” Ellis said while he continued reading. “Lookin’ for a huntsman to fight some wolves…they’re offerin’ up 10 nobles!”
“Read the date that the task was commissioned.”
Ellis glared at him, then studied the parchment.
“July 13th, Year 947, Age of Peace”
“Over 9 months ago…” added Marybeth.
“This reward for 10 Nobles has remained unclaimed for over 9 months.” Telhari stopped and pointed to the stamp at the bottom of the page, “And this seal validates this request in all reaches of Omnirian territory, including Eadenfros.”
“So?”
“Why do you think a request with a such a high reward has remained unfulfilled for such a length of time?”
They gave no answer, but their facial expressions indicated that they understood well enough.
“And I should tell you both,” Telhari said as he pocketed the parchment. “Since I have started coming to this tavern, I have seen at least three separate groups pick up this same contract. And without fail, it has always returned to the post. You know what that means, yes?”
They nodded in silence.
“True evil lingers in the dark places of this world,” he told them with merciless dispassion. “There are those that can stand against it…and those that cannot.” Telhari pocketed the contract and began toward the exit. “Farewell,” he called over his shoulder.
As Telhari stepped outside he was greeted once again by a chilling wind. He drew up his hood, shielding his face, and exhaled deeply. Telhari descended the steps of the Lonely Song, then stepped off the platform and disappeared into the dense crowd of passersby.
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