15
"I'm cutting you off Rob, time to go to bed my friend before you hurt yourself"
Terron put a hand on Rob's shoulder and looked him in the eyes, it was hard for Rob to accept but he knew Terron was right. Half of his beer was still in the glass and he emptied the entire thing in a single gulp before he said his goodbyes and left the tavern.
Terron looked worried as he saw his friend waltzing out barely able to walk, but that was just how life was as a bartender sometimes, and he couldn't get sentimental about every person with problems, or he would be worrying all day long.
"looks like its going to be quiet night buddy"
Said an old lady serving two men beer, and Terron smiled sadly in response. It had been quiet for months now, he had taken over the tavern from his dad, but then people began leaving the village in favor of the big cities, and he also lost his customers.
Truth was he never wanted to be a tavern keeper, he wanted excitement and glory. Since he was little did he want to be a soldier, but he was also terrified of pain… no matter how he tried to look at it, getting hurt was part of being a soldier.
It was an issue he just couldn't find an answer to, so in the end when his father died, he decided to take over the tavern.
The door to the Tavern opened with a loud "boom" and in came the village guard running, panic was plastered over his face as he yelled out.
"Savages are coming, Oh no, oh no. last time almost ended in a slaughter…!"
One of the men who had been served a beer by the old woman dropped it, when the guard came rushing in, and he began yelling at the guard.
"damnit Joe, why do you always make such a big scene! Now you made me drop my Beer for crying out loud"
Terron was shocked by the news, he had only overseen the tavern for less than a year and he still remembered the first-time these savages came through the village. Half the reason people had left the village over the past few years was to move to bigger cities, the other reason was them...
Soon the door to the tavern opened again and this time wasn't a guard or a villager, it was a big man with crude leather armor, beside him walked two soldiers both very young.
After the three people came in inside appeared two new men shortly after, also wearing crude armor and followed by eleven children with all kinds of clothing on, one was even dressed as a bear, and was carrying a disturbing amount of weapons.
The tavern became tense as the locals sat and starred at the savages, one of the soldiers next to the big man walked over to the counter were the old lady stood. When he approached the lady she flinched and didn't dare to look the man in the eyes. Terron knew Lisa had a trauma with soldiers, and he hurried over as the soldier began speaking to the scared Lisa.
"might you be the tavern keeper perhaps? I am looking for beds and food for me and my colleagues"
Terron rushed in between the soldier, and Lisa as he answered in Lisa's stead.
"if you are looking for the tavern keeper then you found him, about the food and shelter if you have money, I have beds don't you worry about that"
The soldier smiled from ear to ear and said something to the big man who started laughing, and Terron was even more afraid.
"my apologies good sir, we would like room for twenty people if you have it, or we could share rooms if there aren't enough. Last thing is that I will need a transport by tomorrow morning to the capital, is that something you can help us with?"
Terron was just about to answer when a big bloke came over to the group of savages along with five of his friends, Terron knew the six people in question and he also knew they liked to start trouble.
"well if it isn't the mighty warriors of the wilderness, it sure is a great honor to meet you all"
The words came out as mockery and his friends all started laughing, even some of the other locals began to chuckle.
The big warrior who acted as the leader of the group, looked curiously at the six men. Having the big
man starring at him, made the drunk troublemaker angry, and he grabbed an empty glass on the table next to him, before he slammed it into the ground.
"what the hell is your problem!? We already have enough problems with people leaving this place, having you lot coming and starting trouble every six months is killing us, now get the fuck out of here!"
He spat at the big man and his friends had all drawn their weapons, Terron was appalled with the outcome and he wanted nothing more than to throw the drunk idiots out of the tavern.
Inside sat seven other people who all had very different reactions to the scene, a couple joined the six troublemakers and even found some cutlery they wielded like weapons. the rest of the tavern folks sat paralized with fear and anxiety, praying for the nightmare to stop.
all except for single a raggedly dressed las in the middle of eating his full in ribs, he didn't even seem like he had realized a fight was about to break out, and just sat loudly eating.
The troublemaker drew his sword from his belt, he was a former soldier and although he never became more than a foot soldier he still had ten good years as one.
"I will give you to the count of three to leave, or this will turn very ugly for all of you"
The big man looked back at the kids that came with him and Terron saw the anticipation burning in their eyes, then he said something that made every person in the tavern speechless.
"kids I'll be frank, there's not enough for all of you. Raise your hand if you want to fight these guys and I will choose the lucky one"
The two soldiers sighed and one of them started talking to the big man in an angry voice.
"I told you Joshua, no killing"
The big man who's name was apparently Joshua looked mockingly at the soldier like he was a fool and then burst out laughing, all the regulars had shivers down their spines, as they saw the scary man laugh hysterically at the words, no killing.
"but they started it… alright fine. You there, Rite? You go take care of them, just don't kill them is all you need to remember. And rite, no Warhammer"
Rite seemed very offended by the last part, but he was also afraid that arguing would make him loose his chance for a fight. They had been walking for hours on that endless road, and he was itching for a fight. He begrudgingly put down his new Warhammer and approached the six angry men.
"who wants to go first?"
He looked very happy and expectant as he starred at the angry troublemaker in front. Being called out like that from a kid who looked fourteen was a strange feeling for the angry troublemaker, and he glanced at his friends for advice.
None of them seemed like they knew what to do, and they didn't have time to figure anything out either as their friend standing in front fell to the ground with a "thump".
"who's next?
Seeing their friend completely still on the ground made the angry mob speechless, and the soldier who had been reprimanding the big man started to yell at the boy.
"I said no killing!"
The boy didn't look back but kept starring at the group of men in front of him, waiting for one of them to approach him.
"I didn't… I barely touched him, and he just passed out, so disappointing…"
Rite held his hands out in front of him and green vines made of light sprouted out, they moved around his hands like they were alive, and the sight turned the angry mobs faces pale white.
The mob began to scatter back to their seats, but two men didn't move and Terron had a bad feeling.
"I don't know what you just did, but no one hurts our friend"
Rite and the two men approached each other intent on starting a fight when the ragged young man who had been eating earlier now stood blocking the three people. He still held a rag of ribs in his right hand and although the two men seemed unimpressed, Rite had jumped back in fright the moment he saw the young man.