A young girl was staring absent mindedly at a tattered painting of a group of people wearing armor and wielding weapons as their smiles are still clearly seen despite the current state of the painting itself.
The painting of those smiling adventurers is vertically located just a few feet above the entrance door to which to girls focus is currently glued at.
Clearly oblivious on the noise around her, the young girl is unaware of the plump lady with tan skin who looks more like a warrior than a cook staring at her by the kitchen counter to which she keeps on calling her attention.
"Sashi.. Sashi... Sashi!.. Sashii!!.."
"Tap!"
when suddenly she was pulled back down to the ground by a piece of flying potato that hit her head.
"Oh crap! I'm sorry Nana"
As she blurted out when awoken from her stupor.
Sashi quickly took a hold of the wooden tray that contains a bowl of mushroom and potato stew, a piece of hard bread, and a wooden mug large enough to contain a litre of warm ale.
Sashi weave thru the crowd of drunk chattering in each table telling about their adventures which contain more buls*** that one can found in a pen of Brams (cow like beast that are more larger and physically intimidating than those found on earth) and those drunks that were already sleeping on the floor as they can no longer hold their slouching postures as well as raise their wooden mugs.
"Ooops! Excuse me.. Excuse me.. whoah!.. Coming through! "
Said the young girl as she dexterously hold the wooden tray undisturbed despite the obstacles in her path.
Clearly this girl have been doing this for a long time and can be mistaken as if she is intentionally dancing with a grace as that of a Master Thief dodging multitude of hidden traps just to get to that treasury room at the end of the dungeon.
"Blag!"
A fist was slammed on the wooden table owned by a large bald bearded man wearing a brigandine armor too small for his size in which one could think that either the armorer comically mistook his size or if the large barbarian looking man stole it from a corpse of another adventurer.
"Dammit I'm starving over here! Where is my grub?! And my Ale!"
Exclaimed the large man...
The man is looking more agitated as he is more concerned in filling his stomach with that warm ale rather than gulping that tavern stew in which its almost has no flavor just like the rest of the food that is commonly available in this world.
"Here ya go Turk! Sorry for the wait"
As Sashi laid down the wooden tray on the large man's table as well as taking the 8 copper coins that are laid on the table as payment.
Quickly the large man took the wooden mug and drank empty its content as if he just came out of the desert dying of thirst yet it was that warm ale that the Almiraj's Horn Tavern is known for that he crave.
It was the only good treat he can have within a hundred of kilometres in this forsaken land.
"Creak!"
The heavy door of the tavern swung open and a group of light armored soldiers stepped inside the establishment and in the middle of the group is a well-dressed man.
The the noise of the tavern died down only the crackling sound from the fireplace is to be heard.
Looking around as if not bothered, the rest of the group entered, almost all of the patrons eyes are on the group until they were able to sat down at a corner table to which the soldiers kick and push the sleeping drunks that occupies it.
"Get outta here you filthy pigs!"
Exclaimed one of the soldiers with a large pointy nose that resembles a Tucan's beak.
"Disgusting.."
Mentioned by the well-dressed individual under his breath as he took out his white handkerchief with an embroidered BD initials on it and use it to wipe the seat before deciding to sit down .
"Oi! Barmaid! serve us 5 ales ovah 'er!"
shouts the older looking fellow from the group with a heavy Bellusian accent.
"What about you sir?" added the burly man.
"The best wine you have... If you have any."
Added the well-dressed man with a smirk on his face.
Sashi looking over the group grumbled in response.
"Yeah yeah Got it!".
This time the noise of the crowd already came back as if nothing happen and didn't bother to look back to the group of people that caught their attention a while ago.
Sashi went back to the kitchen counter and told the order of ales and wine from a middle aged lanky man that is wearing what seems to be a royal cooks uniform albeit the already faded white color as if it has seen better days. His kind eyes looking at the young girl and smiled
"Ok young miss".
As usual Sashi brought over another wooden tray full of wooden mug and glass of wine over to the table where the group of soldiers are sitting while gracefully weaving along the crowd of customers as if she's been doing this kind of job for a long time contrary to her age.
"Here ya go!" mentioned Sashi as she forcefully smiled at the group while putting down there orders on the table.
"That'll be 33 copper coins for the 5 mugs of Ale and the glass of barberry Wine."
Sashi placing her palm face up looking at the burly Bellusian soldier who placed the order in the 1st place.
"Come back lay tah' missy!"
As he sneered at Sashi to go away.
Sashi already knew that these people are not to be trusted with their words and so she did not budge and insisted on the payment as it is well known that payment is required upon order.
Everybody knows that.... Each and every one of the Almiraj's Horn Tavern patrons know that. Unless these people are foreign travellers to which they aren't.
"Mister, if you will look over to that huge board by the counter, you can clearly see in bold letters that number one on the tavern rules indicate payment is required upon order".
Sashi controlling her annoyance stared at the burly man.
"What can't you understand miss? Are you deaf? If Largo here says we will pay then we will, now go and don't bother us with tavern rules untill we need to order again.. Got it?!"
Exclaimed the Tucan nosed soldier.
The well dressman stood up beside Sashi.
"Now now Zakar... That is not the way to treat a lady. Even though the miss here lives in this smelly dump, she seems to be the only one worth looking at. A flower among the trash I say".
The man grinning while lowering his head over Sashi's shoulder as if attempting to snuff the superficial scent of the young lady.
The soldiers at the table seems to agree to what the man said, all wolfishly smiled at Sashi who in turn fuming turned her back and attempted to leave.
A hand grabbed her by the forearm and tries to forcibly have her seat on the well-dressed man's lap.
"Ha ha ha ha!.. "
Laughs the soldiers as they mockingly watch Nalec the well-dressed man get a hold of another beauty to which he is always known for.
Sashi could no longer tolerate it suddenly kicked the man's crown jewels in between his legs.
"Thud!"
"Aieeeeee!!"
Caught off guard and writhing in pain, Sashi grab hold of the man's clothes and arm almost perfectly performing what seems to be a Judo hip throw and slams the man on the tavern floor.
"Blag!"
Gasping for air and writhing in pain, Nalec tries to order his stunned men.
"He.. Help... Hel.. Help m... Help me dammit! Aaarrrgghh.."