And there he was, In the center of the tavern sat The Colossus, a towering giant standing out among the rest. He must have been at least seven feet tall, chugging gallons of mead with excitement. I found it difficult to approach him, but I leaned over his table and said, "Oi, you there."
At first, he ignored me, but after I shouted, "Hey, I'm talking to you!" he squinted his eyes to focus on me and asked, "Who the fuck are you?" in his deep, rumbling voice.
"I'm here to talk." I replied.
"Well, I ain't got no time for that. I'm here to enjoy myself, and I don't want to talk to punks like you. So, you better get going." he said, continuing to drink and shout with excitement.
"My name's Leviatha--" I was interrupted by a loud thwack as I went flying across the hall.
"What did you just say?" said Sakaar, glaring at me.
The room fell silent, and everyone's eyes were on me and Sakaar. "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" I shouted from the shattered furniture.
"You piece of shit!" Sakaar charged toward me, crushing everything in his path.
"Ahh...Well, fuck." I accepted my fate.
With a loud crack, he crashed into me like a giant rock, and I felt a snap in my rib as I rolled roughly on the ground. When I opened my eyes, I saw the sky above me. We were outside?! That crazy fuck! He had smashed me through the tavern wall.
"I WILL KILL YOU!!" Sakaar shouted from a distance.
"cough Is that how you treat an old friend?" I said as I got up and brushed the dust off my clothes.
"FRIEND? WHAT A JOKE! YOU WERE A COMRADE, NOTHING ELSE! MOREOVER, YOU'RE THE REASON I LOST MY FATHER'S BRACELET!"
"Well...I already said sorry for that." I said in a guilty voice.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I WILL TEAR YOUR BODY APART RIGHT NOW!"
It looked like he wasn't going to calm down any time soon.
"So you want to battle it out?" I said.
"YOU BET, BITCH BOY!" said Sakaar, accepting my offer.
I let out a sigh and cracked my neck, getting in a fighting stance, ready for him to come at me.
"Well, well, well... Isn't that nostalgic?" a familiar voice came from the dust around us.
"Who is that?" Sakaar asked.
The figure in the smoke stepped out, and it was none other than the Earl.
"Get out of the way, Herlin, this is between us." said Sakaar.
"Huh, is this about the bracelet?" asked Herlin.
"Yes, it is! It's been months, and he still isn't letting go of that darn mistake I made."
"MISTAKE?! YOU THREW IT AWAY ON PURPOSE, KNOWING WHAT IT MEANS TO ME!" Sakaar shouted.
"Well... Technically, I didn't 'throw' it away."
"DO I LOOK LIKE I GIVE A SHIT?"
"Nope."
"You two, to my cabin, right now," Herlin said with an authoritative tone. He then turned to move.
"Hey, hold on a minute! You might have helped me in the past, but that doesn't mean you get to order me around," said Sakaar.
Herlin came to a halt and turned to glare at him, "I don't want this petty quarrel to draw attention. So let's move on." he said, casting a wary glance at the growing crowd.
Sakaar paused and surveyed the scene, his eyes full of malice. He shot me a menacing look before trailing behind Herlin, and I followed suit. I clutched my chest, the pain of what felt like a broken rib a constant reminder of the monstrous assault.
We made our way in silence to Herlin's cabin and arrived at the entrance. He opened the door, allowing Sakaar to enter first and then me. After we had entered, Herlin closed the door noiselessly and inquired about Sakaar's business.
"I'm not discussing it in front of this imbecile," Sakaar sneered, pointing a finger in my direction.
Herlin let out an exasperated sigh and implored Sakaar to speak his mind. "But," Sakaar began.
"Say it now," Herlin interrupted, his voice stern and unwavering. As the seconds ticked by, the tension in the room seemed to intensify.
Sakaar shifted his gaze from me to Herlin and finally began, "There's a village located to the west, a part of the Kingdom of Lyngdal."
"What about it?" I asked, intrigued.
"The townspeople have started killing one another. It's as if they're consumed by bloodlust, like something has taken hold of them," Sakaar replied, his voice tinged with concern.
Herlin inquired whether the village was suffering from a famine, to which Sakaar replied, "No. The villagers have an abundance of food, more than enough to last through the winter."
"Then what could it be?" we asked in unison.
"I suspect that a witch has put a spell on the townsfolk," Sakaar answered.