It had taken them three days to reach the PaLinkia, a port city, just as Bradly had promised and the trip was very, quiet. Elliot held the reigns firmly in his hand, his eyes on alert for bandits or raiders, yet they had not seen a soul outside of the friendly merchant or traveling entertainer.
"Oh, we're almost there." Bradly spoking popping his head and smiled with Elliot leading them on with the small port town clear on horizon. Their tip was normal for the most part, and the voice didn't popping into his ear the whole time. They slowed by the gates as two guards standing by, one a large hoomian with broad shoulders and a scar over his left eye as the other was a dwarf with a grew beard and bulging belly.
"Halt." The man said, his hand out and stepping closer to the cart with his hand on his hilt, "Business?"
"Royal Quest." Bradly blared and the two guards where thrown off seeing the prince of all people appearing out the back of the guard.
"Prince Bradly...." The Hoomian guard said slowly turning to Elliot and then back to the dwarf, "Let them through." The Dwarf nodded and stepped aside, allowing Elliot into the port town. Hitching the horses with the local stable just inside the gates, they began to walk through the busy streets with races all moving around the building chatting, laughing, and fighting all within feet of each other.
"Hmmmmm, the sea air always fills me with energy." Elliot heard Bradly speak these words, yet his mind was on all the people around them. It wasn't as busy as the castle, yet there was still. an air around the town that Elliot could feel. He was so lost in thought when the words from Bradly surprised him, "Do you think so?"
"Huh, wha?" Elliot asked , blush appearing on his face turning back to the prince.
"We should get a hot meal in our bellies." He said pointing to a Inn offer to the side called The Siren's Call, "Let's go." Bradly strutting towards it shocked Elliot, who was on his heels, wondering if it was a good idea to go into such a shady place. The loud, echoing inside blasted them with even louder yelling, laughing, and the view of drunkeds making asses of themselves invaded Elliot's eyes.
"Uhhhh, are you sure about this sir?" Elliot questioned him looking around the room, loud argument continued to be one of the most things he notice about the Hoomian races inside of all kinds.
"There he is." Bradly said out of the blue and Elliot's eyes turned to were he was pointing, allowing him to see a single dwarf at a table, his grey beard and hair matched a milk right eye, a scar showing the wounds of battle he had. He was dressed in a basic blue and grey shirt with pelts shoulder pads matching his long sleeves and furred boots with grey pants. Elliot noticed food and brink covering his beards, a large leg of mutton in one of his hand and a mug of mead along with a table of food showing he was enjoying himself as he was waiting for Bradly, apparently. "Bolten Ironsaw." Bradly yelled out, gaining the dwarf's attention in the middle of another bite of his mutton and the bellied laugh at seeing the prince said everything to Elliot that he needed.
"Prince Bradly." He spoke in a gruff, aged voice wiping his mouth and flashing a large grin with many gaps in them, "Sit and have some." Bolten pointed to one of the empty seats at his table, swilling even more mead down his gullet, splashing a lot on himself and clothing.
"Thank you." Bradly sat down and took a peace of beef, biting on it and ripping it in the same way Bolten had been doing, "Been so long since I had a meal with a good friend.
"Aye, and a good friend make meals taste better." Bolten's eyes went from Bradly to Elliot, turning his jovial smile into a look of confusion, "And who's scrawny there?"
"Hey, be nice." Elliot felt glad when Bradly openly defended him, "He's my squire here to help us on our quest."
"Is he now?" Bolten asked looking at Elliot closely, forcing sweat to run down the young man's face.
"Yes sir." Elliot fell in his habit of over firmly with people, "I am Elliot, Prince Bradly loyal squire here to help him and his party on our mission." Elliot's nerves were screaming to insure he was proper until Bolten's belly laugh pulled him out of his head.
"Where'd you get this guy?" Bolten's question made Elliot feel uneasy from the laughing by the dwarf.
"Come now, don't be mean." A new voice pulled everyone's eyes to one of the empty seat, now occupied with a cloaked figure in the seat. Elliot stared at the figure, who's cloak hid any feature that he could tell anything about them.
"Clove, how's the studying going?" Bradly spoke with a caring voice, looking to the figure pulling off the cloak, revealing a young elven girl with ebony skin, white hair flowing down her cloak and golden eyes that looked to Elliot.
"Good, I just hope it's enough to help with this quest." She held her head down , a hint of blush on her face.
"Oh, is little Clove still shy around men?" Bolten patter her back, forcing a wince and flinch from her looking at him, "Oh, sorry lassy."
"I-it's fine." She groaned, clearly still feeling the pain of his smack.
"So, have you two seen if the others are here?" Bradly asked with Elliot's brow popping up looking to the party.
"There are more coming?" Elliot's question garnered stares from the trio as Bolten burst into his loud belly laugh.
"Yeah, we have a few more members still running late." Bolten said gnawing the rest of the meal from his mutton bone and downing the rest of his mug of mead followed with a belch that echoed out throughout the building, forcing Clove to groan.
"Must you show how much of a hedonist you are?" Elliot watch Clove rubbing the bridge of her nose and her sigh of announce could be heard from her tone, gaining a glare from Bolten and Elliot could tell that he was ready to start a fight when a hand place itself onto his.
"Oh, I wouldn't say a true hedonist." The new one was also an elf with much fairer skin then Clover with black hair and green eyes, his gown flowing down his slim frame to his feat he and looked to be a holy man of sorts. His calm smile slowly soothed Bolten, making him grumble and lifting his hand up to order more mead. With the dwarf calmed, he turned his gaze to Elliot and offered his hand to him.
"Vlex," He said as Elliot shook his hand, "Vlex the Wise, head priest of the Order of the All Father, Lord of Law and Order among the realms."
"More like Vlex the blowhard." Clove spat out, gaining another glare from Bolten though Vlex calmed him with his gentle touch.
"Yes Clove, we have had the talk on your view of the All Father." A roll of her golden eyes was all that happened when Vlex turned back to Elliot, "And your name please?"
"Oh, Uhhhh, E-Elliot." Elliot spoke to the holy man, though he never really followed the words of the All Father to closely, he didn't want to insult an ally of theirs, "I am Prince Bradly's Squire on this royal quest."
"Oh, then you are our ally and aid in this journey." Vlex said, beaming a smile that would charm the dead, "A lich spits in the face of the All Father and she needs to be put in her place at the bottom of the Eather."
"So, that's three of you, where are the other two?" Bradly asked his brow cocked and looking at the three sitting there, who all looked at him for a moment when Clove answered..
"Helrick still hasn't come and Levi is....." Clove's answer was stopped by a figure popping out in behind her and two hands wrapped around in a tight embrace. Elliot's eyes turned to the figure, seeing it was a woman that was Hoomian like Bradly and himself yet she had ovel skin and red eyes matching her fire red hair.
"I'm here, just needed to request me sweetie." The woman holding Clove said, a smile of wicked thoughts showing and then she licked her cheek.
"LEVI!" Clove screamed and shoved Levi off of her, allowing Elliot to see what Levi was wearing, or lack of it since she was wearing silver straps that covered her breasts, a black thong, and boots with a cape. Levi put her hands on her hips and huffed when she saw Elliot's bug eyes feasting on her body.
"Oh, do we have a cherry to pick with this one?" Levi smirked the same grin and before Elliot could say anything, she was on his lap and her arms around his neck, "What's your name, big boy?"
"E-Elliot." Was all he could answer since both his cheeks and lower area were in a war on where his blood was going, but the supple rear from Levi was edging out the future winner.
"Whoa, let's give him a day before heading into that trap." Vlex said, gaining a glare from Levi and a laugh from Bolten. Bradly laughed too, enjoying everything as Clove wiped her cheek when the light darken
"What's this?" Bolten asked with the six looking up with Elliot too busy fighting any urge that Levi sitting on him was causing when stumming began to slither through the Inn.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's a pleasure to be back here." A smooth, crisp voice pulled them all to look at the stage in the far back of the in where a man stood on, a spotlight shining on him. Elliot could make out he was a Brownie with dark brown hair slicked back with crystal blue eyes, and tan skin wearing what could only be described as regal with dark purple and blue garb with a white puffy collar, gold and purple elephant trunk tights with jester shoes. A lute in hand, stumming gently and playing a calming music, settling everyone in a calm state, rocking to his music. He hummed a tune with each time he strums, calming everyone more and more until the whole in was relaxed. Soon he finished and bowed, excepting them applause and stepping off stage walking towards their table.
"Heldric Sliverfoot, long time no see." Bradly said patting his back and smiling as Heldric nodded.
"Well, when the Prince of the Kingdom calls on you, saying no doesn't really work." Heldric sat with the rest of the table as Bradly explained to them everything that needs to be done, about Great Lich Clathcia, what they need to do to kill her, and everything else leaving the party thinking it over.
"Man, this job seems tough." Bolten said his hand on his mug handle, yet hasn't drank a sip after hearing about their job.
"Yeah, sounds like fun." Levi joyful voice gaining looks by the others, yet she paid them no mind.
"Even so..." Clove said, straightening herself in her seat, "There's no way the six of us...."
"Seven." Levi reminded her, pointing to Elliot who's hearing more about their job body allowed his brain the blood it needed. Clove stared at him for a few moments with Elliot looking back at her.
"Yes, even with seven of us we are no match against her army of undead she's raising." Clove finished.
"That is why we're heading to the Land of Keisharn and meeting with Baren Keive to see if he would aid us in battle." Bradly said smiling.
"You sure about that?" Vlex said taking a berry from a tray and eating it, "I hear he's not the easiest to get help from."
"Yeah, why not have your daddy send his army?" Bolten asked with Heldric and Clove nodding together.
"My dad is very sick, and the army needs to be ready if she tries something to protect the kingdom." Bradly explained and the others nod, excepting that answer with them making plans on where their next goal.
"So, we leave in three day and head straight for Keisham." Clove said nodding with the others agreeing, allowing them to get resupplied for the trip.
"Well then, shall we?" Levi hopped up and swiftly pulled Elliot to his feet, shocking the young man as she pulled him up the stairs.
"W-wait, i haven't eaten yet...." Elliot protested watching the others leave view chuckling.
"Oh, i have something for you to eat." Levi said dipping into a room with him in hand.
"W-wait, what?" Were the only words Elliot got out before the door slamming behind them and his night turned up the heat.