"If you're buying, I'm in!"~Gragas, The Rabble Rouser
Bomba
Originally I wanted the reunion with Annie to be at chapter 50 but I'm pushing it to 60 maybe more, with how the plot is developing.
Yes, I'm making it up as I go. I have a certain thing I want to happen and I write things that lead up to that.
For example: I wanted the Draklorn fight to happen before Leanna died and slowly wrote everything leading up to that. The same way I have four things I want happening, and I am writing toward that.
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A good nights rest with no disturbances.
Gregori, subconsciously rated this place highly in his mind.
He moved his legs off the bed and sat up.
After so long, this night was probably the best one in a year. A bed made all the difference. Once all was said and done, a bed would be high on the lists when building a new house. A luxurious one. For the kids as well.
He rubbed his eyes, got up and performed some stretches. After which he grabbed his things, slung on his back pack. buckled his shield and walked out. He walked down the stairs to find the barkeeper lazing on his chair behind the counter.
"Sleep well?" He asked.
Gregori nodded as he sat down. He looked around to find four other people in the tavern, including the girl he saw yesterday.
"Anything to eat?" Gregori asked.
The barkeep nodded. "Some bread and fruit."
"I'll have that please." Gregori responded.
"Anything to drink alongside the meal?"
Gregori looked at the man in thought, "Uhhh.... you got juice?"
The barkeep nodded. "Oranges. Its what Drugne is known for after all."
"I'll have one then." Gregori looked at him confusingly, "You send those oranges to Bilgewater?"
The barkeep called his order into the room behind him and answered, "Bilgewater and any place with sea men really. Nasty business that, scurvy. Oranges help and they like that. Its why Drugne is a happy little place. No one would like to screw with the biggest exporter of oranges, unless they were willing to make a lot of enemies."
Gregori chuckled at that.
"Can I have a juice as well?" A voice piped up behind him.
The redhead.
"Aye lass." The barkeep answered and called out the order behind him.
As the bread and fruit arrived, Gregori asked, "Any merchants leaving in the direction of the capital today?"
The barkeep leaned back on his chair and threw his hand behind the back support. "There are a couple. Do you want the fastest one or a more scenic one?"
"The fast one please." Gregori answered. "Haven't seen my daughter in a year."
"Go to the town square. There'll be a short man. Can't miss him really..... yordle sized..... dwarf. Name's Arran. Tell him I sent you and give him some gold. He'll stop once at Muntar and then right to the Bastion." The barkeep replied.
Gregori nodded gratefully. "What name do I give?"
"Sten."
"Thank you Sten."
The barkeep shook his head. "Don't thank me. If you feel like repaying me go to Call's Inn, when you reach there. The owner's a friend. Marcin."
"A favor to a friend?" Gregori asked.
"No no." The barkeep laughed. "Took a loan from me to rebuild, he did. Had his inn burn down last year. Sent him a bit off kilter."
Burn?
Gregori found a sudden interest in this conversation.
"A brawl gone bad or soldiers?"
"Probably a brawl. Marcin, bless his soul, was raving about a burning bear."
Gregori titled his head and smiled at the absurdity. But inwardly, he was whooping in joy.
A lead!
A lead in his very first tavern!
What a turn of events!
"Yeah... off kilter that one." Sten continued. "But he's a good lad, keeps his head down."
Gregori just nodded and didn't say a word.
Finishing up the rest of his meal, he reached for the bag before a hand stopped him.
"No."
Gregori looked toward Sten, wondering why he had stopped him.
"Your payment from yesterday includes this meal."
Gregori look at him with raised eyebrows.
"Good man." He replied, nodding slowly.
He stood up and bid the man farewell before leaving the tavern.
Instead of walking directly toward his destination, he decided to walk around a little. Taking the scenic route. Observing the people around. Watching as everyone went on with their daily lives.
He caught sight of children running around.... playing... laughing.
It brought a smile to his face. His children had run around like that.... once. Closing his eyes, he could imagine the pitter-patter of feet and the sounds of their laughter. The way Annie's hair shone under the sun. The small giggles from Daisy.
Things had changed.
But they could be fixed. His family could be fixed. WOULD be fixed. His eyes shot toward the star and he relaxed. It seemed so close now. Almost above him. He was getting there.
The orange farms were in his view now. The sprawling range of trees with bright and vibrant oranges, their branches drooping from the weight.
Reaching over, he grabbed one and sat beside the tree. He slid his nail into the side and pulled the peel off. He repeated the process till he had a completely peeled orange left over.
He split it in half and then into quarters. In one shot he swallowed a quarter piece. It was delightful. Sweet and sour at the same time. The juice burst through his mouth. Withing seconds he completed two more quarters and went for the final bite.
As he finished the orange and spat out the seeds.
A walk through the plantation later, he walked to the town square and started to look for the yordle sized man.
And true to Sten's words, it was easy to spot the man.
Walking straight toward him, Gregori reached into his bag and pulled out a gold coin and kept it in a closed fist, hidden by his fist.
Arran looked up at Gregori, "What'd ya want?"
"I wanted to ask you if I could accompany you to the capital." Gregori asked.
Arran looked him up and down. He squinted. "And why should I be allowing you to travel with us?"
"Sten sent me. And I'm willing to part with a gold coin." He answered but didn't reveal the coin.
The dwarf's eyebrows rose. "A gold coin huh..... give me more and I'll let you on."
Gregori clenched his fist, "Its all I got sir. I can part with some fur though."
"Hmmm. I don't knowwwwww...." Arran pushed for more.
"Man look here. I just want to get home. Its been too long since I've seen my family. If I give up more, then I won't be able to provide for them when I return."
Arran sighed.
"Just help me out here friend."
"Ugh..... Fine." Arran said, stepping heavily as he turned around. "Get on the carriage. You'll not be the only new face."
A little walk later, Gregori pushed himself onto the carriage, grunting as he did so. He set his bag to his side and placed the shield on his lap. His spear lay wrapped in his hand, like a funny looking walking stick.
He leaned forward against it.
The next few moments he sunk into his own thoughts. Until a voice brought him out of it. The voice came from directly across him.
Looking at the source of the voice, it was the woman again.
"You're going to the capital as well?" He asked, looking into her eyes.
She nodded.
He then proceeded to look around him. Nothing other than luggage and items to be traded. He could hear voices on the other side.
Those lot had kept them separated.
A little disappointing.
He could have fished for more information.
His eyes lingered a little too long in the direction.
"Sad that they are sitting on the other side, instead of next to us?" The woman asked.
"Hmm?" Gregori looked back at her.
The woman chuckled. "Don't worry.... I don't bite."
Gregori gave her a deadpan stare, not bothering to reply. She chuckled a little more, finding the interaction funnier than him.
The carriage lurched forward and he steadied himself with the spear. Looking outside, he watched as Drugne became smaller. Another step closer.
"So why it your staff wrapped." The woman asked.
"I don't think that is any of your business miss...." Gregori started.
"Dereen."
"Miss Dereen." Gregori spoke.
Dereen looked at him, a glint in her eyes. "Humor me."
Gregori opened his mouth to say something, then stopped and let out a breath.
"Its a gift and I am delivering it." Gregori spoke.
Dereen rolled her eyes, "If you say so..... but you seem awfully comfortable with it in your hands."
He looked at her once more with a perfect poker face and denied her a reply.
Gregori spent the rest of the evening looking outside, watching as the land passed. In time, the trees blurred as it all just faded to the recesses of his mind. He felt strangely disconnected to himself, as they moved on in their journey. Like he was just going through the motions. No thought went through him.
It felt like a dream.
A dream where nothing happened.
It continued until the sun set.
It continued until the yelling began.
He blinked, as he regained control over himself and looked around. Dereen had her head outside. He heard more yelling.
"Give us everything you got and you get to keep your lives."
He sighed. Of course things would go south.
"Do you know who you are messing with?"
Gregori chuckled at the voice. Arran seemed to possess so much bite for someone his size.
"We don't know and we don't care." The voice followed up, quite unafraid at the threat.
Dereen shook her head as he jumped off the carriage. Two knives sprung into her hands out of no where. Gregori squinted as the girl slunk into the shadows and disappeared. Those were not normal knives. No, those were special. Assassin's knives. Designed to kill.
The woman was an assassin.
He had zoned out for hours with an assassin in front of him.
"I seem to be making a lot of mistakes..." He muttered.
He jumped outside, his shield slid into his hand and his other hand held onto the axe. Cracking his neck, he looked around him. None of the bandits had come behind them.
Amateurs.
They hadn't surrounded the carriage. They hadn't kept their members hidden. They faced the carriage head on, like it was a battle.
They were new to this. The meant they were doing it out of desperation. Desperation would lead to poor judgement. Poor judgement led to failure.
These men would fail.
Then again even if they had good judgement, they would fail.
Because unfortunately for them, he was on the carriage.