"Alright, calm now," Lex whispered soothingly, gently caressing his horse's face. "Goodnight, love."
He stepped out of the wooden barn, where the scent of hay and old wood mingled in the air.
"So.. what now?" Elaris asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty as she leaned on the wooden beam.
"Now... we shall go and discuss plans on how to save the world!" Lex declared, planting both hands on his waist. "Over a drink!"
"Oh gods..." Elaris sighed.
"To the tavern!" Lex wrapped his arm around Rath, dragging him along.
They walked the stone-paved streets of Morniya, passing by a blur of warm, homely lights radiating from the little houses . The village was small - it took them only a few minutes to find themselves in front of the 'Good Morning' Tavern, ironically bustling with life primarily at night.
"Good morning?" Elaris looked up at the sign, a puzzled expression crossing her face.
Rath raised an eyebrow, mirroring her confusion.
"Ohohoho.." Lex rubbed his hands and swiftly entered the tavern, immediately enveloped by the lively atmosphere. The room was buzzing with people; some were happily drinking the night away, while others wore dissatisfied frowns on their faces.
"'Good morning indeed!.." Lex shook his head with a very pleased expression. After all that had happened, all he craved was a good pint and a decent bed. "I am a simple man..", he thought, a smile crossing his face as he took in the bustling scene. The tavern's warmth enveloped him, contrasting sharply with the cool night outside. The air was thick with chatter, the clinking of mugs- the smell of roasted meat and fresh bread wafted through the room, promising a much-needed respite.
"Wait!" Elaris' eyes widened. "They will recognize me!" She hissed at Lex trying to get his attention and help. Quickly, she took a swift step outside before anyone could see her face.
"Wha?" Lex raised an eyebrow, and then it clicked. "Oh... right," he mumbled, leaving along with Rath.
"How could I forget? What if someone saw me?" Elaris panicked, pacing around in circles.
"Calm down, princess. It's pitch black outside, and the only people awake at this hour are most definitely drunk," Lex said, trying to soothe her.
"I hope you're right," she murmured, looking down and closing her eyes to compose herself. "I'm just so exhausted; I really need to go to bed."
"Didn't get enough sleep?" Rath asked.
"No... None at all," she replied.
"Alright, well, how do we hide your identity? And think quickly!" Lex smacked his chestplate, a half-serious, half-joking expression on his face, "This knight is in desperate need of a drink!"
"Ugh, the cloaks are in the backpack with the horses!" Elaris sighed, weary. She was too tired to walk back, despite the short distance.
Rath glanced around, waiting for them to think of something, and noticed a cloak lying on the dirty ground right outside the tavern.
"Wear this, perhaps?" he suggested, pointing curiously.
Elaris' eyebrow twitched in disgust, but Lex just went ahead and picked it up. He brought it closer to his nose and sniffed.
"Ahh, it ain't... that bad," he said with a fake smile.
"Ughh.." She groaned.
"You wanted adventure - here's your adventure. Cheer up, princess!" Lex smiled as he tossed the cloak to her. "Come on, little devil!" he said, playfully smacking Rath on the back.
The doors to the tavern swung open once more, and this time, more eyes darted towards the entrance.
Lex led the way, weaving through the small circular wooden tables and their occupants. Rath and Elaris trailed behind him in a line, occasionally casting uneasy glances around as they felt the sharp gazes of some of the patrons.
The tall armoured man finally reached the counter and nodded as he snapped his fingers at the barkeep. "Hey, old man! Give me the biggest, juiciest pint you have! And also…" He glanced at his much younger companions. "Milk for these two."
"I hate milk." Rath sharply retorted.
"Water then?" Lex raised an eyebrow.
"I will…" Rath glanced at Elaris, wanting to show he was a man too. "I'll have a pint as well!"
"Ohoho! That's the spirit, little devil!" Lex ruffled Rath's hair as he chuckled, spit flying from his mouth. "You heard the man! Two pints and a glass of milk!" he exclaimed.
"You got it." the tired barkeep replied, trudging off to prepare the drinks.
In time, their drinks were delivered, and the trio found a small table squished in the corner to sit at. The table's worn wood revealed its age, etched with nicks and scratches that told silent stories of nights long past.
"Ohohoohooo!" Lex raised his pint high, causing some of the liquid to spill over the rim. "Now that!" He admired the frothy beverage, his cheeks slightly flushed with satisfaction. "That's a pint!"
The fire in the hearth crackled, casting a golden glow that danced across the walls, making the shadows flicker and jump."
Rath stared at the pint, his fingers tapping nervously against the mug's handle. He had never drunk before—his kind never did.
"What's wrong?" Elaris raised an eyebrow as she set her glass of milk down.
"Nothing. I'm okay." Rath replied, though his voice wavered slightly.
"Ahaha!' Lex laughed, rocking sideways as he gave Rath a gentle nudge. "Come on, little devil! Show me what you've got!" he said, raising his eyebrows in a playful challenge - gesturing at the pint.
"You're in a good mood, huh?" Elaris half-smiled, raising an eyebrow.
"But of course!" Lex replied, hastily taking another sip.
"Alright... Let's give this a go," Rath mumbled to himself. He slowly brought the pint closer to his lips, closing his eyes. A drop of sweat formed on his forehead, and as he lifted the pint higher, the drop progressed down his temple.
"URH!" Rath's eyes burst wide open—the taste was harsh and vile, making him want to spit it out immediately. However, the presence of his companions made him hold the drink in his fully expanded cheeks.
"AHAHAHAHA!" Lex burst out laughing with such intensity that the entire tavern turned their attention to him for a moment. "Little devil!…Phahahaha!" He laughed again, shaking to his core, his armor clanging with his movements. The sound of his laughter echoed throughout the room, blending with the murmur of conversations and the crackling of the hearth.
Rath begrudgingly swallowed, his throat burning as the liquid went down, and then gasped for air, his chest heaving.
"Are you okay?!" Elaris asked worriedly, her eyes wide with concern as she placed her palm on his shoulder.
"Yeah! Y-Yeah! P-Perfectly fine!" Rath smiled awkwardly, his lips trembling as he wiped the spit from his mouth with the back of his hand. The taste lingered, bitter and unpleasant, but he tried to put on a brave face.
"Awww..." Lex tried to calm his breathing from all the laughing. "For a monster, you're pretty damn ordinary." He smiled as he wiped his tears.
"...Thanks?" Rath chuckled for the first time, eyebrows raised as he stared at him.
A warm and gentle smile crept up on Elaris' face—she loved seeing them like this. She had fun and she felt free.
The murmur of the crowd was broken by a single man's husky voice.
"That GOD DAMNED PRINCESS!" He stood up on his chair, waving his mug. "The bitch ran away from her only damn job, and now we are all fucked!" He roared, rocking drunkenly back and forth.
"YEAH! What an ungrateful little slut!" someone else added.
"Every single one of us is going to be slaughtered like dirty mud pigs because of some entitled little shit!" The drunk fat guy on the chair kept bashing her.
Elaris' face darkened, a cold mist of emotions clouding her features. Rath and Lex both looked over their shoulders—back towards the fat man—with stern looks on their faces, brows furrowed in anger. No... rage.
..
Lex's mug was empty.
"What the hell did you say?!" He shot to his feet with such force that his chair clattered to the ground, skidding and rolling away as if recoiling from his fury.
"Huh?!" The fat man's face wrinkled as he squinted, surprised someone had a differing opinion.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU CALL HER?!" Lex took a bold, heavy step forward.
"Got a problem, shit-head?!" The fat man said, then leapt, smashing his heavy weight onto the floor, rocking back and forth before catching his balance and taking a step towards the knight. He took a deep breath, lifted his head, and shouted, "Let's tell this gentleman here what we think of the princess!"
"Aye!!" everyone shouted in unison.
"The princess of Laraxia is a DIRTY WHORE!" He spat as everyone laughed.
VOOM.
A little smoke of dust lifted off the ground as the raging knight threw himself forward.