The closer he got to the front door of the inn the louder and more clear the noises from inside became. While he hadn't heard many bar fights in his young years... well it was a total of none actually, he still figured the cursing, loud thumps, and the occasional shrill scream of what he would have to assume was someone being bit in a sensitive area were all good indicators of a conflict of some kind. Though his pace slowed the closer he moved toward the door it was more to try and get an idea of what was going on inside than out of any sort of fear.

He went to lift the latch on the door and push it open when it suddenly slammed closed on him, the sound of wood crashing upon wood just barely covered the thud of what would turn out to be a body hitting the door. His hand was hovering above the latch for a few seconds before he figured it was safe to try again, though just like the first time, right after he managed to get the door slightly ajar it slammed closed again. What were the odds? Pretty good it would seem because it happened to him another three times before the noise inside died down to relative silence.

The sixth time proved to be the charm, though to be safe he stayed where he was standing until the door had swung completely open and bumped lightly against the inside wall. Glancing about from where he stood he noted at least two toppled tables, about a half dozen overturned chairs, some with broken legs, and then a rather neatly stacked pile of groaning bodies, consisting of both males and females, near the center of the room. Taking a few seconds to look over the bodies as they squirmed about he began to notice red dots and what looked to be scratches all over their arms and faces. Were those bite marks?! Indeed they were and from the far side of the pile came a soft grunt before another body was heaved up onto the top. Ethan had to look away after seeing the state of the guy's face because it was simply nasty.

"Oi! Youngin' by the door! Stop trying to heat up all of Cloudcrest with my firewood and shut the door. In or out!" The voice was gruff but feminine sounding and the smacks of clapping hands, as if they were wiping dirt from one another, followed the command.

Ethan stepped in and began to reach for the door while looking around for the source of the instructions. Finally, looking back to the pile while the door closed and latched with a click the owner of that feminine gruffness revealed herself. Stepping out from behind the pile of large folk strutted a... well now Ethan was able to determine she was a Pul'kin from his earlier conversation with Bimsley. However, where Bimsely was short and wide this female was short and rather thin though it was clear her muscles were tone and she was in shape.

"Took ya long enough! Are you slow or somethin?"

"Huh?" He was confused at her rudeness, though it obviously looked like he was actually slow with that response.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Bah! Welcome to The Lazy Badger Inn. You'll have to excuse the mess because, well, it's a mess and there isn't anything I can do about it right this second." She paused and pointed to the pile of individuals which were now moving around a bit more as they randomly regained conscientiousness.

"This lot thought it was be fun to try and prance out without paying. Obviously, I disagreed." She crossed her arms over her proportional chest and struck a pose, obviously proud of herself and her declaration.

Nodding a bit with a slightly slack jaw Ethan replied, "obviously."

He hadn't moved from his spot and was experiencing a combination of being in awe and a bit fearful, though combined those two emotions equaled a prolonged silence from him to the point that the Pul'kin finally got frustrated enough to replace her proud pose with the atypical frustrated female one of hands on her hips and waist jutted to one side.

"Soooooo, what da ya want already?!"

"Sorry!" Wincing he fumbled for the three vouchers before making his way toward her with his outstretched arm holding them out for her.

"My name is Ethan Kipley and I was given these vouchers to stay here while the adventurer's guild reviews my exam results."

"Huh?" Now who was the slow sounding one? His statement caught her off guard due to how young he looked though she was still aware enough to take the vouchers. Ethan looked down and noted the slender digits crowned with claw like nails that looked very sharp.

"Ah!" He put two and two together and looked at the scratches on the bodies next to him, some of which had begun to crawl their way toward the door.

"Ummm, should you let them get away?" He asked rather curiously.

"What? Oh, they already paid." She motioned toward a large pouch obviously filled with coins on a table behind her.

"They were even kind enough to pay for the damage they caused." She flashed a pointy toothed grin with her last statement and he now understood the bite marks as well.

"I see, how nice of them indeed." Ethan couldn't help himself and smiled at the thought of bad guys getting what was coming to them. Looking back from the crawling figure he yanked his head back when he came eye to eye, or more aptly, nose to nose, with the Pul'kin who had closed the gap between them so quickly, yet quietly, he was taken by surprise.

"Wha?!" Stumbling backwards he almost fell over a fallen chair before catching himself on a table to his left.

"Hmph, not very observant are you? You won't make it long as an adventurer like that." Though she was being critical, and if you asked Ethan it was overly critical, she still had small smirk on her thin lips as she looked him over.

"Welp, that is for Owen to decide. Again, welcome to my establishment, my name is Badger." She suddenly pointed a clawed finger in his direction.

"Don't even think about asking if I'm lazy or by the Keepers you'll regret it!"

"Thanks for the warning," he responded with rather thankfully. After all he was curious enough, and also slightly playful enough, that he had been about to ask that very question.

"Thank the Keepers for small favors," he said to himself.

"Ok Ethan Kipley, I'll show you to your room, though I hope you plan on getting cleaned up before you sleep in one of my beds."

When she looked back to him over her shoulder he was already holding up the voucher for the bathhouse.

"I'm headed there next." He offered a happy boyish smile.