Davin enjoyed himself, he had made a token effort to not get drunk, and he had been doing a very good job of it, that was until Mayberry ordered a large pitcher of mead, which hit harder than anything else that Davin had drank in his time in the afterlife. To say that he was unprepared would have been an understatement, it was the first thing that he'd drank that had come close to what he remembered from alcohol. Not having built up his tolerance to the spirits over an adulthood of drinking was also something that he had repeatedly forgotten. He was physically in the body he had when he was in his twenties, of course with a little correcting because he could, but at the same time… he hadn't even had his body for a month… it was like he was a teenager trying a beer for the first time all over again.
Nursing his first beer, enjoying all of the things that he grew to love about beer, the heady nutty notes, the bitter flavors that made the sides of his tongue curl in, and the slight effervescence of each sip. Paired with the meat and potatoes it was an amazing meal, the four of them continued to chat and drink, and when they had finished the ones that Hugh and Cadence had gotten for them, it was Mayberry's turn.
"Have you lot tried honey wine?" The dwarf asked as he finished off what was left in the large pitcher of porter that had been What Hugh had brought to the table.
"Not in this body," Davin said as he took the last swig of his drink.
"Wine from honey?" Hugh asked, a hint of confusion in his tone.
"I have not," Cadence stated.
"Then the next round is on me!" Mayberry practically yelled as he grabbed the empty pitcher, he stood up and walked to the bar-style counter that Ezeirk had in the tasting room, which was barely big enough to hold more than a dozen people.
When Davin had tasted the bittersweet flavor of the mead he was left gasping, the burn that ran down his throat was almost as strong as when he first tried a real spirit.
Coughing to clear his throat. "Why is that so strong?" Davin asked.
"Strong?" Mayberry was surprised by the question.
Davin coughed again. "You called it wine, I was expecting a more smooth and drinkable experience, not whatever that is." pointing at the small glass that he'd set back on the table.
"Haha." Mayberry laughed loudly. "This ain't nothing like what we had back home, but I never learned to make that stuff.
"Is distilling not a thing in other worlds?" Davin asked his curiosity peaked.
"Distilling?" Hugh asked.
Cadence and Mayberry leaned in as if Davin was about to explain some secret.
"Where you take a young alcohol and heat it, turning the parts my world called spirits and condense them down with a special still and make concentrated alcohol." Davin felt that his explanation was lacking clarity, but Hugh and Mayberry both nodded in agreement.
"It makes total sense… I know that you were looking to talk to the alchemists, and now I get it, they would have the things to do it." Hugh said as he put his hand to his chin in a contemplative gesture.
Davin told Hugh and Mayberry about some of his own amateur attempts in his world that led to a few bottles of some of the worst moonshine that he would ever taste in his life. Cadence listening in rapt attention, as if trying to part out the secrets. They were all deep into their cups by the time Ezeirk closed down the bar, pulling out several cots for the few who were too drunk to walk home.
For the second time since he had been in the afterlife, he awoke with one of the most horrible hangovers that he could ever remember, pulling out his water skin drinking greedily of it, breathing slowly as the nausea overwhelmed him. If he was going to keep drinking like this he either needed some kind of sports drink or some painkillers…. A part of him wished that he was in a more modern world for the convenience of being able to just walk to the fridge, grab a bottle out, and that basically taking care of it. The groan he let out as he pulled himself to his feet had a chain reaction, waking the others, their own groans filling the air.
"Why are you making so much noise?" Hugh asked in a whisper.
"I personally blame Mayberry, that mead was a terrible mistake," Davin whispered back.
"I don't take the blame on that one, I only ordered the first one." Mayberry groaned out.
"I do think that this one is on me," Cadence whispered, their head buried in their arms.
They all groaned in unison.
"Davin, I think we need one of your cures…." Hugh suggested with a gasp as he drank his water.
Davin nodded, "Then we need to get either into the bastion, or to the inn we stayed at the morning we set out, he asked permission to add them to the menu, if we're lucky he will have them ready to go, and that is fairly close to the station."
Hugh led the way, staggering his way across the room. "C'mon, as much as this sucks right now, I know from experience, that it will be better as soon as we get some food in us."
"Food?" Mayberry let out a gag. "That is the last thing that I want."
"Agreed," Cadence stated.
Davin stood as well, propping himself up on the wall as he walked to follow Hugh. "Trust me, breakfast, tea, and then we can get going. I want to go home, I have someone I want to see."
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"And by the time we eat, the ships should be running to the bastion," Hugh stated with confidence.
They all moved slowly, not wanting to cause any more pain than walking was already doing to them. The thankfully still dark town was a saving grace in Davin's mind, the normal hustle and bustle of the town still not stirring. Getting into the inn was a mix of emotions, the mix of food smells made them all nauseous, but at they made it to the bar there were several plates on it waiting for them.
"I see ya made some more friends, good to see ya again." Came the gruff feminine voice of the barkeeper.
"Yeah, just a few, and can we get some strong dark tea?" Davin asked as he pulled out the stool.
"Sure can, did you folks need anything else?" The smile that spread over the barkeeper's face made Davin feel like he was glowing.
"The sandwiches doing well?" Davin asked.
"They are! Been one of the best things on the menu, and I got some special bread for them so I can have them wrapped and ready to go, want a few for the road?" The barkeeper asked as they pointed to the few that sat in an opening near the fireplace.
"What do we owe you for the food?" Hugh asked.
"This one is on me." She pointed over to Davin. "He's made me one of the best places to grab breakfast from, so this is the least I can do as a thank you."
Davin laughed. "HAHA, if you ever need any more ideas, just ask, I know way more about food than I should in most instances."
They nodded, "Fair enough, I may take you up on that when you head out again, I'm still curious about what a burrito is…"
Davin smiled as he took a bite of the breakfast sandwich, the thick salty bacon hitting his tongue made him involuntarily let out a groan of pleasure. The others followed as they did the same, Cadence and Mayberry's being the loudest, this being their first time trying the breakfast sandwich. They sat in companionable silence as they ate, only the sounds of muffled moans of pleasure.
"You know…. I keep forgetting I have a magic cup that can make a few things that would have helped this all along a little faster." letting out a low chuckle as he took the last swigs of tea.
"It's in the trunk. I forgot about it too…" Hugh shrugged.
The three walked to the stable where they had parked Nibbles. Mayberry had wished them a farewell after he had finished eating and was headed back to the Ranger Enclave. The sounds of the town slowly began to wake as they walked, the sun finally cracking the sky.
"What the hell time is it anyway?" Davin asked as he blocked the sun that was glaring at them.
"Six." Hugh and Cadence both said a mild tone of disgust in their voices.
"Six? Why the hell did you let me drag us out of bed so early? That means we only had like four hours of sleep." His tone rang of surprise.
"I forgot that you didn't have a way to tell time, but at the same time, I wasn't going to deny you and your hunt for breakfast," Hugh said with a chuckle.
"Plus, we want to be on the first ship in, I was not going to stop you either." Cadence nodded as they looked away from the sun that was cresting over the town.
"How long do we have?" Davin asked abashedly. "And, thanks for going along with my… side quests…" Davin rubbed his face, getting the last remnants of sleep out of his eyes.
"Food is a side quest for you?" Hugh's tone was incredulous.
"Sometimes…." Davin blushed as he thought about the places that he and his family would drive over an hour to get to just to enjoy one of his favorite sandwiches, or when his wife wanted to visit one of her favorite treat shops that sold some out-of-season confection.
"They always pay out from what I have seen." Cadence nodded along as they spoke.
"You do make a good point, I wouldn’t be surprised if he eventually finds every single good place to eat in the entire afterlife," Hugh said as he mimicked one of Davin's shrugs.
"It’s a big afterlife, and from what I have heard, we have an eternity to do it…" Davin smiled like a madman as he imagined trips like that from his world.
"Motivation is a key to a long afterlife," Cadence said just above a whisper.
"Wait… what?" Davin asked, surprise filling his voice.
"Hmmm?" Cadence asked absentmindedly.
"Oh, it is nothing, just one of the secrets of the afterlife," Cadence said casually.
"Are you still a little drunk?" Hugh asked in all seriousness.
"I could be, but I also feel that you two should know." Cadence shrugged, their demeanor somber for a moment.
"Gotcha, so keep motivated, keep my spirit excited, and I'll have a long and happy afterlife?" Davin said, holding up his thumb in the classic gesture.
"And remembrance, cannot make it back if no one remembers you," Cadence said, a false cheer in their voice.
"That one we all knew?" Hugh's statement came out as more of a question.
"Yes, but there is more to it." Cadence winked, skipped, and walked a little faster as they headed towards the station.
Hugh and Davin paused for a moment, stopping in their tracks.
"They really do have a way of dropping bombs on us and then just play it off…" Davin let an exaggerated shiver run over their body.
"That they do…. And are bombs the same thing in your worlds as they are in mine?" Hugh also let out a shiver.
"Things that explode and do a bunch of damage?" Davin pantomimed his fists being a bomb then exploding.
"Yup, glad to know that we're on the same page."
They quickly caught up with Cadence as they climbed up the platform.
"We should not have to wait long." Cadence pointed off into the distance, a speck just off the horizon.
They were right, only another twenty minutes passed while they waited, the ship pulled into the dock, and a bevy of adventures flooded off the ship. Carrying their spoils on their backs as they made their way into Edges Rest. It was a several few minutes before the freighter was clear enough for Davin and his friends with nibbles in tow to walk aboard the ship that would take them into the Rainbow Bastion.
As the ship moved slowly up the slight incline as it climbed up to the city, a wave of relief flowed through Davin, a feeling that he could only compare to both coming home at the end of a trip as well as that drop of stress after an emergency situation, that calm that settled over him quickly spread to his friends.
"I feel that it has been far too long since I was last in the Bastion." Cadence looked on, the glow of the city as the sun hit it reflecting back towards them.
"I forgot that the trip in was so long…" Davin said, leaning against the railing that encircled the deck.
"It's not that it's long, it's that you're excited to be home, hey, I am too, we have a bit of decompressing to do after this." Hugh let out a long sigh, clearly feeling the same sense of relief that Davin was.
"One week?" Cadence asked.
"One week?" Hugh and Davin asked in unison.
"For when we will set out once again?" Cadence asked a bit more confidence in their voice.
"Oh! I mean it sounds good to me! We regular The Hall, so if we decide to set out before then, you'll likely be able to leave a message for us there." Davin said with a smile on his face.
"You dumbass, they're a member of our party, we'll get them a whisper stone before we part ways, that way we can stay in touch." Hugh gave Davin a light punch.
"Shit! I forgot that was a thing, we'd not really used them since we set out." Patting the small pouch on his hip to make sure that it was still there.
"Yes! That is a fantastic plan." Cadence jumped in excitement.
The ship began to slow, pulling into the bastion, the sounds of the city almost musical by comparison to the world outside. They stood back as the flood of people spilled into the city docks, it instantly filling, they moved slowly, their cart taking some careful handling to not step on anyone in the crowd. The climb into the city was slow, the dense flow of traffic making it so no one could walk at full speed.
"DAVIN!" The slightly accented voice cut through the cacophony of the inclined walk.