Geovana finished bolting the front door to the tavern shut before returning to Silas, Raven and a still unconscious Galahad. I was picking doing my best to help clean up the mess that we had made with our brawl.
Raven was sat on a stool at the bar, she was drinking out of a tankard that was left on the side and I didn’t really feel like checking to make sure it wasn’t alcoholic. In fact I didn’t even know if this place had rules about kids getting wasted in a tavern.
“I am so sorry,” I said as I continued to sweep up the broken glass on the floor into a tidy pile. I had already turned the tables back over but two were damaged beyond repair.
“I’d like to say I am used to it but, it is still frustrating when brawls break out. I’ll be back open by the evening, once this mess is cleared up.” He was surprisingly calm, given the circumstances, something about that made me feel uneasy. Back home I would have been kicked out, told I was barred and to never return.
“What made you do it?” Geovana asked, he picked up a table leg and checked it over before sighing and picking up one of the broken tables. He tried to see if he could get the leg to reattached but it was too badly damaged.
“Made me do what?” I asked, I felt a warm flash of red in my neck as guilt overcame me. Did she blame me for the fight? I would have done. I looked at Raven again who was still sat on the stool playfully kicking her legs as they draped over the edge. It was as if she was blissfully unaware of the chaos she had created.
Geovana looked down at Galahad who was lay down on his back, a slow rattle coming from behind his helmet. I had rolled him over to make sure he was breathing once Morgrim and his grunts had left the tavern.
“Help him?” He said, “No one else would have, but something about you tells me that you are different.”
“It kind of felt like the right thing to do,” I said, “Besides I don’t think Raven here helped with the situation.
“About that, do you know what she is?” Geovana said, “I didn’t see her with you when you got here and I am guessing non of the regulars did. You are going to want to keep things that way.” He said, leaning over to pick up the other broken legs that were scattered on the floor.
“She is Reaver, why?” I asked, I noticed Raven turn in her seat to face Geavana. I needed to know why Morgrim had freaked out when he saw her, why his demeanour changed when he realised a Reaver was present. We needed to get answers and hopefully Geovana could help me with my whicpers side quest, I felt like we could be onto something here.
“You know what Reavers are don’t you?” Geovana, was heading towards the bar when the suit of armour sprawled out on the ground started to move.
Galahad groaned loudly before flailing around as he tried to get up from the floor. “Blasted thing,” he said to himself. “It’s all fun and games wearing a suit of armour until you fall over and flail around like an upturned turtle.” He rolled onto his side, spotting me but then shifted to a possition where he could at least sit up. “Well don’t just stand there boy, are you going to help me?” he was still slurring but he spoke with a posh english accent.”
I rushed over to help him, hooking my arms underneath his to help him to his feet, he was heavy, really heavy, he reeked of stale ale and was in desperate need for a shower. Seeing that I was struggling, Geovana came across to help me heave the knight to his feet.
He bumbled around as he staggered forward, planting his hands on the nearest table to get his balance, for a second I worried that the table would flip over and send him crashing to the floor again.
“I can’t see a blasted thing in here, bloody helmet!” He flicked up the face guard to reveal his face. He was a black man, I could see the top of a dark curled mustach and what looked like a pointed beard. His eyes were bloodshot, most likely from the booze or the concussion he likely had. He had a few lines of wrinkles reaching out from his weary face but it was not possible for me to guess how old he was. “That’s better,” he said taking a deep breathe in. He looked around the tavern, eying the broken glass that I had been sweeping into piles, a couple ofmisplaced chairs, hole in the wall and the two broken tables that remained up turned. “What the bloody hell happened in here?” he said. The guy was sincere, judging by his reaction he genuinely had no clue what had gone on.
“There was a brawl,” I said.
“Bloody scoundrels,” he said as he faced me, he gave me a suspicious look. “And you are?”
“Silas,” I said. “Are you ok?” Iasked, “You took one hell of a fall in that fight.”
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“I am fine,” he said, “A little dehydrated but nothing that a good drink will fix.” He gestured to Geavana to bring him a drink. “Geavana, if you could, the usual please.”
“That is going to be a hard no from me,” He said, “You still haven’t paid your last tab and although you didn’t start that fight you certainly didn’t help with the situation. Although I do appreciate you stepping in to defend my honour.
There was an emptiness in his eyes as he tried to recall what happened but he shook his head, “pah, don’t rememebr any of it. Are you sure I was involved.”
Geovana simply laughed, and went behind the bar before fetching a jug with some water. He placed a tankard in front of him and poured him a glass. “That is the only drink you are getting from me.”
“Well, I have to say I am dissapointed,”
Geovana placed a hand on his chest and feigned being hurt.
The knight raised his glass into the air as if raising a toast and said, “The names Galahad, knight of the realm,”
“I don’t know about that,” Geovana laughed.
“So Sean,” Galahad said, “Strange name if I do say so myself. What brings you to Willowshire?” He looked at Geovana before saying, “We are still in Willowshire aren’t we.”
Geavana laughed loudly, clapping his hands together before fetching a pan to start sweeping up the broken glass piles.
“It’s Silas.” I corrected, “My name is Silas.”
“That’s what I said,” Galahad said, matter of factly.
“And this is Raven.” I said, pointing as she continued to watch on from her stool.
Galahad fell backwards, clambering to get away. “Sh, she’s a Reaver!” he said, he scrambled on the floor to get distance, before pulling himself to his feet ready to run.
“Woah,” I said, “There is nothing to be scared of, she is just a kid.” Raven yawned, completely disinterested in the conversation.
“I don’t understand?” He stammered, how can you two be so calm when we have a Reaver in the room. Geovana, how can you allow her in your tavern?”
It was genuine fear in his eyes and I kind of felt sorry for him, I mean I had seen first hand how dangerous Raven could be but, she had done nothing but saved my ass since the day that I met her.
“I was just getting to things with Silas, when you woke up.” Geovana said.”
“Can someone tell me what the hell is going on.” I demanded, I knew there was something about Raven, she always hid from Fidget and Sy had alluded to something with her. It was clear I had been burying my head in the sand, but even now I could’t see what she could have done that was so bad. “She’s just a kid, I said, and she is a good kid. A little disturbed, but when you get through all the barbed wire there is a heart there.”
“That doesn’t change that she is a Reaver.” Galahad said, straightening himself up, “Could you help me?” Geovana, helped him up from the floor again, this time however he remained standing. He reached for a sword that wasn’t there.
“Woah, I don’t wnt any trouble Galahad, we just want to get by, we were not planning on being here for long, I just completed a side quest for a merchant and then we were meant to be out of here. What can she have done? As I said she is just a kid.”
“My boy have you been living under a rock? How can you not know how dangerous she is.”
Raven remained sat on the stool, but something about her demeanour told me that she was listeing intently to every word that was being spoken.
“I know how dangerous she can be, how is that a bad thing? She helped me escape some Terror’s that attacked me, helped me defeat a boss, she even showed me how to level up.”
“Reaver’s are a scourge and they are evil.” Galahad said.
“Raven isn’t,” I said. These guys knew a lot more about these Reavers than I did, and despite Galahad’s presentation, Geovana had been a lot calmer with one being in my company. “Listen, I am not from around here and I know I have so much to learn. For that end I would appreciate it if one of you would take the time to explain things to em so I can figure all of this out. And to do that I am going to need you to calm down.”
Geovana, tokk up a seat beside Galahad before pulling a chair out next to him. “To be fair Galahad, the kid did save you without raising a finger. You were unconscious and Morgrim only left when he saw her. Which means we might not have too long before they come back with re-inforcements.”
“Still, it is dangerous to have her around.” Galahad had calmed slightly but was still coming accross as hostile. Reluctantly he took a seat beside Geovana.
“Your’e going to want to take a seat.” Geovana said.”
I sat down opposite them both, offering Raven a chair beside me, she declined, she lent forward with her elbows on her knees, resting her face on her hands like a bored teenager. Given her reaction I couldn’t help but think that she already knew what was about to be said.
“Will someone tell me what the hell a Reaver is.” I demanded.
“It isn’t just what they are,” Geovana started, it is who they fight for. Do said you were new to this place, if you don’t know about Reavers then just where are you from because I don’t know of anyone in this world other than a new born baby who wouldn’t know what a Reaver was.”
“I was brought here, by a sorceress. I was working late when I was dragged through some kind of portal or vortex by a sorceress. Here name if Fidget, she brought me through, told me some story about the chaos blades and that I needed to help find its fragments so that I can stop Belzebere and save the world.”
“Fidget,” Geovana said, “She is one of the guardians, I have heard stories about her.”
“So you know about Belzebere?” Galahad said at this point he stood up and walked around to the bar, pouring himself a drink of ale before returning.
Geovana gave him a hard stare but he simply waved this off, “Put it on my tab,” he said.
“You don’t have atab, we have already discussed this.”
“I need a drink,” he said, “This is a lot to process. So you know about Belzebere, yet you knowingly are walking around with a Reaver.”
“What is your problem with this?” I could feel my jaw tightening, it seemed like we were just going round and round in circles and I was non the wiser to what a Reaver was.
“Beacuse all Reaver’s fight for Belzebere.”