“In the time of shadows, dark and deep,

When the world did only mourn and weep…”

Max, Boorg, and Piggy sat in the cozy common room of the inn, resting their bones after a long day. The inn was lively, filled with adventurers and townsfolk. They slowly sipped their drinks, enjoying bard’s music with his lute. The bard’s voice was clear and nice to listen to, he sang The Ballad of Merlin the Hero.

“… Merlin the brave, with staff in hand,

Led the charge to save the land…”

Max remembered when they reported that Thorne and Lyra were dead, Zoga, the female orc at the desk, had raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“Thorne and Lyra… dead?” I didn’t see that coming. They were supposed to be experienced adventurers,” she said, clearly in shock.

Max had repeated the story, leaving out the part about their betrayal. Zoga nodded slowly, trying to understand what Max was saying.

“Well, quests can be unpredictable, and especially dungeons. Good job on making it back safely,” she finally said.

“… The battle raged through day and night,

Till Merlin cast the final light…”

Max shook off the memory, focusing on the present and the bard’s singing. Maya, the alchemist, approached their table with a warm smile.

“Enjoying the song?” she asked, placing another round of drinks on the table.

Max nodded. “Yeah, it’s a good reminder of what we’re fighting for.”

“We? Fighting for? The Demon Lord was dead before we were even born, there is no need to fight the Demon Lord again,” she laughed.

“… The world was saved, the dawn did break,

A brighter future, now awake…”

The bard continued his song, the melody filled the room with hope.

“… So raise your cups and sing his name,

for Merlin’s deed, and lasting fame…”

Boorg raised his mug, clinking it with Max’s. “To Merlin!” he cheered, his voice booming.

Max joined in, just like everyone else in the inn. “To Merlin!”

Piggy, not wanting to be left out, gave a happy oink and cuddled closer to Boorg.

Maya watched them with a smile. “You three make a quite good team,” she said. “It’s good to see adventurers enjoying some time off.”

“You don’t think that Piggy is a little bit, you know… too much?” Max asked.

“No! She is the best part of your party!” Maya laughed.

“Thank you. We needed this. The last quest was a bit tough,” Max said, taking a big chunk of meat.

“I’ve heard about your last quest. It is rare for adventurers like Thorne and Lyra to meet such an end.”

Max glanced at Boorg, who was singing with the bard, even though he didn’t know the text. “Yeah, it was… unexpected,” he said, choosing his words carefully.

Maya leaned closer, her voice silent, her breath on Max’s skin. “I’ve heard some things about Thorne and Lyra for a while now. They weren’t the most trustworthy. Be careful out there, Max. Not everyone is what they seem.”

Max nodded, finding words was a bit difficult when a pretty woman was that close to him.

The bard’s song reached its end, the final verses made everyone stand up and lift their drinks high into the air.

“… Our hero true, in tales of old,

A story ever to be told…”

The applause filled the inn, and coins were thrown at the stage. Agoseris, the bard, gave a deep, theatrical bow, his grin broad. He picked up all the coins from his performance and made his way over to Max.

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“Well, well, well,” Agoseris said, his voice smooth and charming. “What do we have here? A fine company indeed.” He threw a dazzling smile, his eyes settling on Maya. “And who might you be, my lovely lady?”

Maya raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by his bold approach. “Maya, an alchemist.”

“Agoseris, at your service,” he said, bowing once again the same way he did on stage. “A humble bard with a heart full of songs and a soul full of charm.”

Max felt a twinge of jealousy as Agoseris leaned closer to Maya. “So, Maya, what brings a beautiful alchemist like yourself to a place like this?”

Maya chuckled. “Just enjoying a drink with friends. And you?”

“Ah, just sharing the fight of music with the world,” Agoseris said, his smile widening. “But I must admit, your beauty outshines even the brightest melody.”

Boorg, who couldn’t read the room once again, raised his mug. “To music! To Merlin! And to Piggy!”

“Oink!”

Everyone laughed, raising their drinks once more. Piggy gave another happy oink.

“So, Agoseris, any plans for your next performance?” Max cleared his throat.

Agoseris glanced at Max. “Ah, perhaps another ballad or two. But now, right now, I’m more interested in the company I find myself in.” He turned back to Maya. “And perhaps a lovely lady to inspire my next song?”

Maya rolled her eyes, clearly enjoying the bard’s attention but not taking him too seriously. “We’ll see about that. For now, how about another round of drinks?”

“Anything for you, my dear,” Agoseris said, winking at her. “I’ll be right back.”

As Agoseris went to the bar to order more drinks, Max leaned in closer to Maya. “He’s quite the character, isn’t he?”

Maya laughed. “Don’t worry, Max. I’m not easily bought by sweet words and flashy smiles. I hear about him, I just want some free drinks for us, and then I’ll make him go.”

Max felt a bit of relief.

Agoseris returned with a tray of drinks, his charm never faltering. “Here we go! A drink for the lovely lady, and for my new friends.”

Max accepted his drink. They all raised their glasses once more, the night continuing into the unknown.

“So tell me,” Agoseris said, leaning back in his chair and touching his lute, “what brings such a diverse group together? A mage…” he looked at Boorg a little confused about what to say, “this guy, and a pig… quite the trio.”

“We’ve just a bunch of misfits who found each other,” Max said, smiling. “Boorg here saved me more times than I can count, and Piggy, well, she’s just part of the family now. And a source of food if we ever need one.”

“Max not funny! Say sorry to Piggy!” Boorg got a little bit mad.

“Sorry Piggy, it was only a joke.”

“Oink!” Piggy didn’t look that happy, as if she understood him.

“Boorg strong,” Boorg said proudly. “And Piggy cute!”

Agoseris laughed. “indeed she is. And what about you, Maya? How did you end up in this fine company?”

Maya took a sip of her drink. “They did a quest for me. They looked fine, a nice group. Hard to find something like that these days. And now we’re drinking buddies.”

Agoseris nodded. “It’s good to have friends you can trust. The world out there can be dangerous.”

Max glanced at Maya, her earlier words about Thorne and Lyra kept repeating themselves in his mind. “Yeah, trust is important,” he said quietly.

The night was still young, the inn became more crowded as more adventurers returned from their quests.

“Tell me, Max,” Agoseris said, plucking a playful tune on his lute. “Do you play?”

Max, feeling the challenge, nodded. “I can handle a string or two.”

Maya looked surprised. “You didn’t tell me that?”

“Well, you didn’t ask.”

Agoseris’s grin widened. “How about a little friendly competition then? A lute faceoff. Let’s see who can truly hypnotize the audience.”

Boorg leaned in, eyes wide. “Max good at everything! Max win!”

Maya chuckled, nudging Max. “Show him what you’ve got.”

Agoseris stood and gave a deep bow to the audience. “Ladies and more ladies,” he smirked. “I shall start us off with a humble tune. We only play our songs!” He strummed his lute, the notes soft and melodic. He began to sing a ballad, his voice smooth and rich, telling a tale of love and loss, of knights and maidens. The audience was entertained, swaying to the rhythm, their eyes closed as they were carried by the music.

The inn erupted in applause when he finished, coins clinking as they were tossed toward the stage. Agoseris bowed deeply. “Your turn, Max. Beat that.”

Max took the lute. He glanced at Maya, who gave him an encouraging nod. Taking a deep breath, he thought maybe this was a mistake. He was too drunk and now he stands there, all eyes on him. The only good thing about being from another world is that you know more songs than the people here. Max began to play. He chose a tune from his world, of course, a song that had always been close to his heart. “Stairway to Heaven.”

The first notes were soft, almost hesitant. The inn was covered in a cloak of silence. He continued, slowly, the melody grew stronger, the familiar chords echoing through the room. His fingers moved over the strings, each note played with emotion.

Max’s playing was flawless, the lute singing in his hands. People watched in awe, their conversations forgotten. The slow building of the song filled the inn. Max reached the song’s crescendo, his fingers danced over the strings, and the melody spread across the room.

Boorg’s eyes were wide with amazement, and even Agoseris couldn’t help but look impressed. Maya watched Max, a smile on her face.

As Max played the final notes, the inn was silent, everyone was too stunned to react. Then, slowly, the applause began, building into a roar. Max stood, breathing heavily, his heart pounding fast. He handed the lute back to Agoseris, who accepted it without a word, his eyes wide in shock.

The cheer was deafening, everyone was standing and clapping.

Boorg clapped Max on the back. “Max play amazing. Boorg said so!”

Maya leaned in, her eyes sparkling. “I didn’t know you had it in you. I don’t have any coin left so I hope this will do.” A soft kiss made its way to Max’s cheek. Staying there for the whole 2 seconds, making his face turn red.

Max shrugged, trying to play it cool. “Just a little something I picked up.” He didn’t comment anything about the kiss.

Agiserus smiled, raising his glass. “To Max! A worthy opponent and a master of music. May our paths cross again on the stage!”

“To Max!” the crowd echoed, raising their drinks in salute.

“I could make a good music career in this world,” Max thought as he took another sip of his drink.