Orelio lets out a long yawn as he sprawls out on the bed of the inn.

"Really? You missed having a bed that bad?" I ask, throwing my things down on my own bed.

"It's been sooo looong…" He rolls across the bed, completely screwing up the nicely laid sheets. "I mean come on, when was the last time you slept in a bed?"

"I haven't slept in a bed since I woke up laying on a box with no memories. Well, I guess I did sleep on one, but I was too on edge at the time to really pay it much mind. I'm going to the bar, either of you care to join me?"

Orelio continues rolling in the sheets, seemingly oblivious to my words. Morvin gives me a look and asks, "I don't think drinking is such a good idea when you're so young."

"There isn't a legal drinking age limit, is there?"

He pauses before responding, "No."

"Then there's no problem. Besides, it's not the alcohol I'm really interested in," I say as I leave the room.

I scan the room of the tavern as I descend the stairs from the second floor. The windows let in the light of a cloudy late afternoon and provide decent illumination to the otherwise dimly lit tavern. Patrons crowd the table, both regular farmers and merchants paired with tables of mercs and adventurers. This inn, named the Nakset Brewery and Inn, was close to the Guild, so I guessed the overflow from the Guild tavern ended up here.

As the name of the inn would suggest, we were currently stopped at a town called Nakset. It was a pretty ordinary town, on the smaller side compared to the other towns we had been passing lately. We'd been avoiding all major roads and towns so far, trying to stay incognito. But after two weeks spent camping out in the wilderness, our spirits had been worn down, and at long last we decided that staying in an inn one step away from our destination couldn't be such a terrible thing.

I flip the hood of my cloak up, hiding my stark white hair as we enter the tavern room. It was unlikely anyone here had both heard my description and was a follower of Reverie, but caution is the eldest child of wisdom, as they say.

Spotting Albatos sitting at the bar, I take a seat next to him, with Morvin taking a seat next to me.

Albatos gives me an eye, "What are you doing here?"

"Probably the same thing as you. Barkeep, you have any specialties? I assume this place isn't called a brewery for nothing."

The dwarven barkeep gives me an appraising look, "We have wine made from a local vineyard, ale I brewed myself, and yelberry mead."

"I'll try the mead. I've never heard of yelberries before, so this ought to be interesting."

The barkeep gives a satisfied nod. I had figured if I simply chose the option he seemed to take pride in he'd think I was trying to impress. I also hadn't had much of a chance to try mead in my previous life. It was a drink that had been out of fashion for a few centuries, and if the cup I had shared with Redina was any indication then it was a drink sorely missed.

Morvin orders the ale. I guess fantasy tropes got the correlation between dwarves and ale spot on.

While the barkeep busied himself getting our drinks I ask Albatos, "Learn anything yet?"

"Not yet. Tact takes time, you know."

"Or money," The barkeep returns and sets my drink down in front of me. Tasting it I'm pleasantly surprised. The fruity sweetness has a note of bitterness that oddly compliments it. I set some coins down on the counter, and the barkeep didn't miss that I had 'accidentally' placed the wrong denomination. "This is good. Mind if I ask what's up with all the muscle around?" I ask.

The barkeep smiles and slides my coins off the counter, "You haven't heard? Rumor is a great treasure has been found in the mines of Voset. Guild members from all around the region are gathering to the call of adventure."

Albatos snorts, "What kind of treasure? Pixie gold?"

"They say the tomb of a great empress was discovered, and the government hasn't decided what to do with it yet."

"Doesn't mean they'll just let some random adventurer waltz in and loot it."

"No, but there are those that seek other treasures in the mines too."

"What kinds of other treasures?" I ask.

The barkeep makes a surprised face, "You didn't know? Voset is famous for being the leading producer of oricite on the continent. Roughly half of the supply. A single fist sized crystal could net a Guild member as much money as several hunts."

Oricite's that rare? Kinda wish I had kept that foil now, I could have claimed it was winner's privilege or something.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The barkeep walks away and I turn to Albatos, "What do you think?"

"I think I could have spared us the money," He grumbles.

"It's my money, I can spend it how I want. I'm not about to spend an hour here watching you try to work some of your nonexistent social magic."

He glares at me, "Are you ever going to stop acting like some damn brat?"

"Are you ever going to apologize for being an ass for three months?"

"You deserved that."

"I'll take that as a no. Anyway, what'd you think of that?"

"I think it's probably a load of bullshit. Some idiot set up a red herring and adventurers desperate for easy money have come looking. But still…"

"It's the perfect place to blend in, right?"

"Yeah."

I hear a thud next to me and then feel liquid on my arm as it runs across the counter. Looking over I see Morvin has face planted on the bar, knocking his drink over in the process.

"Damn it," Albatos says, standing up. "Alright, come on, let's take him upstairs."

This had been happening more and more frequently, and it was the reason our trip had taken two weeks instead of one. Morvin kept passing out at random times, and nothing anyone did could wake him up. He showed no other signs of sickness and seemed perfectly fine the rest of the time. Since Albatos was the most knowledgeable of us and had no idea what it was, we assumed it was some sickness only dwarves got, but none of the other three seemed to have much to say about it.

I downed the rest of my drink before I took hold of the dwarf's feet while Albatos took him by the shoulders. "Is he alright?" The concerned barkeep asked.

"I have no idea," Albatos replied.

As we carried him towards the stairs, a strong gust of wind blew in from the open window, blowing my hood off. Dropping one of Morvins legs I quickly bring it back up over my head. Glancing to the left I see the entire tavern is looking at us, presumably because we're dragging away an unconscious man.

"Seems like a storm is coming," Albatos says dryly.

***

Holy hell, just how wild do they get?

It was the middle of the night, but it was nearly impossible to sleep with the noise coming from the next room over. Not that I was meant to be sleeping anyway. Orelio and Morvin were both out like logs, leaving me and Albatos to keep watch. We hadn't originally intended to have watch rotations while staying at the inn, but the incident earlier put us both on edge.

Still, the noise coming from the next room over made it very clear that the three married dwarves had no such concerns on their minds. Evidently they were pent up from months of traveling in company, leaving no good time to indulge in the passion of love.

And so Albatos and I sat in silence, listening to the wind and rain pelt the window, watching the flashes of lightning through the window illuminate the room.

We waited, listened, watched.

A knock on the door disturbed the rhythm of the storm. My eyes locked onto the door as Albatos' gaze snaps to the window.

We made no move to open the door, and no voice called out from the other side. In an instant the window shattered, a body flying through it.

They were dead before they hit the floor, the trap spell Albatos had set splattering the top of the man's head across the ceiling.

The wood of the doorframe splinters as the door's bolt rips through it, the door unable to resist the force of being kicked in. A shadow darts in, stepping on my beartrap spell and screaming as cold iron bites into the flesh of their leg.

Their screams of pain turn into a gurgle as my rapier slashes through their throat. A second figure outside the door sees their comrade cut down in an instant and turns to flee.

"Push," I intone, using the spell I had picked up from Albatos. In the attacker's panic, they trip over themself as my blast of air pushes against their back as they run down the hallway.

I dash over to them before they can regain their footing. Using my rapier and a shard of iron generated with magic, I stab through their shoulders, pinning them to the floor.

Stepping on their head as they writhe in pain, I ask, "Who are you?"

"Nobody! We just saw the bounty!"

"What bounty?"

"The bounty for the boy with the white hair!"

"You'd kill someone just because they loosely match a description?"

"No! We just capture people so they can be verified!"

"I see. Well, even if you didn't have lethal intent it doesn't really matter in the end." I move my boot to his neck.

"Wait! N-"

His plea is cut off by the snap of his neck, and I lift my boot as his writhing stops.

Bodelee bursts out from his room, shortsword in hand and completely nude, "What happened!? Are we under attack!?"

"Any more?" I shout into the room at Albatos, pulling my rapier from the body.

"I think we're clear," He yells back.

"Sorry Bodelee, you missed all the fun. Sounds like you had plenty of your own anyway."

"Why you! I was worried!"

"I know," I say with a smile, "I'm only teasing you."

Walking back into the room, I see Albatos rifling through the belongings of the one who came in through the window. I hear him muttering to himself, "Clearly just some lowlifes, didn't even put up an Area…"

"There's a bounty," I say flatly.

He looks up at me, "You questioned the third? Great job. Still, that puts us in a bad spot."

Morvin groans from the bed.

Walking up to him I slap his leg. With a start, he wakes up. "Wake up," I say, "It's time to leave."

"What happened… What in the blazes happened in here? There's dead guys here!"

"Yep," I say, walking over to Orelio's bed, "There sure are. And there'll probably be more if we don't leave right now." Looking down at Orelio, I see he's still fast asleep. Through storm and slaughter, it seems nothing can wake our trusty spearman when he's met with a soft bed and fluffy pillow. I flip his bed over with him still in it.

"Woah! What the!" Orelio says, startled out of his slumber by the sudden contact with the floor.

"Wake up. We're leaving."

"What the hell, Stein! You didn't have to do that!"

"Next time you sleep through a fight I'll flip you out the fucking window. Now stop bitching and get your shit together."