The inn was absolutely full, but that was to be expected. The dinner rush was in full swing as the party walked in, and with no table in sight the trio opted to first head to their rooms and at least have a shower and get changed. Armor was all well and good, but going down into the inn fully strapped tended to send the wrong message. And Lilian wanted, needed, for them to trust her. Fresh clothes and clean bodies the group made their way back downstairs, praying quietly to themselves that maybe the gods were favorable and that there was a table that was free.

Alas, the gods were absent from them this day.

There was seating all over the place in the sheer technical sense of the word. But that doesn’t exactly do much good when its one open stool sandwiched between two men loudly having a farting contest. Calisto wrinkled his nose at the state of the common room, but he said nothing. However when Lilian looked at him he didn’t need to, his face said it all. The slight narrowing of his eyes, the barely held back grimace. He was barely tolerating this place.

Lilian nudged him in the side, “Don’t be like that.” She hissed under her breath, “Besides, we’re gonna go eat by the hearth.” As she spoke she jerked her head over to the hearth. A couple of people were already sitting there but that was no bother. She could just sit on the floor.

Calisto gave her a long suffering look but he nodded and they all went over to the hearth, Lorne waving down a bar maid as he trailed behind them. More than happy to let the two talls clear a path for him, though unfortunately he had to hold his breath as he passed by The Contest. Lilian just plopped down onto the floor cross-legged happy as could be, Calisto joining her promptly, while Lorne remained standing talking to the barmaid that he’d managed to flag down.

“Yup, three o’ your special and the best beer you got on tap.” He was already fishing around for the coppers. “Had a successful hunt today.”

“It’ll be right out!” She said in that faux chipper voice that all customer service workers had. Taking Lorne’s coppers and disappearing in the throng of people and noise.

“Come on Cali,” Lilian said, jabbing him with her elbow, “Let’s play a game while we wait.”

And with a long suffering sigh, Calisto dug into a pocket and took out a box of cards. Beaming Lilian did the same, flipping a coin to see who went first and then set at it. The cards in question were less ‘cards’ in the traditional sense, the two more accurately holding tiles. However adventurers tended to get wet, and cards hated getting wet. A rare expensive card was hard to justify, even if it was the backbone of your tactics, but having even the slightest chance of a several hundred gold card be ruined by a untimely rainstorm? It was enough to nearly cause the collapse of the entire game. These tiles were a better answer. Cheaper than magically protecting them they were far sturdier than card stock. It also allowed Lilian to toss them onto the floor in a huff as Calisto giggled childishly. Brandishing his trump card.

“You know that card’s banned now Cali!” She whined, though a smile kept on her face. “Dirty cheat.”

“Ah darlin’ shoulda said that we’s playing tournament rules if you wanted that.” He picked up all of his cards. “Woulda used the other deck.”

“Your Life deck isn’t much better.” Lilian sniffed, likewise starting to pick up her cards. Shuffling them up as she went.

Just in time, the barmaid came through with their food. Being the tallest of the three Calisto stood to help her pass it all out.

“Three specials,” She said in a cheery tone of voice, passing a plate to Calisto who then passed it to Lorne and Lilian. They were heavy and loaded with food, just the way they liked it. Tableware already in the food to make sure that it wouldn’t slip and fall on the journey from the kitchen to their little spot on the floor. “And you’re drinks should be comin’ right out.”

Right as she said that there was yet another barmaid, this one just as comely as the one that had just given them their meals. Frothy heady booze on the tray that she carried. Heaven had finally arrived to the trio’s weary bones. Their rounds passed out, Lilian gave both girls a tip.

“Thank ya kindly, darling.” One said as she pocketed it in some hidden coin purse. “Please enjoy your meal.”

They didn’t need much hesitation to dig in. The crust on the roast was perfect, giving the most satisfying crunch as they tore into it and there was no resistance from the meat as they pulled it away from the greater portion. Thick and oozing with juices, herbs likely grown by the owner or his wife rubbed into it with care. They had no need for their knifes, they could of eaten it with their fingers if they so choose. Lilian sighed with satisfaction, each bite better than the last. Mashed potato’s and a roll complimenting the whole thing well. She could tell that they’d used a fair amount of milk and butter in it, and the green onions only added to the affair.

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All of it to be chased with the heady frothy booze. The cool bitterness helping cut through the fat of the meal. With how cool it was Lilian figured that the keg that this came from must of just came out of the basement, unless they’d made changes to the tavern. A proper tap for their liquor would be amazing for this place. It didn’t take long for her to completely drain her glass, and call for another. About half way through her roast she called for yet another.

“And so there I was,” Lorne said, his accent growing thicker with drink. “It ‘twas dark an’ stormy. An’ the captain says to me, ‘Lad, tell us a story.’” He looked at both of them, waiting till he was sure that both Lilian and Calisto was listening. “And so there I was, on a dark an’ stormy night an’ the cap’ain says to me, ‘Lad, tell us a story.’”

“I’m gonna tell you a story Lorne if you don’t stop that with that horse shit.” Lilian smacked his shoulder lightly, “Come on do it for free if you’re gonna.”

And it was at that moment when they both heard an odd twanging noise, reverberating just near them. Both Lilian and Lorne’s gazes turned onto Calisto. Who had a jaw harp in his hand, striking it as he tried to find a beat. It didn’t take long for him to. Lorne happily shouted, clapping along with Calisto to set the pace. With her friends setting everything up for her, Lilian began to sing.

It didn’t take them long to draw the attention of the rest of the tavern. Drunkards singing in the bar wasn’t anything new, but the rest of them were also drunk, and as such standards were effectively lowered to “is it a good vibe and a good time” and it seemed like the answer was yes. Several quickly joining Lorne in on clapping, some not quite hitting the beat but that was okay they were having fun.

Several men started to shout loudly, off-key and off balance, trying to go along with her. Lorne hopped onto a table and just as his boots hit the sturdy wood the folks eating there had the clarity of mind to grab their food and drink before it got knocked to the floor or worse; stepped on. His deep baritone soon joined Lilian’s bouncy tenor, breaking into a bit of a dance himself. Had she been a little more sober, she might have realized that this was simply the safest place for him to dance at all. Somewhere within the crowd, she could hear that someone found a tambourine. Making their way over as they played and joined Calisto in his merrymaking. The elven man was overjoyed at the visitation of another instrument in the arrangement and the two tried to find their harmony.

The two danced as they played, joined quickly by Lorne and Lilian. The tavern having turned into an impromptu party with the trio’s carousing. Drunken fun was always the best fun, and had the chill of a spring night not set in it might have spilled outside. Something the barmaids desperately wanted, they kept up with drink orders. Clearing out food as they were either abandoned by those who crawled under the table to avoid getting hurt while they passed out from all they’d had to drink. But the Dissident Flames had the stamina, they had they endurance for more. And more important of all, they had the coin to keep it going. Lilian had drank so much that she didn’t know which way was up, she had the very distinct feeling that she had to go to the bathroom. Off she stumbled away from the party, bouncing off of men and women alike as she tried to make her way out to the main hall and into the water closet.

She held onto the walls for dear life, the floor shifting and moving under her feet while she fought to make it all the way. When she finally made her final steps into the bathroom, she paused, hearing a sound coming from outside. She lumbered back over to the wall, taking carefully clumsy steps against it as she ambled towards a window. Night had long since fallen, but the town’s lamplighters had diligently kept the streets lit and thanks to them Lilian was able to see what it was that made her tear herself away from the water closet that beckoned her so.

There was a woman, or at least she figured that it was a woman. A slim figure wrapped in a cloak and hood, clutching a small coin purse, and in front of her was two men. Even in Lilian’s drunken haze she knew that she couldn’t abide by this. With a heavy sigh she opened a window and leaned out, in her mind she was going to land on her feet with a heroic leap and intimidate the two men with her sheer presence. In reality she fell two stories to the ground and slammed onto the grass, knocking the wind from her lungs. Laying there she could hear the voices of the men, their tones sounding something like confused but even in her dazed state laughter was laughter. With a heavy groan she pushed herself up to her feet.

“Back off,” She said, bent over hands on her knees trying to get steady. “This is your only warning.” The two men sneered at her, brandishing daggers in a lackadaisical manner. “A‘ight, lets go then boys.”

She ran at them at breakneck speed, she saw his arm move but didn’t bother to figure out where it was going. His dull strike hitting her somewhere in her arm while she slammed her head into his, her vision immediately going white. Shaking the stars out of her eyes Lilian stumbled backwards, cackling manically. What would normally be graceful, purposeful steps had turned into a bullish stomp. Her swings simply wild, but the brute determination of her drunken style giving her the edge she needed. Fist connected to jaw and one of the men went down. Lilian managed to glance up at the woman they were assailing, poor thing was scared ghostly white even under the lamplight. Well, it was a good thing that she was here.

“Don’ worry ma’am, I got it all under-“

And that was all she managed to get out before the second man’s fist cracked against her face. Lilian’s head whipped back, even feeling some of the bones in her neck pop at the force. The taste of copper flooded her mouth, and as she stumbled back spitting out a mouthful of blood she looked up at the one still standing.

“Now I told you nicely, get the hell on out.” She gestured vaguely in a direction away from both the tavern and the fight. “I ain’t gonna tell you again.”

“I’m not going anywhere you fucking bitch.” He held out his dagger, oh it was shinier than she expected. Crimson catching the glint of the lamplight.

Well then, if they were playing for keeps. So would she. Lilian felt the warmth at her fingers, growing and writhing as flames slowly consumed her hand. Her face twisted into a cruel grin as she walked towards the man, who now backed away from her in turn. Terror creeping into his features when he realized that her gaze was locked onto him.

“Now I done told you.” She said sternly, raising her hand. “And you shoulda listened.”

He turned and ran, all of the bravery that he previously felt fighting her suddenly vanishing in a puff of smoke. His retreat was only followed by Lilian’s maniacal laughter. A burst of flame following him and smacking into his back, scattering onto the stone around him though he wasn’t lucky enough escape unscathed. His clothing took fire and it spread rapidly. Lilian nodded in approval of her work, watching him rapidly and desperately try to put out the fire; evidently forgetting stop drop and roll in favor of stripping off the affected material.

“Now, are you alright ma’-“ She paused, looking around. Realizing all of a sudden that she was alone outside. “Huh, okay then.”

Seeing no more reason to linger around, Lilian turned to shamble back into the tavern. She should probably get looked at by Calisto anyway.