Chapter 2 - The Tavern (2/2)
”Sit down before you tip over and break something important, you ȧss-kisser.”
”Ain't 'ery nice. Fred, let's ge-et 'm.” With that, both slabs of animated meat begun charging towards me, their movements obviously impaired by liquor.
Years of combat training and battlefield experience overroad my initial surprise. I crouched low to the ground, sweeping out my leg, tripping one man. Off-balance, he slammed into a nearby table. Switching focus to the second man, I swiftly raised my gauntlet to block an incoming kick. I followed it up with a jab to the stomach with my free hand. Reeling from the blow, he stumbled away from me. I took the opportunity to shove him in his ċhėst and sent him flying after his drunken comrade who was still trying to get up. He landed on the other with a resounding smack. Down for now.
Looking back, the rest of the bar's patrons' looked at me with wide eyes. Stools clattered to the ground as a few shot up and started walking towards me in a way I could only ȧssume they thought was threatening.
”Hey, he's attacking Solskin's friends. Who does this guy think he is?”
”Yeah! Let's teach 'im a lesson!”
The situation soon turned hectic. They all charged at me: one swung his fist towards my head in a wide arc, one seedy-looking one next to a wall reached for their dagger, another dived towards my legs. I quickly ȧssessed the relative threat of each, remaining calm and collected. After ȧssessing the situation, I sped towards the one with the dagger first. Grasping his hand, I squeezed until I heard a sharp crack and a whimper, incapacitating him. Not finished, I slammed their hand on the rock wall. Leaving the seedy man to clutch his hand in pain, I turned towards the remaining patrons, ready to defend myself.
”He-ey! Th-there's no ne-need for fighting, I just wa-wanted to talk to -im!”
Some of Solskin's admirers looked at each other for a second.
”Já, stop fighting. Solskin told ya morons to stop.” They cried.
”Tha-at's right. Ju-st go b-b-back to your busssiness. Get us a so-me of the-them drinks, alright?” Solskin said.
Many of his followers returned to their seats, however, a few still eyed me with dirty looks. The more sensible followers noticed, and like the drunkards they truly were, yelled at each other to sit down and used their fists to force them to comply. The situation soon went sideways and the entire tavern erupted into another brawl. Fists flew everywhere as they swung wildly at friend and foe alike, attempting to land a hit. I stood back and watched for a few minutes before the seedy man came toward me again.
”You little shit. Imma get you back for my hand.” He threw his knife at me. As I was about to dodge, a wild swing knocked me over into the path of the knife. It got lodged painfully in my left arm. With that, I felt an anger welling from within me that was not my own. A cold hatred directed toward everyone in this tiny, insignificant bar.
I watched the brawl quietly from my corner of the room, stirring my spoon around my cold beef and cabbage stew. It wasn't interesting. Not a single soul was destined to die tonight. I had pulled out my pocket watch and pointed it at every person in the brawl in curiosity. There wasn't much better to do. Suddenly, the watch started to act strangely. It was not the angry knife wielder who caused. Or him with the multiple pints of ale. Who was it? What was that strange sign? Someone caught my eye.
He was in the edge of the brawl, but he exuded this unnatural feeling. It looked as if a battle was raging within him, a battle he was slowly losing. I saw his eyes. They were black, but a flicker of something passed through them, disappearing before I could identify it. Curious, I pointed my watch at him, and was dumbfounded by what I saw. The hour hand rested at twelve, a clear indication he was dead. I racked my brains for ideas: was he an undead? Glancing up, I dismissed the idea. The man did not look decomposed, and it would be difficult to halt the natural process for a corpse. Even more curious, I risked a second glance. Did he escape Hades? Thanatos would be very displeased.
My thoughts were cut short as my attention was drawn to his wrapped arm. It drew in the shadows of the room. Black wisps snaked around it as he raised his hand into the air and muttered something under his breath. Suddenly, the entire room dropped to the floor, curled up and started crying as if they were in a horrifying nightmare. I stared in shock at the man who single handedly brought the entire room to their knees.
He knelt to the floor and touched the seedy one who was curled up into a ball. The collapsed man shuddered at his touch. The strange man looked saddened. He stood and strode out of the swinging doors into the night. Interesting. Very interesting. My mission to the Capital would have to wait, he needed to observed.
Solskin
Through the thick fog of drunkenness, I could bȧrėly process what had happened. I was just glad that I managed to shake off the effects of the spell. I looked across the bar to see a woman, dressed priest's robes, pursue the soldier from the Royal Army. And all that, just because I wanted to ask the guy how to become a royal guard. Looking down at the dwarven port in my hand, I cast it aside and stumbled after the death cleric. They were both gone.