Re: The Battle Majestic (Round 4 - Magpie Skies)
05-29-2012, 01:46 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by Not The Author.
“Coffee. Black.”
The innkeeper looked up from cleaning one particularly filthy glass just long enough to register the presence of this new customer before grunting noncommittally and waving for his wife to get to work on it. The stranger just stared vacantly at his clenched gauntlet. He didn’t seem to notice when the mug was placed in front of him; though he drank, it seemed more a reflex than conscious action.
“Anything else?”
The surfacedweller shook himself and pulled out a pocket watch. He glanced at it, scowled more deeply, and put it away.
“Stew. Bread. Simple, but filling.”
“‘Lana!”
“I heard ‘im!”
The innkeeper grunted and returned to his cleaning. The inn was quiet today, just the usual gamblers in one corner and the mysterious old man who seemed to be sitting dead half the time. Lucky, perhaps; most of the rowdier customers he’d had would start a fight with a landsider without much thought.
The stranger was served and ate slowly, still absent from the present, while the innkeep struggled to remove stains in the counter whose origin he was no longer confident in guessing. Some time passed in this manner before old habits kicked in: “So. What’s yer story?”
“Oh, y’know. Just a merc on a job he never asked for.”
“Ah, but do ya want th’ job?”
“Heh. Get a lot of adventurers here, then?”
“No’ so many as y’might think, bu’ yeh. Always lookin’ to cash in on th’ bounties of wha’ever’s threat’nin’ th’ queendom. Us’ly don’t see ‘em again.” He shrugged, jerking his head towards the old man. “Tha’ one’s always going on about ‘ow they’re no’ the right one, but I think ‘e’s off inna head.”
The merc craned around and shuddered at the sight of the cowled old man. “One of those. No, thank you, I’m not here to be A Hero Of Destiny.”
“Well, then, if y’don’t mind my askin’…?”
“Hunting some dangerous individuals. They… they’ll stand out in a crowd, as do I. Sometimes more so. You seem savvy enough; you’ll recognize them if you see them.” He took another swig of black gold and was disappointed to find it his last. “But I’ve a few errands to run before resuming my work. I don’t suppose you know any quality mechanics?”
“Well, if y’just need yer watch fixed, there’s a good friend o’ mine down on-”
“It’s not… a regular watch. I’ll need someone who’s a bit eccentric. Works with… fiddly bits and bottled lightning. That sort of thing.”
The innkeep frowned, stroking his beard. “Nobody like tha’ ‘round here, I’m afraid. Might try th’ Stormlands, but none o’ them much care for outsiders.”
“I’ll check anyway; it’s not something I’d like to delay if at all possible. Thanks for everything.”
“Abou’ tha’.” A meaty hand clamped down on the stranger’s shoulder as he tried to slide from his seat. “Y’may be new ‘round ‘ere, bu’ tha’ doesn’t exempt ya from needin’ t’ pay.”
“…Ah. Yes. Of course. How much?”
“Pair ‘o kings. Th’ silver ones, y’ daft landsider…”
The merc chuckled nervously, checking his pockets in sequence. “Hang on, I know I’ve got some… Ha!”
He tossed two coins on the counter. “There we go. Thought my cash might’ve been stolen, heh.”
The inkeep released his deathgrip. “Aye, tha’ woulda been a tragedy. Bruno, by th’ way.”
“Jacob. Pleasure.”
“Aye, always good t’see a new face. Don’ ge’ i’ broken too soon, now!”
Jacob shot off a mock salute as he waltzed out the door. “No promises!”
Bruno chuckled to himself and started cleaning out another mug. In the corner, the gamblers started arguing over who’d been pocketing coins from the pot.
…Hm. …Nah, couldn’t have been.
“Coffee. Black.”
The innkeeper looked up from cleaning one particularly filthy glass just long enough to register the presence of this new customer before grunting noncommittally and waving for his wife to get to work on it. The stranger just stared vacantly at his clenched gauntlet. He didn’t seem to notice when the mug was placed in front of him; though he drank, it seemed more a reflex than conscious action.
“Anything else?”
The surfacedweller shook himself and pulled out a pocket watch. He glanced at it, scowled more deeply, and put it away.
“Stew. Bread. Simple, but filling.”
“‘Lana!”
“I heard ‘im!”
The innkeeper grunted and returned to his cleaning. The inn was quiet today, just the usual gamblers in one corner and the mysterious old man who seemed to be sitting dead half the time. Lucky, perhaps; most of the rowdier customers he’d had would start a fight with a landsider without much thought.
The stranger was served and ate slowly, still absent from the present, while the innkeep struggled to remove stains in the counter whose origin he was no longer confident in guessing. Some time passed in this manner before old habits kicked in: “So. What’s yer story?”
“Oh, y’know. Just a merc on a job he never asked for.”
“Ah, but do ya want th’ job?”
“Heh. Get a lot of adventurers here, then?”
“No’ so many as y’might think, bu’ yeh. Always lookin’ to cash in on th’ bounties of wha’ever’s threat’nin’ th’ queendom. Us’ly don’t see ‘em again.” He shrugged, jerking his head towards the old man. “Tha’ one’s always going on about ‘ow they’re no’ the right one, but I think ‘e’s off inna head.”
The merc craned around and shuddered at the sight of the cowled old man. “One of those. No, thank you, I’m not here to be A Hero Of Destiny.”
“Well, then, if y’don’t mind my askin’…?”
“Hunting some dangerous individuals. They… they’ll stand out in a crowd, as do I. Sometimes more so. You seem savvy enough; you’ll recognize them if you see them.” He took another swig of black gold and was disappointed to find it his last. “But I’ve a few errands to run before resuming my work. I don’t suppose you know any quality mechanics?”
“Well, if y’just need yer watch fixed, there’s a good friend o’ mine down on-”
“It’s not… a regular watch. I’ll need someone who’s a bit eccentric. Works with… fiddly bits and bottled lightning. That sort of thing.”
The innkeep frowned, stroking his beard. “Nobody like tha’ ‘round here, I’m afraid. Might try th’ Stormlands, but none o’ them much care for outsiders.”
“I’ll check anyway; it’s not something I’d like to delay if at all possible. Thanks for everything.”
“Abou’ tha’.” A meaty hand clamped down on the stranger’s shoulder as he tried to slide from his seat. “Y’may be new ‘round ‘ere, bu’ tha’ doesn’t exempt ya from needin’ t’ pay.”
“…Ah. Yes. Of course. How much?”
“Pair ‘o kings. Th’ silver ones, y’ daft landsider…”
The merc chuckled nervously, checking his pockets in sequence. “Hang on, I know I’ve got some… Ha!”
He tossed two coins on the counter. “There we go. Thought my cash might’ve been stolen, heh.”
The inkeep released his deathgrip. “Aye, tha’ woulda been a tragedy. Bruno, by th’ way.”
“Jacob. Pleasure.”
“Aye, always good t’see a new face. Don’ ge’ i’ broken too soon, now!”
Jacob shot off a mock salute as he waltzed out the door. “No promises!”
Bruno chuckled to himself and started cleaning out another mug. In the corner, the gamblers started arguing over who’d been pocketing coins from the pot.
…Hm. …Nah, couldn’t have been.