The Drunken Horseman

He turned around in surprise and shock, not believing his eyes. A dragon just walked in, or well squeezed in, to the tavern. Like it was the most casual thing that could happen. He stared gapping the creature.

"A-A Dragon! They are real! They are real! Just like in the stories! What is a majestic beast doing here?!"

Aesath ignored the currently shocked Michael and kept talking to Gabe, who had drawn his blade in a playful way.

"Yup, it was me, and I would've gotten away with it if that mead wasn't as strong as I thought! Also would've if Cascabel had some, she'd be too drunk also. Don't worry, I'll pay you something back sooner or later." He had a hiccup, the remains of the evidence in display.

Aesath turned to face in between Michael and Gabriel, now talking to Michael. "Yeah, I've been real for like, 112 years. I think somewhere around that age, I dunno exactly. Well, a majestic beast has to have a little fun once in a while to stay majestic. Oh, please don't overreact and run on the street screaming 'THERE'S A DRAGON, HOLY.' I don't want to gas you." Aesath meant his paralyzing gas, nothing lethal at least.

He could say nothing, just nod his head in compliance. He slowly turned his head to Gabriel.

"Ar-Are ttthhhere any v-vacancies? I-I think I will n-need a place to sleep for the n-night."

He was in shock for seeing something he only knew from fantasies and story books told by his mother when he was a child.

Wild entered the Drunken Horseman and looked around at her new surroundings. The place looked nice and clean - way better than what she was used to from her previous years. It was clear that Roy knew this place as he greeted someone named "Gabe".

She looked nervous when he asked if she wanted to rent a room. It was true she needed a place to stay, but she did not have any money at the moment. Still the horrid stench that followed her and the fact that she was covered in layers of dirt from head to toe confirmed that she was in dire need of a bath.

"I don't have any money at the moment," she admitted as she stared at the tip of her worn boots, partially expecting to be tossed out in the streets by admitting to her currently lack of money. "I have to make other arrangements until I find a job. It is true I am in need of a bath though."

Finding himself within the borders of the White City, Joseph found himself delightfully skimming his new surroundings, amazed by the unique architectural details and the rich atmosphere giving the city an exotic flair compared to the small provincial town where he had been raised. His eagerness to take it all in at once, inevitably made him look, well, if not downright foolish, so at least very much like someone on his first visit to the capital.

Eventually, the third time he passed by its location, he noticed the inn; and once he did, he became irresistibly tempted by the unspoken promise of a comfortable chair and a delicious, hot meal to go with it. Making sure his horse was being cared for by a pair of caring and skillful hands, the priest then walked into the tavern by himself.

"Reynard! I haven't seen you in so long!"

Roy hugs his cousin, ignoring the smell of creatures and pretentiousness.

"How've you been? How's Robert? How's Ruby? How's aunt Remy?"

He takes a breath.

"Oh, this is Wild. I just met her today. Wild, this is my cousin Reynad."

"Wild? Oh!" Reynad made an exaggerated swooning motion and gave her a kiss on the hand. "Such a lovely, lovely name."

He swung his head to face Roy's direction and responded. "I have not heard from my siblings in quite sometime. I heard they left the estate, or something similar. My hobbies have kept me occupied. I haven't had time to pay close attention." He scoffed, and continued. "Never mind them, meet my dearest, won't you?"

Reynad knocked on the floorboards with his cane, two times. Almost instantly, the slurping in the kitchen stopped. Fitzgeralt, obediently, skittered to Reynad's side, a piece of pork hanging from his tendrils. It looked at Wild, then Royal, before letting out an eldrich scream:

!kathakathoti!

"Oh, isn't he gorgeous, simply incredible." Reynad pressed his cane against the creatures forehead, which made it obediently lay down.
"I don't believe you met him yet, hm? I found him last year on a business trip. Poor thing was caught in a fishing net... As the fishermen tried to release him, Fitzgeralt, as I would call him later, panicked, and spit corrosive acid on their faces and arms. I had to free him from these cruel men, naturally, so I brought him to the estate. He is quite popular with children, you know....

But enough about me! Say, Roy my flesh and blood, I have heard you enrolled in a college most prestigious?" A glimmer sprung to Reynad's eyes as he assumed a grin that was, quite frankly, scat-eating.

Wild blushed when Roy's relative kissed her hand, not used to such galantry for men. Luckily she still remembered enough of the manners her parents once had attempted to teach her - at least she remembered enough of them to offer Reynad a deep curtsy when he kissed her hand. "Thank you, Sir," she replied. "I like your name too. A good, solid name, and quite unique. Roy's name is unique too."

Her dark orbs widened when she noticed the pet - whatever it was - came out from the kitchen. She had never seen anything like this before and had no idea what it was. She startled when she heard the eldrich scream, taking one step closer to Roy in case the creature planned to attack her.

A nervous grin washed over her face when she heard how the creature was caught in a fishing net and how Reynad had saved it from the fishermen who apparently were rude enough to block the path of the creature's body liquids. She grinned as she thought of the children at home in Mir. They would have loved a pet like this. Oh how much fun they could have with the snobby ladies of the chieftain's court.

"What an adorable..." she started, then realized that she had no idea what kind of pet it was. "Well, it's cute anyway..."

She listened to Roy when he spoke of the Academy where she first had met him. She had not seen very much of it, but what she had seen was sufficient to give her a good first impression.

"I like the Academy," she smiled. "It looks like a nice place. Clean, warm. Not too much sunlight..."

It was no strange occurence to find oneself in all sorts of company upon entering a public tavern, yet he considered it far more unique that even with such a short time he had been in the area so far, he would still find someone oddly familiar among the general assembly.

Joseph had no trouble recognizing the young elf, as not much time had passed at all since he first made her acquaintance outside the city's Eastern gates."There you are!" he readily returned her smile as the girl addressed him; speaking indeed of their initial encounter. "I was not sure whether I'd actually find you - did you notice there seems to be a LOT of taverns around here?" He offered a sheepish grin. "No, no; you really should not feel obligated to show that much gratitude over something so small. Like I said, it was the least I could do."


The humble evangelist, realizing that he still had not introduced himself to the unnaturally pale-skinned gentleman by her side, was about to amend the fact when the entrance doors loudly swung open to reveal the inn's next visitor. At first it was little out of the ordinary with the lordly appearance coming to greet them, until one would notice his strange pet making its way straight into the kitchen. Joseph did his best to ignore the unsavory noises from the other room and out of courtesy he made no mention of the incidence, altough deep down it made him a bit less comfortable, considering he'd been going to order a light meal at some point whilst staying here.

Normally, he was quite fond of most animals, but even though this apparent 'Fitzgeralt' might by any means be a charming little fellow unless you were a fisherman, Joseph was  not quite sure he liked the prospect of eating some small part of the creature being left behind as he raided the pantry. That was, if there was anything left to eat at all by this point. This Fitzgeralt looked to be quite well-fed.