Private Tales Wine, Women and...… Orcs.

[Seredic]

“The Wine of Destiny,”

She came to him in the dream again. The angelic being radiating a dim, foreboding light, wearing a white cloak with a hood which hid her face. The glass full of wine held between her slender fingers. The spirit walked slowly towards him whispering something in a language he could not comprehend.

Seredic lumbered to her, his eyes still stinging from the light she radiated despite its low brightness. The Halfling saw her once before a year ago. Seredic was always skeptical of beings of higher power but this angelic being felt real and was calling to him. But why?

“Who are you?” Seredic wanted to say but his lips did not move it was though they were sewn shut. “She was the reason why I went on this bloody journey,” Thought Seredic. “Could I at least get your name?”

The angelic being knelt down and handed Seredic the wine whispering. “You are its maker. The Wine of Destiny.”

“I am?” Seredic asked in a small pained voice his lips moving freely now though his throat hurt and his head began to throb. “Then where do I go? What ingredients do I need?!”

The Angelic Being said nothing still holding out the cup. Seredic shook his head, scrunching his face in frustration. “Why are you so bloody silent?!” He shouted before holding his head in pain. The ground beneath Seredic began to tilt forward and he felt himself flying towards the woman.

The smell of blood and smoke-filled Seredic nostrils now and the Halfling tumbled out of a brown box. All Seredic saw was a blur of various shapes and colors. He blinked multiple times in an attempt to adjust his vision.

“What did I miss?” He thought looking around

He turned around and to his horror saw the corpse of the bartender who generously gave Seredic free cups of wine last night lying face first on the ground in a pool of his own vomit. The human was snoring loudly much to the annoyance of Seredic. Groaning, Seredic stumbled upon two of the bartender's barmaids half naked sleeping soundly close to the portly bar tender. Seredics stomach rolled over and immediately last nights dinner of soup and meat along with hundreds of cups of wine came out from his mouth. The sheer amount of contents spewing out, forcing Seredic on his knees.

 

[Kieara Macraith]

"Algh, where am I?" The smell of soot filled Kieara's nostrils as she wriggled sluggishly on cold stone. Her head pounded as she struggled to wake from her deep sleep. As she went to sit up, she winced and refused to open her eyes to the stale light in the room. Her lips were chapped, but her skin felt clammy and gross.

"Gods!" It had been a mistake to leave her eyes shut. She'd smacked into something hard on her way up. Kieara collapsed backward, landing in soft powdery stuff that puffed into the air when she landed. Coughing fitfully, she fumbled away practically on all fours. She was very awake now, and her wide eyes couldn't believe what she saw behind her. She'd been sleeping curled up in a fireplace.

She stood abruptly, brushing the ash off her clothes as furiously as she could. She gave up that fruitless task to put a hand to her throbbing forehead.

Did I drink last night? I don't even remember walking into a pub.

She coughed once again, then took a tentative sniff of air. The air greeted her with the putrid smell of acid and rot. She fought the urge to puke and she fought the urge to scream. What happened in this place?

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

The stink of alcohol filled Seredic's mouth while he stumbled around nearly hitting his head on the wooden leg of a table. The Halfling racked his brains trying to remember what happened last night. "All right Seredic," he said to himself. "Focus, try to think it's something that you have a gift of doing. How in the hell did I end up here."

All Seredic received was a sharp pain in his head that began to throb. Growling, Seredic looked at his clothes and snorted. His dark green Jerkin was covered in soot and the sleeves of his striped brocade was smelt peculiarly like drool. Seredic gave a spat of disgust beginning to stretch his stubby legs. Unlike most Halflings who liked to wear bright and simple clothing, Seredic often bucked the trend by wearing dark, expensive clothing. He started doing this ever since his wife and son died as his way of continuing to mourn them.

The Halflings back at home began to mock Seredic calling him a "snob" or an "outsider" he didn't mind though it added to the miserable wine critic persona he had back before he left on his journey. Besides, Seredic liked traveling around unlike many Halflings who preferred to be sedentary. "I have to find my belongings and get out of here," Seredic mumbled to himself carefully stepping around the bartender. While he did, flashes of memory began to appear before Seredic.

He remembered a celebration of a Monster Hunter slaying a Bugbear who was harassing the village. Seredic was offered a free pint of Dragon's Flame: A rare and popular alcoholic beverage in Arethril. Seredic could recall writing a raving review though he keeping in character, he did nitpicked the spicy taste it left after consumption. For a Halfling, a pint was equivalent to five full drinks of course Seredic was going to drink three.

Just then, the Halfling bumped into someone a human girl. Struggling to look up Seredic's baby blue eyes locked with hers. "Pardon me," he said. "I was just passing by, I'm looking for my belongings."

 

[Kieara Macraith]

"Pardon me indeed." The girl breathed as the short man passed her. She stared on at the pile of body atop a thin layer of dried vomit, blocking the doorway. When she saw the exposed breasts of the barmaids, she instinctively checked her own clothes.

Lace tied and buttons buttoned, thank the Gods.

The barman faced down in the putrid pool. She couldn't tell if he was dead or alive. It seemed she had suffered the least of the night's devilries. However, her head still throbbed, and she had no idea how she had gotten here. She turned from the gut-churning scene to follow the short man.

"What the devil happened here?" She whispered after him, not wishing to wake anyone else in the bar. Her heart told her to walk away as quickly as she could, but she wanted answers.

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

"A celebration is what happened that's what," Seredic whispered back slurring his words. He is feeling the effects of the hangover his vision was still blurry and the pain in Seredic's head caused him to rub his temples. If there was one thing Seredic hated after a night of blissful drinking was the painful hangover that he received the next day. From what he observed, Halflings tend to get more frequent hangovers than other races a consequence for the Halflings love of alcohol.

"From the fragments of my memory," Seredic continued sidestepping the snoring patrons. "The people in the inn were celebrating killing a Hobgoblin who was harassing their village."

Laying under a table was Seredic's bag and traveling stick. "Thank the Gods that my stuff is still here." he said opening his bag and looking at his items. "You don't know how many items have stolen from me. I mean hell! I once woke up in my birthday suit after a night of drinking! Slimy bastards took my clothing while I was sleeping."

The Halfling then shrugged and sighed. "But enough about me," he said blinking furiously to try to get rid of his blurry vision. "What about you my lovely lass, what is your name? My name is Seredic Stoor: Halfling from Fairbarin located near Alliria."

 

[Kieara Macraith]

What a way to introduce oneself... Kieara thought. She brushed at her clothes once again. Still sooty. The rest would probably need to be washed out.

"I'm Kieara. Of Clan Macraith. I come from an island far to the north called Cork." She paused as another whiff of bile caught her nose. She almost gagged again.

"Would you mind if we continued this conversation outside?" Then again, there was no telling what the bright morning light might inflict upon her already pounding head. Still, it sounded like a better option than fighting off her gag reflex. And the sooner she could distance herself from whatever had happened the night before, the better.

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

"Good to meet you Kiera of Clan Macarith," Seredic began to stretch his stubby arms trying to start his day. While he stretched, the halfling heard a loud crack coming from his back. "Oh that hit spot," a smile formed around Seredic's bearded mouth as he took his traveling stick and back while taking a good look at the human girl.

Kiera is a pretty girl with pale skin and long red hair that went past her shoulders. Seredic spotted some freckles on her face but they were hard to spot. Kiera looked very young, "If I had to guess," Seredic thought. "She's around 15 or 16 years old, normally girls around her age are tavern maids. This lass is clearly may have the looks of a tavern maid but with the way she looks and talks, she looks like a traveler. Like me."

What was a girl doing all by herself in a tavern full of drunk men? Thankfully she didn't look like she was ravaged but she will attract some unwanted attention. "Of course!" Seredic said beginning to walk towards the exit. "Our good friend: Rob the Bartender," Seredic pointed his stick towards the portly barman snoring with the young half naked tavern girls on the wooden floor. "Is continuing is feast and ladies are one of many delicious courses."

It seemed that Keira wasn't used to the smell of stale piss and vomit. It was the elements that made tavern what It was! Without those elements it'll be like a woman without tits. Seredic was greeted by Sun's tortuous rays. "Ah the bloody Sun!" Seredic groaned still slurring his words a bit. "Why the Gods have to make it so damn bright I'll never know."

 

[Kieara Macraith]

"To torture sinners like us, I imagine." She riffed. Kieara squinted in the sunlight. She could barely make out the dark shapes of figures striding along the street both up and down. Given the intensity of the sun, she guessed it to be nearing midday already. Her eyes were not well adjusted to the light yet to make out the passing faces, but she imagined they would be gawking as she and the halfling man stumbled out of the tavern. She was glad she didn't have to stay in this town for long. Girls who spent the night at the tavern tended to be get the butt end of some of the worst rumors.

"You said you hailed from Alliria?" She questioned. "It just so happens I'm travelling that way. Although I'm in no rush. Oh gods, my head!"

A shrill peck of pain crested her forehead. She shriveled down into her neck and put two fingers to her temple. Completely preoccupied, she completely failed to notice the horse she was walking directly into.

"OoOh!" Kieara squealed. The horse whinnied back at her, tramped a bit, and flicked her with it's tail. She quickly managed to course correct past the horse and hitching rail that was just outside the tavern.

"Perhaps we could find something to drink." She said.

"Like water..." She quickly added.

Seredic

 

[Seredic]

Seredic smiled bemused at the girl's wit. "Where is the God of Tits and Wine?" The Halfling said still stumbling around. Judging by people coming out and beginning their day it was morning. Children came out from their homes and began to play with sticks and singing songs. Men walked past the duo holding fishing rods heading towards the shore while the women were conversing with one another while washing clothing.

The Halfling nodded while Kieara talked about heading towards there. "Well I wouldn't drink the wine lady Kieara," Seredic. "If you get knocked by the beverages their offering here-"

A Horse was walking directly in front of them, Seredic managed to barely dodge out of the way. Kieara wasn't so lucky hitting the Horse face first and landing near the rail. "What yer goin you idiots!" An old man who was riding horse glared at Seredic and Kierara his right bloodshot blue eye twitch a bit.

"Are you daft?!" Seredic said. "You should know that accidental trampling a common cause of death amongst Halflings! You know that a law was implemented by Alliria stating a rider's is at fault if they accidentally kill or injure a halfling!"

The man spit in front of Seredic and rode off in a huff. "Well he seems nice," Seredic said. "Well you'll be lucky to find purified water in these parts lady Kieara," he added. "In villages like this, the best liquids are wine, beer, vodka. The best water you'll find are in the ditches where the villagers take a shit."