{"sf1_id":953244,"sf2_id":null,"title":"Chapter 9: The Vagabond Mercenary","author":"Andre Valias","words":2857,"posted_at":"2016-01-10T09:44:00.000Z","tags":["Alcohol","Bear","Dark","Dragon","Dragonian","Elf","Fantasy","Inn","Male","Medieval","ale","captain","guard","succubus","tavern"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/953244-chapter-9-the-vagabond-mercenary","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/view/953244","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=953244\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"","content":"\nThe tavern was noisy as ever, a cacophony of boisterous joy\nthat would be a little unbearable for anybody unfamiliar to the custom of\ncelebrating the end of the day in a den that stank of ale and smoke. Brendas\nfelt uneasy in amongst the crowd not because of how loud it was, but for a fear\nof being recognised. After all, he was no stranger to crowded places--It was how\nhe made a living. However, nobody seemed to pick him out, whether it was thanks\nto the many faces or the bath he took before following Akalgan downstairs.\nTogether they picked a rather average table, little ways from the merriment\nwhere the sound miraculously sounded less intruding. \nAt the moment, Brendas just watched as Akalgan consumed his\ndinner in a manner that was a few notches away from ravenous. But that did not\nbother Brendas, as he probably would be doing the same--It was more that he\nwanted to be able to sink his teeth into the supple roast meat himself. Akalgan\nglanced over the agyan steak long enough to spot the hungry eyes. He stopped\nand cut a bite and forked it over to Brendas.\n\"Try it--You look like\nyou want to.\" Akalgan ordered before Brendas could say no. The boy pursed\nhis lips together and closed his mouth over the bite, pulling it off the fork\nand chewing longingly on very-much real great food. He nodded with a small\nsmile when he swallowed. The small hint of pleasure on Brendas' face brought a\nlittle cheer to Akalgan's own, before he continued eating his dinner.\n\"Akalgan the great\nadventurer!\" Mykolas exclaimed as he walked over to the table. Akalgan\nsmirked at the remark and waved Mykolas over and beckoned he take a seat. The\nbig burly bear laughed heartily as he took one of the empty stools at the\ntable. \n\"As if you need to\nbuy any drinks at all with a spirit like that.\" Akalgan pointed out.\nMykolas laughed even more and shook his head.\n\"All the more of a\nneed, my friend!\" He replied, before turning toward the nearest serving\ngirl. \"A round of ales for our table\nwhen you get the chance!\" He called out to her, and she nodded. \nHe then turned back to Akalgan, and noticed the boy sitting\nwith him. \"And who is this young lad?\" He\ninquired curiously. Brendas averted his gaze nervously, but Akalgan just patted\nhim on the back.\n\"This is Brendas, he\nis...\" Akalgan paused only briefly to come up with an apt response. \"My guide here in town.\" He answered.\nBrendas nodded and smiled a little to Mykolas, who chuckled. \n\"How luxurious for\nyou. I suppose it helps you to know from an insider where the best places are\nto drink, eh!?\" Mykolas joked. Akalgan laughed alongside him while Brendas\njust humoured the two and smiled.\n\"Suppose I might as\nwell start telling you those stories you so sorely want to hear!\" Akalgan\nmentioned when the serving girl brought the ales over to the table. Mykolas\nthought about it as he passed his payment for the ales to the girl before she\nbowed and returned to the other many patrons. \n\"I was waiting on\nanother friend, but I truly cannot wait for your stories.\" Mykolas answered\nbefore taking a swig of ale. Akalgan chuckled.\n\"Then how about the\ntime I fought alongside heroes against the infamous Fell King? Or maybe the story\nof how I dropped a giant off a cliff?\" Akalgan suggested. Mykolas shrugged.\n\"What about\nembarrassing stories? Any of those we can start on?\" He asked\ninquisitively. Akalgan's brow furrowed.\n\"I would not want\nyour view of me skewered so suddenly.\" He retorted. Brendas joined in\nhowever. \n\"So there is an\nembarrassing story?\" He asked suddenly, stopping Akalgan in his tracks. \nHe gave Brendas a look and rolled his eyes. \n\"Yes. Yes, there is.\nThe time I dropped a succubus off a cliff.\" Akalgan muttered. Mykolas\nlaughed a little at the thought.\n\"Although I admire\nhow consistent you are with dropping people off cliffs, I want to know if that\nworked since succubi actually have wings.\" He inquired. Akalgan gritted his\nteeth behind half-smiling lips. \n\"This one had no\nwings.\" He replied as he sipped his ale. He then looked at Brendas, then to\nMykolas. \"Because I cut them off her\nback myself.\" He added menacingly. Both Brendas and Mykolas nodded\nthoughtfully, but then Brendas raised an eyebrow.\n\"Wait--How is it an\nembarrassing story?\" He asked. \nBefore Akalgan could answer, a newcomer had arrived.\n\"Mykolas, old dog! I\nhad no idea you were bringing friends!\" He exclaimed as he arrived to the\ntable. Mykolas recognised him immediately and turned around with a rambunctious\nlaugh. \n\"Veratus! About time!\nWhat took you so long!?\" He asked rhetorically. He shook his head and\nbeckoned for the Ordinator to sit. \"I'll\nshout you an ale!\" He added. But Veratus chuckled as he sat down and only\nshook his head.\n\"No, no, I think I'll\nremain sober tonight.\" He replied.\n\"Feh! I've never seen\nyou drunk!\" Mykolas retorted. Veratus smiled to the other two he had not\nmet yet.\n\"Because he's always\ntoo drunk to remember.\" He murmured to Akalgan and Brendas. Mykolas scoffed\nand shrugged.\n\"Anyways, I should\nintroduce you all-- Veratus, this is Akalgan and Brendas.\" He began,\ngesturing to the other two. \nVeratus shook hands with Akalgan, and then Brendas simply\nwaved at him a little. Akalgan tilted his head at the handshake.\n\"A very Imperial\nthing to shake hands.\" He observed. \"Is\nthat just your upbringing, or do most Dark Elves take to shaking hands?\" Veratus\nsmiled.\n\"A bit of both\nactually. Since the Principality is pledged in vassalage to serve the Empire,\nsuch a pledge has the customs and benefits of Imperial culture seemingly merge\nwith our own culture.\" Veratus explained. Akalgan nodded thoughtfully as he\nsipped his ale again. \n\"Uh, Akalgan and\nBrendas, this is Veratus.\" Mykolas interjected, finishing his introduction.\nAkalgan nodded with a small smile.\n\"Yes, I recognise you\nfrom the execution.\" Akalgan noted. Veratus was stunned for a moment,\nbefore chuckling it off. \n\"Not one of my finer\nmoments as ordinator, for sure.\" He responded. Akalgan nodded quickly.\n\"No, no, of course\nnot. I meant your swordsmanship and valour was admirable.\" He clarified.\nVeratus then smiled proudly.\n\"Yes, well. I do my\nbest and keep faith in both my sword arm and those I serve.\" He explained.\nAkalgan raised his brow marginally in silent cheers to such a response. Mykolas\ntook another swig of ale and sighed exasperatingly. \n\"Okay, okay, everyone\nknows each other, now hush! I want to hear this 'embarassing story' of\nAkalgan's!\" He rasped. Akalgan rolled his eyes again as Veratus and Brendas\nboth leaned in with intrigue.\n\"... Fine, if you must\nknow...\" Akalgan began, already regretting his decision to tell the story. \n\"I had been on my travels again, following the roads through Grimmvale\nfrom the Imperial Province toward Wesirinfell. It was just the norm, a vagabond\nmercenary on the lam from boredom and pennilessness.\" Akalgan narrated.\n\"What about the succubus!?\" Mykolas\nexclaimed.\n\"A succubus? Akalgan, did you--?\" Veratus began to ask.\n\"SH! The both of you!\" Akalgan\nhushed them in annoyance. \"... I was\npassing by Grimmvale quickly because I thought it was a boring place, in all\ntruthiness. I had not cared enough to notice I had attracted the attention of a\ncertain individual.\" Akalgan went on.\n\"You mean the succubus?\" Mykolas\nasked.\n\"Ugh... Yes. It was the succubus.\" Akalgan answered briefly. \"I had\nno idea when I was in Grimmvale, but the fiend had been watching me. Often I would\nbe plagued by... Nightmares. But I just thought it was my surroundings getting to\nme.\" He explained.\n\"I have heard tales that Grimmvale is naturally creepy.\" Veratus mentioned. \n\"Tales of werewolves and mysterious figures--Sounds like hogwash to me!\"\nMykolas added. \n\"... In any case, I reached the border of Grimmvale and crossed over\nwithout a problem into the highlands near Talonguard. It would only be two days\nbefore I reached the closest settlement to the city. But I... Experienced\ncomplications.\" Ala;gam\ncontinued. \"... As it were, I soon realised my nightmares were actually reality. It\nturns out that... The succubus was taking advantage of the situation while I\nwas--When I was trying to sleep.\" He\nhesitantly explained.\n\"Bwahahah! You felt one of Kyr-Basareth's bitches inside out? My, my,\nwhat a daring dragonkin!\" Mykolas\nteased Akalgan over that moment.\n\"... Well--\" He tried to\ncontinue. \n\"Are you okay? Did it burn too much physically or...?\" Veratus asked, seemingly joining Mykolas in\nteasing Akalgan.\n\"Fine. I will confess, I will forever have trust issues for any whore\nno matter how pretty she may be--But that is not the story of how I dropped the\nfilthy temptress off of the highest cliff!\" Akalgan defended himself.\n\"Ohoho! By all means, my Dragonian friend, do continue--But I doubt it\nwill do much in dissuading the images and amusing thoughts in my head!\" Mykolas replied!\n\"Mm... Just you wait, it will happen to you and I will be laughing.\" Akalgan muttered. \"Ahem... Eventually, through strength of mind and body I--Saw through the\nunholy ruse and confronted the foul demonic bitch. I pinned her to the ground\neasily after her siren's voice and empty lies fell upon deaf ears. I then took\nmy sword and slowly cut both her wings off, one before the other to hear that\nwretch's voice turn from song to scream.\" Akalgan continued.\n\"Mm, I imagine.\" Veratus\nnoted.\n\"I tossed her wings aside and pulled her along by the dirty horns of\nhers to the nearest and fortunately tallest cliff, and I hurled her over the\nedge before the first light of dawn struck the horizon.\" Akalgan went on with the story. \"I did not turn away from the edge until\nthe screams and thuds became only thuds, and I then made haste to pack up camp\nand be on my way with the haste of Ylas--\" Akalgan almost concluded.\n\"Oh, just imagine the\nlooks on the faces of people when I tell them the great Akalgan felt the kiss\nof Urzarogh's finest upon his mighty loins!\" Mykolas boisterously exclaimed\nover his fourth mug of ale. \n\"--And I swear by\nAkarith and Atlas, if you repeat this story to anyone, I will hunt you down and\ndrop you off a cliff-- Into a volcano!\" Akalgan growled. Mykolas and Veratus\nlaughed together, but nodded to keep Akalgan happy. Brendas just smirked a little bit, but stayed quiet ever still and\nwatched. \n\"On the other hand,\nthey say time heals all wounds...\" Veratus began to note. \"... So maybe one day Akalgan might enjoy\nsupple succubus flesh--\" Akalgan scoffed and finished his third drink. \n\"I think not. I\nbelieve I will just have to become a regular customer at the Loving Rose or\nsome other 'massage house' they have in Arthroyeaux.\" Akalgan muttered.\nVeratus raised an eyebrow with amusement.\n\"Oh? Well, well.\" Veratus\nsaid with notice of the hint. \"Not a fan\nof such a thing myself, but I suppose it would help--How did you put it... A\n'certain individual' cope with trust issues for elegant wenches?\" Veratus\njoked. Akalgan shook his head at him.\n\"I never said such a\nthing. By ancestors, you two are the worst.\" Akalgan remarked. \nMykolas looked a little dazed, but clearly did not\nunderstand the hint.\n\"What... Do you mean,\nVeratus?\" He asked, his voice slurred but not by much. Brendas had no idea\neither and he paid close attention.\n\"Well... The 'massage\nhouses' of Arthroyeaux are actually classy brothels crossed with inns, with a\nbath house being used as a front for the establishment.\" Veratus began to\nexplain. \"Just to clarify, I know of\nthis from travelling friends who... Found out about this by accident.\" He\nadded briefly. Brendas nodded as he leaned in, while Mykolas ordered another\ndrink. \"See, the attendants--Or\n'masseurs' and 'courtesans', do offer good massages for patrons, but they are\nvery suggestive in their work and always attempt to entice any patron to become\na... 'Client', of sorts.\" Veratus continued explaining as Akalgan and Mykolas\nworked on their refilled mugs of ale. \"Now\nthese massage houses seem to favour more masseurs than courtesans--Strong yet\ngentle hands, that kind of thing. More often than not, clients actually choose\nthe masseurs--Most probably because the massage houses usually employ Lizen men\nto work at their establishments due to how well they can massage and also...\nExcel in 'other areas'.\" Veratus clarified. At that point, Brendas\nunderstood.\n\"Oh... So Akalgan meant\nthat he--?\" He began to ask, but then Akalgan put his mug down.\n\"How about a real\nstory now? One with character.\" He suggested, changing the topic\ncompletely. Mykolas perked up at the mention of more storytelling.\n\"Yehahas! Tell us\nmore about your adventures or unholy escapades, great adventurer!\" Mykolas\ncheered a little tipsily. Akalgan smiled as Brendas and Veratus leaned in once\nmore to hear another tale. \n\"Well, how about a\nbit of a twist on my favourite pastime of dropping people off cliffs? This is\nthe story of how I dropped a cliff on people...\" Akalgan began. \nThe hours went by as Akalgan went on from his cliff story\nonto more epic tales, with Mykolas ordering yet more drinks whilst Veratus made\nsnarky remarks and Brendas simply listened to all the incredible things Akalgan\nhad done in his travels. He told them the story of his battle against the\nundead minions of the dreaded Fell King, Arthis Feldragon. He spoke of his stay\nand meditation with elder dragons for a decade, and learnt many things he swore\nnever to use until the time was right. The stories went on while the tavern's\nmerriment and noise died down. The candles began to burn low as the atmosphere\nwas reduced to small conversations spread across the tavern. \nMykolas, at this point, was drunk even for an Ursaren of his\nsize. Veratus was the one to cut him off finally, upon realising the late hour\nof the night. \n\"I think we should\ncall it a night now.\" Veratus suggested. \"It seems Mykolas has drunken himself into a stupor. I will have to\ntake him home so he can sleep it off.\" He added. But Mykolas groaned.\n\"But I wanna hear\nmore stories! I can listen stilllllll...!\" He complained, drifting off at the\nend. But Akalgan shook his head. \n\"No, no, Veratus is\nright. We should probably get some rest now for tomorrow.\" Akalgan\ndeclared. Brendas only looked at Akalgan, and he felt almost as sad as Mykolas\nthat he could not hear any more stories. Akalgan seemed to give the impression\nthat he had not even begun to share all his tales he had to offer. \n\"How will you manage\nto get Mykolas home though, Veratus?\" Akalgan asked curiously as Veratus\nstood up. He grinned.\n\"Mykolas doesn't\nknow, but I always hire a cart from the tavern or from a place nearby to haul\nhim away. I just need help to get him to the door!\" Veratus explained. \n\"I cannn hear you!\" Mykolas\ngrowled with a slur. \n\"Would you mind?\" Veratus\nasked as he put Mykolas' left arm over his shoulders. Akalgan nodded and stood\nup to help. Brendas stood up as well, but only watched as the two ably carried\nMykolas out to the door. True to his word, a cart awaited Mykolas and Veratus\nin the street. Akalgan raised an eyebrow at Veratus' preparedness. \"Mykolas always gets drunk when we go\ndrinking. I've learnt to do this after two incidents involving him sleeping in\nthe tavern.\" Veratus mentioned afterward, as if reading Akalgan's mind. As\nthe two worked together, Brendas watched from inside the door, wondering\nwhether he should take his chance and leave now, or stay. \nAkalgan nodded to Veratus regardless as they hauled Mykolas\ninto the cart with a heavy heave and a ho. Veratus chuckled. \"Many thanks. I think I can take it from\nhere.\" He claimed. Akalgan waved his gratitude off.\n\"Not a problem. Both of\nyou take care then.\" Akalgan remarked. Veratus smiled and waved to Akalgan.\n\"It was certainly\nnice to meet you both. We should swap tales again sometime--Perhaps somewhere\nwithout drinks!\" He suggested. Akalgan shrugged.\n\"Maybe we will. It\nwas nice meeting you as well!\" He farewelled as Veratus directed the cart\nthrough the streets to his destination. \nA smile, clear and bright as day crossed Akalgan's face. It\nactually was not every day he made good acquaintances, but he definitely felt\ngratified inside whenever he did. \n\"Well, they were\ncertainly interesting weren't they, Bren--?\" Akalgan asked as he began to\nturn around to Brendas, only to stop and find that the boy was gone. All\nAkalgan could see were the unfamiliar faces of tavern patrons and the quieter\nlate night atmosphere. He pressed his lips back together and rubbed the side of\nhis neck before heading on inside. \"Goodbye\nto you too, pickpocket.\" Akalgan muttered quietly, and as he did, he\nchecked to make sure he still had his coinpurse and other valuables. \nJust to be sure.\n","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/940042-chapter-8-the-street-urchin.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/953245-chapter-10-no-words.json"}