3: Broken Arrow

Walking down the busy street, Richter passed unnoticed as people literally threw themselves at potential customers in attempt to make their product seem the best.

Khrin was a vast city, having many markets, but one center market the size of some smaller cities. This was the most diverse market in all Erathai due to the size and variation of races. Here one could easily find anything they could ever need, as well as much they never would.

The sun was high in the sky by the time Richter managed his way to the local tavern run by a sweet elven woman he knew. Janet was her name, she had worked there since she was a little girl and now ran the place. It was larger than some of the other taverns in the area but she actually kept tabs on people who frequented her bar and also on how much those people drank. Unlike most of the other bars, Janet did what she could to personalize everything she did. She made sure to learn customer’s names as well as keep it more family orientated than some of the other taverns which held little to no ethical resolve. Many bars had strippers come in from time to time in an attempt to keep business, Janet however, never took part in this. She, on occasion, called a close friend of hers to come play her flute for patrons or even sing. This often enough took not only customers from neighboring bars, but if news was out soon enough, from neighboring cities.

Richter gently opened the door, lest he make the same error he had months earlier. The elven woman, Janet, was still angry with him for sending her sprawling onto the floor with an armload of trays. Even unto this fine day, she still would make sure to reprimand him for such a careless act.

“You are so graceful in battle, but outside of it you are clumsy as an ox!” she would usually say. More often than not, Richter would simply flash her a small smile of apology and melt her temperament away in an instant.

As soon as the door opened the strong smell of ale and cooking meat assaulted his nose. The tavern was mildly packed and Janet was hurrying from one customer to the next in an attempt to keep them from waiting too long. She wore a beautiful green satin dress that came to a halt a few inches above her knee and had no sleeves or straps. A pearly white silk trimmed the dress across the hem of the skirt, the top of the low cut bodice as well as the shoulders. Her golden blonde hair was done up in a fancy bun that still allowed a bit of her hair to trail down her neck. Bright emerald eyes took in the crowd of guests as Janet halted for a moment to catch her breath. Her face was flushed from exertion, and her hair was beginning to come undone and it was yet to be midday.

A strong hand suddenly came to rest upon her shoulder, causing her to tense and almost drop the tray she held.

Richter leaned close to her ear. “Hello Janet.”

Janet spun and half smiled half scowled at Richter. “You are a devil!” Despite her claim she threw her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.

Richter looked around, slightly embarrassed at her display of affection. “Janet, you can let go now. It hasn’t been that long.”

Janet grinned as she let go then hugged him again quickly. “I know but I missed you! You’re my favorite customer! You’d been gone so long I was afraid..” She trailed off, not wanting to voice her fears. She had known a great many men who went off on tournament adventures only to end up on a slab of rock. While the tournaments claimed many lives, the wild took many more.

Richter faked a scowl at her. “Janet, do you think I could so easily be put away? Most certainly not.”

Janet giggled with a girlish smile and winked. “I never said I thought you did, just that you were making me nervous. But all that aside, you are back now! Let me finish serving these few drinks and I’ll call on Sylvia to come work a little so we may catch up a bit. Much has changed here since you have been away!”

Richter nodded. “I suppose I could stay for a while.”

She winked. “Good, I’ll get you a drink too on my way back.”

Richter smiled his thanks and sat down at an unoccupied table. Khrin looked about the same since he had last been here, could that much really have changed?

Zeuberlich stumbled and fell over a tree root. Scrambling to her feet she felt her ankle explode in agony as pressure was applied to it. The fall had obviously broken it. Gritting her teeth against the pain she held her cloak tightly to herself as she ran headlong into the thickening woods. Running at these speeds were dangerous, but Zeu knew of the trails. The small mistake could have cost her life, but luckily she had only sustained a small break. Had she not been so distracted by the terrible omen she would not have stumbled, but if it were not the case, she would not be heading this direction at all. Few things scared people where she was from, they were a very strong people. Tears burned at her eyes, blurring her vision as she realized that’s exactly how they could be described now, were. She had never seen such brutality as she had seen earlier in that day. Nothing could describe the horrific images burned into her mind. What bothered her deeply still, was the dream she had the night before. Beyond that, she had awoken to find her entire village desecrated, bodies hanging off trees and rooftops. She alone had survived this horrific event. Worst of all, written upon her bedroom wall in the blood of her younger sister Tayleh, whose body had been carelessly tossed against the far dresser, were the words “Broken Arrow”.