From: dnichols@engr.latech.edu (Dennis Nichols) Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [A] Brawl in the Dragon's Inn Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1993 18:18:18 GMT Message-ID: Traveler awakens from his night's sleep feeling relaxed and easy. He picks up his sword and takes a step toward the door, stops short, and turning, he says, "I will not need this today, today I rest." This said, he goes downstairs to the bar and reclines in the chair saved for him. Looking around, he sees all the familiar faces, orders his food, and relaxes. After a while, a boisterous red-bearded man in armor bursts through the door, finds a table, orders mead, and looks around the room. He is definitely a man from the northern kingdom, Traveler had been there many years ago. Traveler wonders aloud, "That is a barbaric place, I wonder what he is doing here?" Traveler mused over this, but only for a moment, because there was a sudden commotion at the next table. A hulking giant of a man, his face reddening, leapt up from his seat and dashed his drink into the face of his companion. Both men wore uniforms -- they were probably mercenaries on leave, recently paid and now drunk and belligerent. The other man stood up too, knocking his seat over. "Why, you son of a whore," he growled. The first man took a swing. It was a haymaker, clumsy and too slow. The other man dodged, then his left fist shot out, striking the first man square in the jaw, which only served to enrage him. He let out a senseless yell, almost a scream, threw the table on its side, then lunged, fists flying. Traveler hung back for a fraction of an instant, then jumped to his feet and dove into the fray. At nearly the same moment, the red-bearded barbarian he'd noticed earlier came charging in. Travler wondered for a moment if he was going to have to deal with three opponents or just one. The hulk swung at his opponent and missed, nearly taking Traveler's head off in the process. Traveler saw the slow punch coming and ducked under the arm, grabbing it at the wrist and elbow.h The hulk noticed his arm being pulled and had the sensation of flying, until his large body hit the ground with a force that shook every glass in the Dragon's Inn. He was out cold and never even flinched. Traveler turned to watch as the barbarian finished off the other. The barbarian was landing solid punches on his larger opponent. To Traveler, with his adept's reflexes, both men seemed slow, but the barbarian was clearly a better fighter than the other man, who lashed out blindly despite his military garb. The barbarian slammed his fist into man's side, stomach, and then several quick blows to the head. The man staggered back, then fell. The fight was over as quickly as it had begun. Traveler reached out to shake hands with his impromptu ally. "Nice job there, you seem to be well acquainted with fighting." The barbarian grinned. "God's teeth, I thought he wouldn't ever fall down. And you're a handy fighter yourself, by Christ. I'd like to know where you learned a few of those tricks, I would. The name's Edwin, by the way, Edwin of Witwater-upon-Avelard, at your service." "Quite the name, I'll never remember all of it. Mind if I shorten it a bit?" Traveler asked with a grin. At that time, two men burst throught the door. Traveler thought to himself, "This is going to be a busy day." Edwin and Traveler looked up as the door to the inn opened. Two sylvan elves entered the inn, both wearing dark green leather armor, carrying strange short swords at their waists, and looking worn. Their skin was as green as their eyes, and those were quickly and warily scanning the inn. Traveler noticed that one of the elves was bleeding from a thigh wound. The door opened a second time, and a grunt could be heard from behind the door. One of the elves grabbed and held the door as a human dressed in black leathers entered the inn, carrying a third elf over his shoulder. Dried blood covered the elf's armor - he looked to be either severely wounded or dead. Traveler heard Edwin's breath catch as the man's eyes passed over them. The man's irises were jet black and the pupils were white and shaped like skulls. Traveler whispered in surprise, "Roger." "You know them?" Edwin asked Traveler. "I know the human." The human finally noticed Traveler, and his eyes widened. "So, it was real. I thought it had been a dream." "If only it had been," said Traveler, once again reunited with the Jolly Roger. It seemed that fate was not yet done with the pair.