Ambrosia Software Web Board: The Alraeican Tavern - Part IX - Ambrosia Software Web Board

*Crash*

A chair flew over Wizard’s head. He twirled his staff around rapidly, knocking ruffians to the floor. Others he sent flying across the room with a wave of his hand. He felt rejuvinated after his rest. Shanadar was quite a good fighter, and had already handled more ruffians than Wizard.

Wizard looked up for a moment. Everyone was fighting ruffians. There seemed to be hundreds of them! But why were they here? Wizard’s mind went back to earlier that night, before a single ruffian had even appeared. . .

* * *

The Tree of Life, Wizard mused. There is an interesting subject. Wizard was remembering something Shanadar had thought about earlier. It seemed to be a quiet night, so Wizard decided to speak with Shanadar about the matter.

Grabbing his staff from where it rested against the wall, Wizard made his way to the bar. He took a seat next to Shanadar. After ordering a water to refresh himself, he thought for a moment to determine what was best to say. He decided on something short, “The Tree of Life.”

“You heard that I guess,” Shanadar couldn’t help but smile.

Wizard threw his hands up defensively. “I - I couldn’t help myself. I just hear these things. I don’t try. . . usually. Anyways, I thought that if you were waiting for someone to say something, I might as well be the first.”

Shanadar was listening carefully now, “You know about it?”

“A little. You’re not going to find much on it, wherever you look.”

“What all can you tell me?”

“Well, a few hundred years ago, I decided to do some research on it. I was looking for three primary things: if it existed, where it was, and what it did.” Wizard paused to take a sip of his water. “From all the scrolls, books, visions, and prophecies I could gather, I only found very little relating at all to this ‘Tree of Life.’ Some don’t even refer to it by name but by inference.”

Wizard continued his story, “I was trying to find out if it actually existed at first. I couldn’t find an answer to that. Everything I found spoke of it as though it were true. But there was never any solid evidence. It may be legend or it may not.”

“Hmm. . . what about the second?”

“The second. . . well, it’s difficult to say. Most of the people who wrote anything about the Tree of Life agreed on one thing: it is somewhere in the mountains. I don’t know exactly where, but they all say that somewhere hidden high in the mountains, a sole tree grows, taller than any other. Not much, is it?” Wizard looked away suddenly towards the door. He felt that someone was coming in a moment. Sure enough, the door opened and someone stepped inside.

*Bang* The door slammed shut as the cloaked person entered the tavern and sat down in the back. Everyone glanced at him, but soon returned to their own business.

Shanadar stared at the cloaked man the longest, wondering who he might be. “What about the third question you were hoping to answer?” he asked as he turned back to the old man in front of him.

“The third question left me where I had started. Some believe that the Tree gives eternal life. Others say that it gives unimaginable power to all who eat of its fruit.”

“What do you believe?”

“I believe that, if it exists, then it has some unique purpose completely different than those. I wouldn’t even try to guess at what it could be.”

“Why did you never try to find it yourself?”

Wizard was taking another drink of his water. “Oh. . . I guess I missed the most important part. Everyone who wrote about the Tree mentions something in common. They all say that anyone who seeks it, will find death first. They say it is set apart, not of this world. Some say that it is guarded by the heavens. Personally, that is why I never speak of it. If it does exist, I am almost certain that it is left well enough alone.”

Shanadar was about to say something when a window suddenly shattered. A few ruffian armed with clubs and torches climbed in.

“Ruffians!” Wizard nearly chuckled. “You guys never attack places like this—especially ones with as many fighters as this tavern! What are you doing here?!”

Shanadar readied his club. Everyone in the tavern thought they were in for an easy fight.

“Oh dear” was all Wizard could say before the door flew open and dozens of ruffians poured in.

A fight ensued.

* * *

Wizard was snapped back into reality when a ruffian slammed a club into his stomach. The old mage was out of breath and had to sit down. Fortunately, Shanadar was beside him and dealt with the ruffian that had hit him.

Tables were knocked over, glasses shattered, chairs broken. Someone knocked a ruffian with a torch into the curtains and a fire immediately started. Shanadar expertly bludgeoned every ruffian who got near him. Sécundus, who had been quietly resting most of the night, did his best to keep the bandits off of him. Other fighters, much more skilled, were having a good time, enjoying the fight.

Wizard was recovering his breath. He threw a whole bottle of alcohol at a ruffian across the room from where he sat, much to the frog-bartender’s dismay. From where he sat, Wizard could see the cloaked man who had entered earlier still sitting in the corner. He seemed completely unconcerned by the fighting.

“I’m getting pretty tired of this. Aren’t you?” Wizard was standing again but beginning to faulter. A ruffian managed to punch him in the face.

“Yes, I’m certainly prepared for a break,” Shanadar replied as he struggled with a ruffian trying to push a knife into his throat.

Wizard had been bumped back into the the stool on the counter by someone running by. The flames were spreading across the whole tavern. The ceiling was already beginning to burn.

Closing his eyes, Wizard held up his hand and stood back up. “Enough!” he shouted as everyone froze. He strained to hold each ruffian in a telekinetic field. “Why are you here?”

No ruffian was willing to speak; they were preoccupied with trying to struggle free of Wizard’s telekinetic hold.

“You don’t think I’m serious, do you?”Wizard made a hand gesture and one ruffian went flying into the wall—through several tables—certainly with enough force to break every bone in his body. “I’ll ask again: why are you here?” Shanadar seemed surprised by what this old man was capable of; he’d never seen him quite this angered.

Without warning, Wizard’s staff left his hand. Wizard was still able to hold every ruffian in place, but it was harder without his staff. The staff flew across the room and into the corner where the cloaked man had been sitting. The cloaked figure was now standing, and the staff came straight into his hand.

He moved toward Wizard with amazing speed, he did not even slow down when he across fire. Rather, the flames seemed to die before him. Wizard tried to stop his approach but was unable. His eyes were closed and his hand twitching, but still the cloaked man came nearer.

The man in the cloak was focused solely on Wizard and never looked away from him. Several tried to leap out in front of him or onto him, but they were thrown aside into a wall or up into the ceiling without even a glance from the cloaked mage.

Wizard’s eyes widened as the figure drew close to him. “I know y—” was all he could say before he was slammed against the bar by his own staff, unconscious. Shanadar quickly tried to hit the man with his club, but he wasn’t able to reach him before the end of Wizard’s staff rammed into his stomach and sent him reeling over a barstool and onto the floor.

Everything went quiet for a moment. The cloaked man stood silently staring at the unconscious form on the ground. This old man seemed so fragile. Tossing Wizard’s staff carelessly into the fire, he reached down and took hold of Wizard’s robe.

The ruffians were able to move again as soon as Wizard lost his consciousness. The cloaked man walked towards the door, just as fast as he had moved toward Wizard, dragging Wizard behind him. Everyone watched, too amazed to move. Shanadar was struggling to regain his breath and get up. By the time he had his head up, all he could see through the flames and open door was the cloaked figure tossing the unconscious Wizard onto horseback with a single hand. The old man’s several hundred pounds did not seem to disturb him in the least.

“No!” Shanadar ran to the door but was too late. The ruffians, the cloaked man, and their captive Wizard had already ridden off. Shanadar turned and watched the flames engulfed the tavern.

* * *

Sécundus felt around under all of the burnt chairs and curtains. The tavern itself had already begun to magically repair as soon as they had put the flames out. Most of the rubble was still there, though.

“Aha! I found it,” Sécundus held up Wizard’s somewhat blackened staff. “Hmm, I’ll just wipe off some of this ash here. . .”

Shanadar had gathered his things and was heading out the door.

“Are you going already?” Sécundus seemd surprised, dropping Wizard’s cleaned staff back into the rubble it had been under.

“I’ve waited too long as it is, I’m leaving now so that I have some hope of finding him and bringing those thugs to the justice that’s coming to them.”

“Well, I know I’m not exactly very helpful to you, but I’m coming along.” Sécundus leaned over and picked the staff up again. He hesitated a moment before saying, “I didn’t know the old man very well, but I have traveled with him. I owe it to him at least to rescue him from whatever those ruffians have planned.”

“Very well. I’d be glad of company. I can’t fight all those ruffians alone.” Seeing others who were known widely for their adventures, Shanadar spoke loudly, “Anyone who is willing to come, we’d appreciate the help.” He didn’t wait to see who all was prepared or preparing to go. He had already turned and started on his quest to find and rescue Wizard.