The Journey to Kalokairi: Chapter 3
By me (shadow9119)
By me (shadow9119)
Despite the dreariness of the village, the inn was rather pleasant. They had enough money between them to get a room with two beds, and the innkeeper had allowed them to stay for as long as they needed since they were there to aid in the fight. Bersaglio took one bed, and Ness and Keone shared the other.
They unpacked their things and Keone flopped down on the bed as Ness stared out of the window. They had a view of the entire village from here. The sun was starting to set, and each of the buildings cast long, foreboding shadows across the winding, dimly lit streets.
"What now?" Ness asked, turning away from the window to face Bersaglio.
"We should rest, but first, I think we'd better grab some food," she said, sitting down on her own bed. "There's a tavern just down the street, here. It'll probably have some good food."
"That sounds like a good plan, I'm starving," Keone mumbled, his voice muffled by the sheets his face was buried in.
"Let's go then, come on."
Bersaglio led them out of the room, locking the door behind them.
"Do you think we'll need our swords?" Ness asked.
Bersaglio shook her head.
"I doubt it. The village should be pretty safe against the creatures," she replied.
Ness nodded, though she wasn't completely confident in Bersaglio's reply. The street outside the inn was lit by a dim street lamp. The street itself was made of thick cobblestones, with aging buildings towering on either side of it.
It didn't take long for them to get to the tavern. Bersaglio held the door open for them as they padded inside. It was like a whole other world on the inside of the tavern. Where the rest of Kalokairi looked dreary and tired, the tavern was filled with life. Pastel colours covered the walls and floor, and bright lights hung from the ceiling. The tables and chairs looked like something out of an 80's movie. In fact the whole place looked rather-
"Tacky," Keone muttered, sitting down at the nearest table. "I can't believe a place like this exists in this village. It looks so out of place!"
"Beats being outside though, right, Bersaglio?" Ness asked, taking the seat next to Keone.
The older Kalon nodded.
"Yes, I think I'd rather be in here than back out there," she admitted, leaning against the table. "You kids wait here and I'll go order us some food. Do you have any preferences?"
Ness and Keone shook their heads.
"I don't care, as long as it tastes good," Keone said.
Bersaglio nodded and wandered away to go order the food while Ness took everything in. As she looked around, she noticed a Kalon sitting at the bar. They seemed to be the bartender, and then were leaning heavily against the bar with a dreamy look on their face. Ness was immediately intrigued.
"I'm going over to sit by the bar," she said.
Keone frowned.
"Ness, you're eight. You're not old enough to drink anything from there," he said.
"I never said I was gonna drink anything," Ness shot back. "Come with me if you're that worried."
"No, I'm good," Keone replied. "I'm gonna stay here and wait for the food."
"Ok!"
With that, Ness padded off towards the bar. She climbed onto one of the bar stools and waited patiently for the bartender to notice her. The dreamy look never left their face, even when they did finally see her sitting their.
"Ah, honey, you're a little young to be over here," he said, giving her a small smile. "Why don't you go back to your parents?"
"I don't want to drink anything, don't worry," Ness replied. "I just wanted to know what it was that you were looking at."
"You're a nosy little thing, ain't you?" the bartender chuckled. "Fine, so long as you don't order any things that'll get me into trouble." He went back to leaning against the bar, and let out a soft sigh. "Isn't she dreamy?"
Ness turned to follow his gaze, and found a mage sitting at a table. It was true; she was quite beautiful. She had thick grey fur and floor-length white hair, tied hurriedly behind her. She was wearing a worn purple dress, but it looked very nice on her.
"Do you know her?" Ness asked.
The bartender shook his head.
"Oh, no, honey, but boy, do I ever wish I did!"
Ness chuckled, shaking her head.
"You should go over there and introduce yourself," she said, smiling.
"And say what?" the bartender asked.
"Well, what's your name? You could always start with that," Ness suggested.
The bartender raised an eyebrow.
"What, just go over there and say 'hi, my name is Briceus'?"
"Well I mean, you don't have to be that blunt about it," Ness chuckled. "I would go over there and just strike up a conversation! Be casual, treat her like you would any other customer."
Briceus frowned, turning back to look at the girl he was admiring.
"You think that would work? I mean, what if she doesn't notice me?" he asked, worry creeping across his face.
"If you're nice, she'll notice you, don't worry," Ness assured him. "I think it will go well for you."
Briceus gave Ness one last worried look, then sighed again.
"Ok, honey, I'm gonna take your advice," he said, and Ness grinned.
"You've got this," she chuckled, as Briceus came out from behind the bar. She watched him walk over to the mage's table, then turned her attention back to where Keone was sitting. Bersaglio still hadn't come back with the food, and Keone was giving her a questioning look.
"I'll be over soon," she mouthed to him, and Keone simply shook his head.
It was a while before Briceus returned, but when he did, he had a wide grin on his face. Ness turned back to lean against the bar, waiting to hear all about it.
"Oh, honey, you were right! And her personality is just as beautiful as her looks, oh my lord!"
Ness laughed as he practically stumbled back behind the bar.
"She even gave me her number, look!"
He placed a napkin down on the table that had a phone number scribbled on it in pen. Ness grinned up at him.
"You gonna go on a date now then?" Ness teased.
"Oh, I hope so," Briceus laughed. "Thank you, honey, really! Here, I'll make you some lemonade on the house."
"Thank you!"
The lemonade was made, and just as Briceus placed the glass on the bar, Bersaglio returned with the food.
"I gotta go now, but good luck!" Ness told Briceus, who nodded happily.
"Come back soon, honey! I'll let you know how it goes."
Ness nodded happily, taking her drink back to the table. She sat down in her seat, and Bersaglio gave her a look.
"Where have you been?" she asked, eyeing the drink.
"Just helping someone out," Ness replied with a grin. "Earned myself a free drink, too."
"...really," Bersaglio questioned, but she didn't push the issue.
Beside Ness, Keone rolled his eyes, and Ness shot him a grin. She'd tell them all about it once they got back to the inn.
They unpacked their things and Keone flopped down on the bed as Ness stared out of the window. They had a view of the entire village from here. The sun was starting to set, and each of the buildings cast long, foreboding shadows across the winding, dimly lit streets.
"What now?" Ness asked, turning away from the window to face Bersaglio.
"We should rest, but first, I think we'd better grab some food," she said, sitting down on her own bed. "There's a tavern just down the street, here. It'll probably have some good food."
"That sounds like a good plan, I'm starving," Keone mumbled, his voice muffled by the sheets his face was buried in.
"Let's go then, come on."
Bersaglio led them out of the room, locking the door behind them.
"Do you think we'll need our swords?" Ness asked.
Bersaglio shook her head.
"I doubt it. The village should be pretty safe against the creatures," she replied.
Ness nodded, though she wasn't completely confident in Bersaglio's reply. The street outside the inn was lit by a dim street lamp. The street itself was made of thick cobblestones, with aging buildings towering on either side of it.
It didn't take long for them to get to the tavern. Bersaglio held the door open for them as they padded inside. It was like a whole other world on the inside of the tavern. Where the rest of Kalokairi looked dreary and tired, the tavern was filled with life. Pastel colours covered the walls and floor, and bright lights hung from the ceiling. The tables and chairs looked like something out of an 80's movie. In fact the whole place looked rather-
"Tacky," Keone muttered, sitting down at the nearest table. "I can't believe a place like this exists in this village. It looks so out of place!"
"Beats being outside though, right, Bersaglio?" Ness asked, taking the seat next to Keone.
The older Kalon nodded.
"Yes, I think I'd rather be in here than back out there," she admitted, leaning against the table. "You kids wait here and I'll go order us some food. Do you have any preferences?"
Ness and Keone shook their heads.
"I don't care, as long as it tastes good," Keone said.
Bersaglio nodded and wandered away to go order the food while Ness took everything in. As she looked around, she noticed a Kalon sitting at the bar. They seemed to be the bartender, and then were leaning heavily against the bar with a dreamy look on their face. Ness was immediately intrigued.
"I'm going over to sit by the bar," she said.
Keone frowned.
"Ness, you're eight. You're not old enough to drink anything from there," he said.
"I never said I was gonna drink anything," Ness shot back. "Come with me if you're that worried."
"No, I'm good," Keone replied. "I'm gonna stay here and wait for the food."
"Ok!"
With that, Ness padded off towards the bar. She climbed onto one of the bar stools and waited patiently for the bartender to notice her. The dreamy look never left their face, even when they did finally see her sitting their.
"Ah, honey, you're a little young to be over here," he said, giving her a small smile. "Why don't you go back to your parents?"
"I don't want to drink anything, don't worry," Ness replied. "I just wanted to know what it was that you were looking at."
"You're a nosy little thing, ain't you?" the bartender chuckled. "Fine, so long as you don't order any things that'll get me into trouble." He went back to leaning against the bar, and let out a soft sigh. "Isn't she dreamy?"
Ness turned to follow his gaze, and found a mage sitting at a table. It was true; she was quite beautiful. She had thick grey fur and floor-length white hair, tied hurriedly behind her. She was wearing a worn purple dress, but it looked very nice on her.
"Do you know her?" Ness asked.
The bartender shook his head.
"Oh, no, honey, but boy, do I ever wish I did!"
Ness chuckled, shaking her head.
"You should go over there and introduce yourself," she said, smiling.
"And say what?" the bartender asked.
"Well, what's your name? You could always start with that," Ness suggested.
The bartender raised an eyebrow.
"What, just go over there and say 'hi, my name is Briceus'?"
"Well I mean, you don't have to be that blunt about it," Ness chuckled. "I would go over there and just strike up a conversation! Be casual, treat her like you would any other customer."
Briceus frowned, turning back to look at the girl he was admiring.
"You think that would work? I mean, what if she doesn't notice me?" he asked, worry creeping across his face.
"If you're nice, she'll notice you, don't worry," Ness assured him. "I think it will go well for you."
Briceus gave Ness one last worried look, then sighed again.
"Ok, honey, I'm gonna take your advice," he said, and Ness grinned.
"You've got this," she chuckled, as Briceus came out from behind the bar. She watched him walk over to the mage's table, then turned her attention back to where Keone was sitting. Bersaglio still hadn't come back with the food, and Keone was giving her a questioning look.
"I'll be over soon," she mouthed to him, and Keone simply shook his head.
It was a while before Briceus returned, but when he did, he had a wide grin on his face. Ness turned back to lean against the bar, waiting to hear all about it.
"Oh, honey, you were right! And her personality is just as beautiful as her looks, oh my lord!"
Ness laughed as he practically stumbled back behind the bar.
"She even gave me her number, look!"
He placed a napkin down on the table that had a phone number scribbled on it in pen. Ness grinned up at him.
"You gonna go on a date now then?" Ness teased.
"Oh, I hope so," Briceus laughed. "Thank you, honey, really! Here, I'll make you some lemonade on the house."
"Thank you!"
The lemonade was made, and just as Briceus placed the glass on the bar, Bersaglio returned with the food.
"I gotta go now, but good luck!" Ness told Briceus, who nodded happily.
"Come back soon, honey! I'll let you know how it goes."
Ness nodded happily, taking her drink back to the table. She sat down in her seat, and Bersaglio gave her a look.
"Where have you been?" she asked, eyeing the drink.
"Just helping someone out," Ness replied with a grin. "Earned myself a free drink, too."
"...really," Bersaglio questioned, but she didn't push the issue.
Beside Ness, Keone rolled his eyes, and Ness shot him a grin. She'd tell them all about it once they got back to the inn.