Excerpt: Justice and Fortitude

Vuk took a sizeable swig from the mug of ale in his hand as he quietly listened to the Tavern Owner’s story. It wasn’t the most tantalising tale but not exactly boring either. Vuk simply listened with only half the amount of interest he was showing, as a matter of courtesy. After some short amount of time, the owner was finally finishing up.
‘Right’ said the Tavern Owner, ‘but remind me what type of Paladin you were?’
Vuk would have found it exasperating to explain it once more. He had been telling his story to many a stranger for a good portion of his life so it wouldn’t be unfair for him to be sick of it by now. Still, he had been doing it for so long that it no longer posed a nuisance for him, in short, he was very much used to it.
‘I was a Manhunter. A Manhunter’s duty was to hunt down rogue mages and those who escaped from custody.’
‘I see. So what were the others?’
‘Apart from the Manhunters, there were the Watchmen, who monitored the registered mages living normal lives and ensured they abided by the law, and the Marshalls, who guarded the prisons for magic users.’
The Tavern Owner’s face turned to that of impressiveness, as well as a hint of ignorance to the finer details of Vuk’s former career.
‘That’s mighty interesting Master Vuk’ the Owner said while digging his hands into a bowl of roasted walnuts and lifting a couple to his mouth to crunch on. ‘I must say it is a shame we don’t have your lot anymore. That’s life though isn’t it? That reminds me...’
Vuk drifted off for a moment when he gave himself another sip of his ale. It was a fine ale, one he hadn’t tasted in a while; a perfect blend of rich ingredients. It wasn’t too bitter and it wasn’t too sweet, though it perhaps inched towards the sweeter side, Vuk always liked that. Even the hops were just right, fresh, green and added to the mixture in mid September. In the end, he struggled to stay fully alert while sitting back after a long journey, enjoying the greatest ale this land had to offer.
This ale not only provided indulgence for Vuk in the form of quality and taste, but also it’s associated memories, all of them treasured and good. This particular ale brought back that lost past, his days as a Paladin, long nights well spent with his friends, drinking until the break of dawn. "I wonder what happened to them all" Vuk thought, taking another sip from his tankard. He didn’t know, he couldn’t know, they might have been dead for all he was aware. It had been a very long time. A very long time indeed.
‘So in the end, my wife never found out and thank all that’s holy for that!’
Vuk had to put down his drink just before he took another sip so that he could feign gratitude for the tale. He had just realised that he completely missed the man’s story, being far too occupied in his own thoughts. In fact, it was surprising he didn’t notice him losing interest. It was lucky he didn’t as Vuk had no idea how he would deal with that situation should it have happened. He wasn’t even sure how long he was talking.
‘A fine tale indeed sir’ replied Vuk snappily, ‘let us drink to, well, to your wife.’
‘To my wife! The years may not have been kind to her, but she’s still my dearest.’
The clanking of mugs brought Vuk back into the world from his semi-conscious state. The Tavern Owner sat back in his wooden chair, took a large sip of ale " which he of course received free of charge.
‘So tell me, are you planning on staying in Almjet for long?’ asked the Owner.
‘No, I’m afraid. The solstice is fast approaching and the worst of the snowfall along with it. I’ll leave before it gets bad and winter elsewhere.’
‘Really? That’s a shame, I would have gladly offered you a room at discount price.’
‘Thank you for your generosity but I must still decline.’
‘Whatever suits you Master Vuk. Where is it you plan on staying?’
‘Nowhere special’ Vuk said before declining another round, even before he finished his current one.
‘Come now! Where is this not so special place?’
Vuk didn’t like the constant pestering from the Tavern Owner opposite, his latest question being an obvious inquiry as to whether he would stay at another rival establishment. He was a good man but did tend to ask a tiresome amount of questions. That being said, Vuk nonetheless appreciated having someone to talk to.
‘At an old Paladin’s precinct. They aren’t active anymore, obviously, but we still use them as somewhere to stay during the cold.’
‘Is that so? Mighty odd if I can say. I understand you wanting to be with your kind though.’
Vuk contemplated what the man had just said, especially when supposedly referencing the Paladins. He specifically said “kind”, as if he were referring to his former colleagues as some sort of separate breed. Vuk couldn’t help but think, "Has it really been that long?" The only answer he gave back to the Tavern Owner was a grunt of acknowledgment. Then they both rose their ales in unison and took another fine gulp.
“Before you go, there is one thing I have always wondered’ said the man of a thousand questions with a particular curiosity. ‘What does a Paladin do these days? Your order has been disbanded for over twenty years, and since there aren’t exactly mages running about like pigeons anymore, I can’t imagine you’d have much work. Am I wrong?’
Vuk thought over his answer carefully. He was a Paladin and it was true, their once renown Order had been liquefied a good two decades prior and the number of mages, of which they were sworn to police, had dropped to a faint whisper of their previous glory. Now, a Paladin would have a great deal of difficulty looking for work in that very same field. Some became mercenaries, as war would always be a flourishing business, while others tried their hands at regular guard duty in all kinds of settlements, a much easier job than policing people born with supernatural powers. Lastly, a number of them became bounty hunters, which proved to be the closest one could get to Vuk’s specialty these days, and so, this was the path that Vuk had chosen, or at least he partly thought. The truth was he wasn’t a regular bounty hunter and he would take just about any job of interest, not solely bounties. Times had changed and were still changing and Vuk still hadn’t found his place in the world. Perhaps he never would.
‘I take whatever job comes along.’
‘Ahh’ replied the Tavern Owner as he scratched the back of his head, ‘fair do’s then. If it’s any help, I hear a local businessman is looking for some caravan guards. He’s quite wealthy so it might pay well.’
‘Thanks’ said Vuk with a passive gratitude.
He made a mental note to check it out, seeing as the very best bounties wouldn’t be posted until after the dawn of spring. As winter fast approached, the best jobs one could find would be petty caravan guarding against bandits who preferred to operate in heavy rain or snow. Regardless of how wealthy the clients were, the pay wasn’t really that good but it was something at the least.
‘I’ll be sure to investigate’ he added.
Just then, Vuk finished the last of the ale in his mug, at the bottom where the flavour was strongest. With a large gasp to signify the beverage was all good and gone, he put the mug down and proceeded to rise from his seat.
‘Thank you for the...pleasant conversation.’
‘Twas no problem’ replied the Tavern Owner, who found the chat far more riveting than Vuk did. ‘Good luck on the road.’

Author's Note

This is an excerpt from a short story I wrote quite a while back (set in my dark fantasy world). It's sort of been sitting around so I thought I'd post a bit of it to see what people think. Feedback is welcome :)

P.s. Don't mind the exposition, the rest of it isn't like that XD