More than meets the eye

As the drunkard slumped into humanoid bodies, carapaces, horns, limbs and wooden walls, a wave of annoyed banter exploded inside the tavern. Growls and curses alike boom like a morbid celebration, only it is centred on drunken anger and haze.

 

“Me stomp on his silly head for spilling me ale!” an eight-foot black minotaur shouted and stood up to the poor drunken fellow, its eyes as red as the wine it was drinking. Its breath reeked of rotten livestock and unwashed ale.

The drunkard was taken aback. As the angry creature raised his hoofed fist and plunged a deadly blow to the drunkard’s face, in a split-second moment, the drunkard bobbed his head to a side where he could dodge the killer blow. It was either luck or this fellow is inhumanly fast.

The vicious minotaur seemed extremely surprised as well. Black minotaur were noted for their accuracy and percision, armed or not, drunk or focused. They were arrogant beasts proud of their strikes, but this minotaur froze next to a lowly drunkard who just evaded his blow.

Seeing this insulting feat, annoyed customers joined the brawl. They stood up their tables and brandished their blades, axes and knives, cracked their knuckles and smiled grimly at the poor drunk. Finally, some action for the night! Sounds of tables and chairs being moved and the noisy commotion about reached the ears of a black wizard and an assassin and they knew instantly that a brawl was happening, or about to happen. Bloodspill. Something the two unconsciously wanted to see for so long.

As the two rushed into the scene, they see a flurry of fists, hoofs and metallic weapons and a drunkard in the middle, a grin on his cheery face and he was dancing like a fairy, evading their blows with ease.

“I’d go in to help.” Keira said with hurry as she unsheathed her knives.

“Stop.” Vangz ordered her as he grabbed her arms with his strangely skeletal hands. “You’ll find more trouble than that if you rush into that.

“No! I’d- -”

But the dark wizard’s grip was firm and strong. As Keira looked at his eyes for an explanation, he found them to be transfixed, and they told her to stand her ground for something’s about to happen and she’ll miss it if she continues to insist. She understood then.

As the ruckus continue with shouts of frustration and failed attempts, in a blink of an eye, the drunkard appeared and disappeared with incredible speed and agility. In a moment’s notice he was in front of Keira and Vangz. He was bent backwards with superb flexibility and smiled at them, not with drunk eyes, but with a witty expression and said in a whisper,

“A blink in the eye, and the mind enters a trance”.

The final member of the secret organization, the jester, was finally found.

Just then, as the brawling creatures approached him, a huge wooden door opened from behind them with such force that it bounced off the creaky walls. The gigantic silhouette of mrs. Yaktu came into view. As she saw the brawl she bellowed a shout so powerful and moving that it shook dust from the ceiling. 

“TAVERN’S CLOSED! ALL OF YE’ GET YER BUTTS OUTTA HERE OR ELSE THERE’LL BE NO MER’ ALES FER YE LOT!!” Her voice echoed to the tavern’s walls and floors and Keira thought she was experiencing a mild earthquake.

The whole tavern grew silent and still and like whipped dogs, the brawling bodies came to rest and picked up their mess. The barbaric figures picked up broken china, tables and chairs like little, adorable children being scolded by their mother. Then without a single growl, they all went towards the door; gigantic bodies and fierce beasts cower to the presence of the gargantuan tavern owner.

Mrs. Yaktu smiled weakly and walked towards Vangz, Keira and the jester, her every step produces a slight creak on the supposedly stable floor. 

“Now, were wer’ we, huh? Oh, ye two, this is the final member of ye’ lil’ groupie. Go ahead and introduce yerself.” She beckoned at the jester and pushed him towards the other two as she went towards the oak doors to lock it.

The jester smiled like a little child and bowed his head so his head touched the floor. As he rose up, he revealed a sleek hair, tired eyes and a cheerful smile. From head to toe, he was obviously a performer, wearing a clothing that was very opposite in color: he wore a tight garb drenched in sorrowful dark orange on one side, and a lively tint of yellow on the other that snuffly fits his thin, flexible physique. “Call me Cool, the cool jester, the cool funny man. And also your cool spy!” He said with an airy voice.

“I’m Keira. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Keira said as she held out her hand.

“Pleasure’s all mine, princess.” Cool replied. Keira looked confused. Princess? How did he know that? Or was it just coincidence?

As Vangz took of his disguise and revealed a long, black cloak that obviously portrays his darkness, Cool shifted his attention to him, smiled and said, “And you’re Vangz. Dark wizard. Infamous, wanted and . . .”

“Don’t say it.” Vangz said with a deadly tone, his eyes fixed at Cool's.

As mrs. Yaktu came back from closing the tavern door. She looked merry for a moment then her eyes showed concern and extreme worry; like a mother about to see her children for the last time.

“Now then, yer’all set. Let us talk ‘bout why ye lot were sent here’ shouldn’t we?” She grabbed a wooden table with her enormous arms and lifted it as though it was made of paper. She dropped it with a deafening sound and pounded it with her fist. “Let’s get started shall we, cmon here’ ye lil 'uns!”

The four of them seated around the wooden table and Keira, out of amazement, asked mrs. Yaktu a question that has been boggling her. “If you don’t mind me asking, ma’am what gives you so much physical strength?”

At this, mrs. Yaktu smiled at her warmly and said in a rather shy voice, “Well, I’m the last of me kind now. Me dad’s from a, uh… a tribe. And me mom’s a, uh… well she’s a local. And though they were diff’rent, they, uh, they got together, they did! And me and me brothers and sisters were born and uh- - -“

“I’m sorry but you are not making sense ma’am.”, said Keira politely.

“Oh there’s no point in me hidin’. “ Said mrs. Yaktu suddenly. “Me dad’s an orc, a warchief. I am the final heir of me dad. I’m the last child of Rokknar, the final heir of his blood! I’m a half-orc, dear!”