Goodbye, mother

“We’ll ere’s what I think. Yer’ emperor’s got sum’ explainin’ to give, he does!” said mrs. Yaktu that startled the three. “Considerin’ the fact he was raising them taxes, as if they aint high enough to fill his lil’ bossom!”

 

“What do you plan to do then?” asked Vangz, who seem rather uninterested.

“Well, that’s wha’ I hired ye’ lot. To give him a nice woppin’.” she replied.

“Well that’s a relief. Sneak in, do my job, get my loot and then get out.” said Vangz simply.

“Well basically, that’s the plan.” Cool intercepted. “But that’s not the way were gonna do it.”, he added while he shook his finger towards Vangz and Keira like some deranged child. 

“How do you suppose we- -“ Keira started. But mrs. Yaktu held her back. “Not ‘ere, me dear. Yer’ all short of time. Ye’ have ta’ pack and get outta ‘ere as soon as yer’ ready.” An excessive amount of worry distorted her warm face again. 

A bright red light suddenly flashed on and off in mrs. Yaktu's face.

"The signal!" She suddenly shouted.

The three of them looked behind where mrs. Yaktu was staring. They found the source of the annoying red light. It was a red orb, flashing wildly against a wooden shelf. The flashing became intense that the orb became more than a moving blur of red light; it was more likely a miniature fireball than a normal orb.  It was bouncing on its own and was rattling mrs. Yaktu's old shelf.

“It’s a shield-orb, ye’ lot. A friend o’ mine give it ta’ me ages ago. Keeps me tavern safe.” Mrs. Yaktu explained with rushed breath.

“Why does it glow like that?” Kiera asked curiously.

At this, Cool looked at her and with his annoying grin told her the last thing she wants to her at the moment, “It means someone, or something is breaking through the invisible barrier outside.” Then he widened his grin without the outmost worry.

“There’s no time fer ye’ to be ere’. How did they knew ye’ were ‘ere?!” mrs. Yaktu said to Keira’s face and she was looking very nervous.

“Who wou- -“ asked the curious Keira, but for the second time, she was interrupted, this time by mrs. Yaktu’s gigantic hand stifling her mouth. Her eyes was rolling aroung the tavern, like a terrified mother wolf trying to protect her young from unseen predators.

“Questions later, dear. You, come with me too!” He shouted at Vangz, grabbed his robes and pulled him without effort.

“Hey, no need to be harsh!” retaliated Vangz.

The red orb started to spin violently within the wooden shelf and was creating a humming noise. The jester Cool just kept staring at it like a curious, little child.

“Cool!” shouted mrs. Yaktu. “We’ll be downstairs gettin ‘ready! Ye’ know what ta’ do!!” Bellowed mrs. Yaktu to the jester as she pulled Keira and Vangz with him towards a…wall?

She continued to walk in a hurried manner and Keira felt that struggling was of no use. The strength of the half-orc tavern owner was overpowering yet it showed extreme care as the gigantic hands of mrs. Yaktu wrapped around her whole arm, like a mother putting her child out of harms way. Vangz, on the other hand, was being dragged like a stubborn child, trying to free the grasp of the motherly mrs. Yaktu, but obviously, her strength was legendary. Keira looked ahead where they were heading and mrs. Yaktu seemed to manoeuvre them straight on to a solid wall of thick wood.

Keira looked for Vangz for a reaction but he seemed to busy freeing himself from the firm grasp of mrs. Yaktu when suddenly the half-orc raised her massive leg and kicked the wall like it was some sort of blockade.

As expected, anything that goes in mrs. Yaktu’s way was bound to be badly decimated but the hole she created at the wall formed a perfect shape of a door, and judging from the shape of the hole, it really was a collapsible one.

“Inside ye’ go, quick.” Mrs. Yaktu ordered, she was now drenched in sweat and gigantic drops were now seen on her apron.

Keira shifted her attention to the secret room before her. And for all the times she had been visiting this tavern, she never ever thought that mrs. Yaktu would build such place.

It was a room full of tools of war. Swords lay neatly untouched on a wooden board, glimmering from the dim light of a lamp hanging by the dank ceiling. Halberds, spears and lances lean on the brick walls and their blades and tips look menacingly sharp. Shields hang by the same wall, shining with superb quality, waiting for a skilled arm to carry them. Rations packed for long journeys were prepared and were already packed and as the assassin stared at awe, she found her forte she was looking for: Sets of deadly-looking knives were hung in silver hooks, ready for action. She took a step closer and as she saw the variety; serrated, smooth, shiny, and deadly, the knives created an excitement inside her that she had set aside for so long as she fingered the blades. They were the finest set she ever saw.

“Been preparin’ fer’ this day, so I made trades with the pack o’ ‘em merchants from all around Lesallia. Brought me all their finest trades, the did! Ha! In exchange of me famous ale, I got ‘em all fer free!” mrs. Yaktu said as she patted Keira’s shoulder. She shared the same awe that she was feeling.

“Now I’ll help ye’ pack. Don’ be shy, dear, take all ye’ want. I knew this day’ll come ta’ me tavern so I got ‘ese fine trades.” She said as she bent and put rations, scrolls and flasks into Keira’s satchel in a hurry. Keira grabbed the best set of the finest knives without further ado and strapped it to the knife belt on her waist, ready for quick action. She then looked for the wizard, which suddenly disappeared out of sight.

“Where did vangz - -“

“Oh he’s there on the other room, luv. Grabbin’ all the potions and scrolls, maybe even shedding a tear or two.” Mrs. Yaktu said heartilly.

Shedding a tear or two? Keira thought. Him, a dark wizard?

Mrs. Yaktu stood suddenly and her enormous height almost touched the dank ceiling. “I’ll check out yer’ lil wizard friend. Ye’ just grab what ye need now, dear. And hurry.” Then she ran off the opposite direction towards another room clumsily, the swords made a little tinkling noises as she sped off to the other direction. 

Keira looked back at the red orb that was now shining even brighter and was ramming itself against the shelf. She sheathed the final blade and walked out of the tavern’s secret room.

…

“A little of these, some of these, and of course, this one.” Vangz whispered to himself as he rummaged flasks and vials to his satchel. He was in a room that was similar to where the assassin was, the only difference was, this room was stocked with parchments, complex vials and liquids in flasks.

“Good thing Yaktu did as I told her.”

“So yer really decided to continue this do ya.” A voice suddenly spoke, a voice which made Vangz drop the vial he was holding. It made a small shattering noise and filled the room with blue fume. The dark wizard dispersed it with a wave of his hand.

“What pushed ya’ into it, kid? Why did ya’ choose to be…this?”

Vangz cold eyes connect in to mrs. Yaktu’s and from the looks of it, she was on the verge of tears.

“The last time ye came ‘ere, you said you were on to something. Something great. Is this it, huh? Bein’ all this dark wizard, huh?”

Vangz’ brown eyes were not blinking as it continue to stare at those teary eyes.

“Ye turn yer back into us, huh? Ye turn yer back to me, a person who nursed ye when ye were wounded, feeded ye when ye came ‘ere hungry and gave ye’ a home when yers kicked ye out.” Mrs. Yaktu’s voice was shaking.

At this, Vangz’ eyes flicker slightly, as though remembering something. But he closed them and walked without saying anything towards the door where mrs. Yaktu was standing.

As he passed the enormous body, he stopped, with a voice so clear he said, “I was betrayed. Getting the tomes is my only chance.”

Mrs. Yaktu faced him and buried him in her arms. Vangz felt the tremendous weight leaning on him and felt his knees bend. He swayed under the half-orcs enermous size.

“Yer like a son to me! All of ye lot! Please come back, now. I beg ye, stop this madness.”

Vangz didn’t say a single word. He just waited for Yaktu to release him. And when she did, he walked towards the exit without even looking back to the lady who took him and gave him a house.

“Vangz.” Mrs. Yaktu spoke, now her voice was like a mother saying goodbye to her child. Vangz did as she told.

“The tomes have a better purpose. Ye’ should know it. They’re not only fer power. They wer made fer a reason.”

“I know what they’re for and I’m getting them no matter what the cost.” His voice was back to a growl.

“No. There’s more ye shoud - -“

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKK!!”

A high pitched scream filled the whole tavern and as the startled face of the jester popped from the hole in the wall, Cool the jester said two words that spell trouble. “They’re here.”

Mrs. Yaktu didn’t waste a moment. She stood straight and rampaged to the tavern as she grabbed the arms of the jester and the wizard.

…

Keira stood perplexed at the red glowing ball now releasing red puffs of smoke and bouncing violently at the wooden floor of the tavern. She heard thundering footsteps of enormous weight and the body of the half-orc appeared into view, dragging along a furious Vangz and Cool who seemed to be rather enjoying the idea of being dragged along like a rag doll.

“To the backdoor, dear!” mrs. Yaktu shouted. And she approached Keira like a stampede and Keira was forced to move under her weight to another wooden door at the very corner of the tavern. Yaktu released her grip and quickly opened the door. The three looked at what awaited them. The dark forest outside was not welcoming.

THUD! The oak bars of the tavern shook violently as though someone was forcing their way through. The iron locks clanked with each other.

“Cool, ye know what to do!” She said violently, spraying spit at the jester’s face.

“Absolutely.” Replied Cool, wiping half-orc spit from his face. 

And maybe for the last time, mrs. Yaktu gave them her motherly smile and embraced the three of them with bone crushing pressure. For the second time, Vangz felt his knees bent.

Another loud THUD and the sound of breaking wood crackled inside the tavern-the iron locks flew away from the front doors and hit the wooden floor.

“Hurry ye’ lot!” mrs. Yaktu gave them one final smile of warmth and closed the door in front of them with massive force that it wrecked in half and rendering it useless. 

They wouldn’t waste the precious time mrs. Yaktu bought for them. Obviously, they were being hunted earlier than they expected. They ran through the thick undergrowth of the forest in a flash.

In a moment, they set foot into the dark forest, guided only by torchlight and their will to fulfil their personal quests. As the moon glared down upon them through the thick branches of the trees, only the torch was the source of all light, everything else is extinguished within the darkness of the forest. The path itself was treacherous, the wild undergrowth seemed alive, pulling them to the ground. The branches themselves, as though controlled by darkness, scratched their skins, ripped a few flesh here and there. But they must press on. The consuming forest was the only way to Rottoundale.

As the oak doors were finally unhinged from their place, mrs. Yaktu, with an orc’s smirk on her face faced the intruders that set foot in her beloved sanctuary.

“Me tavern’s closed! And ye lot are not welcome ‘ere. I don’t serve yer lot. Now I ask ye’ all politely, leave me tavern, ye Cercatori! “