Companions

Miles away, the bright morning light started to shine at a crudely repaired tavern; chairs and tables were hurriedly repaired and replaced, broken glass were cleaned and disposed of and the huge front door, which was beyond repair at the moment just stood there open. Yaktu, the tavern owner was applying the final bandages to cover deep gashes and wounds. For a normal human being, these wounds could be fatal, but this woman has orc blood in her, and these wounds are but pinpricks to her.

 

Mrs. Yaktu had little to almost no sleep the previous night, she was attacked by a cercatori, but it was no ordinary cercatori, for this one was too powerful to be an ordinary cercatori. It almost killed her, but at the instant it was about to stab her heart, it fled and vanished from view for a reason she never knew. She was able to match the cercatori for a while but it appeared to be far more capable of killing than her. It left her with deep gashes and cuts, but she tried to shrug it off because the usual customers were starting to arrive. She grabbed a long garb to cover her wounds and bandages so her children wouldn’t worry about her, and to get rid of suspicious eyes.

As the customers filled in, they barely notice what the commotion last night did. They didn’t even wondered why the front door was already wide open and they didn’t notice as they sat on the broken chairs; most of them just wanted ale, entertainment and a good time. But some eyes are better than others.

“Wha’ happen to yer’ face?” a kind-hearted ogre asked her.

“Oh, ummm, I got clumsy slipped on da’ floor, hah! Now mind yer’ drinkin!” she said merrily at the ogre but felt nervous at the same time.

“Yaktu, there’s something different today, oooh! Are you having a party? I love decorations and fun and games!” a sweet little pixie flew enthusiastically around her.

“Ahh. Well, yeah, mebbe later, luv.” came her reply.

Yaktu avoided contact with her customers because she might spill that she was attacked by a cercatori and it may come for her again, and she didn’t want her customers to go away; she loved the company, of making other people happy around her, of serving them and of course, being a mother. She stayed behind her table all day long, thinking of the cercatori as it spoke to her.

“Where is the girl?” the cercatori’s voice was more of a growl and it didn’t sound like talking at all. Its voice was cold and ruthless.

“I don’t know what yer’ talking bout! Now get outta here!” Mrs. Yaktu shouted at the cercatori.

The black, skeletal silhouette of the cercatori shook in manic laughter and from a distance; Mrs. Yaktu saw a hunched figure with sharp appendages on its hands. It crouched in a prowling position and Mrs. Yaktu’s heartbeat pounded hard on her chest as she took out her butcher’s knife.

A horrible gush of wind and the sound of a powerful thrust broke the silence, she was just raising her knife when the cercatori sprung in front of her. Surprised by the inhuman speed of the cercatori, she could only stare at it, all her other senses shut down in fear.

The cercatori’s figure was the most horrible and grotesque she had ever seen.

Clank!

She jumped in surprise as she heard the sound of metal on wood that shook her to reality. A cloaked figure put its hand which was encased in a metal gauntlet in her table. The figure removed its hood and revealed unkempt wavy brown hair, round, gentle eyes, red cheeks and a noble face of a male. He was large, almost as large as Mrs. Yaktu herself, his complexion was fair and he looked so gentle.

“We arrived as you requested ma’am.” his voice was also warming, like his aura.

“So, ye’ must be . . .” mrs. Yaktu stared at him.

“Oh, I forgot. The code. I am but a spark amidst the darkness.” The man replied merrily.

“The paladin, ye’ are not?” mrs. Yaktu asked in confirmation.

“Sir Radley, 1^st class paladin and knight, at your service.” He introduced himself and bowed at Mrs. Yaktu. “And my other companions.” Radley held out his hand to introduce two other persons behind him.

The first one was a lady and she stepped up next to Radley. Judging by her clothing, she was a wizard. She had jet black hair and a slim figure. Her eyes show mixed personalities, she had observing eyes that depict great intellect and talent, but at the same time, weary, playful and anxious; an independent spirit flourished inside her. She was wearing a ring in her finger that seemed familiar to mrs. Yaktu but couldn’t remember where she first saw it. The expression in the female wizard’s face looked as though she was looking for something really important for her and she wants to find it quick.

“Greetings.” Her voice was soft and rather gentle, but it was also straightforward.

“And ye’ must be?”

“The mind is a veil which covers the body.”

“The prodigy, I suppose?” Mrs. Yaktu smiled at her.

“Reina Reindall, master sage.” The lady replied.

“Well met, Reina.” Mrs. Yaktu felt that she liked her already. Then she looked at the last companion, which was still hiding its face to its cloak. The last figure walked up to her, next to Reina.

“Lad or lass?” mrs. Yaktu said heartily.

“. . .”

“Eh?” mrs. Yaktu looked in confusion. She then turned to Reina and Radley for an explanation.

Radley smiled at her. “He doesn’t speak.”

But the cloaked figure took out a piece of parchment and Yaktu read it.

Looks are deceiving. It said.

“Oh, I get it. The mysterious man.” Mrs. Yaktu beckoned.

Mrs. Yaktu pulled a small parchment from her pocket and read it as though she was checking a list.

“Very well, then.” She started and smiled wryly.

“Ere’s the plan.”

And their conversation was drowned by the laughter and the noise inside the tavern made by drunk creatures and by the strong current of air rushing to the broken windows and the front doors. And as the parchment in mrs. Yaktu’s hands got blown by the strong wind, the jester’s writing stood out and said:

Boss,

Proceed to second plan.

ü A paladin

ü A prodigy

ü Some mysterious guy

Cool