Feral Flame Tavern - A Collaborative Fantasy Adventure

[Nico231]

He watched vigilantly, no matter what. He saw some traffic through the woods but it was nothing major, there were the occasional Kobolds, deer, and at one point a wolf. He had his axe drawn the whole time, ready to protect Elle with his life.

As the night progressed, if nothing interesting happened, he’d look at Elle, but keep his ears sharp. He saw the dye fading out, with her hair returning to its normal rose gold color. He thought to himself, “She’s beautiful, badass, sexy, and a princess! I might be the luckiest man alive to aid the Fae princess.”

While she slept, he silently trained his brawling. He was fast, snappy, and threw devastating punches and kicks, he would demolish anyone who got in his way.

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

Sarelle slept for about 4 hours before blinking awake and meeting your gaze. It was maybe 2 hours before dawn.

“How long was I asleep? I feel rested, so I can take watch now if you want.”

She rolled up from the ground with barely a sound from her graceful movements. Dusting off his cloak, she handed it back to Asvard and then pulled out her bow and nocked an arrow, sitting down with her back to the fire to watch the still-dark forest.

 

[Nico231]

Asvard was still awake, “Morning Elle, It’s only two hours until dawn, so I’ll be fine.” He took his cloak and put it back on. “We gotta get some ointment and elixirs from Rosepond, if I show up with you to your rendezvous point and you’re bruised then they’ll probably attack me. Plus, you’ll feel a lot better.”

He chatted with her for the remaining two hours until the sun peeked out from over the eastern hills. “Alright, let’s move out to Rosepond.” He climbed onto Pearl, and lifted Elle up onto the mare with one hand. They rode for 15 minutes until they reached Rosepond. As they got closer to the City of Flowers, they entered a field of many flowers: tulips, carnations, lilies, dahlias, any flower you could think of surrounded Rosepond.

When they arrived at the gate, he dismounted off of Pearl and walked her to the stable, he paid the stable worker 3 silver coins, and then went to Elle, “Let’s find something to ease those bruises shall we?” He held her hand as they went around town, until they found a potion shop. He entered and purchased a few potions, and a tube of Arnica ointment made from a flower of the same name revered for its bruise healing capabilities.

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

She chuckled at his joke about her condition returning home, and helped him break down camp. She packed the fried Turkey with the rest of their rations and then mounted the horse behind him.

As they traveled, Elle soaked in the beauty of their surroundings—ones she hadn’t been able to appreciate during her kidnapping. Rosepond…city of flowers…

They dismounted Pearl, the poor horse panting from the impossible task of carrying not just her, but him. They’d need to get another horse.

She felt the barbarian’s calloused fingers wrap around her hand, tiny in comparison, and blinked at the back of his head as he led her into the quaint city.

How casually he took the hand of Princess Sarelle, only daughter of King Saraphin, ruler of the Fae Realm. She smiled to herself at the luxury of such simplicity. A simplicity and familiarity she had not felt since childhood. One she sorely missed.

She watched Asvard as he went from one street to the next, noticing the confidence of his stride, and how most people stared not at her, but at him. And why wouldn’t they? The bear cloak was shocking enough, but the sheer size of him made him stick out like a sore thumb in even the most packed crowds—the perfect distraction for her to slip through her travels unnoticed.

When he took her into the potion shop and bought the Arnica for her bruises, she just stared up at him again, feeling oddly like a child being cared for. It was, again, a strange and long dormant feeling.

“Thank you,” she said as he handed her the tube. “I will be sure to repay you for all the expenses my rescue has incurred thus far.”

 

[Nico231]

He looked at her, “It’s of no consequence, as a Sterker I feel I must help my allies no matter what is wrong.” He put his hand on hers, “I would like you to pay for our nightly stay at the inn though.” He went to look at a map of the world in their store, and he stared at it for a solid minute.

“Where is your rendezvous point, anyway? I can plan a fast route to it.” After a while of calculating, he walked towards her and took her hand yet again. “Let’s buy some arrows for you so you don’t run out.” He walked with her to a bowyers shop. The shopkeeper popped up from under the counter and enthusiastically asked, “Hey there, what can I do for ya big guy? A new longbow? A half bow? Or mayb-“ Asvard stopped him there. “No, we just need some arrows, I’ll take 120.”

He paid the man 30 silver coins for them and after that stashed them in Elle’s quiver. “Wanna check out the inn?” He pointed to an inn called “Rose Inn” it was simple but said to be comfy.

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

Elle began to protest as he asked for 120 arrows—knowing an average quiver only held 20-30–but then he took his quiver from her and began loading the arrows in a handful at a time, where they disappeared like magic. When he handed it back to her, it felt and appeared as though it only held 10 arrows. When she drew one out, it still seemed to hold 10. She put the arrow back, and it still showed and weighed as much as ten arrows.

“An interdimensional quiver?” She lifted a darkened brow at him. “That’s rare in the human realm…”

He took her back into the streets and led toward an inn. “I’m afraid I have no money to pay for the inn…but I promise I am good for it once we reconnect with my party. Unless—” she stops, a sudden thought making her freeze. He couldn’t be asking her to pay in that way, could he?

 

[Nico231]

He looked at the quiver. “Oh yeah, I forgot it did that.” He had purchased it a while back, but couldn’t use a bow to save his life, so he forgot all about it. He sighed, “Eh, I can’t expect you to have the whole Fae treasury at your beck and call, you’re on a mission.”

He went inside with Elle and walked up to the counter. “One room for the night.” The innkeeper replied in a dull voice, “A single bed room will be 20 silver.” Asvard retorted, “What about two beds?” The innkeeper told him, “Only single rooms are available.” He smacked 20 coins on the counter, and took the key to room 109.

As he walked with her to room 109, he sighed, “I could only get us a single room, the rooms for two were taken already.” They reached door 109, and he unlocked it, holding the door for her to enter. The room had cream colored walls, a green carpet floor, a small table, and a single bed big enough for two.

“Let’s get some of the ointment on you to soothe your bruises, unless you don’t want me to apply it on you.” He didn’t want to overstep his boundaries and have the entire Fae Realm trying to kill him for touching their Princess.

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

Nodding her thanks as he paid for their room, she followed Asvard and dropped her pack on the table near the hearth. “Cozy,” she smirked, taking out some of the dried Turkey and offering him some.

She swallowed a few bites, then put the rest away when he offered to apply the ointment for her. She considered him a moment, then nodded, laying on the bed and removing her tunic so that he could find all the bruises on her torso and back. The fabric wrap remained secured around her chest.

Every so often, as he applied the ointment, she would wince or flinch, though he was surprisingly gentle. “Most of them have faded…I heal somewhat faster than most humans, as I’m sure you’ve heard of my kind.”

 

[Nico231]

He ate some before getting to work. He got some ointment on his hand and began to coat her arms, back, and torso in the bruise ointment. As he rubbed her skin, he said, “You have some smooth skin Elle.” To Asvard, it felt like a Fae’s skin without question.

When he finished applying the ointment, he said, “They should be gone by tomorrow.” He removed his cloak and sat on the bed. “My cloak really makes me stand out, huh?” He looked at it, the cloak of bear fur still had a head to serve as the hood, it’s mouth shut with teeth poking out.

“Where is your rendezvous point Elle? We need to get there as soon as possible, after all we know what they did to you... Imagine what could’ve happened to them.”

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

((And that's it for the adventures of Sarelle and Asvard in this thread. They may continue elsewhere, but feel free to hop back into the tavern and introduce your character. Perhaps some other adventurers will cross paths with you, and you can start your own adventure!))