Dun’va

First parts of my newly started fantasy short story. If you find yourself reading it and liking it, please do leave me some feedback, it means a lot to me.

*Be warned*. I rarely offer anything on a silver platter. You will find yourself thrown inside one of my worlds completely, think of it as tho you fell asleep and found yourself in a very strange dream. You will need to keep reading to discover all the mysteries and lore behind names, places and characters. Hope you enjoy!

*The making of this story was inspired by conversing with Sahm and a picture his wonderfull lady Blu found.

http://cghub.com/images/view/89229/

A rather silent death of a day was enveloping, tucked within the murmurs of the batting feet, an isolated silence flirting with the dust of the cobblestone so voraciously and fiery, like two lovers parting and ending their share of passion timid with hunger. They have been walking the town for hours, giving way too much of their precious time to the rustic landscape, old facades, eager merchants, gluttony and ruffling dresses and smiles of the denizen women. At least that’s what Purnis thought. She tightened her long, brown braid, shook the dust of her long, simple magenta dress, fixed her collar and took a deep breath before turning around to find her companions.

As she expected, her eyes met with a sight of all three of them carelessly lollygagging, this time observing a wooden-puppet theater depicting what she could distinct to be some kind of a dance of poorly dressed ladies stirred around in circles by a man behind a small ripped up curtain and followed by a sleazy tune of a pocket harmonica wielded by a young, dirty looking lad standing right next to the whole ensemble, dressed in rags.. She expected this from Thasic, but the rest as well? Laughing in such a moment, without a care in the world and Thasic is even dancing! For the twentieth time today she felt like she is the only one holding in her mind the real purpose of stirring their journey to the city of Dol. She straightened her back, reassuring herself her long, oak staff was still strapped in its place and proceeded to yell:

“If you three do not start moving right now, I am continuing alone!”

Eritai hurried towards her, looking downwards not to meet with the angry gaze of her eyes. He stood next to her, like a child after getting caught disobeying his mother.

“Sheesh, who pinched your gluteus and made you all sour?”,  Thasic said with a grin, tossing a silver coin into the hat at the musician’s feet.

“Our journey brought us here for a reason Thasic and as I recall that reason was not entertainment. If anyone is to be blamed for my mood, it is you.”

“This is your first time in Dol, I was merely trying to acquaint you with the wonders of the city.”

“We have been walking for hours Thasic.” , Led said, “And the heat can be rather cruel to a tired lady.”

“Thank you Led, we have been walking for hours, rather aimlessly, that it makes me wonder does Thasic even know where we are supposed to go, as he claims so boldly!”

“I could carry you, m’lady.” , Eritai squeezed through his lips with a trembling voice, his glare still fixated on not meeting Purnis’s face at any cost.

“Don’t be silly, I can walk just fine myself. Shall we start moving then?”

“Yes, where is this tavern of yours Thasic?”

“It is right at the end of this street. We will turn left at the leather vendor; I simply gotta take you to Meona’s bakery. That women makes one hell of a boar pie, it tastes like a…”

“NO!”, three voices yelled out like a well tuned choir of violins.

“Fine, fine, straight to the tavern it is.”, Thasic proclaimed with disappointment and took the lead, slowly walking towards the west, scratching his beard and murmuring his lament for the pie.

Walking behind the rest of his fellowship, Led checked the inner pocket of his cloak. He ruffled the onyx stones, an uneasy feeling stirring in his gut. He wondered whether he should tell his companions about the dream that was plaguing him even before they all banded together and how terribly worrying it is that everything he saw in his slumber was slowly coming true.

“We have enough on our hands already.”, he thought, “Besides, my power is growing, maybe I will be able to change things… It is all because of her.” He looked at Purnis , engulfed by the sight of her delicate posture, a wildness restrained in sweet, fragile femininity. He struggled against an impulse to untie the ribbons tying her dress, in a bow on her back, with the will of his mind. Eritai’s voice broke his concentration.

“How do we know the demon will be in the tavern Thasic?”

“It’s simple, lad. There is no other place in the city where he could be.”

“What do you know about this demon, Thasic?”, Purnis asked with curiosity.

“Nothing more then what the scroll told us, I’m afraid. Tho, one thing I am sure, he is no different then his brethren. It will not be an easy task getting him to give us the stone. Ah, there’s the tavern!”

A huge, rectangular crag alehouse was bursting with noise a dozen steps in front of them. Light was shining through the dust blurred windows, breaking out to meet the last shimmers of the dusk, before becoming a beacon for the regular traveler patrons. Two guards in full armor were standing on each side of the tavern door, views lost in the distance, boiling inside their metal shells making them look furious.  At the street’s end, harsh grass was marking its land, stretching out to a forest sparse enough not to give shelter to wandering bandits and scamps yet looking alluring enough to walk through. The two guards seemed to not even blink, never care to look around or at the folk passing. There was nobody near the tavern’s entrance; everyone was scurrying at a distance that felt like far enough not to be mistaken for intentions and curiosity.

“Erm, Thasic?”

“What?”, the dwarf replied instantly, almost as tho he was expecting a question.

“Why are there guards in front of the tavern?”

“Is there danger in this part of town? Should I ready my daggers?”, Eritai asked, in a tone in which it was impossible to discern excitement from fear.

“No need for weaponry lad.”, Thasic said, gently stroking the blade of the axe hanging on his waist, “There are however some tiny details I may have forgotten to mention.”

“I KNEW IT!”, Purnis shouted, tugging her dress, her forehead wrinkling in anger.

“What is it that we need to know?”, Led inquired calmly.

“You see, companions, this is not exactly a simple tavern.”

“What do you mean?”, Purnis asked, anxious to know the details of their journeys next downfall.

“It is a magical tavern you see. Nobody knows who built it, nobody knows who runs it or who makes their ale and beverages and not just anybody can get in.”, he paused, awaiting Purnis to interrupt him with another question, crackling towards him from her lips. To his surprise, she was listening with full attention, fixated and absorbing every word. He fixed the lining of his leggings and continued:

“Legend says, that during one night, while the Black Tower War was raging through the land, the tavern just appeared, right at the end of this street. Many folks think it is a tavern wandered here from another plane, how and why, they do not know, but many think it is because the city of Dol suffered greatly during the war. If you did not hear already, the city was ravaged, denizens slaughtered, hanged or left to starve. When the first warriors returned to get their wounds treated, they were greeted with a sight of nothing but ruins and blood. They did not even have the time to mourn the loved ones they lost, the Black Tower Legions marched through the city once again and slaughtered them too.” Thasic’s voice was getting gripped in his throat by sadness, his mind infested by the memories of fighting the Legions with his two brothers. He coughed, summoning back his composure.

“Those lads were the sons. Their fathers, after successfully repressing the Legions from this area of the land, returned to find their homes and lives turned into a graveyard. Vacant, burned buildings stood like monuments of Gol’k itself. Having nothing left, the fathers picked up their weapons and stormed the Hightower of the Legion in Galdon. Driven by the thirst for vengeance, they slaughtered all the Legion, hardly losing anyone of their own. After defeating their enemies and seeing the war was rapidly turning to the favor of good, they considered their part of justice and battle ended and began marching towards the sea, with intention to drown. By some luck, a traveling caravan passed them and offered them ailment. Everyone was looking out to see the brave warriors. Soon, shouts of love echoed on the road. The women and children of each warrior were magically alive, having escaped Dol before the legions destroyed it. The warriors, with tears of joy and their families, returned to Dol, with the desire to rebuild it and restore its honor. What met them upon arrival was this tavern. In a desire to celebrate and thinking some hardworking soul was already working on the city restoration, they marched inside. One of the warriors noticed the sign above the door. “Dun’va” it said. He took out a dagger from his robes and carved on it “Our ale is the tears of our enemies”, then went in to join his war-brothers. The sign is still there, look!”

Everyone quickly looked towards the tavern’s door and it was just like Thasic told: the word, the carving.

“What happened to the warriors Thasic?”, Eritai asked, amused by the lore he just discovered.

“They vanished. For a long time, their wives were searching for them, inquiring every living soul. Nobody saw them. They went to the tavern many times, its entry under the vigilant eyes of those, I could swear, same guards standing there now. They were not allowed inside. They wept and pleaded to be let in, demanded to know where their spouses are and what became of them. The guards would only tell them the warriors are no longer inside. They tried to send the children, but same answers were given. One by one they were agreeing the terror of war and murder must have taken their minds, they must have fled and left them, unable to bear returning to a life of peace after the horrible things they’ve seen. After three full journeys of the Sun, a man in rags was spotted on the outskirts of the city. The town folk rushed to him. A young lady screamed of joy upon recognizing her father. As it turns, the man was one of the warriors. Old and tired, his memory did not serve him well and neither did his mind. He told that the tavern is a place of magic and that once you get in you cannot return. He could not remember what happened to the others and where he had been for so long. He never remembered and he died after living in restored Dol for a very short time.”

“What does this exactly mean, Thasic?”

“I have heard other stories. The tavern is a portal.”

“A portal? To where?”

“That is the mysterious part. It is a portal to anywhere and nowhere. Once you enter the tavern, you can drink, you can eat, dance or rest, but you can never leave through the door you entered, the one we are eyeing. When you want to leave there is another door that you must take. Once you step through it, you go somewhere, each soul to a different place, perhaps even a different plane or time, who knows. I have heard a good story tho. A friend of my friend entered and after a night of wild ale drinking exited. He knew the legend of the place yet still went. Much to his joy, when he stepped out through the other door he found himself in the basement of a butcher’s house in Kelwik, hugging a skinned pig. He never went back to the tavern tho, you know what they say “Never test a dwarf’s luck twice!”. Damn lucky dwarf he was!”

“What are we going to do?”

“Let’s think about that after we enter. My mouth is dry after all this talking and I have no doubts the demon will want to converse as well. I could really use an ale or four to refresh myself.”

 TO BE CONTINUED