---------------Afternoon of 25th day inElth--------------
To say that Dörk missed his old home was not a total aberration. In the seven years since he'd left Elth, he'd occasionally thought of returning permanently but oh the roads called. Plus his political and negative affairs with the church in this town were not exactly in his favor. Yes, mouthing out loud the knuckleheads in charge and calling priests liers who claimed miracles. Bla bla bla bla!
"Eeh... I missed this bed." Waking up in his old bed, he was glad he'd made a few modifications to keep the place itself clean. Too bad it wasn't the same for the food in the fridge. Picking up his clothes and pulling on his boots he walked back out into the city streets, leaving his scroll behind for now.
"Good afternoon." greets a slightly flushed young lady carrying a basket.
Sweet kid. Good thing her dad won't get turned midnight snack. Or her. Following the road downtown, Dörk was now looking for a tavern. Down on the road ,he crossed some vendor's stalls and couldn't resent the apples on sale. "As the size of a egg and red. My favorite. Three please."
"One copper." The old wizard pulls out as if from nowhere and passes the coin to the seller. Dörk rummages through the crate for some more promising fruit. "Hey! Stop raking my apples! "the man says, shrewdly.
"Easy, man. I'm just grabbing some to eat on my way. Good Lords.." Dörk sighs. Leaving the vendor behind and enjoying one of the apples. If I remember correctly... he stops when reaches his old favorite spot in town. Olivia's Tavern. The continent's finest stew, woHO!
In Dörk's recollection the place used to be fresher, but then again, he hadn't been here in seven years. Plants in the glass window by the road and a few lethal adornments like swords and various stuffed animals like raccoons, deer and even a bear. "Same old same old but dustier" he shrugs " Now where's my favorite couple in town?!"
A few customers patronized but none turned to acknowledge the wizard, among them a waitress who seemed hesitant to confront Dörk, only becauset he sounded peculiar to her. Who is that weird old man? "Hello and welcome. Would you like a table?" she asked, sweat dropping.
Dörk smiles. "Is Olivia around? I'm an old friend just passing in town. Tell her ' Big D' is in the house. Okay?" he smiles at the barmaid and hands her a tip.
The woman pursues her profession." Sure, I'll call her in a minute. Would you like something to drink or something to eat?" she asks.
The wizard sits down at one of the smaller tables. "You got stew? And a mug of ale please." He grins like an idiot.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Across the counter was a pretty but clearly middle-aged lady, wearing a knee-length short yellow dress with a red apron, pouring beer for customers. "Look here, honey! Drink all you want!" in reply, the man nods with a smile at the hostess.
"You know...when I showed up for a visit, I never thought I'd end up fixing your fridge." Dörk was momentarily on his knees behind a metal cabinet. One of the coolest inventions of the last 25 years for the simple man. "Lucky for you I offer a friends discount."
Olivia laughs. "My soup should be enough. I packed you some." she taps over a tin can. " Besides, you're the best at this. The guy said he'd be here in a week, and you...you're already here." Olivia then sits in a chair down next to her old wizard friend. And smacks him over the head again. "So where have you been all these years? I hope you haven't turned vagabond and just traveled around in wagons."
Dörk rubs his back of his head roughly. "Occasionally now and then when I travel. It's not the worst thing to do." But the man stops talking and prepares to defend himself from another blow. "But, you know, I have my own house. And, uh, and I reopened my store." That last part prevents Olivia from emasculating Dörk again. Shortly after the brief silence, Dörk reinstates the last rune on the fridge magic baseplate. "Five gold coin please." and he gets a kick in his side.
"The other guy was to charge three, you dickhead! You get nothing from me!" she barks angrily.
The wizard shed anime tears. "Ok ok ok! Jeez can't man joke with you." Dörk gets up and shakes the dust off his pants. "That'll last about... eight years. You're welcome." he says with a fiery smile.
Olivia just simply stares at him and hugs him. "Thanks D." holding him tightly she shakes him a little. "I missed you, you know?" and lets go. Again. "Where you're going this time?"
"South on the battlefield." to that Olivia just slapped him right over his face, and was about to hang him herself. "I knew you were just gonna do that! And take it easy! I feel old today."
At that Olivia just sighed nervously. "That's because you're, you're... an old fuck that's what you are ! At your age you're going to war? You've never been to war!" Dörk's stupidity was giving Olivia a migraine, thus pinching the bridge of her nose. But also because she was terrified and depressed. She exhales, sort of cooling her smoldering nerves. "D, why in Gods name are you going there for?"
He straightened his shirt. "Dear Olivia, my skills aren't just fixing refrigerators, you know?"
She snickers in amusement. "Isn't that what you've been doing for the last 20 years?" At this Dörk snaps his neck at her.
"Naha! I've done other things! I've traveled and you know I'm officially an adventurer!" he says and coughs twice. "Just because I have a side income doesn't mean I'm any less of a true adventurer!" flexes his biceps.
Olivia subtly slips through his guard and pecks him on the cheek, making Dörk whimper for a second. "Are you sure you haven't died by now? Many times over?" and she just offers a fragile look. "Just don't do anything stupid, okay?" but the man doesn't make eye contact and says nothing. Just Olivia pulls his ear. "Promise?"
Dörk sighs with embarrassment. "Auch, auch! Ok I promise on my heart and my friends that I won't do anything to endanger myself or my comrades in arms. Ok?"
"You barely have any friends..." she rolls her eyes.
Dörk just nudges her in the shoulder. "I got you, you old goat." And it's followed by a frying pan smashing him over the skull.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Chewing another apple, the Dörk the wizard now sat on a bench in the more fancy level of the city. The place was decorated with few flourishes and was wide open to the sky, where every object including the bench was elegantly engraved. The fountain in particular had a few people trying to kill some sort of snake monster from whose mouth sprayed water.
"Oversized cock" he speaks of the monster. He turns toward the road, following the well-dressed men and the women in dresses, either the ladies of the house or some of their servants. Scratching his mustache, he sees Danny the lieutenant walking down some stone stairs. " Slept well, buddy?"
Danny sighs heavy. "Not at all. Not even a nap." He was out of uniform, probably along with all the other guards that had taken part in the hunt last night. He wore a black shirt and black pants, in respect for his comrades who had died last night. " Anyway, I brought you what you wanted." he jiggles a bag of cloth. Coin.
Dörk smiles eagerly to the sound of gold. "Thaaank youu." he says and slides the bag up his left sleeve, virtually making it disappear. A simple wave of his right hand, Dörk pulls out of air his last apple. "Want some?"
Danny would likely be moved if his friend hadn't pulled the trick a thousand times before. "Yeah. I'll take it." he passes him the fruit. "Perfect color." he says eyeing it before biting it in half. "You're leaving in a hurry?" he says between munchies.
The wizard shrugs. "Afraid so...A little earlier than I thought."
Chewing another apple, the Dörk the wizard now sat on a bench in the more fancy level of the city. The place was decorated with few flourishes and was wide open to the sky, where every object including the bench was elegantly engraved. The fountain in particular had a few people trying to kill some sort of snake monster from whose mouth sprayed water.
"Oversized dick" he speaks of the monster. He turns to the road, following the well-dressed men and the women in dresses, either the ladies of the house or some of their servants. Scratching his whiskers, he sees Danny, the lieutenant walking down some stone stairs. "Slept well, buddy?"
Danny sighs heavy. "Not at all. Not even a nap." Right now he was out of uniform, probably along with all the other guards that had taken part in the 'hunt' last night. He wore a black shirt and black pants, in respect for his fallen men who had died last night. " Anyway, I brought you what you wanted." he jiggles a bag of cloth. Coin.
Dörk smiles eagerly to the sound of gold. "Thaaank youu." he says and slides the bag up his left sleeve, virtually making it disappear. A simple wave of his right hand, Dörk pulls out of air his last apple. "Want some?"
Danny would likely be moved if his friend hadn't pulled the trick a thousand times before. "Yeah. I'll take it." he passes him the fruit. "Perfect color." he says eyeing it before biting it in half. "You're leaving in a hurry?" he says between munchies.
The wizard shrugs. "Afraid so...A little earlier than I thought. I just want us to arrive faster to properly synchronize with the troops."
He then returns to Dörk. "Don't you have time for a drink?"
The wizard grunts. "'Oh, I want to, but I can't. To show up with a hangover will be the pinnacle of my nonsense!" he laughs broadly.
Danny clicks his tongue. "I thought you might change your mind if I drank with you. Like old times." and he exhales mournfully. "D, why? Why can't you sit it down, you're old, we're old! We're not in our prime anymore. Could you... pff... I don't know." followed by another apple bite.
Dörk just lies back. "You and I have our own thing you know. What keeps us going, stubborn and on our feet in the midst of hustles, sometimes I may say trouble." he chuckles and leans closer. "Neither of us like being cut out of loop for too long. It just itches under the skin not to stay in the dark. You like being a lieutenant in prison. Beating people for intel about what's going on in town. Not answering straight to the short-dicked wimps and punks in charge. You're in your game."
"I'm not like that anymore, D, people can change." Danny says with a little shame in his voice. "Protecting the city NOW means protecting its citizens, and protecting the citizens means also not hurting the inmates." he finishes the apple and throws the stump through the grass. "I've changed but I haven't left."
The wizard just folds his hands. "I'm... I'm sorry." but he doesn't elaborate further. He gets up and kicks his friend in the leg. "It's boring sitting down. I'm going to the other losers, wanna come?"
Danny chuckles and gets up. "I'll join you, because I know for a fact you don't remember where Miss Nyx is."
"Pff...jackass.." Dörk clicks his tongue.