Page 7 of Potions & Pints
“You’re joking,” the elf finally uttered. “This is one of those jokes you’re always making, right?”
It has to be, he thought. No one would be foolish enough to head to Gamlin Ait willingly. The settlement of humans was fearsome enough.
Strip the magic out of a population, Tan thought, almost shuddering,and it’s no wonder they’re not known for their hospitality.
He was certain Vir couldn’t possibly be serious about going there. But when Vir shook his head, still smiling, Tan felt something clench tightly in his stomach.
“No joke,” said the orc. “Though I’m glad you enjoy my humor ordinarily,” he added, beaming.
“I didn’t say that,” replied Tan.
“But you meant it,” Vir quipped back just as quickly.
Tir tried his best not to crack a smile at this. He wanted to tell Vir just what a terrible idea going to Gamlin Ait would be, and he couldn’t do that if he was wasting time on banter. Instead of smiling he sighed heavily
“I know that place,” he said, hoping with a fervor that seemed strange, even to him, that Vir would take his warning seriously.
“It’s the most dangerous of the Manisles — and that’s saying a lot for that region. Not only that, but your ship will have to pass through the Heaving Sea to get there. You must have heard the stories — no one can pass safely without a human on board. Everyone else dies a horrible, watery death.”
Images of ships getting sucked into whirlpools or else entirely capsized, flooded his mind. He’s been a sailor and a pirate long enough to know never to venture near that part of the world.
Vir was starting to frown a little but to Tan, he still seemed unconvinced.
“It’s not just the sea. Even if you do make it there,” Tan continued, still disproportionately concerned about the orc. “Nothing good awaits you. There are elf-eating spiders, cannibalistic tribes of half-giants, bloodthirsty water elves. It’s a nightmare — you can’t tell me you have any good reason to walk into a place like that, can you?”
At this though, Tan noticed Vir’s eyes suddenly light up.
“As a matter of fact, I do.” A proud smile suddenly crossed the orc bard’s face and Tan was sure nothing good could come next.
“What does every bard need to do his job well?” Vir asked, his eyes suddenly twinkling with something like excitement.
Tan frowned. “I don’t know, a lute?”
Vir practically burst out laughing at this and Tan couldn’t help but enjoy the sound of it, even if concern was still nibbling at his mind.
“Try again,” the orc said, once he’d recovered.
“Uh… a stage?” Tan guessed. He wasn’t really in the mood for riddles, but Vir seemed to be enjoying himself at least.
“No, silly,” Vir replied cheerfully, laughing again. “Stories! Adventure! Life experience!”
As he spoke, he swung his arms in grand gestures, almost taking out a couple of Lurgans as he did so. Most of them simply smiled and went on their way, far too polite to complain.
“If I want to be a real bard,” Vir continued once he made sure he hadn’t hurt anyone. “I can’t stay here in Lurg. It’s lovely and all — but maybe a bit too lovely.
“I’m tired of writing my songs and stories from the pages of history books — I need to go out there and live some of these stories myself so I can come back and tell the people of what I’ve seen. I need something a little more exciting than this place.”
Tan shook his head, still incredulous that anyone would think of Gamlin Ait as an exciting adventure rather than what it really was — certain death. He also wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about being called ‘silly’ like that. He decided not to think too hard about that one.
The elf tried to find something else to say, something else to convince Vir that this was a terrible idea. It quickly became apparent that he didn’t have to. In the silence, Vir appeared to have been thinking over their conversation too.
“But…” Vir said slowly, his smile melting for a moment into a look of thoughtfulness. “If you say it’s dangerous, maybe…”
Tan got the distinct feeling his words of warning were finally starting to sink in and he finally released some of the tension that had coursed through his body since the moment Vir mentioned his absurd plan.
“Oh!” the orc suddenly cried, frightening an elf woman walking by for a moment. “What about Sunfall? I heard some sailors talking about it. I don’t think there are any ships headed for that part of Lameria any time soon, but you’re a sailor — maybe you could take me there? If we could find a ship, would you help me?”
He shot Tan an ingratiating smile but the elf just shook his head again, a small scowl finding its way to his lips.
