A Lumen Ripple | An Elemental Story

Chapter 10 - Ashenwood

Earlier...

The door swung open, and with it swung the heads of its patrons. The Bar Elementus scene up in Ashenwood was a far cry from the quaintness of Aquatecture - and Wade would be none the wiser. It was loud, rowdy, and full of cussing as far as the ear could hear. Alas, he stood at the doorway as loud patrons stared in curiosity - like he was asking for trouble. Wade gently began walking in - a bell sounding at his entrance - bringing more stares his way. He slowly looked side to side with the sweats; a group of roughly six at the bar, another three playing a flaming game of pool, three leaning against the back wall smoking, and a barkeep.

Wade waddled further in like a child seeing such for the first time. He approached the bar, bubbling from all the fiery patrons heating the room like a sauna. The place fell dead quiet as he did, only adding fuel to their fires. He placed his hands on the bartop, accidentally spilling his water everywhere.

"Sorry-- sorry." he apologized vapidly.

The fiery folks at the bar grimaced as droplets sprayed everywhere, holding an arm up in avoidance. The atmosphere only drew darker as Wade was looked dead in the eyes by the barkeep.

"What can I do you for?" the barkeep inquired.

Wearing a razor-thin smile as fake as a mannequin, Wade began to sweat profusely, his notebook in hand shaking about. He cleared his throat, bobbing his head forward as he did.

"I'm Mr. Ripple. I'm a city inspector for Elementopia Central." he wimpily mingled.

He looked about in his peripheral vision, coming across the back corner smokers arming themselves with big wooden bats. Trying not to let it make him uncomfortable - though it most certainly did - he tried his best to remain composed.

"W- we have r- r- reason to b- believe th- that--" he stammered.

The room erupted with sniggering from all corners at the bumbling city inspector, causing him to create a puddle of sweat on the ground. He looked about, holding his notebook to his chest shakily.

"We have reason to believe that there are multiple violations of the business code." he spat out frantically.

Then and there, the bar erupted into laughter. The barkeep began to laugh along with the crowd, leaning back and folding his arms.

"Really?" he queried.

With a whirlpool inside his throat, Wade cleared it troublingly, quietly nodding. The barkeep could only guffaw at him in pity.

"You and who's army?" he menaced.

Slumping from the stress, Wade shuffled back a step or two, wary. His shakes stuck right by his side as he turned his body, ignorant to all the eyes on him as he tiptoed his way to the back of the house area.

The fire folk mustered the angriest glares as he did so - the barkeep going so far as to grab a concealed weapon to fend himself.

Alas, Wade bravely pressed on, shakes and all. He took a tight hold of his pen, looking from side to side as he entered the Back of House - or BOH - area. As he did, the eyes of many slowly stalked their way behind him.

If the exterior of Bar Elementus was nothing to look at, BOH was far less. A pungent stench of the elements coated each and every step Wade took, curling his nose in disgust. The floors were sticky, almost as if they themselves were sweating as much as he was. Molds ran rampant around him like feral children; perhaps the root of a majority of the stench. Broken glass painted the floors like it had no other choice. Wade had never seen anything like this, to say the least.