Valtava: Dragon Sword

Chapter 11

"Morning Tony! Morning Stephen!" Uncle Ralph greeted as the two youngsters entered the dining hall.

"Good morning, Uncle Ralph!" They met the gaze of Madam Colipan, who was also sitting in the room. "Good morning, Madam Colipan."

"Did you two have a good night's sleep?" she asked in a gentle voice.

"Yes, thank you for caring for us," Tony responded. As they seated themselves, a servant set down bowls of soup onto the table in front of each of them.

"This is the lotus seed soup. We have the best chefs in the city so I hope you can be nourished back to health for your journey home," Madam Colipan said.

"Thank you for being so thoughtful, Madam Colipan," Tony said. He looked around the room and noticed one person was missing. "Madam, is Ada joining us for breakfast?"

"I've already checked on her this morning, she is not too well and I told her to stay in bed."

"Ada is not well?" Stephen repeated, distraught. He turned to Tony and said, "We should go take a look at her after breakfast. She is getting me a bit worried."

Before Tony could respond, Madam Colipan interjected, "It's better for her to have some time alone to rest. Didn't you two say you wanted to explore the city? I can send some guards to accompany you out."

Recalling that he had planned to search for Katerlina's whereabouts, Tony replied, "That would not be a bad idea. But I don't know if we need guards with us...Elonia seems like quite a peaceful place."

Uncle Ralph said, "Haha, you are not wrong. But since you have important duties ahead of you, it's better to be safe than sorry. I will send a few of our guards but not enough to make a scene."

Tony and Stephen nodded. "Thank you, Uncle Ralph." They finished their breakfast and headed outside with a few men behind them dressed in light armour. By now, all of the city goers were up and about, browsing the vendors lining the streets. Tony and Stephen were fascinated by the never-ending varieties of goods, but they felt a need to restrain their demeanors as they were constantly being watched.

Stephen cleared his throat, signaling Tony to get his attention. "How are we supposed to find any clues about Katerlina with all these guards behind us?" he whispered under this breath.

"I'm trying to survey the people to see if anyone would fit her description. But I'm not exactly sure what I am looking for, to be frank," Tony muttered.

Stephen peeked around and observed the guards from the corner of his eyes, watching them closely. They soon reached a tavern from which a strong smell of beer drifted, and Stephen stopped the group in their tracks. He hollered to the guards, "Hey brothers, what do you think of getting some drinks? I'm sure you'd all like a nice break and refreshments!"

The guards exchanged glances, trying to control their craving. One responded, "We are here to protect you, not go partying."

"Oh come on, what are the chances you get asked to enjoy beer?" Stephen pulled Tony into the tavern, and the guards had no choice but to follow. A waiter greeted them and gestured for them to sit down at a round table.

"Beer for eight! Bring the best drinks you have," Stephen exclaimed.

Tony nudged him and asked, "Hey, do you have coins? It's going to be a lot of beer for all of them."

"Did I say I was paying?" Stephen said with a quirky grin. Flustered, Tony could only follow along with Stephen's intentions. The waiter brought eight large glasses of beer to the table, spreading them amongst the group. The guards all took a gulp and were immediately enthralled by the captivating taste of the drinks. Tony, on the other hand, almost gagged with his first sip as it was not the flavour he was used to.