For All Things Eternal

Chapter 14

"Would you like a drink?" Aithlin said, tearing my thoughts away and drawing my gaze to him. "I think there is someone you need to see in the tavern." I tilted my head, confused but agreed as he led the way down the street a few blocks to the large tavern that sat right on the intersection of two connecting streets. It was absolutely packed with dhampir milling about and light peeked from many windows lining the three story building, illuminating the street that got darker with every passing minute. Music filtered into the street and the sound almost brought tears to my eyes. Almost.

I always loved music, to sing and dance like nothing else existed but the sound of it filtering through the air. Hearing it now, with my new and improved senses, made it seem like the music I'd been listening to all my life was nothing compared to the upbeat rhythm echoing out of the tavern. I wanted nothing more than to get lost in its beat, but the urge to sing and dance like I had before was gone. Replaced with a deep sorrow that quickly soured my tongue and made it very hard to follow Aithlin inside.

The moment we entered I was greeted by Leif's hearty laugh as he noticed us pushing through the crowd of dhampir lining the bar. "There she is! The woman of the hour!" He called above the music, drawing everyone's attention to us. He jumped onto the table he had been sitting at, earning a few annoyed glances from the dhampir sitting there, and raised a large pine of ale into the air, spilling it slightly. "A toast," he shouted, "To Leethil!" Everyone in the tavern raised their glasses with a loud cheer before Leif knocked back the pint, downing the rest of its contents quickly and spilling it down the front of his shirt.

It was all so overwhelming, the noise, the people, and I wasn't sure how much of this I could take before needing to find a quiet corner to take a moment to settle my nerves. Sensing this, Aithlin handed me a small glass and nodded to the stairs leading into the upper portion of the tavern. I took it with a small nod, the smell of spiced rum reaching my nose from the glass. He led the way up the stairs to a small table that overlooked the ground floor of the tavern, and I was pleased to find it was less crowded up here as we sat. I raised the glass to my lips when Aithlin glanced behind me with a grin.

I turned, wander who or what he was staring at and had to carefully set down the glass as my eyes found the blonde waitress standing a few tables away. Her thick lashes fell over her eyes and vibrant red lipstick covered her lips. A few piercings lined her rounded ears and she wore a dark apron around her hips. My jaw dropped and I almost lept from the table before Aithlin said quietly. "Her new name is Tonya. She won't remember you, but she was one of the few we were able to save during the raid." I didn't take my eyes off of her, studying her face like it was the first time I was seeing her although I have known her for years. She was my favorite bartender here at the tavern and everytime Corym, Sylvie and I would come in she would demand to be our server. Her and Sylvie were pretty close, I was more of a third wheel but I still considered her one of the people I called friends. She was never rude to me like the other townspeople and I respected her for that.

"Tonya." I whispered, "That actually suits her well." I watched her finish with the table and walk back down the stairs, pushing through the crowd with grace as she aimed for the bar. "Who else made it?" I asked, unable to take my eyes off her as a small spark of hope lit in my chest that my sister and Averen might actually be alive. "Including Tonya, there were about five who weren't infected yet. Two young elves, a human and a halfling."

Five. Five people out of hundreds here in Andarius were the only ones left. My heart sank as I realized none of the descriptions matched Averen and Sylvie and I tore my eyes away from Tonya to stare down at my glass. That spark of hope extinguished leaving me feeling numb as I wondered just how many had survived in the previous towns, and just how many they had been through before reaching here. The weight on my chest was almost unbearable and I swirled the amber liquid, watching it lap against the edges of the glass.