Regal |Fantasy Ryden AU| DISCONTINUED

-16-

Gerard and Mikey happily provided the quartet with a luxurious midnight buffet of beef stew, turkey legs, bread, and cheese when they returned to the inn.  The innkeeper wasn't very pleased with their large order of food at such a late hour, but he couldn't complain.  The two brothers paid him well, and he had their plates ready within twenty minutes.

The delectable smell of all the food permeated the still, warm air of the quiet tavern.  The torches on the walls faintly crackled as the six sat down to eat, all the while the frigid wind howled through the tree branches outside.  It was as miserable as ever in Dracden, but inside Neverwood Inn, it couldn't have been cozier, especially after the trauma they'd just been through in that cave.

It took a long while for the quartet to regain their appetite.  Witnessing the horrors of those deranged vampires and everything that came with them was enough to make a grown man cry himself to sleep, but the steam wafting off the hot stew eventually coaxed them to eat.  They needed all the strength they could get after an event like that.

While they ate, they discussed what was next for them in their adventure.  As promised, Gerard and Mikey were going to help the quartet through the remainder of Dracden.  They were set to leave at sunrise, so the two brothers urged them to eat quickly and get to sleep as soon as they could.  They didn't reveal much about what they could possibly encounter on their travels, but the four decided it was best to not ask.  With two experienced and intelligent fighters on their side, surely they could handle any trouble that the journey threw at them.

Ryan was the first to finish his food.  He'd left a considerable amount on his plate, but he couldn't bring himself to eat it all.  His stomach was inflated; his eyelids grew heavy as he pushed his chair back to rise to his aching feet.

"I'm going back to the room,"  he announced.  He barely recognized his own scratchy, exhausted voice.  "Goodnight."

Everyone at the table returned his comment with matching defeat as he lumbered back to their room with the single king-sized bed.

The wooden door closed behind him with a gentle click and sealed him away in blissful silence.  He closed his eyes, leaned back against the bumpy wood, let out the biggest sigh he could muster up.  He had survived the fight with the vampires, but those bloodthirsty monsters took all of his strength with them.  He wasn't sure if he would be able to go on at the pace Gerard and Mikey were talking about.

His fingers still twitching from the rush of paralyzing adrenaline, Ryan sat down on the edge of the bed and let his heavy head fall into his hands.  It was just all too much for him.  He thought he was capable of handling anything the Fates had in store, but it pained him to realize that he was sorely mistaken.

If a nest full of crazed vampires was only their first obstacle, the idea of something even worse blocking their next path made his skin crawl.

Another trembling breath rattled through his tight chest as the door creaked open again.  Golden light from the crackling torch flames pooled onto the floor and shadowed Brendon's face as he poked his head in.

"Oh, good, you're still awake,"  the prince said, sliding into the quiet room and shutting the door behind him.

"Barely,"  Ryan remarked with a tired smile.  He tried to sit up, tried to combat the burning exhaustion of his muscles, but he could only manage a lethargic slouch.  "Why?  Do you need something?"

Hesitation glinted in the prince's eyes, made his lips stiffen into a straight line.  "Not exactly,"  he started slowly, uncertainly.  His hands were clasped behind his back, and all of a sudden the floor seemed much more interesting than anything else in the room.  "I actually wanted to talk to you about something."