Chronicles

Quest Part One

Three fingers beat a steady rhythm against the wooden table. The fingers belonged to a warrior in dark grey armor. That creaked as he shifted upon his stool. He let out a frustrated sigh and asked aloud.

"Where is he?" He said. His companions didn't respond. One of them, a man in ranger's garb took a long draft from his Tankard. While the other was a mage, studied a sheet of paper from a tall stack before him. While not as heavily armored as the warrior, they both exuded a powerful aura. A barmaid coasted through the sea of tables coming to stop by theirs. She set two tankards down, leaving as quickly as she arrived.

The candle flickered in the center of the table. The stool next to the Warrior was suddenly filled with a figure in a pitch black cloak. His wavy black hair was pulled into a low ponytail. Two lock escaping to curl along his forehead, shadowing dark rimmed emerald eyes. Those eyes looked between the shock face of the warrior, the uneasy ranger, and the relaxed mage.

"Do you have to do that? I feel as if death has walked through me." The Warrior's Gruff voice said, as he took a huge gulp from his tankard to warm himself.

"What do you expect, Ren, the devil and I walked hand in hand." The dark paladin said. The table stiffen until the Paladin chuckled put them at ease. The mage shook his head,  picking up another page from his stack. Ren gave the paladin a light shove

"What took you so long?" He accused. The Paladin staggered from the warrior's strength. Righting himself, the Paladin replied tersely, "I was being followed."

He hailed the barmaid who bustled over.The mage's head shot up his gaze grew dark.

"Do you know who?" he asked, eyes slowly searching the tavern's patrons. The Paladin waved away his concern.

"Just a couple of thieves, Alphius, none the wiser of the item's location." The Paladin said, receiving a tankard from the barmaid with a nod of thanks. The Ranger, Belar, paused his tankard half raised to his lips.

"You have it?" He asked, his eyes widening in disbelief. The Dark Paladin smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"Was there ever any doubt?" He said. The others immediately responded in Unison, "Yes."

The Paladin grumbled, reaching into his cloak but Alphuis slashed a hand through the air. "Not here." he said in hushed tones, as the barmaid made her way back to their table.

The Paladin nodded, giving the barmaid a rueful grin as he ordered dinner and another round of drinks for the table. Alphius kindly refused the offer causing Belar to turned towards the mage.

" When was the last time you drank Alphuis?" He asked. The mage didn't reply immediately. He watched two swirls of white magic dance between his fingertips. Then spoke,

"Not since my apprenticeship. You know the drink takes away my magic. I'll never forget that feeling of emptiness. It's not worth the simple desire of a drink." Alphuis said.

Ren leaned forward, his armor creaking in protest.

"Surely it was your youth, friend. It would not disappear with your current strength." he said. A small smile of appreciation graced the Alphius's face and said, " Thank you, Renfreed, but I'll not take that chance."

The Warrior groaned, "stop using my full name. It's Ren." The Warrior said, wringing his hands in mock despair. The group chuckled at that.

However Belar ended the merriment with his next question.

"What next?" He asked instinctively turning towards Alphius. The mage looked at each of his companions in turn.

"Next, we leave at first light. I will not take the chance those followers were just thieves." He said. The group nodded its consent and finished their meal before retiring to their rooms.

As they departed up the long stairs, one of the tavern's patrons shoved his companion.. "Was that the Guild Masters I just saw?" He asked. His companion looked up from the rim of his large tankard. He swayed slightly upon his stool, holding the tankard like a lifeline.

"Can't be." he said, with a slight slur.

"Why would the four Masters meet so far... so far away from the capital? How do you know them, you've never even step foot... foot in the capital?" his friend accused taking a long pull from his tankard. His friend bristled at the accusation, giving his companion a hearty shove. The man swayed dangerously before tipping off the chair, to the raucous laughter of the other patrons.