The Troll War

Chapter Five - Black Pool

It had been several suns since Charred had sent Maniac with a message for King Potts, and Charred was beginning to think the stupid bat had gotten lost, or was killed by castle guards. But he sat and waited drinking some sort of bat ale that tasted terrible, but generally by the third or fourth mug it didn't taste so bad. Of course, by then he really couldn't taste much of anything.

Slamming his tankard on the table, "Bring me another one!"

With a smile the bat waitress comes over, gives a deep bow, and in a sickly-sweet voice dripping with sarcasm, "Dear King Charred, haven't you had enough of our ale? Why don't you have something to eat first, or relax with a nap."

Charred starts to get up, but falls back down in his chair too drunk to stand, "NO! Bring me another ... (hic) tankard of ale."

Backing away, the waitress in the same sarcastically sweet voice, "Yes your Kingship, as you have ordered, I will obey." In short order she returns with another tankard, puts it in front of Charred, and quietly backs away. Charred reaches for the tankard but misses, then with both hands he slowly surrounds the tankard and grabs it. With very shaky hands he lifts the tankard towards his mouth, spilling some of the ale, but eventually finds his mouth and takes a big drink, downing close to half of the tankard.

As he sits there, his eyes loose some focus and he starts seeing double. He shakes his head to try and get rid of the double vision, but it doesn't work. He happens to notice a bat standing in front of him, with a very slurred voice, "(burp), I said I wanted another tankard!" Then more to himself, "Where's that fool messenger I sent to old sissy-pants."

The bat in front of him hands the scroll to him, but Charred is simply too drunk to get it right away. He finishes what is left in the tankard, puts it down, then using both hands grabs the scroll away from the bat. Opening it and looking at, but can't make out what it says; the words are blurry and he now sees three of everything. Shoving it to the bat, and now in a slurred and jerking voice, "Here,

You read it to me." As the bat reads what King Potts has written, many of the bats near him start to chuckle, but Charred doesn't hear it . . . for that matter, he can't comprehend what the bat is reading to him, his mind is so obliterated by the ale. He puts his head down and passes out into a deep drunken stupor. The bat puts the scroll under Charred's elbow as the entire bar erupts into hysterical laughter. The bat shakes his head and walks away laughing.

The next sun Charred wakes up with a headache so painful he briefly considers having someone take off his head. Instead, he calls over a waitress, "I need something for a severe headache." lays his head down, and goes to sleep. As the sun approaches its high point Charred wakes up and looks around. Seeing a fresh tankard in front of him, he takes it and starts to down it, then suddenly he spits it out, "What is this? Water?"

The waitress approaches, "Yes sire, it is water to take the herbs with. For your headache."

He looks down and sees a powdery pile on a large leaf beside where the tankard had rested, "Oh." He then picks up the leaf and pours the powder into his mouth and downs it with some water. Looking at the waitress, "Now bring me some ale."

Her face turned to concern, "Sire, that potion and our ale do not make a good combination, you really need to have more water and rest awhile so it can take effect."

Half rising out of his chair, he leaned forward so she could smell his rotting breath, and in a soft but menacing tone, "I said, more ale. Now get it." As she starts to back away, he looks at her, "And let me know when that fool messenger gets here."

She stops, "Sire, he came last sun, Potts's reply is under your elbow."

"Oh. last sun you say? Where was I?"