This choice: Resting in an inn, alone in his room. • Go Back...Chapter #2Rest Easy, Erik by: Clide   When Erik had come to, he found himself tucked in bed, in a room he did not recognize. As he sprung upwards in surprise, he quickly surveyed his immediate surroundings - he was alone, in a wooden room decorated rather sparsely with a drawer sitting across from him with a clay pot holding flowers on the top. There was a window to his left, looking outward towards a bright, sunny day with barely a cloud in the sky. His bed was clean, his backpack was leaning up against the bed-frame. The clothes he was wearing before were still on his back, though he noticed that they had smelled different than usual - they had an odd scent that he could best describe as cheese about to go bad.
Erik took a few moments to absorb all of this information at once, then briefly recalled what happened before he had blacked out. Wait... the bandits! They knocked me out with their... ugh, their gas, of all things. Erik rubbed his temple. I suppose that explains the smell of my clothes... though, that doesn't explain how I got here. His eyes then widened in realization. Oh, right! The caravan! What happened to the travelers? Did they get mugged? Did I get mugged?!
Erik then swiftly swung himself out of his bed and knelt down to open his backpack - as he rifled through the contents, he saw everything was there as he had left it. He then sighed in relief. Goodness, yes... I wasn't robbed. He then paused. Huh... HOW was I not robbed? I got knocked out - the people in the caravan, I couldn't help them...
He turned his gaze towards the door to his room. I need to find them. Make sure they're OK. He then grabbed his backpack simultaneously as he stood up, and stomped straight towards the door as though he were a man possessed. He quickly gripped the knob of the door and swung it outward. Upon doing so, he heard the collective chatter of a room full of people talking, coming from below - to his right, was a set of stairs heading down. It became clear to him at that moment. Ah... I'm at an inn. I must've been taken here. Now I just gotta find out how.
Erik stepped down the stairs, and saw a large room filled with tables occupied by anywhere from three to six people at a time. Many of them had a mug of ale in their hands, and a lot of them were laughing rather joyously. Upon reaching the ground floor, he was greeted by a nearby voice.
"Oh, it seems you have awakened!"
Erik turned to see a young blonde woman behind a desk. If this was an inn, then this woman was undoubtedly the innkeeper. Erik took a step towards the woman and asked her, "Sorry, but... how did I get here?"
"Ah, of course," she answered, as if she were expecting that question. She then pointed towards a table in the large room. "See, there's a group of three gentlemen - Tyrel, Simeon, and Dober - they're part of our local guild of adventurers, and they brought you here after seeing you unconscious."
Erik nodded. "Uh, t-thank you... but, what about the caravan? I came into Esteri with a husband and wife in their carriage, among others traveling here when we got attacked by these... strange bandits..." The tone in his voice made it sound as though he didn't wish to recall the event that lead to his blackout. Especially not in front of such a pretty lady.
The woman giggled. "Oh, right - you need not worry! See, after your little run-in with those bandits, they arrived on the scene. Though, I guess had they showed up just a little sooner, then you would have known that."
Erik stared at the woman for a moment, and thought, Huh... guess it was bad timing...
"See, those three boys got a job about an unsavory group of wannabe border patrol agents, collecting payments under the threat of forcibly taking it. As it just so happens, they arrived at the area where it was said this was taking place, you and your group were there. Don't worry - nobody else was hurt."
Erik then sighed and smiled. "OK... OK, that's good. That's very good! That was very lucky!"
The woman giggled again. "Indeed! Though, I do feel sorry for you - you had a headfirst run-in with the Bumms, for crying out loud. I wouldn't want that as my first welcome into Esteri, I tell you what."
Erik's smile was quickly replaced with visible confusion. "Uh... the Bumms?"
"Mhm! They're the ones who knocked you out - people call them the Bumms because they like to... well, use their bums! Seems you took the brunt of their farts just as Tyrel, Simeon and Dober arrived. The members of the caravan wanted me to tell you that they are thankful for standing up for them!"
Erik's eyes widened. Oh no, he thought. So, she DOES know that I was practically knocked out by farts... talk about embarrassing... He then crossed his arms and wondered, But... why would she say that so casually? Like it was just something that happens every day?
The woman tilted her head, as if to examine the expression on Erik's face, before exclaiming, "Oh, right! You're new here, so I suppose I should explain. Though, honestly, I'm surprised you didn't know before coming here."
"Know... what?" Erik asked in total confusion.
"Take a listen to the tavern for a moment," the woman suggested.
Erik turned towards the large room with tables full of people. So, it's a tavern AND an inn. No wonder everyone here is so full of life--
BRRRRAAAAPPPHHTT!
Erik's thought was cut off by the undeniable sound of someone breaking wind, coming from the tavern. W-What the?! Erik thought, as another fart followed shortly after.
Brrrr-Brrrrraaaaa...
Erik pinched his nose. "Oh my... the food must be, uh, very good," he said at the woman behind the desk.
She giggled once more. "Yep, you bet! It's the ham - it does that to people sometimes."
Erik replied, "Wait, that's common?"
"Precisely!" the woman answered excitedly. "See, Esteri is famous - or, perhaps more so infamous, depending on who you ask - for how much people here love to fart!"
Erik was dumbfounded, and left speechless.
"The Bumms are a small group of losers who use their farts for malicious intent - I think there was a woman in the caravan who was trying to tell you that before you got knocked out," she added while barely stifling a laugh.
Erik had an exasperated look of disbelief all across his face at this point. Wow... that's... certainly ONE way to make a name for yourself, he said to himself.
"S-So..." he stammered, "does... everybody in this kingdom--?"
"Oh no, not everyone - and before you ask, no I can't fart like that, but I wish I could!" the woman answered, finishing Erik's thought.
Erik smiled an awkward smile at what the beautiful blonde in front of him had just said. He wasn't at all used to seeing a woman speak in such a crass manner, at least not one that seemed as feminine as her.
So, he thought, Esteri is APPARENTLY known for how much the people here tend to fart... OK... I'll try and keep that in mind I guess.
"Anyway," the woman continued, "the people in the caravan with you were fine - they even asked the adventurers to help you back here - they had somewhere else to go, and this was the closest town!"
"Is that why they took the job?" Erik asked. The woman nodded and replied, "You got it!" with a snap of her fingers.
"Now that you're up, I suggest you take it easy," she continued. "Oh, and I should tell you, this town is called Littlefall - welcome! And don't worry, your room is free for tonight. But, if you wanna stay, I'll have to charge ya!"
Erik nodded and waved goodbye to the woman, then looked into the tavern. He contemplated going to go and say thanks to the three who had helped him, but was put-off by the building waft that was no-doubt a result of some of the patrons passing gas rather shamelessly. It was clear by the looks on everyone's faces that they were not bothered by it at all - after all, why would they be, when Esteri's population was apparently used to this sort of thing. However, having just recovered from a bombardment of farts himself, Erik thought that it may be best to step out the inn instead, take in the fresh air, and potentially even explore the town.
As Erik stood and thought about it, he eventually settled on--  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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