34th Fall 504 AV Fire crackled in the fireplace, flicking a warm glow onto the table. There, a delicious dinner was laid out. Fish, some meat, and a couple bottles of wine were spread out across the wooden surface. Around the table sat Syara and her family, accompanied by a visitor. The visitor was a strange human, with a tall, slim figure and a mysterious air about him. His face was long, with dark eyes and cracked, dry lips. His head was bald, and his skin was very fair, although it was becoming more flushed with every glass of wine. When the man had first arrived, he seemed tense, as though he didn't feel comfortable being in someone else's home, but he gradually relaxed as the wine bottles emptied. His name was Partin Darfron. Young Syara, who was positioned at the other end of the table, observed him excitedly, curious about this mysterious new being. Stories were exchanged, jokes were told and laughter thundered through the night. This laughter became louder as the night went on, not worrying about keeping the rest of the hold awake. Even Partin was taking part, telling intriguing stories of his own. Each one was wilder than the last, with tales of magic and adventure. Syara's eyes grew wide as she listened to his raspy voice, turning a mixture of brilliant colours as the stories changed. Although the children didn't notice, but the adults did, the man's eyes had started to cloud, and his words had become more slurred than before. It was clear that the man was drunk, and horribly so. "Now, children, it's getting a bit late," proposed a worried Svari "Isn't it about time you all went to bed?". As expected, the children groaned and protested, and Partin joined in as well. "Come on, just a couple more minutes. I want to show you all something." Svari bit her lip, hesitating. She glanced at the other adults. "Fine, I'm sure just a couple more minutes wouldn't hurt..." |