[The Drunken Fish] An Uninteresting Truth

by **Vann** on April 5th, 2014, 5:25 pm

2nd Day of Spring, 514 AV

They say a cornered rat is dangerous beyond comparison; Vann, having been cornered by a sea of cut-throats in a back alley of Sunberth, felt that the metaphor was appropriate indeed. The night was cloudy, and a steady breeze stirred the air, shepherding the clouds across the sky. Patches of shadows crept across the moonlit ground; light and dark were intertwined in a dance of sorts. Vann glanced up at the horde of assailants, his hat cast a frightening shadow down his face; it was only the golden tint of his eyes that shone eerily through the abyss. A wicked grin spread across his features and he radiated killing intent.

Power bundled into Vann's legs and he sprung several metres into the air, only to come crashing down into the throng of criminals. His fists were a blur and his kicks were faster still; his blows crushed stones and shattered skulls, his -
"Whoah! Whoah! Hold up!" The man Vann was speaking to in The Drunken Fish, a sailor who was passing through the town and spending the night, interrupted him as he told his story; a scowl was painted clearly on his face. Kravel was dark-skinned with thick arms and a rough face; if you've met a sailor before, you've met Kravel. Both he and Vann were among the few remaining patrons in the inn and they sat side-by-side at the bar.
"Yes, Kravel? Is there any particular reason you interrupted me?" A smirk played at the corners of Vann's mouth as he responded to the man. He raised an eyebrow and took a long sip of his ale, but Kravel was quick to continue,
"You bet your blasted toe there's a reason! You said this was a story about one of your first nights in Sunberth!"
"Yes?"
"If what you're telling me is true, then I'm a Konti queen here for a diplomatic wedding!" Vann was silent for a few ticks as he finished his drink. As he dramatically set his mug down, he chuckled in a good-natured way.
"There seems to have been a misunderstanding my friend. I promised you a story, but could it be you wanted to hear the true story instead?" The question visibly drained some of the anger from the sailor's face as he considered Vann's words. Vann, noticing the man's hesitation, began to drum his fingers lightly on his now-empty mug as if to draw attention to it.

Curiosity got the better of Kravel. He noticed Vann's gesture, reached into his pocket, and slammed a small handful of copper mizas onto the bar.
"Alright, you've convinced me," the sailor began, a grin had replaced his earlier scowl, "tell me the truth, tell me what really happened." Vann slowly whistled in mock awe at Kravel's declaration.
"The truth ey?" Vann began, a glint in his eye, " Well, I suppose we had best start with the beginning."

by **Vann** on April 6th, 2014, 1:33 pm

9th Day of Summer, 513 AV

Unfortunately, this is not a grand tale. This is not some epic that will echo through the ages. This is a simple story. My story. It's not even the whole story, merely a piece of it; a small piece at that. Though as I'm sure you can imagine, it is a story that I hold dear to my heart; for I am certain that no one can tell it quite as skilfully as I. You probably think it odd that a young man such as myself would speak as if I were reminiscing of days long since past. I will tell you this; since coming to Sunberth I have felt each day twice, sometimes more. I learnt more about myself in one season here than I did living in Syliras for seventeen years... but perhaps I've stalled long enough. After all, I promised you a story.

My first night in Sunberth, I was robbed; my horse and all my saddlebags were taken while I slept. My second night in Sunberth, I was robbed; without my realising it, someone had snuck into my room and made off with my travel bag, most of my money, and my shoes. I shudder to think what would have happened if I'd woken up. It is an evil person who will take a man's shoes. If by some miracle this tale is repeated after tonight to someone who has never walked Sunberth's ramshackled streets, I offer you this piece of advice: should you ever come here, find yourself a weapon and learn how to use it. My story, at least, this part of it, begins on my third night in Sunberth.

Like with all fables, my earlier exaggeration did possess some grains of truth. The sky really was cloudy; a cooling breeze really did whisper its way through the town. At the time, it wasn't something I really acknowledged. The shifting, marbled patterns of light that marched through the night were the least of my worries. As a man without shoes who was down to his last few mizas, I had bigger problems to deal with. I was such a fool at the time; my desperation drove me to the realms of stupidity. I'd like to say that was the worst of it, but I promised to give you the real story. No... that night, my desperation drove me to a gambling den.

by **Vann** on April 8th, 2014, 2:00 am

I'm sure you can imagine the unsavoury nature of the place. The den was a spacious pavilion near the outskirts of the tent city. Several large, muscle-bound thugs stood guard at the entrance and each one had a sword, club, or some other type of particularly nasty weapon strapped to their belts. I'd heard whispers of this gambling den over the last couple of days, the rule there was simple; if you couldn't pay your debt then, depending on who you wronged, you would either be killed or sold into slavery, it was that simple. As I walked past one of the guards, who admitted me with a grunt, my hand unconsciously reached for the amulet of Ovek I wore around my neck. I clutched it as hard as I could and asked the god for luck, even if it was just a little bit.

I lost it all. What precious little I had left, it was all gone. Not once did I win, not once did I even come close. When my final copper miza was scooped up, I was asked if I wanted to take a loan and continue... I could have said yes, and I almost did; if I'd won even a little bit that night, I probably would have. If I had, I doubt I would be here today. Chances are that, if I weren't dead, I'd be branded and ploughing a field somewhere. In a warped kind of way, I suppose Ovek actually did answer my prayers.

My spirit was all but shattered when I trudged out of the pavilion. My feet were filthy, it was hot, and my clothes were matted with sweat. To top it all off, I was now well and truly broke, with not a single miza to my name. I had been weaving my way through the tent city for some time, not entirely sure where I was going. I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when someone charged into me, causing both of us to tumble to the ground.
"Blasted git! Get off er me! " the man sounded older than me, though probably not by much. He was dirtier than I was, and there was a type of hysterical panic to his tone.

The stranger quickly launched himself to his feet, scooped something off of the ground and darted into the night. Mere moments later, one of the guards from the gambling den happened upon me; coincidently, it was the same one who I'd passed earlier that night. When he noticed me, he paused briefly in his pursuit.
"Oi! You see which way he went?" I nodded and pointed in the earlier man's general direction. In response, the thug reached into his pocket and flipped a single gold miza at my feet.
"Thanking you!" With that, he sprinted into the night after the man I assumed must've been a thief.

I was stunned... in my hands sat a whole gold miza. I never did learn if the thug caught the thief, nor did I learn what he stole. All I did was point someone in the right direction and I got paid. It was a turning point in my life and from that day onwards, I sold information. Sure, my first few seasons were a bit rough while I learnt the ins-and-outs of the trade through experimentation; I'm lucky I didn't piss off the wrong people and get myself killed. Though, as you can see, it got me to where I am today. It was one of the worst nights of my life, but it was also one of the best.

by **Vann** on April 8th, 2014, 2:04 am

2nd Day of Spring, 514 AV

"What? That's it?!?" Kravel inquired, a frown on his face, "you just... started selling information because some thug happened to toss you a gold miza after you pointed him in the right direction of a thief?"
"I did warn you that it wasn't an exciting story," Vann replied, his smile in direct contrast to the sailor's frown, "What did you expect? Ovek himself to appear in a flash of light, scoop me tenderly in his arms and swim away through a river of gold?" Vann finished draining the final drops of ale from his mug and raised a challenging eyebrow at Kravel.
"Aye, you did at that," Kravel began in a defeated tone, "Still, why'd you settle in a place like this? Surely you'd have been better off staying at an inn visited by locals if you wanted any decent information."

Vann's smile broadened, he reached out and pulled the sailor's head closer to his own. After looking about to make sure nobody was within earshot, he whispered;
"That, my friend, is an excellent question. Why? Because every man and his donkey in Sunberth's information business would be hanging around, now wouldn't they. Who in their right mind, sober or not, would speak about anything of value when they knew everyone in the room was listening to what they said?" Kravel's eyes went wide, but Vann continued, "Furthermore, why would anyone who knows anything speak to me, a relative stranger, about anything important? Folks in Sunberth are a cautious lot, they wouldn't risk a knife between the ribs by talking to anyone, let alone me... sailors and dockhands though? Men who are destined to leave the city within a day or two; men who are also strangers and likely don't care about the town's warped politics... men like that are a goldmine."
"I'm not entirely sure I understand," Kravel replied, prompting Vann to continue his explanation.
"Okay, say you have to carry some trade cargo through the market. Say that cargo happens to be some type of poisonous plant, it doesn't matter what type specifically; you don't even have to be aware that it's actually a poison. Say that plant is delivered to a brewery, a business one would assume should have no need for a such a thing...." Vann paused for dramatic effect, "Say that a charming young man in The Drunken Fish buys you a drink or six and asks you about your work several pints into the evening. Why would you not tell him? Just like that, the man at the Fish learns about a potential assassination plot in the city." Vann released the man's head and returned to his original seating position, leaving Kravel with a stunned look on his face.
"... You're a genius."
"I know," Vann began, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth, "so tell me my friend, deliver any interesting cargo today?"

by **Zandelia** on May 15th, 2014, 5:18 pm

Vann :

Notes :

Any problems with my grade? Please me at any time. Keep Writing!

Flashback [The Drunken Fish] An Uninteresting Truth