― It is rumored that the children of the noble houses have returned. ― Said a man, whispering to his friend.
― I have heard they bear slave marks. ― Said the other discreetly.
― Oh, come on, this is a tavern—leave the affairs of nobles to the nobles. ― Said the third.
One of the two moons shone alone in the sky, drawing attention to itself and lighting the streets. In one of the taverns in the southern part of the city, it was as full as ever. Men hardened by their trades and long years of labor. As well as hunters and adventurers, marked by countless battles against the monsters beyond the city.
Amid laughter, the bartender and his wife served beer, wine, and spirits. Among them, some mourned recent losses, others celebrated victories. The шум of the men could be heard from outside, just like in many other taverns. After a few hours, a light rain began, gradually intensifying and making movement through the streets difficult.
Those without homes took shelter between buildings, searching for a dry place, hoping the rain would pass quickly. When the rain stopped being a topic of conversation, a hooded man arrived, soaked, cutting through the atmosphere and more than one discussion.
That man sat at the bar and politely asked for a glass of water. Those closest to him laughed, telling him to go outside and open his mouth. That he should order a beer instead.
The man laughed with them and took out the few coins he had left to order a beer. The bartender served him a drink
Hours passed, and that man had barely taken a few sips. The bartender, puzzled, approached him casually while cleaning a mug.
― What's wrong, my friend, is it not to your liking? ―
― Of course it is, it has an authentic taste, it is not watered down, and it is clear it was made with care. ―
― You flatter me. ― Said the bartender. ― Then tell me, why are you not drinking? ―
― Both your establishment and your patrons create a very lively atmosphere. I got distracted listening to the stories of the hunters and adventurers. ― He raised the mug and finished it in one gulp. ― Excuse me, my good friend, I shall be leaving now, I will not trouble you further. ―
― How are you going to leave now? Can you not see how hard it is raining? ― Said the bartender, trying to stop the man.
― I would not wish to trouble you with my presence, and besides, I have spent all my coins on that last mug of beer. ―
― No, man, you have already paid me, stay until we close if you wish. ―
― You are very considerate, I have barely paid for what I drank. ―
Two men approached from behind, grabbing the hooded man from the back.
― Toni, have you made another friend already? ―
― Toni ― As you can see, boys, my friend has nowhere to go and wants to leave already. ―
― Toni, you cannot let him go, can you not see how hard it is raining? ―
― Toni ― That is exactly what I told him. ―
― I am Ruy, I am an adventurer, would you like to join us in the back room? Toni lets us gather behind to talk about our adventures, and sometimes we play dice. ―
― If it is not too much trouble, I would gladly accept. You are very kind, but I do not have a single coin left. ―
― Ruy ― My brother, Ted, and I enjoy stories just like you do. ―
― Ted ― Forgive my younger brother, we have been listening to your conversation from the table behind. ―
― Ruy ― You do not look like you are from around here, so you are probably from another city. And travelers' stories are interesting. ―
― I insist, I would not be able to pay for a stay, Mr. Toni. ―
― Toni ― If your story is good, you do not need to pay, but otherwise Ted and Ruy will take you hunting and then you can pay me calmly. ―
― If you allow me, it would be a luxury for me to sleep under a roof tonight. ―
― Ruy ― Say no more. ― They grabbed him under the arms and lifted him up. ― Toni, prepare the bed, tonight he sleeps here. ―
Letting go of the hooded man, the two brothers escorted him down the hallway to the back room, where he found five other men sitting in a circle around a small table with a pair of dice in the center.
― Ruy, who is that? ―
― Ruy ― A new friend we just made. ―
― Are you going to use this one as bait too? ― One of them laughed from the back.
― Ted ― Do not worry, they always say the same thing. ―
― Ruy ― We have only done it once, the man still has one arm left. ―
― Do not lie to the poor man. ― Another one laughed.
― Do not trust them, when you least expect it they pull your chair away and laugh at you. ―
― I see you are all very good friends here. ― Said the hooded man.
― We just play from time to time. ― Said a man with several scratch marks on his face.
― Ruy ― Our friend here says he has a good story to tell. He is a traveler, surely he will tell us what the other cities are like. ―
As he joined the others, some stood up to offer him their seat and looked for something for him to sit on. Meanwhile, a small interrogation fell upon the hooded man.
He told them what other cities of Demor were like, what the capital is like, the number of people in the streets, what other kingdoms are like, and what the sea is like. The men listened to his story in awe. They enjoyed themselves while he spoke, until they began to play.
― Friend, do you know how to play dice? ―
― Of course, what man does not? ―
― Do you want to try? ―
― I would gladly play, but I have nothing to offer if I lose, other than my old and dirty clothes. ―
The door opened and the bartender entered, accompanied by his wife, who looked tired.
― Toni ― Can you offer your services? Some nights I need help in the tavern. ―
― Toni, that is unfair, you have never offered us work. ― Said one before standing up and giving his seat to Toni.
― Toni ― You would drink all the beer in one night. ―
― You take us for thieves. ― Said another, laughing.
― Toni ― You rob me every night playing these damned dice. ―
― You bring it upon yourself, dear. ― Said his wife.
― Toni ― Woman, come on, we spend all day working and I cannot even have fun with my friends. ―
― Oooh, Toni, your wife is scolding you… ― Said the oldest among them.
― Toni ― At least I am married and have had children. ―
― Hahaha, you got him there. ―
― Less talking and more playing. ― Said the somewhat offended man.
― Ruy ― New friend, are you joining? ―
― Forgive me, I do not want to ruin the fun, but I have already told you I cannot pay. ―
― Come on, man, play—and if you cannot pay, you can always sell yourself as a slave to settle the debt. ―
― That idea is not bad at all, but my life does not belong to me. ― Said the newcomer.
― How is that possible, are you already a slave? ―
― Have you run away from your master? ―
― Toni ― I do not want to know anything about that. ―
― You can rest assured, no, I have not run away, and of course I am not a slave. ― He rolled up the sleeves of his clothes, showing his arms. ― As you can see, I am not marked, and if that is not enough proof, I can show you my back. ―
― We believe you, man, there was no need. ―
― Ruy ― If you are not a slave, how is it that your life does not belong to you? ―
― Do you have time for another story? ―
― Ted ― Toni, now I do think this one will earn his bed tonight. ―
― Toni ― It seems so, Carla… ―
― Carla ― I want to hear that story too, you know. ―
― Toni ― Then stay. ―
The man stood up and removed his cloak, leaving it on a box.
― Let me see where to begin. My parents were farmers in a city of another kingdom, whose name I do not remember. When my mother became pregnant after their wedding, my late father was so happy that he [ALT: ran across the fields in joy / leapt through the fields with joy]. Their life was simple; they barely had enough to eat. But my father gave almost all the food to my mother. They were very poor, so they lived in some houses outside the city. ―
― That is dangerous, did the monsters not attack? ― The man received a smack on the back of the head.
― Do not interrupt him, can you not see his story is interesting? ―
― Toni ― Both of you, be quiet. ―
― Yes, it was dangerous, but my grandfather—I no longer remember whether on my father's or mother's side—dug a small hole beneath the house to hide during attacks. The months passed, spring arrived, and my parents kept working in the fields, and during one attack my mother broke her leg, so she had to stay at home until she recovered. ―
― Clara ― Pregnant and with a broken leg, that must have been very hard. ―
― It was, in that same attack my grandfather died, at the hands of a monster. ―
― I did not expect that. ― Said one of the men.
― In that attack, a neighbor who also lived outside the city pushed my grandfather so he could save himself. From what I later discovered, that man was jealous of my grandfather. The reason—my grandmother, who had died many years before. Apparently, that man had been in love with her. And when she was devoured by a monster, the neighbor swore to Tolmas that he would kill my grandfather. ―
― An oath to Tolmas cannot be broken. ― Said a man leaning against the wall.
― From that day on, my parents did not live the same. As the months passed, my father grew thinner and thinner; he worked like two men and ate half as much as a child. His only hope was the child my mother carried. ―
― Toni ― I understand your father, I went through that as well. ―
― After the summer, my mother was [ALT: nothing but skin and bones / reduced to skin and bones], and there was little money at home, and since she did not improve, they had to cut off her foot. ―
― Clara ― Poor woman, surely they could not afford a mage. ―
― That is right, the poor woman had to endure all that pain and watch as they cut off her foot. My unfortunate father could not even be at home that day. He was working when it happened. When he returned home, some guards had arrested those who amputated her foot, because they did not have the marquis's permission to do so. ―
― Ruy ― I expected a more epic story, but I see it is a harsh one. ―
― That marquis was a good man; he personally helped take my mother to the healers' guild, and they treated her there. That marquis was so good that he fed my father and offered him another job as an assistant in the palace stables. ―
― Now that is a good marquis, not like ours. ―
― Who is dead—his younger son killed him. ―
― Toni ― Let us leave the nobles out of this, they disgust me enough as it is. ―
― My mother recovered as best she could, poor woman. And my father began to gain weight. Close to the time of the birth, one of the lizards ate my father's arm, and that marquis, as good as he was, quickly took him to the healers' guild, where he met my mother. I forgot to mention that my parents had not seen each other since the day my mother was taken to the guild. ―
― Ted ― Your father was a very strong man. ―
― I would have liked to meet them. ― Tears fell from his eyes, which he quickly wiped away. ― Continuing with the story. My father died a few days later, agonizing near my mother. If only… ― Tears began to flow from more than one person. ― My mother suffered an unimaginable sorrow and gave birth as best she could, dying as she gave me life. ―
― Ted ― You never got to meet your parents. ―
― Ruy ― And how do you know all this about them? ―
― A girl who worked in the healers' guild saved me just in time after seeing my mother die. The marquis asked her whether I was the first child or the second. The young woman lied, took me, and tried to get me out of the city as quickly as possible. The marquis was only doing his duty; he was bound by the Temple to hunt me down and take me to be sacrificed. But she hid me among the garbage and ran off carrying some rags. She was pierced by many arrows and left right there, becoming food for the monsters. ―
― Toni ― How do you know that if you were barely a newborn? ―
― Now begins the epic story you asked for. A young homeless couple living inside the city picked me up from the garbage. Over the years, I grew up with them, and one day, when I was old enough, they sold me as a slave to the marquis. ―
― Your story sounds made up, friend. ―
― Not at all, and now I will tell you why. The marquis recognized me while I was bathing in the courtyard, because, as I have been told, I have had a mark on my back since birth. ― The man turned around and showed his back for all to see. ― Do you see that mark of five points? ―
― Ruy ― Wait, I will come closer, I cannot see it well. ―
― Ted ― That is right, I can see the five points, all of them together. ―
― When the marquis recognized me, he took me to a modest room and began to tell me my story. I was barely five years old at the time, more than old enough to be a slave. But the marquis never marked me. He treated me very well, but one night I discovered something very bad. The temple demanded my death, but he refused. So his wife hid me and got me out of the palace, gave me some coins, and I was sent away on the first journey heading to another city. I spent the next five years wandering the streets begging for alms. If you are wondering what became of the money they gave me, it was stolen by the merchants who took me along in secret. ―
― I am a merchant, you know. ―
― Forgive me, my friend, you have nothing to do with that. ―
― Toni ― Knowing him, he would do the same.
― Hey, Toni, I do not steal from those in need. ―
― Ruy ― Be quiet and let him speak. ―