Chapter 19: David And Goliath
As Ryn opened the door to the inn, a loud crash was heard. Glasses had fallen from a plate one of the waitresses was carrying, a puddle of beer splattered on the floor.
The waitress looked at the newcomers with mild embarrassment before running behind the counter to get a washcloth.
"Let's check in." Charlotte led. Her steps dragging slightly against the uneven wooden boards. The kind that had been worn down over the years and needed replacements.
Ian and Ryn followed quietly, catching glances from the tables around them as they saw Ryn's sword by his hip.
The girl who had spilled the beer stepped up by the counter, washcloth in hand.
"Hey, how may I help you?" She asked, a calm tone even though she had looked so embarrassed just now.
Ian glanced around the inn, seeing tons of people inside. Of course, their carriage wasn't the only one that was here. But wow, this place really needed to expand.
"A room for three, please." Ryn stepped up, placing the required currency on the bench.
The waitress nodded gently, before grabbing the money and putting it away behind the counter. "Alright, I will call for someone to show you your rooms."
The waitress disappeared behind the counter once more and into the back.
A young boy, slightly younger than Ian stepped out from behind the counter now.
"Let me guide you to your rooms." He said, a professional tone for his age.
The group followed the boy up the stairs to the second floor, a series of long corridors stretched and crossed each other.
"Your room will be by the end of this row." He pointed to the left side. "Perfect view over the fields behind the inn."
'Fields?' Ian thought. He had only seen forest around them. Perhaps the forest ended around here?
"Great. Thank you for your service." Charlotte nodded, before walking down the hallway towards their shared room.
Once again, Ian and Ryn's steps followed.
"So, how long are we staying here? How much money do we even have?" Ian's voice echoed down the hall.
Ryn stopped outside the door. "Let's not worry about that. We stay until we are ready to leave. And money isn't something you should worry about."
He then held the door open for them to walk in.
The room was pretty spacious. But just enough for three people to fit.
Three beds. Well, it was actually two. One singular bed and a double bed.
The double bed was separable though and the room size only hinted at it being possible.
Ian and Ryn pushed the double bed into two separate beds leaving three beds. One each.
Fen had snuck inside when no one noticed. Luckily, the place didn't seem to have any animal policies, so it was no problem for him to be here.
In fact, as Ian gazed around downstairs before, he had spotted a few adventurers with soulbounds of their own. But none as big as Fen.
Ian basically jumped onto his bed, sprawling out in the small space he had.
He could wrap his arms around the sides of the bed so he had to be careful not to roll off in his sleep.
A stomach growled in the silence. Everyone's eyes flew towards Ryn.
"That was you?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow at Ryn.
Ian looked equally as shocked. The stoic Ryn's stomach had growled, something that sounded impossible until now.
"Well, duty calls then. Luckily there seems to be food here." Ian bounced off the bed and gestured at the door.
Fen stood up from his previously curled up state on the carpet that stretched across the room. His white fur standing out like a sore thumb against the almost blood red carpet.
"Well spoken. Duty calls." Ryn repeated Ian's words with the smallest tug at the corner of his mouth.
19.1 Did anyone say pizza?
The group made their way down the stairs and waited by the counter where they had just checked in.
You could see a kitchen if you looked closely at the right angle, so food was definitely a reality here. Another hint would of course be the countless adventurers feasting behind them.
The waitress from earlier walked up to the counter. "Hello, again. Are you happy with the room?"
Ryn nodded. "Yes, we are pleased with the housing. Though, we crave some nutrients. Could I ask for a menu?" Ryn's tone was painfully stoic. His words even more so.
He was the kind of guy to speak in a specific way that instantly revealed what he was. A knight. And most likely a high ranked one.
"Of course, here's a menu for you Mr. Knight." The waitress pulled out a blanket of paper from a drawer.
The "Mr. Knight" comment made both Charlotte and Ian crack up slightly.
Eventually enough, they had chosen seats by a round table near the corner of the inn. No one was really close to them. But no one was really far away either.
Ryn and Ian looked expectantly at the counter, waiting for the food.
Charlotte? She simply rolled her eyes as if they were the embodiment of gluttony waiting for their next meal.
Then, finally, the waitress appeared again. A metal platter carrying three smaller plates was making its way toward their table when suddenly a group of people stepped into her path.
Specifically two larger guys that seemed to be the leaders.
They faced each other with foul expressions, voices rising. Before she could slip past, one of them snatched the heavy platter from her hands.
CLANG!
The metal platter bent around the man's temple.
For a heartbeat, the inn went silent.
Then someone threw a punch.
Another answered it.
A chair crashed into a table and suddenly everyone was fighting.
Fists flew everywhere near the event, the two big guys brawling it out like cavemen.
The crowd grew further as onlookers were dragged into the mess.
Luckily, Ian had chosen a good spot for them.
Ryn stood up, facing the crowd. His knightly instincts kicked in to try to stop the fight.
Ian just looked at him, wondering where he was going.
Then, he saw the waitress inside the crowd, stuck between countless adventurers slamming and pushing each other like a moshpit.
Ian rose to his feet as well. Leaving Charlotte in his role to stare with a confused expression as he took action.
"Fen."
The wolf perked up at the sound of his name, before joining Ian and Ryn.
Ryn quickly jumped into the crowd, dodging hits like they were in slow motion. Ian followed, creating a path, or at least trying before getting smashed and pushed out.
Fen stepped in, nipping at legs slightly and making gusts of wind to create distance.
Ian silently thanked him, before marching in again.
Ryn guarded the crowd so it wouldn't grow further, his presence alone was enough to send away a few of the fighters back to their seats.
But, since Ryn now had returned to the outside of the mess, Ian was alone inside it.
That also meant there was less order, and a lot denser.
Ian fell to his knees, spitting on the floor.
He had gotten a surprise jab into his stomach out of nowhere.
He looked up, seeing the aggressor in front of him.
A big smirk was drawn onto the man's face as he saw Ian crouched before him.
Ian bounced back up, ignoring the swelling pain in his stomach.
"What's wrong with you?" Ian snapped.
The man didn't respond in words. Instead, he raised his fists.
The man was large, probably one and a half times bigger than Ian. He also had a scar going down his nose.
Ian copied and raised his own.
The fight around them wasn't as busy in their part right now. So if it was gonna go down, it had to be quick before they got buried.
Ian looked behind the man. The cashier was still okay, guarding herself with the silver plate that had been stolen from her earlier.
His eyes turned back to the man in front of him to see a giant fist thrown at him.
Ian barely dodged, feeling the air shift right beside his head.
"Alright." Ian said, frowning slightly. "Let's go then."
Ian's stance alone made it clear he hadn't been in many fights before.
But his eyes were locked onto his opponent as if he had been to all the fights ever.
Another swing came fast, but Ian twisted away at the last second.
'I can't keep up like this.' Ian thought.
Ian raised his fists, about to strike, but another hit came right at him.
Luckily he ducked right on time.
'I can't get a hit on this guy...what is he, Goliath?'
Ian looked around quickly.
The crowd had backed away slightly due to Ryn and now they were in more of a clearing.
A wooden board was loose in the floor. A few steps behind, missing a nail or two in one end.
Ian quickly looked back at Goliath before being forced to dodge once again.
Ian created distance to the man, before quickly getting down and ripping the loose board from the floor, holding the spiked side down so it wouldn't hurt the man too much.
The man laughed and opened his arms slightly, as if daring Ian to try.
A quick hit to his shoulder froze Ian completely.
It hurt like hell.
But adrenaline was one hell of a painkiller.
He had let his guard down now that he had gotten the plank, which was now on the floor once again.
Ian supported his shoulder as he picked the plank up again.
This time anger flared in his eyes as he pushed the plank right up into the man's face like a spear with all his might.
The man stumbled back as it made contact between his eyes, right on his scar.
It wasn't enough to get him down, but at least he reacted.
Blood poured to the floor as Ian had broken the man's nose.
A faint smirk outlined Ian's face, before striking again with the plank. This time, a hard slap to the cheek while the man wasn't ready.
Goliath fell to the floor, a loud thud echoing through the room causing everyone to stop.
"If that guy is Goliath then...that'd make me David." He let out a relieved sigh, dropping the plank to the floor as he approached the man.
One look said it all. Goliath had fallen and was out cold.
19.2 Aftermath
Ian had calmed the whole moshpit by knocking out Goliath.
Ryn approached him as he watched the giant unconscious man on the floor.
"Seems you calmed the place."
Ian simply nodded, too distracted now that his dopamine was fading.
Just like the dopamine, his adrenaline was fading. The pain in his shoulder was gradually revealing itself.
The waitress walked up to the two.
"I'm so sorry for that. I'll make a new batch for you, free of charge!" She apologized, but in a way as if it was normal to do so.
"Sure." Was all Ian said.
He shook his head, returning from wherever he had flown off to.
A hand quickly clutched his right shoulder.
"Luckily I'm a lefty..." he approached the spectating Charlotte.
Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Only you would say that, dumbass. Sit down"
Charlotte pulled Ian back on his seat, pulling off his outer the sleeve of his tunic to treat his shoulder.
"Move your hand." She muttered.
Ian quickly listened, afraid that she might decide to pinch him there until he listened otherwise.
The familiar but not so familiar green aura started pulsating from Charlotte's hands, the mark that was left from the punch slowly fading away.
The pain also faded as Charlotte finished.
"Thanks". Ian nodded in approval.
Charlotte shook her head with an embarassed pout. "Just shut up."
Ryn came carrying a big metal plate.
He put it down and there were three bowls on the table.
"What did we even order?" Ian moved his spoon around in the stew looking food.
"I...forgot." Ryn sighed, mimicking Ian's gesture as if to feel what kind of mystery box was in front of them.
"Whatever. Beggars can't be choosers." Ian then started eating.
Ryn and Charlotte followed and they all ate peacefully in the messy inn.