Aaron woke to the sound of loud knocking on his room's door.
"Hey! Get your lazy ass up and out of here! Unless you can cough up more coin, I don't intend to harbor no loafers!"
After wiping the sleep from his eyes, Aaron walked over to the source of the noise, and opened the door. Standing in front of him, was a short yet stout woman who appeared to be middle age. Although Aaron knew this appearance was deceiving as dwarves never actually looked how old they truly are. The dwarf's expression was that of stubbornness, as no she had undoubtedly experienced this encounter many times before.
"The end of the week, please, I'm begging you. I haven't found a job yet, and-"
"No dice! If I see you again here by nightfall without the means to pay, I'll call the city guard so quickly you wont know whats what. Understand me?"
Aaron sighed in defeat.
"Yes, I understand."
The dwarf made no further remarks, and left down the hallway. Aaron closed the door, and slumped in his bend, face covered by his hands.
"Damn it." Aaron whispered to himself.
...
After collecting his things and getting ready for whatever the day held in store for him, Aaron dragged himself downstairs to the tavern area of the inn. Even this early in the morning, the ambience of people talking and the metallic clinking of armor shift filled the area. Aaron plopped himself onto a barstool, and was instantly greeted by a familiar face.
"What can I get ya?"
Aaron looked to see the same dwarf who had previously woken him was now grinning ear to ear as she tended to things on the bar.
"Why couldn't you be this cheery when you startled me out of my sleep?"
"Because threats aren't as credible if the person making them isn't threatening themselves." The dwarf replied, never once breaking her smile.
"Hmph." Aaron begrudgingly replied, as he placed his last coin on the bar's counter.
"Whatever's cheapest."
The dwarf's smile widened as it seemed to ear her whole face.
"Comin' right up."
Aaron was soon handed a mug of a dark amber colored liquid with a thin layer of foam covering the top. Without a second thought, Aaron began drinking the mug, tilting his head back as he consumed the entirety of the beverage in a single motion.
"And with that.."
Aaron said after a gasp to catch his breath.
"...I have just drunk away my final coin."
"That's great hun. Now get out."
The familiar sternness from earlier returned, as the dwarf gestured for the door.
"Hey, Gerta!" A voice from across the tavern called.
"Another round over here."
Within an instant, Gerta's ear to ear smile returned, as she began to fill up more mugs.
"Sure thing! Be over in just a minute."
Aaron continued to sit at the bar, looking into the empty vacuum of what used to hold his drink.
Even though he felt as though his life was coming to a close, the world around him remained unchanged. People were still talking and laughing around him, he could see that outside, people were walking and going about there day as normal.
Why? Aaron thought to himself.
Why is the world so cruel? Why do I have to suffer while everyone else simply goes on?
Aaron seemed to peer deeply into his empty mug, as if looking harder would somehow give him an answer.
"What are you still doing here?"
Greta's voice breaks Aaron's concentration on his self pity.
"I said get out, so get out."
"Okay."
Aaron could barely muster the words.
Just as Aaron got up, and was about to walk out of the front entrance, a patrol of the city guards marched through the tavern doors.