Two dice are thrown into the clay bowl as the air of tension rises in the small bar. Another bowl is put above just as the dice are about to stop.It was time to choose odd or even, or maybe even a number.
"Odd" Vinkts poker face was stone cold, although his hand pulled at the feather in his hair at a brisk pace. He flashed his white teeth in a brief smile while waiting for the old adventurer's response.
"Well this is certainly a difficult choice but i think… Eight" It was certainly a bold move. But of course Jakurk had a very good feeling, the kind you have after gambling your way across one and a half continents, sometimes for sport, sometimes for fun and often for coin.
"You are very bold for a man so old,Tell me what makes you so sure?" Vinkt could not help his smile. They were his dice after all, with his dealer, in his tavern playing by his rules. He also knew what number his dice had landed on. He was absolutely certain that bowl would go up and reveal a five.
"Knowlege" Jakurk tapped the side of his head. Vinkt didn't know if he should laugh or question the old one's sanity. Either way when the cup revealed the winner you could feel the temperature of the room drop.
A six and a two, The dice combined to an eight. Outside on the windy street by the docks the light in a street lamp stopped spinning. Vinkt stared daggers into the dealer, had he betrayed him? for this traveler? but the dealer looked just as surprised if not more at the revelation.
"Good game" Self satisfied and smugger than ever. Jakurk stretched out his hands for the prize pot. He stopped when a dagger was thrown into the table right in front of his hand, had it been just a little closer he would have lost a finger.
"How did you do it?" The tavern was filled with silence.
Jakurk took his hand off the table. He managed to swallow both his smile and the frown which was about to take its place. "How did I win? easy, i just guessed the right number"
Vinkt blinked. Once then twice then a few more times as he leaned in over the table. Then he smiled with all his near pristine white teeth. "Very funny, you are a very, very funny old man" The dagger in the air was of average quality but it had certainly seen its fair share of use. One could see all the tiny dents in the blade when it was as close to an inch of one's eye, Jakurk realised.
"Now my funny magic man, tell me your trick, or you might go blind a year too early.." The entire bar was waiting on the answer. This was practically the best entertainment this joint had seen in a while, at least since last week's pigeon incident.
Vinkt was having fun, after all he hadn't been challenged like this in ages. He was however a bit saddened at the fact the old man wasn't quaking in his boots or shivering in fear yet. In fact he looks as calm as he had been when he walked in the door. Perhaps he was just a bit broken, up in that old wrinkly head of his.
Just as the funny old man was about to say something the great bald idiot burst through the door. "VINKT, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!" The abrupt entrance made Vinkt jump a bit, he almost accidentally took out the poor old man's eye, which would have been a shame since then he'd only have had one more eye to negotiate for.
"WHAT!" Vinkt slammed the knife down into the table. And made his way down and over to the large brute at the door. A few other men in rags stood behind the newcomer not willing to enter the dimly lit joint.
"Well, you see.., you remember the deal with the Daehult brothers?" The Bald man sank back as the Vinkt marched over. It seems as though he hadn't fully thought this through.
As the two began to talk Jakurk looked for his exit. The open window one table from his was nice. But so was the bar's back door. Either way it's not like they would see his escape anyway. "/O|O\"
Invisibility was quite a nice thing. The spell wasn't very complicated but the requirements to stay invisible for a long period of time was a bit different. In order to stay invisible one would hold their breath. Jakurk could manage twenty seconds on average. Enough time to both grab the bag of coins and leave this fine establishment through the window.
"KAPPATA PRAVIN TIL NAHGGE BAGGE!!" Vinkt stomped the ground furiously. If one was to translate his words from the Elasmun language spoken across the central hills and mountains of Askmark you'd end up with a very colorful almost poetic line of slurs. Vinkt in simple words was an angry man by nature.
Tristin and Opip made their way back towards the market. Hopefully to reunite with the other members of their party and explain that they might have some small problems to take care of before descending into the dungeon. "I still can't believe you challenged the knife guild"
"It was the right thing to do" Opip almost wished she hadn't helped the ungrateful hill-folk. But even if he didn't want her help, she wasn't the kind of person who could just walk away.
"Maybe it was, but it was such a stupid thing to do" Tristin knew he should be grateful that someone on this cold dirty island lent him a hand. Even if it hurt what little pride he had left.
"I'm not stupid" Folk and elves were known to insult the intelligence of other races. Even if it was true in some cases it was frustrating to hear.
"I'm not calling you stupid, just impulsive" Tristin had a hard time trying to find it in him to thank the hound. He wasn't very used to kindness and had no idea how he was meant to respond to it.
"I am very smart" Opip stuck her nose up into the air and fixed her posture to seem more elegant. Trying to imitate the so-called movement of the noble Elves she had seen during her travels in Pynt. Elves stood at the pinnacle of all the races, after all four out of the six dynasties to have ever existed were of elven origin. The last one or the sixth was also of elven heritage. The world was for the past seven hundred years ruled by Dusk elves.
"Yes, of course, And I am very strong," Tristin said sarcastically. Although somewhere deep inside he wished it was true.
"Mhm if you could put up with that kind of treatment then you'd have to be" To Opip those words did not mean much. They were just a statement a fact. But for Tristin it felt as if the burden he carried had become just a little lighter.
"Ah there you are, how did it go? you got all the equipment?" Jakurk ran into them just as they entered the market's winding rows of tents. He seemed to be in somewhat of a hurry. Looking behind him every now and then and failing to uphold his usual cheerful demeanor.
Tristin and Opip gave each other a uncertain look."About that"
A little bit later at the side of the sword guilds main building. "So, you forgot to tell me you were drowning in debt when I recruited you" Jakurks expression was stern yet soft. He spoke with both sympathy and caution.
"I didn't mean to deceive you, any of you, I just really needed this job" Tristin couldn't look at him, he reminded him of someone he used to know. And he knew what was coming, they were good people, but they weren't special, they would abandon him now just like anyone else with a sane mind.
"Sounds like you've been through a lot" The old man patted him gently on the back. And when Tristin looked at his face he saw no hint of anger, only remorse.
"That's it?" Too good to be true. He couldn't just gloss over the fact he was in debt. Of course it would cause a fuzz, he'd be kicked out of the party. Or something like that. But it didn't seem like the old mage really cared that much.
"Oh right there's still the matter of how we should handle the knife guild" He truly was a good person. He wouldn't just abandon him like others would. Nor would the hound but at this point that felt expected. A light shined into the dark mess which was Tristins life and he knew now he would be a fool to stop chasing it.
"Could either of you kill a man?" The question was directed at both of them. Jakurks expression was the same as always but there was a kind of distant look to his eyes.
"If my life was threatened" Opip looked at her sword. It felt heavy in her hand.
"I can" Tristins eyes held a darkness brought not form the miserable year he had spent on the island but brought from the incident which had made him almost believe he deserved it.
Jakurk brushed over their answer with a simple nod. "Give me whatever coin you have left over from the Tanngrisnir" He held out the bag with the winnings from the Broken Nail.
"What are you going to do with it?" Tristin poured in the remaining funds which he had protected from the ruffians. Opip parted with a few of her own coins acting as though they also came from the Tanngrisnir winnings.
"I'm going to settle a debt."