I tied my apron around my waist, trying not to think of the many stains that refused to come off when I washed it this morning. Why were so many of those stains dark red, anyway? Either way, I focused on the task ahead: the battlefield that was Brimstone Tavern after a dinner rush. Empty tankards stacked like leaning towers of ale. A suspicious puddle that I really, really hoped was beer. And crumbs. So many crumbs.
"Alright, troops," I muttered, grabbing a rag. "We ride at dawn."
I'd just gotten the tables wiped down and the floor swept (twice for good measure) when Heffers lumbered in. He yawned loudly, stretching his arms above his head high enough that his back made a suspicious cracking sound. When he finally managed to dislodge his arms and bring them down, he glanced around, blinking slowly before his eyes went wide.
He sniffed the air and bared his teeth. "By the pits, lass. What's that smell?"
"Clean," I said cheerfully, dumping the dirty water out the window. One of many windows that I had just opened, letting in plenty of fresh air.
Heffer's eye twitched. "Smells like flowers. You trying to summon fairies in here?"
"It's lavender," I said, pointing proudly to the little sprigs I'd tucked into cups atop the many tables. "Found it growing outside!"
He grunted. "You're going too far. A tavern's supposed to smell like beer, blood, and sweat. Not some elf perfume shop."
I just grinned and handed him a clean mug. "Then maybe it's time for a rebrand. 'Brimstone Tavern: Now with Fewer Health Code Violations.' I can just see the clientele lining up." I meant it too. I was hoping a cleaner, calmer tavern might attract some less crazy patrons. It would be for the best if I planned on surviving more than a single night.
But on the bright side, I did survive that night. And you know what that means, right? I glanced ahead of me, willing the box into the space, testing if my suspicions were true.
Then, like I had hoped, the beige box of mist flickered into sight once more.
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Mission Complete: Survive the Night!
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[5 XP GAINED]
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Lara – Level 1
XP: [███-----] 10/20
STR: -5 | CON: -5 | DEX: +0 | INT: +0 | CHA: +1
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Heffers snorted something under his breath, breaking my concentration as the box flickered out of sight. I turned to look at him, watching his elderly face scrunch up in displeasure.
"What was that?"
"I said I bet yer from the Free Cities," he grumbled. "They like things tidy there."
"I wouldn't know," I said lightly, trying not to sound wistful. "I don't remember where I'm from."
"Lucky you," he muttered, stomping off toward the back room.
I rolled my eyes and finished tidying up, humming under my breath. The scent of lavender and soap filled the air, and for a brief moment, the Brimstone Tavern almost looked like a real establishment instead of a pit stop for monsters with anger issues.
Then the door creaked open, and the first customer of the day glided in. I say glided because she didn't walk. That whole floating thing suited her, though, because she was definitely out of this world.
Her skin was smooth as dunes at dawn, and her eyes glowed like desert glass. Her hair was long and dark purple, and she was dressed in pale lilac and sand-colored fabric. It was shawled around her body carefully, tucking under the glassy metallic shoulder pad on her left shoulder, while the rest of it draped in a flowing fashion around her right leg. It was asymmetrical and oh so pretty, a perfect contrast to the dreadful vibe she was giving.
"Good morning," I said brightly, trying not to sound intimidated.
She didn't even look my way, floating over to a table in the corner of the room and sitting herself down.
Not letting that get to me, I unfolded my apron, tossed it back behind the freshly cleaned bar, and made my way over to her. She was staring at one of the windows. No, not at it, but through it, seeming to stare into space as I inserted myself into her vision.
"Welcome to the Brimstone Tavern! What can I get you?"
She didn't even look at me, her lips parting so slowly it seemed as if she hadn't spoken for eons. "There is nothing you can get me that will help," she said. Her voice was surprisingly deep. And was that an echo I heard? Like many smaller voices chiming in? "I came to enjoy the silence."
"Oh," I said, blinking. "Well, we have silence! Sometimes."
She looked unamused. "I shall cherish it."
I should have left it at that, probably. I should have clasped my hands behind my back and taken the opportunity to walk away. The fact that she was probably more than human and a bit terrifying should have been ample warning. But I couldn't help myself. I couldn't help but notice that, despite how creepy she sounded, she also sounded sad. Even though her eyes seemed to sparkle as if there was a whole universe within them, it seemed like a sad universe.
You get the gist.
"You know, I've been known to occasionally be helpful. This could be one of those times. You sure I can't get you something to cheer you up?"
Her movements were painfully slow, like sand spilling tick by tick through an hourglass. She stretched her arm out on the table, laying her hand flat on the wood. Then she craned her neck up, angling her face to look at me. This took her about ten seconds as well.
"There is nothing you can do to cheer me, mortal. My problem is eternal, unsolvable."
"And what problem would that be?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Sleep," she declared softly. "I cannot sleep."
"Oh," I said, trying to match the softness of her tone. "That sounds awful. Have you tried… warm milk?"
"Warm milk cannot soothe a mind severed from the dreaming itself."
"Okay," I said, nodding seriously. "But have you tried it?"
Before she could answer, a soft ding echoed in my head. A glowing brown box popped up right in front of my eyes.
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Mission Unlocked: Put Dream to Sleep!
New Potion Unlocked!
Name: Sweet Dreams Tea
Type: Drink / Sleep Effect
Ingredients: Chamomile Petals x1 | Moonwater x1 | Honey x1
Effects:
Puts the drinker to sleep.99% chance of good dreams.
Brew Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆ | Success Rate: 85%
XP Reward: 15
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I blinked. "Oh. Uh. Excuse me, one moment."
The woman paid me no more mind, turning her head back toward the window with sloth-like speed. By the time I had made it across the tavern, she was finally looking through the window again.
I walked past Heffers at the bar and made my way into the kitchen at the back.
The kitchen was small but cozy, tucked behind a single creaky wooden door. Copper pans hung neatly from hooks, the stone counters scrubbed until they actually reflected something other than grease. A narrow window let in a strip of daylight, illuminating jars of herbs and odd-colored powders lined up. There was a woodfire stove tucked away in the corner; it had yet to be warmed up for the day's service. And at the end of it all was another door on the far wall, leading out to the back of the building.
I turned to my side, willing that beige box to appear once more so I could read the ingredients.
──────────────────────────────
Ingredients: Chamomile Petals x1 | Moonwater x1 | Honey x1
──────────────────────────────
Then I began scurrying through the cupboards until I had found crushed-up chamomile powder and a jar of stale-looking honey. Then I looked through the jars of liquid, reading the many labels.
Pickled Tears, Essence of Goblin Sweat, Liquid Courage (expired)…
Hmm, but no Moonwater.
I opened the icebox again, taking a closer look. I noticed a bottle with a label, in big bold letters, it read "MOON MILK - DO NOT DRINK."
I took a step back, pretty sure Moon Milk, whatever that was, was not the same as Moonwater.
I heard some rustling, turning in time to see Heffers standing at the door.
"You cleaned in here, too?!" He looked dumbfounded.
"Heffers," I said. "Where can I find Moonwater?"
"Moonwater?" He raised a bushy gray-and-white eyebrow, and I just now saw that his eyes underneath were bright yellow. "What do you need that for?"
"A drink I want to make. Where can I find it?"
"We don't have any, but it's easy to spruce up. You just take some regular ole water and put it directly where a moonbeam will be. Then as soon as it's touched by moonlight, it's ready."
Sounded simple enough. I thanked him for his help, but I was pretty sure he didn't hear me as he got to work, glaring at the freshly scrubbed pots and pans on the counter. I fished a copper bowl out from one of the cupboards and filled it with water from the barrel.
"I'll be back in a minute," I said as I made my way out the back door.
The morning light spilled golden over the roof of the Brimstone Tavern. Its walls were a patchwork of dark stone and timber, the windows unevenly shuttered, its roof bristling with chimneys that coughed out lazy curls of black smoke.
Farther east, beyond the dirt road and the uneven hills, I could make out a town. A dark, busy, and chaotic-looking town.
Turning away from it, I looked to the west and saw trees. A scattering of trees that became many and more until I was at the verge of a forest.
I kept my eyes on the ground, searching for a sunbeam. I figured if I found a sunbeam, it would probably become a moonbeam at night. The forest seemed like a solid place to find something like that, as the canopy would help concentrate light into single beams. So, I made my way through the pines, noting how the air here felt cooler and fresher. Still, I kept my eyes on the pale columns of sunlight, looking for one that stood out the strongest.
After a few minutes of searching, I found a perfect spot. A small clearing where one bright sunbeam poured straight through the treetops and pooled.
"That'll do," I said to myself, crouching to set the bowl carefully in the light.
I stood, brushing off my skirt, quite pleased with myself. Now I just had to return when the moon was up. For a rare, fleeting second, I felt almost competent.
Then I heard a branch snap. Loudly.
With surprising slowness, I glanced over my shoulder.
Standing between me and the path home was something that definitely should not have been there. It was a… monster. A tall one. Its body stretched like a nightmare drawn out so far it broke. Its ribs showed through dark skin, its limbs long but muscular, bending in angles you wouldn't expect. Its face was masked with a giant deer skull, antlers jutting from the corners, seeming to scrape the trees above it.
"Hello, little girl."