In the dark corners of the city, just outside the fortress walls, exists a tavern, named Hole in The Wall. A place where the food is bad and the alcohol cheap. The tavern is filled with a heavy stench of alcohol and other smells best left unnamed; the door opens and in walks a party of three, they pass the counter where a what seemed to be the tallest man they've ever seen sat at the counter, the tall chairs looked like a stool compared to his size. David threw a curious glance at the man.
"Did you guys see the giant dude sat at the counter?" David asked his Walter and Jenny as soon as they sat.
Jenny Chimed in as they sat around the table "Probably military, or mercenary".
David didn't stop looking at the man, he was fixated on him.
"David!" Jenny called him. David turned and looked at her
"Yeah"
"Don't start a fight. I will not repeat myself"
"Yes jenny, I won't" David grumbled as he turned and faced the rest of his party members at the table.
"You already had one fight just the day before yesterday" Walter added "With a black knight no less"
Jenny quickly turned to Walter "Thanks to us, if it wasn't us, he would be a part of the warehouses crumbling foundations, and we'd be burring a plank of wood instead"
"Alright, thanks to you guys, I was able to beat a Black Knight". David's face lit with pride as he spoke.
"But why did you have to take the officer, taking hostages isn't our thing you know" Jenny rebuked David. "We are not the Military, we are adventurers, we don't kidnap or take hostages"
"It was a spur of the moment decision" David replied "Lets get something to eat I am hungry"
"The only thing that tastes nice here is water, and I feel that's insulting the water" Jenny chimed in "But, we need food to stay alive"
"Who's gonna call the waiter" David asked, he soon saw that it was a mistake, as both Jenny and Walter looked at him, with sly smiles on their faces.
"It was you who asked about food" Walter spoke, as he slowly sunk himself into the chair. "And my people skills suck"
"He whom asks, shall do the task" Jenny spoke imitating the way city nobles spoke.
"Fine" David.
"Plus, you're the tallest here, second only to the bug guy up front, the waitress will clearly see you if you call them" Jenny said and relaxed into her chair "I think she's into you" she said as she elbowed Davids side.
"Fine I'll do it" David relented, he lifted himself off the chair, stood and almost immediately, the waitress turned in his direction, and smiled. David was confused.
Did Jenny use her skills to convince the poor waitress that she liked me? David shook his head banishing the thought from his mind.
"Yes, what can I get you gentlemen" the waitress asked as she looked at David, and then the rest of the party.
"I'll take bread and stew" Walter said, while avoiding eye contact with the waitress
"I'll take one ale, with some smoked fish" Jenny ordered as she smiled at the waitress.
The tavern buzzed with a low hum of laughter and the clatter of cups hitting tabletops. It was a calm night at The Hole in the Wall.
The party ate slowly, picking at their food more than consuming it. The taste didn't matter. What mattered was the moment—the chance to forget, if only briefly, what awaited them come morning.
"It's a good night, isn't it?" David asked, melting into his chair.
"Yeah," Walter replied, his head resting on folded arms atop the table. "A good night, indeed." Jenny leaned back, watching her friends—calm, relaxed, almost peaceful.
If only this could last a little longer, she thought. Just a little more. She didn't dare say it aloud, afraid the words might shatter the illusion.
"Um—excuse me," the waitress said as she approached. "I have a message. Urgent, from
Stanley."
They looked up, puzzled.
"The barkeep," she clarified, answering the question written on all their faces. "The owner."
They weren't regulars—certainly not enough to be on a first-name basis with the man. But everyone knew that the best source of information in this part of the city came from behind his bar.
"So," Jenny said cautiously, "what's this urgent message—and what's it going to cost us?"
"Nothing. He said this one's on the house. He's not exactly fond of the military."
Jenny blinked, uncertain. How does he know we oppose the military? Did we say something? Did David?
"Well," she said slowly, "good to know we're not the only ones."
The waitress glanced around the table before speaking again. "He says he got word from a trusted source—someone who was here tonight. A Black Knight has been dispatched to investigate the warehouse."
The table went silent. Even the tavern's background noise seemed to fade.
"Oh really?" Jenny said, feigning lightness. "I thought they only used those guys for wars and elite operations."
"I can't answer anything else," the waitress said. "Just passing the message." She turned and left them with the weight of her words.
Walter turned to Jenny. "What now? We got lucky last time. But if they're sending another..."
David didn't look up. "Maybe we'll get lucky again." He could feel their stares burning into him.
"I hate your bravado," Jenny said flatly. "It's gotten us into more fights than I care to count.
You, of all people, know not to push your luck in a fight. You remember the pits of Manethran."
David sat upright, meeting her gaze. "And you know very well how much I hated it there."
"And yet here you are, about to do the same thing. You're our friend, David. We don't want to lose you to some unnamed hound from the military."
"I know. But if we wait—if we hesitate—we fail. And that's the end of us as adventurers." He paused, letting the words hang.
"We have to push our luck. And like you said—I know when not to. That's exactly why I know now... we must push it."
Jenny held his gaze for a long moment. Then she sighed and looked away, watching another group in the corner drinking and laughing like nothing in the world could touch them.
"We go," Walter said, breaking the tension. "I'll write a cloaking spell and imprint it into a rune.
We'll be in and out before they know we were there."