RP:Kelay Tavern: First Visit
Kelay Tavern-
Built and rebuilt, torn apart and set like stubborn bone, this tavern is the pinnacle of Hollow's entirety, wrought around the premise of peace, equality, and consummate amity. And of course, the old place had seen all of the three, but so much more. Dire markings of claw and steel cut deep into wall panels and floorboards. Set against the land's usual motif of destruction are signs of comfort. Twisting shadows and smoothing out a careful blanket of light with soft, quaint fires, a candelabra dangles down by thick cords, gripping the circular holder. Each twists up, converging upon the center, where they snake about one another and form a thick, secure anchor to Kelay Tavern's high, accommodating ceiling. The candelabra rattle now and again from the inn patrons overhead, pouring down globs of wax to the center of the room, which is wide and unobstructed. Cheaply carpentered tables and chairs grow outward around the bare dancing area, keeping to the rounded theme, and also keeping to a dwarven barkeep's avariciously born taste for 'economical' furniture. Hardly any expense has been wasted on the actual upkeep of the public center though, as can be garnered from the smell of deep pine, rich tobacco, and even richer spirits. Stairs twist away dimly near the high bar. And atop that side rests the inn logs, quill, and ink. This establishment's fine keeper, Mesthak, can be seen smiling out from his post at the bar, straight across to the room's always crackling stone-wrought hearth. Behind him, atop lofty shelves, sits an array of dark, amber, and clear liquids. Food smells waft from somewhere near at hand. A carefully printed and hung sign details the purchasable items here in the place of merriment, loss, laughter, and life. Also, tucked into a corner near one of two windows closest to the tavern doorway is a thickly papered bulletin board. A sign has been added next to the board that reads, 'The management requires patrons be fully inebriated at all times and that no curing spells be performed in this tavern-Thank you'.
A scrawled note hangs from the sign, reading: COMMON TONGUE ONLY
You can buy items here.
A bouncer, watching over Nancy the barmaid, is here.
Mesthak is here.
A bronze statue of the seventh son is here.
Takiena is here.
Carad is here.
Takiena has to tuck her wings in tightly to her back to pass through the door of the tavern easily, once inside she is able to relax them slightly. Standing at the door she surveys the tavern slowly, rather empty, but that is to be expected at this time of night. The avian herself was tall, standing just over six feet in height, with a wingspan of over double that she was quite the imposing figure. She was relatively average in appearance for her kind, but must like elves, average could translate to beautiful in the eyes of other races. Her wings held the same color as her hair, raven black, her hair pulled into a tight pony tail that reached half way down her back. Moving to an empty table she hooked the chair leg with a foot and spun it around before taking a seat and leaning her arms on the chair back. A wave of her hand order an ale for herself as she lightly closed her eyes thinking about her life or some such.
Carad had left Rynvale at such a late hour that it put her in Cenril late, and it took her a day just to get from Cenril to Kelay, thus her walking through the door of the tavern, with nothing but her clothes on her back and a medium bag in hand. The Kelay Tavern was rather empty, but that caused a sigh of relief to spread across the young elf's face. She looked very very young, and her own hair was pulled back into a ponytail, hair reaching mid way to her back. That hair color is a fiery auburn red that contrasted slightly against her honey tan skin. Her metallic grey eyes stood out the most as she glanced around the place. Finding a nice table near a wall, she sat with her back to it so that she could keep an eye on the door. The leather clothing did little to hide her young growing body, and by the looks of things, she wasn't even an adult yet. She set her bag down on the table, causing a soft, sigh like growl to bound past the flap. Carad rubs at her face and eyes, then smiles, "We made it my dear friend. Life will be hard from this point on, but we will survive and grow strong." Her voice was friendly, and had the equivalent sound to a teenage human girl. The avian is given a look, but the girls eyes go to the wings, where she almost dropped her jaw in awe, but remembered the manners she was taught and quickly looked away to keep from staring and clenched her mouth shut.
Takiena shifted her wing and looked over her shoulder as the door opened. She watched the elf for a moment, looking from the obviously very young elf to the sack that she carried that growled at her. Was that a growl? Shaking her head with a soft chuckle her attention returns to her own table as Nancy had brought her a mug of ale. Passing the barmaid a few coins for the drink the avian would take a long pull form it, it had been a long day and it promised to be another tomorrow. She had been familiarizing herself with the lay of the surrounding land, how it looks from both the surface and the air. One must know their new home. After a few more pulls of the ale and pretending not to notice the elflings staring at her wings she had finished her ale and slowly stood. Righting the chair and pushing it back into the table she turned to face the elf. "You are a little young to be out of your village are you not, little elf?" As the question was asked she moved to the table that Carad has taken as her own. Eyes the color of freshly cut stone peer over the medium sized sack on the table, an eyebrow arching. "And what do you have in that sack? If its dinner should you not kill it first?" A had slipping to the axe looped on Takiena's right hip, a silent offer to do it for the young one just in case she had not the stomach for it.
Carad had no idea what to do at the moment. She was wide awake from her trip here, possibly from the excitment to see new lands. The avian approached her and asked questions, that she was all to happy to answer. "I don't come from a village, I come from a city, a Port actually. Rynvale. That is where my home is and I came here to learn from the Mage's once I learn to use the spell I was given." She smiled, then she snatched her bag and held it, much to the dislike of the wriggling creature inside. "Red pandas are not for eating, besides, this one here is my companion on this trip I have made. He is my best friend and has always been with me from the day I could walk." She flipped open the flap and out came a little head of a red panda, "His name is Flameo. I also don't eat meat and killing animals is against my livelihood and way of living." She almost frowned at the thought of someone wanting to kill her pet, and she wasn't about to let it happen as she tightened he grip around him and the bag.
Takiena looks in the direction of the sneeze, eyeing the person it came from for a silent moment she returned her attention to the young elf. Looking to the fuzzy face of the red panda the avian could not help but tilt her head to the side slightly. "Odd little creature, but if you don't want to eat him their I guess I will not kill him." Her hand slips from the head of her axe. Mention of the port city brought some recognition with it. The avian has been to Rynvale on a few occasions, never had cause to stay long, Sand loved to wedge its way into her feathers. Takiena always felt like she needed a bath after leaving the islands. "My first question comes to mind then, are you not a little young to be out on your own. You are still very young for your kind." Takiena herself appeared to be early to mid-twenties but with avians aging much like elves her exact age would be hard to guess. Her wings shifted slightly as she looked to the animal again. "The two of you look hungry, I can get you some food and drink, seeming how you do not seem to have much in the way of supplies with you." She placed an order for some fruit and cheese with water and another ale to be brought to the table. After slipping Nancy a few gold coins the avian spun about a chair and helped herself to a seat, poking a finger at Flameo and wriggling it before the little creatures nose. "What brings you here? If you don't mind my asking."
Carad didn't pay any mind to the sneeze, seeing as that particular reaction is common in all races. She pulled the red panda out of the bag all the way and sat him on the table before her, where he lifted his head and sniffed at the finger wiggled before his face, before licking it and settling back down into a ball of red fluff. "I grew tired of the boys back home always bothering me. I also begged my parents to let me journey to the Mage's Guild on my own, so that I can lean to grow in ways that they themselves cannot teach me. I may be young in years, but I think and act like an adult when I need to and revert to my childish nature when time allows." She was a bit hungry and she ate the last of her bread and cheese on the trip from Cenril to here in Kelay and was happy that some food would be brought. "Thank you. I had some money, but I used it all on supplies for the walk here, and that wasn't enough really. I may be a girl, but I do love to eat and function better on a full belly. Ain't that right, Mr. Flameo." She rolled him to where she could rub at his belly, an action that caused him to stretch out and enjoy the belly rubs before she stopped, earning a pouting like face from the red panda. "Course, I had to feed him too, and he can be picky sometimes."
Takiena could not help but smile at the antics of the small furry creature as its belly was scratched and then not. Silly little creature. The avians attention then slipped back to the young elf as the again sizes her up for several silent moments. "You should be careful here, there are many about that would take advantage of a young elf such as yourself. Though if you are looking to become a mage, that could change rather quickly." The food is then delivered. A large platter of various fruits and cheeses is place in the middle of the table as a glass of water is placed before Carad and the mug of ale before Taki. Slipping another gold to Nancy the barmaid slipped away as if she was never there, such a good barmaid. Take up her ale the avian would take a small drink from it, "You have traveled a long way, hopefully when you are a powerful mage you can simply teleport yourself about. That would make travel a bit more tolerable for you and your little companion. "Your plans make me slightly envious, all I can do it hit things hard with my axe."
Carad listened and then her eyes lit up as the food was placed on the table. She grabbed a few slices of cheese and tossed them in her bag, where Flameo dove off the table and into the bag where he would munch and sleep for a while. The young elf takes a slice of cheese for herself and chews on it slowly to savor the taste of an exotic food. Well, exotic to her. "I know two spells that help me get by somewhat. I haven't had any real trouble and I tend to keep it that way. It's why I left Cenril as soon as I got there. That place just didn't sit right with me." She chased the the cheese down with some water and then hit the fruit next, enjoying every bit of it, while she chewed it slowly and kept her eating at a slow pace so as not to stuff herself. "You should be happy with what you can do. Some can't even use an axe without causing some sort of damage or health issue. I'm sure you have had some years training, while I am only beginning. my plans are just a way to better myself and my life, and in the long run, find someone to settle down with, once I reach that area of my life, but that is a long ways yet." She smiles, then eats a few more slices of cheese, combined with the different fruits for something a bit different upon taste.
Takiena lets the young elf at the platter, fruits and cheeses were all well and good for the elf or anyone else. But the avian needed more substantial foods, in no way ever would the avian think to stop eating meat, it just tasted way to good. Sipping on her ale she was content to watch the other eat and listen to her story. "I am happy with what skill I already have. Don't get me wrong. But I have been kicking around the idea of seeing if I can learn a spell of two to augment my fighting. Would make any battles I have with spell casters slightly easier. Unless they are the ones who can control a person's own body, those are hard ones to fight. Never had to personally, but I have heard stories. The casters themselves never get their hands dirty cause they make their opponents do all the work on themselves." Blinks for a moment and smiles, thinking that was a little dark a topic for the young elf. "At any rate, I am Takiena Varis. Pleased to meet you." A slight incline of her head was given as a form of greeting before she took another draw form the mug.
Carad ate her fill of the food and drank all her water, knowing that he body needed it. "Oh, I'm Carad YoungFlame, the last being a title my parents gave to me before I left the Port Rynvale. It is nice to know that people here are caring and kind as the ones back home. Perhaps if I get into the Mage's Guild, we can learn together, though I'm sure you would rather be with others around your own age." After filling her belly, she felt sleepy now, and sleep was something else that was needed for such a young elf, to grow strong and powerful as she herself grew. A yawn came to the surface and she used her right hand to cover that yawn, acting on manners that parent's have taught her so well. "I see that there are rooms here to rent, but I saw this amazing tree on the way here and I might go get some sleep there. Something about that tree just felt safe and warm." She stood up but then stopped before picking up her bag, "Sorry to just leave like this. I hope I can repay you for the kindness that you have shown me. But I do need some sleep, and as I advance in my skills, I will repay you for the food and drink and the friendly conversation." She felt bad about leaving, but she needed sleep, now that her body was showing signs of it being tired and her brain of course needed the rest.
Takiena gave another slight nod as the other said her name, "An impressive tittle, I am sure you will live up to it someday." As the other gathered her tings and stood so too did the avian. "You need not repay me for the food or the drink. It is my pleasure to treat people who are new to these lands. I myself am relatively new to these lands. I also enjoy meeting new and interesting people such as yourself I hope that we will be able to meet again soon and talk some more." Taki would leave it at that, the young one seemed to know that she was doing and that was good enough for Takiena.
Carad nodded her head and made her way to the door and slipped out, glancing behind her then vanishing into the dark as she made her way to the Druid's Tree.