Post by That which dwells in shadows on May 21, 2007 5:39:17 GMT -5
A fairly basic story set in the world of Spiritfledge, written in a way that keeps description to a minimum, in an attempt to keep the story within 500 words. A failed attempt however.
“That’s enough!” Alaris yelled, looking her husband in the face. “I’m leaving you Matthias, and I’m taking our son with me!” She stormed out before he could utter another word, tears streaming down her face.
The tavern was silent, its only current resident the saddened barkeep, sorrow filling his mind. The moon shone down upon its wooden sign, lighting the words ‘Envy’s Bucket’ in a pale blue light. The surrounding village of Antherdol was silent, all of the residents sleeping, except for Matthias that is.
A soft moan escaped his mouth as he looked around his building.
“I’ve ‘ad this place for seven years I ‘ave…” He spoke to himself softly, stoking the coarse wood of his bar counter. “And now I’m going ta need ta sell it.” He slumped down on a bar stool, his hands toying with a nearby beer glass. “Plus me wife’s leavin’ me.”
“I believe we can help each other here…” The figure beside him said.
Matthias jumped from the stool suddenly, turning to confront the stranger.
“How’d ya get in ‘ere?” He said, hand reaching for the hilt of his knife. “The bar’s closed, says so clearly outside.”
“I’ve come to offer you a business proposal mister Reval…” the stranger said, clearly ignoring Matthias’s questions. “You see, you need money, and I need a product sold.”
The bartender relaxed slightly, curious about the cloaked man’s offer.
“Go on, I’m list’nin’…”
The stranger reached into his cloak, his hand returning with a black labeled bottle. The label had no writing upon it. Instead it bore a drawing of what looked like a black snake coiled around a curved dagger.
“This is the product I will give you; feel free to charge any price for it…” the stranger said, placing the bottle in Matthias’s hand. “It will make you money.”
“And what do ya want in return?” Matthias asked, inspecting the bottle in his hands.
“I only wish for you to sell the drink, nothing else,” the stranger replied, his tone beginning to become impatient. “Is it a deal?” He put out his hand.
Matthias looked at the hand suspiciously for a second, before shaking that hand with his own. “It’s a deal.”
The tavern thrived from then on, hundreds of people visiting it every day to try the famous black label liquor. Matthias had made several hundred gold pieces by the end of his first week. Strange thing was he never really got any regulars coming to the tavern; there were a fresh lot of faces every day. Every night he kept on expecting the cloaked figure to return, however he did not. It had been a month since his encounter with the cloaked man and he had finally worked up the courage to confront his wife again.
“Expected somethin’ grander really…” Matthias stated, approaching the front door of the little hovel. The building was deep in the slums of Antherdol, well as deep as was possible; there were only eight buildings making up the slums.
He opened the door without knocking and stepped into the dingy little place. Clothes were scattered all over the ground, with no evidence of an attempt to clean them up. He barely had time to look around before she was in front of him.
“What do you want?” She snapped, her clothes showing signs of disrepair. “You’re trespassing, and dirtying the floor. Someone’s got to clean that you know!”
“I’ve got money now,” Matthias said, hopeful. “I can take care of us - and the boy.”
“It was never about the money Matthias,” Alaris said, already beginning to push him out of the door. “It was about what’s best for our son. You were never there for us.”
“But I can change Alaris. I can-” The door slammed in his face. “Fine then, I guess it really is over.” He walked slowly back to the inn, feeling thoroughly depressed.
Matthias sat alone in the bar, alone and lonely at eleven 0’clock at night. A bottle of black label beer lay before him, tempting him to sample it.
“Why is it that I sell a drink that everybody loves, which I’ve never tried myself?” he asked, pouring the liquid into a glass and placing it before him. “Ya’d think that I would ‘ave at least sipped it at some point.”
He raised the glass to a point just below his chin, gazing into its murky liquid.
“Well I guess now’s the best time to try it, when I’m feeling this low.” He tipped his head back, beginning to tilt the glass towards his mouth. “Cheers!” The liquid crashed across his tongue, streaming down his throat. The change began immediately.
“That’s enough!” Alaris yelled, looking her husband in the face. “I’m leaving you Matthias, and I’m taking our son with me!” She stormed out before he could utter another word, tears streaming down her face.
The tavern was silent, its only current resident the saddened barkeep, sorrow filling his mind. The moon shone down upon its wooden sign, lighting the words ‘Envy’s Bucket’ in a pale blue light. The surrounding village of Antherdol was silent, all of the residents sleeping, except for Matthias that is.
A soft moan escaped his mouth as he looked around his building.
“I’ve ‘ad this place for seven years I ‘ave…” He spoke to himself softly, stoking the coarse wood of his bar counter. “And now I’m going ta need ta sell it.” He slumped down on a bar stool, his hands toying with a nearby beer glass. “Plus me wife’s leavin’ me.”
“I believe we can help each other here…” The figure beside him said.
Matthias jumped from the stool suddenly, turning to confront the stranger.
“How’d ya get in ‘ere?” He said, hand reaching for the hilt of his knife. “The bar’s closed, says so clearly outside.”
“I’ve come to offer you a business proposal mister Reval…” the stranger said, clearly ignoring Matthias’s questions. “You see, you need money, and I need a product sold.”
The bartender relaxed slightly, curious about the cloaked man’s offer.
“Go on, I’m list’nin’…”
The stranger reached into his cloak, his hand returning with a black labeled bottle. The label had no writing upon it. Instead it bore a drawing of what looked like a black snake coiled around a curved dagger.
“This is the product I will give you; feel free to charge any price for it…” the stranger said, placing the bottle in Matthias’s hand. “It will make you money.”
“And what do ya want in return?” Matthias asked, inspecting the bottle in his hands.
“I only wish for you to sell the drink, nothing else,” the stranger replied, his tone beginning to become impatient. “Is it a deal?” He put out his hand.
Matthias looked at the hand suspiciously for a second, before shaking that hand with his own. “It’s a deal.”
The tavern thrived from then on, hundreds of people visiting it every day to try the famous black label liquor. Matthias had made several hundred gold pieces by the end of his first week. Strange thing was he never really got any regulars coming to the tavern; there were a fresh lot of faces every day. Every night he kept on expecting the cloaked figure to return, however he did not. It had been a month since his encounter with the cloaked man and he had finally worked up the courage to confront his wife again.
“Expected somethin’ grander really…” Matthias stated, approaching the front door of the little hovel. The building was deep in the slums of Antherdol, well as deep as was possible; there were only eight buildings making up the slums.
He opened the door without knocking and stepped into the dingy little place. Clothes were scattered all over the ground, with no evidence of an attempt to clean them up. He barely had time to look around before she was in front of him.
“What do you want?” She snapped, her clothes showing signs of disrepair. “You’re trespassing, and dirtying the floor. Someone’s got to clean that you know!”
“I’ve got money now,” Matthias said, hopeful. “I can take care of us - and the boy.”
“It was never about the money Matthias,” Alaris said, already beginning to push him out of the door. “It was about what’s best for our son. You were never there for us.”
“But I can change Alaris. I can-” The door slammed in his face. “Fine then, I guess it really is over.” He walked slowly back to the inn, feeling thoroughly depressed.
Matthias sat alone in the bar, alone and lonely at eleven 0’clock at night. A bottle of black label beer lay before him, tempting him to sample it.
“Why is it that I sell a drink that everybody loves, which I’ve never tried myself?” he asked, pouring the liquid into a glass and placing it before him. “Ya’d think that I would ‘ave at least sipped it at some point.”
He raised the glass to a point just below his chin, gazing into its murky liquid.
“Well I guess now’s the best time to try it, when I’m feeling this low.” He tipped his head back, beginning to tilt the glass towards his mouth. “Cheers!” The liquid crashed across his tongue, streaming down his throat. The change began immediately.
