2nd Brightening of the First Cycle of the Month of Aperitus in the season of Summer; Era II of the Celestine Mandate, Era XIV Post Fractum.
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The Fireside Inn was the most famous and often-visited tavern and inn that city boasted. Located on the main stretch of Sherital Way, just inside the Narim gate, it was the most likely stop for any weary and worn traveler.
The golden-grey stone building rose three stories high and towered magnificently over the shops and tents at its flanks. Ivy encased the stone with leaves of yellow and light brown, which fell with a shimmering elegance in the autumn breeze. The rippled, foggy glass of the windows peeked out from behind the ivy like eyes that glowed in the darkening, and they masked the shadows of the people inside.
A balustrade of white roses flanked the three wooden stairs that rose from the flagged street to the heavy wooden door, which was set with three panels of frosted, rippled glass. A smaller staircase, perfect for gnomish customers, rose to a smaller door set higher in the stone wall.
Behind this little door was the beginning of a network of wooden catwalks, lifts and pulleys that hung from the beams inside the tavern proper. Fairies and pixies lighted on balconies set high outside the building and entered immediately onto the catwalks. Gnomes and fae walked the catwalks ten feet above the floor while big people walked harmlessly beneath them, with no fear of stepping on a hapless patron, or being stepped on.
The tavern itself glistened with polished wood and hummed with the soft music of a minstrel, playing from a small raised stage at the back. Round tables and sturdy chairs surrounded a warm stone hearth in the center of the room, which cast a golden glow on the colorful tapestries on the walls.
While fairies and pixies could simply fly down to sit at the little tables at the center of the big tables, gnomes had to use the pulley lifts to lower themselves down to the tables and to the sleek bar. Little folk and big folk alike sat at their sections of the tables and at the bar, facing a wall full of ornate and colorful bottles.
The barman -- a smiling, silvery-haired human -- took pleasure in filling drinks and listening to and telling stories. These were grand stories, epic stories, stories of flying children and beautiful girls in towers. Some of these, he left to the minstrel to sing in the form of ballads, which many of the patrons knew by heart.
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Since he had arrived in Taralon, Eyvind had heard of the Fireside Inn. Many of his men used to say that the ballads of the minstrel scratched the divine, matching with the plays the rich used to see in their fancy theatres. Since the Vagaran had never been in a theatre he didn't know exactly what they meant but he remembered the tales told and sang around the fire during the long Winters of the northern most coast of the Empire. The tales and the warm provided by both fire and company after the said tales in some more private chamber. Good times, old times, lost times. Right now all he had was this chance of sitting by the counter and drink some ale while listening to the Bartender's histories.
The Daekin avoided the Waitress, Lola, from the first moment he saw her. Not that he disliked Halflings, but she had a rude thing about and after seeing her almost kicking a costumer who dropped a cup the soldier decided to sit where she wouldn't bother him, near the Bartender.
"She isn't rude without a reason, Sir. She is like those princesses of old, her mood is just to spice her prince."
The older man said to him while Eyvind glanced at the blond Halfling with a suspicious gaze.
"I am glad I am not her prince them!"
The Vagaran could avoid laughing. Princes and princesses. As if they could change anything. Telath would still exist when their time had long passed and the same was true for him.
"Times are different now, old man. Princes no longer fight Dragons to save their princesses. It is old fashioned. The old times are over now, the time of heroes has ended and we mortals will forever dwell in this bloody mess. What is the word in the street? What do the people think, old man?"