Goodbye, mother

“We’ll ere’s what I think. Yer’ emperor’s got sum’ explainin’ to give, he does!” said mrs. Yaktu that startled the three. “Considerin’ the fact he was raising them taxes, as if they aint high enough to fill his lil’ bossom!”

 

“What do you plan to do then?” asked Vangz, who seem rather uninterested.

“Well, that’s wha’ I hired ye’ lot. To give him a nice woppin’.” she replied.

“Well that’s a relief. Sneak in, do my job, get my loot and then get out.” said Vangz simply.

“Well basically, that’s the plan.” Cool intercepted. “But that’s not the way were gonna do it.”, he added while he shook his finger towards Vangz and Keira.

“How do you suppose we- -“ Keira started. But mrs. Yaktu held her back. “Not ‘ere, me dear. Yer’ all short of time. Ye’ have ta’ pack and get outta ‘ere as soon as yer’ ready.” An excessive amount of worry distorted her warm face.

“The signal.” mrs. Yaktu whispered coldly as she stared transfixed to a glowing orb that was sitting at the shelf opposite of them. The orb was flashing and emanating a strange red smoke, making it look like a fireball than an orb.

“It’s a shield-orb, ye’ lot. A friend o’ mine give it ta’ me ages ago. Keeps me tavern safe.” Mrs. Yaktu explained with rushed breath.

“Why does it glow like that?” Kiera asked curiously.

At this, Cool looked at her and with his annoying grin told her the last thing she wants to her at the moment, “It means someone, or something is breaking through the invisible barrier outside.” Then he widened his grin without the outmost worry.

“There’s no time fer ye’ to be ere’. How did they knew ye’ were ‘ere?!” mrs. Yaktu said to Keira’s face and she was looking very nervous.

“Who wou- -“ asked the curious Keira, but for the second time, she was interrupted, this time by mrs. Yaktu’s gigantic hand stifling her mouth.

“Questions later, dear. You, come with me too!” He shouted at Vangz, grabbed his robes and pulled him without effort.

“Hey, no need to be harsh!” retaliated Vangz.

The red orb started to vibrate within the wooden shelf and was creating a humming noise. The jester Cool just kept staring at it like a little child.

“Cool!” shouted mrs. Yaktu. “We’ll be downstairs gettin ‘ready! Ye’ know what ta’ do!!” Bellowed mrs. Yaktu to the jester as she pulled Keira and Vangz with him towards a…wall?

She continued to walk in a hurried manner and Keira felt that struggling was of no use. The strength of the half-orc tavern owner was overpowering yet it showed extreme care as the gigantic hands of mrs. Yaktu wrapped around her whole arm, like a mother putting her child out of harms way. Vangz the dark wizard was being dragged like a stubborn child, trying to free the grasp of the motherly mrs. Yaktu, but obviously, her strength was legendary. Keira looked ahead where they were heading and mrs. Yaktu seemed to manoeuvre them straight on to a solid wall of thick wood.

Keira looked for Vangz for a reaction but he seemed to busy freeing himself from the firm grasp of mrs. Yaktu when suddenly the half-orc raised her massive leg and kicked the wall like it was some sort of blockade.

As expected, anything that goes in mrs. Yaktu’s way was bound to be badly decimated but the hole she created at the wall formed a perfect shape of a door, and judging from the shape of the hole, it really was a collapsible wall.

“Inside ye’ go, quick.” Mrs. Yaktu ordered, she was now drenched in sweat and gigantic drops were now seen on her apron.

Keira shifted her attention to the secret room before her. And for all the times she had been visiting this tavern, she never ever thought that mrs. Yaktu would build such place.

It was a room full of tools of war. Swords, axes, lances, bows, shields and staves lay neatly polished and untouched. Rations packed for long journeys were prepared and were already packed and as she stared at awe, she found her forte inside the room. Sets of deadly-looking knives were hung in silver hooks, ready for action. She took a step closer and as she saw the variety; serrated, smooth, shiny, and deadly, the knives created an excitement inside her and she fingered the blades. They were the finest set she ever saw.

“Been preparin’ fer’ this day, so I made trades with the pack o’ ‘em merchants from all around Lesallia. Brought me all their finest trades, the did! Ha! In exchange of me famous ale, I got ‘em all fer free!” mrs. Yaktu said as she patted Keira’s shoulder.

“Now I’ll help ye’ pack. Don’ be shy, dear, take all ye’ want. I knew this day’ll come ta’ me tavern so I got ‘ese fine trades.” She said as she bent and put rations, scrolls and flasks into Keira’s bag in a hurry. Keira grabbed the best set of the finest knives without further ado and strapped it to her belt, ready for quick action. She then looked for the wizard, which suddenly disappeared out of sight.

“Where did vangz - -“

“Oh he’s there on the other room, luv. Grabbin’ all the potions and scrolls, maybe even shedding a tear or two.”

Shedding a tear or two? Keira thought. Him, a dark wizard?

Mrs. Yaktu stood suddenly and her enormous height almost touched the ceiling. “I’ll check out yer’ lil wizard friend. Ye’ just grab what ye need now, dear. And hurry.” Then she ran off the opposite direction towards another room clumsily.

Keira looked back at the red orb that was now shining even brighter and was moving to and fro against the shelf. She sheathed the final blade and walked out of the tavern’s secret room.

…

“A little of these, some of these, and of course, this one.” Vangz whispered to himself as he rummaged flasks and vials to his satchel.

“Good thing Yaktu did as I told her.”

“So yer really decided to continue this do ya.” A voice suddenly spoke, a voice which made vangz drop the vial he was holding.

“What pushed ya’ into it, kid? Why did ya’ choose to be…this?”

Vangz cold eyes connect in to mrs. Yaktu’s and from the looks of it, she was on the verge of tears.

“The last time ye came ‘ere, you said you were on to something. Something great. Is this it, huh? Bein’ all this dark wizard, huh?”

Vangz’ eyes were not blinking as it continue to stare at those eyes.

“Ye turn yer back into us, huh? Ye turn yer back to me, a person who nursed ye when ye were wounded, feeded ye when ye came ‘ere hungry and gave ye’ a home when yers kicked ye out.” Mrs. Yaktu’s voice was shaking.

At this, Vangz’ eyes flicker slightly, as though remembering something. But he closed them and walked without saying anything towards the door where mrs. Yaktu was standing.

As he passed the enormous body, he stopped, with a voice so clear he said, “I was betrayed. Getting the tomes is my only chance.”

Mrs. Yaktu faced him and buried him in her arms. Vangz felt the tremendous weight leaning on him and felt his knees bend.

“Yer like a son to me! All of ye lot! Please come back, now. I beg ye, stop this madness.”

Vangz didn’t say a single word. He just waited for Yaktu to release him. And when she did, he walked towards the exit without even looking back to the lady who took him and gave him a house.

“Vangz.” Mrs. Yaktu spoke, now her voice was like a mother saying goodbye to her child. Vangz did as she told.

“The tomes have a better purpose. Ye’ should know it. They’re not only fer power. They wer made fer a reason.”

“I know what they’re for and I’m getting them no matter what the cost.” His voice was more than a grunt.

“No. There’s more ye shoud - -“

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKK!!”

A high pitched scream filled the whole tavern and as the startled face of the jester popped from the hole in the wall, Cool said two words that spell trouble. “They’re here.”

Mrs. Yaktu didn’t waste a moment. She stood straight and rampaged to the tavern as she grabbed the arms of the jester and the wizard.

…

Keira stood perplexed at the red glowing ball now releasing red puffs of smoke and bouncing violently at the wooden floor of the tavern. She heard thundering footsteps of enormous weight and the body of the half-orc appeared into view, dragging along a furious Vangz and Cool who seemed to be rather enjoying the idea of being dragged along like a rag doll.

“To the backdoor, dear!” mrs. Yaktu shouted. But she approached Keira like a stampede and Keira was forced to move under her weight to another door at the very corner of the tavern. Yaktu released her grip and quickly opened the door. The dark forest outside was not welcoming.

THUD! The oak bars of the tavern shook violently as though someone was forcing their way through. The iron locks clanked with each other.

“Cool, ye know what to do!” She said violently, spraying spit at the jester’s face.

“Absolutely.” Replied Cool.

And maybe for the last time, mrs. Yaktu gave them her motherly smile and embraced the three of them with bone crushing pressure. For the second time, Vangz felt his knees bent.

Another loud THUD and the sound of breaking wood crackled inside the tavern-the iron locks flew away from the front doors and hit the wooden floor.

“Hurry ye’ lot!” mrs. Yaktu gave them one final smile of warmth and closed the door in front of them. They hurried as soon as she closed the door. They wouldn’t waste the precious time mrs. Yaktu bought for them. Obviously, they were being hunted earlier than they expected.

They set foot into the dark forest, guided only by torchlight and their will to fulfil their personal quests. As the moon glared down upon them they tread the thick bushes and willow trees of the eerie forest and head straight to Rottoundale.

As the oak doors were finally unhinged from their place, mrs. Yaktu, with an orc’s smirk on her face faced the intruders that set foot in her beloved sanctuary.

“Me tavern’s closed! And ye lot are not welcome ‘ere. I don’t serve yer lot. Now I ask ye’ all politely, leave me tavern, ye Cercatori! “