The 'Slimy Toad' Inn

"Let's just say that... the Vanished City isn't that vanished anymore. There might be a way... not at all pleasant and definitely not easy and in order to succeed, we'll need everyone in this room and not only. As I was saying, this meeting isn't a mere coincidence. Weigh it out well whether you want to be among those who set foot into the City for the first time after many centuries... and if you are capable of rising to the task." Thorn added, regarding them with a slightly mocking smile.

"I can't offer any guarantees other than my word, and my word doesn't really count for much. If you make up your mind, make it up fast. No point in the whole region finding out that some weird strangers set out from the Slimy Toad in a... let's call it 'adventure'. And if the innkeeper finds out, you can rest assured that soon everyone will. Tomorrow at noon I'll be in the forest to the West. I'll wait for you at the ruins of the old chapel at a crossroad three miles away. If you don't come, I'll take it that you didn't want to embark on this little... adventure and each of us will continue to go about his petty business."

Without adding anything more, he threw a gold coin on the counter and left the inn. He didn't want to take any chances. The snowfall wold quickly cover his light Elven tracks and he would be perfectly fine in the woods, even in such a weather. Drawing the hood over his face, he was soon lost in the darkness outside.

auzi la el, dacă suntem

Angy blinked , and she couldn't manage not to say softly "What a mysterious man....". Then she woke up as from a trance and turned back to the "crew".

"Well, I consider that we don't have anything to lose , I... I've lost anything that I could have possibly owned, maybe this way I will get to have some friends... something I never had before..."

Rissa heard all that the Elf said. Coming out of the light and forgetting about the Barbarian, she made a noise with her sword, announcing that she was still present in there.

Ias was now listening, shaken from his sleepy state. Who was very powerfull king? Ias himself was so good at magic (black ones), and he believed that death was the only one ,,eternal enough" to compete with other ,,eternal stuff" the people had. This is why he thoght he was better than the others. 'Ah, vanity... if the king is alive, he can be killed, if he was dead... hehehe '. Too many ideas. He closed the book and came forward. 'Do you really want to live forever? What are you waiting for?'

"Eternity? Who was talking about such things? I, who don't have anything to lose, would like an adventure as I haven't got for a long time ago."

Angy felt silent, looked around and sighed. They were all so diffrent... "I doubt the fact that I will manage to attach myself to anyone in here" - said she, to herself. She felt like a stranger in that inn, she felt so...intrusive, unwanted...

After all, she was a lonely panther who preffered silence, however... this time she felt like her heart was longing for these people's attention. She felt an impulse, like she would like to jump, to do something but all these emotions turned into a simple resignation... Then she spoken again:

"Myeah, I think it's about time to introduce myself. I'm Angelique and I come from a far away land, hoping that something will get into my way." She threw up a jiggered smile, it was so hard for her to get someone's trust, now she was put in a hard situation.

Then the girl took out from a pocket a tiny bag full with silvery coins and said:

"Ok (damn, I'm going to hate myself for this - she thought) I invite you to a cup of pomegranate tea, to chat a little bit..."

She strolled the room with her eyes and saw an odd creture, a...horse.

"How could he acquit my eyes until now?" she tought.

She watched him carefully and felt like shudders were crossing her backbone. She felt something odd about this strange creature. Pain was in his past and for a second she tought that she feels pity in his heart, but she was wrong.

duro'than

She was in an odd way dissapointed.

"This is what happens when you're friendly"

However, she couldn't hold a smile. After all, something interesting will happen in her life...

She took a seat on a chair and dove into her toughts.

'Not many know that silence also says something...' thought Rissa. "Tired today, Duro'Than?" she shouthed at him. Taking her clothes with her, she went up to her room, near by the Barbarian. "We'll see what you can do tomorrow, Barbarian..." she said intriguingly.

Ias realised then that Rissa wasn't quite a human. 'A fellow of the Night... hmmm. Only two females of different species: a wolf and a cat... !' This was in his mind.

"I'd honour your tea invitation" he said to Angy. He suffered anyway from insomnia that would surely keep the inn awake all night. "I doubt that werewolves and Barbarians drink tea these days" he added later.