Hounds Rising

These calculations have to be just right to keep their usefulness.

The dull and rainy afternoon had already come and passed, but the various lights in the room made it feel like a sunny day. Most lights cascaded onto the desk in numerous places, leaving barely any room for shadows, even as Mr. Muffins moved his furred hands from one piece of parchment to another. On his left, a series of books were laid out so that he could use their reference sheets for the abundant conversion charts needed for weight and volume. On his right, he had made multiple attempts to draw his designs and calculated size and weight.

He set his quill down in the ink bottle and found the bottle empty. Sighing, he reached for his coffee and found it to be empty as well, with only small gritty remnants of the crushed beans at the bottom of his cup and the slightly brown staining it gave to the interior of it. Mr. Muffins leaned back in his chair and stretched, realizing it had been hours since he last stood or moved from his hunched spot. He could feel the pockets of gas between his vertebrae give and pop, releasing the tension in his spine.

Mr. Muffins grabbed his cup and stood up. Feeling the blood moving in his legs, he took a few uneasy steps, then opened the door into the main chamber of the Archmage’s Tower. He could hear the front door open as Myla and Ana made their way in, covered in the afternoon rain that had taken place earlier in the day. Leaf, Rhokhishi, and Lyla were relaxing in chairs near the fireplace. He could see that Leaf was reading from a book, and Lyla and Rhokhishi were counting a small pile of coins, splitting it between them excitedly.

“Good evening, everyone! Are you hungry?” Ana happily greeted everyone.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Mr. Muffins replied, feeling his stomach growl as he walked over to the kettle of coffee. He could feel it was still warm and was thankful for being in the tower, as it ensured he would never run out of coffee, and it would always be to the temperature he enjoyed.

“Well, I have a few ideas. I know you all have been cooped up here for some time now, but I managed to make friends at a tavern near here. We can head there, stretch our legs, and get food and drink if you’d like?”

“I want to change clothes first, if that’s okay,” Myla gestured to her soaked clothing.

“Of course! It’s not raining anymore, so the drier we are, the better,” Ana replied. “And you all?”

Leaf set down his book and glanced around at everyone. Mr. Muffins could sense that he had something to say but was trying to think of his words before speaking.

“I’d like to do something else tonight. Lyla, would it be okay to take the Book of Io to the Athenaeum? I think Rosemita could help us learn more about it,” Leaf asked her.

“Actually, I already asked her about it when we went there to learn about the shade creatures. She said she would look into it, but the fire happened, then everything else, so I kind of forgot about it. I could join you, and we could find out if she’s learned anything else.”

“Well, why don’t we all go out, and you two meet us at the tavern after?” Rhokhishi suggested.

“Perfect!” Lyla smiled. She scooped her side of the coins into her money pouch, then stood up excitedly. “I’ll grab a few things, and then we can all head out.”

Mr. Muffins wasn’t exactly sure if going out was what he wanted to do, but seeing the group getting along and that there wasn’t much more he could do late at night on his projects, he decided that it would be good for them to have a night to relax. He took his coffee to his room, grabbed his boots, Jimbo, and coat, then waited for everyone else to prepare.

Ten minutes later, he had finished his coffee, and the group was ready to head out. They casually strolled through the door, waved at Leaf and Lyla traveling north, then headed south into the Honeybarrow district.

“This place is great! They have big tables, good food, and even let me play a song or two!” Ana told them.

Ana guided them through the main streets, and Mr. Muffins followed behind with Rhokhishi as Myla walked between the three of them. He knew Myla didn’t like crowds very often, but maybe after being out all day, she had gotten comfortable enough to enjoy it. They moved down one street, turned at a corner, then followed down another. Though Moonbright wasn’t large, it was still considerable for a town. It was spacious enough for many residents to have small gardens and fenced-in areas, especially in the Iredale district where the wealthy lived.

Arriving at The Dusty Ox Pub, Ana opened the door and ushered everyone in. He could see what Ana was talking about immediately. While there were a few tables off to the side that could sit anywhere from two to four people, the main space was made up of a large table that sat over twenty. Across the room, a bar was placed, mostly a market stall indoors, with shelving behind it to fit most of the liquor. Occasionally, someone would come out from the door just to the side of the bar, carrying pints of beer. It was easy to assume that most of the barrels were in the back to make more room for everyone who filled the space. The smell of beer, sweat, and liquor was strong, but Mr. Muffins could also catch the wafting scent of food every time the kitchen door opened.

Ana immediately walked over to a halfling and a goliath, gesturing for everyone to follow her. She was swept up in an enormous hug as the goliath lifted her into the air, spun her around, and then set her down. Mr. Muffins followed behind Myla and Rhokhishi towards Ana, who introduced the two.

“Guys! This is Arric and Kanadak. I met them the last time I was here.”

“These are the friends you talked about?” Arric gestured.

The halfling man smiled wide, turned his lute to the side, and brought his hand forward to give handshakes to them all. Mr. Muffins could tell he was already intoxicated, but his demeanor showed nothing but kindness, so he smiled politely as he shook the halfling’s hand.

“A delight to meet ya! My name is Arric Wildberry. I work at The Last Rhinoceros Inn by day, but I’m a bardic inspiration here at night! That is until your friend here showed up and taught me a thing or two about telling stories.”

“Aww, it wasn’t that big of a deal, Arric,” Ana blushed as she spoke.

“Don’t get me a load of that sheep’s dung. ‘It wasn’t that big of a deal’. The crowd loved ya!”

“And this is-” Ana gestured but was immediately cut off.

“Kanadak the Ironcarver!” The goliath puffed up his chest and followed in Arric’s suit by grasping each person’s hand and shaking it wildly. While not intentional, it was clear that his excitement could get the better of him, as Mr. Muffins felt the strength from Kanadak in his overly firm grip.

Kanadak leaned forward, almost kneeling at Ana’s ear, and whispered. Mr. Muffins watched and tried to read his lips.

“Are these the Heroes of Moonbright you talked about?” Kanadak tried to ask discretely.

“Well, some of them!” Ana whispered back, but not hiding her words.

“You’re here,” Arric yelled over the loud noise of the room as people drank, ate, and shouted at each other. “Would you like to tell us another story, or did you just come here to eat and drink?”

“I wouldn’t mind playing a song or two while here. First, food and drink, though,” Ana answered.

Mr. Muffins ordered some food and drink, and before too long, he had already started pulling out his quill and an ink bottle. On the napkins, he worked a little more on his project, taking notes occasionally as he thought of something new. Myla and Rhokhishi joined the conversation and seemed to enjoy themselves, so he felt it okay to keep working.

After he finished his food, and another beer was brought to him, courtesy of Ana, Arric stood on the large table, and the room quieted around him. After a moment, he pulled his lute from behind him, strummed a few chords, and began his song. While the piece wasn’t exactly challenging, from what Mr. Muffins could tell, it kept its pace and was entertaining. Arric didn’t sing to this one but instead used his time towards the end to talk and introduce the next act.

“It’s always lovely being here in this wonderful space, but I think I will relax a little tonight.”

The crowd released sounds of anguish and sorrow at Arric’s words. Mr. Muffins figured that Arric was not only a regular here but probably the closest thing to a celebrity in Moonbright outside politics. Arric played a few disjointed cords, which silenced the crowd, and he kept going.

“Tonight, I want to reintroduce a new friend of mine who also loves telling tales! Her name is Ana. Come on up here, Ana, and tell us a tale or two.”

Ana moved to the table, and the people at the end moved to help her. Very gracefully, her feet moved from spot to spot, carefully avoiding the cups and plates as staff started taking the empty ones away and bringing new drinks. Arric hopped off of the table, leaving Ana up there on her own. After a moment of shyness, the excitement took hold of Ana. She pulled her pan flute up to her lips and started to play.

Mr. Muffins had seen quite a lot of bards through his years. Whether out with Humboldt enjoying a nice meal or back in Westford, many people had tried to make a name for themselves through music and storytelling. While it wasn’t always a guaranteed success, one could live comfortably off it if one wanted. He looked over at Myla and Rhokhishi, sitting on the edge of their seat next to Kanadak, and realized that none of them knew how well Ana could play. He had seen the pan flute there, but it never occurred to him to ask about it. He looked up just as the magic started.

“I have told many tales of happiness, of victory and love. They are tales many know. But I doubt you’ve heard of the tragedy of the squirrels and rabbits? Yes, a tragic tale indeed, my friends…”

Ana played her pan flute again. In front of her at the table, an older gentleman snorted loudly at her, looking over at the person next to him.

“Oh, little girl, of course, you’d tell a story about rabbits and squirrels, but we men deserve more than that, don’t you think?” The man shouted up to her.

Ana kept her song for a few seconds longer, then pulled the pan flute away from her face. She leaned down towards the man and whispered. The room fell silent, so even though she tried to keep her voice down, it echoed through the tavern.

“Don’t you worry, sir. I’ll make sure this feels manly enough for you.”

She blew into the pan flute, and smoke erupted from the bottom of it. The cloud took shape immediately of a harengon, one of the rabbit-folk, wearing metal armor and helm, wielding a large axe. It swung at the man’s neck, who jumped with fright and fell over in his chair. The audience laughed as Ana stood back up and smiled, then began her tale.

“The story of The Battle of Squirrel and Hare is no children’s tale, I promise you. It is a battle lost, and a war won. It is a tale of blood and hate, peace and hope, and a lesson for all who forget why wars are fought in the first place.”

Ana played, and Mr. Muffins watched as purple smoke and plumes took place of the atmosphere above them. As she told her story, the smoke moved and waved to her command, showing the actions of her words as a battle between two types of creatures erupted. Mr. Muffins saw everyone at the bar holler, cheer at a moment won, and cry out at moments lost. It was indeed a beautiful thing.

When she finished her song, the crowd cheered, clapping their hands and raising their drinks to the clouds around Ana, which slowly faded into nothing again, leaving her up there alone.

“With such a sad tale, maybe you’d like to hear my newest song again? The song about The Heroes of Moonbright?” She asked the crowd.

Some patrons from the previous night seemed to be in attendance and cheered at the idea, while the rest waited patiently to hear another song. Not wanting the attention, Mr. Muffins returned to his designs and put his things away. While it wasn’t late, he knew that his work was over for the night, and they were supposed to meet Lyla and Leaf soon.