Hounds Rising

The Dusty Ox Pub wasn’t known for being the best tavern in the world, but when it came to the town of Moonbright, it was the place a lot of the working class went to ease their tired bones after a long day of hard work in the Honey Barrow district. From the outside, it looked welcoming, enchanting, and humble. Plastered walls and wooden pillars comprised most of the building’s outer structure. It was nearly impossible to see through the windows, with frost already forming, but the enjoyment from within could be felt inside.

The welcoming sounds of joyful music and voices singing through the hardwood door made the atmosphere comforting. The tavern was packed. Happy, excited groups of people occupied several long tables. Some were dancing on the table, while others cheered them on, clapping and yelling. Smaller side tables were almost all filled as well, with people who seemed to be strangers sitting together because there weren’t many other seats.

Ana buzzed with excitement at the feeling. It had been weeks since she was back at a tavern where the energy felt this way, making her miss home. The familiar feeling of her family, warmth, and joyous people swept her up as she sat at one of the large tables and took her share of food and drink.

After an hour of laughing and enjoying the fun, a large man, possibly a goliath, reached forward, plucked a tiny halfling from off the table, and sat him down in a seat at the table.

“We’ve heard your musings too much. I’m bored of your songs,” The goliath groaned.

“Unless someone else can carry a tune in Moonbright, I might be your only bard,” The halfling frustratedly replied, fixing the collar of his shirt that had crumpled some from being accosted.

“If you’re looking for tales, I’m new to the area and might have something you don’t know,” Ana shouted above the voices.

The tavern grew quiet, the patrons’ eyes turning towards the young eladrin.

“See! We have other songs!” The goliath exclaimed, gesturing at Ana.

“Well, I don’t sing so much as tell stories and play my pan flute, but I assure you it’s worth the listen,” She replied.

“Then get up on the table and tell us a tale, little one,” The halfling snorted.

It was clear that the halfling was the primary source of entertainment. Anything or anyone that disrespected or threatened him would, of course, be met with aggression. Ana carefully made her way onto the table and bowed to the halfling, giving thanks as if being allowed by him to do so.

“I know many tunes, but I am working on something new you might enjoy. Something that happened only a stone’s throw from this very place.”

Ana pulled her pan flute out and started to play. The crowd listened intently, whether out of excitement or readying themselves to throw their drink at her and kick her out. As the tune moved her, wisps of smoke bellowed out from the bottom of her flute and took place around her like a fog.

“This tale I will call The Heroes of Moonbright,” Ana stated, then played again.

The smoke around her took the form of a group of adventurers. They walked up to someone passing out bowls of food near a fire, which the smoke revealed as she began to tell her tale. As she talked, she slowly walked the table length, and the smoke followed her.

“Just a couple of days ago, the sun was high, and the chill of the air bit at my nose. I decided to make a fire and sell some stew to fill my pockets with coin and the bellies of those who paid. The heroes stopped, ate my stew, and kindly told me about themselves. Most of them were part of the carnival troupe that had recently been here, but one was the Archmage himself!”

As she spoke, the smoke rose and took the shape of each person, giving a clear visual of the party she now knew and had been staying with.

“The wind grew strong, like a beating heart, and a roar thrashed. Before anyone could react, a dragon, the color of sapphire, attacked.”

She played from her pan flute, and the smoke changed to reveal a giant dragon rearing its head as the small party readied for the fight. Ana alternated between playing and telling the story, the smoke following her along the table and giving visions to those who watched and listened. Though she knew the story would be embellished to some degree, she tried only to use her exaggerations to show off the party’s fantastic display of abilities. After a time, she stopped telling the story and let the song and smoke do the work for her.

When she reached the end of the story, she stopped playing and spoke again.

“As the mighty tabaxi mage blasted the dragon with a killing blow, the dragon fell from the sky. A moment of worry would come over most, remembering that the monk was still on the dragon’s neck, but not the Heroes of Moonbright! No, they observed as the monk rode the dragon’s neck, saddled like she was on a horse, and steered it into the ground.”

She played again, letting the smoke retell her ending, then let it turn back to wisps before dissipating into the air. Her song continued for a moment longer, then stopped. Ana lowered her pan flute in front of her and bowed slightly.

Realizing the story had ended, the crowd erupted in applause and cheers! She came down from the table and shook the halfling’s hand, who was impressed with her display, and braced herself as the goliath patted her back in congratulations, somewhat forcefully in excitement.

The hours passed, and Ana, now happily full of food and drink, walked the cobbled streets back to the Archmage’s Tower. She hummed her new song quietly and repeatedly played the moment in her mind. As she turned a corner and saw the tower ahead of her, someone else came into her view, walking in the same direction.

“Ana?”

“Oh, hello!” She cheerfully cried out.

Ana was slightly uncertain which of the twins it was but was happy to see her nonetheless.

“It seems you had a fine evening?” She asked Ana.

“Oh, yes! It was splendid,” She replied. “What are you doing out this late?”

The twin held up a larger package in front of her, nicely tied in some paper and twine.

“I had commissioned an upgrade to my armor from a shop nearby. I went to pick it up and was returning to the tower.”

“Oh, how nice!” Ana’s replied, her words slightly slurred.

They walked together, and the twin opened the door for Ana. She thanked her, then went to one of the comfortable chairs near the fireplace. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

In the morning, hungover, tired, and aching from sleeping in a chair rather than the bed, she saw that the twin had brought her a glass of water. She hastily drank it, feeling the liquid loosen the dryness in her throat. She coughed, took another drink, then moved to her room, hoping to get just a few more hours of sleep.