The Carnival at Moonbright

On the other side of the town, a young woman moved back and forth through the lane, hiding from the downpour as she walked through the Honey Barrow district of Moonbright. Just a few years older than the drinking age, Lyla looked for a tavern. The first one she found was full of guards and higher-up people, and she immediately left before being noticed. A few blocks down the cobblestone roadways, she found a small hole in the wall bar and headed inside.

The few lights kept the area from being in complete darkness and gave way to the noticeable dust settling over the tables and chairs. Behind the bar, an older man stood before a tray of wet glasses, using a towel to dry them before putting them on the shelf behind him. The room was straightforward, with only a few stools and four tables. To the left, in the corner, a man sat, slumped over the table, his mug still in his hand, passed out. To the right, near one of the lamps, an older couple sat playing cards with each other.

Lyla approached the bartender, put a few copper pieces down, and ordered a drink. New to the town, Lyla looked around, and her eyes stopped at the older couple. It seemed like they were gambling. The woman looked up, saw Lyla’s stare, and waved her over invitingly.

“I see you looking over here. Would you like to sit with us?”

Lyla moved away from the bar, grabbed a chair, and sat with the couple. They were older, with pure white hair. They looked dwarven, the woman having a slight stubble of a beard also starting to grow.

“Hello, little one. My name is Belria, and this here is my husband, Karmak. Do you know how to play poker?”

“Yeah, I know a little.” Lyla smiled happily as she pulled out a small sack of money to gamble with.

“Oh, no. We don’t actually gamble to keep. Here.” Karmak said as he took the 15 silver pieces, split them between the three of them, and smiled.

“We just play with this, drink some with it, then go home. Just a fun little date night.”

“Yeah, but it’s still competitive because I always win,” Belria said through her teasing laugh.

The three of them played their card game for some time, giggling, moving silver pieces back and forth between them, and ordering drinks from the bartender whenever low. The man in the corner eventually awoke, staggered out of his chair, and moved over to the table they played at.

“You think a man can get some sleep after a drink, but with all this garbage here, it’s too fuckin’ loud.”

The man grabbed a few pieces of silver from the table. Looking at the three of them angrily, he dropped his mug. It shattered on the wooden floor, glass and beer going everywhere.

“You filthy rock humpers are why good people can’t find decent jobs around here. This money belongs to humans.” He said violently and started walking to the door.

Lyla stood up immediately. Belria and Karmak’s voices rose outward, trying to stop her, but she moved before they could catch her. She ran over to the man and attempted to grapple him. They wrestled back and forth briefly before dropping a few of the coins in the man’s hand. He pushed her away from him, her grip not sticking due to the sweat and grime all over the man, and he ran out into the night.

Lyla looked back at the dwarven couple, upset over the racial slur and taking their money. They weren’t doing anything wrong. Her temper rose quickly, and she turned to the door and rushed out after the man.