113 They Met in a Tavern

Professor Kal walked a bit further, the gory scene he left behind was already out of view, concealed by two-story houses and the darkness of night. He passed by a few more soldiers out on patrol, but had used a spell to mask himself, not wanting to waste any more time messing around. His steps stopped directly in front of a worn, oaken door, two oil lamps on either side of the door cast dim, yellow light futilely into the dark street.

A sign simply engraved with two mugs of ale hung above the door, swinging back and forth, squeaking. Professor Kal reached out and grasped the heavily worn knob, the highly polished brass contrasted sharply with the green patina of the finger plate. It didn't turn, even after coaxing it with a few sweet words, and a good amount of jiggling, it still refused to allow him entry.

"Hey! Let me in, I know you're in there, I can see the candles burning!" He shouted into the closed door, knowing full well there were people inside.

"Go away! We're closed!" A baritone voice came from inside, heavy footsteps approached the door from behind it.

"You'll deny a weary traveler respite from the elements? That's a rather poor business model…"

"I'm not in the market for advice. Like I said, we are closed. Now, you best be on your way before the soldiers come 'round, cause I'm sure they'd just love to put you up for the night."

"I'm sure your lodgings are a bit more tasteful than the city garrison's, at least I'd hope so."

After a short pause, the clicking sound of the lock turning could be heard, followed immediately by the screech of the hinges as the tavern door swung open. Standing on the other side of the threshold was a bear of a man. The top of his head wasn't visible due to being a few inches above the header, his shoulders were so wide that he would have to turn sideways in order to walk through the doorway. A big, bushy black beard grew all the way down to his barrel sized chest, and his arms were as thick as Professor Kal's thighs.

The mountain sized man looked at Professor Kal with narrowed eyes, then moved them to scan the darkened street behind him, "Why are you here?" He asked, "Don't you know they've locked down the city?"

Professor Kal gave the man a wide smile, earning even more narrowed eyes in return, "I'm looking for three children, about this tall." He held up his hand parallel with the ground, "Two boys and a girl, the girl's pretty enough, but the boys are the type that only a mother could love."

"What makes you think they're here?"

"Magic." Professor Kal said simply, already losing interest in their back and forth.

"You're a mage?" He more accused than asked as he crossed his muscled arms.

"Francis, it's alright, he's our professor." A soft voice came from inside the quiet tavern.

Never taking his eyes off of him, the large man named Francis grunted, before turning to the side and permitting Professor Kal inside. After only taking a few steps, Professor Kal was confronted by a chorus of fervent objections.

"Wait! That's not Professor Kalcifer!"

"Who is that?"

"I don't know!"

Before Professor Kal could get two words out to explain himself, he felt two monstrous hands wrap themselves around his shoulders and try to yank him back. Fortunately for him, his body was much denser than what any normal human body would be, making him much heavier as a result. Instead of yanking him off of his feet, the only thing Francis accomplished was knocking him slightly off balance.

Professor Kal grabbed Francis's wrist, his hand looking like a child's in comparison, and with a violent twist, pried the giant's hand off of his shoulder. Balling up his fist, Francis struck out, hitting Professor Kal in the face. Not phased in the least, Professor Kal tightened his grip on Francis's wrist, earning several more strikes to his face and body in the process.

With a pained grunt, Francis was forced to his knees, his one hand bloody, the other twisted and purple, and still within Professor Kal's vice like grip. The sounds of steel swords being pulled out of their sheaths brought Professor Kal's attention back to the room he was standing in.

Looking around, Professor Kal saw that the place was half full of brawny looking men, and a few women, all wearing numerous varieties of armor, both steel and leather. Without exception, they were all glaring at him, slitting his throat with their eyes. And of course, sitting at a table right in the middle of the armed adventurers, were his three wayward students, glowering at him right along with the others.

With an awkward smile, Professor Kal released the man named Francis before holding both of his hands up, "I come in peace."

…..

The soft din of the adventurers' hushed conversations gave the tavern a tense atmosphere. A haze hung in the air as the soot and fumes from the oil lanterns could not escape due to the closed windows. Francis messily plopped a wooden mug full of warm mead in front of Professor Kal, the contents sloshing out and wetting the worn, wooden table.

Looking at the cup with suspicious eyes, Professor Kal thanked the man before addressing his students sitting across from him, "So, that's what happened. Now, here would be where I asked how you lot wound up in a place like this, but frankly, I don't care. So, finish your drinks and let's get out of here."

Professor Kal had just spent the last few minutes explaining to his students the reasons for his change in appearance, finding that they, much like Ryan before, accepted his explanation quite readily. As he cast his eyes on their haggard faces, he thought that maybe they just didn't have the energy to put too much thought into his tale.

Laura had dark bags hanging beneath her eyes, the youth sapped from her face, causing her to appear older than she really was. Ben's face was scratched up and bruised, it looked as if he had been in a fight with a cat, losing horribly. Richard appeared to be on death's doorstep, his face a pallid color and his eyes vacant and dim. Only his shallow breaths told the professor that the boy was even alive.

Shaking his head, Professor Kal stood, "I'll send you back, then get some rest, you all look awful."

With a wave of his hand, Professor Kal summoned a Warp Gate, the dark, swirling vortex appearing right next to their table. The sudden use of magic drew the attention of the adventurers, even the bear of a man named Francis opened his eyes wide at the sight. He had been a bit embarrassed to have been put on his knees by such a 'small' man but seeing that he was a mage made him feel a bit better about himself.

With tired sighs, the three students stood from the table before dragging their exhausted bodies through the waiting portal. Once they were safely through, Professor Kal cut off his supply of mana, causing the spell to dissipate, closing the portal. With one more thing to do before he himself could return; Professor Kal made his way to the exit.

Leaving the warmth of the tavern, Professor Kal was met with a blustery nighttime breeze that cut through his black robes, stealing away the heat of his faux body. Although the cold didn't affect his body in any meaningful way, he still preferred a warmer climate, so wanted to get this over with quickly.

After a few minutes of walking, he came upon the scene of the massacre he had committed earlier. The bodies had been moved to the side of the cobblestone street, leaving only frozen pools of blood. It didn't appear that any more soldiers had made their way to this area, which was odd in his opinion, but didn't put too much thought into it.

Walking up to him with stiff, mechanical movements was the one soldier that he had left behind to collect any valuables from his fallen comrades. The man still had a far-off look in his dull eyes, ice had started to form around his nose and mouth, his hot breath instantly freezing in the frigid air. Even as the man stood in front of him, his body unconsciously shivered, even the mightiest of charm spell couldn't keep it from reacting to the cold.

"Give it to me." Professor Kal demanded, holding out his open hand.

The soldier, following the command, placed a leather pouch firmly in the Professor's open hand. It was a small pouch, just slightly larger than a man's fist, and was only half full, from what he could feel. Professor Kal loosened the pull string before peering inside the purse.

"This is it? There's hardly anything here." He said as he fingered the open bag, the sound of copper coins rattling inside.

The soldier didn't respond, he remained completely still, save for his uncontrollable shivering. After Professor Kal finished counting the meager treasure in his hand, he pocketed the pouch before cutting the air with his hand, tearing open the space in front of him. Without another word, Professor Kal disappeared into the pulsating crimson slit, leaving behind the still motionless soldier.