The laughter at the table was infectious. Mesu and Anna walked into the Silver Deer thinking they would just be there to eat, drink, and sleep. After a couple of rounds, Anna had corrected someone about an Enya story, and the groups meshed together. Tale after tale was exchanged. Some were of the exploits of past heroes. Other stories referred to more current events.
“You two seriously tried to stay in a bulette’s cave and got chased away?” Another round of laughter burst forth as Anna nodded her head. It was one of the more embarrassing stories Mesu had heard, and she hoped a new one would pop up soon. The people around consisted of adventurers and treasure seekers. Anna and Mesu were the smallest by far. If it wasn’t by height, it was the weight that made them look tiny. Mesu shifted uncomfortably in her seat again.
She excused herself from the table and moved over to the bar. The loudness of the group lessened as she got further away. Another outburst from that area made her look back and regret that she missed a joke. A second thought reminded her they were still on the subject of the bulette, the creature they had encountered, and she didn’t feel so bad.
“Just water, please.” Mesu knew it would be time to call it a night soon so that they could be on their way. They passed the mountain and found the town of Everfall on the opposite side. It was the largest settlement Mesu had ever seen. They approached it from higher up, so she had a clear view of how far it extended. There would be a good half a day of travel still in town, she imagined.
The barkeep brought her water, and she took a few sips of it. It tasted different. Mesu imagined it came from the stream that flowed next to Everfall. The freshness was something she could now take in from the drink. She took a glance around and decided to sniff it as well. Its scent wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
“That’s a curious thing to do.” Mesu jumped at the words. A few drops spilled onto the bar. She used her sleeve to wipe it up as she could feel her face turn hot.
“I don’t know what I was thinking,” Mesu said. She looked over and smiled. A boy who looked a couple of years older grinned back at her. His jet black hair appeared to be soaked and partially fell over his face. His eyes reminded her of a jade statue that she had at her home.
“I’m Liam.” His voice barely broke through the latest outburst from where she was sitting before.
“Mesu. Nice to meet you.”
“That is an interesting accent. Whereabouts are you from?” Liam asked.
Mesu’s thoughts interrupted her answer. She never realized she had an accent. Self-consciousness hit her again as she noticed the smoothness of his voice. It was different from the others she met over at the table with Anna. They had a rugged tone to them, a bit scratchy. Liam’s voice reminded her of a song, something that was soothing.
“I do hope you remember where.” He chuckled.
“Yeah, I apologize. We’re from out east around Lawan.”
” I have never been out that way. What’s there?”
“Farms mainly.” Mesu felt a bit ashamed. The most adventurous she had been before the last few days was playing hide and seek in the fields with her family. Being gathered here with people who risked their lives for glory and money made her feel like she and Anna were out of place. Another burst came from the table Mesu was sitting at, and she looked over.
“Friends of yours?”
“One of them is. We met the others tonight. Where are you from?” She tried to change the subject away from her as she thought her answers would be boring.
“Have you heard of Mortenheim?” She hadn’t. There were very few areas she knew of. The name was not familiar from the travels of Enya either.
“I haven’t, where is that?” Mesu shook her head as she answered.
“Up north, past the mountains. I have to say I enjoy this weather much more than there. It has quite the chill.” Song started to break out from the side of the bar, and Mesu could see Anna joining in.
“Do you know this song?” Liam’s eyes stayed on the group as they sang. Mesu tried to listen to the words and hear her ancestor’s name.
Mesu shook her head again.
“It’s about a woman named Enya. This one covers her travels in the south. A stretch of dry desert that is home to all kinds of abandoned structures and the monsters that reside in them now. It follows her as she obtains pieces of treasure. A large coin that was split into three and given to different kingdoms. It symbolized a treaty that they had. The bond between them was strong enough for them to unite against an invading army.”
“The land was once lush and green. Bounties from farming and hunting were traded fairly. They had known a hundred years of peace before a ruler who called himself a God tested the strength of these kingdoms and won. For a long time, the kingdoms only knew war as he brought creatures and men sworn to him to fight. The lands were abandoned by the people of the kingdoms, and soon the true Gods punished the invaders.”
“Treasures of all sorts were forgotten as the invaders were desperate to escape the wrath. As far as the legend goes, all of the God’s followers were slain. The land is in ruins now, and only treasure seekers venture out there.”
“Is that what you are, Liam?”
He looked taken aback at first, but let his face return to a neutral state.
“Partly. I only look for the rarest things. However, there is nothing out there for me according to the song. Enya had gathered the three pieces of the treaty and united them. No one is exactly sure where it is now. Stories and songs say that it’s with a hoard collected by Enya. The whereabouts are unknown. Some say it’s beyond the known world as she had traveled beyond the known boundaries.”
The song finished in the background with a rise of cheers.
“It was nice meeting you, Liam. I think it’s time I take my partner away to get her some proper rest.”
“Safe travels, Mesu. May we meet in the future.” Liam bowed low as Mesu slid off the stool and walked over to Anna. She wondered how she was going to carry Anna to the room as the steps were hard to navigate with no drinks in you. Mesu felt that it would be best to ask one of her new friends for help.