Uskara Tales I
Uskara Tales I
By Tarrenger Drakenlied
Xurimo Sassoon
Laughter and chatter. Two simple words that aptly described the din the permeated The Chunky Whistle. A popular tavern of the local townsfolk and travelers alike. Packed inside were all manner of men and beast. Laughing, drinking, eating, and all manner of merriment. A pair of musicians were playing a cheerful tune together, much to the enjoyment of the patrons. Off in one of the more quieter corners was a lone patron. Nose buried in a book, scribbling away on its pages. Occasionally stopping to sip from a cup of hot tea. Said patron stood out from the assorted races not because of the snow white fur that covered his form, or the simple clothing he wore, but rather the fact that he was a Rat. Even with all the other beast-like races that were milling about the tavern rodents such as himself were a near mythical rarity. Tall, and lean he sat there scribbling away into his book with a quill and inkwell, listening to the goings on around him. He stopped briefly when one of the servers approached with a bowl.
"Venison stew, fresh from the pot." The elven looking woman said as she set the bowl on the table in front of the rodent.
"Oh! Yes-yes, thank you." The rodent nodded quickly and smiled a little at the server.
"No problem. Enjoy your meal." She said with a curt nod before moving on.
The Rodent looked down at the bowl, nose and whiskers twitching as he inhaled the hearty scent of the stew. It smelled lovely. He quickly closed up his book, put a stopper on his inkwell and put everything away into the sling pouch he wore over his shoulder. Wasting no time he picked up his spoon and gave the stew a quick stir, then dug in happily. The stew was a healthy assortment of vegetables, herbs, and meat in a thick broth. The succulent chunks of venison were well-seasoned, and cooked to melt-in-your-mouth softness. He smiled to himself as he savored his meal, eating the stew happily, enjoying how it warmed him to the core. Once he finished his meal he got up from his seat. He checked around the table to ensure he had all his possessions, checking over himself as well, just in case, before grabbing the instrument that was slung over the chair. It was a simple but well-worn Oud. He slung it over his shoulder and headed over to the bar to pay for his food and drink.
The rodent approached the counter, and waved over the Tavern owner; a burly-looking human male, busy cleaning a mug. Something every Tavern owner seemed to do for one reason or another...
"Need another drink there, Traveler?" He asked, looking the Rodent up and down quickly.
"No-no, Xuri is paying now." The Rat shook his head, "Three silver, yes-yes?"
"That's right." The human nodded.
"Good-good, here are four silver. For your services and kindness/courtesy." Xuri smiled as he pulled out a coin pouch, and set four silver coins onto the counter.
"That's very.... generous of you. Thank you, safe travels." The human took the coins and nodded to the rodent.
"Much obliged/thanks." Xuri nodded before leaving the Tavern.
The Rodent was greeted by the cool night air. The three moons high in the sky, surrounded by stars. People were going about still. Some were closing up shops, others returning to their homes, or perhaps entering the Tavern. Xuri adjusted the Oud on his back and headed down the main road. He nodded briefly to one of the town guards standing watch at the town exit. The guard nodded back, but watched him carefully. Xuri continued down the well-trodden dirt road. The rodent smiled a little to himself. Inhaling the sweet night air, and listening to the sounds of the wildlife. Being out here in the open was still quite exotic to the rodent. Even with all his travels, he was still instinctively attuned to scents of earth, stone, and ash; the sounds of people chattering, digging, and the natural rumblings of the earth. And especially the more closed in environment of his subterranean homeland; where everything was lit by torchlight, or enchanted orbs. A place filled with ceaselessly changing tunnels, packed caverns, and near non-stop hustle and bustle.
It was strange how quiet things got up on the surface when the sun went down and the moons came up over the horizon. Even so, there was something beautiful about it for Xuri. To his musically inclined ears, silence was its own kind of music. And it never seemed to be a tiresome tune. In fact the silence of the night allowed Xuri to better focus on new songs! The Rodent smiled to himself as he walked along the road, soon reaching a dense forest that the road cut through. He hummed a little to himself as new ideas for songs he could play wove their way into his head, as so happened on many a nightly walk during his travels. His long hairless tail twitched and wiggled as he walked, in perfect time with the tune now abuzz in his head. His fingers tapped against his side as well, reflexively plucking at strings that weren't there. Much as he would enjoy actually putting his Oud to use, he knew better than to play loudly in the middle of the night. It drew too much attention, usually the unpleasant sort. So Xuri continued to hum and tap his side as he walked; taking in the sounds of the forest. A soft breeze was blowing through the surrounding trees, adding soft rustling sounds to the tune in his head. Traveling on foot (or paw in this case) was just so rewarding. Traveling by airship was just so dull, and confining. Using Warp-shrines was even less desirable; just walking up to one, and instantly appearing at another many miles away. The journey was as much fun as the destination! Warp-shrines took that away entirely! Xuri refused to use them, unless he needed to return to a location in an emergency.
And so Xuri walked along the dirt road, letting his wrapped up paws carry him along. As he continued on, a new sound reached his attentive ears. Shouting and laughter echoed down from much further ahead. Normally something the Rodent man loved to hear. But his sharp hearing also picked up on shouts of distress. Although too far to properly hear anything, he knew right away what was going on. Bandits. Uncertain of how many at this point, Xuri quickly jumped off the road and into the surrounding trees. Normally Xuri would avoid Bandits... but with them being in his path, and with innocent people involved, he had to do something. He was by no means a warrior, or even armed. Aside from his teeth and claws there wasn't much he had to offer in terms of offense. Just basic field craft skills he learned back home. Even so he had a sharp wit, and a few tricks only a Bard could muster up. Armed with that knowledge he was quite confident in his success. The tall slender rodent continued on silently through the trees, towards the voices. Hopefully it wasn't too late...
It took a few silent minutes for Xuri to get in close. His suspicions were confirmed as he spotted the source of the voices. Two long covered wagons were sitting in the middle of the road, each with a pair of large bipedal reptiles tied to them. Simple beasts of burden, much like their Equine and Bovine counterparts. There were three people in simple clothing pressed close to the first wagon. Two were humans, a male and a female. The third was a male canine. They were surrounded by five men of various species. All were geared up in sturdy-yet-seemingly-slapped-together armor. They all had swords out, pointed at the three. Three more similarly geared individuals were rummaging through the second wagon, making quite a mess of things. Xuri grimaced silently in disgust at the shameless disrespect the bandits showed. He observed them closely, as well as the scene as a whole. The civilians didn't seem to be greatly harmed, nor were the animals. The bandits were chuckling and seemed in high spirits. Yet they were still quite alert, this was clearly not the first time they had done this.
"Ha! This was too easy!" One of the men chuckled, "We didn't even have to do a thing!"
"Hardly as much fun though." Another complained.
"So are we gonna have fun with these meek lambs or what?" A third, a female wolf asked with a rather sinister grin.
The three civilians cowered and pressed into the wagon behind them in fear.
"Well if the boys stop goofing around and FIND something of value then we can really have a party!" A human male said, his tone seemed to imply he was the leader of this band of criminals.
"We're looking, Boss; whole lotta junk in here. Not really seeing much." Said one of the men rummaging around the second wagon.
"Quite a disappointment really." Another said.
"P-please...we're just simple traders. We don't deal with expensive items." The human male said nervously.
"Oh is that right? Quite a shame for you then." The Bandit Boss said with a toothy grin, "Guess we'll have to celebrate with just you three then."
The three traders stood there horrified. The other bandits grinned as well; a few chuckled with sinister intent.
"I got first dibs on the dog." The female wolf said, licking her lips eagerly.
"You ALWAYS get first dibs." Another female, this one an elf complained.
"Top of the pecking order. Hehehehe." The wolf chuckled.
"You only get away with it cuz your the Boss' bitch." The elf pouted.
"And I'm the best bitch here." The wolf grinned, not even remotely insulted by the comment.
"P-please don't do this." The canine whine in fear.
"A little late for that I think. You're all ours now." The boss said with a chuckle, "Burn the wagons, and take the animals with us. We can probably find some use for them."
"No! Please!" The human male exclaimed.
He was about to jump forward, when a sword blade moved quickly up to his neck. Not enough to harm him, but enough that it's presence pacified him. Cowing him back into submission.
"You don't have a say in the matter. Or in anything else in fact." The boss said, nodding his head to the bandit that had moved in closer with his sword.
The bandit nodded and lowered his sword, stepping back.
Xuri frowned as he observed all of this. He was going to have to make his move soon or things would get quite dangerous for the civilians. He was about to reach for his Oud when an arrow sunk itself into the tree next to the Rodent's head. He jumped back with a startled squeak of surprise. There was another bandit that had been hiding in the trees! A male elf dropped down from the upper branches, putting away a compound bow and drawing a short sword.
"Well well well, what have we here? I suggest not running away unless you want an arrow in the back." The elf said.
"Xuri will not run." Xuri said with a nervous frown.
"Good, now get on the road." The elf said firmly.
Xuri gulped nervously as he walked out onto the road. As he took those few steps his tail moved up and thumped against his Oud. Letting out a muted but resonant thump. No one seemed to notice it. They were more focused on the unexpected arrival of the Rodent.
"What's this?" The Boss asked looking over Xuri.
"Found 'em snooping around. A pretty rare sight too." The elf said, standing guard behind Xuri.
"Rare indeed! I think we hit a jackpot here! Can probably fetch a very high price for him on the slave market." The Boss grinned, "It is a 'he' right? Never thought I'd actually see one of these Ratfolk."
"I always thought they were a myth." Another of the bandits chimed in.
"Xuri is a male, yes-yes. And he does not make for a good slave." Xuri said firmly, "Xuri is only good for playing music. Nothing else."
Once again, unnoticed the Rodent's tail thumped against his Oud.
"Oh? Well I'm sure some training will fix that problem." The Boss said with a dark chuckle, "Seems we got a real treat to celebrate over after all."
The bandits around him all cheered eagerly at the news. And once more Xuri's tail thumped against his Oud. The Rodent gulped nervously before speaking.
"Well...if you are to celebrate our capture... perhaps Xuri could play you a song to revel/dance along with?" He asked.
"Hmmm....I don't see that as an issue. May as well see what you can do before we decide to sell you off." The boss said after thinking quietly for a few minutes.
Once more Xuri's tail thumped against his instrument.
"Thank you." Xuri nodded, before smiling, knowing that he had them, "You have fallen for Xuri's ploy/trap."
The Rodent quickly brought his Oud forward and started to play the instrument. His fingers danced along the strings. Producing an energetic and cheerful melody. It was quite an attention grabber, drawing in the attention of all the bandits, including the ones that were in the other wagon.
"What kind of shit are you trying to pu-" The Boss quickly realized what Xuri's words implied, moving in to strike at the Rodent.
But it was already too late. Xuri switched tunes, going to a slower and more somber tune. The Rodent grinned as he played, and watched as the bandits dropped their weapons and stood there. The ones in the wagon had jumped out and walked over to listen to the music. He had them now. His music had reached into their minds and wrenched all control from them. Though they did not look it, Xuri knew they were fully aware of what was going on now.
"Are you alright/safe?" Xuri turned and asked the traders, still playing his Oud.
"Wh-what did you do?" The female human asked utterly shocked and confused.
"Xuri has used his music to ensnare their minds and bodies. As long as he continues to play his Windsong, they will be unable to do anything he doesn't want them to." Xuri explained, "You are safe now-now."
The three traders looked at each other and sighed with relief.
"Thank you stranger. Thank you so much!" The human male said happily, "You've saved us!"
"Yes! Thank you." The other two traders smiled happily.
"Good-good. Can you travel/walk? Xuri can not play forever." Xuri said, "There is a town/settlement not more than a mile down the road."
"That's where we were heading to spend the night. When these bandits showed up and stopped us." The canine said with a frown.
"Then you should hurry into town now." Xuri said as he continued to play, "Alert/warn the guards at the gate. Xuri will bring in the bandits after you, yes-yes?"
"Yes of course! We better not tarry then." The male trader nodded, "You two check on the cargo, I'll go on ahead."
"Will do." The canine nodded, "Let's make this quick."
"Right." The female trader agreed as she followed the canine to the second wagon.
Both set to work cleaning up the mess and took stock of the damages. Xuri turned to the ensnared bandits as he played his Oud. He shifted the tune slightly, speeding it up just a bit. The bandits stood up straight and marched behind the wagons, lined up into three neat rows, while the human male climbed into the first wagon and took the reins.
"I'll meet you inside the gates!" He called as he tugged on the reins and got the lizards moving.
"We'll be right behind you!" The canine called back, "Such a mess of everything. This is the best we can do for now."
"It's too late and dark to do this right." The female said, "I'll take the reins."
She climbed up to the front of the wagon and took the reins, "How far behind us are you going to be?"
"Not far; you will hear Xuri following/walking behind you." Xuri said.
"Alright, please be careful." She said as she tugged on the reins and got the wagon moving.
"Xuri is always careful." Xuri nodded as the wagon left, "Now what should/can Xuri do with you brazen thieves? Hmm...? Ah! Xuri knows! Oh yes-yes!"
The rodent grinned as he looked over the blank-faced bandits. He changed up the tune he played again, shifting to a faster and more festive song. The effect of his music was immediate, the bandits all started to dance in place. And in perfect sync with each other and the music being played. Nothing especially flamboyant, or bombastic, but no less embarrassing for the group of veteran crooks. Xuri turned and started down the road, the Bandits were compelled to follow him, dancing the whole time to his music. A final insult to their capture. He could practically hear the harsh insults and threats that the bandits were thinking in his direction. He could allow them to speak if he wished, but why listen to crooks shout out those insults and threats? It was much better to just imagine what they could be saying. (And a safe precaution, on the off chance one of them actually knew magic.) So, he marched them along in a cheerful dance. Only the sound of his music guided the way back to the town he had left nearly an hour prior.
"This will make/become quite a story for Xuri to tell/speak of later. Oh yes-yes it will." Xuri chuckled to himself as he walked, "Not what Xuri wanted/asked for. But spontaneity is always good-good!"
It didn't take long for Xuri to lead his entourage back to the gates. Already there was a collection of town guards waiting. The rodent approached with a spring in his step.
"Well those traders were right. This is a sight to see." A guard said as he walked over.
He was a rather short, stocky fellow; indeed, were he any shorter, he'd easily be mistaken for a dwarf! His uniform was more ornate than the rest; clearly this man was the head guardsman. Xuri gave an elegant bow as he continued to play.
"Do you have appropriate accommodation for your new 'guests'? Xuri can't continue to play for much longer." Xuri said, "The magic is more taxing/draining than normal playing."
A few of the guards were stifling chuckles of amusement. The awe of being given a group of bandits on a platter having worn off enough to realize that the bandits had been dancing in place the entire time.
"Stop trying to act professional, and BE professional!" The head guard snapped.
The other guardsmen quickly snapped to attention.
"Now... we do have some 'special accommodations' just for them. Follow me." the Head Guard waved a hand, further indicating for Xuri to follow as he turned and walked into town.
"Yes-yes." Xuri nodded his head and followed.
The dancing bandits not far behind as the rest of the guards watched and followed as well. Were it not so late in the evening the scene would have been quite a sight for the locals. A rodent playing an Oud, with an entourage of bandits dancing behind him. And surrounded by guards! Aside from a few half asleep drunks, no one was out and about as they walked to the Guardhouse. Xuri also saw the three traders standing by their wagons. The Rodent gave them a quick nod as he continued to follow the Guards. Upon arrival one of the Guardsmen opened the way for their boss, and the Rodent and his entourage.
"The cells are down here." The short man said as he descended as set of stairs in the back of the modest Guardhouse.
Xuri nodded and followed as he continued to pluck the strings of his instrument. He took a brief look around, noting the simple but utilitarian decor before going down the stairs.
"Shall Xuri cease/stop the dancing? It would be a shame/bad for them to trip onto us yes-yes?" Xuri asked.
"Not a bad idea." Was the reply.
Xuri nodded as he slowed down his music and changed to a more mild tune. The bandits stopped dancing right away and walked down the stairs in a slow shuffle. The basement was set up with quite a number of clean, sturdy looking cells. They had stone walls, and thick sturdy wooden doors.
"Split them up three to a cell if you please." The Head Guardsmen said as he stopped and turned to face the rodent.
"Yes-yes." Xuri nodded as he continued to play.
The bandits all marched numbly into three of the cells, still blank-faced the entire time. Once they were in the cells a few more guards came down to join them in the hall.
"Before our friend here releases his hold I want you to give them all a thorough search. Don't want them still armed or carrying lock picks." The short man addressed his subordinates.
They nodded with agreement and entered the now occupied cells and began a thorough search of the passive bandits.
"Are these cells/chambers magic proofed?" Xuri asked curious.
"That they are, standard procedure these days. And might I say that you're the first I've seen that can ensnare so many with a spell like that." The short man said as he nodded towards Xuri's instrument.
"Ah, you are familiar with it?" The Rodent tilted his head.
"We've seen a few that can do that now and then. But nothing like what you seem to be able to do." He answered, "Is that a racial talent or something? I've heard stories. Stories I'm more than willing to overlook seeing as you've done us quite a service tonight. We've had no end of trouble from this little band. Thank you for bringing them in."
"It was the right/good thing for Xuri to do. Xuri couldn't stand by and let innocents be harmed." Xuri said, "And no, it was an acquired talent."
"All clear. We'll lock up all this stuff now." One of the guards said to their boss.
Another pair of guards were locking the cells up tight.
"Good." Their boss acknowledged, "You can stop playing now."
"Thank you." Xuri sighed as he stopped playing and rubbed his fingers.
Right away the Bandits were released from Xuri's hold and began pounding on the cell doors angrily.
"WHEN WE GET OUT OF HERE, WE'RE GOING TO SKIN YOU ALIVE!" The Bandit boss' voice rang out, "YOU'LL REGRET THIS, YOU FLEA-BITTEN VERMIN-FACED BASTARD!"
This was followed by similar angry insults and death threats from the rest of the bandits.
"Oh shut it you lot. You're not goin' anywhere. We'll book you all in the morning." One of the Guards pounded on one of the cell doors.
"We'll be hearing this for hours." Another Guard complained with a sigh.
"That we will." The Head Guardsmen nodded and sighed, "I hate to be a bother but, could you possibly do something about this?"
He looked up at the Rodent in front of him.
"Oh yes-yes!" Xuri nodded as he strummed a few notes on his Oud.
In seconds the cells went quiet save for some solid thumps to the floor.
"All sound asleep/dormant." Xuri smiled proudly.
"Thank you. We'll see about a reward for capturing them. Come with me." The Head Guardsman said.
Xuri shook his head, "No-no, no need for a reward. Xuri just did what was right/good. Is there anything else?"
"Are you sure?" The man asked surprised.
"Yes-yes." Xuri nodded.
"Well, if you say so. There's nothing else. But again, thank you." The Head Guardsman said, "You'll always be welcome in our town.
"Many thanks." Xuri nodded and gave a polite bow, "Goodbye, and enjoy your evening."
With that the Rodent slipped his Oud behind his back once more and went back up the stairs and to the outside. Waiting outside the Guardhouse were the three traders. They were quite happy upon seeing the Rodent.
"Oh, hello." Xuri said with a cheerful smile.
"Hello again. We just wanted to give you our thanks for saving us from those bandits." The canine said with a smile.
"Yes; you saved our lives, and our business." The human male said as he walked over to shake Xuri's hand.
"It was nothing. Xuri did what was right/good. No thanks are needed." Xuri said as he shook the man's hand. "Xuri will be going now."
Xuri gave a polite bow, and started to leave.
"Wait! Where are you going?" The female human asked, "Surely we could repay you for what you've done for us?"
"Xuri does not need anything. Just the song/music of the world." Xuri said, "Something only Xuri can give to Xuri."
"Oh... Well where are you heading?" The woman asked.
"Hmmm... Taernsby? Xuri does not have a map. But he saw the road sign yesterday." Xuri stopped and answered, "Why?"
"Well we're heading that way too. So you can come with us if you want to. Least we could do." She said with a hopeful smile.
"Oh...well. Xuri supposes/thinks that would be a nice idea. Xuri does not often travel with others." Xuri nodded and smiled.
"Excellent! We'll be leaving early in the morning. So we'll be heading to the Inn now for a well deserved rest after such a trying situation." The male trader said, "Is that fine with you?"
"Oh yes-yes. Xuri will pay for his room for the evening/night. Then we can all depart for Taernsby together! Xuri would be quite happy/glad to share his music with you along the trip!" Xuri smiled even more.
"Fair enough." The male trader said as he and his fellow traders headed for the in, "Then we'll bid you a goodnight, and see you in the morning."
"Yes-yes, goodnight." Xuri nodded and bowed, "Xuri will follow shortly."
The three traders continued to the Inn with a wave to the Rodent. Xuri, meanwhile, smiled and sighed happily. It was fortunate that they were heading in the same direction, though he had a feeling they only said that so they could return the favor to him in some way or other. But traveling with them for a short time would be nice. A small change of pace, and people to share his music with. What more could he ask for than that? After admiring the moonlit sky for a few minutes he headed for the Inn to turn in for the night.