Post by askytos on Mar 19, 2021 21:43:40 GMT 1
He watched the small stream of bubbles as it rose from the tip of the diamond and cascaded in a waving line through the golden liquid to the top of the glass and becoming one with the thick layer of white foam. Askytos’ chin rested heavily on his folded hands and his nose touched the cooling surface of the beer glass before lifting the glass to his mouth and emptying it with three big gulps. He felt the precious ring in his mouth, spit it in his hand and drowned it in the next glass full of golden liquid on the table. His chin came back down on his hands and he felt the cooling sensation of the glass on the tip of his nose again and observed the thin line of bubbles rising.
“Askytos, what are you doing there all quiet and still?” Groinky addressed the old Lightfoot.
Without looking, Askytos mumbled, “Never seen a man meditating on important stuff, silly?”
“Well, I’ve never seen you meditating before and honestly, I’ve never seen anybody meditating like that!” chuckled Groinky.
“Can you imagine that the spirits trapped in this diamond send messages to me via those beautiful bubbles? The way they send those bubbles up to the surface, the tiny variation in the distance between the bubbles and the path they choose to go?”
Groinky came closer and looked at the bubbles with a frown.
After a few seconds observing the befuddled Nuruk, Askytos burst into laughter. Then he went on in an unusual serious tone.
“Some call it meditating, others pondering, getting your shit together or whatever. Thing is, I’m scared as fuck! Do you have an idea what these big spirits do to me at night? They haunt me every night that I’m not totally pissed!” he said through clenched teeth. “Doesn’t happen very often though.” he added with a silly smile.
“Soon I want to try to catch the scariest, biggest, worst nightmare spirit of them all, and that freaks me out. That’s why I’m staring into that glass.” As he finished his little speech he let out an almighty burp that would have produced a nice echo, if the `Laughing Troll’ wasn’t as stuffed with people as a fat Christmas goose is with onions and garlic.
The big entrance door gave its typical squeak and the noise level of the whole tavern softened remarkably.
“Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum, here comes the jolly one!” announced the big green giant and he entered the taproom side by side with Grahf.
They came straight to the table that Askytos and Groinky were sitting at and with one fluent movement, Grahf slid one chair back a bit, sat down, put his feet on the table and looked up at the ceiling supporting his head with his folded hands - enjoying the admiring looks of the young fighters, girls and barflies in the room.
Jolly stood waiting patiently a little while for a bar maiden to bring a chair that could support his immense weight. Soon after it arrived, Askytos called out an order for the table, “One bucket and two glasses of beer for my friends and the hapalops with dumplings for all of us, darling!”
“So, you asked for some help?” Jolly came straight to the point.
“Yeah, I think I cracked it. I have a clear idea what I need to make it. The one and only bestest talisman I can think of. But, I shit my pants just thinking about it. You still want to hear?”, he emptied his glass, spat his diamond mage ring in his hand again and dropped it into the next beer on the table.
Grahf leaned forward a bit; Askytos seemed to have gained his interest whilst Jolly looked at him with inquisitive eyes and a slightly tipped head.
Askytos enjoyed the moment but couldn’t hold onto himself for much longer. “Yes, you guessed right, I think I can make a Talisman that let’s your feet feel light and makes your steps longer!” he said with a proud smile. “However, when I think about how to catch the last missing spirit I’d need for that, I want to hide deep down in a hapalops’ hole… But, I guess with the two of you by my side, it’s possible.”
Jolly and Grahf looked at each other and nodded. “If you need help with killing big beasts, count us in!”
“And rest assured that I will be there, too,” Groinky added.
“Askytos, what are you doing there all quiet and still?” Groinky addressed the old Lightfoot.
Without looking, Askytos mumbled, “Never seen a man meditating on important stuff, silly?”
“Well, I’ve never seen you meditating before and honestly, I’ve never seen anybody meditating like that!” chuckled Groinky.
“Can you imagine that the spirits trapped in this diamond send messages to me via those beautiful bubbles? The way they send those bubbles up to the surface, the tiny variation in the distance between the bubbles and the path they choose to go?”
Groinky came closer and looked at the bubbles with a frown.
After a few seconds observing the befuddled Nuruk, Askytos burst into laughter. Then he went on in an unusual serious tone.
“Some call it meditating, others pondering, getting your shit together or whatever. Thing is, I’m scared as fuck! Do you have an idea what these big spirits do to me at night? They haunt me every night that I’m not totally pissed!” he said through clenched teeth. “Doesn’t happen very often though.” he added with a silly smile.
“Soon I want to try to catch the scariest, biggest, worst nightmare spirit of them all, and that freaks me out. That’s why I’m staring into that glass.” As he finished his little speech he let out an almighty burp that would have produced a nice echo, if the `Laughing Troll’ wasn’t as stuffed with people as a fat Christmas goose is with onions and garlic.
The big entrance door gave its typical squeak and the noise level of the whole tavern softened remarkably.
“Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum, here comes the jolly one!” announced the big green giant and he entered the taproom side by side with Grahf.
They came straight to the table that Askytos and Groinky were sitting at and with one fluent movement, Grahf slid one chair back a bit, sat down, put his feet on the table and looked up at the ceiling supporting his head with his folded hands - enjoying the admiring looks of the young fighters, girls and barflies in the room.
Jolly stood waiting patiently a little while for a bar maiden to bring a chair that could support his immense weight. Soon after it arrived, Askytos called out an order for the table, “One bucket and two glasses of beer for my friends and the hapalops with dumplings for all of us, darling!”
“So, you asked for some help?” Jolly came straight to the point.
“Yeah, I think I cracked it. I have a clear idea what I need to make it. The one and only bestest talisman I can think of. But, I shit my pants just thinking about it. You still want to hear?”, he emptied his glass, spat his diamond mage ring in his hand again and dropped it into the next beer on the table.
Grahf leaned forward a bit; Askytos seemed to have gained his interest whilst Jolly looked at him with inquisitive eyes and a slightly tipped head.
Askytos enjoyed the moment but couldn’t hold onto himself for much longer. “Yes, you guessed right, I think I can make a Talisman that let’s your feet feel light and makes your steps longer!” he said with a proud smile. “However, when I think about how to catch the last missing spirit I’d need for that, I want to hide deep down in a hapalops’ hole… But, I guess with the two of you by my side, it’s possible.”
Jolly and Grahf looked at each other and nodded. “If you need help with killing big beasts, count us in!”
“And rest assured that I will be there, too,” Groinky added.