The Half-Empty Cup

The three of them slept in shifts, the night turning out to be uneventful and quiet. Supposing that they were fairly close to the town they decided to take it a bit easy, roasting some of the food over the reinvigorated fire and not setting out until an hour after the sunrise. They ate a small breakfast, not wanting to fill up before walking, with half of the contents of the bag remaining.

They took it a bit slower, legs still sore from yesterday, and even Measles was starting to feel it after a few hours. They chatted, not about anything in particular, merely speculating on what the "small town" up ahead might be like. Clair imagined a collection of mini towers, just like her own, joining together. The other two got a chuckle out of the mental image that reminded them of a castle more than a town and reminded her that buildings could be made almost entirely of wood, such as Charlotte's cabin.

"Well, yeah, that makes sense," she muttered. "I just... didn't think of it; it had blended in with all of the trees and stuff." She rambled off the excuse, facing forward to not have to look down to them.

"I imagine it would look like... maybe a bunch of cabins and towers dotted around," Mumps mused. "With, um... roads connecting them."

"Well if they have roads between them, then it would make sense they would be in a line or something," Measles weighed in with a shrug.

The conversation continued much the same, each of them guessing at what a town looked like, neither of the goblins remembering exactly how other buildings looked before the tower.

They eventually stopped for a break after a few more hours of walking, eating a more hearty late lunch while Clair groaned about the distance. Measles, who was clearly in the best shape, attempted to cheer them up, telling them that they were just going a little slow, but surely Charlotte's directions had to have them going in the right direction. Within twenty minutes they were back to it, walking along as the sun approaching the horizon.

"We can't make camp for another night. Was Charlotte wrong or something?" Measles sighed, tired by now.

"No, we have to keep going. We should be close," Mumps encouraged them, much to a groan from Clair. "Look, the trees are thinning, so we may mean that we're getting to the edge of the forest."

"That... you don't know that," Clair grumbled, the weariness of the walk getting to her too. "What if-"

"Wait!" Measles cut her off. "...do you hear that?"

"...no?" Clair answered after a moment of listening to nothing but ambient forest crickets and chirps.

Mumps nodded, stepping ahead with Measles and stopping just in front of Clair. The pair stood straight, stiffly listening as their large ears twitched and moved on their own, slightly pointing upwards as they listened. "...noise," Mumps eventually said.

"Mhm, people!" Measles quickly agreed. She grabbed Clair's hand and pulled her along as Clair sighed that she didn't hear anything but knew her sense of hearing vastly paled compared to theirs. They made their way through the thinning trees at a slightly different angle than before, pointing directly to the source of the sound, as the sun kissed the ground and their shadows grew. Within 10 minutes of rushed speed walking, Clair barely keeping her footing as Measles pulled her long while Mumps led the way, they made it to a beaten dirt road where the trees ended. And directly in front of them they found their goal.

The building stood as an anomaly, the only one in eye sight in any direction and that the three had seen in over a day. Made of dreary wood that looked to have shifted over time, the mass of tied horses out front and the lights and noise from inside were a good indication as to how much life the old place could hold. Clair could just make out the words "The Half-Empty Cup" on the front in weather worn lettering, painted over top of the door a long time ago.

"Careful," cautioned Mumps, "we don't know who could be in there." He readjusted his cloak in front of him and donned his hood, leaving enough slack to still easily see around.

"People, Mumps," Measles attempted to reassure, "there are simply other people in there." The quiver in her voice gave away her own unease as she also pulled her hood over her head as far as it could reach without straining the hem.

Clair looked the structure up and down, its height and windows showing that it was likely two stories tall. The cut boards and planks of wood gave it an overall smooth look, contrasting to Charlotte's log cabin, though it reminded Clair of the interior of a few of the tower's rooms; not that she had ever seen them from the outside.

She silently stepped forward, not sure what to say, and hesitantly reached out to the door. Her hand wavered a bit as she pulled back slightly before touching it, then reached out again and grabbed it firmly.

The door burst open, rocking it from her grip and nearly hitting her as the three stumbled back. A pair of rowdy men strode out, oblivious to her, laughing and jeering over something, clapping each other on the back enthusiastically.

Clair steadied herself, a bit shaken from the sudden surprise, and threw open the door with a huge shove. It slammed against the wall with a bang, and all the noise inside came to a quiet as every head turned to look at who would announce their entrance so loudly. Clair froze as more people than she had ever seen in her life stared silently toward her, and wished she was back with the dragon. She pulled her own hood low and quietly slipped in, followed by the two goblins. The attendees didn't appear to pay her a second thought, each turning back to the conversation or cup they were previously deep into.

Standing in the back, now reassured that no one was really looking at her, other than the occasional glance that failed to stay, Clair drank the place in. It was brightly lit, lanterns adorning every other wall pillar, bathing the interior with a warm, friendly glow that comfortably fended off the growing darkness. An old man enthusiastically played an upbeat tune on a set of pan flutes, stomping his feet in time as the men around him cheered him on, though he struggled to compete with a mass of conversations in front of him and the roaring fire behind. A goblin ran around serving drinks, bobbing and weaving around the merry makers, wearing a fancy suit complete with a bow tie which contrasted heavily against a every day clothes of those gathered inside. This particular detail may have looked a bit out of place to a normal person but to Clair this atmosphere was already so bizarre that she paid it no mind. If she had any self awareness, she would have realized that three hooded individuals unspeakingly storming into a place like this was the oddest thing around.

She saw a bar on the opposite wall where an older man with a silver ponytail and soft leather apron was pouring drinks for both the goblin server to run around and those seated on the stools stacking up mugs. Not wanting to wake the two sleeping men sitting on their own nearby, nor having the confidence to interrupt an ongoing conversation, Clair determined the man behind the bar might be the best to ask for directions.

She spotted the last free stool and squeezed into it, nearly cushioned between two bulbous men deep into their drinks; one who reeked of alcohol and the other who simply reeked. The stool noticeably sat a bit lower than the others, the legs likely broken and corrected over time, leaving Clair feeling noticeably shorter than she should have been compared to the two beside her, and she realized that was probably why it was empty to begin with. Measles and Mumps stood behind her, attempting to be as inconspicuous as possible, both of their own hoods now pulled as far as they could go.

The old man behind the counter quickly walked by, then stopped, taking a step back and looking her up and down quickly. "…can't say I have many- or any, really- about your age coming in for a bit o' brew," he finally said after a moment's hesitation.

Clair's mind reached. Brew, brew, she quickly thought. "Like, a potion?"

The barkeeper let out a soft chuckle, "Not exactly. Here," he grabbed an extra mug and filled it with clear liquid from one of the myriad of taps, "have some o' this. On the house."

Clair looked the drink over as her rippling reflection gazed back suspiciously. She hesitated, noticing the barkeeper glancing over out of the corner of his eye as he was pouring other drinks. She bent slightly and sniffed it pointlessly, her nose offering nothing of value to the inspection. She brought it to her lips and sipped cautiously, then greedily, the cool light taste refreshing her. With the mug emptied, she let it slam down on the counter like she saw the others around her do, jumping slightly at the noise it made in front of her.

"This, uh… brew of yours is pretty good." She tried sounding natural as the barkeeper came back around.

"Oh, that's just water. With a bit of lemon," he chuckled. "I take it you aren't from around here?"

Pride slightly snubbed, she retorted, "Judging from the horses, no one but you is from the nowhere around here."

"Ha, sharp of wit and tongue!" He clapped the bar with a snort. "That's fair, though most of the good patrons here are from the town a stone's throw away. So either you came down the road from the north, or just got lucky stomping out o' the forest." At this he raised an eyebrow and Clair shrank back slightly. "But I don't really care; people wind up here from all around," he deflected. Grabbing her now empty mug, he turned around and filled it back up, setting it down on his side of the bar and pushing it forward to her, picking back up the conversation, "Question is, where are you heading?"

"The capitol," Clair quickly told him, eager to avoid any attention to where she was from, given the twins warning about it.

"Hmm? There? Business or something in the area?" The bartender looked her over, a confused look overcoming him for a second.

"We're looking for someone; a wizard Regidor," she

"Ah, wizard Regidor..."

"You know him!?" Measles piped up, turning from her scanning of the room as the conversation piqued her interest. "Do you know where he lives? How to find him?" she quickly asked as Clair nodded eagerly.

"Woah woah, slow your horses," the older man held up his hands. "I was just thinking over the name; can't say I've ever heard it before. Sorry ladies," he apologized.

The two of them deflated at the news, the moment of excitement vanishing.

"...then you're gettin' old, Bart," one of the near drunks beside her chimed in, speech slightly slurred. "I think they're talkin' 'bout ol' Reggie."

"Wait, that Regidor? He became a wizard?" the bartender turned, eyebrows raised.

"Yep, lil Reggie quit the bottle, good for him too," the man laughed, swinging his mug and downing the rest of it in a happy gulp. "I swear I heard he went out west to the capitol, learned the fancy magics and made a name or something. Sally said he passed through town a few times a year, never stayed a night, but not for... oh, gotta be twenty years or so?" he chuckled.

"Ah, well then... lil Reggie grew up to be a wizard," the bartender chuckled to himself as he topped up the patron's mug as thanks. He turned back to the three, now all looking at him with a sliver of hope. "...That's all we got though. He grew up in town but moved away not long after the plague about... thirty five years ago, like a lot of folks did," he grimaced. "But the capitol is a good distance west of here. I'd suggest trying your luck in town tomorrow with transport." He turned to hand the goblin server three more mugs and looked up as the door opened silently, quieter than Clair had done.

"Ah, if you'll excuse me," he turned as a tall man with tied back braids and a gaunt face approached the bar. "Dravis, good to see you. Finally going to have that drink you said you would?" he asked with a laugh that indicated the question was rhetorical.

The man, Dravis, stared him down with beady eyes as he pulled his weighted rope net over his lap. "No, don't think so," he eventually grumbled.

"Hah, yeah, gotta 'stay sharp for the hunt'!" the man beside him laughed as he clapped him on the back.

Dravis didn't flinch or shift at the slap, his wiry body staying still. He turned, away from Clair, and stared the man down.

"...s-sorry," the man quickly pulled back his hand, cowering to the unseen expression.

Dravis turned back to the bartender. "...Just a water," he muttered with a grimace, his voice low and gravelly. "Aye. Can't say I had much luck these past couple days. This one was important..." He trailed off as his eyes slowly paned along the room, glancing down to Measles and Mumps then up to Clair, sitting between them.

"...hey... Measles... isn't that..." Mumps whispered to Measles as she turned to the new arrival, actually looking at him properly.

Dravis stood up, slow and fluid, turning to the three on the balls of his feet. He might as well have floated over the floor, the creaking boards silent for him as he approached, eyes now locked on Clair.

"...n-no... it can't be," Measles whispered back, sounding uncertain and a bit alarmed.

"I really think it is though!" Mumps frantically chittered back as Clair was focused on the intimidating figure prowling toward her.

He slowly reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder. Her blood ran cold and she stiffened. Her chest tightened and a knot formed in her throat. "...I think it's time you come with me, back home," he slowly told her, menacing and cold as his voice seemed to hold her in place as much as the hand that anchored her there.

"Hey now, what's going on??" the bartender started back to their side of the bar, a look of confusion at the odd behaviour. "She your kid or something?"

"...It has to be him! Just tell me it's him!" Mumps frantically whispered to Measles as he pulled back his hood, flashing sharp teeth at the hunter that ignored him.

"...come back to the tower, quietly," Dravis told her, the message clear.

"It's him!" Measles yelled, the fact clear enough now.

"Miss Clair, get away!" Mumps yelled. Clair screamed as she was suddenly tugged on, Mumps grabbing onto her cloak and leaping up, rocking her off balance. He hoisted himself with the edge of the bar and kicked off of the front of her shoulder, breaking the hunter's grasp, sending her falling back as he threw himself into Dravis' face.

Clair screamed as she fell head first backwards into the Measles' quick thinking hands. The smaller girl grunted as she barely stopped the fall and pulled Clair back before helping her to her feet. Clair jumped up, trance broken as she saw Mumps crawling around the man's head, pulling his hair, scratching his face, kicking him all over his upper body as he ducked and dodged grasping hands, like a rabid animal.

The man silently struggled, his net already dropped, flailing as he tried to throw Mumps off. He quickly managed the grab and yank him off, hurling him at the bar and into the bartender. The bartender yelled, trying to catch Mumps but he planted a foot in his gut, using him as a springboard, and leapt back at Dravis. The momentum knocked him back, bumping into a drinker at the table and spilling his drink.

"Hey!" the angry drunk yelled, rising to his feet and taking a swing at the pair. The two of them split, Mumps leaping off and landing in front of Measles and Clair while Dravis ducked the other way. The man overswung, punching another bystander in the face who then body slammed is own attacker into another person.

It only took a few seconds for chaos to erupt. Clair noticed the bartender hunched over the bar, cradling his stomach, while the goblin server dashed up the stairs. She turned to follow him away from the brawl but was suddenly yanked down. "LET GO OF-!" she yelled before realizing it was Measles and Mumps dragging her under a table for cover.

"I knew it! You should have recognized him!" Mumps yelled at his sister, panicking at the situation as he quickly rubbed his side, flinching in pain.

"I'm sorry! It was so long ago!" she yelled back over all of the noise. "We have to out of he-"

"Found you!" Dravis yelled as the table suddenly tipped over, thrown to the side as he upended it.

"Ahh!" Clair screamed, staring up at him. The twins grabbed a hand each and yanked her away, barely missing the heavy net he nearly threw over her. Clair scrambled with them, dodging feet and ducking under another table as Dravis scooped up his net to chase them, only to get slammed in the face by a wooden mug.

"The door! Get to the door!" Mumps yelled, pushing his sister and Clair ahead as they crawled frantically for the next table, making their way over. Mumps grabbed a discarded cup and threw it, missing Dravis and nailing another in the head. The heavy set recipient of his throw whirl, grunting as he bodied the approaching hunter to the side and drunkenly reached for Mumps. "Ack, no!" Mumps yelled as he scrambled away, following the girls as they escaped the tavern.

"Quickly, get on a horse!" Mumps yelled as he quickly threw a fist sized rock through the open door, motioning to the rows of horses tied up at hitching post.

"What's a-oh, these things!" Clair quickly realized what he was referring to. She looked up at the relatively tall creature that just ignored her. She ran at its side, jumping up and managing to wrap both arms over the top. The horse shrieked, rocking up and shaking her a bit.

"On it! You gotta-mmph-get on it!" Measles yelled over the noise inside as she pushed Clair's rear onto the surprised horse that appeared to be calming down. As soon as Clair was on it Measles leapt up, grabbing Clair's outstretched hand and sliding in front, barely catching the reins that Mumps untied and tossed to her. She pulled reflexively on them as she tried to steady herself and Clair grabbed on, wrapping her arms around the goblin for support.

The horse started to turn as Measles quickly figured out how to steer it around. "Come on, go!" she yelled as Mumps hopped on the back and grabbed onto Clair. She shook the reins uselessly, confusing the animal as it shook its head and snorted in annoyance.

"No time for that!" Mumps yelled as he suddenly jabbed his hand into the horse's flank, sharp claws stabbing at the skin. The horse shrieked and reared on its hind legs and Clair felt herself choking as Mumps held desperately to her cloak. She barely managed to not fall herself, leaning forwards and squeezing with her legs in response.

The horse landed and took off, running as fast it could just as Dravis ran out. Clair looked behind, seeing him sprinting after them, hoisting his net overhead as he was losing ground. He swung it around once, then twice, then let it fly. It spun in the air, weighted corners keeping the net at its full size. Clair shifted as she tried to see better, kicking the horse slightly and it whinnied as it kept running. The one corner reached its ankle, wrapping around it and knocking into it. The horse let out a panicked scream as it nearly tripped, but with the net only on one leg and not secured, it immediately shook it off with a single kick, running with its three riders. Clair saw that Dravis had already slowed, stopping as he saw his prey escaping, knowing that he wouldn't see them for a little while.