Into The Frozen Forest (Part 4)

Michael was quietly sitting on the far end of the bed inside of the tavern room that he had rented.

The entire floor belonged to Task Force Unity, and everyone inside of the tavern had treated them quite nicely, even though they didn't yet know what atrocities this group was going to commit in the coming future.

Michael waited patiently, as he watched outside of the window for his best friend to arrive at the tavern.

'Surely he will survive...'

He thought, as he heard a knock on the door.

Standing up, he walked over and opened it to be greeted by Equan, Vivian, and Gabriel.

"We are gonna go downstairs, and try to gather information... Wanted to know if you were willing to help?"

Vivian asked, as tension hung in the air from the separation of their group.

Michael nodded, and stepped out of the room with them.

As they ventured down the stairs, a distant melody of one of the many bards inside of the tavern danced through the air like a night time story.

When they passed the bard, Michael set a couple of bronze coins in the upside down hat, sitting on the edge of the stage.

Vivian brought Equan over to a table full of large adventurers, and Michael's dark skinned friend looked terrified, probably thinking the adventurers were going to try to eat him.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow in their direction.

"Do you think we should maybe go over there, just in case?"

Michael shook his head.

"They will be fine..."

The two of them picked a barstool, and sat down in the empty part of the room.

It was quite late, so only one bartender was serving.

When she went over, she raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you a little young?"

Gabriel gazed around the room, and set a couple of silver coins on the table.

"Just food, whatever is fine..."

She nodded, and turned back toward the kitchen.

"Why did Chase get tasked with leading this team?"

The question caught Michael quite off guard, causing him to fumble his canteen.

Of course Michael knew why, but Chase did not know that Michael knew, so it was definitely not his right to tell his secrets to the others.

"I do not know..."

"You do though, I can see it in your energy patterns, you are strangely dedicated to this cause..."

"It's just because of the disrespect they have shown our school in the past, that is all."

"It is not, there is a fire that burns inside of Chase, and I'm not stupid, none of us our... Do you think we would have followed him if he was blindly leading himself to his death over a stupid school sport?"

Michael sighed, as the bartender set two chicken plates in front of the both of them.

Once she walked away, Gabriel continued on with pestering Michael over the matter.

"Would you follow him still if I said it was for revenge."

"No, Chase isn't the type to chase revenge over Aetherball..."

"It's not over Aetherball..."

The two sat silently, neither touching their food yet.

"So what does he want revenge for...?"

Michael shook his head.

"It is not my place to tell you."

Gabriel gazed at his food.

"It is not my place to ask, and yet I continue asking because he is my friend, and I have chosen to follow him into what could very well be our ends."

Silence was all that followed for a short while.

"Two years ago, Willowmere fell before The Wendigo and his army, for what reason? I do not know, but I do know that Chase's father was killed in the savage raid delivered by Frostfang, he is simply here to avenge his father's death, and whatever else he has endured to get here..."

Gabriel did not speak for a while, but it seemed as if he understood quite well.

"I see... So I was not mistaken as to follow him..."

"No, he has been preparing for the day he meets Sazir in battle, for longer then he has been at Phoenix Academy..."

Behind them, chants and yells echoed within the tavern walls, as the music cranked up to the max.

Both of them panicked, and quickly prepared to draw their blades, but were met with a strange scene.

Equan was standing on the table, telling some sort of story.

Except, well...

He was yelling said story, with quite the dramatics.

Vivian was cheering from one of the seats that stood between two ginormous adventurers with completely plastered faces and stupid grins, one was holding two chicken legs the size of his massive arms, and the other was slamming the table with a pint of cheap beer in his free hand.

"And there I was... Standing before the mighty prodigy of Phoenix Academy... The Flamebringer, The King of Chaos, and The heir of fire..."

"What in the hell is he doing..."

Gabriel muttered, in pure shock at the scene playing out before him.

"Who the hell is the Flamebringer..."

Michael wondered, before it clicked, and he found himself quite stupid for not figuring it out instantly.

"And so he asked, with a sword in one hand, and the manticore's skull in the other..."

Equan cleared his throat, and made his voice deep.

"Young Stormbearer, will you follow me as my apprentice...?"

The room grew quiet, and Equan lowered himself to meet the surrounding adventurer's eyes on equal level.

He whispered, just loud enough for everyone to hear him over the somber music.

"Do you want to know what I said?"

Everyone muttered "Yes" and "Please tell us!".

Then Equan stood tall, and puffed his chest out.

"Why I said yes of course!"

And with that, the room exploded into chaos, as adventurers and soldiers alike began dancing to the music that had exploded into a vibrant melody.

"I need to sleep now..."

Gabriel muttered.

But Michael couldn't help but find joy in the strange scene he had found himself inside of.