Three Crowns

I have not posted in more than a month. I have not been gaming or even reading gaming material. I will have to read some more rules I have on my bookshelves and post some more reviews.  Instead, I will post something I wrote recently to accompany a piece of 3D rendering of a seedy, fantasy tavern.

Three Crowns

Chapter One

“That’s three crowns!”, the big man said and looked at Myro in expectation.

“Hey, well that’s pretty good,” said Myro.. “But it doesn’t beat my four swords!” Myro reached forward and flipped his last two cards over revealing the four swords. His opponent sputtered in disbelief. Myro leaned forward to sweep the small pile of coppers on the table to his pile.

“You, You Cheat!” The big man staggered to his feet towering over Myro and fumbled at the dagger at his hip. Myro quickly swept the coppers into his open pouch and prepared to back away.

“He’s a cheat!, Get him!” The man yelled to the other men in the small back room of the Tavern. Myro looked about nervously. As a stranger in Marn’s Crossing the room looked to be siding with this dumb oaf. Best to get out of here with my winnings Myro thought.

“I won fair, I bet you yell cheat whenever you lose!” Myro said. “Am I right” Myro looked about the room and saw a few heads start to nod in agreement. Myro could see that the mood in the room was turning in his favour. The big man looked about nervously and his dagger started to edge down.

Myro reached into his pocket to toss a few coppers on the table, “For the drink”. There was a noticeable intake of air in the room. Myro looked down at the table. Two coppers lay there and a fifth sword card from his pocket.

“Oops”, Myro shrugged. He grabbed the edge of the table and tipped it toward the man. The small wood table went over and fell in the lap of the bravo knocking him to the tavern floor.

Time to leave, Myro thought. Amongst the yelling and confusion, he continued to edge toward the door to the kitchen.

“Getim!”

Myro darted for the door to the kitchen just as the men about the table began to move forward. Looking up he saw the enormous cook blocking the way. The fat, bald lout smiled with amusement at Myro.  That smile turned to an open grunt of surprise as Myro kicked him in the nethers and vaulted over his doubled over back.

Reaching the kitchen, Myro quickly scanned the place for exits. Two doors and a young boy tending a fire. Left, thought Myro and he tossed open the door and raced through. Abruptly, Myro’s feet flew into the air and he tumbled down the stairs to the cellar.

Damn, the cellar Myro thought. Now I am trapped. He glanced about the dirty room filled with crates and barrels. Diving behind some barrels he crawled into the darkness.

“He is in the cellar, follow me!” Myro heard from above. They are going to find me in a moment Myro thought. He crawled back against the stone back wall of the cellar behind some casks. A loose stone jabbed him in the back. A cold draft ran along Myro’s neck. He heard the sound of many feet clattering down the cellar steps.

Wait, a cold draft. Myro glanced about and saw a small opening at the point where the floor met the wall. Barely, a foot high and a foot wide. Luckily, I’m small Myro thought and squeezed himself through the tight opening. Beyond was a small dark chamber lit only by the light from the cellar. A block of stone on a metal swivel marked the entrance he had come through. Myro quickly slid it closed.

What is the innkeeper up to here with a secret chamber in his cellar thought Myro as he gingerly stood up? This bears investigating.