His tavern is often visited by strangers: some are from the Wasteland, some are the Hunt survivors, some just ordinary travellers. Some even come from the Forest, but those are grim, unfriendly outcasts, and Mise is glad they are rather rare guests. Not all of them are like that, of course. One of Chip Stout’s wives was from the Forest, and quite a nice lady. Poor thing, she came here to escape the beasts, and was slain by the giants’ guard. Chip spends all his evenings in Mise’s tavern since that day. But that’s alright with Mise: Chip is a jolly and hearty chap. If only he weren’t so credulous. Look at him, sitting at the corner table, listening to that dapper lad, believing every word he hears.
“I’ve been asked by many people about the reason I took my quest on in the first place,” the stranger says earnestly. “The thing is, it wasn’t a choice. It was my fate, my kismet, if you will.”
“If we’ll do what?” Chip asks confusedly, but the speaker disregards his question.
“But don’t you gentlemen think that I’m showing off! No, I swear by my dear mother’s tail that every single word that comes out of this mouth is the truth unembellised, as clear as a forest lake–”
“You’ve been to the Forest?” Chip’s face lightens up. He wants to add something, but this attempt slips unnoticed.
“–in my bed, and I had this dream, this bizarre vision… I was walking through a deserted land, and I saw a light shining in the distance. When I came closer – a ball, a sphere of gold, or maybe ellipsis, you never know, right? I mean, when you’re dreaming some things just acquire the oddest shapes and forms, and you cannot be sure if that is one thing or another… So I came closer to the shining, and I heard a voice, saying: “This is The Egg, and great woe will it bring upon those who find it, and it is only you, hero, who is to destroy it…” That is your destiny, it said, and your name no longer shall be Hop the Quick–”
The stranger stops to take a sip of water and eye his listeners, making sure everyone in the room is paying attention. Then he continues:
“I dare not tire you, gentlemen, with all the details of my journey. In fact, I am inclined to put this whole epopee down on paper (that is the material that giants store their knowledge on, but it’s actually edible, though not nutritious). But the end, the conclusion of this story has to do with you as well, as it happened in this very land… It is here where I found out that one of those giants’ birds, whom they call “hens”, has laid a golden egg… You know well that when something is of golden colour that by laws of nature should not be so, no peace there will be for the land where it appeared. So I went to the giants’ stead, and with my highly sensitive nose I found my way right into the main building. There were the two giants, and their “hen” that brought my prize to this world, all sitting by the table, where I first saw the Egg that I’ve been searching for all my life… How bright was its shining, oh, people! I swear by my own whiskers, no eyes have ever seen such light, such fabulous glistening! For a while I stood there, petrified, then realised that the giants intend to break it, to break my treasure, my splendid miracle! But they did not succeed, no matter how hard they hit. Now, my gentlemen, I gave it a good thought and suppose that the Egg was waiting for me, and me only, you see? Who knows what’s the life of a magical artifact is like. But there was no time for hesitation back then. I sprinted to the table, neglecting all my secrecy, and leaped up, heading right towards the Egg…”
The traveller closed his eyes, and for a moment there was complete strained silence in the tavern. Then he went on:
“With the very end of my tail I managed to move the Egg. It rolled across the table, and fell down, and crushed, and when its light disappeared, it felt like twilight fell upon the whole world… Those giants were probably crying as I was escaping their house, but they didn’t know that I spared them even bigger grief…”
Having said this, the stranger reached for his water again. When Mise came to senses, he realised that his jaw has been dropped open, and shut his mouth before anybody could notice. The strange guest, satisfied with the effect of his story, stood up and walked out of the tavern. Chip’s eyes met Mise’s:
“Did you understand what he was saying?”
“Not a word,” Mise muttered. “Who wants another drink?”
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