The Halfway Inn
Part 2
Rowan awoke to an empty bed. With a heavy sigh he hefted himself onto his elbows and blinked bleary eyed at his surroundings. Something wasn't quite right, the rough canvas and fur bedsheets he had fallen asleep in had vanished, replaced by a smooth red duvet edged in black lace. Casting the covers aside he sat upon the edge of the bed, looking toward where he had unceremoniously thrown his clothes the previous night. They weren't there. Confused, he glanced around the room, apprehension settling to his stomach. Gone were the rough wattled walls, creaky floorboards, and moth-eaten drapes of the old inn house. Fine wood-panel walls surrounded him, floors covered with a vibrant patterned carpet of sable and crimson, elegantly embroidered curtains tied by gilt ribbon accented the ornate windowpane. The whole room gave an air of luxury that was entirely alien to Rowan. He spent a while wrapped in the soft material, enjoying the warmth and intermittent birdsong.
Finally dragging himself out of bed Rowan found his clothes neatly folded upon the bedside table, cleaned and ironed. There was a pleasant warmth to their touch, as though he had just taken them from a roaring fireside. Slipping into the heavy woollen fabric, he pondered his strange surroundings. As pleasant as it was, he could not help but feel uneased at such a drastic change. How had he ended up here? Was this some secret room in the alehouse reserved for discerning guests? Xeryix would have the answer, and he had not seen hair nor hide of her since last night. Easing the richly carved mahogany door open any hope that he was still in the alehouse vanished. Beyond lay a brightly lit landing, golden sunlight streaming from a large rose window bathing the regal room in a warm glow. Fine candelabras hung from the arched ceiling, vibrant tapestries lined the walls, illustrating a level of debauchery Rowan had not thought possible. Descending the sweeping staircase to the flagstone floor below Rowan found himself among life-size marble statues. There were elves and dwarves and beastfolk alike, sculpted with such diligence they might come to life at any moment.
'I hope you enjoyed your rest,' a familiar voice echoed across the room
Xeryix reclined idly along the velvet cushions of a chaise lounge, a leatherbound tome hung haphazardly between her slender fingers. Vivid amber eyes stared demurely at Rowan, exemplified by the soft purple tone of her skin, dark hair fell in torrents upon her shoulders, symmetrical ram's horns protruding through the strands of her hair, curling gracefully around the points of her ears.
'What is this place?' Rowan spun to face her.
'My home,' Xeryix shrugged, 'I thought it would be more comfortable than the straw-filled sack they called a mattress,'
'your home?' Rowan spluttered incredulously, 'Do you kidnap everyone you sleep with?'
'No, I tend to drain their corporeal form of their life force, leaving them a mindless husk to wander aimlessly for all eternity,'
She said this with such a calm tone of sincerity Rowan was unsure if this was a joke or not. Xeryix set her book aside, rising from her seat like a leviathan from the waves. She stood a full foot taller than Rowan at least, a flowing dress of fine dark fabric hung loosely from her shoulders, cascading in rivers of lush fabric over her seductive form.
'You however, I decided could be of some use to me,'
'What use would you have of me?' Rowan cautiously inquired as she strode past him, leaving the faint smell of roses in her wake, 'I'm no warrior, I have no experience darting between realms, and I'm hardly the adventuring type, I'm a wanderer, a poor wayfaring stranger if you will,'
'Then you should be glad for the opportunity I am presenting you with,' came her reply without a backward glance, 'Follow me,'
Xeryix led the way out of the imposing double doors, into a world Rowan had only heard of from rambling half-drunk wizards. The stars were visible in the ethereal blue sky, though their positions were entirely wrong to his memory. Nebulas of every colour vibrantly glistened in the heavens, but what really caught Rowans attention was the land he stood upon. He could clearly see the terrain stop at a sheer edge of jagged rock about a half mile away, beyond which lay a fleet of floating islands, as if they had been torn from the very earth itself.
'Come along now Rowan, you have a busy day ahead of you,' her sing-song voice carried across the vast echo of this strange realm, 'you can admire the scenery from your dormitory,'
'Dormitory?' Rowan snapped his attention away from the strange scenery around him, 'you don't expect me to live here in this hellscape?'
Xeryix halted, wheeling about on her heels to face Rowan. her eyes flashed a crimson malice as she stared him down.
'this "hellscape" is your new home, you belong to me. Your soul was mine the moment you accepted my embrace, it cannot be given unwillingly, nor could I take it through trickery. I could easily have devoured you last night, however, I saw potential in you and spared you because of it, do not assume I will continue to be so benevolent. Now, we have a little ways to walk,'
The rest of their walk was spent in silence, the only sounds being the familiar chirp of birds which was a comfort in such alien surroundings. After what became quite a pleasant half hour hike Rowan's eyes fell upon an unexpected yet familiar sight. An inn house, like so many he had frequented on his travels, stood in the centre of a flat field. A lone cobbled track led up to the aged wooden door, the whole building leaning over the road as though trying to see who was passing beneath its eaves. The timber-framed walls were whitewashed, contrasting with the coarse black oak beams that crossed between them. A weathered sign hung from a crooked post in the nook of the crossroads, though the paint was peeling Rowan could still make out the words carved into the wind-beaten board.
"The Halfway Inn"
The interior was reassuringly recognizable, there was a large stone fireplace set into the far wall, a hearty fire belching heat into the large tavern floor. Assorted furniture was spread sporadically across the worn floorboards, cork coasters stacked in the centre of each table, creaky wooden chairs tucked neatly away, there was even a large painting of Xeryix hung across the far wall, lying temptingly across scarlet sheets, with nothing but a thin chemise to cover her modesty.
'Welcome to your new home Rowan,' Xeryix smiled, 'I do hope you'll find it comfortable,'
'this is just a Tavern, why is there a tavern here?' he shot her a quizzical look,
'I find them quaint, I've had many a good night in a tavern, ours included, I've always wanted to own one, that's why I bought this little island in the Halfway, plenty of Realmwalkers who need to rest, relax, a few demons too, that is what I offer here,'
'and where do I fit in to all this?'
A childish grin spread across Xeryix's face, her amber eyes lit up with excitement.
'you, my dear Rowan, are going to be my bartender,' she giggled like a five-year-old who had just confessed a secret to her best friend, 'come, I'd like to show you where you'll be staying,'
Firmly grasping his hand she led rowan through a small archway near the back of the dining area and into a narrow dimly lit corridor. An even row of doors lined the left wall, each with a name carved into the architrave.
'You're in room six,' Xeryix gleefully told him, pushing open the door with a loud creak, 'you will find everything you could need here, bed, chest of drawers, mirror, a bookshelf, and of course a wonderful view of the beer garden,'
she indicated each item as she listed them, Rowan was pleasantly surprised to find that the furnishings were better than most inns he had visited. He noted the feather mattress, usually reserved for wealthy clientele in most taverns, and the linen sheets would be far more comfortable than the rough, itchy wool and furs that he had slept in previously.
'We open midday,' Xeyix continued, 'the others should be up and about in a couple of hours or so, if you have any questions I'm sure Vornalla or Goomluga will be happy to assist you. Honestly, it means so much to me to have you as a member of our team, I had been looking for someone of your calibre for a long time.,'
