(SP-F1) The Tavern in the Forest <<Earning a Living>>

[Galen 0]

The moon above casts a soft glow onto Aincrad's first floor. While dark, the moon provides enough lighting to guide players to their destination. Northwest of the Town of Beginnings lies a forest, where a player named Galen is wandering around, searching for a way back to spawn.

Using a walking stick to insure he doesn't trip, Galen tries to remember how he wound up in this forest at night with nothing but a pointy stick as a weapon...

"I was looking for something that could replicate sparkling water, so I could make a soda. And it became dark before I knew it."

Sighing at his past self, he scanned his surroundings once more, expecting to see more of the same scenery, when a warm glow in the distance caught his eye.

Thinking that it was Horunka village, he trekked onward towards the light. Yet when he got closer, he realized his initial assumption was off.

Edited January 22, 2018 by Galen

[Galen 0]

A single medium sized wooden building stood in front of him, and through the windows were the origin of the lights. Curiosity taking hold of him, he took a peek through the glass, and saw what looked like a stereotypical tavern from any fantasy game, and a old man cleaning the counter with a rag. Suddenly, the old man stopped, and looked right at Galen. Being caught, a awkward smile blossomed on his face as he raised a hand in greeting.

The old man sighed, and pointed towards a door. Galen began to circle around to the entrance, passing a garden with something green in it. When he got to the front, Galren looked for something to identify this place, and found a worn out sign hung above the door with the words "The Wandering Tavern" etched into it. Storing away his walking stick in his inventory, he pushed the door open.

[Galen 0]

As soon as he stepped inside, he was bathed in the same warm glow that lured him here in the first place. Stepping inside, he felt at home and almost became relaxed until the old man at the bar coughed to get his attention.

"So, what are you doing out here at night, and eyeing up my place?"

Trying to defuse the old man's suspicion Galen held up his hands in surrender.

"I was lost sir, I was looking for Horunka Village when I stumbled onto this place."

At the mention of the village, the old man's eyes softened and had hints nostalgia on his face.

"Now that's a place I haven't heard of in a long time... Hey, you seem like a good man, go fetch me some ingredients from my garden out back. You've got a meal and a drink ready for you if you do."

 As soon as the old man finished, a quest notification popped up in front of Galen.

[A Tavern Meal]

Dig out three potatoes for the old man, and he'll give you a meal

Rewards: A Tavern Meal

Requirements: 6 Potatoes

[Accept?]

 

Finding no reason to decline, Galen accepted.

Edited January 22, 2018 by Galen

[Galen 0]

Stepping outside once more, Galen backtracked to where he saw the garden. On closer inspection, their were a few gardening tools, a unlit candle with a flint and tinder, and a few signs with words he couldn't make out in the night. Lightning up the candle, he realized that the signs had alot of real life vegetables, with a few fantasy variants like a blue tomato.

He gathered the gardening tools that he though would be useful for this, and began to kneel down to dig up the spuds.

Galen's first attempt was, an attempt to say the least. Using a spading fork, he stabbed into the ground, and accidentally cutting deep into the root of the plant, making the potato plant shimmer, and caused a explosion of light blue fragments.

His second attempt was better, and he managed to lift up the plant without destroying it, but he was too rough with taking of the potatoes from the plant, and repeated what happened to his earlier attempt.

His third try was a little nerve wrecking for him, since he didn't want to ruig even more of the crop, but it went relatively smoothly, and with a sigh of relief, he placed the potatoes into his inventory.

Edited January 22, 2018 by Galen

[Galen 0]

Walking back inside, the old man grinned excitedly.

"Good, good! Hand them over young one."

Another quest notification popped up in front of Galen.

Do you wish to complete the quest [ A Tavern Meal ] ?

[ Yes ] [ No ]

Hitting yes, Galen checked his inventory to find himself 6 potatoes lighter, and after exiting the menu, he saw the old man beckon him.

"Come, follow me!"

The old man started to shuffle towards a door behind the counter, and Galen followed, going around the counter.

A small kitchen with a stove, a oven and a few cup boards laid in the back, and in the corner, a picture of a young man and woman holding hands together. Humming to himself, the old man tried to lift up a iron pot, only to groan, and a frustrated sigh escaped the elder.

"I'm sorry, I'm getting too old for this. Mind helping out this old man again?"

[Tavern Cooking]

Follow the Old Man's instructions on cooking your meal.

Rewards: The "Cooking" Profession

Requirements: Cook a meal under the guide of the old man.

[Accept?]

A curious expression was on Galen's face when he read the reward section, and spoke up.

"Hey, can I use your profession to make drinks?"

Tilting his head, the old man shrugged.

"You can make anything, as long as it's food based, including drinks."

Galen immediately hit accept.

 

Edited January 22, 2018 by Galen

[Galen 0]

"Great!"

The graying cook pointed towards the pot he failed to pick up.

"Alright, pick that, and place it over on that stove over their, i'm going to grab the rest of the ingredients from the cupboards."

With a nod, Galen hefted up the pot onto the stove, and turned back to see the old man placing multiple ingredients onto a counter top. Celery, a bottle of something, the potatoes I gathered, carrots, and onions. He also laid down a knife and a cutting board and gestured me to stand next to him.

"Alright, try peeling the carrots with the knife, careful not to put too much pressure into it, and cut the carrot in half."

A little scarred from his past failures in the garden he delicately peeled the carrots under the old cook's gaze. After peeling two of them, the elder nodded and spoke up.

"That's enough, now cut them up like this."

Taking the knife from Galen's hand, the chef cut up one of the carrots into little squares. Placing the knife back into Galen's hand, he placed another carrot onto the board and nodded. Galen tried to imitate him, with moderate success. The elder gave Galen a look of approval  and placed the diced carrots into the pot.

 

 

[Galen 0]

"Alright, now do the same with the potatoes you've gathered."

Following the elder's orders, Galen felt like he was getting the hang of this. Feeling confident enough to multi task, he started to ask the chef a few questions.

"So, what are you doing out here on your own? Isn't it a bit dangerous with all the monsters to be alone?"

A sad chuckle escapes the elder, dampening the mood...

"I won't leave this place, this is the place me and her met, my wife that is. Even if she was unable to carry any children, we were happy all the same, as long as were together. She passed away from this world though, and honestly..."

With a vacant look, the old man continues.

"I know I should move on already, but I love her so much you know... I can't move on quite yet, so that's why I'm stuck here, in a empty tavern."

From the elder escapes a hollow laugh, contrasting from the warm atmosphere around the tavern.

Edited January 22, 2018 by Galen

[Galen 0]

"Well then, consoling people about loss is something I'm used to in my business, but I'm a little rusty since it's been so long, lets see..."

Finishing up peeling the potatoes, Galen placed them down onto the cutting board and look up towards the tired chef.

"She's not here anymore, but she's still looking down from up there you know. Anyone who cares about someone doesn't want them to be lonely. So fulfill their selfish request and move forward."

Looking back down on the potatoes, he began to cut them, and continued.

"I've been forcibly separated from the things I love. However, those things I love, I wouldn't want them to be alone, I want them to thrive while I'm gone so when I can talk to them again I can say 'Your doing well I see!' and laugh with them."

Confused, the elder responded.

"But how do you know you'll see them aga-"

"I will, and so will you. It's pointless to think like that."

 

[Galen 0]

The room was silent for a few moments, the only sound was of Galen cutting up the potatoes. The cubes were bigger this time, though that was mostly for time sake as he had to repeat the process six times. The elder muttered to place them into the pot, and cut up the onion as well.

Galen casted a few worried glances at the soft spoken elder, but did as he commanded and continued to chop.

"Maybe I was a bit too passionate there... Well, if he decides to go 'you don't know what they wanted!' on me, I have the knife if he gets physical..."

Finishing up, he turned towards the elder once more to ask for more instructions, but Galen's words got caught in his throat as he saw the elder crying silently. Quietly placing down the knife, Galen took a step towards the old man and gave him a hug.

Sniffling, the old man spoke with a hoarse voice.

"I'm sorry I had to trouble you young-ling with a old mans tale..."

[Galen 0]

Patting the old man on the back gently, Galen responded in a warm voice.

"Your allowing me to take shelter from the night for awhile that's good enough."

Breaking the hug, he returned to the cutting board.

"Now sir, what's your name before we continue? I never caught it."

A look of surprise flashes onto the questioned man, but then it turns into a expression of warmth, similar to the light shining from the candles.

"Elric, Elric is my name."

Nodding, Galen responded.

"My name is Galen, now Mr. Elric, what's the next step? I'm finally starting to get the hang of this, heck, I might be able to get better than you at this rate!"

Elric once again looks shocked, but then laughter erupts from him, and it finally matches the tavern's atmosphere.

"Not in a million years boy! Here's the celery, this is the last thing you need to dice so don't mess up!"

[Galen 0]

Picking up the knife once more and taking the celery, Galren internally heaves a sigh of relief.

"So that was it huh. No one wants to die alone, but here was this random guy (,npc, but that doesn't truly matter), out on his lonesome when it's fairly obvious he's about to go down. Well, I'm happy I got here, maybe I can visit this place after the quest, or maybe work here."

With these sort of thoughts, Galen continued to cut up things with his knife until finally, he finished and dumped it into the pot.

"Alright Mr. Elric, what next?"

Even though Elric has a warm expression because of Galen's efforts, he hasn't completely recovered from his past, and has hints of melancholy in his eyes. But, he answered Galen all the same.

"Well, start measuring this broth while I find the bottle of milk. It should be 15 ounces for that."

Galen complied, and began searching for the measuring cups in the cupboards.