Vaul sat at the table chugging down the last of a large, barrel glass of beer. A great whooping noise was then followed by the surrounding spectators as the rotund, bearded man, sat opposite Vaul, collapsed into the many empty glasses that littered the table.

It wasn't really a warrior's way of making money... but it proved effective none the less. Drinking fool after fool under the table for ridiculously high bets.

"Anymore takers?" Vaul bellowed, signaling to the barman to bring over another keg of ale. "Come on! Any of you fellows fancy a drink?"

Not bothering to look whether anyone was considering his offer, Vaul began pouring the ale out of the keg and into the multitude of glasses and then heaved the unconscious, fat man off the table and dragged him over to one of the long benches, where he was then unceremoniously dumped.

Returning to the table, Vaul looked around to see many men just mumbling and looking rather downtrodden... It was only then that he realised that many of them had pitched in together to bet on the fat man in last contest and as a result had no money left to drink with, let alone bet with.

"Well then... I don't fancy drinking all this alone so each of you might aswell grab a glass."

'I'll join you.' A voice said quietly from a dark corner behind the table littered with empty glasses. From the shadows a small figure stepped, covered in a long green cloak with a deep cowl that obscured the wearers features. Without waiting for an answer of any kind, the small figure dropped into the seat opposite the tall human. Pulling down the hood of the cloak, the challenger proved to be a small, blonde girl, her green eyes twinkling mischievously. Many of the surrounding tavern patrons muttered in surprise and instantly, the ones with little remaining money rushed to bet against her. This didn't bother the half-elf in the slightest; she normally had these kinds of greetings in taverns and pubs.

Jess picked up a recently filled tankard thoughtfully, testing how deep and wide the glass was. Not surprisingly, it was tall and wide, and yet, she had seen the massive human before her drain too many of these to count without the slightest show of strain. Normally, this might give her the advantage of being completely sober against an opponent who was already drunk, but this time...
She raised her glass, a smile dancing on her lips. 'Bottoms up.' she grinned, draining the glass in just three large swigs.

Sitting at bars drinking various alcoholic beverages in high quantity had all but consumed Aeneas's life for the past eight months; moving from city to city... or to be more accurate... from pub to pub.
His once golden looks were now fading behind a layer of dirt, grime and depression.
Not long ago he had been the Prince of a great land. Admired by men and loved by women. He had been a tactical leader in battle and a just ruler... but now that was gone. His city in ruins; his loved ones reduced to ashes by a roaring inferno; his army, including his army's general and beloved cousin Hector, slain in defense of his kingdom.

Most of those memories were now fairly well hidden under the vast quantities of alcohol currently flowing through his body. But he was sober enough to hear the large man behind him begin to speak.

"Anymore takers? Come on! Any of you fellows fancy a drink?" Before he could muster up the energy to turn around, he heard the clinking of glasses and a dull thud and then another outburst from the man, "Well then... I don't fancy drinking all this alone so each of you might aswell grab a glass."

Dragging himself up, Aeneas staggered over, only to find an attractive female elf sitting infront of the goliath of a man. "I'll take you..." Aeneas staggered slightly but composed himself again, "...up on that drink aswell." Aeneas slurred, grabbing a glass from the table.

"To gener... gene... people who give free beer..." Aeneas looked down quickly, "...and pretty ladies!"

Looking up from his current drink, at the two newcommers, Vaul felt that this was a pleasant change... well... semi-pleasant, looking at the drunkard stood by the table.
The elven female was much less abrupt in her greeting, and judging by her attitude, posed more of a challenge than the slurring buffoon stood next to him.

"Bottoms up" The woman spoke before drinking the entire glass impressivly in three gulps. Not bad for a small one.

Downing the rest of his ale in one, Vaul smiled cheekily (or as cheekily as a man like Vaul could muster) at the lady. "Only if I'm lucky." Then turning to the swaying man, Vaul raised a questioning eyebrow but decided to let him stay. " Please... sit down before you fall down."

There was something that was bugging Vaul about the man... something familiar about him. But he was damned if he could think what it was.

"Now, the contest is simple, drink as much as you can. The last person conscious... wins. Do not worry about quantity. The beer is already paid for, aswell as five bottles of Yomenïampa red wine."

Raising another glass, Vaul offered a toast. "To the lost and forgotten."

Jess eyed the newcomer coolly, her face unreadable. He seemed to already of drunk way too much, but yet, so had the other human; just he didn't show it in the slightest. She shrugged to herself as the newcomer attempted to make a toast, eventually giving up on his initial idea and simply toasting givers of free beer. She smiled mischievously again when he finished of his toast with a completely non-subtle complement and she ducked her head in acknowledgement and thanks, the smile still lighting up her face.

The other human, the, to her, man mountain before her, replied to her statement with another that made her smile all the wider and drained his entire tankard in a single gulp. Jess raised an eyebrow in surprise. They were big tankards, yet he had finished it off as if it were no more full then the empty glasses on the table before him. Then he turned to the already drunk man next to her, giving him permission to sit. He then continued to look at the man in a way that made Jess wonder if the two had met before, then began stating the rules.

They were simple enough, drink until you drop really, then the man raised his tankard and said loudly, "To the lost and forgotten."
"To freedom." Jess said simply, knocking her tankard against his and draining it as fast as she could.

Watching the elven woman down the powerful ale, Vaul couldn't help but admire this creature. Most elves were known to be able to handle alcohol well but very few were known to enjoy it, and even fewer women. But this one seemed well acquainted with the drink... maybe not as well acquainted as the drunk next to him... but well enough.

Taking a large gulp of his beer and surprising the urge to belch, Vaul looked at the elf, "So what brings you to this back water place? It's not like an elf to be associated with such a dark and dingy place like this."

Vaul looked around the inn at the various ruffians, rouges and vagabonds who regularly frequented this place. Vaul liked this place, but didn't know why. He usually preferred higher class establishments where he could have conversations that involved more than a couple of syllables per sentence.

"And you...", watching the blonde man drinking a tankard, "You seem familiar, have you been here before or have we met on some previous occasion?"

It was beginning to get to Vaul. Who was this man? Where had he seen him before? They had not fought, that was for certain. Vaul could remember each and every face of his past opponents... alive and dead. The skill was sometimes a blessing and sometimes a curse to him.

Who was... no... it couldn't be, could it? Somebody of his status wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this... especially in this state. Vaul passed off the thought quickly but as much as he tried to dismiss it... one name kept appearing his mind... Prince Aeneas. He was the right age and he did bear a resemblance to King Anchises of Trojia... but it couldn't be.

Casting her green eyes around the cluttered room, Jess picked up another tankard and took a long swig before turning back to the man before her. "What brings me here?" she repeated, knocking the rim of her tankard against her teeth thoughtfully. "Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not sure." she grinned, finishing off the drink and helping herself to another. "Boredom I 'spose would have something to do with it." she smiled, suddenly lashing out with her right foot and slamming the pickpocket who was attempting to rob her from under the table, straight in the chin. 'At least in places like this, there's always enough happening to keep one on their toes. As for the fact that elves aren't usually found around areas like this," she said, checking her pockets to make sure the pickpocket hadn't taken anything, 'Only us dishonest ones come into these sorts of places." she laughed, smoothing down the front of her green, silk dress. "Most of them seem to think that they're too important to go anywhere but home." the blonde girl said, pulling a sour face. "I don't think I've introduced myself, name's Jess." she smiled, picking up yet another tankard.

As she finished, she noticed that the big man was once again staring at the drunk beside him, as if trying to remember something important. Jess opened her mouth to ask him about it, but was spared from asking as the man-mountain started to speak. "And you... You seem familiar, have you been here before or have we met on some previous occasion?" Jess raised her tankard to her lips, her face interested as she surveyed the two humans before her. This could be rather interesting.

Consumed with the drink in his hand Aeneas only half heard the toasts made by the two other members, and due to being rather intoxicated responded in kind.

"To the lost and the freedom." It was only after he spoke that this registered in his mind, but he decided against correcting himself because he was liable to just make things worse.

The others began speaking about something or another... what it was ended up lost somewhere between his ears and his brain.

It was only when he realised that a question had been directed at him did Aeneas's focus break away from the amber liquid swirling around in his glass.

Reeling through his mind's notebook, he tried to recall what had just been said to him.

Guy speaking; guy speaking; girl speaking; girl speaking; guy asking question... there... something about a meeting or families... no not families... familiar... then it clicked.

"Nope, nev'r been here before. First time. M'names 'neas... 'neas...Aeneas," he finally managed to say with a bit of drunken difficulty, "jus' travelin' round... tasting the world... nothing else for me to do..." Aeneas fell gloomily silent.

This seemed impossible... the impact of what had just been said could be seen all across Vaul's face.

Aeneas... Prince Aeneas of Trojia... the child he had rescued during his years as a Horse Lord... all those years ago. It couldn't be... it just couldn't.

A Prince would never be seen in a place like this; without any guards; looking dirty and disheveled and reeking of stale ale.

Any effect the alcohol had been having, no matter how little, vanished in an instant.

"P...P...Prince Aeneas? Wha?... Ho?... Why?" Vaul stammered, trying to comprehend that the drunk boy in front of him was in fact the sovereign ruler of the region that his tribe had lived on.

Had Vaul not been cast out of his tribe... he would now surely have been a member of Hector and Aeneas's famed Knights of the Hammer. It was every Horse Lord's dream to be accepted into the Knights. Word had it that Vaul's brother Gabriel was now a captain of the Knights.

But here was Aeneas... staggering and stumbling... totally kegged up on ale... entering a drinking contest. All the rest of Vaul's world seemed to have been blotted out by this new development.

"My lord Aeneas... w... what are you doing here? Does the king know? Where is your Knights Guard?" Questions just began streaming out of Vaul's mouth.