The ale's bitter-sweet taste filled Eksil's mouth as he took a sip from his mug. He hadn't been in the pub long, but already he grew tired of the noise that his fellow pub-goers were creating. He couldn't understand why people couldn't just be quiet and enjoy the entertainment that was provided. But he was used to it, all pubs were the same. He put his mug down with a light thud, looking over his shoulder into the fire that was burning brightly behind him. The smell of a burning fire always relaxed him, the heat calmed his mind, and the site entranced him.

Nearby various conversations could be over heard, some about business, some about secret lovers, and others about adventures, but none that were of any interest to Eksil, none that he could turn into song. He looked back across the room. It was bustling with activity even thought it was late in the night, long past midnight. The barmaids were constantly bringing fresh mugs of ale to patrons that would continuously flirt with them, hoping maybe for a little extra service afterward. Eksil smirked, A man's mind is no more than that of a common animal when the effects of ale are mixed in.. he thought to himself. He took another sip of ale, the last drops of him mug flowing down his throat, and as he put it down a barmaid was there to take it. 'Another ale sir?' she asked, her voice laced with a fake sincerity. Eksil nodded, but quickly grabbed her wrist as she went to get him more. She turned to him with a start, but before she could protest he questioned her, 'Why do you do this when it is obvious by your voice you hate it so?' He slowly looked up into her deep blue eyes, searching for the answer he knew she wouldn't give. He couldn't find it, and she didn't offer him any help, she merely walked away with out a word, head hung low, when he let her hand drop.

It had been something that had been bothering him as of recent, why did people do things they so obviously despised.. why would they waste the little time they had in this life doing something they disliked. It just didn’t make sense to him. But before he could finish his own thoughts the barmaid was back with his new ale, and as he went to grab it from the table she grabbed his wrist this time. His eyes never left her hand on his wrist as she spoke, ‘To answer your question from before, my family needs the gold. I have a little brother at home who lies on the floor hungry all day because my father is crippled and can’t work. If it wasn’t for my father telling me not to, I would be selling myself to these disgusting men. Sometimes kind sir, it isn’t what your doing at the moment that drives you on, but who you love.’ she let go of his wrist and walked off. His eyes never moved, he sat there contemplating what had been said.

The pub was noisy as a half demon took a seat by a man. She gave a glance over to him and then turned her gaze to the barmaid who walked up to her, "What can I get you sweetie?" the barmaid asked with feigned happyness. The half demon woman gave her a genuine smile, "Ale. Plain, if you please" she said and the barmaid nodded and went back. She came back a few moments later with Umbra's drink. She spun the drink a few times letting the liquid swirl around her glass. It had been a long time since Umbra had a drink. She was not a very good drinker, hated the taste, but sometimes one needed a drink. This was her only drink in years, she smiled and looked up as the man next to her grabbed the barmaids wrist. 'Why do you do this when it is obvious by your voice you hate it so?' he asked.

Umbra looked over at him as the barmaid left, she came back with his glass and spoke up finally. ‘To answer your question from before, my family needs the gold. I have a little brother at home who lies on the floor hungry all day because my father is crippled and can’t work. If it wasn’t for my father telling me not to, I would be selling myself to these disgusting men. Sometimes kind sir, it isn’t what your doing at the moment that drives you on, but who you love.’ Umbra nodded and took a small sip, the fire burning down her throat was sudden and unfamiliar. She rarely drank because of the effects it had on people as well as the bitter taste. She gave a half smile as the barmaid walked away. "I will never stop being amazed at the abilities of human love." she said aloud to no one in particular taking another drink.

Love... is all that ran through Eksil's mind as the barmaid walked off to serve a table nearby. Love.. he wished he knew this feeling, but he never did. He wasn't left in his thoughts for long for he overheard something a nearby fellow-loner said. 'I will never stop being amazed at the abilities of human love.' With this he clenched his fist, still not lifting his eyes from he spot where the barmaid's hand had been, and said loudly for the newcomer to hear, 'Nor will I, but I do wish I could understand why this powerful feeling pushes them to such extremes..' Even though it was said with power there was a hint of depression and confusion in his voice.

He hadn't seen the newcomer, but from the voice he could tell it was a female, younger in age. He also new she wasn't human just from what she said, but that didn't bother him because neither was he. Finally he broke his eyes from where their gaze had been directed, but still didn't look at the newcomer. No, he looked straight ahead and took another sip of ale, the same word still running through his head. Love..

Umbra apparently got the man's attention. He did not look at her but spoke up, 'Nor will I, but I do wish I could understand why this powerful feeling pushes them to such extremes..' Umbra could both hear and smell the depression the man was feeling, he probably had felt as alone as she was feeling. She looked up at the lights above the area behind the bar. "From what I know, Love...Is a strong desire of the heart. It gives humans the courage to do things they hate, as the barmaid has shown. I have also heard that love can increase your power and strength by unknown ammounts. This gives them the ability to protect the ones they love, like an adrinaline rush but different. I am not sure exactly how it works, I have only seen it." she said and took another sip of her ale as a crash was heard, she spun and saw two men argueing over the broken glass. She watched carefully as they shoved eachother before one of the barmaids broke it up. "Now I remember why I rarely drink." she mumbled and turned back to her drink taking another sip finishing off her drink.

Eksil took another sip of ale before sparing a look to his new acquaintance. His eyes seemed to lack luster, their normal deep green inquisition gone and replaced with an introspective look of grief and despair.
She, his acquaintance, looked like a normal person, medium height and weight, black hair of medium length, nothing outstanding as far as he could tell. When the quick little argument nearby occurred he didn’t even seem to notice. He had been in so many pubs and seen so many fights that none of the even intrigued him a bit anymore. He slowly turned his body to face the girl, raising a hand up to stroke through his hair as he did. She wasn’t looking at him yet, but his green eyes seemed to be attempting to pierce into the depth of her personality. The word Love was still the only thing in his head.
‘If this feeling of Love is as powerful as it seems to be..’ but he trailed off before finishing the thought, his own mind now trailing off to memories of his own parents. He had never seemed to feel love for them, he always felt different. Perhaps it was the dragon in him. On the outside his eyes stared off into the floor, but he quickly regained composure with a quick shake of the head, speaking once more but of something new. Something he had heard the woman speak of earlier
‘You said human ability to love, I assume this means you are not human? And does that mean that only humans can love..?' His eyes were now locked once more on the figure before him once more.

Umbra took the last bit of her ale and set it back on the counter. The man next to her still seemed to be thinking about what the woman said. ‘If this feeling of Love is as powerful as it seems to be..’ She said nothing as the barmaid came back, "Another glass miss?" Umbra shook her head and the barmaid took the glass after Umbra gave her the payment for the ale.

She then looked through her peripheral vision and saw the man watching her. She turned to him as he spoke up. ‘You said human ability to love, I assume this means you are not human? And does that mean that only humans can love..? he asked her. She smiled at his astuteness. "You are only partially correct on one question and completely wrong on the other." she said turning to him and leaning on her right arm. "Like you, I am human and I am not human. I am a half-demon. Part of me is demon the other is human. Just as you are half dragon. There is no disguising that scent. But no. Humans are not the only race that can love. All beings can love. I have only seen it in humans and angels though but I know for a fact all beings can love. You would know that if you ever heard my demon father talk about my human mother." she said looking up at the celing.

He saw the barmaid come over and ask the girl if she wanted another drink, he knew what the answer would be so he didn't listen. Eksil sighed as he put his face in his hands and shook his head. This stunned him, the fact that he had the ability to feel love for someone and never had. The idea that maybe he never would, and would miss out on a great part of life scared him. He reached for his mug and took another sip, finishing it off, the last bit of it just as bittersweet as the first. He folded his hands, put them up to his mouth and looked up, back into the gray eyes of the woman before him. They seemed wise and caring.
‘Then the fact that I know not of what Love feels like, that I have never experienced it, scares me. It makes me long for it despite my not knowing what it is.’ he said, his voice echoing what it was he felt, the confusion, the depression. He was so lost in his own life. There was so much wrong with it that he didn’t even know it. Slowly he looked back down at the floor and ran both hands through his hair; a loud sigh could be heard. Before the woman could answer he posed another question.
‘Is it horrible to say I hate everyone..?’ he looked up, a tear visible in his now watery eyes. Something was wrong.

Luca antered the tavern, his blonde hair blowing slightly in the breeze of the open door. He looked around at the many grubby patrons around him and then looked at himself, he stood out like the moon amoung stars on a clear night, he was so clean and obviously hadn't travelled far. He spotted the barmaid and ordered an ale as well as some bread, then moved through the oddly aromatic tavern to a seat near a man with jet black hair and a slim woman.

Luca did not have to wait long before a pudgy looking bar maid came baring a tray of bread and a mug of ale, she left leaving him to watch the going on's of the tavern. He bagan to hum a tune to himself as he ate and drunk, but he couldn't help noticing the man near him place his head in his hands, Luca watched closely, the man sipped at his mug and then sighed. But what he said next made Luca shudded, 'Is it horrible to say I hate everyone..?', how could somebody say that, but Luca felt sorry for him, got up and walked over, placing his hand on the mans shoulder he said 'Go on friend, tell me your troubles' he said.

Adam sat up against the side of a window sill drinking ale out of a big bottle and singing drunk to himself. "There's a bunny in my ale, there's a bunny in my drink!" He waved his hand around in circles as he sang with the bottle loosly clutched in the other hand. He didn't pay attention to anything that was being said around him. All he did was sing and act stupid in public. Then taking a last sip of his ale and seeing it was all gone, he quickly got up, straited his hair and smashed the bottle on the wall catching a few drinkers attention. He was like that a lot when he was drunk. Mostly because he was young for a big drinker, but also because he hadn't had alcohol for months.

"So who is going to buy me a drink?" he mumbled with his mouth gaping open a bit at all the ale he had just consumed. Then he collapsed to the ground. Then the public just returned to their duties like nothing had happened. That was common in this place, for Adam had collapsed many times before and at this same bar. It was the annual thing for him. He lay there for a while, the wood floor had given a large bump on his head and he dreamed of ale, and lots of it. He dreamed of a forest of trees that grew bottles of the sort, yet he was too small to reach them. It was a usual dream for him, he had had worse...

Eksil felt the hand lay rest on his shoulder. It annoyed him slightly just for the fact that he had been talking to someone else, but he wasn't about to let that show. Instead he looked at his feet,
'My problems are vast and wide stranger, and nothing to be concerned with, I was merely asking if my hatred is something horrible.' he said.

The pub was starting to become busier and the customers became more obnoxious. One of the more.. drunk.. customers passed out in the corner after singing himself a quick little tune and asking something about another drink. It didn't seem to bother any of the normal pub-goers, as if it happened often, so Eksil ignored it. He still didn't look at the man who had layed a hand on his shoulder as Eksil put the needed gold on the table for the ale he had drank.

Adam lay motionless on the floor for about three minutes more before getting up and scratching his head. His vision was blurry and he had a very unpleasant taste in his mouth, still he seemed to be fine. He had a large bump on his head for the wood was old and hard, and still the thing that most troubled him was that he had no drink.

He got up and dusted himself off, noticing he was in limited space. The pub was now packed with people socializing and drinking merrily. Adam needed a retreat from the close quarters so he went to the counter and asked the a man behind it: "May I please purchase a room?" The man looked up and handed him a small key he got out of a drawer. The numbers 11 flashing with gold were printed on the silver key. Adam deposited gold on the table and then went upstairs, not noticing the dwarf who sat at the counter also.

Adam found room 11 quite quickly and he went inside to see a normal room. He lay down on the bed rubbing his eyes that burned from his tiredness. The alcohol just made the pain worse. Finally he got under one cover and closed his eyes, once again dreaming of ale.

Luca was moved by what the man said, a tear came to his eye " It is not horrible... if you looked at me you could see I am moved to the point of crying" he said, he removed his hand and it flopped against his side. He was so upset, what this man was saying was brining back memories of his past, of his mother and his father and how they left him. He was so upset he bagan to sing a slow sad song in Sindarin, it rang out across the Inn silencing the rowdy patrons, his body began to give off a soft blue light that spread to the corners of the room, it was his mothers song, The Song of Soothing. It was ment to calm down angry people and flush out the sorrows in peoples heart's, he was hoping the song was working on the man, because it was working on him. With a final note he ended the song, he was alot happier and turned to the man, the room was filled with a loud murmuring, "Now how do you feel?".

Despite the party of loud voices and music downstairs Adam got to sleep and stayed that way for a while. He dreamed of ale, but mostly battle now, he dreamed of training in a large forest full of spiders. He killed all of them, even some that were bigger than him. He swung his short sword this way and that knocking his foes to the ground with each swing. Then he raised his blade to his last foe, a large spider five times bigger than any of the ones he had faced. Adam drove his sword into the spider's chest, but it bounced off and the sword broke. Then the spider growled and threw Adam across the land and made him land head first into a nearby tree, unconscious.