This had to be the longest dream he’d ever had, Eric thought to himself. The Heron Tavern was a pretty noisy place, with the lower taproom packed from end to end. Happy customers ate and drank with gusto, conversing loudly and joking around after a long day. Eric himself was feeling pretty tired, but the food being served around him smelled delicious, and his stomach simply wouldn’t allow him to ignore a good meal when he had the chance. He approached the bar.

“Welcome to the Heron, dear,” the barmaid said. She was tall and curvy, with shoulder-length curly red hair, and twinkling green eyes. “What can I get for you?”

“Just a room for the night,” Eric replied wearily. “And something to eat.”

“You got it, dear,” she said warmly. She reached under the bar with one hand and withdrew a heavy ledger, slamming it down onto the wooden surface and flipping it open with ease. Then she produced a quill and ink. “I’ll give you a room on the third floor for five coppers. Is that alright?”

“Is the meal included in the room’s price?”

“Of course it is,” she said with a smile. “Shall I put your name down, then? Unless you prefer I write charming stranger?”

He couldn’t help but smile at her little jibe. “Eric Breeden. Thank you, madam.”

He passed over five copper coins, and she squirrled them away into a pocket on her apron. Then she made a quick entry into the ledger, put it away, and turned to shout something into the kitchen at the back. Eric could hear a man shouting in response, then the barmaid turned back to him. She gestured him towards a table along the right side of the room.

“You just sit down there and get off your feet,” she offered. “I’ll bring your meal when it’s ready. You want something to drink while you wait? Coffee, or perhaps tea or beer?”

“Coffee will just keep me awake,” he said with a little shake of his head. “Just water, please.”

She had a cup of water ready in a heartbeat, sliding it across the bar to him and moving to serve another group of customers on the other end. Eric accepted his drink and retreated to the table, idly watching the other patrons as he sipped it in silence. The water was cool and refreshing, though didn’t taste like much, as was expected with water.

Glancing down at the window of text that appeared, Eric raised his eyebrows. This videogame dream really was going all out on the immersion, he thought. It wasn’t a bad thing, but that small ding was starting to get on his nerves slightly. Allowing his eyes to sweep the room, he tried to see who was watching him. It didn’t take long until he identified the person. They were seated across the room, at a small table with two other people.

He was a tall man, about three or four inches taller than Eric was. His hair was a bright silver color and was pushed back over his ears. He looked human enough, but the directness of his gaze unsettled Eric a little. Even when it became clear to the stranger that his stare had been noticed, he did not relent. Eric maintained eye contact with the man for a few seconds, then looked away uncomfortably. A distraction came in the form of the barmaid, who had appeared beside him out of the crowd, a large plate held in one hand, silverware in the other.

“Here you are, dear,” she said as she set the plate down. “Enjoy it while it’s hot. And here is the key to your room, when you’re ready to go up. It’s room four.”

“Thank you, madam,” Eric said, feeling a little ridiculous for using the old term.

She made a little dismissive wave with her hand. “Just call me Mandra, dear. Everyone does.”

“Very well,” he replied. “Thank you, Mandra.”

She gave him another warm smile and moved away to serve more customers. He picked up the fork, turning to his plate to see what looked like half a roasted bird, with boiled potatoes and some bread. It was simple enough, but as he tore off a piece of the bird with his fork and stuffed it into his mouth, it was delicious. He felt the juices of the meat run down the back of his throat, and let out a little grunt of pleasure. He’d never had such good cooking in his life.

“Are you an adventurer?” A voice said to his left.

He turned. It was the silver-haired man that had been staring at him from across the room. His companions were still at their table, but their attention was on them, their conversation halted as their friend spoke directly to Eric. Eric looked up at him, feeling a little annoyed at the sudden interruption. First, he’d been regarded as a possible threat just because he was a stranger. Now someone was rudely interrupting his meal.

“In a manner of speaking,” he said shortly. “What do you want?”

He could have phrased the question a little more politely, he thought, but his interest in being cordial was rather low at the moment. Tired, facing a delicious meal and the prospect of some sleep, he wasn’t in a mood to have a lengthy conversation that probably included beating around the bush. Best to be direct, and have the situation be over with.

“I need an adventurer’s help,” the man replied, equally as brisk. “Are you in search of work?”

Twenty silver? That was a lot of money to him, Eric thought. But it was probably nothing compared to the man’s anxiety and desire to see his daughter returned safely. He pursed his lips thoughtfully as he studied the man. Now that he paid more attention, the two sitting back at their table bore a great resemblance to the man before him. The woman was middle-aged, clearly his wife, and the young man was considerably younger, though with the same silver hair, clearly a son.

“It’s urgent,” the man said. “I’ll pay you twenty silvers for your help if you agree.”

“Why haven’t you asked the guards for help?” Eric asked. “They’re surely better equipped than I am.”

A flash of contempt showed in the man’s features. “The guards are slow. By the time they found my daughter, she’d be dead. She’s only been gone a few hours, and if nothing is done tonight, I’ll lose her forever. Will you help me?”

Eric shook himself mentally, disgusted with himself for taking so long to decide. He got to his feet, his meal forgotten. “Of course I’ll help you. What can you tell me?”

The man explained the situation, pretty much matching the quest description word for word. The window popped up again, and Eric accepted the quest. The man held something out for Eric. “Take this with you, please. It is a spell our family uses, and you may find it useful.”

Eric took the item, which was a rolled scroll of parchment. He opened it curiously, noticing that the surface was covered in strange runic writing. The instant he opened it, both the scroll and the writing upon it vanished. Another ding sounded in his ear. Trying his best to look confident, he gave the man a silent nod and started towards the door. He paused as he reached it, looking over his shoulder.

“I’ll find your daughter, sir,” he assured the man, then raised his voice. “I’ll be back in a bit, Mandra! Sorry for skipping out on the meal!”

He pushed through the tavern’s doors and back out into the warm night. The sun had gone down completely now, and the three moons were shining brightly in the sky, without a single cloud for them to hide behind. Lanterns were lit all along the road now, providing a safe haven of light for people still moving throughout the city. After peering down the road in each direction, Eric pulled open his character sheet.

That was cool, Eric thought. He didn’t see himself as the stealthy type, but the skill would definitely come in handy. He closed the window and tried to activate the skill. It worked with a mere thought, and he could see some people near him look around suddenly as if something was missing from their sight. He paced closer to one of the people, noting their look of surprise as he seemed to pop into their vision without warning. Smiling to himself, he set off towards the Market District in a quick jog.