Drowning Drinks tavern located in the middle section of Black Pool, was a common tavern where sailors and other folks would go to and get a drink up. Either drowning their sorrows with a good drink or drinking to happiness.

Preston had invited Thomas along just in case of getting in trouble or incase he was too drunk and suddenly find himself somewhere else in the city, which Preston could be the start of trouble when he’s drunk enough. The atmosphere of the tavern was full of chatters of conversations, laughs, and the smell of drinks.

Sailors and common folk of the city filled the placed entirely.

Thomas and Preston where seated in front of the bar area. Where Thomas had just been listening to Preston’s travel adventures as he drank. Aren’t you going to stop, either so much drunk that your just saying things or I’ll wait until the booze gets you tired then drag you back to the fort or your ship.

“Alright one more drink, something stronger maybe that sea drink that sailors used, make it a bottle” Preston said to the owner of the tavern as he finished his cup of ale.

“You mean rum, aren’t you a captain of a ship shouldn’t you know that” Thomas told Preston as he drank from his own cup.

“Didn’t have the chance, usually I have bottles of wine in my cabin”

“But you’re a captain of a ship, you’ve travelled places that I’ve only heard of: Averigo, Pheuropa you said you’ve often liked to visit some cities there, and something about in the east continent A’sun, where if I remember something, something that you’ve barely managed to escape some kind of danger, and all those travels you’ve never heard of rum.”

“Okay, maybe I’ve forgot. Now the interesting part of that time in A’sun, is that….. Zhong’guo….. Yes that’s the place, if you’ve haven’t a picture in your mind how the land looks, Imagine an island somewhat large as Averigo, with fine and diverse culture. I’ve may have stumbled into troubles”

“You’ve pissed some people off, guessing you’ve acted pretty cocky.”

“It does play a part in how it started”

The tavern owner came back with a bottle of rum and a glass. He poured rum into the glass then proceed to drink it.

“The taste does seem… no it doesn’t. Well continuing…”

Well this isn’t the first time staying all night in a tavern.

“Now being in a foreign country, you’d expect to get in trouble because I didn’t know their native tongue.”

“Not expecting, I’m sure”

“Well no. Before arriving there I’ve picked some books and a few people I’ve met that taught me some basics of the language, got ton of books and notes just sitting there in my ship including there are the languages in Pheuropa.

So it wasn’t much a problem in talking to the people. Let me tell you there wonderful sights to behold there like the”

“Must be wonderful, tell me now where does the trouble start? Was it you or the local people there” Thomas said sarcastically.

“A little bit of both. I was there in a port city, Zhongdu, I’ve shipped some goods and carried some people over to there. I had another business, found it while I was taking a gander of the place. There I found an elderly looking man and his companion said wanting a trip to Pheuropa.

They told me they had to prepare the things in about a four days. During the time before that one of my crew mate told me about some other captains talking about behind my back, that and gang of their crewmates wrote ‘Cocky Captain’ in red paint in their common language, ‘which I can read’ ”. Preston stressed the part where he can read to Thomas to make sure he didn’t want him to think he couldn’t understand the language.tr

“I was offended, being a captain of my respectable ship and crew I was, I went to these so called captains along with crewmen. There I’ve just chatted. Well it ended in quite a bit of bad blood but no there was no fight.”

Being called a ‘Cocky Captain’ by the other captain in the port, then you’re giving them what they’ve called you only more, more enough to get them piss at you and not laugh at you.

“So tell me how did you managed to piss them off even more?” Thomas again asked.

“You assume too much, but what you assume is true. Well they thought me cocky, I did you that to my advantage. For the two days they’ve been bugging me none stop mind you and my men. While I was being mad a laughter stock, they got really overconfident made even a drastic move to as much push my men and me off the docks into the water, now they were thinking I was all talk but no action. But still I had a way of getting back at them and as a farewell gift as well, but they were suspecting I would.

I’ve had few of my men ( looking like a gang ) go about the port city but in clothes bearing a symbol because I knew they were being spied on and just to make it easier for them to spot as to turn to attention to them. While that was happening I had a plan under their confident smug ass. I had made sure that the men I sent out were very obvious enough on what they’re doing to get some information back at them.

On the third day I’ve heard that the men I’ve sent had been assaulted but not severely but much as tavern fight but they were now suspicious as ever, and was expecting a full out brawl in the streets but as much as I’d loved to see that I very much outnumbered.

On the fourth day this one where my plan went somewhat full, by that I told the captain a full out brawl by the harbor very threateningly. I did not expect an army to come but nevertheless I got out of there alive and unscratched. The men the captains were fighting were a hired men while me and my men…. Well to say we’ve just reconstructed their ships, partially wrecked their ships. When they’ve realized that what was going on I had already left with my passengers complaining what took so long.”

“That was an interesting story, you’ve sabotage multiple ships. Deceptive.” Thomas said as he drank from his cup tired and getting sleepy being here for hours.

“It’s a worse feeling…..when it happens to you” Preston said in a drunken manner.

In an hour later Preston and Thomas now left, Preston headed toward his ship while Thomas went back to the fort.

Thomas had woke up in the early morning, before dawn. Can’t sleep, might as get a stroll. He took the stroll by the fort’s wall feeling the cold air. He felt alone, missing his friends, so far from home. After a few moments of just staring out unto the sea he went by to the blacksmith’s forge. He lit a torch to keep some light with him and began.

He killed time by just working, he took time with his work. Every swing of his hammer and pour of the molten fire. He kept himself busy just kept on doing some chores the Colonel wanted him to do. In about an hour when dawn rose he had finished the easy parts of his chores and the only thing left was shovels, pickaxes tips or repairing broken swords.

Henry Stelm, one of the Monroe’s men, had approached him in asking how he doing along with the battalion. He was huge person among the members of the battalion, he had a nickname called Henry Strong.

“I’m doing pretty good, Stelm. I’d much appreciated to leave.”

“Don’t worry, E’y. You miss your friends that much.”

“Yep. Missing them and my parents but I know they’re safe. We’re hunting criminals after all.”

“It’s a dangerous job. They’re hiding there somewhere in the city, don’t know where. Most of the people we’ve sent digging we’re mislead. It’s difficult who to trust.”

“If my friend, where here he would say something the line of: Observe and Deduct then ramble on about it.”

“Sounds helpful, Ey. Missin’ people myself, family to be specific. Haven’t seen them in a while.”

“You know you could visit them after this business here, then your report in Union’s Rising, and then visit your family.”

“Miss them really, when I don’t see them.” Henry said solemnly.

Thomas tapped Henry’s shoulder “Don’t worry, Giant Strong. You’ll meet them eventually”.

“Always kept that in mind, mind if I stay here always wondered how the blacksmiths do their work”

Hours gone by all the while Thomas had just continued working at the forge. His skills at smiting had grown since he left The Smith, he had a lot of smith work to do in the fort which he had done with passion. His work on repairs of broken objects had gotten better, his craft of creating a sword also improved, yet his skill in creating a firearm still only a beginner, in which he couldn’t make one.

He left it at that. He left the fort after the work he’s done was sufficient enough to not get a warning. He was going to a shop not to buy, but to visit someone with Henry tagging along with him.

The shop was filled to the brim with necessities to any citizen, shelfs filled with bottles of medicines, tables displaying equipment for men at arms, and lastly a scroll hammered to the wall signifying it’s business permit. The shop had a very distinctive background somewhat coming from an earlier century, its walls was well built that no cracks were exposed and the light source was bright enough to see everything to see. Thomas entered the shop to see a shopkeeper furnishing his tables, when the shopkeeper saw him.

“Welcome there lad, what do you be needin in my shop of mine?”

“I came looking for someone.”

“The persons you’d be finding in this shop of mine is me, and my assistant.”

“Does Lea work here as well?”

“Ah that sweet girl who helps here, yes she does. On occasions she does work here and then goes somewhere else”

“Could you please tell where else does she go?”

“Hmm… I see. I got yah, Your name by the way?”

“Thomas”

“Ah, so you’re Thomas she’s been talking about.” The shopkeeper said with a confirming tone.

“Lea hangs a bit in a tavern, just head on down from here. Just find the place called “Drowning Drinks”

“I know the place, don’t worry. But thank you” Thomas replied. As he was about to leave the shopkeeper spoke

“Good luck to you, she’s a lion but a bit sensitive” he said with a smirk.

Thomas and Henry left for the tavern.

“So why are we looking for this girl?” Henry asked

“I’m just a people type of person Henry, I’d liked to get to know people.”

“You didn’t seem to get to spend time with some of battalion members and Julian.”

“Well your battalion members seem sort of busy with Monroe’s orders, and Julian well he’s always secluded. Don’t think he’s a people type of person”

“He’s always there hanging about in his own room in the front and occasionally leaves somewhere.”

“Well the person just needs to get out more, It ain’t living without knowing other people.”

“We’re here” Henry said.

They stood before the tavern where Thomas was inside only the night before. The sign of tavern was a jug of ale colored blue with a sorrowful face on it. Giving it a feeling of depression with the name suiting it.

Once again he entered the tavern like last night except this time with fewer people. The people who were present were sitting and staring blank into the distance while others were sleeping heads down on the table. This place is worse in day than it is in night, it’s a miracle that no one has ever died here by taking their own life.

Yet after that quick realization on how grim and barren the tavern was. There on the corner right side of the tavern, Lea, wearing a grey common dress, long black raven hair, her cheeks slightly puffed. She was in front a table with two men sleeping. One was a tall lean man and the other short. She gave a shove on both of them waking them up in the process.

“Happening what is?” said the short man in a slurred speech.

“Night time, it’s still is. Bother someone else and another bottle” added the tall man in slurred speech as well.

“Get your arses up!” she said loudly. The shopkeeper wasn’t kidding when she was a lion.

“But it still night time” the short man replied inn a slurred speech again.

“Correct, he is.” The tall man said in a slurred speech as well with him smiling.

Lea pushed the short man of his chair making him lay on the wooden floor with a smile on his face, she was about to do the same to the tall man but he stood up stretching arms. The short man stood up fixing himself.

“Out, and can get working. You can be back here later.” Lea said with a fierce voice.

“We will” they both said as they left the tavern.

Thomas went to the table where Lea was standing next to. He sat on the chair tapped her shoulder which caught her attention. “A bottle and food please.” He said.

“Oh it’s…….”

“Thomas, I can’t believe you forgot about me entirely.” He said jokingly.

“Ah. You’re the blacksmith from the fort.”

“That’s all?”

“Anything else? Because I couldn’t remember.”

“We met at harbor, remember there a captain and-“

“Ah, I remember now. You’re the blacksmith from Anglox and a militia.”

“Haven’t seen yah in a while, militia work I supposed” Lea continued.

“I’m not part of the militia, I’m just a hired help.”

“Why don’t you help your friend there standing.” Lea pointed out to Henry standing. Thomas called Henry over. “I think I’d like a drink over by the bar.” Henry said.

“It’s just get a ‘one’ bottle and leave the money on the counter, Strong.” Lea said and tapped Henry’s shoulder.

Both of them sat and talked not minding the sad and barren people around. Thomas told about Anglox and the night of the attack. Lea intrigued and listen and told her odd stories of going to west and south Magna. They continued to talk till Lea realize she was other places to be, Thomas asked to join her but sadly she wouldn’t allow.

“Let’s meet up if you’re not busy.”

“You’re the one who’s the hired help for the militia, I think you’re the busy one.” Lea said as she got up and left.

Thomas was feeling light and happy as he still sat in the chair.

Henry sat next to saying “I’ve stood silence for what an hour.”

“Don’t worry about I’ll make it up to you.”

“She is a lion, I have to admit.” Thomas added.

“Best be careful don’t know what happens, when you try to go into the lion’s den”

“Oh I didn’t know you’re a poetic type all a sudden.”

Henry just gave a smirk. Both of them left and returned to the fort.