The Tavern Raid

Chapter 0 – A Night Like Any Other

“Barkeep, another round for everyone!” The tavern floor erupted into a bout of boisterous cheering as the tall and muscular redhead shouted across the hall to the stocky man behind the counter. “And roast piglet! By the smell of it, it should have been done cooking half an hour ago!”

“It’s done when it’s done, barbarian.” The graying barkeep muttered back, earning soft chuckles from some of the other guests, as well as a brief glare from the towering, scantily clad woman. “Isandra, go and ask Theia what’s taking so long with that roast. Lya… Lya?”

My head swiveled as Andrel repeated my name, his voice growing sterner as he realized that I had been slacking off. My hands had been idly wiping down the same mug for the last five minutes, and my gaze had lingered on the group of daring adventurers that had taken refuge from tonight’s storm at our humble inn. Their dangerous-looking weapons and exciting clothes made them striking to look at.

“Oh… so sorry, Andrel. Ale for all the tables?” I stuttered and tried giving the old man my best smile. It was one of the few things that I knew could melt the grumpy barkeep’s heart. Almost as much as a deep cleavage would. I suspected that he actually really liked the barbarian woman, as he hadn’t been able to take his own eyes off her the entire night. Which might be due to the size of her massive breasts, and the thin, leather straps she used to cover them.

“Yes, ale for all the tables. And save your charms, Lya. You’re lucky you’re such a young and cute lass still, but I’m not paying you to just stand around and make this place look nicer.” He nodded towards the casks that lined one of the walls behind the wide, mahogany counter. “And make sure you write everything to the right tab this time.”

My cheeks flushed from getting told off in front of everyone. Isandra gave me a sympathetic smile before she disappeared towards the back rooms and the kitchen, and I half-ran to start filling mugs with frothy ale.

It was true that I had made a few mistakes in the past, getting confused about which customer had ordered what, and there were some patrons who took it worse than others. But I also hadn’t been working at the inn for too long, barely a few months now, and I didn’t feel like I had been getting a hang of everything until very recently. Mother had always been anxious to let me work in such a place, fearing that something ill might befall me as I traveled from the village. But aside from going to the city, work just wasn’t that easy to come by. And everyone needed coin to eat.

I had managed to fill my tray with mugs and glasses, and even a couple of platters with cheese, and started to weave between guests on the tavern floor, serving each person in turn and getting rounds of applause and cheers every time I approached a new group of already inebriated farmers and craftsmen. It was kind of heartening to see everyone having such a good time at the inn, and my big smile managed to bring in a handful of coppers as the good mood made people a bit more generous than usual. Isandra would keep telling me that it was my unusually well-endowed chest that made drunk men such generous tippers, but I didn’t really see how those two things were related.

Some of the men tried to grab a hold of my butt as I walked past them, but I managed to slip by with only a few of them managing to get a solid pinch beneath my skirt. I squealed every time it happened, much to all the men’s delight. Isandra claimed it was simply part of the job, and that not much good would ever come from complaining to Andrel about it. Unless someone decided to try and take it further. I shuddered at the thought. Even though I had no experience in the matter, I knew from talking with other girls what it was that most men wanted. I had some times dreamed of letting one of the guys from the village do a bit more than just fooling around and kissing. But it had been left as a dream, and not much had come of it. Not for lack of trying on the young mens part though. I smiled to myself as I kept dodging away from grasping hands.

“And a toast to Chryssadel, the only elf I’ve ever been able to stand for more than half a minute. Barely.” One of the three adventurers had raised a bottle, filled with clear spirits, and was looking at her companion with a roguish smirk. “Thanks for pushing me out of the way from that ogre’s fist. Pretty sure I wouldn’t be drinking with you tonight if you hadn’t.”

The leather-clad woman, who sported short, bright white hair, and darker skin than I had ever seen before, tipped her head backwards and downed half the bottle in one go. The raven-haired woman sitting opposed her gave her a look of long-suffering amusement.

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– Compilation of some Sex-Arcade and Bad-Ending Stories:
www.tinyurl.com/stories-list