Chapter 1: Tavern Talks

It was a cold noon, the 13th under Lucia and Fei. High Tide, the sky was bright, Mels Inn was dark, dark as usual.

Eight Tables. Two by the Door, a longer one by the Window to the north, three by the windows to the South. Two more inbetween. Then there was the bar, of course and the little stage Sim was sitting on. Sim sang her little blues. Mel liked Sim, she liked her voice. It justified the sadness of Sim’s songs. Not everybody would agree, but whoever's travelling down south the red road doesn’t come and go to Mel’s for music anyways.

“Lone in grief I go, doin’ what I know, singing till I blow, my man in grey is all I know…”

And so Mel cleaned a few tables. At noon, there is not a lot of traffic on the Red Road. Two Strangers sat close by the door eating. And the usual minors from the Crimson-Belt came up here for gambling and drinking at the northern table, business as usual.

“Hey Mel, another round please”. They were nice and paid reliable. “Sure thing”. Mel liked them. She went behind the bar. A pot of greens is cooking there constantly, mixed with pepper-sirup, poured in cups and voila: “A fresh round of pepps! Here we go!” “Thanks Mel. It smells delicouse”. She smiles: “It really does, right? - Anything else I can do for you?”

Of course not. After all that’s  why she liked them so much.

“… And if this road doesn’t take me to the promised land,

I’ll keep on walking till I see the end.”

Finishing her tune, Sim put down her salv, letting Mel overhear some of the strangers' dialogue. They were discussing whether or not to head West into the Deep-Womb. Mel consciously tried to not listen in on strangers’ conversations so she quickly walked to Sim after hearing something about the Rouge Puppet. Shivers. Mel never liked the talks about the gods – sad memories.

“Sim, wonderful as usual.” The singer was focused on her bag, still she countered: “I messed up like 5 times”

“Ohh, still having trouble sleeping?” She nodded, pulling the meds out her bag Sim added: “I don’t know what it is, but this eerie restlessness always grabs me past midnight,” She put the deskraut on a piece of lavender paper, rolls it up into a cigarette and sticks it on the pipe. “I’m torn between smoking it away or using it to write - Whatever. Wanna join me outside?”

She got up and headed for the door. Mel followed her, looking at the minors. They seemed to be doing just fine. Looking at the strangers: “In case you need anything, I’m outside the door for just a minute.”