“Hey, Chris,” Paco lifted the manhole cover to his room and peeked out. “Do you wanna go explore the town a bit before the feast?”

  “Yeah, we should probably get our bearings a bit.”

  I had been sitting on the couch scrolling through my menus and hotlisting items I thought would be beneficial. It was mainly a way for me to get used to pulling them up in case of a fight. I specifically set that secret potion as the last option should it ever tell me what it did. I wasn’t holding my breath based on the description.

  Paco and I went out in search of any businesses. We didn’t have any gold, but at least we could get the lay of the land once we started leveling up and coming back here.

  “What’s that?” he pointed at a building with a black anvil engraved in the side.

  “A blacksmith. They make armor and swords. It looks like the one with the books is probably spells. The bottle is potions.” I started listing off things without truly knowing, but having played enough games in my life, I’d assumed I was correct.

  “What about the bed?”

  “Maybe an Inn?”

  “Why do they need an Inn if they have an entire section for visitors?”

  “Good question, wanna check it out?”

  I didn’t get an answer. Paco ran towards the door and opened it.

  Inside there was a female dwarf behind the bar. She was surrounded by taps for beer. There was a pleasant aroma coming from somewhere. It was a mixture of beef, thyme, and oregano. Paco was already at the bar talking her ear off.

  “Chris! This is Wilduwen Maplefinger. She’s really nice.”

  “Oh stop, sweetie. I’m plenty mean to the regulars here. You guys caused quite the commotion already. We all thought our new visitors were killed immediately. That would have been a sad time.”

  “Yeah, and then we met back up with Mr. Shoulder and he’s gonna have a feast for us tonight.”

  “Mr. Shoulder?” she asked.

  “Brukrag Oakshoulder,” I interjected.

  “Oh! The mayor. A fine gentleman and a great leader. He fought an entire army of Goblins in his younger years with his wolf, Dimitry. Poor thing.”

  “What happened?” Paco asked.

  “Dimitry unfortunately succumbed to his wounds. He carries him around wherever he goes now.”

  “Is that the white cloak he wears?”

  “That is correct, sweetie. It’s a great honor for a man to personally skin and tan the hide of a warbeast. It’s a reminder of the bond they once shared. May they meet again at the gates of Elysium,” she bowed her head.

  Paco looked over to me and I knew what was coming.

  “Would you skin and tan me if I died in a great battle with you?”

  “Can I turn you into a hat?” I asked.

  “That’s not funny. I’d rather be a satchel. At least then I’m useful. Or turn me into something cool, like a pair of moccasins.”

  Wilduwen laughed. “You two bickering is really cute.”

  I watched Paco smile and continue asking the bartender questions. I walked around admiring the place. It reminded me of an old western diner. Everything was made out of wood, but the floors looked to be freshly polished. There was not a single mark anywhere to be seen. I walked over and plopped myself down next to Paco.

  “Anything for you?” Wilduwen asked.

  “No thanks, I don’t have any money. Neither does Paco.”

  “Foolish. You’re great guests in our town. I insist. We have light and dark ale.”

  “I’ll take the light one!” Paco shouted.

  “I guess, I’ll try the dark.”

  Wilduwen stepped away and brought us back two pints. Paco quickly picked his up and started gulping it down. He coughed half of it back into the glass.

  “This is gross!”

  “Paco! Shut up,” I said.

  “It’s quite okay. It takes a few to get used to the taste. Just sip it and you’ll get used to it,” Wilduwen said.

  I took a sip out of mine. The amber-colored alcohol tasted like cherries and coffee with chocolate mixed in. It immediately went to my head.

  “This is great, but I already feel drunk.”

  “Yeah, the way we make it gets into your bloodstream faster,” Wilduwen laughed. “I’ll bring you guys some waters.”

  I turned toward Paco who was casually trying to sip his without making a face.

  “Chris, who’s that guy behind you staring?”

  I turned and saw the man Paco was talking about. He looked like Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings movies when he sat alone at the pub. He had a black cloak pulled up covering his face, but I could see the glinting of eyes beneath the darkness of his hood.

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  “Excuse me, Wilduwen,” I said when she came back with our waters. “Who’s the guy in the corner?” I gave a slight tilt of my head as she looked over to him.

  “I, uh, I think you should quit drinking and go over to talk to him,” she said with wide eyes. She took our glasses away and walked to the back of the Inn.

  I looked at Paco who was growing more nervous by the moment. I watched him rub his hands together and look every which way he could as he purposely tried to avoid eye contact with the cloaked man.

  “Come on,” I said as I pushed myself away from the bar.

  Paco: Chris, I don’t want to.

  Chris: I don’t either. He’s making the hair on my arms stand up, but Wilduwen said we should.

  Paco: Okay, but you go first so if anything happens I’ll go get Mr. Shoulder.

  I sighed and walked over to the table. I grabbed the chair directly opposite the man and Paco stood next to me, never sitting down.

  “Hello, friendsss,” the man hissed.

  “Hello,” I said shortly.

  “What bringsss you here?”

  I looked at Paco who had his shoulders hunched as he continued to rub his paws together.

  “We saw you looking at us. We were wondering who you were and just wanted to introduce ourselves. I’m Chris, and this is Paco.”

  “I’m Sssly. Your friendly neighborhood merchant. Please, step inssside.” I watched the cloaked man wave his hand to the side. A door appeared on the wall. It was wide open, but I could not see anything but total darkness.

  Paco: Chris. We shouldn’t.

  I looked around. There was no one else in the place with us.

  Chris: I don’t think we have much of a choice in the matter.

  I walked up the empty void and felt it pulling me in. Then the world went black.

  I was sitting on the ground of another in. It was much like the one me and Paco were in. Only this one had no ornate carvings on the walls. The bar reminded me of a hipster joint back on Earth. Probably something you’d see on Instagram or in New York City. It was chic. I saw an open windowed kitchen off to the side with a man by the oven. Paco sat next to me.

  “Welcome to my Inn, friendsss. I’m Sly. And back there is my loyal co-hort, Jordan. He’s also from Earth. I saved him many yearsss ago.”

  “Where are we?” I asked as I pushed myself off the floor and watched as Jordon came out of the kitchen and stood behind the bar.

  “A pocket dimensssion. It allowsss me to peddle my food and drink without any interruption.”

  “Why bring us here then?”

  “I’m alwaysss interested in new visitorsss. And with the Orcsss at large, I wanted Jordon to meet people from his world.”

  “You really brought a dirty raccoon in here?” the man shouted at Sly.

  “Behave. We have guestsss.”

  “What’s this ‘we’ shit? You abducted me to cook for people. I didn’t want this. And now I have to clean up after a rabies-ridden animal.”

  “Ignore him. He getsss moody sometimesss.”

  I looked over at Paco who looked like he was about to cry.

  “Chris, I don’t have rabies. I’m just a little guy.”

  “I know. It’s okay,” I put my hand on Paco’s back while I dug around in my pocket for a biscuit from the Grays. I handed it over to Paco who chewed on it slowly.

  “Please, come and sssit,” Sly said as he walked over to the bar.

  “Come on, Paco,” I said as I turned to him. He was still chewing on his biscuit depressingly.

  The high-top chair grated against the wooden floor with a horrific screech. I sat and saw the chair next to me slowly pull itself out. Paco climbed up and sat at the bar. He placed his biscuit down. Crumbs of it littered the spot in front of him.

  I watched Jordon sigh as he picked up the biscuit, placed it on a black paper napkin, and wiped the crumbs away.

  “Have anything you’d like from our menu,” Sly said next to me. I tried to look beneath his hood, but all I could see was the twinkling of two eyes. They reminded me of diamonds glittering in the sunlight.

  “What’re you guys known for?” I asked.

  “A little bit of this, a little bit of that. Jordon here makes the bessst coleslaw.”

  “Fuck you. Why would you even tell them that?” Jordon was visibly angry at the man wrapped in darkness.

  “It’sss true. Our best seller.”

  I looked over to Paco who had finished his biscuit. He seemed genuinely interested in what was occurring next to us.

  “One coleslaw, please,” he said.

  I watched Jordon sigh as he turned to me. He raised his eyebrows as he put his arm on the bar.

  “Yeah, I’ll do one, too.”

  “Great,” he said with a disgusting attitude as he walked off towards the kitchen.

  I turned my attention to Sly. “Now that you got us here, anything I should know?”

  “No, just enjoy the food. Call upon me whenever you need, and we will come.”

  “Sounds a little suspect, honestly. Why are you being so nice to us?”

  I watched the man shrug. He put his hands on the bar and a glass of alcohol appeared before him. I watched as he put it up to his hood. The liquid disappeared instantly. When he put the glass back down, it refilled magically.

  Jordon returned and aggressively placed two bowls of coleslaw in front of each of us. Forks clattered on the bar.

  “Eat,” he said.

  Paco didn’t say anything. I watched as he scooped some coleslaw. His eyes widened like he had fallen in love.

  “This is the BEST thing I’ve ever had. Chris, really, you need to try it. It’s better than the biscuits from the Grays,” he said between mouthfuls of food.

  I grabbed the fork and tried it myself. It really was the best coleslaw I’d ever had. I now understood why they were known for it.

  “Why do you hate making this so much? It’s delicious,” Paco asked.

  “Doesn’t matter. Hate it. Worst thing ever. I’d rather make mac and cheese.”

  Jordon walked off again.

  “So, how do we get in touch with you if we want to visit again?” I asked Sly. He had been chuckling to himself the entire interaction.

  “I’ll be here and there. Jussst sssay my name, and I’ll find you. Jordon, pleassse see our guesssts out.”

  Jordon returned carrying a wooden door. He stepped out from behind the bar and slammed it on the ground. It stood up without him holding it.

  “Go on,” Jordon said. “Get out. I need to clean up after that thing.”

  Paco finished the last of his coleslaw as quickly as possible before patting himself on the stomach. I grabbed what was left of my bowl and quickly stuffed it into my inventory. I didn’t think Sly would mind too much.

  “Just go through the door?” I asked Sly as we walked over to it.

  The hooded man nodded in return.

  I depressed the handle and swung the door open. The blackness on the other side had returned. Once again I felt the pull of eternity sucking us in.

  I blinked as I sat on my ass in Wilduwen’s inn. Paco was right next to me.

  “Welcome back,” she said from the bar. “How was your meeting with that god of chaos?”

  “He was actually quite pleasant,” I said.

  Paco ran over and dragged himself onto the chair in front of Wilduwen.

  “His cook isn’t the nicest person. He called me a ‘rabies-infested rat.’ It really hurt my feelings. But he made us coleslaw and it really was the best thing I’ve ever had. And then Sly said we could call on him anytime we wanted and he’d come. I wanted to have more coleslaw but I knew we had the feast coming up with Mr. Shoulder and I didn’t wanna be too full for it,” Paco was running out of breath as he spoke.

  “Yes, little one. The feast is going to start soon. I’m closing up shop. I did my last call already. You two should hurry along. It would be rude for our guests to be late,” Wilduwen gently nudged Paco.

  “Come on,” I said. “Let’s go see Bruk.”