Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

The three proceeded cautiously along the bright passage. The walls on both sides were covered with ancient murals depicting the history and legends of a powerful tribe. Evand gazed at the murals with curiosity, and just like last time, he felt as if he had traveled through time and returned to ancient times.

After walking for about half an hour, the three finally arrived at the very center of the temple. Here stood a spacious circular hall, in the center of which stood a pool of water constructed of stone, about one meter high and shaped like a giant conical beaker. The top of the conical section was filled with crystal-clear holy water. It was hard to imagine that such a clear water source could exist in this dilapidated temple.

“This is holy water,” Tarn said, pointing to the pool. “Legend has it that holy water has the power to purify all impurities and can help people remove their corruption.”

Evand looked at Roshke, indicating he could try. Roshke took a deep breath and dipped his cursed hand into the sacred pool. The cool holy water enveloped his hand, bringing a soothing sensation. He closed his eyes, quietly feeling the power of the holy water, hoping for a miracle.

Time ticked by, but Roshke's hand remained unchanged. He opened his eyes, a flicker of disappointment in them. Seeing this, Tarn comforted him, "Don't be discouraged, Roshke. Perhaps it's just that time hasn't been long enough. Let's wait and see."

Roshke nodded and continued to soak his hands in the holy water. The three waited a long time, but there was still no reaction. Disappointment spread among them.

"It seems the holy water has no effect on my curse." Roshke sighed and withdrew his hand from the holy water.

“It’s alright, Roshke,” Evand patted him on the shoulder, “we’ll think of another way.”

Tarn added, "Yes, Roshke, don't give up hope. We will definitely find a way to lift your curse."

Roshke smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Evand, Tarn. But let's leave here now, just in case someone suddenly comes along."

Evand and Tarn nodded, agreeing to Roshke's proposal.

“However,” Tarn said, “we’ll have to stay on the mountaintop for at least a day and leave at night.”

“That’s fine,” Roshke said. “It’s safer that way.”

So the three decided to hide in the temple on the mountaintop for a day. During the day, they took turns guarding the temple gate, keeping watch for any movement around them. At night, they prepared to descend the mountain.

Although hiding was tedious, the three of them didn't find it boring. They used this time to carefully study the murals and runes in the temple, hoping to find some clues about breaking the curse.

The day passed quickly, and night fell, the stars twinkling overhead. The three packed their belongings and prepared to leave the temple.

“Let’s go,” Tarn said. “Let’s go down the mountain.”

Evand and Roshke nodded and followed Tarn out of the temple. They carefully made their way down the mountain along the path they had come from.

Night fell over the mountains and forests, and all was quiet except for the faint sound of three people's footsteps echoing through the mountains.

They didn't know what awaited them, but their hearts were filled with hope, believing that one day they would find a way to break the curse and allow Roshke to return to his homeland.

Under the cover of darkness, the three men cautiously made their way down the winding mountain path. The only sound in the still night was the occasional hooting of an owl, adding to the tense atmosphere. Evand's heart pounded; he frequently glanced back, fearing pursuers might suddenly appear. Tarn also looked grave, gripping his stone axe tightly, ready to react to any unexpected situation. Only Roshke maintained his steady pace, seemingly indifferent to his surroundings.

However, fate seems to love playing tricks. Just as the three were about to reach the foot of the mountain, a tall figure suddenly emerged from the woods, blocking their path. It was a minotaur patrol guard, spear in hand, his sharp gaze sweeping over the three before finally settling on Roshke. Although Tarn was the chieftain's son and Evand was an ally of the tribe, he did not flinch, for he bore the responsibility of protecting the village.

"Halt!" the guard shouted sternly. "Who are you? What are you doing sneaking around on the mountain in the middle of the night?" His eyes were full of vigilance and suspicion, especially as he stared at the heavy cloak on Roshke's body, as if trying to see through it.

Tarn quickly stepped forward to explain, "This is a friend of our tribe, and a powerful ally. We were just on the mountain..."

The guard interrupted Tarn, saying in a firm tone, "Young master, I know your identity, but my duty is to protect the safety of the village. No suspicious person can be let go. I smell the scent of a lizardman on this cloaked man."

Seeing this, Evand quickly stepped forward and, feigning composure, explained, "Brother guard, you must be mistaken. I just defeated a lizardman today, and I still have some of their scales on me." He then pulled a lizardman scale from his pocket and handed it to the guard, "Smell it, is this the smell?"

The guard took the scale and sniffed it carefully, but still insisted on his judgment: "No, I didn't smell wrong, he definitely has the scent of a lizardman on him."

Seeing that his explanations were fruitless and the situation was becoming increasingly tense, Roshke knew that continuing like this would only attract more guards, making it even harder to escape. He resolutely removed his cloak, revealing the lizardman's distinctive green skin and sharp teeth.

“It really is a lizardman!” the guard shouted, raising his spear and pointing it at Roshke. “How dare you harbor a lizardman! Take him to the temple!” He glared angrily at Tarn and Evand, unable to believe they would do such a thing.

Seeing this, Roshke sighed helplessly and said to Tarn and Evand, "It seems we have no choice but to knock him out first."

Tarn hesitated for a moment and said, "I cannot attack my own people."

Evand also indicated that he could be with Roshke.

Roshke shook his head helplessly; he knew he couldn't hesitate any longer. He lunged forward and punched the guard in the face, knocking him unconscious.

"Hurry up!" Roshke urged.

Evand and Roshke helped the unconscious guard to a comfortable place and settled him in. They were about to leave the scene quickly, but Roshke seemed to remember something and stopped.

He then quickly pulled a small knife from his belt and threw it to Tarn.

Although Tarn didn't know what the other party was going to do, he still took the knife that was thrown to him.

“Listen, Tarn, I know very well that you shouldn’t have come to this operation, but you came anyway because of Evand. If you really liked him, then listen to me!”

You now have two choices. The first choice is to cut a hole in yourself and then pretend to be scared. When the patrolling guards come by, they will give you the impression that you have also been attacked. You must tell them that Evand has been controlled by me with evil magic.

The second method is that you don't need to make any cuts on your body; you can just call the patrolling guards now. However, doing so would make you too easy to arouse suspicion.

Honestly, I'm truly grateful to have you two as friends in this other world. I don't want you to be implicated because of what happened to me, or to be branded as traitors.

After Roshke had said what he wanted to say, he patted Tarn on the shoulder and then ran away with Evand.

Tarn watched their departing figures, his heart filled with conflict and pain. He knew he should stop them, but reason told him he couldn't, otherwise he would be betraying his friends.

He looked at the unconscious guard on the ground, and his choice was already made. He took out the small knife that smelled of Roshke, cut a wound on his arm, and then pretended to fall unconscious to the ground.

He knew that doing so might hurt him, but he had to do something for his friend, even if it meant paying a price. He believed that this time, he had absolutely made the right choice.

As night deepened, the forest fell silent, save for the rustling of leaves in the breeze, which seemed to tell the stories of the night.

Roshke carried Evand on a frantic run, barely stopping for a moment. The mountain night wind howled, branches scraping against their clothes, leaving streaks. Evand's strength gradually waned, and his steps grew heavier. Noticing Evand's exhaustion, Roshke hoisted him onto his back and continued running towards the Spear Tavern.

Before dawn, they had already arrived at the tavern. Evand, nestled on Roshke's back, was already fast asleep. Roshke gently pushed open the tavern door, and a familiar aroma of malt wafted out. Snow, who was wiping the bar with a rag, immediately came to greet them upon seeing their travel-worn appearance.

"What happened to you two?" Snow asked with concern, looking at the scratches on their bodies from the branches.

“We ran into some trouble on the way,” Roshke replied briefly, gently placing Evand on a chair beside him. “Let him rest for a bit, and we’ll talk about it in detail later.”

Snow nodded and poured two glasses of honey water, placing them on the table. "Drink some water first, rest for a bit, and then go back to your room for a good night's sleep." He didn't ask any further questions, after all, he had a rough idea of ​​what was going on, and it was clear that Roshke and the others were very tired.

Roshke picked up the honey water and drank it all in one gulp, then rubbed his temples wearily. Just then, Hakan came downstairs and, seeing Roshke, strode over to him.

"Where have you all been?" Hakan slapped Roshke on the shoulder, his tone teasing. "What, do you need to make yourselves look so disheveled to break the curse? Judging from your appearance, it seems no one has lifted the curse yet."

Roshke shook his head and briefly told Hakan about the temple, mentioning that they had been discovered by the minotaur guards.

Hakan's expression turned serious upon hearing this. "You're being incredibly reckless!" he growled. "The Minotaur tribe and the Lizardman tribe are already on the verge of conflict. What you're doing will only make things worse, escalating the conflict. How will the tavern do business then? I still need to drink!"

He glanced at the sleeping Evand again, then turned to Roshke, "You'd better take good care of this little guy. If anything happens to him, the whole tavern will see you as an enemy."

Roshke nodded; he knew Hakan's concerns were not unfounded. Evand was the tavern owner's son and very popular there. If something really happened to him in the minotaur tribe, the tavern would definitely blame him and treat him as an enemy in order to protect him.

“I will protect him,” Roshke said firmly. He looked at the sleeping Evand, his heart filled with guilt. If it weren't for helping him find a way to lift the curse, they wouldn't have been in such a dangerous situation.

Outside the window, the sky gradually brightened, and a new day began. However, for Roshke and Evand, this was merely the beginning of another day filled with unknowns and challenges. They didn't know what the future held, but they knew they had to face everything bravely, for their goals and for their friendship.

Snow went behind the bar to prepare breakfast. The tavern gradually became lively as other customers entered. However, beneath the bustling atmosphere lurked an unease. The conflict between the minotaur and lizardman tribes was like a time bomb, ready to explode at any moment, plunging the entire tavern into flames of war.

Hakan walked over to Roshk and patted him on the shoulder. "Take a good rest; there's still a lot to do."

Roshke nodded; he knew he couldn't give up. He had to pull himself together, for Evand and for everyone who cared about him.

But what could Roshke do? He didn't belong to this world; he would eventually return to his original world. If he didn't go back, which side would he stand on? He was a lizardman, and according to his race, he should be with the lizardmen. But Tarn had helped him, and he couldn't betray his friend.

He shook his head. These weren't things he should be thinking about right now. He should be thinking about how to get home. Roshke got up and walked to Evans' side, gently shaking him awake.

"Evand, wake up."

Evan rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked around blankly. "Are we back?"

“Yes, we’re back,” Roshke said gently. “It’s safe now.”

Evand finally came to his full senses. He recalled the events of the previous night and felt a wave of fear wash over him. He looked at Roshke, his eyes filled with gratitude.

"Thank you, Roshke."

Roshke smiled. "We're friends, aren't we? And I'm the one who should be saying thank you."

The two looked at each other and smiled, saying nothing.