Aery stepped out of his room and looked up at De'luke. The man was taller, wearing animal pelt leggings and a leather vest. He was a bit of a bigger man, having arms strong like tree trunks but a bit of a rounded body. He had salt and pepper hair that was all braided up, Viking style.
"So the bard lives." Smiled De'luke.
"To assume anything else would be sinful, my big man thing." Aery smirked sarcastically. "Alright, Lock, what are we looking at for today, hm?" Aery chimed in a more serious tone.
"Two party's of adventurers, one looks serious, the other just looks wholesome. A group of rough looking orcs and two elfmen from the Capitol. I have to fill there orders for booze and food.... You just entertain them, entertainer."
"Easy as that time I-" Aery started to say,
" And don't start a riot, if you can help it." De'luke smiled smugly.
" And they say being a bard is fun?" Aery pouted falsely.
As much as he enjoyed playing the role of the avant garde and devil may care bard, Aery really wished to fing a group, a place to belong, but in this world it is as they say, kill or be killed. Everyone around is a cutthroat villain if they are pushed enough: and Aery knew this all too well.
De'luke handed Aery his choice instrument. A bell cittern, one specially made to be played with a bow like a violin. This was his magnum opus, silver and birch, an instrument worthy of a bard, an old dwarven aquantence of his helped him make it, and in case of an emergency this magical string instrument could be turned into a bow with simple technologies.
Aery took his place atop a wooden milk crate and began to strum on his cittern creating a rustic melody in the air then with a pull of his bow that rustic melody turned into an avant garde maelstrom of music, all accompanied by tales of Aery's former warden and father figure, the great folk hero Brahmest.
Re-telling the tales of adventurers Brham had taken Aery on made his stomach churn, put a pit in his chest and made the hares on his neck stand on edge, but hey, it brings in the coin we'll enough.
When he, Aery, would tell these tales he would never sing that he himself had been in those situations; rather, he would say Brhamest and Gambit, or, Brahmest and Sigrün. Never would he say Brahmest and Aery; for Aery had no true identity of his own, his name changed every few years, and with it, his life.
The air was fresh with the smell of candlelight and warm cooked meats, the room was filled with the sounds of joyous, elated laughter, but just like a candles flickering flame, a vibe too can be swiftly blown out.
It wasn't too rare for someone to mistake our bard for being a woman, he is after all a very effeminate person, at least In front of those he wishes to charm.
A drunken knight accompanied by the two elves from the Capitol had stood up and grabbed hold of Aery's arm, whispering unsavoury and lascivious things into his ear.
With a kick Aery sent the man back and fled to the back room.
"Kid, you got people to entertain." De'luke chimed bluntly.
"Well, they can wait till I'm damn good and ready! Men like that just- not even just men... I'm sick of people De'luke." Aery groaned, sliding down the wall until he was sat on a small wooden chest.
De'luke looked sympathetically at Aery.
"Well, you've put in your work this week, I'm sure the bar goer's will be entertained without you for a bit... Need a break?" Said Lock. To this Aery nodded grievously.
" I need to get out of this place---soon."
Aery had left the inn, he had gone to a place he had known quite well. The adventurer's guild. The main building above ground was what you might expect a news stand to look like, a little green shed with big windows and many flyers and job-notices all nailed around the exterior, but underground the guild was a haven, the walls were all colorful quartz all lined with micca that made it glitter. This was a lace that felt like home.