The Silver Dragons - Prologue

The Silver Dragons

By Anders Soth

Prologue

"Play Tulliver's Wandering Codpiece!" A voice shouted from the assembled crowd referring to a bawdy song popular amongst Azgarr's sailors. From his position on the stage, Torl peered through the fog of pipe smoke in search in the heckler.

"Shut up and let the minstrel play," someone yelled before Torl had a chance to reply. Others joined in the argument, the crowd's mood growing increasing volatile.

"Shift that helmet, I can't see the elf's tits!" growled a drunken orc from the back. A few scuffles broke out.

"If we could all just take a moment to - "a bottle flew from the crowd and hit Torl in the eye before he could finish appealing to the inn's patrons.

"What sort of band don't play Tulliver's wandering codpiece?" shouted the original troublemaker.

"The sort that's going to break your face!" Elena cried from behind Torl.

"No!" Torl started to yell but it was too late. Elena rushed passed him and leapt into the crowd her bugle in hand.
The powder keg of an audience exploded into violence as a mass brawl broke out.

***************************

"I ain't paying you lot a penny," the innkeeper said to Jerem, the band's halfling manager. "It's going to cost me a fortune to fix all of this mess," he continued referring to the devastation caused by the brawl.

"It's not my client's fault that you were unable to control your patrons," Jerem responded. "If you refuse to honour our contract I'm afraid we will have to report you to the magistrate."

The innkeepers face turned a bright red as his mood worsened. "They didn't play a note and that elf seriously injured a number of my regulars." Torl put a hand on Elena's shoulder preventing the elf from confronting her accuser.

"I'm a reasonable fellow," Jerem began, "I'll take fifty percent of the agreed fee and we'll forget this nasty business."

"I would accept his terms if I were you, I grow tired of this nonsense," the band's half-orc drummer Grudos warned. At more than six feet he loomed over the irate innkeeper.

The man swallowed, "those terms seem acceptable." He went behind the bar and counted out the agreed amount then reluctantly handed it to Jerem.

Jerem, Torl, Elena and Grudos quickly made their way out of the grotty tavern.

"If we keep playing these dock-side dives we're going to end up either broke or dead," Grudos complained.

"What happened to us? There was a time when the Silver Dragons played Azgarr's greatest stages and Lord's begged us to perform for them," Torl lamented.

"You slept with all of their wives is what happened," Jerem scolded.

Elena snorted with laughter, "not to mention their mothers, sisters and daughters," she teased.

"Men tend to be reluctant to offer coin to those who have cuckolded them," the halfling observed. "The feud between you and the alderman was the last straw."

"What are we going to do then? The winter is almost upon us and I really don't want to resort to collecting the bounty on bugbears in the northern territories," Grudos stated firmly.

"There is another option," the halfling suggested, "the Lantoris music festival."

Elena groaned, "It'll take weeks to travel down there."

"Dangerous territory too," Grudos continued.

"No more so than up north," countered Jerem.

Torl sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "We'll make more money in a few weeks at the festival than we will all winter in Azgarr," he suggested.

Elena and Grudos reluctantly nodded their agreement.

"Excellent," Jerem said enthusiastically, "I know of a way in which we can make a little extra coin on the side too."

The others looked at the halfling with suspicion.

"It's nothing untoward, I assure you," Jerem pleaded defensively, "It's more a favour for an old friend actually."
The others seemed unconvinced.



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