Hive Knight: A Dark Fantasy LitRPG (Trinity of the Hive Book 1) by Grayson Sinclair (black authors fiction txt) 📕

Eris stood up, kissed me on the forehead and took my hand, pulling me up with ease despite my reluctance. “Now, let’s get to bed. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

We set out early the next morning, just before the sun rose over the horizon. Eris shook me awake, and we groggily packed up and got on the road. By my guess, we were only a few more days out from the East Kingdom.

A few hours later, we came to the end of the wilderness. As we broke through the trees, we stumbled across our first real signs of civilization in a few days.

There was a small town that had cropped up since the last time I’d passed this way. It was nothing more than several large grain farms and a cattle ranch, along with a few shops and a tavern, but after the endless trees and plains over the last few days, to my eyes, it was a regular metropolis.

Forgoing anything else, I made a beeline to the tavern, which also doubled as an inn, but I was more concerned with the variety of ale they served than the beds. Long days in the saddle had worked up a thirst, and the whiskey I’d brought hadn’t lasted half as long as I thought it would.

As we rode closer to the tavern, I made out the name on the hanging sign jutting out next to the door.

The Inn of Ill Repute. A strange name, but I don’t get any bad omens.

It was a charming two-story building made of sturdy, freshly sawn wooden logs, with darkened windows that refused to let in light and a thick, slate stone roof. A glance behind the bar told me where the wood had come from. Dozens of tree stumps lay dotted next to the forest. The inn had a cozy, homey atmosphere, and the scents of the smoke rising from the cobblestone chimney hinted at delicious food.

I was salivating at the thought of a proper meal. Not that I hadn’t enjoyed the meal last night, but fish had never been my favorite. I was hoping they had fresh boar. I would kill for a boar steak with freshly steamed potatoes.

We dismounted Lacuna and I stabled her in the small, clean building next to the inn. As I opened the large oak door, darkness assaulted me along with the smell of meat that combined with the sweet, slightly stale scent of alcohol in the air. I kept Eris close to me as we walked in. She had her hood up, and her face pressed into my ribs.

The inside of the inn was dark, though torches lined the walls, and a roaring fireplace provided heat to combat the chill from the stone flooring and ample lighting. Several patrons were seated at the various wooden tables, eating and drinking their fill. They seemed to be a mixture of farmhands and laborers. The East Kingdom was renowned for its farming and grain harvesting, so it made sense why the patrons were mostly farmers.

What didn’t make sense were the splattering of adventurers around. Several hardy men and women clad in armor of various types and weapons strapped to their belts sat around drinking their fill and talking in hushed whispers.

Ignoring the curious glances that came our way, we walked over to the bar, a huge slab of oak freshly stained that had yet to be worn down and soaked through by thousands of spilled drinks. There was a man stationed behind the bar who was, of course, cleaning a mug with a washrag when we approached.

He was a tall man with broad shoulders, heavyset with muscle, but with a nice layer of fat over them. The hem of his dark tunic and leather apron stopped mid-bicep and showcased his arms, which were corded with muscle and bore numerous scars that descended to his hands and fingers.

His hair was a rich chocolate, longer than mine. It fell well past his shoulders. A magnificent beard covered the lower half of his face, and he wore an eyepatch over his left eye. His right was one of startling green; it shone like a gem when the light from the fire reflected in his iris. He bore numerous laugh lines around his eyes and wore a constant smirk across his lips.

I liked the man immediately, and I’d have bet my entire purse of gold that he was a former adventurer or soldier.

He smiled widely as we approached, showing off white teeth, giving me the standard once over that all adventurers give one another, glancing over my gear and weapons, trying to discern my intentions. I passed his test, it seemed, as he offered me his hand.

His hand engulfed mine, and he pumped his arm vigorously. His smile was as infectious as Eris’s, and I couldn’t help but grin back at the giant bear.

“Howdy, there. Good to meetcha!” he said, “Name’s Rufio, but everyone calls me Ruff.”

“Hi, there. I’m Duran.”

Ruff glanced down at Eris, who was still sticking close to me. He smiled at the sight of Eris peeking out of her hood, though her eyes were still covered. “And who is this little lady?”

“I’m Eris. It’s nice to meet you,” she said. Her voice, while soft, was strong and clear.

She’s not afraid of humans. She’s hiding because I asked her to. Can’t help it, though. Don’t want to attract attention. Ruff chuckled deeply, amused by her antics and melodious voice.

“What can I do for you two lovebirds?” he asked.

I withdrew one of the smaller pouches of gold and slid two gold coins across the bar. “A room for the night, preferably one with a bath if you have it, and a meal.”

He glanced at the two gold coins. It was far more money than a room, and a meal should ever cost. At most, it