The Innkeeper’s Burden
Adventurers come and go, but the Innkeeper is always there
Master Lando
When reach his age you do, look as cute you will not
…Time for this week’s story…
The Innkeeper’s Burden
A warm fire bubbled in the Castle Cove Inn’s stone fireplace, radiating a welcoming warmth to all who entered. Some patrons had drinks near the fire, spread around the pub and adjacent lounge. In the past, a slight chill may have pervaded, but a harsh winter and subsequent illness had recently taken Andrew’s father, leaving Andrew in charge of the family’s inn. Andrew had grown up working alongside him, so at the ripe age of sixteen, Andrew was ready for the responsibility. He made sure to keep a little more than enough wood in the fire like he used to tell his father to do.
For decades, adventures passed through Andrew’s small town on their way to the castle up the road, which was said to be haunted by monsters and evil spirits. Rarely ever did they return. Of course, watching adventurers disappear into the old castle up the mountain dissuaded the townsfolk from exploring it. Any knowledge about the castle and the kingdom it once represented had long since faded from the town’s memory.
One day, an adventurer returned from the castle. Arm in a sling, he limped into the inn. The cape of his cloak dragged behind him and his face was difficult to distinguish beneath the hood and all the bandages. He sat by the fire as if it had been years since he’d known such comfort and ate ravenously when Andrew offered him food.
Before he left, he asked Andrew for a favor. It turned out the castle was full of treasures and monsters alike. All the evil in the castle was ruled over by a fearsome demon. This adventurer had barely escaped with his life, but managed to grab something important while he was there. He showed Andrew an ornate metal amulet with a large red ruby at its center.
“This is a magic item created by the wizards who once resided in the castle. The creature they summoned into this world was using it for power. It’s why nobody has been able to kill it. I managed to steal it away during the battle. It still wasn’t enough. It killed everyone, and I barely escaped. Please, keep this hidden here until that monster is defeated, and tell no one. When all is done, this could help the region prosper again.”
Andrew agreed to guard the amulet and hid it beneath the basement floorboards. After that, Andrew knew someone would one day conquer the evil spirit. He greeted adventurers with gusto and gave them better prices. When he married, his wife helped care for the inn. Unlike Andrew, she was an outstanding cook. Guests at the inn ate hardy from then on. For years, they tended to every visitor who came through their doors.
When they had children, Andrew told them of the stranger he once met who almost defeated the evil in the castle. He said the brave adventurer had stolen the source of the monster’s power, and one day soon, they would live without the haunting shadow of the castle looming in the mountains. In the meantime, Andrew expanded the inn. Adding a third level and increasing the space in the first two. It didn’t take long for the children to start helping out as he once did.
Years passed, and none of the adventurers seemed able to defeat the evil creatures lurking in the castle. Unfortunately for Andrew, life’s twists and turns chipped away at his optimism. Two of his children were stillborn. At fourteen, his oldest son fell down the stairs and broke his neck. Their second oldest died from a strange illness the doctor couldn’t identify, leaving them with only one son. They seemed to have terrible luck as well, with the Inn under constant repair, but Andrew never gave up hope.
He eventually asked some adventurers why they had not yet defeated the evil creatures in the castle. With no answers to offer, they followed up with questions. He told them of the adventurer who once returned from the castle, but said nothing of the amulet. They lingered in the town, and more adventurers came by the inn to ask Andrew questions. They began to coordinate, scouting the castle while they stayed at the inn. More adventurers gathered until the inn could no longer hold them, prompting them to establish a well-organized basecamp on the outskirts of the town.
No longer did adventurers recklessly venture into the castle. Looking out from the third floor, Andrew could see what looked like a small army forming. His hope was reignited. Surely, there was no way the evil in the castle could stand against such a force. Still, his once busy inn was now sadly empty.
Then one day as the sun set, some adventurers entered the inn and stood as a group by the doorway, examining the interior. They greeted Andrew and asked that he and his family come with them. Andrew protested, but they insisted. The confrontation escalated until they were dragged out by force.
Outside, the inn was surrounded by adventurers, many holding torches. Andrew cried and begged for them to stop. Instead, they approached the inn and hurled the torches into it. Andrew held his wife and only child, bawling as the inn burned. Soon, however, his tears dried up.
The inn collapsed into itself, then twisted. The burning wood formed arms and a face with fiery windows for eyes. It boomed a slow, menacing laugh that made Andrew’s stomach churn. Then, the adventurers attacked. The mages cast spells while the warriors defended them. In a torrent of fire and metal, the inn was torn apart. Eventually, someone managed to pull the amulet from the basement and smashed it to pieces.
A haunting death rattle rumbled from the inn, then it collapsed into charred rubble. The adventurers and the town rallied to help them rebuild the inn. No longer was Andrew’s family cursed with bad luck, and their only son grew up to have kids of his own.