The travelers at the Way Inn did not get the great battle they had been waiting for. That outcome let Mr. Jamal, the innkeeper, breathe a long sigh of relief. At least he would not have to suffer a completely undeserved loss.
The two sentences spoken by the people of Thay left many people's imaginations running wild. Who were the people in red robes? Were they good or evil? And why had they clashed with the man in white?
Everyone in the inn had their own thoughts and their own stance, like a pile of arrows pointing in every possible direction. They kept pushing and colliding in the storm, but none of them could leave the inn. The place untouched by wind and rain had instead become the eye of the hurricane.
Skyl continued eating his spicy potato wedges, then finished the stew and vegetables with his bread. So much food falling into his stomach made him feel full of strength.
This body needed more training, or perhaps some aggressive magical modification. Otherwise, a little bump or scrape could injure it, a blade could make it bleed, plague miasma could make it sick, heat and cold could torment it, and it would die when its lifespan ended. It really was a little too fragile.
As an avatar, the warlock Skyl did not mind taking a scalpel to himself. Through magic and surgery, he could reshape his body into a dragon, modify it into a Space Marine with bones of steel and iron, or obtain the body of an aberration. He could even create a pile of clones and treat bodies like clothing, swapping them out whenever he pleased.
For an archmage who possessed the necessary knowledge, none of this was fantasy. That was exactly why spellcasters were powerful in every way. A frail body would not become their weakness.
His thoughts wandered for a while. When he came back to himself, he realized that the sneaky people from Thay were still standing behind him.
Skyl turned his head slightly and said calmly, "I dislike undead creatures. Stay where you are for one more second, and I will grant you rest."
The people of Thay swallowed their anger. They had only two choices, attack or retreat. Attacking meant death. All of them had heard from Szass Tam about this warlock's blunt temperament, and they admitted they did not have the ability to defeat Skyl head-on.
Retreating, however, was not the same as admitting defeat. It only gave them more options in the future. They still firmly believed they could seize the artifact.
Like most of the onlookers, Edgin the bard was surprised by Skyl's mention of "undead creatures." As a Harper, he was even more sensitive to the connection between undead and red robes, and a terrifying suspicion began to form in his mind.
The Red Wizards of Thay turned and left without hesitation, returning to their seats in the corner of the hall like fungi growing in the shadows. But now, the way everyone looked at them had become strange.
Several travelers hunched their shoulders and muttered, "Hmm, it's a little cold. Better go back to sleep." Then they fled upstairs.
Skyl was very satisfied with the meal. As someone who enjoyed cooking, he also liked collecting recipes, so he humbly asked Tawna, the halfling cook, for the secret recipe behind the spicy potato wedges.
Cheerful Tawna blinked slyly and said, "Only the inventor of the recipe can teach it. You have to find her first."
"My guess is that inventor is you."
"That's right. What are you going to trade for it?" Tawna's eyes fixed on the Infinity Scepter. Halflings were seen as natural thieves, but their reasons for stealing were not usually greed or poverty. More often, they were simply curious and thought it would be fun.
Skyl laughed despite himself. After thinking for a moment, he picked up the scepter. "You want this?"
"Can't I?" Tawna tilted her head in question.
"Of course you can't! You'll be in danger!" This sentence was not spoken by Skyl, but by the female elf, whose urgent voice rang like a string of wind chimes.
The people of Thay also tensed, their backsides lifting from their seats.
Tawna turned to look at the elf. The druid seemed to want to explain something.
Before she could speak, Stan walked over with a smiling face to strike up a conversation. "Beautiful elven lady, would you be willing to greet tomorrow's sunrise with me?"
Skyl was amused.
The elven druid casually said, "There will still be a storm tomorrow. You won't see the sunrise."
Stan began using every trick he had to attract the female elf's attention. As a bard, one had to possess that kind of reckless romantic courage. A bard who did not want to sleep with a dragon was not a true scoundrel. Skyl thought Stan would probably fail. If Ilúvatar were here instead, he might be able to charm the elven girl in just a few sentences.
Elves had a different view of love from humans.
Then the warlock did something astonishing. He casually handed the Infinity Scepter to Tawna, the halfling cook, as if it were nothing more than a stick he had picked up by the roadside.
The female elf let out a sigh, caught between wanting to speak and holding herself back. The people of Thay looked at one another, their gazes burning hot. As for everyone else, they were simply confused.
Skyl said to the halfling, "I'm lending it to you temporarily, but this is my pact weapon. In the end, it will return to my hand. If you're not satisfied with that condition, you can ask for something else. I could teach you how to make fried fish. Pair that with fried potatoes, and you'll have a proper fish-and-chips recipe."
Tawna took the scepter and grinned. "I just wanted to touch it. It's pretty light, just a little long."
As soon as she said that, the scepter shortened by itself.
"So obedient!"
The cheerful little halfling put on a stern face and paced back and forth with the scepter as a cane, eyes fixed straight ahead. Everyone stared at her and suddenly realized that Tawna was imitating the few steps Skyl had taken when he entered the inn. Only her joyful eyebrows and comical movements lacked the warlock's overwhelming presence.
"So majestic!" Tawna was completely satisfied, utterly unaware that several pairs of eyes were staring at her so hard they were about to spit fire.
Skyl leaned in and said something by her ear. Tawna's face became even more surprised. She stared carefully at the Infinity Scepter, as if she had learned a new use for it.
"We can try it later. Teach me how to cook first."
The warlock followed the halfling into the kitchen. The undead Mia followed as well.
The people of Thay immediately asked the innkeeper for two guest rooms, then went up the stairs. Once they left, the faint chill hanging over the hall eased somewhat, and even the candle flames grew a little brighter. Wind and rain surged in through the broken window, leaving the air damp and sticky against the skin.
The female elf remained unmoved by Stan's sweet words. With a solemn expression, she said, "You should advise your friend. That weapon must not be allowed to fall into evil hands." The starlings on her shoulder chirped noisily, as if agreeing with her.
Stan was heartbroken. "I never expected that compared with a handsome, charming man like me, you would care more about a fork. Ah, but actually, my guitar is a treasure too."
The female elf looked puzzled. Then she also asked the innkeeper for a room.
"Please pay first," Mr. Jamal said with a pleasant smile.
"I have no money." The druid followed the way of nature, so she naturally stated the fact that she had no money.
Stan said, "I can lend you some."
The druid thought for a moment, then suddenly turned back into an elk, walked to the corner of the hall, and lay down.
The innkeeper was very helpless. "Guest, you cannot sleep in the hall. It will affect business."
The elk pretended to be illiterate and unable to understand human speech, lowering her ears.
The innkeeper gritted his teeth. "Fine, you win. I refuse to believe you can go without eating."
The druid transformed back into human form, waved her vine staff focus, and cast [Goodberry], creating ten magical berries filled with nutrition. Eating just one could satisfy all the energy needed for an entire day.
The innkeeper nearly cracked his teeth from clenching them.
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