5The Scrolls of Tar Dashan
Prologue- Wine
The night was rainy and cold when Ibian entered the town of Rylian on the edge of the Tar Dashan Empire. He drew his cloak around him and gazed with unblinking golden eyes at the assembled townspeople in the pub 'The Dancing Wench' who looked at him with almost equal surprise, awe and hatred of his kind, the werebeasts. Ibian walked to a shadowed corner of the bar and unslung the sword that rode low across his back. Then he dumped the bag he had with his into a chair and laid his head down, looking tired.
The barkeeper kept watching him, his eyes holding a rather haunted look in them as he wiped off a glass. He then motioned to a bar girl and she walked over to him. "What can I getcha?" she asked, looking scared but covering it well.
He sat up and looked at her, "A shot of whiskey, and leave the bottle here." then he laid his head back down.
She nodded and walked back over, grabbing a bottle and a shot glass and bringing it to him, "Here." she said and looking very frightened, walked off quickly.
"Thanks." he said under his breath and downed the first shot in one gulp, filling his glass again. Soon he could feel the cool burning sensation from the straight whiskey but underneath that he knew it would only take time. Time heals all wounds and creates others as he had heard the saying go.
He threw a couple of copper coins on the cracked wood of the table and gathered his things. He nodded to the barkeep and walked into the darkness.