<div class="floatright"><div align="center"><sup><em>click to enlarge</em></sup><br/><br/>Amber</div>(http://i.imgur.com/wu0EhlB.jpg)<br/><br/><div align="center">The Tipped Tankard</div>(http://i.imgur.com/zPlOiqO.png)<br/><br/><div align="center">Big Jack <em>(and 3 friends)</em></div>(http://i.imgur.com/jvl1oOL.jpg)</div>Amber laughed at Zerxel's flirt,<strong>"And how am I supposed to keep an eye out for a traveler who's a dwarf if I'm sharing a bed with you now?"</strong>Still there was a bit of a light hearted twinkle in the woman's eye as if she wasn't really offended,<strong>"I might consider it, I've never seen an elf maid with dark skin like yours before."</strong>She paused then shook her head unconvincingly,<strong> "But I think you'd have to get me pretty drunk, I prefer the menfolk.  I think you'd be more interested in the girls in the basement for that kinda thing."  </strong><br/><br/>Just then the two men that she'd seen earlier returned from inside the bar, one of them passing Amber a full and frothing mug.  The other looking Zerxel up and down appreciatively.  "Hello there," he said with an ear to ear grin as his eyes seemed to devour all of Zerxel's exposed flesh,<strong>"New friend of yours Amber?"</strong><br/><br/>Amber smiled and sipped on the new mug's foamy head, leaving a bit of the foam on her upper lip as she answered,<strong>"Aye Ando, 'is here is Zerxel she says.  Traveler, lookin fer her friend another traveler, a dwarf."</strong><br/><br/>Ando smiled and said,<strong>"Well, there's some dwarves inside, but none of em travelers.  If you like you could sit on my lap while we wait for yer friend to show up."</strong><br/><br/><strong>"Pffft,"</strong>Amber snorted,<strong>"Your'e tappin a spent vein I think with this one Ando.  I think she'd be more interested in the basement girls.  Besides, if she did sit on your lap what would she do when her backside was damp ten seconds later after ye messed yer britches ya three swing speedster?"</strong><br/><br/><strong>"Hey!,"</strong>Ando said as he turned and slugged Amber in the shoulder good naturedly,<strong>"I didn't hear you complaining last night!"</strong><br/><br/>Amber laughed,<strong> "Course not, you were asleep with yer spunk still runnin outta me before I even knew what had happened."</strong>The third man, who'd been quiet until then burst out laughing at this, and Amber nodded to the doors and said to Zerxel,<strong> "Go on in sweetling.  Go talk to Big Jack, if I see a dwarven traveler, I'll make sure to let her know you're inside and lookin for her."</strong><br/><br/>Zerxel smirked at Amber before making her way into the tavern and feeling immediately pleased with her decison to enter.  A small three piece troupe played insturments in a corner as a brutish half orc and elven woman sang slightly off key and drunkenly.  Many of the tables were full, and some quite cramped, though no one seemed to mind and there was a general air of cheer and good nature in the boistorous conversation that filled the air with a low roar.  Several eyes turned to take her in, though she didn't sense malace in their gaze as much as curiosity and in one or two faces open lust.  Thankfully the bar was along the wall near the door and she didn't have to go far to reach it.  She flagged the barman down, a massive mountain of a man almost as wide as he was tall, bald headed but with a beard that seeemed well groomed.<br/><em><br/> "Excuse me."</em>She said, as he approached.<em> "I'm waiting for a friend, do you mind getting some spiced wine down for me in the meantime?"</em><br/><br/>The barkeep nodded and turned behind him to the large well stocked shelf.  His finger ran past several bottles before he selected a rather ornate looking bottle and showed it to her,<strong>"Esamine clan moon wine, lightly spiced, from the year 753.  A common and well liked vintage when it was bottled, but very hard to come by ever since Eden'del annexed them elves two years ago.  I can let it go at a steal for only a hundred crowns if you're interested."</strong>He turned the bottle so it glinted in the reflected light of the fireplace and lanterns, and certainly there was something... 'special' about this bottle.  Then he shrugged and said,<strong> "or if you're just looking to whet your whistle, I've got a local vintage.  South slope grapes, last years was a little dry not so sweet, and I can mull it with some chikra root and kef leaf.  Two bits per mug." </strong>The bartender must have caught Zerxel's look of uncertainty and he sighed, putting the expensive looking bottle on the shelf before turning back to her with a shrug and a smile.<strong>"But you're one of those travelers aren't you?  Probably don't have a single copper penny on you, just like the rest.  Sorry but you have to talk to Big Jack if you want a line of credit, he's the owner, I just work here."</strong><br/><br/>He smiled good naturedly, almost apologetically, and gestured towards one of the back corners of the bar, where a small private alcove seemed to be curtained off.  The curtains were drawn open, and Zerxel could see people inside the alcove, but nothing much else.  The bartender added,<strong>"He's a friendly sort, very friendly, and likely engaged at the moment.  But go ahead on back, cause you're not likely to find him at a time when he isn't engaged somehow."  </strong>The barkeep then heard a shout from down the bar and turned, dismissing Zerxel almost immediately to fetch ale for one of the other patrons.  It was the first mote of annoyance she'd have found in the tavern, yet at the same time she didn't have any coins, and so she couldn't blame him really.<br/><br/>As she made her way to the alcove, something the barkeep had said struck her suddenly.<em>"Eden'del"</em>That had been the nation that had summoned Pandora into the world, but he'd talked about it like it was still there?  Hadn't it been destroyed when Pandora invaded almost four hundred and fifty years ago?  Then she also recalled he'd said the year seven hundred and fifty three, that must have been a different calendar then the one every mortal race used now, which had the current year as four hundred and fourty one pi.<br/><br/>Suddenly her entire line of thought stopped as she entered the alcove and was immediately struck by the scene in front of her.  Big Jack was an appropriate name as she saw the scarred man sitting on the chair, as he had to be seven feet tall easily.  But he was big in more ways than one, as Zerxel could quite clearly see the massive cock between his thighs, one that probably put Malefactus to shame.  She could see it clearly as a small blonde human girl bounced furiously up and down, unable to take much more than half of it's length.  On either side of the couple knelt another woman, one brunette, one redheaded, and all three women were nude save some stockings or a scrap of lingere.  The brunette was masturbating softly as she licked the base of Jack's cock with a wonton glee in her eyes.  The redhead on the other side was sucking on two of Jack's fingers as if they were the most delightful thing in the world.<br/><br/>Big Jack saw Zerxel then and smiled at her, raising a mug full of beer even as the blonde continued bouncing up and down on his massive shaft.  He grinned at Zerxel and said,<strong> "Hello contestant, welcome to my tavern, the Tipped Tankard.  What can Big Jack do for you?"</strong>