That's Good Wine

"Then do you know what he said to me!? He said, 'This is an order from His Majesty himself. You have no right to refuse'."

"Did he truly!? That bootlicking mutt! Throwing his power around and making the people deal with it!"

I throw back a glass of high quality wine, burning whatever sense of taste I had left with the powerful grape alcohol. Across the table, the girl does the same.

"Here I thought I was done with being pushed around by nobles! Then they find a way to make my life harder than when I toiled on the farms—Ah, cheers!"

Small hands hold the bottle over my glass and refill it with tens of gold worth of wine.

I'm not entirely sure how we got here. My memory is a bit of a mess after several glasses of wine, but I can vaguely remember taking the bottle without a second thought and pouring. One sip was all it took for me to start rambling.

"Exactly! These lowly lackeys think they can do as they please just because they suck up to the top! Fools! All of them! A flick of the wrist and they will just be discarded like the rubbish they are!"

"Oh how I would've loved to see those guys squealing in the mud where they belong!"

Somewhere along the way, the girl just started complaining about all of her problems as well. It started with some simple berating before escalating into a full release of pent up stress. A red flush in her cheeks is likely somewhat to blame.

"Let me tell you, our lord's servants were the absolute worst! Fiends, they were! Always demanding more and more every season as if I could start growing potatoes out of my rear end!"

"You can't win! Perform even a little under standard and be whipped in the back! Show any success and they ask for ten more!"

Those words come straight from her heart, as does the heavy sigh she lets out. The girl leans over the table with hands tightly grasping the now empty glass. Her eyes stare solemnly into the trail of red at the bottom.

"Then when everything falls apart, they leave me to deal with the mess…"

"Sounds like you have it rough."

"And you as well."

I refill her glass and the two of us lean back in our chairs. This late in the night, most of the rambunctious types have gone off to bed and the tavern takes on a more tranquil atmosphere. When I see her burrowing through the depths of the past, I can't help but feel that the two of us aren't all that different. Somewhere along the way, we became lost and are trying to find our way back.

After taking in the silence for what feels like hours, I finally put my glass down.

"Thanks for sharing a drink."

"Likewise, your company made it all the better."

One last sip of wine and the girl also rests her glass. We couldn't have drunk any more even if we wanted to. After all, the bottle is empty.

"Glad I was able to have a good time tonight. I probably won't live to see another one…"

"If I recall, you were made to hunt some terrible beasts?"

"The worst kind…"

I lean back in my chair and take in everything this place has to offer. My back feels the hard wood backing, now warm after my long occupation. I listen to the humming of travelers and chatter of staff as they discuss the tiring work day. Despite it being summer, the hearth fills me with warmth and a longing for the life I no longer have. The subtle fragrance of lavender coming from today's companion reminds me of how much I valued those nights with the guys at home.

"I was already a dead man, so I should be glad that I got one last night to be merry."

"Why do you continue…"

The girl leans forward and stares into my eyes. Such a cute little thing looking at me like this should have made me excited. It should have been the best feeling a man could have, but I'm far too tired now.

"If you are in such pain, why take the mission? You could leave and none would find you."

"I probably could."

What she says makes a lot of sense. Running would allow me to preserve my life for as long as I could manage, and many in my position likely would have. However, such a thought never once crossed my mind until she mentioned it.

"You see, I was taught a lot of things as a boy. But the one thing that always stuck was that a man had to do his job. No matter how hard or troublesome, get the job done. That is the only worth a man has."

My old man always did so. The only thing that ever kept him from completing his tasks was death itself, and he struggled until the end. That was the spirit I inherited, whether I wanted it or not.

"So you will fight out of duty? To your country?"

"I don't know about anything that grand."

Maybe it's those curious eyes looking up at me, or maybe the alcohol is still talking, but my feelings start to leak out.

"Duty definitely has something to do with it, but there is something else as well…"

A few faces pop into my head, each one causing pain just thinking about them.

"That damn Commander, making it hard to refuse…"

There's no way I could have run away after seeing him so distraught.

"You see, the hunt isn't just me. There are some kids that will be doing all of the actual fighting."

"Kids? A new group of knights, I assume?"

"Something like that. One is a proper knight, but looks as green as if he just left camp. There's this girl as well, big on magic and probably full of flashy tricks. Has a bit of an…unhealthy fixation on things. Then there's one more…"

Leon's face is the last, and the one that gives me the most worry. All of the times that I've seen him, something always felt off.

"That kid, his eyes scare me…"

"That he might be dangerous?"

"No, that he might do something rash. There is something that drives him, something that might get him in real trouble someday."

There may be nothing there, but something is causing my nerves to ache. I've seen a lot of young people in my time. Those experiences may be what is giving me this bad feeling.

"I just…can't leave those kids alone. There may be nothing I can do for them, but I can't leave without this feeling stabbing at me. I can't rest like that."

"I see…"

The girl, after patiently waiting for my answer, closes her eyes in thought. A wry grin then appears on her face.

"We really do share the same curse."

"Curse?"

"I'm much the same. There are these young ones who…are also lost. I would have retired long ago if I didn't need to keep them in check. Who knows what trouble they might get into otherwise."

As much as she complains, I can tell that she isn't at all upset about her fate. That smile is a much better tell of her feelings towards these 'young ones'.

"I guess we both still have work to do."

It is well past midnight when I finally stand. The girl follows suit and has a long stretch.

"I suppose so. Just make sure you live to tell the tale of your journey."

"Haha! I can make no promises!"

I reach out a hand to the girl much smaller than myself. It doesn't feel like I'm talking to a child, as much as her appearance may disagree. She is a veteran with at least as much experience in this life as me. Regardless, I had a lot of fun talking to her.

"My name is Rado. I hope you'll remember it."

"Ailith. And as you said before, I make no promises!"

"Hahaha! I guess I'll have to make it out alive just to remind you!"

The prim and proper lady, ignoring the entire half bottle of wine she consumed, heads out of the tavern with long hair flowing behind her. She turns back just once to wave before disappearing into the night.

"I suppose I'd best get ready…"

I have a long couple of days ahead of me, so I head upstairs with a lingering smell of lavender to soothe me to sleep.