David Bishop and the Mystic of Creation T.C. Crawford (icecream ebook reader txt) 📖

“That’s amazing!” he said out loud, looking out across the landscape.

“It sure is. I’ve never seen anything like it.” said Erin, equally awestruck.

After looking briefly at his map to verify they were in the right location, Holzer pointed off in the distance down the mountain towards a small village, indicating that was Ashmire and their next destination.

They immediately set off down the path, eager to get to a warm bed and a hot bath before the sun found its way across the sky and into the horizon, leaving them once again in darkness.

They reached the outskirts of the village just as the sun was about to set, casting the sky in a pinkish-purple hue. The village had its streets lined with high timbers that held hanging lanterns on their tops, providing ample light throughout the streets for their villagers to safely walk – only, the streets appeared to be empty, despite the lanterns having all been lit.

“That’s odd…” said David, looking at the empty streets.

“Yeah, where are all of the people?” asked Erin, catching on to his comment.

“Who cares?” chimed in Reingard, “I’m starving! Let’s find the Inn, and chances are, we’ll find all of the people!” he said, pushing through the others and heading down the main street towards the center of town.

Tyrius noticed out of the corner of his eyes some of the shutters of the buildings bordering the streets quickly shut by someone unseen from within.

“Keep your eyes sharp, something doesn’t seem right.” said Tyrius, scanning the streets for any signs of danger.

The others quickly followed behind Reingard, keeping their eyes peeled for any suspicious movement in the shadows beyond the buildings.

They reached what appeared to be the Inn a little while later. The only alarming moment being little more than a scared animal scattering at the sound of their arrival, knocking over a few small crates and causing a ruckus that they feared would wake the entire village. Prior to the racket, the air had been eerily silent for such a decent sized village.

Reingard eagerly pushed open the door, exposing a well-lit dining hall and a bright fire in the hearth across the room. The room was filled with several wooden tables and chairs placed throughout the space, clearly used as a communal dining area for the visitors of the inn. A room that was capable of holding dozens of guests and a lively atmosphere otherwise stood empty and silent.

He walked right in and stood at the main counter by the door, knocking impatiently on the wooden counter to get the innkeeper’s attention.

After a few moments of incessant banging, an old man finally appeared from a room behind the counter looking extremely flustered and irritated.

“What is it? What do you want?” he asked with a scowl.

“Isn’t it obvious?” replied Reingard, holding his arms out towards his companions. “We are travelers, and we are weary and in need of room and board!” he said bluntly. “Do you have a few rooms and a hot meal to spare?” he added hopefully, feeling his empty stomach rumbling unhappily beneath his shirt.

The old keeper looked the travelers up and down before finally responding, “Yes, yes…but be quick about it. You were out past curfew. That only brings trouble, and I don’t want no trouble!” he said, walking back into the room before coming out with a series of small keys.

“Here, these are for a few of the rooms up the stairs and to the hallway on the left. Come back down in a few minutes and I’ll have some hot stew and bread for each of you. It’s all I can manage with such short notice.” he said, before rushing back into the room to heat up their meals.

Reingard turned and looked at his companions, who each shrugged, before heading up the stairs and passing out the keys, one by one.

They each took a key and found their respective rooms before setting down their belongings and preparing for the night.

David’s room was furthest down the hall and was small but cozy. It had a soft bed nestled in the corner by a window that overlooked the main street. The sheets were soft and folded neatly and smelled fresh and clean.

Along the wall sat a long, dark walnut dresser with a few small books and a quill and paper stacked on top. It was lined with dust as if it hadn’t been wiped clean in weeks. The drawers were all empty, except for one with a change of sheets and an extra blanket in case he got cold.

In the far corner by the window, opposite the bed, sat a rocking chair with a small pillow cushion. David took a seat in it and rocked for a moment, testing its integrity. It held fast and rocked smoothly with barely a noticeable creak – the craftsmanship was excellent, despite the simple design.

After he had taken some time to inspect the rest of the room, including the few paintings on the walls that depicted the town in its bustling prime, a time David assumed had long since passed, David decided it was time to head back down the stairs and into the dining hall to await his hot meal.

When he exited his room, he saw Erin had already made her way halfway down the hallway and was about to head down the stairs. He quickly caught up and followed her down as they made their way to join the others.

They found Tyrius, Reingard, and Holzer already halfway through their bowls of stew, which appeared to consist of chunky beef and vegetables in a thick broth. They had taken a seat close to the fireplace, taking comfort in the warmth that it provided along with the relaxing ambience of the cracking logs.

Shortly after they sat down, the keeper brought out their bowls and mugs before quickly retreating back to his alcove.

“Does anyone else find his behavior…strange?” asked Erin, catching the expression on everyone else’s faces.

“Remarkably.” replied Tyrius, now finished with his