David Bishop and the Legend of the Orb T.C. Crawford (easy to read books for adults list .txt) 📖

When he reached the counter, the bartender slid two mugs his way, each filled to the brim with amber ale and capped with a white foam that sloshed down the sides of the mugs when they came to a stop. The man grabbed the mugs in each of his hands and gulped them down freakishly fast, one after the other. David and Erin looked at each other and shrugged, happy the confrontation seemed to be at an end.

They looked around the room and spotted a small empty table in the corner before deciding to sit down and enjoy the opportunity for some cool drink and a hot meal.

As soon as they sat down a small, plump lady walked up to them and handed them each a menu before asking for their orders. Looking over the menu, Erin ordered a pint of their vanilla malt ale and a plate of hot sausage and eggs, and not recognizing most of the dishes on the menu, David followed suit.

After their meals arrived and they had finished eating, the waitress cleared away their plates and took the coin Erin left on the corner of the table as payment for their food and drink. Then, satisfied and their bellies full, they quietly discussed their next plan of action while they finished sipping on their malts.

“So, what next?” David asked, breaking the silence, and rubbing his full belly contently.

“I’m not sure…I suppose we could start by asking around to see if anyone here has heard of Orin of West Post” replied Erin, wiping her mouth after a big swig of her drink.

They both looked around at the people standing by the bar and sitting at the numerous tables dotted around the room. Not a single one of them looked very friendly, and they were all almost certainly drunk. Suddenly, the idea of talking to any of these people didn’t seem so great.

While they were quietly arguing about who to approach first, they didn’t seem to notice the man sitting nearby listening intently in on their conversation. He quietly got up and carried his chair over to their table before plopping down next to them, leaving a startled look on both of their faces.

“My apologies, but I overheard you say you’re looking for someone. I think I could be of some assistance.” said the man.

David and Erin shared a skeptical look before turning back to the man now seated at their table.

The man was tall and somewhat scrawny, with long black shaggy hair and equally dark eyes. He wore a crooked smile on his pointy, rat-like face that revealed three blackened teeth standing out like crows in a snowfield. What parts of his arms that weren’t covered by his long cloak were covered in bracelets, and his hands each had several rings, all clinking on the table top as he tapped them from what seemed like a life-long struggle with anxiety. He had a fragrant smell about him, almost like a perfume, but it didn’t compliment his appearance Erin noticed, leaning back gently to give herself as much space between her and the man as possible.

“Really…” said Erin skeptically. “And what makes you think we need any help at all?” She raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms defensively.

“Well…my apologies, miss, but I heard you talking just now. You said you were looking for a man named Orin. Or…was I mistaken?” he replied in an overly charismatic fashion.

“And if we were, what business of yours would it be?” shot back Erin, completely disgusted by the man. Besides his appearance, something about this man just gave her the creeps!

“Wait…Erin, what are you doing?” whispered David, kicking her shin beneath the table, to which she slightly jumped in surprise.

“Sir, would you excuse me and my friend for just a moment?” asked David, turning to the man.

“But of course, …” said the man who stood up and slightly bowed before taking a few steps back to his original table.

“Erin, this man says he knows Orin. Have you forgotten that we need to find him?” said David glaringly.

“No, of course I haven’t” replied Erin, rubbing the chills off her arms, “but something about that man is screaming danger to me…he really makes me feel uneasy…”

“Yeah, I get what you mean, he’s a real creep. But think about it. We were just talking about how we didn’t know where to start on our search for Orin. Now, this man has come to us with an answer to our problem.  Don’t you think that’s worth giving him a chance?” he stopped, giving Erin a few moments to ponder what he had said.

She finally nodded in agreement and David waved for the man to come back over and join them.

The man quickly walked over to their table and sat back down before speaking. “So, have you decided then?” he asked.

“Yes, we have. Thank you for your assistance, it is greatly appreciated!” replied David quickly, ensuring Erin didn’t have time to muster up a snappy response.

“Excellent! My name is Elbert Raymond. And you might be….?” He asked, holding out his hands to each of them.

“I’m David, and this is Erin.” said David, continuing the conversation.

“Great! Okay David and Erin…. where were we? Yes…that’s right. You need to find a man named Orin, right? Well I just happen to know of an old man that goes by the name of Orin. He lives just outside of town down a path to the East, a couple of hours walk from here. He comes to town every week or so to gather supplies before disappearing again. He seems to be a hermit, enjoying his solitude, as you never see him mingling with the locals except to attend to his business of buying and trading supplies.”

“Okay, what’s the catch?” asked Erin skeptically.

“There’s no catch, just a bit of gold…say, three pieces?” he said smiling. He turned to David and glanced at his hand, noticing the orb embedded deep within his skin. “Oh….and how did you come by something