Wolf stepped into the dingy tavern, flanked by Moon and Tacky stepping close behind. The only patrons in the tavern were seated around a huddle of tables that had been moved to the center of the sagging room. Gagging on the stench of smoke-leaf and stale beer Wolf noticed an armed and cloaked figure watching him. The figure turned and said something to the others. They looked up.
Wolf noticed several faces even though time had changed them. Mav, the cloaked figure, Writer of House Art; a short woman with dark hair and olive skin, with features so plain one often had to take a second glance, Antigone, Queen of House Games; Jeol, close cropped light brownhair with grey streaks if grey running through it, general absent minded, white Rabbit of House Insanity; A heavy set man of middling height in a hideous leather coat that still had the hide on it jumped up, rattling the sack of alchemical munitions slung over his back, Ethan, the Mad Hatter of House Insanity; and finally, Orion, a hulk of a man with a large hammer slung across his back, Critic of House Art.
Pausing in the face of this group, Wolf reached for the Deck, placing a hand the pouch at his hip he stepped forward, Mav offered him a chair with a silent nod of greeting. The silence was unnerving, he began to fidget, glancing from one face to the other. Ethan was still standing, humming tunelessly to himself. Tacky and Moon seated themselves in two empty chairs. No one broke the silence.
Slowly, Wolf took his hand off the pouch, folding it over the stump of his left arm. A little tension seemed to leave the room. His eyes moved to Moon's, her shrug was almost unperceptible. He chewed his lip, cursing the gods in his mind he spoke, "You drag me out of isolation, across nearly a hundred leagues of forest and plain, almost three weeks of travel, and none of you have a Drape ****ed thing to say?"
Some looked amused, others indifferent, and Orion was hostile, "Cram it Wolf. You think that much of yourself do you? Think we just 'waited around' for the all important Wolf of the Cards to come and school us like children?"
Antigone spoke up, "Well, Orion, to be fair and realistic, he is the only one who can read that Deck without having his head slip open."
Orion snorted, "Yeah? And what about his superiority complex? Some good he was doing in his bloody tower."
Jeol, timid as a rabbit, "Well..."
"Well nothing! Don't sit there and defend him! Where was he when we had to rebuild? Gone for the hills. Nestled in some tower no one even knew existed!"
Moon's eys were filled with fire, "Drop it! We all agreed to get Wolf. But, Orion, you're right, Wolf ran when he could have helped, but that's then and this is now."
It was no good. The group disolved into bickering and petty arguments of the past. Me and my bloody mouth. He stood to leave, "To Drape with you all!"
A low voice cut through the noise, "Who's Drape?"
Wolf was taken aback. Looking for who spoke, his eyes fell on Mav again. The man nodded, pulling a quill pen and some parchment out from the ever present satchel at his side. "Well Wolf?"
Sighing he sat back down. He pulled out the Deck and tossed a card to every person seated, finally he placed his card face up in from of him. Everyone possessed their own cards as well. In the middle of the table he was at he placed three cards face down.
"I figure Nurvana," he flipped up the first card, it was the Mercenary, "and Cowmaster" a second card revealed King of Religion, "and this fellow, Death Hopper" the last card was turned, Waiter of House Silence, "all want their cards to keep. And that, is something we cannot permit."
"Why not?" Antigone said, looking a little skeptical.
"Because my dear Queen of Games, that would open The Road of Night."
"The what?" said Tacky.
"It's the place between worlds. According to legends a man can receive great power, and anything he wishes should he open it and somehow harness it. Of course that could destroy this reality...so no one's really tried it." someone said casually.
Wolf spun his head to the sound of the voice. Ethan grinned, Wolf gaped.
"So what do you propose Wolf?" Ethan said, still grinning
Wolf recollected his sense, "Nothing. You should have left me in my tower. Orion was right when he said I was no hero. You all no I'm no hero." He threw his card into the center of the table, removing the Deck for its pouch he placed that ton top of The King of House House Tragedy card.
He walked out the door.
