Dungeons and Dragons Cartoon Stories: Adventures In Kyr: A Normal Teen

The camp was ready and the friends were sitting around the fire, staring at one another in uncomfortable silence. It had been an odd day to say the least, and now it was time to reveal just what had happened after they'd split up that morning. Normally, it might not have been such a problem to discuss their lone adventures... except for the fact that this day they really had adventures while separated. For some of them, the explanations were harder than the curious stares of their friends.

Hank felt sick... sick as a dog. He'd never had so much to drink in his life, and this stuff wasn't the watered down shots his dad had given him when he'd turned sixteen, either. This had been thick, heavily fermented mead. The flavor alone made him want to vomit, but the after-effects were a killer... and they had only barely begun to show on him. In the morning, he'd be lucky to be moving at all.

It was no consolation whatsoever that Uni was just as messed up. The baby unicorn lay across Bobby's legs, queasy and half-unconscious, making soft pitiful moaning bleats. She was so sick, she was beyond regret and into the point of wishing she hadn't been born. Bobby's half-scolding, half-solicitous gestures were no comfort, either. Any movement or noise made her simply want to scream, but event the thought of screaming made her want to die of pain.

As the uncomfortable silence dragged on, the ranger realized they were waiting for him to start... as always. He'd taken lead ever since they'd come to this Realm, taken care of the others and guided them. Now, in their embarrassed confusion over the mysterious events of their day in Kyr, it fell again to Hank to make the first gesture... pave the way.

True, the circumstances of the day had led to this hangover. They'd split up in Kyr to have fun in their own way. And now, despite the fact that they'd been supposed to be allowed to let loose a bit, the others were looking at him as if he'd done something horrible. The question didn't seem to be how he'd gotten himself and Uni drunker than skunks, but why he of all people had been in that situation. It was as if he weren't allowed to enjoy himself a bit just because he'd taken over the role of protector for this motley crew.

With an injudicious shake of his head, followed by a low groan and a sudden pallor, Hank sipped at the water Sheila had pressed on him. He blinked open red-shot light blue eyes and wanted to close them and hide. He'd been right. All of the others were staring at him, waiting for an explanation as to how he could let them down by being a human teenager on his one day off. A day off which had been spent more on responsibility than any of them would most likely believe.

Finally, Hank spoke, his voice harsh from the drink, still just a tad slurred in spots. "When we split up, Uni headed off towards the other end of town. Since Bobby was with Sheila, and didn't seem to see Uni's run, I thought I'd make sure she was okay. So I followed her." He fell silent momentarily to sip at his water again, masking the face he wanted to pull at the after taste of his mead.

"I lost sight of her, but everyone seemed pretty friendly so I figured I'd wander around to keep an eye out, but I wouldn't start panicking right away. Nothing much happened until about noon."

Looking over at the quietly moaning unicorn, Hank ran a shaking hand through his longish blond hair. He adjusted his bow by his side, more for something to do than because he felt a need to check his Weapon of Power. He sighed and looked into the fire, not meeting anyone's eyes as he began to talk once more.

Looking around, the blond teen smiled in the festival type air of Kyr. The sun was warm and relaxing, the natives apparently quite friendly, and the smells of food and drink heady. He turned around, smiling as he slowly took in the sights around him, the town-square filled to the brim with happy, simply dressed people of every description. Laughter rang from the stalls, ribbons fluttered in the soft breeze, and animals moved complacently among festival goers, for sale or already sold.

With another smile, Hank glanced back the way Uni had run off to. He didn't see the white hide of the little unicorn, but he also didn't hear anything that sounded like the baby was in trouble. True, he wanted to keep an eye on her to make sure she stayed out of mischief, but the atmosphere of the town seemed so friendly and inviting, Hank was sorely tempted to just let it lull him into just forgetting about Uni for the day. He wanted to forget about everyone for the day, in fact.

It had been a long time since Hank had felt like a normal teenager. The last real time off he'd had was before the Realm. Once they'd arrived here, he'd become unofficial leader and protector of his friends. At times, the burden weighed heavily on him.

The Ranger's thoughts were interrupted when he was bumped into by a small boy. Grinning, Hank stooped a bit to offer the kid a hand up, and laughed as the boy gave him a disgusted look and ran away. Independence... he'd had that in overabundance since his mom had left years before. It had been just he and his dad for so long that taking care of himself, and sometimes his parent, had become second nature. Somehow, though, in this beautiful village, he wanted to call out that he was free of trouble.

Hank shook his head, still grinning, and turned towards one of the side streets of the town. There were so many people around that it was impossible to get a glimpse of his friends, but for some reason it didn't worry him... at least not yet. He was more content to explore and enjoy the day off... after all, when Diana had suggested they split up, it had fallen on Hank's shoulders to be the tie breaker and agree with Diana, Eric, and Bobby. Uni, Presto, and Sheila had been a bit more hesitant, but had given in quickly enough with Hank's vote of confidence.

Once more, Hank had to try to force himself to relax, stop worrying and rehashing. He noted several guys his age heading into a locale building. Deciding to see if he could soak up some of the local teen atmosphere, the blond wandered into the building as well. He was greeted enthusiastically and invited to sit down and join the teens. On the whole, everyone was very interested in him, wanting to hear all about where he was from and where he was going. Enjoying the conversation, the youth let himself go, talking and laughing with the other teens.

The call seemed to be taken up by the others, and they turned to him, several offering mugs of mead to the stranger in their midst. Hank shook his head, still grinning, and held up both hands, palms outwards. "Really, I don't drink. But thank you, any way."

This didn't seem to impress them one way or the other, as if they hadn't heard him. More offers of mead were pushed at him, and still the young man refused their generosity, hoping he wasn't going to offend anyone. He did just that, though, as suddenly, almost as one, the teens pulled back and looked at him with a bit of hostility.

"Don't drink? What kind of man are you?" It was an angry grumble from no one in particular.

Hank frowned at that. He'd always hated that peer pressure drove kids to do things they didn't like back home, and it appeared to be universal. With a shake of his head, mouth set in a firm line, he softly said, "I'm sorry. I don't drink fermented things. I'm not trying to..."

But they wouldn't let him finish. Suddenly, people were avoiding him and grumbling. He caught words about strangers and snobbery and rich folk. It nearly made him want to laugh when he determined that they were angry because they thought he was some rich noble hobnobbing with the peasants and refusing their humble offerings. It nearly made him laugh, but not quite. Instead, he felt pushed out of the group once more... the stranger who came in, took care of his people, and left before making friends or sharing the good times.

With a sigh, Hank pushed himself from his chair, heading towards the door, one strong hand firmly gripping his bow. He would go out in the sunshine and try to recapture the enjoyment of the festival. Trying on a smile, the Ranger opened the door... and the second glitch occurred.

"Uni?" Hank whirled around, eyes desperately searching for the familiar baby unicorn. His senses had come to full alert, too used to trouble over the past years to ignore instinct now. Uni had sounded in trouble, and Hank would save her.

Frowning, eyes still quickly scanning the interior of the local tavern, the Ranger stepped back into the room. He ignored the odd looks and hostile whispers as he loudly called out, "Uni? Where are you?" Hank made his way towards the bartender, his grip on his bow less tight, but more prepared for action. He heard the desperate bleat again.

With an indistinguishable sound, the teen headed directly for the sound of his troubled equine friend. "Uni?" He looked around and spotted the gleam of white just beyond the table ahead. A group of perhaps five teens were blocking his clear sight of the unicorn, but it didn't seem that they were hiding her... just grouped around her. Hank pushed his way through, calling, "I've got to get to her..."

When they teens finally parted for him, Hank skidded to a stunned halt. There, on the table, was the unicorn. She was hobbled on the legs with a rope muzzle around her face. It was tight enough to prevent biting, but not her normal abortive attempts at human speech. Another rope was tied around her waist and held by a rather small, insignificant looking teen with pleasant features and a please air.

Hank stepped quickly to the table. "That's my unicorn." His voice was firm, no-nonsense, but definitely an attempt not to be openly hostile... yet.

The teen blinked large violet eyes and grinned at Hank, shaking his head. "Sorry, not anymore, friend." His voice was friendlier than Hank's had been, his manner relaxed. He didn't seem at all threatened by Hank's sudden stiffening, either. "In Kyr, if an animal is let loose without identifying marks or tags, it's free to anyone who can catch it. I caught the unicorn, and that makes her mine, now."

Uni pitifully tried to bleat, making a low moaning noise, instead. Hank frowned and shook his head. "You haven't hurt her, have you? She's just a baby..." He would sort this out as soon as he knew the unicorn was uninjured. His fears were relieved almost instantly as the boy smiled and shook his head.

"Wouldn't hurt a valuable animal, friend. I offered her food; she came; I caught her. Simple as that and not a mark on her to mar that pretty hide. She's a rare one, this unicorn." The handsome teen reached over and touched Uni's fiery mane, keeping his eyes calmly on Hank the entire time.

Thinking quickly, Hank nodded and forced up a sudden, sunny smile for the other lad. "I'm new here and just came for the festival. I didn't know I had to tie Uni up... I never have before. I won't make the mistake again... if you could just return her? I've a very strong sentimental attachment to her, you see." He stepped forward, prepared to take Uni if allowed, hoping the boy would let her go.

A shake of a dark head, a sympathetic smile, and Hank knew the other teen wouldn't budge. "Sorry. She's mine now, and I'll take care of her. A unicorn wandering alone around these parts is in danger. You might not mean to, but you endanger her, leaving her unprotected like that... so I've no other choice but to keep her safe."

Hank sighed and shook his head. "Is there any way I can get her back from you?" His smile was gone, his voice resigned. Gone was the fun, festival day. It had turned into a typical day in the Realm once more with someone in danger and Hank running to the rescue.

The teen shrugged and shook his head. "Can't think of any way, friend. I'm not one to leave someone like this unprotected. I wouldn't insult her by selling her or betting her, either. So, looks like you've got to come to terms with your loss. Come, let me buy you a drink for your troubles and prove that I mean only the best for the unicorn."

The Ranger's eyes immediately flew to the owner of the deep, sullen voice. It was one of the teens who'd offered him some mead earlier. With a private, mental self-kick, Hank looked back at the boy called Traever. He made a quick decision. "What if Uni decides who she stays with? If she chooses you, I'll go away peacefully. If she chooses me, I'll go away peacefully and make sure to keep her protected."

For some reason, that question startled Hank. Why in the world would that be so important here? He shook his head. "Not normally. If it'd get me that unicorn back, though, I'd drink myself sick." He never dreamed that the seemingly reasonable boy would jump at the stupid comment.

"Deal. You drink yourself to the point of barely walking, and I'll give you back your unicorn." Traever grinned widely.

Something didn't seem right about that, so Hank frowned and tilted his head. "Why? Why's it so important that I drink here? What's... what's in that stuff? And why would you be willing to give up a unicorn just to see me drunk?"

The teen pushed over a huge mug of mead and smiled wider. "In Kyr you follow the customs, friend. If you are offered a drink, you offend the Gods by refusing. If you offer to drink, you must drink or risk the wrath of the Gods. Mead is life to Kyr."

With a laugh, the darker teen nodded. "I know, but it's the saying here-bouts, friend. Really, it's just local custom and harvest rights of the festival. But that's not why I'd give you back your unicorn."

Hank sipped the mead, made a face, and tried to down some more. "Then why do you want me to drink?" He sat down at the table, reaching out to stroke Uni comfortingly.

Traever laughed and sat down as well, pulling up a mug for himself as the other teens suddenly relaxed, accepting Hank into their group as easily as they had pushed him away. "Because if you truly would do something against your own morals to retain this unicorn, then she is better in your care than mine. Drink up, friend, you have a point to prove. You said you'd drink yourself sick for her, so prove she's worth the sickness to you."

Somehow, that still made no sense to the Ranger, but he nodded and tried to down more of the heavy drink. It wasn't easy. The taste was something he didn't like and the situation just felt wrong. He hated being pressured into anything, and having walked into this drinking bout made him feel extremely stupid and gullible. He felt like a freshman at a party being tricked into some sort of stupid party game, not the responsible young man who protected his friends from the Realm.

Uni bleated, and Hank reached over to stroke her again, still silently trying to gulp the drink down. He was aware of being watched, laughter and jokes flying around him but not involving him. Traever continued to stare intently at him, that same friendly smile on his handsome face. Suddenly, Hank put the mug down and shook his head. "This stuff is... nasty." He flushed a bit at his own rudeness.

A roar of laughter filled the tavern and Traever nodded. "Yup. It tastes almost like it was scraped off the ground, doesn't it?" He topped off Hank's mug and pushed it back to him. Filling a bowl, he pushed it towards Uni, untying her mouth so she could drink. "What brings you to town, friend, besides Kyr's annual Harvest Festival?"

Hank made a face and drank some more, feeling warmth spreading inside him even as his body tried to stop him from drinking the foul tasting beverage. "Just passing by and thought we'd stop by to relax a bit. The... laughter drew us."

Nods all around accompanied knowing murmurs. "The Laughter of Kyr... sounds like some sort of hypnotic spell, doesn't it?" Traever grinned and sipped his own brew, grinning wider as Uni made a face at hers. "We are an innocent people on the whole, though. When we get strangers in town, we go all out to show them something they never suspect."

"What do you mean?" Hank shook his head. Things were a bit fuzzier, the warmth fuller. He couldn't recall if he was on two or three meads now, and his total lack of experience with alcohol, and his empty belly, were making it harder to stay focused. "Show me something I never suspect?" He reached over to refill his mug himself this time.

Laughter greeted this action, but things seemed friendlier than before, as if the drinking made things all right somehow. One of the random teens in the crowd called out, "Strangers come in thinking we're just a bunch of farmer peasants. They go out knowing the magic of Kyr. We're special, and while you're here, you're special in ways you never dreamed of before. When you leave, the dream ends."

The blond shook his head and pushed unsteadily to his feet, aware that Uni had her head lying quite close to her empty bowl. She was snorting in a soft, drunken sleep. Hank shook his head, wobbled mightily, and gripped the table. "But I don't see m'gic..."

Traever stood and untied Uni, slipping her to the ground on unsteady feet as she woke with a protesting bleat. "Ah, but you have, my friend. You came to be a regular teen, didn't you?" He put a hand behind Hank's back and started guiding him out as a drunken song started somewhere behind them.

As he got Hank to the door, the blond turned and frowned. "A regular teen... yeah... s'right... how'd you..."

Hank turned to leave, but was drawn back around by shouting and laughter. The group were waving their arms and calling to him. "Your unicorn! Don't forget her!" The teen nodded and near stumbled as he knelt down to retrieve the once more collapsed Uni. He grinned up at the others and waved a hand vaguely. "See ya... friend..." And with that, he stumbled towards the waiting point, actually quite pleased with himself for being a normal teen and having fun. Yeah, he'd gotten drunk out of his mind... but no harm no foul, right?

Of course, when the hangover hit, he'd probably regret it, but for now he merely grinned at the others, speeding up at seeing them waiting, then tumbling down to his knees in his drunken haze.

To Be Continued in Chapter Two: ---when written

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