Chapter 3, in which the half-dwarf is saved from certain death and talks about preference in drinks

Dragon Hunter
The dragon hunter woke up due a scream that sounded like Red Un. He rushed towards the scream and saw Red Un lying on the street. He picked his friend over his shoulder and carried him to the tavern. "Help for gods sake!" he screamed as he wiped the table where they all sat from everything on it and threw everyone out of his way. He shouted "Ashaki Karakh!" and a healing light fell on Red Un. The dragon hunter fainted after the extreme effort of the spell...

Vodok
The short dwarf ran into the bar because of the yells and he saw someone trying to loot the half-dwarf. "Not to ba' 'dea aculy but I’ll probaly be 'ell paid for savein' 'em." He mutterd for himself while punching the looter in the face. "Lessee 'ere." He muttered for himself as he push some on lookers away. Then he started to heal Dragon Hunter so he woke up with a few ultimate healing runes. "I-I have... Healing runes in my backpack, take and heal" Dragon Hunter barely whispered to the short dwarf. The short dwarf looked in the Dragon Hunter's backpack and found a bag full with ultimate healing runes and some of them lying lose in the backpack. Then the dwarf started to heal like a maniac. First he healed the Dragon Hunter and gave him some mana-fluids, he drank and made some peculiar healing runes and started to heal Red Un too.

Red Un
Red Un trembled under the healing. Suddenly, he jumped up, screamed "BEER!", jumped over the bar, opened the tap to a beer barrel and laid down under it, allowing the beer to go right into his mouth. After some seconds of gulping and coughing, he closed the tap and immediately put his hands on his pockets. Nothing was taken.

"Pheew, that was something. You better not use too many healing runes in the future, or you might get me sober. And you wouldn't like to see me sober."

Then he noticed the wound on his arm. It had dried up, and was now an outline of a demon surrounded by a star. He quickly covered it before anyone could see it.

Dragon Hunter
"Thank you dwarf" the dragon hunter said as he brushed off the dust from his armour. "What is your name anyways dwarf?" he asked. "You were lucky I have good ears my friend" the dragon hunter said. "Just a shame I lost all my healing runes there, except some others. But they are ABSOLUTELY NOT to be used on a friend!". With those words said he ordered another beer that he started to drink wile everyone inside except Red and the other dwarf who helped was staring kind of surprised at him. After all, he had thrown them all away like toys just to make place.

Red Un
"I'm not sure if I should feel honoured or insulted. I guess I should just drink instead. Frodo!"

Andrune
After a while, Andrune got used to the noise and stress in the pub, and actually started liking it. Probably because it was so unlike everything she was used too. She noticed the stir around one of the tables, got curious and started to listen carefully to what was said.

- "Demonic... Book... Ancient Library..."

It sounded interesting. Andrune moved closer to the table. Suddenly a half dwarf jumped over half of the room and started drinking directly from a barrel.
Well, that's pretty logical. Humans are strange, dwarfs are strange, so a mix would of course be even more strange.
From what she heard, the group around the table seemed to be embarking on some kind of quests, and judging from their weapons, it was going to be dangerous...

Dragon Hunter
"Well Red, how long will we be forced to stay here?" the dragon hunter said to Red Un. "Frodo pass me a beer!" he said and Frodo passed him a beer. After he finished his beer he picked up a crystal potion bottle filled with some red liquid, too dark for life fluid.
He drank some and then quickly plugged it and put it away. In his haste he spilled some on his cape. "DAMN! I hate these stains! So hard to get rid of!" he yelled.

Andrune
In her mind, Andrune agreed with the warrior. This was exciting, but what would her family say? The sooner they would leave, the lesser would she had to think about it, should she follow them or not?

Dragon Hunter
The dragon hunter noticed that a girl a few tables away from himself seemed interested in the group. He stood up and went to her table, sitting down next to her. "You seem interested in our group, why don't tell me about it?" he said. "You don't seem to try hiding it, so I don't know how that would hurt you." he said now awaiting an answer...

Andrune
A bit embarrassed by the fact that she had been discovered, Andrune looked at the warrior. He looked trusty, despite his weapons and armour.
- "Ehm... Well, I'm just visiting Thais and...
Ab'dendriel is so boring, I'm just tired of it and my boring family... I want adventures! I heard you talking, got curious and so."

Dragon Hunter
"If you want you could join us for sure. If they won't let you I'll make them, I know how anoying family can be. By the way, what’s your name?" he said and once again drank from the crystal bottle. He then looked into her eyes and mumbled "Urish Nagag Erth".

Red Un
Red Un’s thoughts had trailed away to that day so many years ago...

He muttered.

"I was only looking for a book...a book...just one...I didn't want to harm anybody..."

Then he got back to the real world when the Dragon Hunter spilled some red fluid on himself. Red Un got some on himself too.

"Ooh, looks like I got some of your..."

He put a finger in it and tasted it.

"...blood?"

Andrune
- "How silly of me... My name is Andrune. What's yours? " she said. "I'll be happy to join, thank you!"

The warrior mumbled something and looked into her eyes.

- "What did you say?"

Vodok
"Ahem. The dwarf said while poking Red Un. "Since I jus' saved yer 'ife wha''s 'at worth, eh?" He ask the half dwarf. "A beer." was the answer. "Frodo!! Gimme a beer!! Shorty's paying!"

Dragon Hunter
"Argh! Busted!" he said to Red Un. "Yes I drink blood.. and yes, it’s human." he said predicting the questions would come. He now looked worried as he didn't know how they would react...

Dragon Hunter
He sent a telepathic message to Andrune. "My name is not for your ears my potential friend. Refer to me with whatever name you like". The message seemed to have gotten through. "By the way, it was a telepathic link spell I learned of my father."

Red Un
Red Un laughed.

"Heh, ya could have told me that. I have a friend that is...uhm...half-vampire, and I even got bit myself once. Don't look scared, I got cured by an elven herb. I have respect for all this world’s bloodsuckers. 'Cept for those meanies in Darama..."

Then he looked over at Vodok.

"Seeing a dwarf calling someone else 'shorty' always puts a smile to my face."

He threw some gold coins to Frodo.

"Now where are the others..."

Dragon Hunter
"Good you feel that way. By the way, I’m no vampire. You couldn't even imagine..." the dragon hunter said. "By the way, who are the others?"

Roku Yarit
Roku Yarit was in dire straights now. The ship sped towards the city and he could take his own life or take theirs. He chose take theirs... "Captain I will not stop the shit with my own power but give the Thais people a chance to save their own." Pulled the sleeves off his withered hands he reached into the sky with a rune in his hand. "Adori flam!" The rune turned red and shaped itself. Reaching out further, he let loose the balls of fire, spelling a single word in the skies above the city, DANGER. He was sure someone would see it and notice the pillar of smoke that rose from the ship.
The Captain shook his head disobediently. "I’m going down with my ship, Master Yarit."
The Sorcerer had no time for the Captains games. "So be it..." Sliding his sleeves over his hands once again, he stood at the side of the ship, held his nose closed, and dove into the water below.

It was not long until he resurfaced, gasping a breath of sweet air. The ship was far past him now, moving towards the city at a slower rate it seemed but still quick enough to reach it in 6 minutes or less. "Goodbye Captain..." he muttered as he began to swim to shore, keeping a unwavering eye on the ship.

Red Un
"Well they're...dammit, what is goin' on outside?"

Red Un ran out from the bar, just in time to see huge letters of fire spell the word DANGER in the sky.

"Well thank you, for once I get a warning."

Then he saw the pillar of smoke at the horizon. Then he remembered the fish rain before. He puzzled in his brain, and then...

"HOLEY MOLEY! A DWARF STEAMSHIP ON COLLISION COURSE!"

He ran down to the harbour and yes indeed, there it was...wait a minute, wasn't that a human ship?

"No time to think, just act!"

He jumped into the rolling waves and started to swim towards the approaching ship...