The Dragon's Wrath: Shadows in the Flame by Brent Roth Page A

from the elements.
    The major buildings were more structures as the docks were by far the fanciest and largest things in town. Docks and piers large enough to accommodate dozens of ships at a time with storage only a few steps away, the entire setup had been catered to the trade industry. A true industry town, it was the complete opposite of any of the villages further north that had nothing else to them, only existing as settlements and nothing more.
    As far as unique buildings went though, there were a few longhouses which was a nice touch but they belonged to the bigger families and were not open to the public, much to my dismay. Instead the more modern two-story inn was where visitors stayed and to compare it to the inn near the Outcast Dungeons… well, in short it was lacking amenities.
    A rough bed with old furs and a provided washbasin made up the living arrangements as I found the quarters a little cramped and in general rather uncomfortable. The thought of sleeping on a dirty bed where hundreds of others had slept was probably the worst of it. The likelihood of it ever being taken out for a thorough cleaning was probably slim to none. If anything it was beaten and dusted… maybe if I was lucky it had been taken out and washed at some point but I doubted it.
    One of the benefits of living near a river was the ability to bathe daily, sometimes twice daily and it was of regular practice up in Dragon’s Breach. Vikings in general bathed often as far as history was concerned and grooming was believed to be of some importance, evidenced by combs and other artifacts found in graves. Thankfully the game already implanted that seed into the population.
    Unfortunately though that practice didn’t extend to the busy inns… the conditions reminded me of cheap, budget motels rather than a three-plus star or diamond hotel. This was definitely a one-star motel if not half of a star. And yet it still cost a pretty penny.
    Oh well, other than the rooms the rest of it appeared to be in order. All in all Bergenheim seemed to be a fairly standard town. Booking every single room at the large inn proved to be a bit costly though as I needed to house thirteen bodies but the goodwill would eventually be returned. They worked hard and never truly complained, so a day of rest and relaxation was worth the expenditure. The only thing it hurt was my pockets.
    Having settled in at the bar that was on the first floor, the majority of my crew were busy intermingling with the locals. Most were sociable and the temperament seemed to be a lively one. Drinks were making their rounds as some folksy live music was taking place on a small stage. The food wasn’t terrible either, a plate of smoked herring garnished lightly with some wild vegetables and served with cheese and a rye, wheat mix flatbread.
    A cup of mead was also provided and seemed to be the drink of choice here. Fermented honey for a drink. People sure came up with strange things. Honey, yeast, and water plus some time and you no longer had to worry about contaminated water.
    Simple living at its finest.
    “All’s well?” asked one of the servers as he passed by.
    “All is well,” I replied slowly with a smile and a nod.
    Hospitality was important in Viking culture and despite the touristy nature of this southern-border town of the North, they made up for it with generous portions and a pleasing atmosphere. It really wasn’t a bad town. There were even some players about too. If I had any complaints, it would be about the journey to get here.
    A part of me wondered how different life would be if I had chosen this location to start the game instead. It was rated a 4.2/10 compared to the Northern Triangle’s paltry 0.5/10. Close enough to the middle kingdoms to adventure with the rest of the gaming population but far enough that there was still privacy and some semblance of personal space.
    Ah, life would have been good here.
    “Heh,” I chuckled to myself.
    A good life maybe,