Faren stepped into the tavern and took his usual seat. The men at the adjacent table stopped their game of Marogen to give him a smile and a drunken hello, and he returned the gesture with a smile and a wave like he always did. It was the same old routine, and it had been that way for the longest time. He seemed happy, but he wanted nothing more than to see a change.
For the first time in ages, he stood up and walked over to the counter, then took a seat and slumped down. The barkeep walked over and tried to cheer him up.
"Hey Faren, what's the matter? You're usually back at the table drinkin' down ale by now. What gives, eh?"
"Umm...Oh, hey Biggs. I was just thinkin'...Maybe it's time for a change of pace, ya think?"
"Whadaya mean? Looks to me like you've got life kinda easy, the way you're headed."
"It's just the same old stuff, though...Magi aren't a dime a dozen anymore. The ones ya do hear about nowadays can kill ya by whisperin' at ya. It just don't suit me anymore...The life of a bounty hunter is gettin' mighty borin', Biggs...I gotta find me a new niche in life..."
"What, somthin' ta pay fer yer drinks? You've known me long enough to know that I've never turned away a friend in need. And the reason..."
"Because you know they'll return the favor, I know...I musta heard that a hundred times...But I'm tired of bein' needy, ya know? I just...I gotta get out there and do SOMETHIN' with my life...Huntin' magi has its kicks, but it's no way to spend a lifetime, ya know?"
"Ya got a point there...But why you gettin' worried about this all of a sudden? I thought you'd be itchin' ta get over ta the Office and pick up a new job!"
"It's just...not the same as before... I gotta get outta here, Biggs. I gotta do somethin' to get myself goin' again! I gotta...."
Faren left his seat, a gleam of rebellious wanderlust shining in his hazel eyes.
"I gotta go on an adventure!"
"Well, go on then! You can find an adventure anywhere these days, what with the crime and the wierd stuff happenin' around here...We'll find someone to warm yer seat while yer out!"
"Thanks, man...I knew I could count on you. Wish me luck!"
"Already done! Now get goin', 'fore all the good adventures get taken!"
And Faren walked out of the tavern instead of stumbling for the first time in eleven years, finally ready to make something happen. And he was going to make it so big, he would go down in history. A fiendish grin crossed his face as he fingered the pouch of throwing knives on his belt, and he ran out of the city walls, starting his grand adventure.