Honorable and Integrity

'HI' was displayed in large letters on the tavern sign. The alley he stood in was crowded with large dirt covered crates, and where the end of the alley was bordered up by loose planks a small beam of moonlight filtered down across the buildings wall to the welcome mat that also read 'HI'.

Daven knocked twice on the door and waited. New Targonor had taverns scattered about and all but a few were very careful about who they let in on special nights like this one. For the next two hours a magician from a city far in the north would be performing. Magicians were a secretive group. It was rumored that years ago a magician came into a tavern much like this one, just outside of a town near New Targonor, was teaching the audience several magic tricks and some old lore of the world when he was slain in the middle of his performance by another magician. Ever since that occurrence fewer magicians came through and they would only perform under additional protection.

The small window screen inset into the door opened and a large burly barbarian's face filled the void. "Are ye honorable and do ye have integrity?" The barbarian said.

It was clear that 'HI' stood for honorable and integrity. "I am honorable and I have integrity." Daven replied.

"And you?" The barbarian pointed to the lady standing next to Daven.

"This is my husband, where he goes and what he says I echo the same." She replied.

"Where do ye come from?"

"We've traveled from the shouth shore of this continent." Daven replied. "I've come to visit some friends and enjoy the great company that is in this fine establishment." The small window closed. Daven waited patiently for a decision on whether to let him in or not. Sometimes establishments such as this were so crowded they simply wouldn't let anyone else in, regardless of whom they were. They better let him in though because he wanted to see this other magician perform.

A moment later the door opened and a curl of smoke wafted out, accompanied by a heavy scent of pine, aged leather, and a strong pepper smell that certainly had come from the kitchen.

Walking in past the barbarian, noting that he carried a large mace and an axe strapped tightly to his back, he guided his wife through the crowded room to an open table near the fireplace that rested in the far corner. Everyone immediately noticed the pair make their way through the room. While Daven was dressed in a complete suit of chainmail and a double edged sword strapped to his back, complimented by a pair of daggers tied to his belt, his wife dressed up in a complete outfit of her own, everyone else in the establishment was dressed in rags and some in barely enough attire to be fitting in a public place. It was clearly a poor man's establishment. The barbarian walked up behind them along the way, stopping when they took their seats.

Sitting down Daven rested his dagger on the table and relaxed his back against the hard wooden seating, waiting for service. "I'm sorry sir but no weapons are allowed in this establishment. You'll have to give those to me." The barbarian pointed at the array of weapons strapped about Daven.

"The weapons stay with me. I'm here to protect this fine lady and if anyone objects they will see the end of my sword." He stared at the barbarian. "Do you object?"

The barbarian frowned but realized even he was no match for Daven. "No sir, but I don't tolerate fighting in this here establishment. You said you were honorable and have integrity, so I will hold you to that." The barbarian made his way back through the crowd towards the front entrance.

Almost immediately a beautiful waitress came to their table and asked what they would like to eat and drink. Daven pulled out a sack of coins and handed her three. She smiled at the generous offer, as it was twice as much as a few drinks were worth. "We'll want food for the show." She nodded and scurried off to the back room.

An hour later the show began. With food and drink at their table, they watched as a magician came onto stage and began his performance. He went about several balancing acts, making various objects disappear that the crowd ooh'd and ahh'd at, and even disappeared briefly himself once. After a few minutes the magician surveyed the crowd, looking for a prospective assistant to his next act. When his eyes laid site upon Daven and his wife, the magician froze. Everyone sat silent as they could first see confusion from the magician and then fear well up in his eyes.

At that moment Daven transformed.

Everyone in the room gasped as they saw Daven and his 'wife' turn into something else. Their figures oozed into a different shape, becoming at various moments transparent and grossly out of proportion but finally settling into recognizable figures again. After the transformation was complete, where Daven and his 'wife' stood was an old magician in a fancy robe and his pet, a gross diseased looking version of a black spider. The magician on stage threw himself into the crowd, desperately attempting to push to the front entrance.

Daven raised his staff and began chanting words from a book he took out of his left pocket where the daggers were clipped to his belt. Everyone in the room either ran for one of the two exits or took cover anywhere they could. Beer mugs, plates of food, and even people were being thrown to the floor and trampled on. A moment later the fleeing magician was alone in the crowd, standing just feet away from the door but unable to get to it because of the unconscious bodies and furniture blocking his path.

The staff in Daven's hand built up this sparking blue glow, pulsed briefly, and then suddenly shot out a blue fireball in a deafening roar towards the retreating magician. Turning just to see in time the blue fireball envelop him, the retreating magician screamed in terror. A moment later as the trapped magician was continuing to struggle for his life, something completely unexpected occurred. The crowd began to get up as they realized what was happening. For there in front of them the other magician had not been incinerated, but instead was slowly being turned into a huge upright treant that barely fit inside the room and almost blocked the doorway.

Daven walked up to him as the transformation completed itself and the blue haze dissipated. He slowly made his way around to the face on the far side, mindful of all the branches sticking out and the trunk pushing through the cracked and heaved up floor. Putting away the staff Daven crossed his hands, smiling at the molasses moving face in the trunk. The magician that was now a treant was trying to say something but was obviously not used to being a treant. You could see the agony in his eyes at attempting to speak through the tree but unable to get the words out. "This should teach you and your followers never to cut down trees near a wood elf sanctuary again, especially when a magician like me lives there." Daven took out the book and staff again and began chanting, the crowd backing away in fear that they would be the next to be turned into a treant. Instead, Daven turned back into the handsome knight in full armor, his pet soon after completing the transformation into his obedient wife.

"Thank you for the delicious food and fine entertainment. I will be sure to visit the next time a talented magician comes around, and I promise to stay longer and not cause such a mess." Flipping the barbarian the entire bag of coins he carried, Daven walked out into the moonlit night, quickly disappearing in the shadow around the buildings corner.