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“Who let [i]that[/i] into the city?”

“Perfect, now we have wild animals running loose.”

“May the Gods damn those evil, good-for-nothing giants. Faerun would be better without them...”

The whispers never ceased upon entering an unfamiliar town or province, but the outlandish claims, awkward stares, fruitless gossip, and disgusted expressions had become part of her life ever since traveling from the confines of [i]The Ride[/i], a place Vah’lux had called home since childhood. A place where her kind was accepted, and seen not as a monster, but as an honor-bound kinsman of the North. Hunters. Gatherers. Warriors. Spiritual Leaders. Just a few of the titles a member of the race of Goliath may have bestowed upon them. But in the great unknown lands of Faerun, prejudice and hate was all the more real. 

Musing at the thought of easily crushing the countless Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, or other relatively smaller races brought a hint of satisfaction to the seven-foot-one, battle-hardened Gladiatrix, however, acting out against such ignorant speak would only strengthen their case of the “untamed barbarian animal”. Most had never seen a member of the pseudo-Giants known as the Goliath, especially up close, and their sheer size difference was off putting and threatening to most. But she pitied them more than she could ever despise them for their blindness, because it wasn’t worth the mental anguish to acknowledge such narrow mindedness.

Vah’lux stood at the mouth of the alleyway which lead toward the Foamy Crown tavern. Holding the long, heavy glaive vertically, with the tail end stuck into the mud and the top of the blade head stopping at about eye level, she surveyed the area as though she were a sentinel. Even with the fog rolling in, she could tell it wasn’t the best part of town, nor was it the worst, but she needed to rest from the week-long trek toward western Faerun, and finally to Draydon. There was very little downtime during the journey, as she had to make good time in order to register for the Gladiatorial challenge being held within the city, and with that out of the way, thankfully she had a few days to unwind and train beforehand. There was always a certain level of excitement that coursed through her blood at the thought of entering an arena, and Draydon had one of the better facilities along the West Coast.

Adjusting the fur-lined cloak draped over a broad shoulder, she headed toward the tavern, her thick leather boots crunching and squishing through the mud and pebbles along the path, leaving above average footprints. At the foot of the staircase leading up to the tavern entry, she momentarily arched an eyebrow and smirked, knowing that under her own two hundred and seventy-five pounds of bone and muscle, there was a risk those steps wouldn’t last long. But also wouldn’t be the first incident if it came to it. Either way, Vah’lux shrugged and took her first step, and the wood creaked as though it were in pain, but still held nevertheless. It was essentially the same all the way to the top, a few planks sounding as though they may have splintered under the pressure, but held in one piece. 

The above average muscled human standing out front at the entrance with his arms crossed and chest puffed out, merely glared at Vah'lux and then the glaive she held. It took more than a few seconds for him to take in sheer size of Goliath -a race he was clearly not ready to behold- and the various pieces of leather and steel armor that adorned the barbarian added to the already enormous and looming tower before him. He looked up at her scarred face, and she in turn, looked down at him. "Evening." Her voice was fairly deep and husky for a female, but kind and non threatening.

"No trouble." He grunted, clearing his throat immediately after.

"None." She responded with a slight shake of her head.

The guard nodded, almost reluctantly, and looked away, clearing his throat for a second time as the significantly larger of the two walked by and through the tavern doors, ducking her head down about a foot to clear the standard-sized frame.

The interior was well lit, warm, and inviting, as far as taverns went, and especially for an evening that felt muggy and wet. Out of the few patrons seated in and around the dining area, only a couple of them actually looked up from their meal or drink to notice the Goliath. Perhaps it was for the better that the place was sparsely populated. Looking around for a moment, she thankfully noticed a much larger table along the wall near the bar, matched with thick wooden benches, which seemed like a perfect place to relax and shrug off the weariness of the day with an ale, and a stew. Vah’lux placed her large rucksack down near the foot of the table, and her glaive leaned against the wall about arms length from where she’d decided to sit. With a deep breath, and a few stretches and cracks from her lower back and neck, she removed the dark brown fur-lined cloak, neatly folded it, and placed it on the table. Following, she proceeded to loosen a few straps from her chest armor and remove the heavy chest piece -which appeared to protect the upper part of her chest- and place it next to her on the floor. Her torso was wrapped in a light tan cloth, which was a stark contrast against her naturally bluish-gray skin tone. 

She closed her eyes for a moment, relaxing her mind, and refocusing her thoughts, and as she opened them, glanced at the young human sitting at the bar closest to her, and gave a friendly nod. One of the serving girls, a very small, petite half-elf, shyly apprached the table where the Goliath sat. 

“W-Welcome.” She smiled, shifting uncomfortably. “Was there...anything I can get you t-tonight?”

Vah’lux gave a half-smile, because honestly, it was all she could muster after a long day. Her body was tired, even for one who’s athletic prowess is off the charts, and her mind, exhausted and in need of recharging. 

“A pitcher of ale, and a large bowl of your house stew will be just fine.”

The elf nodded in response, and turned to head for the kitchen, fanning herself with her hand on the way.

This was going to be a very interesting evening.