The Mercenary
Pick Your Peril: The Hero of Mudtown
(This is part of a series of choose-your-own-adventure articles. If you want to start from the beginning, click here. If you want to revisit the previous chapter, click here.)
Laughter erupts from the small crowd surrounding the muscled Mercenary as he finishes his story. You approach the warrior and try to get his attention, but he’s too busy emptying a large flagon of ale down his gullet to realize that you are trying to talk to him.
He slams the empty tankard down and finally takes notice of you.
“Yeah?” He asks with a rumbling belch “What do you need?”
You tell the Mercenary about the disappearance of Mudtown, and how you are worried about your family’s safety. You ask for his help and hope that the warrior has a soft spot for desperate peasants.
The Mercenary gives you disdainful sneer and quotes the rate for his services. You are unsurprised to find that it is much more than you can afford. After some begging and pleading, you realize that the warrior will not budge despite your attempts to appeal to his sense of pity.
The Mercenary gives a disinterested shrug.
“If you want to hire the best, it’ll cost you.”
A sudden mischievous grin lights up his face.
“Unless…”
He waves over the server and takes a tray full of drinks from her.
“Ever since I took care of the inn’s vampire situation, they’ve let me drink for free.” He hands you a tankard. “Match me, drink for drink, flagon for flagon, and I’ll find your missing mud-scrapers.”
This is hardly the right time for a drinking contest, but it might be the fastest way to get the warrior to assist you.
Avoiding any unnecessary distractions would be best. The Mercenary might agree to help if you’re persistent and promise payment after the job is done. Surely he can’t be this heartless!
You can’t help but think that this is all just a waste of time. Perhaps the wisest choice is to find a person with a little more sympathy for your plight.
What will you do?