SandBrooke Tavern [Open]

[Aerys Hellgate]

The SandBrooke Tavern stood like a sentinel at the edge of the Acrix Desert, its sun-bleached walls blending seamlessly into the sea of dunes that stretched out to the horizon. From afar, it appeared as though the tavern had been carved directly from the bones of the desert itself, a bastion of civilization in a land ruled by relentless heat and scathing winds.

Its low sprawling structure was crowned with a roof woven from palm fronds and the bones of ancient creatures long buried beneath the dunes..

Wide, arching windows lined the walls, allowing the occasional cool breeze to drift in from the desert, carrying with it the faint scent of salt and spice. The heavy wooden shutters, however, were more often drawn, their thick planks marked by the scars of countless sandstorms, guarding the interior against the midday heat that could peel the skin from a man’s bones in minutes.

Inside, the air was thick with the intoxicating aroma of spiced meats roasting over an open flame and freshly baked flatbreads served alongside creamy, herb-infused dips. The Taarik lamps, suspended from the beams overhead, glowed with the soft, pulsing light of desert crystals, their amber hues casting a warm, ethereal glow over the tavern’s patrons.

Though surrounded by the harsh, arid wasteland of the Acrix, the SandBrooke Tavern was an oasis of life. Its reputation as a haven had spread far and wide, drawing all manner of travelers: hunters, mercenaries, adventurers—those brave or desperate enough to challenge the desert’s deadly expanse. The tavern’s job board, nailed near the hearth, was littered with weathered parchments offering enormous rewards for those willing to face the beasts lurking within the uncharted regions of the Acrix. The legends that surrounded these uncharted lands promised death for the foolish, or unimaginable riches for the strong.

Aerys knew this place well. As he stood at the entrance, his gaze sweeping over the familiar faces and the old stone walls, memories flooded back. He had spent much of his youth in this very room, a brash, fearless adolescent hungry for adventure and recognition. Here, in the heart of the desert, he had forged his name in the heat of battle and the hunt, carving out his reputation among the seasoned warriors and hunters who frequented the tavern. It was here, beneath the flickering Taarik lights, that Aerys had sculpted his confidence into the towering monolith it had become, each successful hunt adding another stone to its foundation.

Tales of his exploits were whispered among the regulars, stories of his triumphs against the Acrix's most dangerous predators: Velici-Badgers whose underground lairs could swallow entire caravans whole; Blister Wyrms, whose fiery breath could turn the sands to glass; and the infamous Tremor Spiders, swift and vicious creatures that could tear a man apart in seconds. Their hides, bones, and fangs were worth a fortune, but only to those strong enough—or mad enough—to hunt them.

Pushing through the heavy wooden doors, Aerys stepped into the packed tavern, his presence commanding immediate attention. The room, filled with the usual hum of conversation and the clinking of mugs, quieted slightly as several heads turned his way. His tall frame was draped in his open buttoned shirt and knee high shorts– on his chest, he proudly brandished his Birth Rune. He didn't need to don his royal attire as a Tyre Crown for many to recognize him. Instantly, people raised their glasses in respect or nodding in acknowledgment. His name was well known to regular patrons—Aerys, the Unbreakable, a term he was sure was never forgotten as he covered these sands in glory.

“Oi! Oi! Which of you lot’s got what it takes to help Aerys The Unbreakable, track down a monster?” His voice rang out, loud and confident, cutting through the noise like a blade through flesh.

Some turned their heads, intrigued, but no one stepped forward. Aerys grinned, unfazed. He was used to this—people hesitating, weighing their fear against the promise of reward. Especially if he was the one involved. He was known for certified suicide missions.

"Don’t all jump at me at once!" he added with a chuckle, swaggering further into the room. "I’m simply lookin’ for an adequate tracker. Chances of danger are minimal, ya have me word, ay?”

He crossed his chest in a grand gesture of honesty, but the words were quickly swallowed by the cacophony of laughter and conversation that filled the tavern. Aerys, undeterred, leaned in closer to the nearest table, his voice dropping to a more tantalizing tone.

“Oh, uh.. Did I mention the pay is a small fortune?”

The mood in the room shifted dramatically. Glasses paused mid-air, conversations faltered, and eyes darted toward him with newfound interest. Aerys lit up with a devilish smirk. He knew in a place like this, where survival often depended on a mix of skill and coin, the promise of riches was the one thing that could make even the most cautious soul forget the dangers of the desert. And he'd need someone with a straight up abandon for their wellbeing to accept the risks he faced.

[Aerys Hellgate]

“I’ll take the job.”

Aerys turned to find a man standing in the dim light, leaning casually against the stone wall. He was tall and lean, with a weathered face that spoke of years spent under the brutal desert sun. His skin had the same tone as the sands outside, and his eyes glinted with a mix of cunning and amusement. His clothes were practical, dust-streaked, and clearly meant for survival in the blistering heat. But what drew Aerys’ attention more than the man’s appearance was the large bird perched on his shoulder.

The bird was striking—its plumage a deep, iridescent black with streaks of gold running along its wings, shimmering in the soft light of the Taarik lamps. Its eyes were sharp, almost too intelligent, scanning the room with an eerie awareness. A long, curved beak gave it a predatory look, and its talons gripped the man’s shoulder with practiced ease.

Aerys raised an eyebrow. “And who are you, mate?”

The man nodded, a thin smile playing on his lips. “You looking for a tracker? Well, you're in luck my friend! This,” he said, gesturing to the bird, “is Vira. And this little marvel can track anything—or anyone—if you can give her a trace.”

Aerys' skeptical gaze moved from the man to the bird. "I'm not buyin’ it.. Most trackers can barely keep up with the shifting sands. What makes this feathered friend of yours so special, eh? Does Vira possess magic eyes? Or a special reason behind her impractical appearance?”

The man chuckled softly. “The sands are a map to her, not a maze. She knows the Acrix better than any living thing, human or beast. If it moves, Vira can find it.” He said, wiggling Vira's chin with a gentle wag of his finger. “She doesn’t rely on scent or sight like your average desert hound—she listens to the winds, feels the shifts in the air. Trust me, my friend, she can find your monster.”

Aerys crossed his arms, eyeing Vira with a mix of interest and doubt. “..and what if my search takes me beyond Acrix?”

The man’s smile widened. “Tell you what—if Vira can’t find your target, you won’t owe me a single coin. But when she leads you to it,” he added, stepping closer, “you can just hand the pay to her.”

Aerys blinked, his brow furrowing. “To the bird, mate?”

The man nodded, completely serious. “Vira can carry it back. I trust her with every coin. She’s far more reliable than most men in this tavern.” He raised his hand to stroke the bird’s sleek feathers. “When the job’s done, she'll return here with the pay. Do we have an accord?”

Aerys couldn’t help but laugh, a low, disbelieving sound. “You're havin’ a laugh.. You really expect me to trust a bird with a small fortune?”

The man’s gaze remained steady, his voice calm. “More than you’d trust any of the men here, I reckon. Vira’s never failed a job, and she’s never kept a coin that wasn’t hers.”

Aerys paused, studying the bird once more. Vira’s unblinking eyes met his, and for a moment, he could swear there was something more to the creature—something beyond the instinct of a mere bird. He had hunted the fiercest predators in the Acrix, faced dangers that most men wouldn’t dream of, but something about this bird made his gut churn with both curiosity and caution.

“..and what's your name then?” Aerys asked, shifting his weight off the bar and sizing the man up.

“Gol'vyn,” the man replied, extending his hand. His grip was firm, calloused—a hunter’s grip. “Whenever you're ready, Vira will lead the way.”

Aerys hesitated for a moment, but his curiosity got the better of him. “Are you not coming with?”

Gol'vyn just grinned. “No need. Vira will guide you on her own, and you’ll see for yourself. She's faster than she looks, she is. And I'd only slow her down.”

Aerys smirked, still unconvinced but intrigued enough to take the gamble. “You have a lot of faith in her.” He said, folding his arms with a coy smirk. "Which, I'll admit, seems kinda crazy, mate. No disrespect.."

Vira let out a low, almost mocking squawk, her talons gripping tighter on Gol'vyn's shoulder as if she too were amused by Aerys’ doubts.

"That said, would Vira be ready to leave right now?"

[Aerys Hellgate]

[Moments Later]

The sky stretched out like an endless canvas above Aerys, vibrant hues of deep cerulean blending into the fiery pink and purples of a setting sun. His body soared effortlessly in the air, the heat radiating from his feet like thrusters propelling him forward behind Vira’s graceful form. The bird took on a dark silhouette as she sliced through the heavens, clenched within her beak, the poster of the woman she was tracking.

"Teh, how did I find myself trusting the tracking senses of a bird? I reaaaally o'ughta get a compass or somethin'."

Aerys he lamented to himself about his awful sense of direction. He had never fully trusted anyone—or anything—to spearhead his decision making. And certainly never a bird. Yet here he was, soaring through the air, chasing the exotic avian figure beyond the familiar boundaries of the Acrix Desert. Skepticism gnawed at the back of his mind, but he couldn’t deny the certainty in Vira’s path. Even without her handler, it seemed as if the Avian creature held a better grasp of what Aerys was searching for than he did.

Aerys trailed Vira diligently. Beneath him, the world unfolded in grim, scorched detail.

–From this height, Aerys could see a vast portion of the Acrix, including the devastated city of Dabih’r. Buildings reduced to rubble, massive cracks splintering the sand as if the city had been torn apart by some unstoppable force. Smoke was still hovering rose above the ruined structures, lingering in the air like a ghost of what had once been.

“…”

His flames briefly sputtered as he adjusted his trajectory, steering around a pocket of thick, rising smoke. Grimacing as he looked upon the destruction. Aerys considered himself powerful, capable. He imagined no matter the caliber of foe, a single Tyre would be enough to convey the indomitable might of the Hellgate clan. But this... this was beyond anything he could have imagined.

As he soared onward, more destruction came into view. Charred remains of caravans littered the sand, dunes carved with deep, jagged scars, and outposts that had once stood proud now buried beneath the shifting desert. It was as if a monstrous force had ravaged everything in its path, leaving only desolation in its wake. Despite his usual confidence, Aerys felt a rare shiver run down his spine.

"Fuck.. A lass did this?”

Ahead of him, Vira let out a sharp, piercing cry. She banked to the right, her wings angling downward as she adjusted their course. Aerys felt the shift in the air, following her lead as the heat of the desert began to fade into the cooler, salt-laden winds of the sea. The bird moved with such fluid precision, as though she were chasing an invisible target, something only she could sense. At this point, Aerys’ earlier skepticism ebbed away with each passing mile.

“Heh, well shit..” Aerys muttered, his hands resting in his pockets as he gained speed to match her. “Just how far are ya' taking me?”

—--

The last vestiges of the Acrix Desert faded behind them, the golden dunes swallowed by the vast surrounding waters of the sea. Aerys propelled himself higher, the ocean air cooling the heat of his flames as he soared over the shimmering waters.

Vira zipped ahead without hesitation, her silhouette a small, determined shadow against the horizon. Aerys’ doubts had all but disappeared now, replaced with a quiet respect for the bird’s unerring sense of direction.

Then, as the sea stretched endlessly beneath them, something else came into view. Far on the horizon, a thick, smoldering cloud of smoke hung in the sky. It rose from a distant island, massive and foreboding. Aerys narrowed his eyes, his flames flaring as he propelled himself closer.

"..doesn't seem like she's trying to hide." Aerys murmured, his skepticism gone, replaced by a simmering anticipation. Vira gave a sharp cry in response, her wings angling downward as she began her descent toward the island of Al' Nyr, the smoke cloud swirling like an ominous omen in the distance.

Aerys’ jaw tightened as he prepared to follow. This was it—the moment where trust in the bird would either pay off or lead him straight into the heart of something far worse than the desert ruins he had left behind.

With one last burst of flame, Aerys descended toward the island.

–End