Fable Beard Co.'s The Barkeep - A Key And A Hole - Episode 2

It was a delight to finally meet Captain Red. I must say that my first impression of pirates has been very wrong, or at the very least this pirate. He is quite a pleasant fellow. It’s getting late into the evening but, the town scribe is still drinking. He always seems to be the last one in the keep. I yell over to him that it is time to head home. As he peers up from his small wire-framed glasses his blue eyes behind show me a bit of disdain with a slight bit of relief. I don’t think he is the type of man to quit drinking without being told to do so. As I lock the door behind him, I am hit with a strong sense of nostalgia. This tavern has been in my family for generations and it has always done us proud. I can still see my self-chasing the coattails of my father around the bar stools, I couldn’t have been more than ten. I will never forget the feeling of comfort he gave me with the endearing smile only a father could give.

I only wish I could have shared these recent riches with him. I’m still in a disbelief of the ingenious concept of this beard oil. The Wizard must be a crafty fellow. I have been a naturally humble guy so I am not keen on strong smells. I am truly thankful he sent these bottles to me without any of his magic with the last shipment. My beard has felt amazing and I do heed a slight bit of increased confidence. Now that I think about it, I should put some of those Fable Beard Co crates away before I retire for the evening. 

I walk past the bar and hang my keys on the hook. I look up as I pass through the door into my chambers and realize there are quite a large amount of boxes back here. I was busy serving patrons when Captain Red’s men stored them away. I didn’t have time to take an inventory when they came and I don’t think I have it in me to do it now either, that can wait until tomorrow. For now, I shall simply stack these boxes in the corner, at least I can clear a path to my bed. As I get down to the last 2 crates of 20 I am startled by a cellar door underneath the last two crates. This tavern has been in my family since we built it many years ago. There is no cellar in this tavern!

I carefully remove the last two boxes and study the door for a moment, when something comes out of nothing you can’t just jump right in. Everything about this door seems to be normal. A 3x3 foot door with black rod hinges and the wood seems to have been worn down by many years of foot travel. However, this door handle is different. Bright gold flickers in the candlelight and there sees to be a logo engraved below the lock. Upon closer inspection, I notice it’s Fable Beard Co.’s logo. This has to be the workings of The Wizard, who else can make a door appear out of nowhere and make it look like it’s been here for years. I can not contain my curiosity any longer so I reach for the handle. As my hand gets closer, the keyhole begins to glow a gloriously bright white light. I pull with the normal strength of any man but the door seems to be pulling back on me. I try harder and with a mighty pull a strong wind seems to be sucking the door down against me, almost like a vacuum. Finally, the door comes loose and I am left with nothing but a deep black hole. If this door is here it is indented for me to pass through it. As I glance over to gauge the distance of such a depth, I am sucked in with an overwhelming force and all I can do is fall.

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