by Taki Drake
The sadness in that conversation was more than Madrik could bear. In an effort to divert his feelings, the bar manager clambered to the top of the bar stool and announced in a loud voice to the bar, “Last call!”
Hopping down clumsily, Madrik looked at Alastair and said, “It is over to you now, oh head bouncer. It’s your job to move people out.”
Laughing, Alastair started a circuit of the bar that encouraged people to leave.
<<<>>>
It’d taken a while, but most of the people had been shooed out of the Badger Hole Bar. Those that were staying the evening had remained, although most of them had gone to their rooms. The last two people that were left were Cal and Glaux. The ancient Librarian and the Olympian owl had shown no indication that they wanted to leave. Even when the Storyteller had staggered his way out of the bar to disappear into the mists, the Librarian and his co-Anchor had stayed.
Obviously drunk and singing loud mismatched songs, the two of them had refused to exit the building. Finally, Alastair had gone over and asked them flat out, “It’s time to leave, why haven’t you gone?”
Madrik almost choked in amusement when the inebriated owl flipped his head upside down to look up Alastair’s nostrils and replied, “Because I’m too drunk to fly.”
Choking back a laugh, Alastair had offered his arm to Glaux, and the owl had stumbled his way up the big man’s body. The last the Madrik had seen, Alastair had been carrying the huge owl, and Vincent had been supporting the drunken Librarian as they escorted them back to the tender care of the Library.
It wasn’t the visual that haunted Madrik’s dreams. Instead, it would be the horrendous attempts that future bardic students would make at compositions and songs that memorialized the party.
Chapter 29 – Futures Past
All was quiet inside of the bar. Madrik had collapsed at a convenient table. He was quickly joined by Vincent and Alastair who’d returned from getting the drunken owl and Librarian back to the library. Looking slightly traumatized, the duo had immediately requested drinks from Brechal.
The bartender had come over to the table, bringing a whole tray of drinks with him. Madrik found it interesting that the number of drinks exceeded the people sitting at the table right then. Almost without any guidance, Brechal had served the people sitting there and placed a drink in front of the chair that he had picked as his own. Continuing to distribute glasses to empty chairs, Brechal had automatically positioned the drinking preferences for the people that had joined them next. As Najeer, Wynn, Tal, and Jasmyn appeared to join Madrik, the drinks were found to have been perfectly placed to match the drinker and their preferred beverage.
As all of them settled into their chairs, Madrik could feel the relaxation of the BHB in the back of his mind. A loud click signaled the locking of the front door and shutters slid down over all the windows. The BHB was secured for the night, and part of Madrik relaxed, secure.
He could see the same response in Alastair and Brechal. Although Vincent had eased up a bit, he still had that alert appearance that Madrik knew meant that he was monitoring something. A series of images along his companion bond told him that Vincent was still concerned over their guests on the second floor. There would be no relaxation for him until those rooms were empty.
It had surprised Madrik that Jasmyn had come downstairs. The BHB’s response to her had been a surprise also. The hum of contentment did not seem to fit with the overall Badger Hole Bar theme. However, Madrik didn’t really care one way or another, and so he was willing to accept whatever change in his worldview was necessary.
Tal was another addition, but that one was something that Madrik had half expected. The power of the master bard was apparent and obvious. His ability to control and sway crowds was immense. The residence with the BHB was a logical extension of the power of the dimension and Madrik expected that at some point Tal would become an Anchor. He had that sound to him, that feel to him, that Madrik had come to expect in an Anchor.
The future would tell, but Madrik was pretty sure.
All of them sat around the table, focused on breathing and relaxing. This was what Madrik had known in the military as something called a “hot wash.” A quick review of an event that would capture important concepts and feedback. It was time to quickly go over things before they forgot them and then they could all collapse.
Before Madrik could open the meeting, the BHB interfered. There was a shimmering in the air, and the taproom seemed to stretch and go through a myriad of colors. When the visual confusion dissipated, the taproom was twice the size it had been.
In the clearest way possible, BHB was telling him that their customer base and their capacity had to double. Just like the expansion of the second floor, the BHB was designed and fated to grow. They either needed to develop with it or get out of the way.
They had no more recovered from that when eerie music began to play. Listening to it for a while, Madrik didn’t know what it was trying to say. Looking over at Tal, the bar manager saw that the Bard was impressed and almost frightened. Resolving to follow up on that once he had some rest, Madrik raised his glass.
He was about to speak a toast when a strange figure dropped from the rafters almost into Jasmyn’s lap. Reflexively catching the falling object, the woman found her hands full of a hybrid cat with spiderlike legs. Her astonished, wide eyes and open mouth pushed the regular BHB staff into laughter.
Over Madrik’s and Alastair’s hysterical laughter, Vincent’s calm voice could be heard explaining. “I take it you haven’t met the spiderkat. He’s been in the bar since before we opened. He is quiet, but he appears to understand a lot. Some of us think that he is sentient and others think that he’s not. Either way, the BHB likes him, and so do we.”
The dark-haired woman smiled which transformed her look of shock into something that was immensely attractive. Most of the men in the room straightened up and focused more on her, but her attention was all for the spiderkat in her lap. As she petted the animal, an audible, harmonic hum could be heard that immediately eased the nerves of everyone around it.
Tal looked especially intrigued, obviously trying to figure out how that special effect had been generated. It would have to wait. Madrik needed to finish what had been started so long ago.
Once again, he picked up his glass. As he opened his mouth for his toast, the BHB responded in the explosion of energy and action. Directly next to the bar, a swelling in the floor flashed up into a plant that immediately displayed the intense colors of tropical flowers. In the space of just a second, those flowers morphed and faded into fruits.
The alcove on the Remembrance Wall became visible once more, its light flashing in the reduced illumination of the shadowed bar.
In the shadowed light, the people around the table could see that the drinks on the shelves in the Remembrance Wall alcove had all risen in the air as if raised by unseen hands to join the rest of the team in a toast.
Grabbing his glass, Madrik raised it in the air, and those around the table joined him. He could see the ghostly-supported glasses raised in response as he said, “I have a toast. I give to you this…”
Freezing momentarily, the Anchor for the Badger Hole Bar, Keeper of Memories, felt the weight of his promises on his spirit. As he opened his mouth to finish his speech, he saw the shadowy image of a tall, pleasant-faced man and the short figure of a white miniature schnauzer through the opening.
They were backed by other figures of people great and small, all with their hands in the air, frozen by Madrik’s voice. As Madrik finished, he saw a smile on the big man’s face and the approving wag of the stalwart little dog as he said, “I drink to the Badger Hole Bar and salute the future of our pasts.”
Author Notes
This story has been a blast to write and continues the fun and exploration that the Badger Hole Universe has been designed to host..
This is the second in a large series of Badger Hole Bar stories, with four more books planned for relea
se in the immediate future. This story contributes more about the people that will form the core of the ongoing stories and adventures while working in the bar itself.
The next few books will introduce key characters that anchor the sentient buildings that are awakening as Madrik and his team prepare for some major challenges.
I will try to not overwhelm you with these books, but the story has taken on its own life and calls to me and the others that will be contributing to the tales of life, love and intrigue in the brain-storming think-tank that this bar is.
I have a lot planned for Madrik, Brechal, Alastair, Wynn, and the others. Let me know which ones are your favorites and I’ll try to drop snippets on my blog and Facebook page over the next few weeks. That way you can see a bit of their journey before the next book comes out.
Thank you all for your contributions and your interest. It makes all the late nights, computer cursing, and agonizing worthwhile.
Cheerfully,
Taki
Author Introduction – Taki Drake
The mixture of technology and magic is where my mind and heart live. In today's world, it mixes engineering and creativity. In the worlds of my mind, technology and magic live intertwined. I hope that you will find my stories interesting enough to be frequent visitors to where my heart beats.
I am continuing to write my stories of intertwined technology and magic. The challenges of that are fertile grounds for many story lines and series. Several of those planned for the next few months have been listed below. I am happily writing each of them, discovering new worlds, new situations and new challenges. The wonder for me is the number of readers that are enjoying my visions and tales.
Enjoy the stories in the emerging genre of techmage!
Please feel free to contact me via email at [email protected] or visit my blog or my Amazon page.
Unfettered Mage
We Are Not Prey
Fleet of the Mage
Fleet Genesis - Early 2018
BattleMage Investigates
An Attitude Adjustment
Battle Cadre Rises - Mar 2018
Frozen Hands - Early 2018
Maritime Madness - TBD
Badger Hole Bar
Thru the Badger Hole
Grand Opening - Feb 2018
The Remembrance Wall - Early 2018
Raise a Glass - Feb 2018
Treasured Knowledge - Feb 2018
Echoes of Knowledge - Feb 2018
The Brewmaster and the Beekeeper - Feb 2018
Skittering Shadows - Mar 2018
Passage Beyond - Mar 2018
Becoming Sephera
A Learning Experience
You Just Go On - Early 2018
Life Rebuilt - 2018
New Paths - TBD
Standard of Honor
In the World of the Federal Witch
Shade of Honor
Coven Codex - Early 2018
A Confluence of Covens -TBD
Familiar Magic
Familiar Shadows
Familiar Trials - Fledgling
Familiar Travels
Familiar Trials - Expert - Early 2018
Familiar Trials - Master - Mid 2018
Familiar Trials - Adept - TBD
Cookbooks
The Badger Hole Bar Food Cookbook
Fergus Favorites Cookbook
Marcella's Garden Cookbook
Marcella’s Summer Bounty Cookbook
Marcella’s Autumn Harvest
Tasting Sampler
A Food Palate - Holiday Heartwarmers
Taking it on the Road
Baba’s Kitchen - Coming Soon!
Anthologies
The Expanding Universe: An Exploration of the Science Fiction Genre
The Tide: The Multiverse Wave
Inanna's Circle: Flight of Imagination - Thru the Darkness
Holiday Heartwarmers: An Anthology of Short Stories
Inanna's Circle: The Game Begins
Mysterious Hearts
Journal with a View
CyberWar: Digital Battlefield
CyberWar: Byte Conflict
Prime Fantasy
Phoenix Fantasy
Phoenix Imagining
The Imp Prince
The Goblin and the Grocer
Prime Peek I
Snapshots of Life I
Tales from the Pumpkin Patch
Haunted Hearts I
Reindeer Don’t Fly
Contributing Authors
It is far more enjoyable to read stories when you have some idea of who is behind the story. That knowledge adds an extra dimension to any readers enjoyment. Rather than me creating that introduction, each of the authors was asked to create an introduction of themselves so that you can get to know them a little bit better. We also asked them to identify the books and stories that they think you might enjoy.
It is my fond hope that you will find the authors interesting, the books and stories intriguing, and the whole experience worthwhile.
Author Introduction – Nathan Howe
Nathan is a writer of science fiction and fantasy. He has superhero stories as well as dystopian, apocalyptic. time travel, and YA fantasy. Nathan loves writing across many genres as they allow him to create varied and interesting stories.
His hobbies are vast but include reading, exercising, video games, Netflix, and going to movies. Outside of writing, Nathan is proud of his time in the Military. Nathan also loves his cat, Luna. She spends her days plotting to distract him and is usually successful.
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
The Ardent Saga
Not all heroes are equal
Djinn Park
Burning Out
Power Sink
The Gadget King
Frozen Aura
The Ardent Saga Volume One (1-5)
The Stone of Azuria
The Butcher of Djinn Park
The Ascension of Natalia
Remy’s Aghast
Enter Assassin
Assault of the Mechajunks
Even Superheroes Fall in Love
Collab with Kris Endicott - Mysterious Hearts
Rise of Lacerate – Coming Soon
Emerge
Origin. Superheroes. Apocalyptic.
Emerge: Cataclysm
The Cretun Chronicles
Young Adult. Survival. Adventure.
Phoenix Galactic (Harper)
Jeremiah
Miles
Aiden
Philip
Mason – Coming Soon
The Elementalist
Young Adult Elemental Magic
The Prophecy - Phoenix Prime FO Anthology
Flight of the Phoenix (Scheme of the Wind)
The Goblin and the Grocer (The Draft and Her Mother)
An Absent Gale
Time Marshal
Time Travel. Cops. Protection.
Time Marshal
First Trip - Ticking of the Phoenix Clock - Coming Soon
Urban Fantasy Series
Supernaturals running for their lives
The Shattered Veil
First Dawn – Coming Soon
Alastair – Badger Hole Bar – Coming Soon
Boxed Sets/Collections
The Ardent Saga Volume One
The Ardent Saga Volume Two
Anthologies
Phoenix Galactic
Flight of the Phoenix
The Goblin and the Grocer
Snapshots of Life I
Haunted Hearts I
Phoenix Fantasy II
Phoenix Galactic II
Prime Fiction II
Primed for Action: Defending Home
Author Introduction – Stacey Nelson
Stacey Nelson is a delightful author of several books while being a mother of nine children. Writing has been her goal since her children were very young, often telling her children stori
es as a form of entertainment. Over the years those stories grew.
The Ubiquitous series is her first published. There are many more to follow.
She enjoys books new and old and says old books often call to her from neglected book store shelves.
Stacey's writing goals are to many too list, but the greatest are to write stories until she is 100, to see the spark of imagination and wonder as a result of sharing her stories with others, and to teach her children anything is possible with constant effort toward a goal.
Publications
Ubiquitous; The Grey-Hearted
Ubiquitous; The Black-Hearted
Anthologies
Sensorium I (Coming Soon)
Prime Peek II
Author Introduction – Ryland Thorn
Ryland Thorn is a bookworm and movie nerd who lives in the spectacular Nelson-Tasman region of New Zealand with his wife and two crazy cats. When not in front of the computer or reading, Ryland can be often be found on the beach near his home, or out on the water in his kayak.
He loves writing unsettling tales of magic and darkness where the characters have real depth and the stories can shock. Shorter tales are a specialty, and he enjoys teaming up with other authors in anthologies of all types.
Stay in Touch
Email
Amazon Author Page
Twitter
Website
Anthologies
Phoenix Fantasy
Phoenix Galactic
Prime Fiction
Flight of the Phoenix
Prime Shadows
Prime Fantasy
Phoenix Force
Fairy Ointment
Shippietaro
CyberWar: Digital Battlefield
The Imp Prince
Phoenix Imagining
Prime Peek I
