Prompt: Scarlet, Myth, Tender, Search, Choice (use at least 3 of these)

Sven clapped once and lay his hands flat on the bar, waiting to catch the tender’s eye. The man was busy, using all four arms to pour and push drinks across the bar to servers, who whirled away into the crowd like bees around a hive. Sven waited patiently. Finally, the tender poured a shot of the house brew and slid it down the bar to stop exactly between Sven’s hands. He lifted the glass in gratitude and drank it one gulp. To do less would be a grave insult.

To cough as the burn roared down his throat into his belly would be even worse. Sven grinned and slammed the glass down on the bar. The tender poured a tall glass of cooling amber and slid it down without spilling a drop. Sven took a sip, smiled wider, and took a long draught to quench the fire in his gut. The tender nodded approval and went back to pouring drinks as fast as his servers could whisk them away. Sven sat down at the bar. It might take all night, but he had earned at least one or two answers from the tender. He would wait.

It did take all night, and several more fiery shots and cooling draughts, but Sven got the answers he needed before he tucked ten scarlet bars in the tender’s chest pocket, where he lay with his head rolling on the bar. Enough to buy the bar, if he chose. Enough to pay his passage home.

Sven’s walked out of the port bar and looked up to the tri-moons, setting before the first sun’s light. Answers always seemed to lead to yet another question, but for now, he had a new destination, and a new hope, that his search might one day lead him home.

Dogs in house:	Houdini
Time writing:	20 minutes
May word count:	16,382