I made for the smorgasbord once more as I would seek cure for my torment. It felt like the hundredth time. Apparently the pale ale wasn't doing the justice I desired. My soul was in turmoil. I needed the torture to be wallowed. Alas, it was an insane idea, for it brought the depression harder...yet I couldn't stop now.

I clopped the tin mug to the table and breathed out, gathering every deductions and inferences to make a logical meaning of what I had beheld earlier. I tried very hard to make excuses for what I had seen -- perhaps too hard, but it was all futile. Whichever way, the sheer painful truth was I had lost Rina like I had lost Keiya.

The tavern was insanely reeked with stale beer and unwashed men. But what did I care with men who weren't smelling rosy..after all, in only moments I was sure too become like them.
  
While I poured selfishly the hard burning drink through my throat and wiped my lips occasionally, the waitress walked over to me and demanded her pay for my earlier taken drinks. I tucked my hand into my pocket and brought out the heavy purse.

I opened the purse without caution nor cares. The waitress exclaimed eying greedily the purse. I could also feel the exclaim of observing men, most of which eyed dubiously, and then I cursed under my breath to have been so mindless and careless.
 
I eyed the waitress sternly before handing her few copper coins from a change I had made, and then compelled her to leave with a cruel wave of fist.
 
The tavern was absurdly filled up with town folks and crazy drunks. But that of course was the usual manner. I understood my mistake in revealing my boyancy, and thus understood it was time to take my leave.
 
Abruptly I felt a strong hand hold me on the shoulder, and with a threatening low growl, ordered.
  "Give me quietly the money purse, and no harm would come to you."
 
What madness was this? A wild fool coming over to threaten me? He had no idea who I was and what state I had been tossed onto. Lucky for him, my mood was too bad that I wasn't even ready to run into a fight this night.

  "Spare your head lad, and walk away." I warned darkly, but somehow it seemed my words were falling on deaf ears, for his fist tightened harder on my shoulders.

  "Hand me the purse, or I shall be forced to stab you where you sit." He threatened again. My anger began to mount. This fool was mocking my patience.

  "Walk away!" I growled, but suddenly felt the pointing piece prick right on my ribs.
  
I was enraged by this stupidity. The righteous fury was consuming, and as it reached its zenith, I felt the surge overpowering my will.

It was an absolutely ruthless swing taking purchase right to the nose of the intruder. Red coppery fluid spurting out instantly as ripe tomato, it show was an expresser to my annoyance.

I desired to place another stern blow on the stunning man, then I felt a thicker hand grap my fist. I snapped my neck in a flash to be faced with a crude man snarling viciously at me. His appearance in general, specifically his unkempt red beards and tattered cloth, spoke well of his unrefined ways.
 
In the moment I struggled to free myself from this maniac, a blow dropped from my side taking land to my chin. My world shook. But I had barely recovered that wild blow when my eyes met with a newer personality.

With an insane impulse he rushed at me, jamming his shoulders to my chest, he used the force to bring my whole body to the ground.
  
From the ground I tussled hardly with the man atop me, till I had gained on him. After sinking my fist to his face a few times, I felt another strong hand grip me and lift me up like a mere piece of sheet.

Instinctively, I snapped my neck to the man on the right. Reaching his ear, I made sure my teeth didn't withdraw without taking something worth the struggle. Spitting out yanked off eye and blood, I smirked.

I had only succeeded in fueling their rage. They pounded on me, fist after fist. The patrons and other onlookers had barely involved themselves. My struggle was dying out, fading away by my loss of coordination and the vicious combo I was receiving.

I lost my will to fight, and then disciplined my being to defeat, allowing the men to their cause. 

They almost had their way!

Zhing!

The intrusion exiled it all. The flying piece hit one of the men and then his collapsing thud followed. I managed to peer. It was an arrow, made of goose feather at the rear.

And just then the bearer of the the arrow broke into the building.

  "You can choose," he said. "to be like your friend, or to walk away from the poor fellow." He addressed them with another arrow nocked upon his bow string.

  "Walk away!" One of the men scoffed, even though he considered the presence of the old man with shock like his other companions.
  "It is four of us and just you, and we can cut through you like a hot knife upon a cheese cube."

  "True. If you live to see it any way." The old man breathed.

  "So what," the man in front frowned. "say you loose your grip and knock me down dead, my men would be at you sharp like a stilettos."

  "I am ready to take my chances, at least I would have claimed two men in so, giving my poor friend a fighting chance. By good fortune, he may travail and flee. I would have played my part whichever way. So you, are you ready to take your chances?" The old man addressed the supposed leader of the gang, who now seemed like he was weighing his options.

But he made his decision soon. Abruptly he turned to grip me but was banned. Like a flash the arrow soared, then sunk into his arm, almost to his jugular, and in a moment the old archer had nocked again.

  "That was not part of the arrangement, my rude friend." He snarled with bow fixed and arrow pointing to the enemies.
 
Fortunately, after a brief consultation with signs they made their resolve and then drew back, walking away with the back exit. But the archer was still cautious. He wouldn't let down his defence...not yet!
 
I took a deep gasp like a beached fish. My heart fluttered beneath my ribs like a caged bird.
 
The grey beard man after a while walked up to me and with sheer might of his arm lifted me and staked me up all the way leading me out the door. My gaze danced from his shoulders and to his quiver. The handful of goose feather arrows were the last things I saw before it all went black for me.