“Monsoon season was upon Avelon. The regular afternoon downpour made travel difficult, but it also dampened the number of patrons frequenting the Tarnished Crown. Most of the regulars did not want to risk being caught in the storm on their way home. Not only did you risk getting soaked, more than one drunk had been found dead face down in a puddle or ditch the next morning. In this weather, if you were going to drink it was best to drink at home.

Corbis took advantage of the situation to tidy up the place and catch up on a little maintenance work. As the gnome stood on the bar putting new candles in one of the chandeliers, the front door unexpectedly opened. Corbis nearly fell off the bar. Through the door came a team that was clearly from LUSTria.

No less than fourteen incredible amazon specialists casually walked in. They stood proud and tall in their full glory, soaked from head to toe in the storm.

Corbis sat down on the bar to take it all in.

It would be hard to find a physical fault with this group. Blond, brunette, redhead, blue hair, tall, almost midget short, dark completions, light completions, blue eyes, brown eyes, honey eyes, and a set of triplets. All were represented.

Coming from a land populated entirely by women, there was little need for modesty and they wore what was functional for the climate. In this unusually hot weather wore light thin attire the rain did what will do.

When the coach Eldrich Fox came in, Corbis did not even notice him. He had just noticed how the rain had caused the carefully applied war paint around the amazon eyes to streak down each one of their beautiful faces.

Helmut Wulf had also accompanied the team and he politely tapped Corbis on the arm. “If you could be bothered to take our gold, we would like lodging until our match with the Archers.”

At the mention of gold, the gnome started to pay a little attention to the males in the room. “What do you require? We try to cater to everyone.”

Eldrich responded. “I heard you are equipped for dark elf tastes. Those accommodations should do well. We have no equipment or wagons only two mules for the team, a horse, and saddlebags for each of us. We just need you to stable the mounts.”

Corbis mumbled his approval. “Dark elf accommodations.” He thought to himself. “I thought they were freaks.” Before showing the team around the establishment he went to the door and hung a “No Vacancy” sign on the outside of it. Under the circumstances he did not want any more customers.

When Kondor learned there was an Amazon team lodged at the Tarnished Crown all he could do was sigh in resignation. He had purposefully avoided amazon teams because it was the only race the Archers had not yet faced. After this match he would be sporting a new tattoo.

As could be expected at this time of year, the game was played in the mud and muck to the absolute glee of the spectators. It was inevitable that the fans would invade the pitch considering eye candy on the field. It was also inevitable that every fan who chose to set foot on the field was carted off on a stretcher as neither the Amazons nor High Elves found the behavior acceptable.

Fortunately for the Archers, most of them did not have goolies to get. Rather Revwe single handedly took control of the match by injuring four amazons. Corbis was visibly shaken as he and the Amazon apothecary tried in vain to save Ann. In the days prior to the match she was one of several Amazons who took an interest in the gnome.

When both teams finally retired to the showers to wash the blood and grime away, the final score was 1-0 in favor of the Archers.


”