3a. Secret Passage - The Last Tea Shop
Shop name: The Vagrant Tea Leaf
Supplies: sea salt, ginkgo leaf, giant puffball
It's been a few days since the last visitor, and the insistent drizzle still isn't letting up.
While I'm lost in my daydreaming, the door opens, startling me.
"W-welcome!" I greet my new visitor. They're carrying a lute, so I assume they must be a musician of some kind.
Tired, yet exuding self-confidence, the visitor nods at me and sits down at the table.
As I brew a cup of Gumboot Tea for the mysterious stranger, I fire off my first question: "You look like someone who might have traveled a lot. Have you ever seen something unusual, and if so, what was it?"
"It must indeed show that I've traveled, and in fact, I feel so very tired. You could certainly say I've laid eyes on a myriad of peculiar folks, visited strange places, and encountered wondrous things. The oddest of all was perhaps that book…" They sigh, getting lost in their thoughts for a moment before resuming; "I was roaming the hallways of a castle, one night after a show. Truth be told, I sought the castle's kitchens, for I always feel a hollow pit in my stomach around midnight.
The surroundings were shrouded in darkness, and my only companion was a flickering torch. I stumbled over an unseen obstacle, my face nearly meeting the cold stone floor; right then, I heard the clanking of heavy armour and turned to see it sliding aside, along with the wall behind it. I had found a secret passage.
At that point, I couldn't resist, so I ignored the protests of my hungry stomach and ventured inside. I had only heard of secret passages in fantastic tales before; can you imagine the excitement I felt?
The passage led me to a chamber lined with bookshelves. A singular, small tome rested upon a reading desk at its center, open. Its pages were covered in intricate symbols, similar to runes.
As soon as I touched its pages, I was taken by a powerful vision: I suddenly had knowledge of everything happening within the walls of castle and outside, in the nearby town; I glimpsed into the lives of its denizens, witnessing their actions and emotions…
I was aghast. That was devilry of the highest order, and while I was tempted to turn the tale of my adventure into a song, my instincts urged me to put miles between me and that cursed place. Initially, at least. Then, I decided I couldn't abandon such a book."
"Fascinating," I comment earnestly, while bringing over the tea. "So, what did you do? Did you hide it?"
I hover around with my serving tray under my arm as they take a few sips and then reply.
"Hmm, marvellous tea. Yes, I deemed it prudent to steal and then hide the tome. Perhaps I should have followed my instincts instead and let it be; I might have lived longer, in that case.
Yet, as fate wanted, I had to perform again the following night - this was a private encore for the Sovereign and select kin; the night ended earlier than usual.
I feigned sleepiness, and soon after I sneaked out of my room. I recalled the location of the secret passage; identifying which floor tile to move was child's play. It seemed like a big flaw in design, but it certainly worked in my favour.
I infiltrated once again, grabbed the tome, and hastened away. I fled the castle using a makeshift rope woven from tied-together sheets.
After many days of traveling, I reached a vast lake and threw the accursed book into its depths, hoping no one would ever find it; perhaps the water damage would put a stop to the tome's evil magic.
Alas, the Sovereign noticed the theft, and it required little imagination to pinpoint the culprit. Admittedly, my scheme could have been more artfully devised... and now I find myself here."
They stare in the distance, theatrically, their soul clearly warmed up by the tea.
With a smile, I observe them stare at every little detail within the shop before leaving.
"I don't suppose you know my last customer?" I ask, as they stare at the portrait of the gambler.
"I do not, but I recognize the expression of someone who had a hard life. Well, I'll be off then, and thank you for the tea!"
They happily close the door behind them, grab the lute and play a song, the echo still lingering as they disappear in the warm drizzle.
This is a playthrough of a solo TTRPG called The Last Tea Shop, by Spring Villager.
You can check it out on itch.io: https://springvillager.itch.io/last-tea-shop
