Colin paid for a drink and was content to wait for the dinner rush to start.

The few people in the room grew steadily over the coming hour until the tavern was nearly packed. The smell of the food, alcohol, and bodies filled the air quickly and choked out the remaining fresh air. The worst was when one group walked in with lit cigarettes in hand, adding that to the smell.

Most of the people in the room were enjoying themselves and their meals. The atmosphere in the room was tired since most of these people must have just gotten off work. While groups in the place existed, many kept their heads down, focused on the food and drink before them

The person who agreed to let him play, a man named Trent, came up to Colin and took the empty mug in front of Colin and pointed to the stage. “Ready?”

“Of Course,” Colin said, standing from his stool. Colin removed his backpack and help it for Trent to take. “Can I leave this behind the bar?”

Trent rolled his eyes at the inconvenience but acquiesced and took the dirty smelling pack. Colin observed him putting it behind the bar before making his way up to the stage with his Banjo in hand.

A couple of people noticed him and watched with interest as he climbed onto the small stage and sat on the stool that was waiting up there for him. After a long moment to collect himself, Colin started playing.

He started out strumming a few of the notes slowly. Then he repeated the string of notes a few times before pausing for long seconds, looking out at the crowd and seeing them all looking at him.

Then he started the song up again, and it was an upbeat sort of somber tune that Colin Knew from his parents playing the song. It was from somewhere in the nineteen-eighties, and while Colin knew the lyrics by heart, he figured that he’d stick with the instrumental version for this performance.

After a minute of solid playing, he started tapping his heel into the stage floor to help with the song’s beat and was pleased to find that it helped. It was helpful enough that people were joining in with him and tapping their feet into the floor in time with him. Enthused by the crowd, Colin sped up his pace a little, and the crowd cheered in response.

But after a couple short minutes, the song was over, and Colin took a moment to relax his fingers.

Your Instrument Mastery (Banjo) is now level 3. Your skill with the Banjo is a little deeper than before.

The crowd clapped at his performance. Some people even tossed a couple of copper bits at the stage in appreciation for the entertainment.

Colin stood from his seat and looked out upon the busy tavern. “Thank you. I hope everyone here has had a good day today or, at least, they are starting to have a good time now!” Colin proclaimed to the crowd.

A few people cheered their ascent at his words, and Colin continued, “I admit, it’s hard for people to relax and have a good time with these trying times. Then we hear news of the Demon Lord Candidate appearing, and it can make everyone anxious or afraid. This next song is about hope, and it is one that is one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy it too”

Then Colin started his next song slow, going up and down chords steadily as he built the somber tone. The tone grew faster, and Colin worked to adjust the song’s melancholy mood to happiness, like the change from winter to spring. Building up speed over the next minute, Colin readied himself for the song’s final moments as he hit the complicated portion. He strummed several cords, going from slow to fast to slow again in the moments before the music’s ending notes. In the end, he slowed it down so each individual note could be clearly heard.

After a moment of silence, the crowd clapped their joy for the entertainment. The tavern was standing room only and more seemed to be standing just outside the establishment’s entrance. More copper bits flew onto the stage, and Colin felt one or two tap him on the top of the head before clattering to the floor.

“Alright everyone, unfortunately, I am new to all this, so my repertoire is pretty low. I do have one more thing to share with you awesome and hardworking people before I call it for tonight, and we go our separate ways. Are you ready?!” Colin called out to the crowd.

The entire room, including Trent, called back to him. “Yeah!”

Resetting his fingers on the Banjo, Colin connected his magic to the Banjo and located his target. It sat at the table in the middle of the room, and Colin began playing, the notes going up and down while he sped up the music. The speed increased more and more until someone finally noticed.

“What’s happening to my water?!” A man in a blacksmith’s apron yelled as he took a giant step away from the table and the pitcher of water Colin was working with. Using Bardic Magic and Frost Shaping, Colin carefully thought about his goal, as simple as it was, and used it.

For the first time, Colin could see the real effect of Bardic Magic combined with Style in Action.

All the water in the pitcher froze solid, a spike of ice rising from the pitcher into the air. The shard stood in the air, the lights in the room passing through and reflecting off the surface and creating a disco ball-like effect. It was something Colin was sure that he probably wouldn’t have been able to accomplish under these circumstances.

Everyone stared at the ice that stood tall in the center of the room. Then people turned to face Colin with a look of wonder in their eye. One by one, then everyone at once cheered at the display of magic that ended their dinner show.

Colin stood up from his seat and gave everyone a small bow as all the copper bits on the stage vanished at once.

Congratulations! Due to your basic, short, but well-done performance, you have increased everyone’s attitude in the room from Neutral to Optimistically Friendly. New Dialogue options are available for everyone in the room. You have now had 113 CB moved into your Dimensional bag, all being tips from appreciative listeners.

Colin mentally pumped his fist in joy. The money wasn’t that impressive, but it was a nice little bonus to the skill levels that he just gained. Most importantly was the relationship change of everyone in the room towards him. For all his plans in the city, the more people that liked him, the better off they would go.

Straightening out, Colin walked off the stage and passed through the crowd towards the bar where his bag waited. His stool had remained untaken, so he sat back in it and waited for Trent to approach him again.

When he did a minute later, Trent was all smiles, “the performance was a little short, and you really could have used a vocalist but overall, not bad, mister?”

“Just call me Walker,” Colin told him, returning the smile.

“Mr. Walker then. So tell me, how long were you expecting to be in town?” he asked, reaching under the counter and producing a tall, clear, half-full bottle and a small shot glass from under the counter. He poured Colin out a shot before recorking the bottle and returning it to its place. “Compliments of the house,” he confirmed to Colin so that he could drink it without worry.

Picking up the glass, Colin spoke while holding the cup close to his face, “a week or three. I don’t have a set plan on the length of time, just what I am going to do here. One of which is what you saw,” Colin pointed a thumb behind him towards the stage.

“You wanted to perform? I guess I can see that being a Bard,” Trent acknowledged while Colin sniffed the drink in his hand. It had a strong, sharp odor that cleared his sinuses and would likely peel the paint off a car.

Shrugging, Colin took the shot down in one swallow and let the pleasant burn move down his throat and stay in the core of his being. It didn’t really have a lot of taste, but the tingle and the warmth spreading within him was relaxing.

“Trent, I was considering going to see the inside of the Church of Anaheim. Can you tell me where it is?”

“Which one?” Trent smirked. “There are five churches within the city limits, one to the north, south, east, and west with the last in the city square. That does not include all the small shrines around the slums.”

“Oh,” Colin said, his mind working through the implications that this meant for his Demon’s Favor Quest. “Shit,” he hissed under his breath.

“What’s wrong, Walker?” Trent asked, curious about his new entertainer.

“Nothing,” Colin grumbled. Then he took a deep breath, and smiled at the man across from him, “It’s nothing. Been a long day, you know?”

“I hear ya,” Trent said, shaking his head in sympathy. “My shift ends at midnight, so I still have a way to go. I’d recommend you go take a rest though, a bed may do you good since you just came in,” he suggested, reaching down and grabbing Colin’s pack. He handed it to him over the bar and smiled as the Bard took it.

Colin nodded in agreement with the statement and put the pack on his back, “anywhere you suggest?”

“Here,” the bartender told him. “Since you were tonight’s entertainment, I can get you a room for free. No continental breakfast and no turndown service, though,” he grinned. “Oh wait, you have to pay extra for that sort of treatment.”

“Now that’s just evil,” Colin said, grinning.

“I know. I suggested it,” Trent informed Colin, winking before turning to face the woman working at the opposite end of the bar. He called out to the early twenties, blonde-haired, young woman wearing a knee-length green skirt and a midnight blouse with the bar’s name stitched on it. “U’Linda, get our Bard here the room key for 13 as soon as you can!”

“Okay!” U’Linda called as she set down the glass stein that she was rinsing out and stepped away from the bar. She scurried to the other side of the bar and around the corner out of sight. It took a minute or two, but the young woman returned with her blonde hair bouncing with her peppy jog.

“Trent, Harrison wants you to come explain why you are giving some rando a free room for the night. I’d hurry, he’s kind of annoyed already because of Trey,” U’Linda informed Trent.

The bartender sighed, massaged the bridge of his nose and walked, and the way U’Linda had a short minute ago. The woman looked at Colin with a twinkle in her eyes that promised mischief and energy. She reached into a pocket that was sewn into her skirt and produced a brass key, “here you go, Mister Musician,” She then placed the key on the bar and slid it to Colin.

He lifted an eyebrow at the woman who smiled at him, amused, “oh, Harrison is annoyed and does want to talk to him about you. But he did agree the room was fair compensation since you are not getting paid tonight.”

“Then why imply that he was in trouble?” Colin queried.

“Why else? For shits and giggles,” she grinned, enjoying the harmless chaos she created.

“Of course, what was I thinking,” Colin said, dryly. “Well, I am going to my room now, you have a good night, U’Linda,” Colin said, standing up from his stool and grabbing the key and walking around the corner.

This area was a stark contrast to the tavern area he was leaving. A podium of dark wood sat near a door, immediately adjacent to the path that someone might take if they entered through it. Just behind the podium sat a set of stairs that led to the second story where the living quarters waited. The area was an entrance built explicitly for those who wanted lodging and to stop people from just sneaking through to the rooms.

A man stood behind the podium with Trent just to the left of the podium, talking to whoever that was. He assumed it was that Harrison guy who sounded like their boss but lacked any way to know for sure.

Upon seeing him near, Trent nodded and pointed his thumb towards the stairs behind him, and Colin walked past without a word. He walked up the stairs that sat just behind the podium, pulling up his info sheet and rereading the prompt for the first demon favor quest.

Quest: The Demons Favor 1. Objective: Inside the Church of Anaheim in the city BriarThorn, an agent of the infernal has been captured and locked away in a spiritual ward that prevents his escape and all possible release from Hell’s forces. Release the Agent known as Sparhak and escort him to the Brass Balls Inn and Tavern to return your first favor. Reward: One returned favor, unknown. Time limit: None or until they erase the Agent.

“Dear lord, this is not helpful,” Colin grumbled as he reached the second floor. He walked down the corridor keeping an eye out for the room he was assigned. “Why would they give me a very unhelpful quest sheet. Which Church is this Infernal Agent in?”

At the end of the hall, near the next flight of stairs, he found room number thirteen and used the key. The lock clicked open, and he stepped inside.

The room was as one would suspect. A twin bed with the head sat against the leftmost wall, a dresser and mirror against the wall opposite him, and an actual bathroom with a real flushable toilet to his right. A picture frame with the symbol of Anaheim within it sat on the wall next to the mirror.

Nox appeared on the bed seconds after Colin closed the door, a bottle of inky black fluid in his hand. He removed the cork and took a swig of the spirits and sighed in pleasure, “Oh. My. Goddess. This is delicious,” Nox moaned as he recorked the bottle and slid it into his cloak. “That favor you asked me for is on the house. I took a quick look inside one of the underground groups’ contraband rooms and found this beauty.”

“Other than alcohol, what is it?” Colin asked, walking around the room. He removed his pack and set both it and the Banjo down next to the dresser.

“It’s a type of Mead made with Gloom Rose. It helps shadow creatures get a buzz since normal alcohol is really only effective with normal races. I haven’t been normal for a long time,” Nox said, looking at his coat for a moment before ignoring it and looking back at Colin. “So, I have good news for you.”

“Shoot.”

“There are several illegal groups in the city. One Dark Guild created and made up of Outworlders called ‘Nightmare Asylum’. Their modus operandi is focused around the worship of the ‘Almighty Copper,’ and they are hoping to lessen the Church of Anaheim’s hold on the city’s operations. From what I hear, they want to turn this city into their personal warehouse for goods.”

Nox took a breath and continued, “they are opposed directly by the ‘Cult of Scylla’. It’s a sort of monster god cult that forever works towards bringing their patron power. They fight against Nightmare Asylum simply because both want the city they cannot share it.”

“Lastly, we have the two most benign of the groups in the city. One is a sort of street gang that calls themselves the ‘Dread Queens,’ and the other is a thieves group without an actual name. It is headed by a woman named Gregoria Bernz. From what I could gather, they focus on thievery alone and do not believe in violence,” Nox explained.

He filed the information away and thought about it for a moment before asking questions. “So first, I will not deal with the Nightmare Asylum. In fact, if I can screw with them, I will do so with a clean conscience. Also, the cult is out too. I’d rather not deal with fanatics to any religion, especially ones that actually call themselves that.”

“Agreed, Scylla is oceanic horror and is not a creature to trifle with. Better to avoid dealing with them unless they engage you first,” Nox agreed.

“Anything else about the Dread Queens?” Colin asked.

“They are a bunch of warrior women brutes that, from what I heard, extort businesses and individuals for ‘violence insurance’. If you aren’t insured, you get the violence,” Nox said, with a head shake. “No imagination used there, but they get their money anyway. From what I could gather, they are using the money for something, but no one is sure what.”

“That’s a lot of information,” Colin observed, pointing out the obvious and letting the obvious question hang out there.

“Well, I discovered something quick while I was trying to find your information. Gregoria Bernz group has a side job that focuses on information gathering, and they are quite good. What I got came from what I could read from their files in the limited time I had,” Nox explained. “I don’t know what her true class is, but I admit I am curious to find out,” Nox admitted.

“Any idea of how large her group is?” Colin asked, curious.

“Somewhere between twenty to thirty people,” Nox said, pausing and grinning at Colin. “In the city alone. While she is the head of her group, she is trying to extend her reach elsewhere as we speak,” Nox informed him.

Colin grinned, “perfect. Where can I meet one of them?”

---

A half-hour later, Colin was standing outside a small shack of a restaurant a few blocks away from the tavern he’d performed in. It had a sign hanging over the door with the words, ‘Skillets of Power’ burned into it, and the smells coming from the building promised fried potatoes and smoked meats. For his sake, he hoped this included some vegetables, but he wasn’t going to push it.

With a smile, Colin stepped inside and surveyed the building. It was a little bigger than the outside led on. A counter separated the dining room from the kitchen, and a dark-haired woman with a messy apron hurried over a few seconds after he entered. She was more handsome than pretty, but the pleasant smile she gave him might have been disarming if he didn’t know what this place was.

“Hey there, Honey. My name is Henrietta, and I will be your server tonight, What can I do you for?” she asked, pulling out a small pad of paper from her pocket on the inside of her apron.

“Dinner and a conversation,” Colin said, holding his relaxed smile. Groaning internally, Colin said, “I believe someone here is expecting me, and I am hungry.”

Henrietta focused on him a little harder and frowned, “who are ya? I don’t recognize you.” she inquired, an eyebrow quirked.

“I go by Walker,” Colin told her. “And I do tip well,” he said, raising a fist and holding one of his Copper Coins between his index and middle fingers.

She narrowed her eyes, giving him the stink eye while thinking about how to deal with this unknown man in her midst. But after a thought entered her mind, she nodded and spoke, “Your conversation is with me, Walker. Come along,” she said gruffly, though he could hear the undertones of command in it.

Henrietta walked towards one of the doors that separated the kitchen from the dining area. She led him through the kitchen, which needed a dishwasher ASAP, and through another door. This one led into a set of stairs that led downward towards a basement level that Nox had told him was there. Once they finished descending in silence, he found himself in a corridor with many doors. She led him into the first empty room adjacent to the stairs.

“Alright, I have questions for ya,” she said, her tone almost demanded that there would be no argument. “How did you get that passphrase? I know the name of everybody who has it.”

“I have a powerful ally who figured it out,” Colin shrugged.

“Who is this ally?” she spat, her voice dripping with annoyance.

“I will not divulge that information,” Colin said cooly. “Lets just say that I am here to discuss business, and I needed a way to fast track my getting to this point.”

“And I suppose this Ally also told you about this location?” she asked, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently. “And the upfront fee?”

“Yes, he did,” Colin Confirmed, already tiring of these questions. “Henrietta, I am just trying to do business here. I apologize that I didn’t go through the usual channels to talk to you, but I just got into town and could use someone with ears to the ground, as it were.”

“Oh really, why is that, Walker?” she asked, dismissively. “Need help to find a lost girlfriend or family heirloom?”

Colin’s smile showed some teeth, “neither,” he said, flipping her the coin. She caught it and looked it over for a moment, then waited for him to continue. “Do you have a code of silence?” he asked, remembering what Nox had told him ‘Nondisclosure Agreements’ were called in Rosengard.

“We do unless it poses a real threat to us or the entire city, no one in the guild will discuss whatever we talk about. This coin ensures it,” she said, holding up the coin that he’d tossed her between her thumb and forefinger.

“I am looking for something the Church of Anaheim has caught,” Colin started. “An Infernal Agent of some sort called Sparhack. I do not need or want you to free it from captivity. I just need to know which Church it’s in, where in the Church it is, and what kind of defenses it has. If I can get a way inside, that would also be appreciated,” Colin laid out. At the same time, the woman stopped fidgeting in annoyance.

When he finished, Henrietta stroked her chin in thought as she considered her next words. She watched Colin for long seconds as if trying to peer into him and read his true intentions for any lies or deceit. After a moment, she smiled at him, “well Walker. First, on behalf of our leader, I’d like to apologize for my tone up until a minute ago. She has informed me,” she said, tapping the side of her head. “That as long as you can pay, we will attempt to do the job.”

Colin nodded, “good.”

“On a personal note, I’d like to say that you are crazy, doing anything with or for a Demon. Fucking evil bastards cannot be trusted. Demon’s can’t lie, but that doesn’t mean they always tell the truth, especially when they want something from you. Do you get me, Walker?” she asked, the acid in her tone quiet as she spoke seemingly from experience.

He nodded, “been burned by a Demon?”

“Yes, I have. My Ex-husband was a Hellish Caller and summoned Demon’s as part of his class. One told me that he’d been sleepin’ with a Succubus he summoned. Let’s just say that the fuckin’ Imp said that to see me punch him. He’d been knocked out in combat, and she’d laid down next to him while his contracted Demon’s waited for him to wake up,” she spat out angrily. “He didn’t lie to me, just left out that there was no sex involved.”

“Ouch,” Colin said, underlining his personal note on never trusting a Demon. “Thanks for the advice.”

“Don’t thank me, just be carefu-” she paused, coughed into her fist to clear her throat. “Okay, the boss has gotten back to me,” Henrietta said, tapping the side of her head again as she went back into professional mode. “She’s saying that we do have a report about the Church’s Holy Guard’s about six weeks ago capturing a Demon who was convening with a mortal. The mortal man got away, but they managed to anchor the Demon for questioning. We haven’t heard anything since then,” she told him, shrugging. “Honestly, we haven’t tried to gather more intelligence because it involves both the Church of Anaheim and a Demon.”

Colin bobbed his head in understanding. Everything he’d heard about the Church of Anaheim’s zealous behavior made him want to avoid them. Especially given his status at Antagonist and a Demon Lord Candidate. But this was not a quest he could ignore, and he had to get it done as discreetly as he could. It would not help him to get known amongst the Church for working with a Demon.

“So, how much will this cost me?” Colin asked, honestly afraid of the answer.

“For the moment, this will do,” Henrietta stated, flashing him the coin again. “How much this will cost depends on how hard this is, how long it takes, and if we lose any lives. Any questions?”

“Yeah, what would it cost to get information on specific Outworlders?” Colin asked, thinking of the future. “With no time limit? Just if you hear something,”

“Mostly, it depends on the Outworlders and where they are. We know the most about this city, but we have spread out and started forming in other cities. Such as Willows Cross and AshFren City, for example,” she explained. “That is the type of service that we will not charge you for unless we can get you something.”

“I knew I liked you guys,” Colin said happily. The gleam in his eye turned feral, and Henrietta swore that she saw a red glint in them as he spoke. “Have you heard of an Outworlder Guild called Krimson Spire?”