Once I was finished eating, which was not long after I’d asked Tiberius to wait, we headed toward the bar. We passed back through the same square as before, but unlike last time I saw none of the men of binding, and instead of proselytizing all I could hear was a variety of gossip. People were talking about Ran-bow landing in the city, the most recent fight which she was attending, and also that Kingsland apparently had a new ruler. I didn’t know anything about Kingsland, but based on the name I had to assume they had, well, a King. I knew that’s where Millicent was from, but aside from that I didn’t know anything about it.

I broke from my thoughts when the Goblin’s Lament came into sight. It was full to bursting, with so many people drinking, that a number of them had spilled outside. Even as I watched, a man flew out of a window, breaking it, and landing on the cobblestones below. He was breathing, so I decided he wasn’t my problem. The glass that had shattered all flew back up from the ground and restored itself in the window, rendering it whole again. I chuckled, it made sense to have some kind of enchantment on an adventurer bar. I imagine that people being thrown from them wasn’t too uncommon. I’d need to keep similar things in mind for any guild buildings that got built later on.

I moved into the bar, dodging a drunken orc that was stumbling around and neatly hopping over a gnome who I nearly missed seeing as I walked. I’d thought the bar was loud from the outside, but once I was inside I was completely deafened by the cavorting, singing, storytelling, and outright yelling going on all throughout. I quickly lost Tiberius and somehow wound up near the center of several adventurers singing and dancing, spilling what seemed like gallons of wine onto the ground.

I dodged around a few kicking legs, and slipped on a puddle of what I prayed was ale. Luckily, my lightning quick reflexes allowed me to catch myself before I fell, by holding on to the belt of a large orc, pulling his pants halfway down before I was able to correct my footing. There were several laughs and the orc swiveled around. Before he could see me, I ducked down, and slipped behind a couple of tall elves out of his sight. Instead of seeing me, he saw a different man, and immediately began throwing punches, starting a small brawl around which the dancers circled to keep it from breaking out around the rest of the bar, and to get the best view of course.

“That was smoothly done, eh Flint?”

“Would’ve been smoother if he hadn’t ever fallen in the first place, Tinder.”

The two elves I’d ducked behind were talking to one another, but their eyes were on me, slight smirks on each of their faces. One of them was wearing dark brown leather armor, a bow on his back and a dagger at his side. The other was wearing a red robe with a pouch of regents at his side. Aside from the difference in attire, they were from what I could tell, identical with square pupiled lavender eyes that matched their hair and incredibly sharp features.

“Flint and Tinder?” I asked. “Really?”

They shrugged in unison. “Those are just our adventuring names. Non-elves have difficulty with the number of vowels in our actual names. Not to mention they rarely have the full hour of time needed to properly recite them,” said Tinder.

“I imagine in your case it would only take a half hour,” noted Flint with a sneer.

“Actually, my name is ju-”

“An Autumn Court half-breed? Probably closer to a quarter hour.”

“Autumn court?” I asked.

Tinder nodded. “With the orange hair, you’d have to be. I suppose Summer is possible, but considering the Summer and Winter courts don’t exist here I’d say Autumn it is.” He looked at Flint. “Poor thing doesn’t even know his heritage.”

Flint frowned dramatically. “Perhaps it’s for the best. Better no court than to be a member of Autumn’s.”

It had taken about a minute, but I was able to deduce that Flint and Tinder were assholes. I considered my options. I was curious to ask more about Elfland, even what they’d mentioned already had caused my gears to start turning, but I decided it wasn’t worth the abuse. I just cast grease at their feet, and walked away, heading for the bar.

I was gratified to hear a crash, some cursing, and even the sounds of a brawl breaking out, but decided not to turn around and get myself involved. Reached the bar, but still didn’t see Tiberius anywhere, but decided to settle in and have a drink. The bar would be the easiest place for us to find one another, and I didn’t want to move just for him to come looking for me shortly afterward.

The bartender was mixing, pouring, and dispensing drinks at an incredibly rapid pace. I had to actually activate my Focus ability to be able to read his movements as he managed to serve every customer at a rapid clip. There were waitresses helping, but from what I could tell all the drinks came from him. There was magic humming all around me, but I heard a particular tune of it emanating from him. He must’ve been using some kind of spell or enchantment to keep up with the demands of his patrons.

“What would you like?” I heard a woman’s voice speak.

“Uh..” I looked around.

“Down here stretch.”

I looked down to see a dwarven woman with a magnificent beard behind the bar, giving me an impatient glare.

“An ale, and something mixed and sweet. Whatever’s easiest.”

She nodded, moved over to the bartender, his limbs briefly blurred, and suddenly she was back with my drinks.

“Eight copper.”

I handed her a silver, needing to lean over the bar a bit to get it into her hand. “Keep the change.”

She winked at me, and slipped it into her beard..

I nursed my drink, which was in a tin cup cold to the touch. It was sweet, but strong, and I soon felt my head spinning a little bit. I left the ale alone, that was for Tiberius when he showed up. Suddenly, I felt a strong hand appear on my shoulder, and looked up to see a massive man. I momentarily prepared a line about how I wasn’t interested, but knew a guy I could mention him to, before I recognized that it was Rancor. His tattoos weren’t glowing this time, and there was no madness in his eyes, but he still gave off a tremendous sense of power.

“Rancor! Glad to see you’re here safe.”

“Thanks to you friend.” He pulled up a chair. “I’m glad they thought of inviting you to the celebration.”

“Invite? I just came here to meet someone.”

He laughed. “Really? Then you don’t know why everyone’s here partying?”

I shook my head.

“All the other high level adventurers have been returned to us by the dragon! This party is to celebrate their return. Those well enough to celebrate themselves anyway.”

“Huh, I had no idea. Glad she’s holding up her end of the bargain though.”

Rancor scratched his chin. “Perhaps they didn’t invite you because they’d rather someone had killed her rather than befriended her.”

“Wouldn’t that have trapped them in whatever curse they were in, or left them in whatever distant land she’d sent them to?”

He shrugged. “Some people have more spite than sense. Speaking of, I heard what you did to my boss.”

I grimaced. Dominus, the patrician I’d struck after refusing to work for him, had been Rancor’s boss. I hadn’t mentioned my altercation with him even after we’d met. “I uh, didn’t think it was a sensible thing to bring up when we first met.”

He nodded. “Wise choice. Can’t really blame you given the state you were in at the time. Don’t worry, I have my old job, but I told him specifically that I wasn’t going after you. He did ask though, so I’m sure there will be other people in his employ that accept the offer.”

“I figured as much, though I’m grateful I won’t have you to worry about. Still a bit stiff from last time.”

“I do owe you a favor, as do all of the other adventurers you freed from the dragon, so any time you need us you just let me know.”

I smiled, gears turning in my head. “I appreciate that. I may be in touch very soon.”

Rancor nodded, grabbed four mugs of ale, and pushed his way back into the crowded floor of the tavern. As he left, Tiberius appeared with Cassius in tow, clearly a dozen drinks in. It was very clear to me we wouldn’t be getting any work done.