Aside from being unseasonably cool, the day had been like any other for Tarek. Ever since he made the deal with the five Gods for the restoration of Tyrrian and his other friends after their death's in another dimension; his time had been occupied with satisfying the debt he incurred. The bulk of which was to aid in the creation of a Warrior Order dedicated to Sashu and led by Tyrrian.
At the moment Tyrrian was off with some of the other Heroes of Eros completing a task set by the five Gods, and Tarek had stayed behind to oversee the pawn shop he now owned (making sure there was adequate inventory & sales); training his assistants and securing a smithy for his friend. A large portion of the profits from these enterprises were going to be used to support the Scarlet tigers. Tarek had also negotiated with some local merchants for various sundries and equipment for the order. These were all important tasks, but none he had found particularly exciting.
A part of Tarek relished his new responsibilities and standing in modron - he had come a long way from the poor farm boy and troublemaker of Eros. However, he was also getting restless, the need for excitement was gnawing at him. It was fortuitous that this morning he had received a note that Mike Lee and the dwarf Declan Rockclimber, whom he had spending quite a bit of off time with, wanted to meet later at the Grin Reaper to discuss a potential venture he was uniquely suited for. Never one to turn down the chance for a dwarf stout at the Reaper, he looked forward to this meeting.
As the shop was being closed for the day, Tarek decided to place the erocian steel sabre Tyrrian had crafted for him into his personal vault. The saber was forged of a combination of rare steel and God-Metal and set with precious gems and items collected from previous adventures. Alongside the saber lay his birch wood short bow, quiver of arrows and other assorted adventuring gear. Tarek was never one to go into danger without his favored weapons, but also knew not to draw unwanted attention to oneself by traipsing around Modron armed to the teeth. He opted to take only an elven forged mithral dagger, a handful of assorted throwing knives secreted about his person and a brace of silvered darts. All this was easily concealed beneath his deep green cloak.
The sun was just setting and Tarek decided he would go to the Dealer's Delight for supper and a round or two of darts before meeting the others at the reaper. Locking the door behind himself a the wind whipped down the alley bringing with it a hint of the nights chill. "Feels like a storm coming." he thought to himself as he looked at the dark clouds moving in from the west.
Upon arrival at the Dealer's Delight, he made his way past the gaming room and beyond his usual table near the fireplace. Instead tonight he chose one of the few secluded alcoves. Generally he sat near the fireplace and enjoyed the view of the game room beyond. This, coupled with his pipe and ale was the perfect spot to while away the nights waiting for the perfect mark or game to show itself. Tonight though, Tarek wanted to be alone and decompress from the monotony of the past weeks. After ordering his ale and food, he leaned back into the shadowy alcove - only the unwise left their back open in the Dealer's delight - and lit his pipe stuffed with fine halfling weed. A few long deliberate drags from his worn pipe soothed his anxiousness.
His plate and mug finally arrived and Tarek began to relax, as much as one could in the hub of criminal activity that was the Delight. As he ate Tarek turned his thoughts to what Mike Lee had in store for later and when that new bar-wench might be finishing her shift.
Settling back into his chair half-listening to the music and drinking another ale, the pipe weed was starting to take its toll allowing the shadows to to dance along the walls in beat with the bard's song. Any other night Tarek would have welcomed the effect, but he had business this evening and thought it better to get moving before becoming too relaxed.
Rising Tarek tossed a few coppers onto the table, gave a wink and a grin to the barmaid and headed for the side door. Upon exiting he was greeted by a wind driven rain that chilled him to the bone. Drawing his cloak tightly about himself he began to make his way to the Grin Reaper and whatever adventures his new friends had planned.
Normally Rampant Real was busy with beggars, street hustlers, vendors and prostitutes. However the steady downpour and strong winds had caused all but the most desperate to stay indoors. Tarek saw some of the more fortunate residents of Modron boarding carriages to arrive unsoaked at their evening destinations.
It was within sight of the Reaper when Tarek encountered three figures emerging from an alley. He had noticed them huddling under an overhang and they appeared to be quite desperate, which was evidenced by their dirty faces and tattered clothing. Each man bore the tattoo of the WSC, or Waterfront Storage Company. Recognizing the situation he was in, the hair on the back of his neck began to stand and he could feel the adrenaline canceling the effects of the earlier pipe and ale. A lone figure approached him from across the street, cursing under his breath Tarek palmed his elven dagger in his right hand and two darts in his left while picking up his pace. The lone man did not match Tarek's pace and as he passed the three furtive men he recognized them as the sons of Snaketooth Tode. Farle, Desiradel and Toudel; all or whom eyed Tarek as he walked by them ready for a confrontation. Since the disappearance of Boss Ogo [see Chapter 15], Tarek had been assigned the post of city fence by the Guild and Snaketooth had been quite unhappy with that turn of events.
The door to the Grin Reaper opened after Tarek's application of the secret knock, and breathing a sigh of relief he realized that all the effects of his previous ales and pipe had evaporated. The disappointment of which lasted mere seconds as he ordered a fresh dwarf stout. Unlike regular stouts found in most taverns. dwarf stout was the result of a brewing technique that used unknown varieties of malts and hops as well as secret fermentation processes and barrel aging. The resulting stout was at least two to three times as strong as human stouts and was capable of being transported farther before going bad.
As a rule humans were not allowed into the Grin Reaper without having been specifically vetted and invited by the owner Samm Widebrow. However, as Moep was widely adored by the halfling population of Modron certain members of the Heroes of Eros had been allowed permission as long as they were always a guest of either a dwarf or halfling companion. This was how Tarek was privy to the knock which gained him entry. The reaper had quickly become a favorite of Tarek's and he constantly planned forays there with all his companions of shorter stature.
The stout immediately drove off the chill and was followed by an audible sigh of contentment as he took the first tilts of the boozy concoction which wrapped him like a warm blanket. Before finishing the first Tarek ordered a second and began to scan the dimly lit bar in search of his companions. He spotted Mike Lee sporting an outrageously large hat in a far corner furthest from the bare knuckle brawling that was tonight's entertainment. Nimbly making his way through the boisterous crowd - more to avoid spilling any of the stout than to not offend any patrons, Tarek sat on a short stool facing both the dwarf and halfling.
"Well met." exclaimed the human raising his mug in gesture of a toast.
"Well met indeed!" belted Declan with a sharp clap on Tarek's shoulder, causing him to spill all his stout on the table. Seeing the look in his face Declan continued, "Don't you worry lad, there's more where that came from!" and he motioned for another round at the table.
As the new mugs of stout were placed before them, Mike Lee leaned in close and flashed his wicked grin. Tarek couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the large and obviously worn old pirate hat perched on the halflings head.
Taking a huge quaff of the stout, Mike lee looked Tarek in the eye and said, "So, what do you know about the secret undercity entrance hidden in the City Jail?"
The End
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