Mid Evening - Early Spring : Springarrow City, Elynnor

I rubbed my stomach as I leaned back in my chair.

The musicians had long since left, leaving just me and a small group of adventurers that were dead asleep in the silent room.

"Did you enjoy the food?" The mighty pirate queen, Emelia, sat on the edge of the table. We got fairly familiar with each other as the night passed.

"Well of course I did! I wouldn't have eaten 3 whole specials if I didn't." I gave her a satisfied smile.

"I was starting to get worried that we were gonna run out of food. The cook in the back told me that he refused to cook anything else." She showed her pearly white teeth with a comfortable smile.

"Haha, you know what? I'll take another!" I raised my dented wood mug into the air as I looked back towards the door to the kitchen with a smug look.

"NO!" *Crash* I heard a wild cry from the back. "PLEASE NO!" *Crash* *Thud*

There was a serious racket coming from the kitchen until I saw a middle aged man's head pop out around the corner.

"I'm so tired.." He looked at me with desperate eyes.

"Pfft-Haha, I was joking man. Come here and let me give you a tip before you leave though." He had already started cleaning up the kitchen earlier so he was about to leave.

"A.. tip?" He looked a bit confused.

"Here.." I nonchalantly pulled out a gold coin and tossed it to him.

"Huh?" As he caught it, he just stared at the coin in disbelief.

"Think of it like a bonus reward for all of your effort." I held up my mug and looked over at Emelia. "I will take one last refill though."

She gave a little pout. "How are you gonna let him leave but not me?"

"Are you not the owner of this place?" I propped my feet up onto the table.

"My father is.." The air quickly became awkward.

Figuring it was a touchy subject I decided to veer away from it. "Well in any case, what's keeping you from closing the tavern and making me leave?"

"I can't make you leave because this area is shared with the adventurers guild which never closes. That's why those guys over there who've been dead asleep for over an hour are still there." She pointed over her shoulder towards the group of drunk, sleeping adventurers as she picked up my mug.

"So why are you pouring me another glass for instead of leaving?" I watched as she slowly filled the mug with Orange Death, the type of booze I had been drinking all night. (Its called that because you can't really taste the alcohol content)

Her demeanor changed as soon as I asked. "I don't know.." She turned around and walked back over to me. "Maybe it's because I feel like I can squeeze more money out of you~" She gave a sly smile.

-That's a lie..- Her smile was forced. -But what is she plotting..-

As we talked throughout the night, one of the many things I learned about her was that she was extremely smart and always spoke carefully. She was the scheming type.

I reached up and carefully grabbed the mug from her. "I feel like I've given you more than enough to cover everything even if I were to ask for another 500 refills." I took a small sip.

"You said the extra was my 'tip' though~" She hopped up on the table.

*Thud* I tossed my ID up next to her. "Just charge it on that, I'm too lazy to make more coins."

She raised her eyebrows not understanding what I meant by making coins before looking over at the ID. "To think you were a bigshot~" She spoke playfully as she gently picked it up.

I casually took another sip of my drink and petted Ilios as she carefully examined it.

"You even have royal insignias that Ive never seen before.." She rubbed her thumb across the back of the ID.

-Hm?- "Have you never been to the Main continent?"

"No, I recognize Kaelallan.. its these other two.." She paused as she looked incredibly closely at the other two insignias. "A black wolf.. and a white dragon.." She reluctantly looked up at my ears. "I must have had too much to drink.." She lightly tossed me back my ID.

-What is that supposed to mean?- I quickly moved my drink and caught my ID. "Wait, you aren't going to charge anything?" I was a bit shocked she didn't go empty my balance.

"You already paid way too much, I'd feel guilty if I took more." Her unusual nervousness finally slipped through.

"Haha, making money is just good business. Nothing to be guilty of." I set down my mug and put my ID in my pocket.

We sat in silence for a moment before she laid back across the table.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course!" She responded with conviction but her body lacked her previous confidence.

"Is there something on your mind?"

"Haah.." She thought to herself for a moment before blandly responding. "No.."

Everything about her response made me want to leave. My gut told me I'd get wrapped into something troublesome if I stuck around any longer.

Finishing my drink, I pulled my feet off the table. "Well, it seems like I've gotten too comfortable." I casually tidied my clothes and got ready to leave. "I'll get out of your hair."

But as soon as I went to stand up she pressed her hand on my shoulder. "Could you.. stay a bit longer?" She wore a forced smile as her face lost a bit of color.

-She's scared of something?- It was the last kind of reaction I would have expected. "Is there something you need me for?"

She quickly jerked her hand back and sat up. "It's nothing like that.."

"So? Why do you look scared?" I looked her up and down. Her entire demeanor of being a strong willed and untouchable woman from earlier had completely disappeared. She looked like a dog with its tail tucked under it.

"I know it's probably too much to ask for.. but.." She reluctantly glanced over at me. "Can you stay here for just a bit lo-"

*Creak*

The door to the tavern creaked open making her face completely drain of color.

At this point, I had given up on trying to escape whatever trouble was coming. I was more curious about what could make her iron will crumble. -She's strong physically and mentally, and is the daughter of a ridiculously influential pirate captain..-

As the door opened, a tempered aura easily surpassing Lawtons flowed into the room. -Who the..-