Within a minute, Justin and Lila were sitting down with pints of cool ale. The common room of The Silver Stag was lively, almost nearly full given the lateness of the hour. The patrons were a mix of working people, dressed in simple, practical clothing, and a few richer folks, adorned in finer fabrics and jewelry. This eclectic mix told Justin it was popular among all crowds. The buzz of conversation meant that whatever they talked about wasn’t likely to be picked up in their little corner of the common room.

“So,” Justin began. “Tell me about growing up in Daeloria.”

Lila smiled. “What’s there to know? The food’s divine, the wine is the best in Serenthel, and of course, the maids are the prettiest.”

“I believe it, if you're any example."

Her eyes crinkled with amusement as she took a drink.

"Daeloria seems to be beyond the Seraphim Range, right?" Justin asked. "On the far western side of the continent.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Far from home, then.”

“Very,” Lila said, somewhat sadly. “I miss it, of course. But I don’t miss those thugs coming after me.”

“Where was the last place you saw them?” Justin asked. “Surely, they wouldn’t chase you this far.”

“I saw them last in Stonehaven, a mountain town in the Seraphim Range. It’s the border between Aranthia and Daeloria. Lost them by paying a kindly farmer to hide me in the hay bales of his cart. Haven’t seen them since.”

“Do you think they’re still chasing you?”

“I don’t want to take the chance. My debt is pretty sizeable. And it grows larger every day. I…may have insulted the one who sold me the Bard Core. That might have something to do with it.”

“What did you say to him?” Justin asked, amused.

Lila smirked. “I told him he had the face of a troll and the manners to match. Not the wisest thing to say to a man who has a dozen goons at his command.”

“Damn,” Justin said. “That’d do it.”

“That’s why I’m heading for Draegor’s Keep. It’s at the butt end of nowhere, at least as far as Aranthia is concerned. They say it’s cold and rainy, the opposite of Daeloria. I think it’s the last place they’d look for me. If all goes well, perhaps I can make a life there. And if push comes to shove, well, it’s a port. I can hop on a ship and head to Calidon.”

“Calidon,” Justin said. “That’s another continent, right?”

Lila nodded. “Mostly orcs live there, at least in the western half. But there are human enclaves. Wouldn’t be a simple life, but at least I’d keep my kneecaps.”

“An important consideration, to be sure.”

Lila drained the rest of her mug, her eyes going up to an open archway that seemed to lead into a separate common room. “Just noticed that over there. Wonder where it leads?”

Justin turned around. “Seems to be another room.”

He noticed patrons flitting back and forth between the two spaces. Following Lila’s lead, Justin followed her there. Gregory, the innkeeper, gave them a knowing nod but said nothing as they slipped through the archway.

They were met with another common room, cozy and warm, with a more intimate ambiance than The Silver Stag. Clearly, it was another inn, or perhaps simply a tavern, connected to The Silver Stag. Another archway lay on the other side of this tavern, leading to another.

“Seems all the inns here are connected, likely to share customers,” Justin said. “It’s a cool arrangement.”

“Cool?” Lila asked, arching an eyebrow.

“It means it’s an interesting and fun setup. Allows people to explore different vibes without having to step outside.”

“Oh, I see!” She smiled with mischief. “Well, maybe we should explore, then. Alistair said it’s all right as long as we stay inside.”

Normally, Justin would have disagreed. But the lively atmosphere of the inn’s patrons, combined with the pint of ale, and of course, the smile of a pretty girl who seemed to be interested in him, was a potent combination that could hardly be denied. “I don’t see the harm. Just an hour of exploring.”

“Maybe two,” Lila said with a giggle.

Justin knew he was as good as lost now but sod it. They’d run from terror to terror for days on end. Would having a little fun kill them?

Well, he realized the answer to that might actually be “yes,” but at the moment, it didn’t seem to matter. They got another drink in the tavern connected to The Silver Stag, which was apparently called The Whispering Willow. It wasn’t as busy, so they sidled over to the next one, which was down a set of steps, and called The Thirsty Fox. Here, they ordered a spiced cider, a specialty drink that was warm and comforting.

By now, they were beyond buzzed. Somehow or other, Lila had grabbed his hand as she led him from place to place, and she hardly let go, an arrangement Justin was quite happy with. Back in his old life, he was rarely—if ever—invited for a night out, so in his mind, he was making up for lost time. The danger of Valdrik’s men, and even the threat of the undead Shadowblade, seemed far away from the lively atmosphere.

As long as they stayed within half a mile of Alistair, things should be okay. Or so his thinking went.

After a couple of hours, Justin lost track of just how many inns they’d visited and how many drinks they’d had. Each inn had its own unique charm and specialty, creating a vibrant tapestry of experiences, a kaleidoscope of faces, laughter, music, and revelry. Highcliff, it seemed, was a party town. They sampled exotic ales, spiced wines, and honeyed meads.

And as they wandered, Justin couldn’t help but notice people were drawn to him and Lila like moths to a flame. The women watched Lila with jealousy, while some men looked at him in challenge. More still wanted to be his friend, buying him even more drinks. No matter where he went, he was Mr. Popularity, a crowd forming around him, eager to hear his stories. The attention, which he had lacked so much in his former life, was downright addicting.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

“And then,” Justin said, gesturing dramatically with his cane, “the dire wolf lunged at me, but with a swift flick of my wrist, I sent it sprawling back!”

The patrons gasped and cheered, hanging on his every word. Lila’s eyes sparkled with amusement and pride as she watched him command the room, hanging on his arm. That was worth more than any amount of attention he was getting.

Justin wasn’t sure how it happened, but at some point, there was a stage in this one inn that called for its guests to come up and sing. He supposed it was something like medieval karaoke. Lila sang a lively drinking song, to the crowd’s roaring approval. Lila insisted they sing together, a song of his own choosing, not taking no for an answer.

Within ten minutes, Justin had taught her “Islands in the Stream,” her Bardic class allowing her to pick it up with ease. Within minutes, they had it down and were ready to begin the famous duet, even considering making the Aranthian language rhyme where needed. The crowd all watched them expectantly.

To Justin’s surprise, Lila picked up a nearby lute, strumming the simple chord progression the song was known for, with a somewhat medieval twist.

Justin picked up in a deep baritone. “Baby, when I met you there was peace unknown…”

As they sang, the crowd was captivated by the harmonious blend of voices and the heartfelt lyrics, finding the song’s melody enchanting. Justin was sure the style was decidedly different from what they were used to, but they could still appreciate the universal themes of love and connection.

Once they had finished, they were asked for an encore, but Justin shook his head. It was time to wind down.

An appreciative patron bought them both a round of frosty ale, and they were sitting at the bar.

“Not bad for a first date.”

Lila looked at him, smiling, her green eyes watching him playfully. “A date? Is that what they call this where you’re from?”

“I suppose,” Justin said. “Ready to turn in after this round?”

“Just one more inn,” she said. “There’s no harm, right?”

He laughed. “You’re like the Energizer Bunny.”

She smiled suggestively. “I’m not sure what that is, but I do like to hop. Given the right circumstances.”

Justin nearly spit out his drink at that one. The way her big green eyes were staring at him made it hard to resist.

“All right, one more,” he agreed. “But you have to promise.”

He looked at her lips, which looked especially inviting in the light of the muted lanterns. Lila, noticing his eyes, only widened her smile. Justin felt drawn to her, touching the side of her face gently. She closed her eyes, and at that moment, he wasn’t thinking about the fact he’d never even kissed a girl.

All that was about to change. Within seconds. His heart raced, his face just inches from hers…

But just before he closed his eyes to give himself to the moment, he saw, from the corner of his vision, a sight that almost frightened him completely out of his wits.

Sitting on the barstool next to Lila—right behind her, in fact, previously missed because of its small stature—was a goblin. It had long ears, a pointed nose, and wide golden eyes—both of which were looking directly at Justin.

Yep, it was a goblin all right. But there were several differences between this goblin and the ones that had chased him in the Wildwood. It had a slighter figure, he wore fine tailored clothing with a bowtie, suggesting he was a goblin of means, and had white, almost icy blue skin. It sported a number of jeweled piercings on both of its ears.

Lila turned to see what had gotten Justin’s attention, though when she saw the goblin, her expression wasn’t afraid, merely curious.

Before they could say anything, the goblin spoke, his voice surprisingly smooth. “Good evening. Forgive me for interrupting, but I couldn’t help but notice that cane of yours. Quite the piece you have!”

Justin, deciding the goblin wasn’t a threat, exchanged an annoyed glance with Lila before nodding. “Yes, it is. What’s it to you?”

The goblin, with two hands, took a swig of his frosty ale. The pint glass was almost bigger than his head. Justin would have laughed, but something about the goblin’s manner was quite serious.

“You’re a Snow Goblin,” Lila said, her words slurring a bit. “From the Seraphim Range, right?”

The Snow Goblin nodded sagely. “Yes, quite! We aren’t often seen in human lands, but this inn is quite accepting of non-humans. More so than others, anyway.” He extended a long hand, his nails curled and painted gold. “Name’s Gribble Frostfang. Of Clan Frostwalker”

Justin shook the goblin’s hand, trying to ignore the way its sharp nails felt on his wrist. “I’m Justin and this is Lila. Is there something special about my cane?”

“Yes, quite special,” Gribble said. “You see, I’m an Enchanter of respectable level, and I have a skill that allows me to see an item’s enchantment just by looking at it. Yours, simply, has a very interesting property. Where did you get it?”

Justin hesitated for a moment, knowing he probably shouldn’t share, but often, booze does the talking when the speaker shouldn’t. “Found it in a Vault!”

Gribble’s eyes widened with interest. “A Vault, you say? Fascinating! You see, I could tell there was something special about that cane the moment I saw it. It’s not so much the +1 to Charisma and Perception. A nice boon, but nothing too unique. I see also that it also grants a free Attribute Point upon core binding. That is an extremely rare enchantment, one I’ve been searching all my life to find.”

“Really, this old thing?” Justin asked, examining his cane. “I suppose you want to buy it off me?”

“Yes, very much so,” the Snow Goblin said seriously. “It matters not if it’s core-bound; I can break down the cane and discover the enchantment, and with luck, replicate it. No doubt, recreating it would require many expensive and rare components. But the rewards, for both me and you, would be great.”

“I see,” Justin said, ready to find a way out of this conversation. “I’m afraid the cane isn’t for sale.”

“The goblin’s white, bushy brows lowered for a moment before resuming its former friendly expression. “Of course, I’d be willing to pay. Handsomely.”

“How handsomely?” Lila asked.

“For an enchantment of this rarity,” the goblin mused, “ten gold crowns aren’t out of the question.”

It was hard for Justin not to react. Ten crowns? That was over ten times the amount of money he had on him.

Lila whispered in his ear. “I’d take that deal in a flash.”

Justin was considering it until he remembered something that was general knowledge, at least where he came from. Never take the first offer.

“Your offer is…generous,” Justin said. “However, I’m not sure of the value of the cane, since you’re the first one to make an offer. I would need to get it separately appraised.”

“I know just about every appraiser in this town,” the goblin said eagerly. “I’d be happy to arrange it.”

Justin smiled. He wasn’t born yesterday. “I think not, Mr. Gribble. I appreciate the offer, but really, we must be going.”

Justin rose, with a look at Lila to say to get up, too. Reluctantly, she stood.

“Twenty crowns?” Gribble asked. “I’ll pay up front, right now.”

Then, the goblin reached into his purse, laying the fat, golden coins on the bar top, one after the other. The coins glowed with inner light, attracting a lot of attention. But no one made any move to grab them.

“Justin…?” Lila asked, whispering in his ear. “Take. The. Money.”

Justin felt himself relaxing, almost giving in.

And yet…he knew he was being played. Maybe it was his Charisma, but something about the goblin’s manner was throwing him off.

Something was definitely amiss.

They needed to leave, and now.

He grabbed Lila’s hand firmly to let her know he was serious. “I thank you for your offer, Gribble, but I’m afraid the cane isn’t for sale. Have a pleasant evening.”

He walked firmly away, at first dragging Lila before she fell in beside him.

“What are you doing?” Lila asked, almost angrily. “You could’ve been rich. Rich!”

“Lila, the cane is worth more than that. Plus, I can tell something’s off about him. We need to get back to our rooms.”

But just as they were about to enter the adjoining inn, four swarthy men wearing leather armor, each bearing a club, blocked their path.

Gribble appeared from the side, all of four feet tall, apparently having followed them through the crowd. The crowds shrank back at the coming confrontation.

Gribble put his hands behind his tailored coat. “I’m afraid, Mr. Justin, that my offer stands and cannot be refused. Take my money or take something much worse.”

“Are you making me an offer I can’t refuse?” Justin asked with a smirk.

The Snow Goblin gave a yellow smile full of pointy teeth. “Yes. That's an…apt description, Mr. Justin. Don’t mind if I steal that for the future.”

Justin twirled his cane while Lila reached for two of her knives.

“Gribble, you’re about to see just why you don’t mess with a gentleman.”