Beds, Booze, & Booty certainly did away with clever naming conventions, and architecture for that matter. It was a big rectangle connected to another big rectangle connected to a smaller rectangle, with a couple extra rectangles in the back. Utterly bland. The Beds section claimed "Lice Free" and "Surprisingly Quiet." The Booze section claimed "Live Music" and "Cheap Drinks." And the Booty section claimed, "Tel'ani and Anorian Slave Girls" and "Sensual delights for the Ladies." Alek headed toward the bar while pondering just how much "Anorian Slave Girls" was marketing vs reality. Actual slaves were rare. Getting himself an Anorian maid might not be the worst idea. House first though. There really was no way he was going to build a house by himself. Paying was going to be pricey.

Alek pushed past the half-orc bouncer and into a sea bodies. The whole place smelled of sweat, sex, body odor, and terribly stale beer. Scantily clad wenches moved throughout the crowd serving drinks, most of them Tel'ani slaves. Alek pushed through the dimly lit and far too loud tavern to the bar where an older keeper was filling tankards like a madman. "What's your poison?" He asked, just barely audible.

"A moment of your time."

The keeper poured even faster, gaining a few pitchers on the wenches and turning to Alek. "Make it quick."

"How many people would you say is in here?"

The keeper looked around the crowded room. "Damn near sixty."

"And how much to buy everyone a round?"

The man narrowed his eyes, but started figuring the moment Alek produced his coin purse. "Two-three, two-four. I'd say two silver and four decs."

Alek figured it would be about that and laid down the two silver pieces and five of the hefty ten sided copper decs.

"I need to make a quick speech if that's ok."

The keeper shrugged. "Don't cause a riot."

Alek pushed his way through the crowd again until he found a table not completely covered. "Pardon me." He grunted as he jumped up.

"Hey! What the hells?" Yelled one of the table's occupants.

Alek ignored him and put his hands around his mouth. "ATTENTION!"

Most of the noise died down as nearly every head turned toward him.

"For those you who don't know, I am the Harbinger of Wrath. Wrath died today one year ago. I have access to his fortune and Wrath just bought you smelly lot a round of drinks." With that announcement, the whole room roared. Alek held his hands out, waiting for the room to quiet down. "I want something in compensation. Two songs." Alek held out two finders more toward the band than the rest of the room. "One of the ballads of Wrath. Maybe the one about the wyrmling. And one about the Lusty Wench. He loved those. The keeper's dishing out drinks now, so start the music."

The band did as told as the wenches moved throughout the room carrying pictures of Booze. Alek was about to jump down when he noticed a well dressed man standing on the balcony. More accurately, a well dressed Tiefling. His long hair was going gray and he had a serious look on his yellowish and vaguely feline face. His horns curled and twisted and bony protrusions on his chin gave him a far more devilish look than Alek. His piercing blue eyes stared down practically unblinking. Alek watched for a moment, then dismounted the table. His job here was done. There had to be more bars in Lydia than just this.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

***

Turns out Lydia had a Dwarven Alery run by actual Dwarves. Compared the ruacus joint he had come out of, the Alery was dead silent. It was the kind place the older townsfolk came to talk quietly and put back a few drinks at the end of a long day. The building was just as dimly lit, but the smell was yeasty and wooden instead of body odor and stale drink.

"If I didn't know who you were, I'd throw you out."

"Anything to do with that Tarson guy I've heard about?"

The Dwarf nodded. "Aye."

Alek ignored the dirty looks and the quiet curses from the patrons and sat down at the bar.

"What brings the Harbinger here?"

"Fulfilling a promise to a friend."

"Wrath?" The Dwarf asked.

Alek nodded. "He wanted to be…"

"I heard the moron jumped off a cliff." Some asshat cut in.

"DO NOT call him a moron in my presence!" Alek snapped. He turned back to the keeper who didn't look pleased with his outburst. "Anyway, he want…"

"Why? The guy was a fucking idiot."

Alek got off the stool and calmly walked over to a balding middle age man with a punchable face and pudgy belly.

"Do anything stupid and I'll throw ya out myself." The Dwarf warned.

Alek stopped in front of the man. "Insult Wrath one more time. I dare you."

"The stupid bastard actually…"

He was interrupted by a solid right hook. The man fell back in his chair, hitting the floor hard. The Dwarf shouted, as did a couple other guys. Alek turned to the right and caught the next man's fist. A few things about catching a fist. Firstly, it pretty well said "I am stronger than you" and from the outside, it looked pretty cool. Secondly, never do it without someone to watch your back. Blame habit, but Alek only remembered that latter bit the moment before a kick to the back of the knee took him down. He caught the first kick aimed at his head, but not the second. Alek lashed out at the men around him, trying to gain enough room to get back up. A pair of strong hands grabbed his horns, which was the absolute worst thing about having horns. He was dragged to the door and rather painfully tossed down the steps.

"I told ya I'd throw you out myself. You're not welcome back. Fuckin' devilbloods." The Dwarf growled.

Alek sat up, only to realize the fight had come out with him. He almost managed to get up onto his feet before the blows started raining down. Alek bit his tongue as more of the townsfolk came out to see what was going on. He could kill them, but that was the problem. He couldn't get out of the situation without killing them. For some reason something Red had said seemed to hit him right then. "The guards are all at the palace." The guards had been away for a while. The shouting and the slurs elevated drastically. Shit, he was going to have to kill people or be lynched.

Multiple pairs of hands pulled Alek to his feet. His fingers twitched, ready to retaliate at the next pain, but there was none. Well, there was no new pain. Two people were helping him away from the shouting, so not being lynched. The whole world spun and went mostly quiet. The pounding of footsteps was joined by the sound of the river and then vertigo as he fell, or maybe he was laid down. The acrid taste and acidic burn of a potion hit his lips and burrowed its way into his stomach. From there the warmth made its way through his veins and out toward his skin.

Alek opened his eyes to see the ugliest son of a bitch ever staring down at him. The poor bastard had a swollen throat, a too wide mouth, a flat almost not there nose, and boney ridges for eyebrows. He looked entirely like a humanoid toad.

"You okay." He asked, his voice gravelly.

Alek almost laughed, but everything hurt. "I've been better."

"I'd give you another potion, but the fuckers are expensive."

"I can pay, but I think I'd like a shot of whiskey."

The toad man croaked with laughter and Alek was helped into a sitting position. "Tai-ee'ee, get this man a drink!"

Alek looked around to find himself on a table in a dim stone building surrounded by several people, not a single one of them human. All horns and tails and odd colored eyes.

"For a hero, I didn't think you would be nearly beaten to death by a bunch of peasants." Someone shouted.

Alek couldn't place who it was with the room spinning. "I didn't want to kill em." He slurred. Some Tel'ani slave girl gave him a glass with a pitying smile.

"Great. Now I'm getting pity from a slave." The whiskey burned its way down and Alek was offered a bed, which he took.