The walk to the tavern wasn't like the others that he usually had. He was excited, yes, but he tried to keep the outward signs to a bare minimum. He didn't skip over cobblestones or hum a song, no. He had his mind focused on what would be the end goal of the day's activities... The ring.

No point putting different scenarios of what he could do with the ring before he actually had it in his possession.

As Ryan looked around as he walked, Ursula's glow illuminating the way in the night, he felt at ease. His cloak swaying both because of his movements and the soft breeze that went through the town in the dead of the night.

He pulled the darn thing closer to his body, glad that he'd purchased it when money was tight to come by. No doubt that the cloak had already paid for itself.

The memory bringing a smile to his face as he continued his walk into the upper district.

He kept an eye out for danger, no doubt he'd be poorly equipped to deal with any that would come, but he didn't have any plans to deal with any danger that would pop up.

He'd already run through a couple of plans before landing on the most effective one in case he was pursued or his life was threatened. All he had to do was flee... Get away from whatever or whoever was after him and scream for help. Hopefully, the cloak could buy him time.

So for the most part, he'd already had something of a plan down, even if it was a laughable one.

Fortunately or unfortunately for Ryan, he didn't get to test out his plan as he finally got to the door of the Siren's Call. The mute noise that he knew innately was there making him feel a little odd, but it was a feeling that Ryan didn't dwell too much on as he pushed the door and went into the tavern.

The place was moderately filled up with multiple patrons, some sitting in groups and a few oddballs sitting alone here and there.

He spotted the group at the far part of the room, their usual table if Ryan was counting how many times he'd met them at that particular table.

They seemed to be in the middle of an animated conversation, and judging by the way the other patrons weren't bothered by the noise that was no doubt going off from that table, it probably meant that Sasha had done whatever it is that she could to cancel the noise.

The elf animatedly pointing at a tired Cicero and a frustrated Uro who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. Freya, on the other hand, seemed uncomfortable with the conversation, so it wasn't much of a surprise that she was the first to notice him walking towards the table amongst them. Her face seemed to light up as their eyes met, and Ryan couldn't help but blush as he almost tripped over his own feet.

The fairy covering her mouth politely with a cupped hand as she most likely laughed, or so Ryan thought, as he couldn't quite tell from how the sound barrier. He guessed that the laugh must've been audible, as the remainder of the table seemed to pick up on the action and realize who had caused it.

Ryan was just a couple of steps shy from getting to the table, so it wasn't difficult for him to watch as the those at the table regained their composure, a smile appearing out of the blue on all of their faces except for Uro. No doubt the dwarf not caring enough to put up a facade.

Ryan drew a chair as he took a seat at the table, the little noise he heard from around the tavern seemingly disappearing as he finally got into the range of Sasha's spell.

"Good evening," Ryan said as he greeted everyone, receiving a nod from all except Uro, who let out a scoff.

As was the case the last time he was here, a jenkal roast was on the plate facing the dwarf, with similar platters for the rest on the table. Tankards sat on the table, with a platter of roast and a tankard seemingly separated for him, he thought.

"Good evening, Ryan. Glad to see you in good health," the group leader said as he responded to Ryan.

The weight of his question already taking hold on the table even before he could voice it out. No doubt both sides were waiting to see if the other would bring it up.

"Dinner first, then ye all can get on with it," Uro said.

The dwarf not hesitating or waiting for a reply, dug into his roast enthusiastically, completely oblivious to the reactions of everyone else. And Ryan, having tasted such goodness, wouldn't blame the stocky dwarf.

"Alright, dinner first. Please help yourself," Cicero said as he pointed to the separated items. The rest of the table beginning to eat into their meal with a lot more poise than Uro, he should add.

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He let the tension in his body dissipate. Reaching for his untouched roast, he pulled it to his lips with so much anticipation, the aroma already making him salivate.

The rest of the table paid him no heed as they were preoccupied with their own roasts, with Uro already having a head start on the rest of them.

And so Ryan savored the meal. He took a bite and was in no way disappointed with what he tasted. It was just... perfect.

"Uro, you could pretend to have manners, you know," Cicero said, no doubt the man bothered with how Uro portrayed himself before Ryan. The dwarf didn't seem to care about Ryan.

"Bahh... If I had manners, I'd just be forgettable like the rest of ye," Uro said through a mouthful of jenkal, the dwarf chewing loudly with spittle leaving his mouth and flying places that Ryan didn't want to think too much on.

"I beg your pardon," Sasha asked curtly. "What do you mean by 'forgettable like the rest of us'?"

Ryan paid attention to the dwarf because that was actually the same question that Ryan had in his mind, but he definitely wouldn't have asked it because he had no idea how the dwarf would respond to such a question coming from Ryan.

"Ye all have been, what's the word... 'Conditioned,'" Uro said as he continued to eat, the dwarf not bothering to even look up from his roast. "Manners and rules and regulations to guide your expressions and behavior... pfft."

Sasha seemed to grimace at the words before going back to her roast, no doubt somewhat satisfied with the answer which she was given by Uro.

"I think you just lack the brain to develop manners," Cicero goaded with a grin on his face.

The dwarf didn't visibly react to the jab as far as Ryan could tell, no doubt he preferred to deal with what was on his plate than whatever conversation was floating around at the moment.

"Pfft... That may be, but I am certain that my brain is more than capable to help me use my warhammer to shut ye up," Uro said, still not bothering to glance at anyone.

The rest of the table fell silent at the retort, no doubt that was the end of the conversation.

So they ate in silence, with the loud noise Uro made as he chewed the only sounds that disturbed the vibe of the table.

To be honest, Ryan didn't really mind. Quiet was nice. Quiet he could work with, by all means.

Soon enough, though, the rest at the table were done with their platters, using tankards of mead to wash it down. Ryan wasn't quite done, but didn't want to be the only one who was still eating while the rest had finished with theirs. After all, he was here for business and nothing more.

Uro, on the other hand, had finished eating a while back, the dwarf awfully pleased with himself as he seemed to enjoy the silence. Sasha and Cicero kept sneaking glances at each other throughout the meal when they thought that no one was looking, but Ryan could see them from the corner of his eye, and if he could, the others at the table probably could as well.

Freya, on the other hand, was a different matter altogether. The fairy sneaking glances of her own, and it was with Ryan. Ryan didn't really know how to play the looking game, so all he did was smile like a moron every time their eyes met and face the food that was meant for him.

At the end of the meal, Ryan would wholeheartedly say that he preferred to actually have conversations during meals than to have a silent table. It was just weird, and the energy was... wrong. The dwarf seemed to enjoy it, though.

"About time, ye lout," Uro said as Ryan wiped his face, signifying the end of the meal period.

"Uro!" Freya said, giving the dwarf a knowing look that made him snort.

What was that about?

Ryan wanted to begin speaking and asking questions as he'd already been kept waiting too long, not that he would complain, seeing as they kept him fed with jenkal and had mead flowing. The group's delay tactics a tad too obvious today. They seemed to be jumpy and shifty as well... just what had Cicero found out? What had the group discovered?

As Ryan turned to Cicero and was about to begin his query, Sasha raised a single finger and gave him a look that said to hold on while she turned to continue her staring contest with Cicero.

"Ryan, there's good news," Cicero finally said, a weak smile on his face.

Oh, oh, how exactly was what the man about to say even good news? He barely seemed happy enough to be there or to even say those words.

"But...?" Ryan asked reluctantly. The others at the table seemed to squirm at the question, except Uro, who didn't have a care in the world.

"But, there's also bad news... well, not really bad news," Cicero said. "Let's just say 'warning and advice attached.'"

Well, that's just so predictable. After all, no way that owning something that belonged to Sarinth was going to be a piece of roast.

"I'm listening," Ryan said, steeling himself for what was about to come.

"We know how to activate the ring," Freya blurted out. The fairy looking more than ashamed at her outburst, Sasha with a neutral face, Cicero looked like someone had just stolen his thunder, and in his defense, that was what just happened. Uro had a grin on his face, and Ryan, Ryan couldn't believe what he'd just heard... they'd found a way to activate the ring.

Unbelievable, this was a cause for proper celebration. Why was the group looking so somber and sad, he couldn't tell.

"You have?" Ryan asked, too lost for words to even process the fact that he'd already heard the answer to that question.

"Ye should've let Cicero do it, the poor lad's mind is in shambles now," Uro said with a chuckle, no doubt the dwarf enjoying the scene that was playing out in front of him.

"For once, Uro is right," Sasha said to the apologetic Freya. She turned to face Ryan. "Yes, we've reason to believe that we have the correct instructions on how to activate the ring. It cost us severely in gold, but someone made stupid promises."

No doubt the last part intended for Cicero, who grimaced at the jab.

"A deal is a deal, love," Cicero managed to say in a bid to defend himself.

Ryan had to agree with the man. A deal was a deal, no matter how unfavorable it was or would be for any party. A deal was most definitely a deal.

"A deal is a deal... pffft," Uro snorted. "I'll be sure to carve that on your tombstone after your final death."

Ryan almost laughed at the statement. It wasn't that the words themselves were funny; rather, it was the fact that Uro had painted a mental picture of where that kind of mentality usually led to.

"So what do we do now?" Ryan asked.

"We activate the ring," Cicero said.