Deventh and Tatsidi climbed up the stone-paved hill to the Oath's guild hall, slowing down as they passed beneath the arches along the way. Their attentive eyes scanned the massive stone building in all its rugged glory as it cast its shadow upon them. Above a pair of wooden doors loomed a heroic scene carved into the pediment – a depiction of the mighty warrior god Ardren severing the head of a dragon with his sword. The irony was lost on neither Deventh nor Tatsidi.

Inside, the hall’s lively and congenial interior welcomed them, streams of cool sunlight reflecting against the snow outside and beaming through the windows. A few tables were scattered about the floor in no particular arrangement, with chairs laid beside them. Of those, the only ones upright were those occupied by people chatting, laughing, and drinking. Kegs of various meads, ales, and liquors lined the back wall.

“Let us meet up when the others return,” said Tatsidi. “I would like to get a feel for the place.”

As the Apo’na scurried off, Deventh scanned the room but saw no sign of the contact he intended to meet. A rowdy group in the corner, however, piqued his curiosity. He approached them, figuring it the best chance at finding information on his contact’s whereabouts among the other, much more reserved, parties.

Sat around a rickety, liquor-soaked table were three orcs and a remarkably short Fenvar, all huddled over drinks and dice. Preoccupied with their games and laughter, they didn't notice Deventh right away, but as a momentary lull washed over them, the wood elf's sharp ear twitched in his direction.

"Oi," he said, his golden blond ponytail thwacking the face of the orc next to him as he turned his otherwise shaved head up to Deventh. The orc let out a yelp as some loose strands managed to whip into his eye. "Ya here for a game?"

"Not by intent, but—is that blood dice?"

"Aye." The Fenvar motioned to the vacant space at the end of the table, seeming pleased with his response. "Learned it in Dhul Noria. Brought it back here and it turns out orcs love it, too."

"Dhul Noria," Deventh said as he took a seat. "Best place to learn, worst place to play. Plenty of people killed over games every day there."

"Don't I know it!"

"Don't you?" A curious smirk spread across Deventh's face as an orc slid a chipped stone bowl over to him. Inside lay three dice, polished to a pristine shine and marbled with various browns. The wood elf watched with curiosity as Deventh scooped them of the bowl and cradled them in his palm before rolling them in a gentle, fluid motion.

As the dice danced at the tips of his fingers, he felt an odd twinge in the joints of his glove. Nonetheless, he tumbled them back into the bowl in a notable display of dexterity, at least enough so to earn the hushed attention of a few tipsy orcs. Giving a small bounce before they settled, the pieces landed one by one; three, three, four.

His opponent frowned. "Unremarkable. Not the worst you could've done, but I was sort of hoping you'd live up to that jackpot-luck, lone wolf sort of air you exude." With a shrug, he took the dice, making his own roll in one swift movement; four, five, six.

The group of orcs had turned their attention elsewhere in the anticlimax of the exchange. Deventh gave a shrug as he stared down at the perfect combination the small elf had rolled.

"Now that we've warmed up, I was hoping I could ask you a few questions," he said, flicking his gaze up from the table to meet his opponent's. "And perhaps play a few rounds for some gold, if you’re up for it."

"Aye, let's start low then.” A slight smirk tightened the wood elf’s lips. "Five gold sound good?"

"Works for me." The two placed their bets, and the first official round of the game began.

"So, what's it ya wanted to ask?"

"There's someone I'm looking for," Deventh said as he rolled first, in a much more modest fashion than the previous round; two, two, three. "Thought I might ask if you know of his whereabouts."

"If you're looking for one of the poor sods who disappeared, I don't think you'll be findin' 'em anytime soon.” He beat Deventh's point with a five and grabbed his winnings greedily. "Ten gold."

They placed their new bets on the table as Deventh answered.

"I'm actually looking for the man who's recruiting for that investigation. Rauleth Pollinar. You'd know if you've seen him." He rolled a pair of twos and a three.

"Aye, I reckon even people without eyes have seen him. Ask the poor blind fucker over there." he pointed a thumb behind himself as he rolled three fives with his other hand, again claiming his winnings hastily.

Deventh spared a chortle at his jest. As he rolled again, he asked, "Any idea where he is now?" They landed on two threes and a five.

"Probably sat in front of a mirror in the sleepin' quarters. Brassy bastard spends at least two hours slatherin' on makeup every day, then he’s gotta keep goin’ back to fix it. You're probably better off waitin' for him to come down if ya value your eardrums." A pair of ones and a four.

"I'll keep that in mind," Deventh said with a chuckle, taking his own winnings this time. His eyes wandered as he felt the twinge in his glove again. His eyes locked onto a carved wooden bead in the shape of a skull, hanging—or perhaps gently swinging—from the leather cord of his opponent’s coin pouch. Returning his focus to the game, he asked, "What do you know about the disappearances, then?"

"I know nobody in their right mind wants to help with the shite sum Rauleth is offering. Ain't worth goin' out on the road to risk gettin' kidnapped. Even less havin’ to work with a squawking parrot.” The Fenvar took a swig from his mug and, setting it down with a hefty thunk, let out a refreshed exhale. "You desperate for gold or somethin'? I can think of a good few ways to make more for less."

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"The pay works fine for me,” Deventh assured.

They continued for five more rounds, the bet increasing with each one. Deventh had lost all but two rounds, and with that, to rather conspicuous combinations each time.

"Seems today just isn't my day," he said nonchalantly. "One more question, if you don't mind."

"If that's what ya want as a consolation prize."

"Your opinion of Rauleth seems less than favorable, to say the least. Have you had any incidents with him?"

"No, just that I’ve been stuck with him for three days. I don't usually spend a lot of time here between jobs. Only haven’t left 'cause I missed my wagon out of town this morning."

"Fair enough," Deventh concluded following a contemplative pause. "How about one more round?" He plucked the dice from the bowl one by one.

"Sure," his opponent agreed with a smirk. "One last round. Two hundred?"

"Two hundred." After handing the dice over, Deventh reached into the pouch at his hip to retrieve the remainder of his coin and patted it down on the table. While rolling, the Fenvar reached into his own pouch to produce his bet, setting it down as he made his roll; five, five, six.

Deventh nodded, looking his opponent in the eyes. Once again, he picked up the dice and turned them in his hand. Much like with the first roll, each die lingered at his fingertips until they tumbled down.

Clink; Six. Clink; Six. Clink, clink, clink; Six.

The Fenvar and his band of orcs reacted in perfect unison, befallen by a sudden silence. They looked to the dice, then to Deventh, then back.

"Someone's finally beaten ol' Thadagar!" one of the orcs declared. The others erupted into laughter. The Fenvar stared into the bowl with disbelief. While he lingered in his trance, Deventh took the opportunity to claim his winnings. With a bow of his head, he stood up and pushed in his chair.

"Good game, Thadagar." Guffaws and cheers swelled around him as he turned away, stuffing a now bulging sack of coins into his pocket. But the rush of victory came to an abrupt end, and it was only then that the day’s events began to weigh on him, that the noise and chatter became grating. The thought crossed his mind to step outside – even a second’s worth of peace enticed him more than the cold deterred him. He followed his whim, hoping for a moment to himself.

Beneath the shady overhang, Deventh leaned against the exterior wall. He closed his drooping eyes, letting the snowy silence fill his ears. Thumbing the timekeeping device in his pocket, he felt the tick of each second, let his thoughts fade into the passage of time. This trance lasted for a while – how long exactly, he wasn’t counting – and broke only when a lone presence neared.

“Sorry if I’m interrupting,” Jessa said, her voice small and strained. She stepped up to him with her head low and hands clasped together. “Anna is staying back at the healer’s house. She sent me to report on the survivor.”

“Good news, I hope,” said Deventh.

“Sort of. They were able to stabilize him, and now we just need to let him rest. She wanted to stay a bit longer in case he wakes up.”

"In case," Deventh repeated. He pushed down on the top plate of his mask with one finger, causing it to collapse downward over the front of the others so only the bottom of his face was covered. The black fabric which lined the inside rested over his nose and outlined his cheekbones, creating a roguish look. "So we're still waiting on that possibility. If we're lucky, he'll pull through."

“Hopefully,” Jessa murmured, leaning beside him. The freezing stone wall sent a shiver through her body, tempting her to reconsider the spot she chose to rest. “Um, it’s cold out here. Should we go inside?”

Deventh shrugged. "Go on if you’d like. I was enjoying the quiet out here."

“Oh. In that case, do you mind company?”

“Not at all.”

A sigh escaped Deventh, creating a puff of condensation which stayed close to his face as it dissipated. He looked down at Jessa, whose gaze was situated on the gray horizon, her red nose poking out past the hood of her cloak. As he turned his head to look out in the same direction, Jessa darted her eyes up to him, noticing in her periphery that he was focused on her for that ephemeral moment.

Few instances had ever arisen in which the two spent time alone without any real agenda other than to wait. Jessa took the time to study the details in what was now visible of his face; she admired his red, weary eyes, burning with a fierce intelligence, and the way his relaxed yet stern eyebrows framed them.

"I can't say any of our other members have had a first day quite like this," Deventh remarked. "Recruits have quit over far less before. The fact that you're standing here right now means I clearly underestimated your resolve."

"Oh, well… Thank you," Jessa said, surprised by the sudden compliment, heart still pounding in her chest. A range of emotions flooded through her that day, and the little time she had to process it all left her still dazed and nauseated. She closed her eyes, allowing herself a moment's rest.

"Do you drink?" Deventh asked as he watched the clouds darken the sun.

"What?" Jessa squeaked, stunned out of her trance. "Yes, I suppose. I like the occasional glass of wine with dinner. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. It's been a long day, and we've not given you a proper welcome yet. A few drinks might serve all of us well." Although his recent struggle with money nagged at him, he spoke plainly and with intent; more than drink, he longed for a decent meal, and there was little that could fend off his appetite for much longer.

“I wouldn't have expected a celebration,” Jessa said, caught off guard by the idea. “But that would be lovely." She gave an enthusiastic nod, smitten by the idea of spending some time with her new guildmates.

After a few minutes of silence between them, a tall, stocky silhouette approached from the distance. Jessa pushed her weight against the wall to start herself forward and stepped onto the path. Deventh followed, and as Anna drew nearer, Jessa gave her an energetic wave with her arm well above her head.

The Helbrund approached, sporting a tired yet neutral appearance as she returned a halfhearted wave. The guild leaders exchanged nods, and after a moment to catch her breath, Anna began her review of what they'd missed since the group split ways.

"He didn’t wake up. The doctor, however, assured us that if we're to be staying in Kho'Gul, he can contact us with this stone at any time if he does." She held up a jade stone in the shape of a set of lips. They were quite realistic, and appeared as though they might speak at any moment. "I'm not sure if I want to witness it speaking, though." She put it back in her bag, glad to remove it from her sight, and asked, "How did things go with the Oath?"

"Uneventfully," Deventh replied, a brow still raised at the unusual trinket. “Our contact is in the building, but I was advised to wait for him.”

"Well, I can't say I blame you for standing out here," Anna said as she relaxed her stance. "Though I would have expected you to at least be doing something productive."

"You caught me," Deventh said with a chuckle. "It's been a long day."

"Yes, that it has. I cannot wait to have a meal and some rest. But for now, shall we go in and wait for our friend? And on that note, where’s Tatsidi?”

“On the prowl. Can’t say for what, but he’s having a look around.”

“Right – hardly a question to ask. Shall we go inside, then?”

Two expectant gazes eased Deventh into accepting the end of his reprieve. They returned inside. Deventh glanced to the balcony above the common area, where torches flickered along the stone balustrades. Various unknown rooms lined the hallway, hidden behind crude pine doors. His eyes traced the length of the wooden rails, and he spotted a shadowy figure flicking its orange striped tail about. A subtle twitch played at one corner of his lips as the figure scurried off into hiding.