The great gates of Arasta groaned open: Vermilion Wing gawked at the bustling city that came to life before them. Uniform buildings lined the pristine cobblestone pathways. Fresh water was channeled through the streets for all to enjoy. Even from the front gates, one could see the hilltop castle that marked this as one of the seven great cities.
Children weaved through the busy streets—some through harmless fun, while others partook in mischievous parks. Citizens from all over had gathered to this place. From the heart of desert or forest; mountain or plains, every walk of life from across Valstrom found itself welcomed by the embrace of Arasta.
As they reached the market square, Arasta began to feel like any town they’d come across before. Vendors lined every inch of the market. Stalls encircling a plaza encircling a fountain adorned with the likeness of the first king. Over the bustling crowds, merchants praised their wares and called over those they believed would make for an easy scam. Friendly competition was voiced by some. Others filled their words with venom as they dismissed others of their trade.
“Well, fuck,” sighed Kai—self-proclaimed leader of the bunch, “this place is no different than any other shithole we’ve come across.” He slowed his pace as they passed by a weapons dealer. Taking note of their supply of arrows, of which he was running low.
His lack of attention allowed his twin sister to hook her arm effortlessly around his neck. Pulling him into a tight hold as she roughly ruffled his hair, “How can you say that? We’ve only just got here.” The two were different in so many ways, but there was no mistaking their relation. Not when you saw them both staring at you with eyes as orange as the setting sun.
“And it took no time to disappoint me,” Kai struggled against his sister’s grip. Those years of illegal street brawls had done wonders for her strength. Escape was nearly impossible. “Now, can you let me go? I’m not a child, and I expect you to offer me some dignity.”
Mira—half-elf priest from a small island nation to the east—giggled, “Come on, Vivian. Leave Kai alone.” They had come across her not long after she stepped from her ship. The only ones who hadn’t ignored her while she tried to get help. At first, Kai had thought to ignore her. But it didn’t take Vivian long to convince him to help. Her silver-blue eyes on the verge of tears helped push his choice. Vivian gave a curt smile before releasing her brother. Giving him a light shove, causing him to stumble toward Mira.
“Thank you,” Kai turned his eyes groundward. Olive complexion doing its best to hide the blush upon his cheeks. “Though I had this more than handled.”
“Right,” Vivian slapped Kai across his back, “my baby brother had everything under control.”
“Don’t call me that,” Kai pulled the hood of his cloak overhead. “I was only born six minutes after you, not much of a baby brother if you ask me.” Vivian always loved to downplay Kai due to the slight difference in their birth times. I didn’t help that she was half a foot taller than him, or that she had a more defined build. “Now then, we should look for an inn. Preferably in the lower district.”
“Can we find a meal first?” piped up Torrik: dwarven warrior, and the newest member to Vermilion Wing. It was a wonder they got him to join. When they first met, Kai and Vivian had been hired to hunt him down. The people of a farming town had thought him some kind of goblin living just beyond their fields. An arrow in his ass had been their greeting. “Inn food just doesn’t taste as good as a proper meal.” No one really knew where he put it all. But the man could out-eat anyone. A skill that was painful on the pockets, but had managed to earn them some coin when he entered a turkey eating contest two towns back.
“Sorry buddy,” Vivian shook her head. “A bit short on coin at the moment. We’ll be lucky to even get enough rooms at the inn.”
“We’d have the coin,” Kai reminded her, “had you not broken a guardsman’s wrist. The fees just to keep you out of prison nearly wiped our pockets.”
“And I would have spared his fragile bones and pride had he not groped me,” he defended herself.
Kai raised his hands level with his shoulders, “Don’t get me wrong, sister. You did what was needed. Frankly if you hadn’t, I would have. Just saying, next time try not to cause so much damage.”
“So, we gotta sleep in bad beds, and stomach even worse food?” scoffed Torrik. “I’d rather spend another night sleeping in the woods then.”
“We could at least have a proper meal that way,” Mira said. Weighing the options. “I’m with Torrik on this one. Plus, we still need a few more supplies. Right, Kai?” She seemed to have caught his eye glancing back over towards the arrows. “We can’t complete jobs if we aren’t prepared.”
“Yes, well,” Kai grabbed hold of his purse. Counting up what they still had. “Shit, even if we did sleep in the woods, we might not get to eat a proper meal.”
“And I guess you plan to blame me for that?” Vivian placed a hand on her hip.
“No, just,” Kai pinched the bridge of his nose. “We need a way to earn coin that won’t require us to hunt, kill, or fuck anything.”
“Dice?” spoke up Torrik. “Taverns usually got betting men, and I reckon we would win a few rolls.”
“Risky,” Vivian moved her hand to her chin. “Liars and thieves tend to play those games. Though, dice might be safer than cards. Easier to call out cheaters in a game of dice.”
“We could always find some poor fool who underestimates my sister,” chimed in Kai. “A few bravado-filled men could use a broken spirit.”
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“Oh, I like that idea,” Vivian smiled.
As they reached the lower district the way they felt about the city changed. Uneven pathways sat littered with trash; sewage bubbled up from beneath the earth, a lingering stench permeated the air. Rotted fruits and meats attracted swarms of flies and colonies of rats.
Puddles of bile and piss trailed down every alleyway they passed, usually leading straight to the poor drunk that created them passed out in their own filth. “Correction,” Kai said, “this is the worst shithole we’ve visited.”
“Actually I—,” Torrik began.
“We’ve visited as a group,” Kai sighed. “I hope the tavern at least smells better. But I’m liking your idea of sleeping out on the road more and more.”
“Then our winnings go to food?” Torrik laughed victoriously.
“But first, we restock on things we need,” Mira said. “Kai needs arrows, and it won’t hurt to buy food for the road.”
“But there’s food on the road,” huffed Torrik. He hadn’t seemed to mind Vermilion Wing having purchased dried meats and nuts previously. But now that it stood between him and a warm meal, he’d rather go hunting.
Vermilion Wing managed to find themselves standing before the Sick Goose—a rundown tavern. The splintered wood of the building had peeling paint, the sign hung from a single rusted chain that seemed ready to break at any moment. Once inside, things only improved by a slight margin.
Dust covered the interior, a smell of ash lingered from the hearth. What few customers filled the dining area were covered from head to toe in sweat and filth. One might have thought the crowd that gathered here would be down on their luck. But instead of despair, they were cheerful and loud. The purses at their sides looked full and heavy.
The lone bartender was a blue-skinned behemoth of a man. Likely a cross between an orc and giant based off the twisted tusk protruding from his lower gums. His shaven head covered in the ornate tattoos of his tribe, though the burns across his scald signified his banishment from his home. He gave a nod to acknowledge his new customers: a scoff escaped his throat when his eyes fell upon Mira. Causing her to gingerly shuffle behind the others.
“Well. Brother what now?” Vivian scanned the room. Any one of the patrons looked to be a fine mark to earn coin from. Every last one of them appeared to be down on their luck. A chance to win those few extra bits in their pocket would seem to be sent from the divine at this point.
“Now we figure out how to earn coin,” Kai joined the search for their target. He doubted any of them had the brain power to cheat and get away with it. Though he was certain they wouldn’t care if they were called out. It would be the lot of them against their measly four. And while everyone in Vermilion Wing was a capable fighter, the number weren’t in their favor.
“I-I have an idea,” Mira’s tone was soft. Like she was afraid of being heard by the bartender. She then pointed over towards the dart board hanging above the hearth. “Even if they’re not drunk, I doubt any of them are a better marksman than Kai. No way for them to cheat, or call us out for cheating.”
“Not a bad plan,” Kai rubbed his chin.
“And you’re certain you can win, brother?” Vivian curled the corners of her lips. “Last I checked, playing darts and being an archer are two very different sets of skills.”
“Have faith, sister,” Kai smiled. “If this fails, you can just challenge one of them to a fight. One of us is bound to win.” Vivian just rolled her eyes. She knew there was no talking her brother out of this. Not when Mira had made the suggestion.
She pulled her brother close and whispered for him alone to hear, “Don’t go causing trouble because you have a crush.”
“I, that, shut up,” Kai was flustered. Face red as he stepped away from his sister. “Just, trust me. We’ll have all we need in just a moment.” While the others took their place at a table far from the other patrons, Kai searched for those willing to take his bet. The rowdy crowd was more than welcoming to the idea of a game with stakes. It wasn’t long before Kai made his way back over towards the table.
“Lost your nerve, brother?” teased Vivian.
“Not quite,” Kai groaned. “More, I need your approval on something.” Kai pointed out a rather elderly fellow amongst the drunks. A man you could tell needed a bath from a mile away. “You see, he’s willing to put down five-hundred gold on a single game. With the stipulation that should he win, you accompany him to his room at the inn.”
“Excuse me?!” Vivian jumped from her seat. “Brother, are you mad? Why would I ever agree to that?”
“I asked him the same thing, and then he doubled his offer. I know it’s unorthodox but—”
“There is no but, brother.” Vivian slammed her fist on the table, “If you had made the bet without telling me, I’d be an only child right now. But that doesn’t make up for the fact you considered the idea of such a thing.” None of the others jumped in. This was a matter between siblings. Though it was quite obvious all agreed with Vivian, even Kai. “So, you can play your game, but I am not to be a part of it.”
Kai made his way back over towards awaiting challenger, “Our little side bet won’t be happening. Are you still down for a game or two?”
The elder man gave a defeated groan, “Fine. But I won’t be putting as much up. How much you got to lose?”
“About eighty silver and ten gold,” Kai produced his purse. “Hope that’s enough to catch your fancy.”
“Then I’ll put down twenty gold on this game,” smiled the man. Both parties placed their wagers on the table and got into position.
Kai had been right to ask his sister to trust him. As always, Kai was a true marksman. With little effort, each dark sank exactly where he needed it to go. But the old man was no amateur. His aim on par with Kai’s. In his younger years, he might have even been better.
Shit, Kai watched the elder throw his last dart. He’d need a perfect throw to win it. Sweat beaded across his brow: the weight of his crew lingered like phantom. If he missed, they would never forgive him for losing all that they had. This could be the end of Vermilion Wing. At least he would still have his sister. Or would he? He’d never screwed up that badly before, but would she stay by his side after something like this?
“Nervous” chuckled the old man.
“Never,” lied Kai, his dart taking flight. As if guided by the heavens above, his dart hit dead center. Earning him the win. He let out a held breath, “Play again?”
“Not this time,” laughed the elder. “No point in playing a losing game.” He began to make his way back towards the table, “Been a while since I’ve met one as skilled as you.”
“Oh, umm…thank you,” Kai was taken aback by the compliment. “I thought you had me if I had to be honest. For the sake of my friends, I’m happy to be wrong.” That seemed to get a laugh from the old man. Who graciously added more coin to the pot. “No, you don’t need to do that. I didn’t earn those coins.”
“Not in the game, no,” the elder turned his attention towards Vermilion Wing. “You have a fine group there. Savor these days.” Collecting his winnings, Kai returned to his team. Vivian berated him for nearly losing, but still congratulated him on his victory. Mira gave her praise to Kai as well. Keeping her voice low, her eyes every now and again shifting over towards the bartender as though afraid.
“Well then, Torrik laughed, “Let’s eat!”