"Well, that's it then," Lanex Sin, balancing a dagger by its tip on one long finger. "We are, as of right now, officially broke."
"What do you mean, broke?" Bhathig asked around a mouthful of roast meat. "We had coin yesterday."
Daschia blinked her cat-like eyes at her compatriots. "You mean, flat broke, out on our asses?"
"Afraid so. Well, we can afford one more round, and our rooms are already paid for tonight, but this represents the last of our liquid funds," Daschia confirmed, gesturing at the collection of mugs on the table. "Either something comes our way quick or... and I hate to say this... we are going to have to find honest work."
Bhathig slowly put down the roast haunch of meat she had been gnawing on. She intertwined her fingers and slowly flexed her arms as she glared at Lanex. The lithe thief swallowed hard, and realized she had a pretty good idea what a mouse felt like having caught the attention of a cat.
"What happened to all of the coin from the last job?" the orc asked.
"Ahh... well, you know expenses. There was your new ax, the spell components Daschia needed, repairs to armor, having to replace broken or lost gear...it adds up!"
Lanex said. She dropped her voice to a whisper. "The only reason we're eating as good as we are tonight is because I managed to nick a couple of fat purses but I don't like stealing so close to home, you understand?"
Daschia nodded. "I guess we can always try the guild," she suggested. She ran one finger along the point of her left ear, a nervous habit the elfin spellblade had never managed to quite shake. "See if there is anything on offer?"
"Bah!" Bhathig grumbled. "Probably nothing but scraps and drudge work. Going after a rogue troll or the like. Probably nothing that pays all that well."
"Or we could try the Firthian Expanse," Lanex offered with a sly grin. "Plenty of old ruins there, artifacts people will pay a pretty penny for and a bit of loose coin while we're at it."
"Who takes Old Empire coin?" Daschia asked. "They haven't minted any of it in five hundred years."
Lanex's grin lengthened. "Lots of metalsmiths will, and they'll exchange it for coin we can spend. Something about the quality of metal in the old coins being superior to what is being minted now. I don't know. I wasn't paying much attention."
Bhathig leaned back in her chair, making it creak ominously. "Could be risky," she said, a slow, tusky smile spreading across her face. She folded her arms under her expansive breasts. "Plenty of things out there like to make the ruins their home. Bandits. Ogres. Even heard a rogue manticore was spotted out that way, you get deep enough into the brush. Could be we get to pick up a few bounties along the way, won't even have to work so hard for it."
Lanex smiled. She kicked her long, supple legs up on the table. Tossing the dagger up in the air, she caught it easily and slammed it, point first into the table. "Good. We'll leave in the morning then. As for right now, let's celebrate!"
"Uh... what exactly are we celebrating, Lanex?" Daschia asked quietly.
"Why our future riches of course!"
#
"You ladies are quite a ways from home aren't you?" the gap toothed bartender of The Silver Stallion tavern observed.
The tavern was part of the walled village of Siltstone, which, in all honesty, was more fort than village. There was a blacksmith, an inn, the tavern, a small shrine, and a garrison large enough to give most of the local monsters pause.
The three adventurers were not the only customers of the rustic tavern - a prospector was slumped in one corner, sleeping off the results of the four empty tankards in front of him, and a trio of guards played dice in one corner. A large broadsword hung on the wall behind the bartender, and all three could tell from experience that it wasn't merely for show.
Lanex gave the bartender an easy smile. She leaned against the scarred wooden bar enough that he could get a good look down the front of her partially unlaced tunic if he wanted. Bhathig towered over her from behind, a fierce, almost possessive scowl on her face as she surveyed the room. Daschia, for her part, kept her hood up and moved to an unoccupied table away from everyone else.
"We thought we'd try our hands at a bit of exploration," Lanex said. "We hear there are plenty of ruins around. We figure not all of them have been picked clean yet."
The bartender scratched at the side of his nose, then poured three mugs of ale. The glasses even looked relatively clean. "Sure there are. Plenty of monsters too. Don't see many Adventurer's Guild types come out this way, though. Not enough work by the cities?"
"Oh, there is," Lanex said. She picked up one of the mugs and resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose. Brandy was her usual drink of choice, but no need to offend the locals. "We wanted something more of a challenge. What do we owe for the drinks?"
The bartender snorted. "First round is on me, along with a bit of advice. Find the next caravan heading back to civilization. Forget about this. Maybe find some honest work."
Bhathig leaned on the bar and smiled through her tusks at the bartender. "Think we can't handle a few monsters?"
The bartender shook his head. "Look, I'm not sure what you are used to dealing with - maybe a small nest of goblins, the stray wyvern or two, but out here it is different. Adventurers come out here, and we recommend they go out with no less than five. Ten people minimum is the recommendation, and then they are usually lucky to come back with half. But, well, what do I know? You look capable. If you don't stray too far into the wilds, you might even manage to survive long enough to get back here."
"What about him?" Lanex asked, pointing with her mug to the prospector. "Do you give him the same advice?"
"Who? Rusty? Nah, he stays away from the ruins, and he never goes after treasure himself. Instead he'll go out, mark where they are, and then come back here and sell the information to those brave or stupid enough to actually try and get it. Sure he doesn't get paid as much, but the risk is also a lot less. At least that's what he says."
Lanex blinked at the bartender. "And has he, ahh, sold any information lately?" she asked.
"Nope." The bartender picked up a glass and started polishing it. "You three are the only newcomers to come out here in a while. Bunch of wet behind the ear kids were in a couple of weeks ago, and Rusty gave them what he had then. Haven't seen them since. Maybe they went home without coming back here. Maybe they ran into something they couldn't beat and couldn't escape from. It happens. Lots of danger out here still."
"But people still make their fortune, too," Bhathig added. "Else no one would come out this way."
"That's right."
Bhathig nudged Lanex's shoulder and tilted her head in the direction of Rusty. He was stirring, picking his head up and blinking at the world with big owlish eyes. Lanex figured he wasn't too bad looking, if you ignored his scrawny build and the patchy, scraggly brown beard. Not her usual type... but she had never let that stop her before.
She tossed an extra coin to the bartender, flipping it end over end in the air. He caught it easily and made it disappear with a wink and a smile.
Lanex sauntered over to Rusty's table, making sure she put an extra swing in her hips as she crossed the tavern floor. She was halfway there when Daschia put her hand on her arm.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" the elf asked. "You heard him," she said, pointing back to the bartender. "It isn't all that safe out there."
Lanex frowned. "Look. I understand. But not taking risks has put us in this very position, do you understand? We need this score to get us back on our feet. Or would you rather head back home to your mom and dad and whatever they have planned for you."
Daschia paled. It was true. She had run away from home once it became apparent that her parents had arranged a marriage for her. Such was the norm in elf society, and all in all Daschia knew that she should be happy with the match as he came from a much wealthier family than hers... but he was also three centuries her senior and very conservative - as in he firmly believed that women should stay secluded, sew tapestries, and practice the harp. Magic and swordplay would be absolutely forbidden. If she had enough coin, however, she could establish her own academy, take on students, and be free from the constraints of her parents. She let go of Lanex's arm and nodded meekly.
"Bhathig? Are you in?"
"We're hardly wet behind the ears adventurers. I think we can handle a few bandits and monsters should they come our way," the warrior said. "Let's see what this prospector has to say."
"Ladies," Rusty said, letting out a belch loud enough to rock him back in his chair.
"We hear you might be able to guide three adventurers to where there might be some treasure," Lanex said. She slid her chair until it was next to his and placed her arm around his shoulders. She wrinkled her nose slightly at the stench of ale and stale sweat, and had to wonder when the last time Rusty might have been acquainted with a bath.
"You? Adventurers?" He squinted his eyes and shook his head. "Are there more of you outside?"
"Only us three," Lanex said. "More than enough to handle any trouble that might come our way."
Rusty looked over at her and scratched at his bead. "A hundred gold," he said.
Lanex blinked at him. Daschia's jaw dropped. Bhathig muttered an orcish curse.
"Listen, if we had a hundred gold," Lanex said, moving her hand from his shoulder to his lap. She could feel his dick through his pants, growing harder as she gently squeezed it. "We wouldn't be needing the map or the treasure, would we?"
"Man has to eat, doesn't he?" Rusty murmured, his attention clearly elsewhere.
"One raid down into the ruins, and you can make ten times that easy."
