Anagha Baheti

I was the last one to enter the tavern.

Conversations halted as the patrons sized us up. Usually, we would have taken that as an offence and started a brawl. Today, we were here to meet a potential client, and I would rather eat my shoe than have Theodore lecture me about making good first impressions. Again.

A short, stout lass caked in cinder ash and soot greeted us and showed us to our table in the farthest corner. I tossed a copper coin her way as a thank you.

Our client was already in his seat. He wore a long, brown cloak with the hood pulled all the way up. Underneath the cloak, he wore a faded green tunic with the sleeves drawn up to conceal most of his gloved hands and brown pants. A metallic mask hid the lower half of his face, and black shades hid his eyes.

We took our seats and ordered some ale and some food. Our client sat patiently while we waited for our food. A minute later, the stout lass slammed six mugs of ale on our table, and her petite friend set down a large plate of fried fish, cheese, and artichokes. My mouth salivated at the smell of fresh meat, but I slowly sipped on my ale, waiting for Theodore to take the first bite.

“My name is Theodore, and these are my coworkers.” The client took a deep swig. “I was told you had a job for us. What do you need us to do? We specialise in robbery, intimidation, and pest control, but we could be persuaded to murder for the right price.”

The man silently studied our faces until his eyes fell on mine. He observed me for a while, forcing Theodore to break the silence.

“Sir, do you have a job for us?”

Althea raised a hand. The stout lass reappeared with a large pitcher and began refilling our mugs. Ellyjobell made her way through the heart of the third artichoke, utterly unbothered by the conversation. Theodore raised his mug to his lips and slowly sipped his ale. Our client kept his gaze on my face like I was a dream that would disappear the moment he looked away.

Theodore put the empty mug back on the table and stood up, prompting us to do the same.

“Thank you for the ale, kind sir. When you have a job for us, you know how to find us.”

The client got up and grabbed Theodore’s hand.

“No, wait, please. I do have a job for you. Please, good elf, take a seat.”

Theodore nodded, and we returned to our chairs. Our client took a deep breath and began speaking.

“My name is Kazar Ibrazun. As you might have guessed, I am an Aasimar. Mikael is my guiding angel. The job I have for… the danger… the world will end in seven days, and I need you to save it.”

“This is a waste of our time.” Ghesh protested, and Theodore nodded along.

“I can pay you more money than you have ever seen in your entire lives.”

That caught our attention. As much as it would be in our best interest to walk out of the tavern and never look back, we lived in a world that ran on coin. Life expectancy in our line of work tended to be short. A big score would give us a chance to complain about aching bones and balding heads. Still, the Aasimar was asking a lot from a band of misfits. A lot could go wrong on a job like this, and living in a harsh world was better than being dead.

“Listen, Sir Ibrazun, as much as we would like to help you, world-ending disasters lie slightly beyond our area of expertise.” Theodore seemed to have read my mind. He probably could. I just never had enough thoughts to find out. “You would have better luck with the Magic’s Circuit. They have magic in their name and in a lot of their members. They have the skills you would need. I could arrange a meeting. For a fee, of course.”

“I’m afraid that won’t work. For reasons I can’t speak of yet, you are humanity’s last hope. I would like to remind you that money isn’t a concern for me, but I can only work with you.”

We should have left, but that amount was hard to walk away from. All eyes rested on Theodore.

“I say we hear him out,” Maxillian spoke up.

“Nobody asked you,” Althea replied. “We let you follow us because we need Avante. You are nothing more than a dog.”

“Dogs are useful,” Ghesh added. “This one is a burden. A pile of meat and bones.”

I pulled a dagger from my hip and buried its tip into the table without lifting my gaze. That shut them up. Maxillian reached across the table and gingerly stroked my hand over the dagger’s hilt.

“Tell us about the job,” Theodore spoke quickly, trying to de-escalate the situation.

“A few days ago, Mikael sent me a vision. I saw Quai burning, and in the centre of the fire, I saw a fallen one of my kind. The one from my vision is still a child according to the rules of my people. He is to reach adulthood in seven days, and when he does, he will be claimed by the fallen angel. His inner light will be replaced by shadows. In my vision, I saw her,” he said, pointing to me, “in possession of the fallen sword and the Grimoire of Corayne. A shadow controlled by her cleansed the fallen sword, and she drove it into the heart of the fallen Aasimar.”

“Are you sure it was her?” Ghesh asked.

“Yes. My visions are seared into my memory. She is the one chosen by fate.”

“No, thank you.” I pulled my dagger free from the table and shoved it back in its sheath. Then, I stood up and walked out of the tavern.