Chapter 04 - The Drunken Lizard

The group re-convened in a quiet corner of the bar and planned out their visit to the Drunken Lizard.  Jahnas and Paloma were to find some spots outside from which they could observe the building, while the others would enter as a band seeking a place to play.  Modi had the ability to send simple messages to another person via magic, and it was agreed that he would update Jahnas as to what was happening inside.  Paloma would watch the triton and follow his lead.

The Drunken Lizard was outside the city walls, down toward the far edge of the waterfront.  Jahnas and Paloma left the Silver Dragon first and made their way using different routes.  Leaving the western gate they emerged into a hustling area of nightlife.  Restaurants and taverns competed for business, while street performers danced, sang, and breathed fire.  The further they got from the gates, the less well-to-do the crowds became, transitioning from city-dwellers out on the town to locals.  There were still some well-dressed folks, but these seemed to be in the area for a specific purpose, one that was likely at least slightly nefarious.

 

Paloma squatted on a rooftop across the street and one building over from the Drunken Lizard, her cape turned inside out so that she was nothing more than a formless black shape with cat eyes.  Jahnas stood in front of the same building.  From their vantage points they would be able to see the others approach, while also having eyes on the front door and the alley to the left side of the tavern.

 

Twenty minutes later Vim, Modi, and Gnomey emerged from the crowd about three blocks away.  They saw Jahnas, the blue monk being far from inconspicuous, but Paloma remained all but invisible.  As they approached the tavern the front door opened and a well-dressed elf flew through the doorway, landing hard on the ground at Vim’s feet.  The elf’s eyes were a mixture of confusion and intoxication, and the quickly swelling red welt on his cheek implied that he’d said or done the wrong thing.  

 

As he staggered to his feet a monstrous humanoid exited the building, sat on a stool by the door, and began drinking something from a wooden bucket it picked up from the ground.  It looked to be a half-orc, close to seven feet tall and rippling with muscle that was all the more evident by the fact it wore nothing more than a pair of tattered pants that reached just below its knees.  Leaning against the doorframe behind it was what looked to be the femur of some even larger beast, the bone roughly five feet long.  One end was wrapped in leather strapping to create a grip of sorts.  Notches lined its length.

 

Vim walked to the door, a winning smile on his face.  “Hello friend!  My friends and I here are in a band called Mikael’s Pence, and we’d like to speak to the proprietor about possibly performing in this fine establishment.”

 

The half-orc regarded Vim over the edge of the bucket of ale from which it drank.  It put the bucket down and seemed to be in thought for a few moments before letting out a deafening belch, the smell of which actually caused some rats scrounging around the area to turn and flee in disgust.  It looked at each of them.  “Gonk no know you.”

 

“That is true, my friend… Gonk, is it?  We’re newcomers to Unity.”

 

Gonk considered this.  “If you no know anyone, you no go in.”

 

“Do you know if Joey is inside?  He can vouch for us.”

 

The seconds stretched by painfully as the wheels turned slowly in Gonk’s mind.  He stood up, causing Vim to flinch backwards half a step, then opened the door and shouted, “Joey!  Joey!  Come!”  Gonk then sat on his stool and waited.

 

Joey’s head poked out the door and his eyes grew wide when he saw Vim and his companions.  The thief immediately ducked back inside, the door closing behind him.

 

Gonk looked at Vim, shrugged, and jerked his thumb toward the door while grabbing the bucket with his other hand.  Vim led Modi and Gnomey inside before the half-orc could change its mind.

 The front door to the Drunken Lizard was in the right corner of the tavern.  As they walked in Vim saw a dilapidated piano along the right wall.  In the far corner a stairway lead up to the second floor.  Turning to the left the space opened before them.  A bar ran along the same wall as the front door.  The middle of the room was taken up by two huge wood tables, each long enough to seat a dozen or more people on either side.  Both were packed with a mix of races talking, drinking, and gambling.  Against the far wall were a few private tables, all of which were occupied by small groups engaged in earnest conversations.  All the way down against the left wall, next to the fireplace, was a table for six.  A human woman in a brown robe sat on one side, her back to the wall, while on the other side of the table a human and a tabaxi talked animatedly while pointing back to the door.

 

Modi tugged on Vim’s sleeve.  “I think that’s the woman.”

 

Vim gestured to Modi to keep quiet.  He loved the elf, but Modi had no common sense whatsoever.  Modi did, however, send a message outside to Jahnas.  She is here.

 

Vim walked to the bar, the others in tow.  “Hello my good man.  Who can we speak to about possibly performing in this fine establishment?”

 

The bartender’s eyes were hard.  “She’s waiting for you.”

 

“She who, sir?  We only just arrived.”

 

The bartender leaned across the bar menacingly.  “Don’t play stupid, boy.  I can make you and your friends disappear with a snap of my fingers.  Now, go talk to the lady.”

 

“Oh, well, yes, quite right, quite right.  Perhaps you could pour us some drinks first, including one of whatever the lady is having?

 

Gnomey greedily picked up an ale flagon on the bar, which was about the size of his head.  Modi’s request for tea was met with only disdain, and he opted instead for a cup of mead.  Vim grabbed his own flagon, along with a surprisingly delicate crystal glass of red wine for the woman. 

 

When they approached the table Joey and Swifty parted, moving to either side.  The woman looked at the thieves, each in turn.  “You brought them here?  You told them about me?”

 

“It wasn’t Swifty, ma’am, it was me.  It was all my fault…” Joey stammered.

 

The woman looked toward the bar and gave an almost imperceptible nod.  A second later two men grabbed a surprised Joey from behind, one on each arm, as the bartender approached.  He looked at Joey with disgust.  “You know what happens to snitches.”  He turned to the man holding Joey’s right arm, motioning with his head toward a spiral staircase at the end of the bar.  “Take him downstairs.  You know what to do.”

 

Joey began pleading for his life as the men dragged him backwards and down the stairs.  The bartender looked at the tabaxi, then back to the woman.  “What about this one?”  She shook her head.  The bartender jerked his thumb back toward the bar and said, “Scram.”  Swifty disappeared into the crowd instantly.

 

“I’m usually not this easy to find,” the woman said.  “But since you found me, please, sit.”

 

The trio took chairs across the table from the woman.  “Allow me to introduce us,” Vim began, sliding the wine glass toward her. 

 

“I know who you are.  All of you.  So let’s cut to the chase, shall we?”

 

Over the years Vim had made his living as a performer, which meant he spent a lot of time studying audiences.  Sometimes, when his stomach was particularly empty, he even resorted to the odd con job.  As such, he was very adept at reading people.  And this woman’s face and tone told him that an indirect approach wouldn’t work at all, and in fact might get them all killed.

 

“As you wish.  We’re looking for a book stolen from the library recently, the Codex Andlegt Skriðdýr.  It seems that before it went missing a woman in a brown robe was inquiring around Unity about it.  So here we are.”  He spread his hands out wide.

 

She smiled thinly.  “And is that why you killed the wizard, Wally?”

 

“Oh, you heard about that?”  She nodded.  “Did you also hear that he attacked us first, and that after we slew him some kind of freaky brain-with-legs thing leapt out of his head and tried to kill my friend Modi here?”  Modi nodded sagely in confirmation.

 

The smile became a frown.  “No, I had not heard that.  That is… most unfortunate.  He was a nice man.  A bit eccentric to be sure, but kind and gentle.  He did not deserve to die.”

 

“And it also turns out that you were having us followed and had those two search our rooms.  So, if you’ll forgive me for saying so, you seem to be our best lead at this point.”

 

She considered this, looking at each of them in turn.  “If I were involved in the theft of this codex you speak of, I would of course not admit it.  But it seems things have taken an unexpected turn.”  She leaned back in her chair and thought for a moment.  “Have you ever heard of the Chapel of the Taken?”

 

Vim looked at Modi, who shook his head.  Gnomey was halfway through his flagon and didn’t look to be too reliable at this point.  “No, can’t say that we have.”

 

“Perhaps you should go there.  I hear the mural is… enlightening.”

 

Vim looked a bit confused.  “I’ve said too much,” the woman said as she began to stand.  Vim also made to rise from his chair, but it became apparent that the woman was moving incredibly fast, standing and turning to the wall in a blur of brown.  Out of the corner of his eye Vim could see the rest of the Drunken Lizard and was surprised to find that those sitting closest to them appeared to be moving slower than those at the far end of the room.  It wasn’t clear if some people, including Vim and his companions, were moving slowly, or if the others were moving very fast.  What was clear, however, was that the woman moved faster than any of them.  She opened a secret door next to the fireplace and ducked into the alley.

 

Outside Paloma was getting anxious.  She couldn’t see inside the building and had no idea what was happening.  Her instincts told her to look to the left, and when she did she saw a group of six heading up the street toward the alley.  They were a bit of a motley bunch, four humans, an elf, and a tabaxi, but all were armed with daggers and the leader carried a short sword.  Jahnas saw them at the same time and began walking toward them, his path putting him on a course to intercept them at the opening of the alley before they reached the Drunken Lizard.  Paloma swore to herself – the triton might have skills, but the odds were not in his favor.  

 

As Jahnas strode forward a fog cloud came up behind him, enveloping the monk and causing the gang to slow and look around, confused by the suddenness of the weather.  The distraction allowed Paloma to climb down to street level unseen and approach them from behind.

 

“Hold, good citizens,” Jahnas said, holding his hand out, his palm toward them.  Paloma was surprised to see that they did indeed stop, though mostly likelythey were confused by the audacity of the triton. 

 

“Step aside, blue man,” the leader said, stepping forward.

 

Paloma snuck a glance to her left, down the alley, and saw Vim, Modi, and Gnomey emerge from a short doorway that she was sure hadn’t been there a moment ago.  Looking past the three she also saw another group approaching from the other side of the alley, four of them in all, armed with daggers and clubs.  It was an ambush.

 

Everyone became aware of everyone else at exactly the same time, the tension thickening like the fog swirling around Jahnas.  Vim, Modi, and Gnomey stood in the middle of the alley, the ends of which were blocked by four ruffians to the north and six more to the south.  Jahnas stood next to the southern group.  The only one who hadn’t been noticed was Paloma, who stalked her prey on the south end.

 

The two groups of mercenaries began moving down the alley, though one on the south end remained behind continued to face off with Jahnas.  In the center, Vim drew his mace and readied his shield facing south while Modi drew a pair of short swords and looked north.  Gnomey stood between them.

 

Vim’s right hand tightened around the handle of his mace.  The woman was nowhere to be seen, and he didn’t like these odds one bit.  Four of the goons approached, then stopped, their eyes growing wide.  Vim was unsure why until he heard a blood-chilling growl behind him, a low rumble of exhalation that bathed the back of his neck in hot breath.  

 

Before he could turn Vim was pushed to the side, a huge brown mass lunging down the alley at his now-terrified opponents.  The brown bear reared up on its hind legs, a huge front paw hurling one of the ruffians into the side of the Drunken Lizard with a wet crack, where he collapsed in a mass of broken bones.  The bear then lunged to its right, its mouth catching one of the attackers in the neck and shoulder.  The man screamed as he fell to his knees, the blood pouring down his chest and back.

 

Like most street fights, this one quickly devolved into a series of smaller running battles.  Recognizing that the bear probably could fend for itself Vim turned north to fight alongside Modi, just in time to see one enemy fall to the flashing swords of the dancing wizard.  Vim and Modi moved forward together to engage the other three.  To the south the bear rampaged through the ranks while Jahnas fought hand-to-had with one of the gang.  Another gang member burst into flames, screaming as he collapsed, the glow of the fire glinting off Paloma’s white fangs as she grinned menacingly. 

 

One of the remaining thugs to the north turned and ran when it became clear Vim and Modi were about to finish off his partners.  After crushing the skull of his opponent, Vim ran in pursuit, hollering at him to stop before tripping over a divot in the dirt alley and falling face first.  The fleeing foe, looking back over his shoulder, watched Vim fall with a sense of satisfaction and relief, so he was completely unprepared when he turned forward and ran straight in the shield of a constable.  

 

Three more constables rounded the corner and headed up the alley, their maces drawn.  They stopped halfway, however, the sight of the rampaging bear giving them pause.  But once the last of the gangers at the far end of the alley fell, the bear began to shrink, and within a few seconds all that remained standing there, surrounded by blood, was Gnomey.  Paloma slinked past the panting gnome to retrieve one of her throwing stars from the chest of an elf laying face first on the ground.  “That’s a nice trick, my little friend,” she said, her fangs showing slightly.

 

The constables let the party search the bodies and question the sole survivor, who only knew that they were being paid to ambush some folks in the alley.  Whoever hired them had paid fairly well, Modi filling a pouch with gold coins and some small gems that they would split up later.  

 

Paloma walked over to the leader of the constables.  “So, is this going to be trouble for us?”

 

He laughed.  “Trouble?  Dredd will be thrilled that this lot are off the streets in a permanent way.  Go head back to the Silver Dragon.”  Paloma looked at him with surprise.  “Yes, we know who you are.  Don’t worry about a thing.  We’ll sort all this out.”