The three crested a large snow covered hill midway through the next morning where Locgres came into view. The metropolis was stunningly lit in some places by streams of sunlight breaking through the clouds overhead. The trail leading there was much clearer and dry for the most part. The muddy trails soon turned to cobblestone streets leading up the large barred gates of the city.
Here, there was more activity than they had seen anywhere else on their journey so far. The streets were filled with people of all sorts and types. Peddlers sat near their stands and middle class people walked the streets in sophisticated winter wear. Town's guards rode atop of their mounts patrolling the streets and a few beggars with cupped hands pleaded for a coin or two.
The city was made of several layers of winding streets that spiraled upwards to a large fortress that sat on top and looked out over the town. Every building was made of a mixture of wood, smooth stone, and clay, sturdy and built to last. The sight overall was overwhelming to the three. They gave polite nods to the guards as they entered, earning a trail of beady eyes back as they passed through the gates.
"There are so many people," Jex commented with childish wonder, a bright smile on his face. "I haven't gotten a clue where to look for an inn. There are so many places to explore here."
"Perhaps we should ask around?" Ray asked, looking at Nimer.
"I've got a few places in mind already," the guide said with a grin. "One that may or may not be the perfect place to gamble."
"As long as it's your own money, I'm fine with it," Ray said, rolling her eyes.
They passed by a few shops with large windows displaying goods of fine clothing and armor and other shops with weapons of different sorts and sizes. Jex couldn't keep his eyes off any of it while they rode. He pointed to a full set of plate armor in one of the windows. "You think we can get that someday?" he asked.
"Jex, you don't need that right now," Ray said, trying to keep his childish wonder under control.
"But I want it," he whined.
"Get better with a sword and we'll talk about armors," Nimer said looking at him with a mischievous grin.
Jex's shoulders slumped. "Oh, alright," he agreed.
Nimer pulled them to a stop in front of a tall, tavern inn with an ornate sign out front made of metal. Carved into the metallic sign were the words, "The Dwarven Chicken".
Ray read the name on the sign and then turned to their guide. "You can't be serious," she asked blandly. "Who would name a tavern after a chicken?"
"Someone with a colorful imagination," Nimer answered as he slid off his saddle. His boots clicked a little on the cobbled road.
Jex couldn't help but laugh. "Oh come on, Ray. I think it's a brilliant name!" he exclaimed.
The smile on Jex's face was contagious as Ray's lips twitched into a small smile and she finally agreed, "Alright, you have a fair point. Let's get inside. I'm starving."
The three of them tethered their horses to the post out front and opened the door. Warm air with a mixture of smells both sweet and bitter met their noses. Their chilly bodies melted almost instantly. Live music played in the corner as performers strummed mandolins and blew shrill notes into flutes. Chanting and hollering along with people dancing across the floor made the large tavern feel homey and bright. They had to dodge a few waitresses clothed in long skirts and aprons carrying large trays of either full or empty mugs on their way to an empty table in the corner. After they reached a table, they stripped off their mud covered coats and sat down to rest.
Nimer scanned the room, his eyes mostly on tables surrounded by men and women with cards in their hands and gold coins and riches piled on the tables. He reached into his leather bag and withdrew a deck of silk paper cards and placed them on their own table.
"I'm assuming neither of you knows how to gamble?" he asked. With a light whip of sound and great dexterity, he shuffled them precisely, bridging the cards sliding them together. He then tapped the stack on the table to straighten them.
"I've played a few times," Jex admitted. "Ray is better at it than I am."
"I've had some luck," Ray boasted a little.
"Fantastic," Nimer said, then pointed with his thumb at a table behind them. "We'll go to that table and start a little contest. I'm hoping to profit perhaps one hundred gold from this venture. Perhaps a bit of information as well." He looked at Jex specifically. "Don't be afraid to use magic if you must," he said, earning a scowl and a head shake from Ray in response.
Nimer stood leading both Jex and Ray to the next table over. A group of mercenaries sat around the table enjoying different brews from the tap, and not to mention half of them appeared drunk. Five sets of tired eyes turned to the three approaching the table. Jex, however, noticed something fairly different about the group of four. Their leather armor looked very metallic and glistened in a shade of different colors in the torchlight of the tavern.
"Follow my lead," Nimer whispered to Jex and Ray and decided to taunt the four adventurers sitting at the table. "Well, aren't you a lively bunch," he commented and slapped his deck of cards on the table. "Can I interest you men, and lady, in a skilled game of cards," he said nodding to each of them and then to the only woman of the group.
The burliest of the men lowered his drink away from his face revealing a bit of beer foam clinging to his mustache. His lip curled a bit into a sideways smile as he revealed his teeth, minus one or two. "I dun mind a game or two."
Mumbles of agreement toward his proposal were uttered by the others at the table as well. One by one they placed their weapons and shuffled through their belongings and withdrew money bags, setting them on the table. The first thing the three noticed was the appearance of their weapons. The hilts of their swords appeared to be made of different bones and long teeth. The club that one man placed on the table also appeared to be a large carved bone of sorts.
While Ray and Jex were gawking at the weapons, Nimer simply pulled a chair up to the table for himself. Jex and Ray took a moment but did the same and sat down. The cards were dealt between the seven of them and the game started.
Jex picked up his cards, finding he was dealt a King of Spades and a card with ten diamonds on it with an ornate number ten. He could feel the worn oil coating of the cards between his fingers, but looking closer at them he noticed small markings of runes near the top of the cards. He leaned over to Ray who was examining hers closely as well.
"I think his deck is magic," Jex whispered.
Ray nodded in response as she snuck looks at Nimer who was pinching the tops of his cards with his fingertips. His face was unreadable but after seeing the runes on the cards, she could only guess what he was doing.
Nimer threw two gold pieces into the middle of the table. "Ante in," he said coolly as he looked over to Ray. His gaze was intense and sharp, a look she hadn't seen from him before.
Ray fumbled and threw in two gold pieces as well. "Call," she stammered then bit her lip.
Jex tilted his head a little, scratching the whiskers on his chin. He then tossed in three coins to the middle and called out, "Raise you one."
The other four looked at him with curiosity. There were calls all around the table as Nimer dealt out three cards to the middle. As they placed their bets, he struck up a conversation with the other players. "How long have you been in this town, may I ask?"
One of the men who wore a leather helm on his head grunted as he folded. "Three days, and we're gettin' nowhere fast," he responded and leaned back in his chair then chuckled a bit. "When did you three file into town? You all look like you've been rollin' through the mud."
"Appearance is not a strong suit for real adventures," Nimer stated while tossing in another few coins. His poker face was flawless from what the others could see.
The other woman at the table snorted a laugh as she called the bet. "Real adventurers, hah. You amuse me, small man."
"Obviously," Nimer answered. "What exactly are you after?"
The man with a few fewer teeth took a long swig of his drink and set it down before leaning over the table and rose his mug toward the traveling companions. "I assume ya haven't heard the rumors yet, have you."
"That's why we're asking you," Ray spoke up.
The man grinned, "We're here hunting dragons and this one is said to be in possession of a powerful artifact."
"A shard," Jex thought to himself. Looking over at Ray and Nimer, he could tell they were thinking the same thing as him. Nimer gave him a subtle nod.
"Can we tag along?" Jex asked the man.
"If you want to get eaten, sure," the man laughed in response.
"We won't be dead weight, I promise you that," Ray insisted.
"Aye, as long as we get eighty percent of the cut, it's a deal," the woman across the table insisted.
Jex beamed. "It's a deal."
Through the night, collateral was gambled and Jex, Ray, and Nimer became comfortably acquainted with the group of dragon hunters. They marveled at the tales of hunting down dragons and the eminence of the dragons they had fought over the years. Jex was nearly jaw slacked at the idea of obtaining dragon bones or hide to make leather armor. He guided the conversation, in order to learn the tips and tricks of the trade.
Ray sat back and watched him fondly, knowing this was his dream. She was more or less focused on the gambling game. The others had yet to notice that Nimer was obviously cheating. He never lost and folded appropriately each time. Soon he had consumed most of the riches in the middle for himself. But, with the light atmosphere of the table, no one seemed to be taking it personally but her. With a huff, Ray decided to fold each round and delve into the stories the adventurers had to tell.
Late into the night, their faces were flushed from many mugs of ale and their bellies were full of good food. Laughter came from all of them with the merry conversation that soon dried up as their eyes grew heavy. They all said their goodbyes for the night and soon rested in warm beds in rooms up in the inn rooms. Tomorrow, they would start their trek back into the woods.