"Where exactly are you taking me, Kastis?" Alexzander questioned.
Clicking his tongue, "Don't be so formal, kid. I don't need more people looking for me than I already have now. Driel's fine, it's a common name. Yours though? I'd be surprised if there was another Alexzander." Alexzander grunted. His eyes were darting around, from the strangers faces to their weapons, everyone seemed to have at least a dagger or short sword. He was even unfamiliar with many of the species here, 'I guess all that reading really was for nothing.' He thought. Looking forward he saw a large man with green skin, an orc he mused, 'At least some of it was worth it.' The orc wielded a large great sword that no human could ever carry, but for him? It was like using a feather, used for dominating snapping dragons. Relatively sized creatures, not very common anymore. Their scales were profitable, but they were the weakest of the dragons, not even being able to use fire or ice breath, like most dragons now.
"Relax kid, I practically know everybody here." Driel said, attempting to calm Alexzander. But by the way Alexzander started to sweat, it made it worse.
"And not everyone here likes you, Driel." The orc said, sitting on the larger chair next to their table.
"Yeah, but that's their problem. I ain't do nothing to no one...at least in here."
"That's what you tell yourself Driel, but you fucked up. You fucked up real bad." Alexzander narrowed his eyes, looking at Driel, "Yeah kid, this guy, managed to botch a job up so much that he led a small army to the 'Sailboat'. A safe place for us criminals, but he managed to fuck it up!"
"Now relax here, Redford. We don't want a repeat of...that? Do we?" Driel said, trying to reason with the orc.
Redford glared at Driel but relented it after a few seconds. Taking the time to calm down, "Hey! Vivian, get me some Salty Tears!"
"Fuck you. I'm not your waiter. Get it yourself." The snappy woman said, turning around he saw the purple themed woman resting against the wall. Alexzander took note of her. She seemed dangerous, more so than these two idiots. She looked like she wouldn't hesitate to back stab you in a heartbeat.
"She's out of your league kid." Driel said, noticing Alexzander. Who fully knows the look he has, he wasn't checking her out, but he was rather gauging her. Something Via used to do. Stammering, Alexzander tried to counter but a large thump interrupted them. The orc had decided to make his presence known again, but this time it was with two large lathed wood cups.
"Yup. I tried one time and the next thing I saw was the floor. I think she's fighting for the other side if, you get what I mean." The orc rudely put out.
"By the Gods Redford! Do you want to get us killed? You can't just say that out of the blue! We're gonna get kicked out, and we ain't got many taverns left! Not to mention how you'll probably get castrated. Have you seen what they've done to Holocall?" Driel hissed out.
"God Driel. You swear you're a criminal then you show how sensitive you are. God I hate this new generation. I'm a dragon! I'm a chair! You're a mother fucking human! You can't breathe fire! No one would ever sit on you! I. Am. Going to kill these kids!" The orc shouted.
Though everyone went on about their business. 'Seems like a common occurrence.' Alexzander thought. That is until a chair was pulled next to him. There sat the woman from earlier.
"You're with this group too, kid? Let me give you a suggestion, get the Hell out while you still can." Alexzander's eyebrows rose. Looking back to the duo bickering, he genuinely considered the idea.
"Actually Rosie, it's H'viel Hell. Not just Hell. That's what the Ciaran colonizers call it. They transformed the Eukakrist religion into some cult worshippy thing."
"Shut the fuck up Driel. And it's Rose, not Rosie." She growled out.
"Okay..." He quietly said, sinking into his chair and under the table to escape wild look on her face.
Alexzander was baffled by how easily he listened to her, "Are you the leader of this group?" He asked. Careful to not come off as too aggressive or timid. She was someone to have on your side, not the other way around.
"Actually it's Driel. But I do most of the work." She gloated. By then the duo had stopped bickering and tended their 'Salty Tears'. Of course the orc downed it in one go. While Driel nursed it.
When Alexzander finally agreed to be trained by Driel he thought it was going to be serious. Not…whatever this is, "Driel."
"Yeah, Scrimp?"
Ignoring the nickname he continued, "When will the training exactly begin?"
He was not ready for the reaction around. He flinched as Rosie spit her drink out. Redford dropped his mug and Driel lowered his head into his hands. Alexzander looked around, panicking, wondering what he said that was wrong.
"Driel, I always knew you had some child you abandoned. But I also knew you would one day go back for them and save them from death. You my good man, are a hero." Redford said, with admiration shining from his eyes.
"Wrong!" Driel shouted. While Alexzander's eyes bugged out. He noticed everyone was paying attention. But what caught his eye was an orc-like man. Unlike Redford, he was gray. He had yellow eyes with thick red hair. He quickly looked away as the man turned, hoping he didn't notice.
"Stop lying Driel. At first I thought we were scamming the kid or something. Look, I even stole his coins." She said whilst raising up her hand. Quickly, Alexzander snatched the bag back and glared at the woman, "So, you're his kid huh? What's it like?" She asked Alexzander.
"What?" Alexzander said, galled.
"What's it like to have a dumbass as your father?" Rosie said, facing Driel. The thief responded with the casual middle finger. Alexzander was quite fed up now. But, looking at Driel he remembered how he had hit him in the face with a spoon, and his nose was still faintly aching.
With everyone looking at him, he took off his mask and grinned.
"It's fucking terrible."
He felt odd talking in such a crude manner. But he knew that if he wanted to lay low and not be known as Alexzander Ciaran he needed to be Alexzander Vista. He reasoned it out. Not many people knew what Alexzander looked like, much less knew that Lord Ciaran even had a kid. The only ones who knew were his Astrology teacher, Serviet, and his nurse, Aurelia Sye.
Driel was surprised when he saw Alexzander take off his cloth mask, even more so when he actually responded. But the true shock came when he realized Alexzander's plan. Pretending to be his kid. He won't like, in fact he'll hate it. But, he'll have to accept it.
Wincing he turned to his companions roaring at the response. He internally groaned, knowing that they'll be annoying him about this for weeks, if not then months! Maybe this was a bad idea...