In a booth at the diner, five people and a baby in a highchair sat and talked while enjoying a meal.
"So, you're telling me...," Null asked while slurping down a creamy soup, "... This thing you want me to destroy is a piece of a cursed artifact."
"That's right. My sister is the one who found out about it," Taz said and patted the shoulder of the woman next to him.
She was visibly annoyed at the act and grabbed his arm, "How many times have I told you to stop doing that? You're going to make my shoulders uneven!"
"Haha! If that's the case, I'll just pat the other shoulder to make them even," he joked with his sister, Ava.
"Wait now Taz," one of the members joined in, "If you do that, she'll shrink even shorter than she already is!"
The rowdy table burst into hearty laughter at the thought of that.
Null had met the rest of the crew back at the hotel.
They consisted of Ava, Taz's short older sister, a rouge man named Gabbo, Cronir of the Stonemen, and Kalim, a lizardmen halfling with a scaley brown tail.
"Alright, alright. Let's focus on the important matter at hand guys. We of the Castello Crew don't discriminate against anyone despite any of their...," he paused and chuckled while relishing the annoyed look on his sister's face, "... shortcomings."
Another wave of laughter erupted at Ava's expense.
She gritted her teeth in frustration as this was the typical behavior of the group.
Taz begun his explanation after the laughter died down, "We all went exploring a newly discovered ruin site when Ava found a scroll containing the description of the cursed item and its effect."
"It's called the Sanguine Stone Tablet for its wicked blood related abilities engraved on its face in a cryptic language or code."
He showed Null a sketch they had with them. The decrepit looking red stone tablet had scratched scribbles all over it in arranged sections.
"We brought the scroll to around and by the looks of it, the piece will likely be one of the items of the underground auction held each month here." Gabbo said.
"Yes," Taz concurred, "And attending the auction is a member of the Cult of Decollation whom we can just go ahead and assume has a level of mastery over the blood arts."
"We accepted the quest of the Wanderer's Guild to subdue the cult member and destroy the fragment before he can escape with it."
'Ah, yes, wandering and the blood arts and decollation.' Not knowing a thing about what he was talking about, Null just pieced it together with all of the imaginative knowledge he accrued from the fantasy novels he read back at home.
"But with that being said, let's finish up our meal and head back to the market before it gets dark," Taz concluded the discussion early, "We still need to prepare it bit more before the auction."
"Roger that," Gabbo went back to his meal.
"Waitress! Another plate of those tasty gizzards over here please!" Kalim shouted at the poor waitress.
Meanwhile, Null had just finished licking his bowl clean.
"Here's a little something for you Null, "Taz passed a coin pouch this a rope tied around it, making it into a makeshift necklace.
"Oh! Thank you very much!" Null put the necklace on and bid the crew farewell.
He was going to get some good stuff for Theef to digest when he freed him later on. And who knows, maybe he'd find something for himself.
Taz stopped him before he took a spare translator from a bag on his belt before Null went on his way out the door.
'Nice save! Thumbs up,' Null complimented Taz in his head.
..........
While Null was on his solo adventure, Theef was hitching a fit in an empty cell.
"If you don't get me the hell outta here right now, you're gonna regret the next few days of your life! Do you hear me you shitty market police!"
His screams and shouts fell on deaf ears as the guards kept made sure to wear their music players when he came around.
"Alright so that's how it's gonna be huh," Theef began snickering.
His eyes started spinning as he danced foolishly in the back of his cell.
'What a nutjob.' The guards all had the same thought at Theef's bad luck ritual while being none the wiser about its effects.