The elven man shook off his bewilderment and cleared his throat. "Then, allow me to introduce our party. I am Bellas; I specialize in channeling magic, more specifically physical interference spells."
Bellas then motioned over to the two ladies behind him, who had thus far remained silent. "The person to my left is Mia; she's a pathfinder that specializes in ranged combat."
The woman stepped forward and nodded her head; she had long purple hair tied into a messy ponytail. A scar on her left cheek and a small crystal hanging from her ear on the same side were the most notable features of her face.
She was dressed in light leather armor and armed with nothing more than a hunting sword and a large object on her back, composed of a long iron barrel and a wooden frame, both covered in various nickel engravings.
Kedra did a double take at the sight of the weapon. 'Is that a gun? I knew that they were experimenting with black powder weapons, but that thing looks much more modern.'
Mia noticed Kedra's curious stare and smirked. "I see you've taken notice of my weapon." She reached back and pulled the large cannon off of her back, proudly holding it in front of herself.
"This is called a combustion rifle; it uses engraving magic to fire large iron stakes; think of it like an improved crossbow. This one in particular was modified to shoot at even greater distances, at the cost of efficiency; of course there are many more types of-"
Before Mia could continue her rambling, Bellas quickly stepped forward. "Alright, Mia, you'll continue your lecture later; for now, I must conclude our introduction. Lady Kedra, this here is Gretta; she is an alchemist who also dabbles in engraving."
Bellas motioned over to the woman, who promptly stepped forward and greeted Kedra with a small nod.
She had long, messy black hair and purple eyes, though her most exotic trait were the many feathers that adorned her head and neck. Her outfit was nothing special, a practical mix of black leather armor and different alchemy supplies, though its simplicity was downplayed by an excessive amount of golden trinkets.
Kedra looked upon her for a moment before noticing two large folded wings on her back. 'She's a skykin! And judging from her black feathers and large amount of shiny trinkets, I can only assume she's related to ravens.'
After a few seconds, Bellas began to speak once again. "Our adventuring party is called The Golden Lions, though in truth we simply borrowed Lionel's nickname."
"Anyway, with that, we've finished our introductions; we will be pursuing the target tomorrow after our meeting with the information broker later tonight. Though you aren't being accompanied by that horn-folk right now, would you still like to come with us, Lady Kedra?"
"Are you sure? You were so opposed to it before." Kedra asked.
"Well, with Lionel singing your praises like that, I'm sure meeting an information broker would be fine, but when we actually go after Ranrik, you must bring your guard with you."
"In that case, I'd be happy to accompany you."
Suddenly Maria took a step forward. "My Lady, you don't know the way back to the manor, do you?"
Kedra, caught off guard, avoided Maria's gaze. "Well, that is true... Ah, I know! I'll just take Lionel with me this once."
Lionel lightly smirked and let out a small sigh. "Whatever you say, my lady."
"Alright! In that case, Maria, you head back and tell Naoya that he'll be accompanying me in the future. Ah, and take this along with you just in case."
Kedra pulled one of her ice knife circuits from her pocket and handed it to Maria. "You never know what you might encounter in the alleyways in this city."
Maria gently took the piece of paper and bowed her head lightly. "Thank you, my lady; I'll head back now."
Bellas clasped his hands with a smile. "Well, now that we've gotten everything out of the way, I think it's time we headed off, no? The informant should be located in the lower quarters... next to an armorsmith, right?"
Mia shook her head. "No, the innkeeper said it was next to a weaponsmith!"
Lionel sighed. "Oh, come on, what difference does it make? Let's just go; we don't have all day."
The group began making their way into the poorer parts of the city; little by little, the cries of the merchants were replaced with deafening silence, interrupted by the occasional verbal argument or fistfight by the local vagrants.
The beautiful whitewashed walls of the town square made way for cracked masonry and run-down buildings, and the smell of freshly cooked food and spices from the market was overtaken by the smell of dirt and mud.
Mia took a deep breath. "Ah, this is more like it! That city air was suffocating."
Bellas shook his head. "I'll never understand your tastes, Mia."
After a few minutes of walking, the party was halted by Lionel, who pointed to a hanging sign. "Looks like it was both."
The sign hanging over their heads had a chestplate and two swords drawn onto it. Just beneath the drawing, the store's name was written in big, bold lettering: The Black Anvil.
Inside the store, weapons of varying shapes and sizes adorned every wall, while the floor was occupied by a handful of stands that carried various suits of armor.
Far in the back, behind a small counter, was an old gnome with long gray hair and a short beard. He swayed back and forth on a rickety stool while puffing on a decorated wood and gold pipe.
As the party approached, the gnome raised an eyebrow and tapped his pipe into an ashtray. "Can I help you?"
Bellas stepped forward and greeted the gnome with a nod. "I'm looking for a warbler, one with yellow feathers."
The old man nodded his head and pointed to a door behind him. "He's been waiting for you."
Mia and Gretta stayed behind while the rest entered the door. The room was dark, with the only light source being a small candle atop a circular table in its center.
A cloaked figure stood next to the table, his features completely obscured. "First the coin, then the knowledge."
His hand emerged from his cloak and hovered over the candle in an impatient manner.
Bellas reached into his coat and produced a small pouch of coins; he then promptly placed it into the stranger's hand. As soon as the man received his payment, he placed a sealed envelope on the table. "What you're looking for is in here, now out."
The elf quickly pocketed the envelope and led Kedra and Lionel out of the room.
Stepping out of the room, Kedra looked inquisitively at Bellas. "That was easier than I thought it would be."
Bellas chuckled. "Well, as long as the correct amount is paid, usually information brokers will be very cooperative."
Suddenly, Gretta walked over, accompanied by Mia. "Mia saw people waiting outside." She said in a creaky voice.
Lionel looked to Kedra. "Looks like things won't be going as well as you thought."