The lizard was the first to step down when the cart stopped in front of the place. His imposing stance left no doubt about his authority as he quickly scanned the surroundings, making sure everything was in order.
Before I could move to get down, Loran leaned towards me, placing a soft yet firm hand on my arm.
"Be careful with Grimmor," he whispered in my ear, his tone much more serious than his usual enthusiastic self. "He'll probably try to take advantage of what happened with the old man. Stay alert."
I nodded slightly, without making a sound. I didn't want the lizard to notice the warning, so I kept my expression neutral, not revealing what Loran had just told me. The semi-human stepped back, giving me space to get off the cart.
Once on the ground, we both followed the lizard to the entrance of the bar. The wooden doors creaked as they opened, revealing a smoky, dimly lit interior.
As I stepped inside, the smell of tobacco and alcohol hit my senses. The smoke filling the place made it hard to see clearly, but I quickly understood why: the bar was packed. Most of the patrons seemed to be adventurers, some wearing worn armor and others in simpler clothes, but all sharing the same festive atmosphere.
"It's full of adventurers," Loran commented, leaning towards me. "Many come here after their jobs to drink and smoke."
I looked around, noticing that several of them were smoking tobacco. The place was loud, filled with laughter, shouting, and the clinking of glasses. Alcohol flowed freely, and at one of the far tables, I recognized some of the women from the party a few days ago, the one Grimmor had dragged me into.
A troubling question crossed my mind: Would Grimmor try again to persuade me to share my bed with one of those women?
Before I could dwell on it any longer, the lizard gestured for us to follow him. He led us to a staircase in the corner of the bar that led to the second floor. The noise and commotion from the bar started to fade as we climbed the steps.
At the top, there was Grimmor, sitting as usual at his table. He had a cigar in hand, exhaling smoke slowly as he observed the creatures around him. I didn't recognize any of them, but their elegant clothes gave me a clear idea: they had to be important people.
Grimmor was deep in conversation with his guests, and it seemed too important to interrupt. Loran and I, seeing that we would have to wait, sat at an empty table in the corner of the second floor.
The lizard that had accompanied us joined the other guard standing by Grimmor's side.
As I settled into the chair, I noticed that the atmosphere on the second floor was much quieter than downstairs. Only a few adventurers were speaking in hushed voices, a stark contrast to the raucous noise below. I was starting to get distracted when suddenly a figure approached our table.
It was a waitress.
"What would you like to drink?" she asked in a soft, polite voice.
When I looked up, I was left speechless. The woman's long, silver hair immediately caught my attention, shining under the dim light of the place. Her eyes, the same color, had a special gleam I hadn't seen before—something not of the world I came from. Her beauty left me frozen for a moment, and I couldn't help but stare. Loran, sitting next to me, noticed my reaction and let out a small laugh, amused by my obvious surprise.
Still, I didn't respond. I was so absorbed that I hadn't even heard the waitress's question. It was Loran who, seeing my confusion, stepped in to save the situation.
"Two pints of ale, please," he said with a smile, still glancing at me to see my reaction. "By the way, what's your name?"
The woman smiled kindly and replied, "Nayris."
With a slight bow of her head and a charming smile, Nayris excused herself to fetch the drinks. As soon as she walked away, Loran turned to me with a mischievous grin on his face.
"Looks like someone's a little impressed," he teased, letting out a small chuckle. "Careful, if you keep staring at her like that, you'll scare her off."
"It's not that serious," I replied, trying to feign indifference, though something inside me stirred.
Loran only laughed harder at my attempt to downplay it but didn't push further. We spent a few minutes talking about trivial matters, forgetting about the waitress.
Before I realized it, Nayris returned with the pints of ale in hand, smiling kindly as she placed them on the table.
"Thank you," I said, this time regaining control of my words. "I haven't seen you around here before."
"I started a few days ago," Nayris replied, her tone a mix of shyness and amusement. "I'm new at this. Still learning."
Her expression reflected a mix of embarrassment and grace, something I found... pleasant. I realized I couldn't stop my face from showing how much I liked her demeanor, and before I could hide it, Loran stepped in again, this time loudly repeating what he'd said to me.
"Careful, Darius! If you keep looking at her like that, you'll scare her off, and she won't bring you anything else!" Loran said with a mocking grin.
My cheeks heated up instantly, and although I tried to act indifferent, I couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed in front of Nayris, who let out a small laugh before excusing herself to attend to other tables.
Between jokes and lighthearted comments, I realized that curiosity was starting to itch inside me. I looked at Loran, who was laughing carefree, and decided it was time to change the tone of the conversation.
"You know," I began, leaning forward slightly, "you don't seem like someone who would work for someone like Grimmor. I mean, you're way too kind to be surrounded by so much... darkness."
Loran gave me a quick glance and then let out a low laugh, almost as if he had anticipated the question.
"I could say the same about you," he replied, a playful glint in his eyes. "But yeah, you're right. I don't really fit in here. It took me a long time to get Grimmor to accept me into his circle."
"And what do you do for him?" I asked, genuinely interested.
Loran leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he looked at me seriously for the first time in the conversation.
"I handle his finances," he explained. "Sometimes I also help with social relations, especially in dealings with other businessmen. My personality makes it easier to deal with people."
He lowered his voice a bit, as if it were a secret he preferred to keep private.
"If it weren't for the fact that I live alone with my mother, trust me, I wouldn't work for Grimmor. But keeping the house in order falls on me, and... Grimmor pays well. Very well."
His tone changed, revealing a hint of resignation that made me empathize with his situation. Loran wasn't someone who was in this world by choice, but by necessity.
"I understand," I murmured, nodding as I processed what he had said. I knew all too well what it was like to make sacrifices to survive.
Loran observed me in silence for a moment, then tilted his head slightly.
"And you? Why do you work for Grimmor? It doesn't seem like it's for the money."
I remained silent, considering my answer. After a brief pause, I decided to tell him part of the truth.
"It's... complicated," I said, letting the word hang between us. "It's not about the money at all. I need information—something important. I made a deal with Grimmor: if I proved myself useful, he'd talk to me and give me what I need."
Loran nodded, but his eyes showed that he understood I wasn't telling him the whole story. Despite that, he didn't press further. I hadn't mentioned the other deal, the one I made with the being from my dreams. It wasn't that I was lying, but I was definitely leaving out an important part.
The hours passed, and Grimmor remained engrossed in his conversation with the creatures accompanying him. There was no sign that his talk would end anytime soon. Loran and I, in the meantime, had gone through a fair share of alcohol. I could already feel the warmth of the liquor flowing through my veins, and Loran, with his flushed cheeks, wasn't far from my state. We were both clearly drunk.
I stood up unsteadily, feeling the urgent need to go to the bathroom. I made my way downstairs, trying not to stumble over the adventurers who were still drinking and laughing at the tables. Once I reached the bathroom, I leaned against the wall while I peed, letting out an ironic laugh.
The sound echoed off the walls of the place. I was laughing at myself, at the situation I was in. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined I'd end up in such a strange world, surrounded by creatures I'd only ever seen on TV in some past life of mine.
When I finished, I washed my hands and, still staggering, stepped out of the bathroom. That's when I accidentally bumped into Nayris, who was on her way to pick up an order. My drunken body made her wobble a bit, but I held her by the shoulders to keep her from falling.
"Sorry for my clumsiness," I mumbled, my voice slurred by the alcohol, as I looked at her with an expression that clearly showed my state.
Nayris, somewhat surprised but still with a kind smile, responded calmly, "It's fine. Don't worry."
I let go of her shoulders, aware that I had held on to her longer than necessary. As I looked into her eyes, I couldn't help but blurt out a comment.
"Your eyes are... different, I've never seen that color before."
She smiled, surprised, and replied, "Thank you."
"Well, sorry for the clumsiness," I murmured, trying to sound more sober than I was.
Nayris nodded with a kind smile. "Don't worry, it's all good."
Nayris nodded, a little surprised by my comment but keeping her composure. We both went our separate ways—she back to her work, and I back to the second floor, stumbling a bit.
When I reached the stairs, I noticed something strange. Grimmor was no longer there. I looked at Loran, who, upon seeing me arrive, approached with a more sober expression.
"Grimmor's gone," he informed me. "He said we'll meet tomorrow to talk. Looks like you'll have to wait a little longer."
I nodded, too tired and drunk to care much about it. We both decided it was time to leave. Loran and I said our goodbyes with a hint of camaraderie, making me realize that despite everything, we had developed a certain bond.
When I finally reached my inn, exhaustion hit me hard. I collapsed onto the bed, and as my thoughts faded, I realized that maybe I shouldn't have said anything about Nayris's eyes. I didn't want her to misinterpret my words or draw the wrong conclusions about my intentions. The alcohol had definitely loosened my tongue more than it should have.
But before I could think more about it, sleep claimed me.