Together a plan: XII
Alekzandr yawned as the three of them entered the yawning portal. He was tired, he had just spent the last three hours trying to get Markos to stop converting random drunk bar guests. "How on Toril do you deal with it Asher?" Alekzandr asked as the two of them hauled Markos into the tavern.
"Carefully." Asher responded. "And with a really sharp sword." He gave Asher a subtle look in an attempt to ask if he was serious but forgot he couldn't glean information from a mask.
"Home sweet home." Alekzandr murmured as they entered the yawning portal. The buzz of the crowd never dulled, especially the later it got, he did love the chatter. "Durnan can you get me some vodka?" Alekzandr shot to the back as scanned the crowds. "Do you see our associates anywhere?" He queried, nudging Asher.
"I see one of them." Asher pointed forward past the long rows of people to the bar. Sitting on one of the high oak stools was Herod. "Whoops I guess two." Asher mentioned. Alekzandr only chuckled as Riu entered his vision sitting next to Herod who was sitting next to someone who had to be Riu, she was dressed differently. Wearing a black cloak she was turned to the side in a blue tunic laced with white, her long robes were replaced with tight sturdy adventuring gear. Her white hair was combed away and she seemed to be laughing at Herod. Alekzandr thought of the previous night and Riu's attempt to straddle him, it was all just too odd.
"Let's join them." He concluded, shouldering Segiri for a drink.
"You guys go ahead I have some non-believ-" Alekzandr watched Asher grab Markos's cloak collar. "No- you never let me convert people!" The three of them approached the bar. Alekzandr got a lovely surprise waiting for him, behind the bar was his favorite six foot giant of a human Durnan who handed him a filled mug of vodka.
"You know, others prefer glasses, not jugs of the stuff." Durnan commented.
"Others do. I however. Am not a pussy." Alekzandr replied as he sat down next to Herod, happy to finally put a person between him and Markos.
"I can read minds." Alekzandr nearly flinched as Markos pulled the man on his left from his seat and sat down next to him. He looked at him bewildered considering the pro's and con's of just shooting him right there. He couldn't actually read minds right? Alekzandr could have sworn he could hear Asher speaking but from the other side of two people in the crowded tavern? He couldn't make out a thing.
"So you guys heard candle lane as well huh?" Alekzandr looked up to see Herod talking. "That's what Asher just told us, Jalester said. We got the same thing from Riu's aunt." Alekzandr frowned. "With maybe some flavor text."
"Riu's aunt?" He tried to not sound too skeptical about the woman's knowledge. Herod sniggered.
"Yeah, real nutcase."
"Hey!" Herod swatted Riu's hand away as she tried to protest. "She's not!"
"But, she seems to know a lot, also." Herod took a sip. "Nobility over here is super fucking loaded." Alekzandr nodded, pretending to care as Riu sat up straight like someone tased her spine.
"Well I wouldn't.. I mean I'm not like Loaded just.. Uh we're comfortable and all and-" Riu started saying, he wasn't sure why she was embarrassed but Herod seemed to laugh at it. Which was enough for him to just dismiss it altogether.
"She's got servants and everything." Herod said, shaking his head. "Anyway I'm feeling a tad peckish. Hey Durnan." Herod focused his forest green eyes on the bar tender. "Could I order a plate of chicken from the kitchen?" Durnan grinned.
"Coming up."
"So candle lane right?" Herod mentioned "Do we wanna leave now or in the morning?" Alekzandr shook his head, thinking of all the issues of going there now. The hour of the wolf was a seldom time to attack an unknown target the Marrow taught him that.
"We were told by Jalester if we headed in the morning, he would have backup on the way, sometime early. So it is most likely advantageous of us to spend the night here." Alekzandr informed as he took long drinks from his flask between words.
"Another one? Are you serious?" He looked across the bar as Durnan talked to a man near the backdoor which headed into the kitchen. He was at a relatively average height for a human, clearly male with long brown hair and green clothes. The man stood with a large lute in his right hand with a bluish cloak draped over his back.
"It's urgent." The man said again, Alekzandr knew no ordinary individual could hear such information as his compatriots and even bar guests paid no attention. However, the ranger of the Rushiki army was no ordinary individual, he told himself. The man flashed something to Durnan, a pin that Alekzandr couldn't make out. As they spoke some words were lost to the roar of the tavern but a few stood out to him. "Happening. The Vault. Demons." Alekzandr watched the three stringed bard look around before making eye contact with him suddenly. He looked away, downing a load of vodka from his mug as he grabbed Markos over the shoulder.
"Incredible, all of this is just lovely!" Alekzandr yelled out. The bard seemed to look away as Alekzandr feind drunkenness. What was going on in this town? He asked himself, he had heard rumors of demons and devils all week, hell even before that. Not to mention the growing dead bodies the City Watch were finding every few days, Alekzandr grew no pleasure in overhearing those conversations between the guard members as they came into the bar looking for a drink. Then.. there was the vault. Everyone and no one spoke of it, the supposed previous open lord of the city had stolen money? Something like that, Alekzandr if he was honest didn't care too much but the chatter on the topic was through the roof. If he knew anything, when bodies start piling up, when people go missing and important figures start talking like this.. Conflict was inevitable. He had seen it once, he thought perhaps he might see it again.
"I'm not sure if you're trying to break the wall with your eyes, or summon vodka with your mind, but neither is gonna work." Alekzandr looked over at Herod who was sipping an orange liquid, it didn't look like alcohol. Herod was an oddly comforting figure, out of the cultist and chaotic smartass of a soldier whose face he couldnt see, the flirting whore cleric, and the woman Adleth.. Alekzandr had yet to form an opinion on her. Herod.. Was probably the most normal to him. In Herod's eyes he saw a strange confidence; it was arrogant yet.. It carried with it the centers of one who had walked away from his own death. Alekzandr had seen it before, men who fell ill only to rise stronger and smarter. It was the feeling Herod gave him.
"I apologize comrade, staring is a trait you inherit after years of war you cannot think by simply closing your eyes!" He took a sip laughing. "You have to see what you're fighting for!" Alekzandr pointed to the shelf of alcohol, Herod smiled in response.
"While we were out." Herod started, pointing over at Riu. "I learned about some things.. Her aunt had all this info but she mentioned something.. Other people besides our guy going missing." Alekzandr listened to Herod as he spilled concern.
"I've.. heard similar reports" Alekzandr admitted looking around him. "Descent in the drow communities in the uh.. Underdark." He prompted quietly. "What is actually going on down there I have no idea.. Everything being talked about.. I admit I don't know what to make of it." He divulged as the two of them looked around the tavern not really knowing what else to think. Herod scoffed a little bit.
"I haven't been in this town very long, so if it's going to shit I'm getting out of dodge as soon as this little task is done. There are better places to bring the word of Puderis, better places to gain power." Herod rasped. Alekzandr nodded, he didn't know Herod would simply leave but it made sense. Waterdeep was not a kind town but Alekzandr was interested in it so he would not leave.
"Alright." Asher sat up from down the bar next to Riu. "I'm headed to bed. So you guys can drink yourselves until you pass out." Asher tossed a coin to Durnan. "Thanks." He seemed tired, but that was to be expected, Alekzandr thought.
"I guess we all should." Alekzandr admitted humorously placing a few coins at the bar for Durnan as he walked away.