Recruitment Drive

[MadEmperor]

[ OOC: Continued From ]

Kahroan followed River into the tavern. It was nicer than he had expected, and only partly a brothel. But that was the upper levels, and any adventurer or bounty up there was otherwise engaged. The bar and lounges had plenty of people, many of whom looked battle-ready. Hells, the bard performing was a gnoll of all things. He didn't know that those could enjoy people as anything other than food, let alone that one could sing so pleasingly.

"This is... quite a place." Kah couldn't think of anything else to say.

[DragonSong]

River winced the second they stepped into the tavern. If she'd been in her more canine form, her hackles would have been up and her ears pressed flat to her head.

"It's so loud," she replied, just as much one for stating the obvious as her mate, apparently. She looked around. "I'm suddenly wondering if we should trust any food we might get here..." It certainly didn't seem like the cleanest of places.

[MadEmperor]

"It's okay!" Kahroan shouted over the din. What even was that music? Sure it was invigorating, but why so--was he playing an axe?! "Business wouldn't be booming if they poisoned the clientele."

The bard's set ended, and the volume decreased considerably after the whistles and applause. "Thank you, Ketra!" The gnoll bowed, reveling in the attention. "I'll be back soon, barring a glorious death in battle, of course!"

[DragonSong]

"Well, he seems fun," River chuckled as she and Kahroan tried to make their way through the crowd to the bar. She managed to grab a server's attention and gestured for two drinks. Before she could specify what kind of drink, the server was nodding and darting away.

Well. This would be...interesting.

[MadEmperor]

"Ah, ale roulette. That's always fun!" said the gnoll as he sat nearby. He at least had enough class not to flirt with a woman clearly with someone, or maybe it was just the fact that she was with some degree of dragon. Even he couldn't say.

Kahroan gave River a look that said, "this guy probably knows the kind of people we're looking for, but do we really need a bard?"

[DragonSong]

River shot him a look back, one eyebrow quirked, responding: you see anyone else sober enough to carry on a conversation?

Glancing to the bard, she gave him a friendly enough if slightly wary nod. "That was a good set," she said, assuming flattery was always a safe starter. "Do you play here often?"

[MadEmperor]

The gnoll smirked proudly, clearly a sucker for flattery. "Every time I'm in Ketra. They love me here."

The server returned with drinks. The gnoll ordered an ale for himself and tossed the young woman a coin before leaning against the bar.

"Name's Thraxion Swordbreaker, but you can call me Thrax. Bard, warrior, raconteur."

[DragonSong]

The wolf inclined her head slightly. "Pleasure. I'm River--this is Kahroan." She nodded to her mate. With a light chuckle, she added, "You probably noticed, but we aren't exactly locals. We're not so familiar with the city."

[MadEmperor]

"Yeah, you definitely seemed too surprised by this place to be local. Like me, the first time I was in a proper city." Thrax nodded with a laugh. "It's big, it's chock full of strangely dressed people, and it's gods damned loud!"

"That... sums it up, yes. The second time I've felt that today," Kah answered with a small smirk. He was warming up to the energetic gnoll.

[DragonSong]

"You seem quite at home now, though," River noted with a small smile. Someone shouted at someone else across the tavern, and she winced, ducking instinctively closer in to Kahroan's chest--a move that seemed at first to be a simple, wary flinch, but to the acutely observant played rather like how a she-wolf would "cower" against her mate while in reality guarding his throat.

[MadEmperor]

Thrax recognized the instinct. It wasn't exactly the same, but he had seen a lot of something like it the night the world as he knew it ended. The two were an unusual couple, alright: a wolf in human skin, and a man with enough magic in him to be a true dragon.

Thrax raised a furry brow. "A Yoreiqi ice dragon, and a woman who acts like a wolf, eh? Color me intrigued."

[DragonSong]

River arched a brow in turn. "Good nose," she said with a minute incline of her head. She flashed a smile, showing her too-sharp canines for just a beat. "I'd heard gnolls have an even sharper sense of smell than my kind--not entirely sure how you stand it in here."

[MadEmperor]

"Oh, it's a lot, for sure." Thrax chuckled. "But I love the energy, and despite my hearing, I love the noise. But you... probably figured that out."

Kahroan nodded. "Your music is certainly loud, but... energizing, I guess you could say."

Thrax grinned proudly. "I owe much of that to Stormsong here." He gave the unusual weapon on his back a pat.

[DragonSong]

River found herself chuckling quietly. "I've heard of naming weapons, but not...instruments." She cocked her head, then mused, "Though I suppose yours is a bit of both, yes?"

Testing the waters a bit, she asked, "So that's what you do, then? Perform? I don't meet many bards who travel on their own--it tends to be dangerous."

[MadEmperor]

"Most bards can't throw a decent punch, let alone swing a big-ass axe." He grinned proudly, flexing a muscular arm. "I, on the other hand, can more than hold my own in a battle. No mere bandit is going to scare me."

"A warrior bard? Interesting. But I suppose combat is in your people's nature, isn't it?" Kahroan asked.

Thrax agreed with a laugh. "I mean--you're not wrong. My clan certainly enjoys a good battle, and we're one of the more peaceful ones."

[DragonSong]

"So what does scare you then?" River prodded, voice light and playful, but a bit of a considering shine to her eyes. She was trying to gauge whether he was just boastful, or if there was some skill behind the confidence.

[MadEmperor]

"Besides boredom?" Thrax smirked playfully, but his expression faltered for a brief moment as he uneasily gazed at the flickering flame of a wall lamp. "Well, angry dragons for one. What fool isn't?"

He smirked bigger, his eyes on Kah. "You seem chill though."

He groaned. "Sorry, that was awful."

[DragonSong]

River groaned herself, but she was smiling crookedly when she agreed, "It was. You should meet my father, he'd love that."

Glancing back at Kah, she added with a small smirk, "I'm honestly surprised he hasn't used that one yet."

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan chuckled. "It's the Kilanthros. Everything is chilly. Kinda kills the ice dragon jokes."

Thrax laughed. "Wow. You two really aren't from around here."

[DragonSong]

"No, we're not," River agreed with another quiet chuckle and a shake of her head. "I've worked in Adela before, but Ketra is definitely...new. I mostly stick to the Draconi when I'm here."