Bar Brawl (Open to All)

[Elliya]

This ties in directly to the events in Dovetails, where Elliya is trying to track down an associate of a bandit who robbed her.

Hi, my name is Elliya- Nope, bad idea, try again.

Hi, my name is Ell…ske. Elske. And I believe you stole something of mine. Although you don’t have it anymore, since you pawned it. Really you don’t have anything of mine, and I didn’t even have to pay to get it back, but you made me talk to that pawn shop owner and he was kind of an jerk so. . . you owe me. Also I guess technically you didn’t steal it, your friend did, but whatever.

Okay, that probably needs a little bit more workshopping.

Elliya kept an eye on the horizon as the ramshackle longhouse she was headed for loomed in her vision. In reality, it was relatively cramped and unassuming, but given the nature of the task ahead of her, it seemed in her eyes to almost blot out the sun.

Focus, focus. We’ve fought worse. We? I have fought worse, and also I am a weirdo who refers to herself using “we” when she’s nervous apparently.

Elliya knew that one bandit in a bar was unlikely to be a big issue. But interrogation and intimidation? That was another step away from her old comfortable life of crafting and farming back home.

Ahem. Hi, my name is Elske. Your friend stole something of mine and sold it in this very town. You’re going to tell me where he is or you’re going to pay. Figuratively, I mean. Again to be fair it didn’t cost me anything to get it ba-

You know what, he doesn’t need the long version. My thing, stolen, play nice or I’ll hit you. Easy.

Elliya took a deep breath as she opened the door.

---

Her first reaction was hot, putrid regret.

Holy shit this place smells horrible. Is this on purpose? Nothing could smell this bad on accident, surely.

Suppressing a gag, Elliya did her best saunter up to the bar.

“I’ll, uh, I’ll have what she’s having.”

Elliya gestured over at a vaguely nautical looking woman a few tables away who was talking animatedly at a few enthralled patrons.

Nice, perfect. She looks cool. And like she belongs.

The bartender glanced up at Elliya, unimpressed. “You mean an ale.”

“Yeah. That sounds right. Thanks.”

Nailed it.

The bartender briefly turned their back before serving Elliya an uncomfortably warm glass of what she had to imagine was the cheapest ale in the house.

Taking some tentative sips, Elliya looked around the bar as surreptitiously as possible, surveying the backroom deals, probably hilariously unfair card games, and even what looked to be a drunken proposal. At just a glance, there were already more than a few patrons who matched the generally disheveled description she had been given, and she wanted to take some care to not accost some random stranger on accident.

Him maybe? No, too skinny. Not that guy, surely? They would have mentioned that facial hair if he looked like that. Definitely.

Finally, her eyes settled on a ragged looking individual seated alone at the far corner who appeared to be gazing intently at a pile of coins accumulating from a tense-looking game of chance next to him.

That looks like him! Maybe he’s trying to will himself some telekinetic powers or something. Wouldn’t that be a fun twist? Probably would make him a better thief than having to just use his hands all the time.

Elliya set her drink down gently and slowly started meandering towards the person in question, feigning interest in the card game along the way.
Once she reached his table, she sidled along the edge, placing herself between him and the gleaming objects of his affection.

“Hell of a pot, isn’t it? You, uh, like to gamble?”

The man stared wordlessly back at her.

Okay, let’s try this again.

“Hi, nice to meet you! I’m Elske. Your friend stole-”

The man immediately stood up and made a cut to the right, quickly angling to bolt for the door.

You know, I’m almost glad he didn’t snitch right away. It just wouldn’t have felt like I was getting the full experience.

Elliya pivoted to block his escape when someone careened into her from behind, knocking her off balance. The energy of the bar suddenly shifted as the world seemed to erupt into fighting around her.

Nevermind. Universe, are you listening? Next time I would be totally happy with a blabbermouth, really.

The sounds of unrepentant property damage filled the air as Elliya recovered her footing and pushed her way through the throng after her target.

At least there’s going to be a lot of demand for someone who knows how to fix chairs tomorrow.

Elliya arrives at the bar and finds her target, but hasn't yet begin to fight.

[Breaker]

The battle is my dance, the mayhem my music, and you folks would tempt me with a ball...

Stuck in the cramped quarters of The Foul Stench, I marveled at having finally found a place worse than Haide. I'd spent the better part of the evening pretending to drink what they called whisky and watching my mark. The portly miner was cheating at cards, and getting less careful about it with each drink he consumed. I closed my eyes for a short moment. That wouldn't end well.

The Foul Stench wasn't the pub's real name -- probably. I hadn't bothered to glance at the dingy sign over the door. My mark - the miner - seemed like a typical patron for the place. The little woman trying in vain to beat him at a rigged game did not. She didn't seem to like it when she finally found evidence of his cheating, either.

"Trisgen's trident," I swore under my breath as the angered cardplayer pitched her glass into my mark's face and moved to follow through with her kukri.

I didn't want to care about the cheater's wellbeing, but he was going to play a crucial role in Stonevale's development as an Althanas landmark. Am'aleh had foretold it, and my goddess' eyes could see farther than the world was long. She had sent me a message two days earlier, and I had already confirmed her story. I'd visited the miner's rooming house the previous night while he slept deep with drink. An inspection of his pickaxe showed golden dust, and I'd found a few fragments of gold ore in his overcoat pocket.

The cheater was an independent prospector. Clearly he had located a rich vein of gold, and clearly he meant to mine it himself and keep the profits. But the town of Stonevale would need the rights to the precious metal in order to grow into a proper city. Am'aleh had foretold it, and I agreed after spending more than a day there.

I clambered to my feet and stumbled swiftly across the pub, still doing my best to blend with the intoxicated crowd. No one needed to know a demigod had visited The Foul Stench that night.

The lithe cardplayer leapt onto the table, reaching for her blade to carve blood money from her opponent's flesh.

Sorry, little shark, I thought as I stole up behind the miner, you'll have to take your vengeance on someone else. This man's staying alive until I locate the gold mine he started.

I grabbed the broad man's greasy ponytail, pulling him to his feet as he wiped blood and crystal shards from his face.

"What the--" he sputtered, attention wavering between me and his assailant.

"Shut up and move," I shoved him toward the exit, which was blocked by the seething crowd. "I'm not letting you die tonight."