Day 34, Spring of 514 A.V.
Four days and four nights later, the Bat who called himself Djas and Sal, the investigator from the Cosmos Center, converged on their chosen meeting place. It was an inn by the name of the Monk and Fisherman, found in a prime location by the docks of Lhavit and frequented by an assortment of salty looking seafaring folk and the kind of dock laborers who would not look out of place in a cell. Many often ended up in such confines after one too many drinks led to enlarged egos and overstretched confidence. But all in all, the place was well kept and well run, keeping the mead and ale flowing and serving a fine variety of dishes to keep a sailor's appetite sated.
Of course a career on the seas or the docks was not prerequisite for entering the establishment. With Lhavit's population as small as it was, all the taverns and inns could boast a wide variety of customers who hailed from all walks of life. What differentiated one locale from another was mostly just the name. Otherwise, especially after a few drinks, one place was as good as the next. That the two men had chosen this particular location for their meeting was by chance, having been the nearest inn in sight when last they met.
Inside was as expected from such a place, the din of conversation and revelry coexisting with the smells of food and ale, along with the less inviting odor of men having worked a hard shift on the docks, as well as tobacco smoke that hung in the air like clouds of gloom. Sal had procured for himself a table in one corner of the place, looming there like a watchful guardian over the rest of the inn's patrons, with particular attention given to the main entrance. Any minute now he expected Djas to enter, as the time of their meeting drew closer with each second.
He was a little nervous at the prospect of things to come. Over the last few days, he had met with his friend again to garner further details of the card game and any other information that was pertinent to the situation. The makeshift plan was to somehow gain access to the card game, with the intention of one of them then sneaking into Burton Tally's private quarters in order to rob him of the money he had cheated Sal's friend out of. That plan, in its infancy, was doomed to fail. But that was merely the basis of their idea upon which further elaboration would be necessary before they could put it into practice.
First things first, they would have to get into the card game. If Sal's friend's info was legit, it was a fact that sometimes players were from 'out of town' as it were, such as passing traders or sailors. Made sense from Tally's perspective, since it effectively meant fresh meat as far as he was concerned. He just needed his reputation to be enough to entice would be challengers to his table, without it being too much that he was branded a cheat. A cheat he was though, having maintained a clean record of victories when it came to cards. Tally was selective of his opponent's, never seating himself against someone who had more influence or power than him in the city. It was bully tactics, never going after the bigger fish. Clever. It was also evidence that Burton Tally was no fool.
Sal took another swig from his ale, letting the taste settle in his mouth for a second before swallowing it down. The ale had a somewhat woody taste to it, pleasing to his pallet and worthy of a refill, which he would need if Djas did not make his entrance soon. It had to be time now, and Sal wondered if the thief would come through after all. He would not have blamed the fellow if he did not. After all, what reason did he have to risk his neck for Sal and his friend? Sure, there was payment for services rendered, but there was always the question of risk versus reward. If Burton Tally matched at least half the reputation he had made for himself, this was by no means amateur night. Sal and Brandon were little fish, going after a much, much bigger one.
Of course a career on the seas or the docks was not prerequisite for entering the establishment. With Lhavit's population as small as it was, all the taverns and inns could boast a wide variety of customers who hailed from all walks of life. What differentiated one locale from another was mostly just the name. Otherwise, especially after a few drinks, one place was as good as the next. That the two men had chosen this particular location for their meeting was by chance, having been the nearest inn in sight when last they met.
Inside was as expected from such a place, the din of conversation and revelry coexisting with the smells of food and ale, along with the less inviting odor of men having worked a hard shift on the docks, as well as tobacco smoke that hung in the air like clouds of gloom. Sal had procured for himself a table in one corner of the place, looming there like a watchful guardian over the rest of the inn's patrons, with particular attention given to the main entrance. Any minute now he expected Djas to enter, as the time of their meeting drew closer with each second.
He was a little nervous at the prospect of things to come. Over the last few days, he had met with his friend again to garner further details of the card game and any other information that was pertinent to the situation. The makeshift plan was to somehow gain access to the card game, with the intention of one of them then sneaking into Burton Tally's private quarters in order to rob him of the money he had cheated Sal's friend out of. That plan, in its infancy, was doomed to fail. But that was merely the basis of their idea upon which further elaboration would be necessary before they could put it into practice.
First things first, they would have to get into the card game. If Sal's friend's info was legit, it was a fact that sometimes players were from 'out of town' as it were, such as passing traders or sailors. Made sense from Tally's perspective, since it effectively meant fresh meat as far as he was concerned. He just needed his reputation to be enough to entice would be challengers to his table, without it being too much that he was branded a cheat. A cheat he was though, having maintained a clean record of victories when it came to cards. Tally was selective of his opponent's, never seating himself against someone who had more influence or power than him in the city. It was bully tactics, never going after the bigger fish. Clever. It was also evidence that Burton Tally was no fool.
Sal took another swig from his ale, letting the taste settle in his mouth for a second before swallowing it down. The ale had a somewhat woody taste to it, pleasing to his pallet and worthy of a refill, which he would need if Djas did not make his entrance soon. It had to be time now, and Sal wondered if the thief would come through after all. He would not have blamed the fellow if he did not. After all, what reason did he have to risk his neck for Sal and his friend? Sure, there was payment for services rendered, but there was always the question of risk versus reward. If Burton Tally matched at least half the reputation he had made for himself, this was by no means amateur night. Sal and Brandon were little fish, going after a much, much bigger one.
