Stonefishes wasn't the most reputable tavern in Grom City. It was violent, attracted a rough clientele, and a known den of crime. Regardless, the booze was cheap, and nobody cared who you were or what you did.

Young Jimmy's head swam. Partly from the fermented potato swill, a little from the loud tavern music, but mostly from the off tuned minstrel singing her little heart out in the corner. She wasn't bad, and her subject matter seemed appropriate, but every so often she would miss a note or strike a discordant chord. That suited Jimmy though, he wasn't in the mood for straight thinking right about now, and if bad drink and questionable music at Stone Fishes was what it took, then so be it.

"You could use another," said Ulfgar as he pushed another potato drink towards Jimmy. The boy reluctantly took the cup. He sniffed it, even though he knew it would smell like paint stripper, before taking a swig.

Young Jimmy's head swam some more with each sip, but it was a welcome respite. He had travelled around the world, just to lose his love Sammy. He even travelled to the Slab, hoping to be ripped apart by demons, but he failed even at that. Now at this dock side tavern dive he was failing to drown his tears. Wasn't drink supposed to do that? Drown your worries in booze? All it seemed to do was to heighten his sense of sadness and loss.

"Forget about her," said Ulfgar with the tone of someone who couldn't possibly appreciate Jimmy's loss. "You are here, and she's an ocean away. Nothing you can do about it now. You can help others all you want, but the only one you have to look out for, is yourself."

Live for himself? Jimmy wasn't sure what that meant, besides buying a castle, becoming a nobleman, and winning Sammy's hand. That of course was impossible.

As for Ulfgar, besides the arrogance of the statement, Jimmy was puzzled." Wait, live for yourself? That coming from someone that devotes his life to hunting demons. I mean, there are easier ways to make a living. I should know. If you can kill a demon, then you can kill a dragon, or orcs, or a wizard, or something else what is a whole lot less dangerous and a whole lot more richer. The whole profession of demon hunter is mainly one of service to the greater good while surviving on scraps isn't it?"

Ulfgar nodded as he frowned. "True, but that doesn't mean I can't kill them for myself. I won't get into my reasons, let's just say I've loss people, and I've reached the point in my life that those people can't be replaced. They say vengeance is a dirty word, a misguided virtue, but believe me, there are few things as pure when it comes to motivation. Killing demons is the one thing, the only thing, that allows me to release my hate and gives me satisfaction anymore."

Jimmy considered his statement before taking another swig of his swill. "I understand, I think. However, you know this can't end well for you. There aren't any old demon hunters out there. You'll eventually have to get out of this line of work, before they take you out. Even my master had saved up for retirement, cept I think he blew it all on wine and women. You'll eventually do the same, unless you want to end up dead or worse."

Ulfgar shrugged. "I've already seen and been worse, and yes I do have a plan. Though right now it's more myths and legends that I'm researching."

While the booze seemed to have little effect on Ulfgar, Jimmy knew it was simply the potato swill talking. Regardless, he decided to humour the mage knight. "A plan? Tell me more."

Ulfgar grew grim. "How do you stop a forest fire boy? Or an infection."

"Umm, douse it with water, or take medicine or get a cleric to cure it?"

"What if the fire is in the dry season, or the infection is spreading through your limb, and your cleric died."

"Err…. I'm not sure on both counts."

"You control burn areas ahead of the fire to stop the real fire before it gets bigger, and for the infection, sometimes you have to cut of the limb, or worse yet kill the patient before it spreads to others. You cut it out with a scalpel, a black scalpel."

"The fire idea sounds plausible, but I'm pretty sure a simple steel scalpel would do."

Ulfgar ignored the comments as his gaze intensified to nowhere in particular. "Sometimes you need to do drastic actions to defeat a greater evil. Fight fire with fire, wound or even kill the patient, whatever it takes."

"Err…okay." Jimmy suspected the swill hit Ulfgar a little more than he let on. "So that's your exit plan? Kill all demons, by …ummm becoming a demon, or carving everyone up with your black scalpel so that they can't possess or tempt any fools?"

Ulfgar ignored the question as he continued to gaze into empty space.

Jimmy watched the strange mage knight fall into his trance and he suddenly realized that this wasn't the life for him. He was tired of sacrificing for someone else, Ulfgar was right, he should live for himself. Forget Sammy, Martinez, and even his new friend Ulfgar. Now was the time to look out for Jimmy, no James the Blade. He was a natural at demon hunting, but did he want to end up crazed like Ulfgar, or a broken drunk like Martinez. Could he do the adventure thing? Rescue maidens, find lost treasures? Where do you even start in that line of work? He had a pretty unique skill set, but how could he apply it to his advantage.

As Jimmy contemplated his future, two dwarves entered Stonefishes. One was built like a furnace, carried a golden blade and moved with a blunt directness. The other was attired similar to that of a bookkeeper or some type of merchant, though Jimmy could tell from the way he moved and carried himself that he was the more dangerous of the two. Jimmy's senses also spotted a dwarf and a halfling following in the shadows behind them, even as he spotted a few dark cloaked fellows mixing into the crowd unnoticed. Jimmy didn't know them personally but he guessed they were part of the Dwarven Teamsters, a branch of 'business' orientated criminals that have recently weaseled their way into Grom City from Lower Lueders.

Several toughs from one of the nearby tables seemed to have a prior disagreement with the pair and rose up to greet them. One was drawing a blade behind his back but before he could approach the 'merchant' dwarf, the bigger dwarf dropped the tough with a hammer like fist to the face, before staring down the others, and seemingly forcing them to sit back down with his iron will.

"I've come from Lower Lueders, and my associates and I are looking to expand. I've heard some of you don't like the way I do business and I can respect that. If you have something to say to me, Pig Iron is willing to hear your complaints," said the 'merchant' dwarf in a calm but very loud and commanding voice. "As for the rest of you, I'm hiring swords and I don't care who you are and what you've done. If you want some coin and don't mind it getting messy, come see me at my table. At best you can sign on to my crew, at worse you'll get a tankard of that piss water they call ale here."

The crowd laughed, and after the two dwarves sat down an oddly orderly line queued before them to register or fill up their tankards. Jimmy watched the dwarves interview the various toughs, ruffians, and sell swords. He saw their gold rings, and bracelets. They didn't seem to be hard up on money. He then turned to Ulfgar who was still staring off into space as if he were in a trance.

Jimmy wasn't sure what happened next. It might have been his curiosity or it might have been the booze in him, but he found himself in the lineup. The 'merchant' dwarf seemed quite discerning with his interview process and dismissed most of the recruits ahead of Jimmy before it was finally his turn.

"You're a bit too young to be in this line of work, "laughed a tough behind Jimmy. "Your mother is probably worried sick right now."

As the crowd jeered him about his age, Jimmy briefly thought about the Baroness. She wasn't his mother, but the closest thing he had to one. He thought of how disappointed she would be with him, and then he remembered he hadn't seen her in months. She wasn't his real mother, and maybe it was time to move on.

The 'merchant' dwarf didn't laugh though as he stared at Jimmy intently. Not quite as intently as Ulfgar was staring at the wall, but it was a sufficiently piercing gaze. Jimmy expected to be dismissed because of his age, but the dwarf watched him as he stroked his beard. "Have you killed before boy? Can you handle yourself in a fight."

Jimmy nodded as his eyes darted to the other members of the 'dwarves' entourage hidden in the crowd. First the two blended in, then the dwarf and the Halfling in the background. The dwarf followed Jimmy's eyes and that seemed to be enough for him. "If you live to collect it, pay starts at a crown a week, plus a share of the profits of course. We're in a growth industry, so there's plenty of room for advancement, if you have the skills and the head for our line of work."

One of the toughs that was previously turned down by the dwarf seemed to be insulted that Jimmy was accepted and he was not. He shouted something unintelligible before drawing his sword. Jimmy wasn't sure if the ruffian was going to attack the 'merchant' dwarf or himself, but he didn't intend to find out. Within a blink of an eye, Jimmy slipped a dagger out of his sleeve as he closed with the man and sliced off one of his fingers, causing him to lose his already sloppy grip on his blade. As the shocked attacker clutched his maimed hand, Jimmy simply kicked him back into his chair. The man teetered before he fell onto his back with a crash. The crowd's jeers at Jimmy quickly turned to cheers as they approved of his display of violence.

"I want a crown a day to start," demanded Jimmy recalling Ulfgar's words. It was time to look out for himself. "Castles don't come cheap."

Hoaglie smiled.

"Jimmy? Is that you?" asked Sammy in her familiar but haunting voice.

Jimmy stopped and simply stared at the hoplite. Was it the Succubus again, trying the same trick to catch him off guard? She reached out to hug him, but even in his weakened state he shuffled back.

Jimmy could barely lift a blade, but he could tell he hurt her with that simple move.

"Wait, you were the one that fought Keke on the beach while I was battling the druid girl. If you're Jimmy than you know she's a shapechanged Marilith. Keke I mean. It's hard to explain but….but… you look like a mess, " said Sammy as she stepped forward again and kneeled down towards him.

She was close, very close. Close enough to stab a dagger through her neck if he wanted to. Sammy ignored the dangers, and simply placed her hands on him and sent a tingling wave of curative energy through him. Bones knitted, blood clotted and flesh healed from her magic.

"Sammy?" asked Jimmy, still too stunned at these events. She certainly looked like Sammy, albeit taller than he remembered, and a little battered around the edges. He often imagined her in silks and veils or in some exotic royal dress, but here she was before him attired more like an ancient Alphatian warrior than a high priestess/princess of a foreign land.

"I haven't heard that name in a while. They call me Holy Sampada, Whelp, or even Giraffe Woman now, but aye luv, it's me," blushed Sammy as she fell into a flawless Grommish gutter accent.

Jimmy forgot all about her accent. It was pretty thick when they first met, and he though she simply dropped it when she grew older, but it appeared she was just suppressing it. "It…it is you," he said, overjoyed and angry at the same time. Anger won out as he pushed her away. "What are you doing here? Tell me why this isn't some trick?" He could smell demons, and she wasn't one, but there was enough demonic stench clinging on her to make him suspicious.

Sammy sighed. "Well, I healed you for one thing. I could have casted something nasty on you if I wanted, but then again you could have buried one of those deadly daggers into me if you saw me casting something other than healing. Most people can't differentiate but I know you can, still I agree it might all be a trick to get you to lower your guard for an attack later. It's hard to believe, but not really if you think of it. I wasn't sure at first, but from my guess, the Asuras are attempting to open one of the Tears of Rovagug here. They failed in Vinraj, so they are trying again here in Grom. I came to Grom to stop them, but not in such a direct approach. The speed of their machinations surprises even myself. Which is probably why you are here right? I mean where else would a demon hunter be, except the epicenter of a demon invasion."

"I…I'm…not a demon hunter anymore," admitted Jimmy. He could have hid that fact, but he found it hard to hide anything form her.

"What? " said Sammy unsure if she heard him correctly. "You were born to be a demon hunter, with that scent ability of yours and your deadly aim. I mean, what else…oh never mind….I'm ahead of myself. You're a knight now arnt cha? That explains it. I mean why else would you be here?"

Jimmy shook his head. "I'm not a knight…I'm a thief. I steal, and …and I beat up people for a living. I…I'm only here by accident. Asuras had captured the Baroness in an attempt to swap one of the items I was to fence off. "

Sammy gasped at the news that the Baroness had been captured. She hadn't known her for as long as Jimmy had, but she was a mentor of hers as well. "So, you and the druid are here to trade this item for the Baroness?"

Jimmy shook his head. "No…I lost it. An old crazy sentient sword. Or at least I think it's sentient. Martinez, swiped it for beer money…and I don't know where he went."

Sammy sat stunned and looked at him suspiciously. "Err…is he a thief as well now? Did you all become thieves and robbers after I left."

"No just myself," said Jimmy shamefully."Martinez, just got…he just got really drunk…but he's still a demon hunter."

"So Raoul, Sir Jose, and Kitahria are nearby? They must be rescuing the Baroness, they can help us…"

"Jose is dead, Kit is a thousand miles away in some dragon temple, and I don't know what happened to Raoul. Martinez is wandering around drunk with some poor guard girl he's fooled. It's just me and Chloe, a fellow rogue, " interrupted Jimmy as he stood up and stretched his now recuperated body. "Oh and a barbarian knight named Nymk too, but I don't know where those other two ended up. They were fighting a Rakshasa while I was fighting a Succubus, was the last I saw them."

Sammy nodded and pointed down the tunnel. "Regardless of our past history, and the regrettable circumstances that caused us to part ways, we can rescue the Baroness together," she said in a very tight voice. "We both owe her that right? Rogue or not, you can fight demons as good as anyone, and well, I'm still Holy Sampada, regardless of how I dress."

Jimmy reluctantly agreed and waved for her to follow as the pair proceeded down the tunnel. The two were uneasily quiet even though Jimmy could clearly see how she was looking down at him, now more than ever. He wasn't a heroic Demon hunter, but a lowly thief now. She might have been here to save the world, but he was here by accident. He wanted to yell at her, wanted to blame her for what he had become, but recalled Ulfie's words. This was all about him, it had been for a long time now. The direction of his life had always been his to control, not some foreign princess that spurned him so many years ago.

"Jimmy, " said Sammy finally breaking the silence. "I've said it before, but I am really sorry of how things ended between us, truly I am, but I was young and things were beyond my control. You know that right."

Jimmy snorted. "Of course. That was a lifetime ago. I rarely think about it, which is why it took me so long to recognize you."

"Ahhh…of course," said Sammy as the pair descended deeper into the tunnels as the ground shook and violet smoke flared around them.