Belar was curious as to how Ryland didn't die of boredom when he was working as a spotter. After taking over the catwalks, Belar realized that his new job was rather dull. He had to wait until he spotted someone cheating or causing problems before he could let anyone know. Belar thought he could keep himself entertained by watching some of the antics of the gamblers below but that would distract him from his job. He tried to keep himself motivated with some pushups every other hour only to find out from Larur that he made noise when exercising.

Ryland also set the expectation that the spotter stayed in the catwalk for the entire shift without breaks. Larur delivered food and water when his shift was halfway over and that was the most interaction Belar could expect from his spotter. He didn't get along with a lot of people but he still liked talking with others. It was something to do to keep him from growing bored.

Even though Belar preferred working as a bouncer, he could see that he was doing a better job in his new role. Although he did report some problematic gamblers, those that weren't caught cheating did return. Ryland did a good enough job as a bouncer, and although he never had to physically throw anyone out, no one objected when he told someone to leave the Gold Goblin. Belar lost his temper because he thought the others believed he wasn't doing a good job when the truth was they wanted what was best for the Gold Goblin.

Belar always had problems keeping his anger in check. He didn't care much for trying to convince others in an argument when he felt that his fists would get his point across for him. Even the slightest insult was enough to get him to blow up, and while he's never murdered anyone in a rage, he had lost several jobs in the past when he punched the wrong person. Belar wasn't sure when he would admit it but he was thankful Ryland stopped him from making a terrible choice. Even in a different role, he enjoyed the environment at the Gold Goblin.

Business was picking up, but as far as Belar could tell from above, there weren't any problems. Keya was busy playing Golem with a group of gamblers although there were occasions when she took over the other games for practice. Belar could see Sarek and Keya by the entrance, and aside from their typical greeter roles, they were training a new employee, a half-elf with redhead. Belar heard from the sorcerer that the newcomer was named Samaritha, who was staying in one of the Gold Goblin's inn rooms, and from how the two talked and laughed, Sarek got along with her rather well. Tess tried to awkwardly get to know the new employee over their shift but she struggled to do that and greet any arriving customers.

"Dinner's here!"

Belar blinked in confusion and turned toward the catwalk's entrance. Madia smiled and carried a bowl of soup in one hand and a mug in her other.

"No Larur today?" Belar asked.

"He's busy reviewing some of the Gold Goblin's financial records," Madia explained and stepped forward. "I was finished with my advertising anyways so I volunteered to bring food."

"Thanks," Belar said with a nod. "Mind staying for a few minutes to talk? It gets boring up here."

"Sure thing! Feel free to eat first!"

During his time getting to know Madia, Belar came to realize that he could rely on her help for any task, no matter how mundane or difficult it could be. He wished that they could talk more since he could see that there was more to the halfling than her friendly nature. Her short stature hid her strength that surpassed most of their other friends, and while he believed he was stronger than her, it wasn't by much. Belar respected those who could hold their own in a fight and he believed that from Madia just from how she held herself.

Belar took the mug to set down before sitting down with the bowl of soup in his lap. He took the spoon it came with and started to eat his dinner. The dwarf held back a gasp with how hot the soup was and thought it best to wait for it to cool down. He turned his attention back to Madia, who waited with her hands clasped in front of her.

"You're not from around here, are you?" Belar questioned, reaching for his mug.

"Is it that obvious to tell?" Madia asked with a nod.

"A lot of people who call Riddleport home aren't always kind," Belar explained and took a sip from the cold beer. "I've called Riddleport home for the past twenty years and I've seen how it wears good people down."

"You might have a point about that," Madia nodded again. "Still, it hasn't worn me down yet and I've lived in Riddleport for about a year and a half now. I'm originally from Korvosa."

"That's a long journey," Belar said with a whistle. "What brought you to Riddleport?"

"Honestly, I was looking for adventure," Madia answered with a grin. "Korvosa was nice when I lived there but I always wanted to do more with my life than working for the Korvosan Guard. I heard there were plenty of exciting opportunities in Riddleport so I made the journey."

"Korvosa was nice? Has it changed since you've left?"

"From what I heard, the old king died and things have gone downhill since," Madia explained. "I hope my parents are fine but I think it's safer in Riddleport than it is in Korvosa."

Belar laughed. "You think so?"

"Riddleport isn't so bad. I've made wonderful friends like you, Keya, and everyone else at the Gold Goblin!"

"I guess you have a point," Belar admitted and took another drink of his beer.

"How about you?" Madia asked. "What was your life like before you came to Riddleport?"

"Honestly, not as different as you would think," Belar said with a shrug. "I was raised in Janderhoff, which is close to Korvosa from what I remember. My father trained me to be a mason but working with stone wasn't much of a calling to me. I tried a couple of jobs, and as the years went by, I thought a big change would be what I needed."

"Like moving from one side of Varisia to another?" Madia giggled.

"Exactly," Belar took a bigger gulp from his beer. "Stuck around Magnimar for a few months, and when I decided that there weren't any opportunities for me there, I gave Riddleport a try."

"And now you're working at the Gold Goblin."

"After ten years of being in between jobs," Belar chuckled. "And for what it's worth, I didn't get into any criminal activity. I'd probably be good muscle for one of the gangs but the closest I came to it was when I was a mercenary for two years. That was probably the job I've had the longest in Riddleport."

"If that's the case, why did you stop working as a mercenary?"

Belar paused, thinking over his answer, before speaking. "Couldn't find any work after a while and I couldn't wait forever. Speaking of work, I really need to get back to watching the casino. Thanks for humoring me."

"I'm glad we could talk," Madia said with her smile growing wider. "Take care, Belar. We can talk more after the Gold Goblin closes for the night."

"Sounds like a plan," Belar waved with his free hand.

Belar watched Madia leave, and once she was out of sight, he sighed. He didn't have it in him to explain that he gave up on being a mercenary because no one wanted to hire him. He could fight well enough but anyone that wanted to hire him also had to look out for his temper. If he had told the truth to Madia, she would have tried to explain it wasn't his fault and that there were some ways he could address his anger. It wasn't the conversation he wanted to hear.

With his soup sufficiently cooled, Belar set on finishing his meal. He figured that he had a few more minutes to spare before he had to focus on looking for trouble. It would take time for him to reach a point in his life where he could control his anger, but with the way the other junior partners treated him, Belar was hopeful that he could change for the better.

"And the Order of Cyphers rejected you?"

"That they did. They said they were looking for apprentices who were more academically inclined than I was."

"But you can use magic as well as they can," Samaritha shook her head. "It's their loss."

"That it is," Sarek grinned. "I think you'll have better luck getting in. You studied magic so that'll be something the cyphermages look for."

"I'm just waiting for one of them to actually want an apprentice at this point. At least this is a good way to pass the time."

From the way Samaritha looked at him, Sarek had a feeling he knew what she meant. He wasn't inexperienced when it came to romance even though his longest relationship lasted for two months. The sorcerer had been in shorter relationships but was quick to move on just as he was quick to move on from his different projects and goals. He just never thought that he had the time to commit to one person when he was always on the move.

Still, Sarek had a way with people and could tell when they were interested in him. He figured Samaritha was on the fence about him, that there could be something between them but it was likely that their paths would go in different directions.

Still, that wasn't enough to stop them from the short time they would be together.

Samaritha was attractive to Sarek and stood out compared to the usual clientele of the Gold Goblin. That was part of the reason why he was willing to introduce her to Saul and vouch that she would be a good addition to the gambling hall. Her wavy bright red hair fell down to the back of her neck and stayed clear of her face. She had vibrant green eyes and her forehead and cheeks were marked with Varisian tattoos that were magical in nature. Her nose was pierced with a studding and her robes were clean.

Sarek hadn't had a lot of time to consider his love life since his return to Riddleport. He had known Tess for some time and came to the conclusion that she wasn't interested in him romantically. It was good for a number of reasons considering that they came from two drastically different environments and that a relationship could complicate their partnership. The only other of his friends in the Gold Goblin he gave considerable thought to pursuing was Keya. There might have been a spark between them, and even if they considered her pulling him away several nights ago as a date, he didn't think a relationship with her would last any longer than previous ones. Keya was whimsical with how she acted and he thought that she would move on from him before he did from her.

Still, Sarek hadn't had much of a chance to spend time with Samaritha without anyone else. He glanced over Samaritha's shoulder to look at Tess, who was greeting a couple and providing directions to the Goblin's Tankard in the back of the casino. The druid joined in on the conversations between the sorcerer and wizard even if she didn't understand the arcane theories they discussed. Sarek enjoyed having both Tess and Samaritha around but there were times where he wished his elven friend would wrap up learning how to paint. He already saw how her behavior improved since taking up the craft and thought she would feel better once she wasn't a greeter.

Sarek frowned, realizing he thought negatively of one of his close friends. That was rare even for him.

Samaritha took notice of his frown and smirked. "Is Tess getting into trouble?"

"Nothing like that," Sarek shook his head. "I feel responsible for her. She's in Riddleport because of me, and well, you've seen how people treat her even when she's greeting."

"She stands out, that's for sure," Samaritha commented. "And you're sure that she only came with you to study the blot?"

"I'm sure," Sarek nodded quickly. "If it weren't for the blot, I'm sure we would have gone on different paths. She considers the blot a big enough problem to risk traveling to an unfamiliar setting."

"I thought there might have been something between the two of you, but if that's not the case, I won't complain," Samaritha said with a sly wink.

"Tess is kind and I'm sure there's someone waiting for her out there. I think that I'd do a lot better with someone I had more in common with."

Samaritha smiled brightly at Sarek as Tess stepped forward to rejoin them. They turned to look at the druid, and based on her friendly smile, she hadn't overheard their conversation. Keya had warned Sarek that Tess was terrible at bluffing when it came to cards and he thought that applied to conversations. Even though he believed that there wasn't anything between him and the elf, he'd rather not have her overhear so for her own feelings. They were good friends and he didn't want that to change.

"The Gold Goblin has been getting a lot more business lately," Tess commented. "Madia must be doing a great job with telling people to come and visit."

"Madia's the halfling, right?" Samaritha asked and Sarek nodded. "She's rather cheerful. I can see why people wouldn't want to disappoint her. You've been doing a good job as well."

"Thank you," Tess said with a smile. "But I'm not the permanent greeter. Once I finish up some designs, I'm going to shift over to help make posters for the Gold Goblin."

"That's a wonderful idea," Samaritha said, smiling. "And don't worry about us. Sarek will get by on our own."

"Indeed we will," Sarek nodded, matching Samaritha's smile with one of his own. "Indeed we will."

The rest of the work week passed by without issue. Although business at the Gold Goblin picked up, everyone was starting to get used to their new jobs and those who have changed were excelling in her new roles. Keya overheard Saul mention to Larur that they would pay a bonus to the junior partners. The gambler couldn't help but grin throughout the rest of the day. Her plan had paid off and she and her friends would get some more gold for their success.

Keya's cheer faded away when the Gold Goblin closed and Larur told her to let Ryland know to lock the door. She didn't much care for the idea but thought fondly of the floor manager to put her dislike of Ryland aside. Larur had been hard at work throughout the week focusing on checking up financial records and Keya didn't want to give him more work.

Truth be told, Keya was close to letting go of her grudge. Ryland had made little attempt to make up for his blunt method of handling Clegg's method even though Keya reminded him whenever she had the chance to. He had ignored her passive aggressiveness and treated her like normal. It was frustrating to the gambler, who was hoping to get a rise out of Ryland, and she realized that she was putting too much into a one-sided hatred. She planned on making a big show of "forgiving" him in front of the others to get one last jab at him and intended to move on afterwards.

Keya found Ryland outside. She had to give him credit to how dedicated he was to his duty as a bouncer. He was much more efficient with Belar with how he was able to use chilling words to get people to do as he said. The half-elf wondered if there was any magic involved. Ryland was a follower of Iomedae, and with how dedicated he was to his worship, it made sense that he would have magic. Yet, she hadn't seen him cast any spell. It was a mystery about him.

When Ryland turned to face Keya, she took note of a minor change in appearance. Over breakfast, Belar suggested that the other men tried growing a beard. While Sarek remained clean-shaven, Ryland followed the advice even though it made him look like a mad man (which Keya thought was fitting). Someone must have told him that because he trimmed his facial hair down to a mustache connected to a goatee. Keya thought he looked better with his new style but wouldn't tell that to him.

"Larur says it's closing time," Keya told Ryland. "Lock up."

"Noted."

Before Keya could step back inside, she covered her ears at the sudden sound of screeching metal. Ryland snapped into action, pulling out his longsword. It had been the first time she had seen him take out his weapon since taking over for Belar and she was quick to notice the intensity in his eyes. Keya knew Ryland was tense but she never saw him as tense as he was now. This was the bouncer expecting some sort of ambush as his eyes darted across the streets.

Several weather vanes were pulled across the streets by the wind. Keya spotted that the weather vane on the building across the street was pointed upward toward the blot in the sky. Keya dropped her hands to her side, knowing that there wasn't an enemy to fight off.

"Calm down, Ryland!" Keya told her friend, her tone more reassuring and worried than she expected. "It's just the blot doing something weird. Look across the street!"

Ryland noticed the weather vane, and after several seconds, he moved to slowly sheath his sword. He spoke in his typical emotionless tone. "My apologies."

"You really need to loosen up. I know you're a follower of Iomedae in Riddleport but no one's out to get you. You don't have to stay on guard all the time."

"I have to stay on guard all the time," Ryland shook his head. "That's what a bouncer does."

Keya held back a laugh. "Not what I meant. Like, think back to where you came from before. How did you act then?"

"Like I do now."

"Seriously?" Keya questioned.

"For as long I can remember," Ryland said with a nod.

Keya crossed her arms. "I don't believe that. How were you with your parents?"

"They gave me up when I was born," Ryland said matter-of-factly. "I was raised by the clergy of the Seventh Church in Absalom and act then as I do now."

Keya opened her mouth to make another remark when she stopped with her mouth agape. A lot started to make sense about Ryland. The church of Iomedae was given a child and they raised and trained him. However, it was possible that whoever was in charge of looking after Ryland wasn't as kind as Inheritor was. Ryland wasn't raised to be a heroic paladin to serve Iomedae, but rather, he was made into the church's emotionless weapon. At least he was given to a good goddess. The half-elf dreaded to think what he'd be like if he was raised by a follower of Asmodeus.

Keya felt sorry for Ryland. He never had a choice to define what he wanted to do with his life.

"You're not the only orphan around," Keya finally said. "It's not easy but at least you had a whole temple to look after you. I had no one and it's tough out in the streets of Riddleport."

"Did you survive through crime?" Ryland questioned.

"A little bit," Keya admitted with a smirk. "Your goddess values the law, doesn't she? Does that mean you'll try to kill me?"

"Iomedae is a goddess of justice," Ryland corrected her. "Breaking the law without punishment does deserve retribution."

Keya chuckled. "Bring it on."

Ryland blinked. "Bring what on?"

"This again?" Keya sighed. "I have never been punished before any of the crimes I've committed and I think you know that."

"So I do. There is no justice to be have from dealing with someone who committed crimes to survive."

"You're not worried that I'll fall back into my old ways?"

"No. You're on a path away from that life and that is something I will respect."

Keya let out a breath she had been holding. The only reason she took to this line of questioning despite the risk of her wellbeing was to see if Ryland was rigid in his line of thought. Fortunately, it appeared that whoever in the temple raised him so that he could think for himself. He would always consider what Iomedae would do, and while he wouldn't budge when he made a decision, he wasn't as much of a zealot as she thought.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Keya said.

"You should go back inside," Ryland told Keya, and while she thought he was tired of her, she couldn't help but smile at his next words. "We're closing. You've wasted enough time as is."

"You're right," Keya turned around, but after she took two steps, she looked over her shoulder. "One last thing before I forget."

"Yes?" Ryland turned to face Keya.

"I like the goatee. It suits you."

Ryland stood silent for several seconds before he spoke again. "Thank you."

Keya waved at him and stepped inside. Ryland wouldn't know the difference, but moving on, she wasn't going to hold her grudge against him.

A/N: I just wanted to wrap up some remaining interactions before moving on. For those of you who've been waiting, we'll get into some action for the next couple of chapters.

Until next time.