Although Draul had only been in Sandpoint for a short while, it became apparent to him that the Rusty Dragon was the most popular inn and tavern in town. As evening came around, the tables in the common room were completely filled with several other patrons taking spots at the bar. Draul imagined that he would spend a lot of time at the Rusty Dragon. The food was amazing and lodging for the week came at no extra cost. He was starting to get used to life in Sandpoint.
It was the way that Ameiko ran the Rusty Dragon that made the business a popular spot in town. Although she was young, she knew what she wanted to do with the Rusty Dragon. The inn was friendly to adventurers who wanted to explore Varisia and she invited the town to put job offers on a board for adventurers that was placed at the bar. Ameiko created dishes of her own making to offer to her customers and invited storytellers, bards, and other entertainers to perform on stage. When Aldern offered the Rusty Dragon the boar the group hunted, she had no problem and brought it to the kitchens to prepare as part of the adventurer's meal. When the boar was served, the group ate it without any complaint and enjoyed the cooked meat.
The other patrons of the tavern were welcoming of the adventurers for their deeds facing the goblins. Like the night before, there was always someone willing to pay for a round of drinks. A crowd eventually formed around their table as the locals of Sandpoint wanted to get to know the heroes. Aldern, disappointed that he couldn't get the group to himself, remained quiet with a forced smile. By now, the townsfolk were interested in hearing stories of their adventurers prior to the goblin's attack.
Corita and Razvan struggled to think of an idea while Kennick remained quiet. Given that they were new to adventuring, they were likely thinking about how to turn what travels they've been on into exciting tales. With Mariel bored and not bothering to entertain the crowd, Draul decided it was up to him to share a story. He decided to focus on defending a band of merchants that he traveled with from Korvosa to Magnimar. There was only one encounter with a group of bandits but the paladin knew how to entertain a tavern. Soon, his audience was in awe of the tale of chases and fights, even if it was exaggerated at times.
The tale was interrupted when the door to the Rusty Dragon slammed open and a man stormed in, shouting in a language that Draul didn't understand. The crowd around his table dispersed quietly and returned to their own seats with the room growing quiet. Draul focused on the man, who was dressed in fine robes and wore a cowl over his head. He appeared to be middle-aged with dark bags under his eyes as though he wasn't getting any sleep. Although the paladin didn't understand the man, he knew from his tone that he wasn't in the best of moods.
"Who's that?" Draul whispered to Kennick.
"Lonjiku," Kennick said with a grunt. "Ameiko's father."
"Do you think that we should do something about him?" Corita asked
"Why should we?" Mariel asked. "Aside from being loud, he has done nothing wrong."
Draul remained seated and kept an eye on Lonkiju. The man looked at the different tables in the tavern, looking for his daughter. When he settled on the adventurer's table, he started to approach with a stern eye. The paladin held back a sigh, having hoped to avoid an encounter with this man, but figured he might be able to calm him.
"I suggest you leave," Mariel said, looking sternly at Aldern.
"That would be a smart idea," Aldern nodded and stood up. "Corita, I hope that we can-"
"Now!" Mariel said with a glare.
Corita sighed seeing Aldern's departure. "That was rather rude."
"You'll thank me one day," Mariel said with a shrug.
Lonjiku stopped in front of their table, not paying attention to Mariel and Corita's conversation, and spoke in Common. "You're those so-called heroes of Sandpoint, are you not?"
"We are," Razvan answered before Draul could get a word in. "You got a problem with us?"
"We don't need your kind around Sandpoint," Lonjiku said with a scowl. "Your antics with the goblins endanger the good people of this town."
Draul smiled. "We had nothing to do with the goblins coming to Sandpoint but did what we could to keep the people safe. I hardly consider that endangering the people."
"And what makes you think that you are qualified to fight?" Lonjiku asked in an accusing tone.
"I am a paladin," Draul said. "I was sent here to help at the Sandpoint Cathedral. I would say that defending it from goblins counts."
"You should have let the guards do their job," Lonjiku said and rolled his eyes. "What of your companions? I refuse to believe that you're all paladins."
"We're adventurers!" Corita said in a cheerful tone.
"They are," Mariel quickly interjected. "I am a scholar who got caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Lonjiku ignored Mariel. "Sandpoint doesn't need a filthy band of vagrants to attract more trouble."
"The only trouble we've attracted is you," Razvan muttered under his breath.
"And don't think I haven't noticed you with how quiet you are," Lonjiku said, glancing towards Kennick. "You're the worst of the bunch!"
"What has Kennick ever done?" Draul asked with a frown. "He is a good man as far as I know."
Lonjiku asked. "A good man, you say? Did he tell you about the time he assaulted Gorvi down at Junker's Edge? He was locked away at the garrison for the night but we should have thrown away the key!"
"I struggled to deal with my anger back then," Kennick said and reached for his mug. "I don't get into fights anymore. I'm different."
"And don't think I've forgotten how you were friends with Tsuto," Lonjiku continued. "I bet the two of you got away with a lot of trouble back when you were younger. If you were a good man, you wouldn't have stuck around with that piece of trash."
Kennick gripped the mug tightly. "Don't speak of my friend like that."
Draul was ready to intervene in case violence broke out, but fortunately, it wasn't called for as of yet. Ameiko emerged from the kitchen, wearing an apron and carrying a ladle in her hand. She must have heard the commotion and came out to investigate. Lonjiku turned away from the table and advanced on his daughter, shouting in the foreign tongue he originally spoke in. Ameiko replied in the same language, and based on their raised voices and heated gestures, they were involved in an argument.
"I can't tell what they're saying," Corita said with a frown.
"They're speaking in Minkaian," Kennick explained and slowly downed his drink, his anger fading away. "The Kaijitsu's traveled from a distant land."
"Should we do something about that ass of a noble?" Razvan asked.
"Ameiko's tough," Kennick told the group and set the drink down. "I only get involved if it turns to violence."
"Do you want to talk about what Lonjiku said about you?" Draul asked.
"I was a dumb kid back when I got into that fight," Kennick said bluntly. "I was mad at the world and didn't know any better. Daviren took me in afterwards and helped me. I'm better now. I'm not a criminal."
"I believe you," Draul placed a hand on Kennick's shoulder to comfort him. "Everyone makes mistakes and there are worse things you could have done than get into a fist fight with Govri."
"Thank you," Kennick whispered quietly.
Unfortunately, the argument between the father and daughter turned violent. Something Ameiko said had enraged her Lonjiku, who grabbed his daughter by her hair and started to pull her out. Draul and Kennick both shot out of their seats to intervene. Before they could get to the two, Ameiko was able to escape Lonjiku's grasp and struck him across the face with her ladle. The blow wasn't strong, but now that he was covered in the soupy contents of the ladle, Lonjiku was stunned.
The pause in the fight gave Draul and Kennick the opportunity they needed to intervene. They each grabbed Lonjiku by his arms and dragged him towards the door. The man insulted them in Minkaian repeatedly, and as he grew near the door, looked back at Ameiko and spoke harshly. Although the paladin didn't understand him, he glanced briefly at the innkeeper to see her jaw open and her eyes watering. Once they made it to the door, Draul and Kennick tossed Lonjiku outside and closed the door behind him.
Although Lonjiku was gone, the tavern was still quiet. Many of the patrons looked to Ameiko, who fought back the tears from her father's words. She grabbed a cloth from her pocket, ran it over her ladle, and sighed. Afterwards, Ameiko addressed the crowd, her voice quiet at first but growing louder and bolder by the end.
"I'll need a well-cleaned ladle since jackass stew isn't on the menu."
The crowd cheered and burst out into laughter at Ameiko's words and conversation resumed as though nothing happened. Corita and Razvan both clapped eagerly and even Mariel couldn't stop herself from smirking. Draul laughed alongside the crowd and slapped Kennick, who smiled widely, across the back. Ameiko walked over to the two that tossed her father out and smiled.
"Is everything okay?" Kennick asked.
"I'll be fine," Ameiko reassured him. "Thank you for helping with my father. You can stay at the Rusty Dragon for another week without any charge. Same for your friends too."
"That is very generous of you," Draul said. "If you don't mind me asking, what was the argument about?"
"My father wanted to leave for Magnimar and decided that I was to come with him," Ameiko explained. "He threatened to cut me out of his will, but as far as I'm concerned, Sandpoint's my home and I'm leaving it. I should get back to the kitchen."
Although Kennick returned to his table with a polite nod, Draul lingered. "Before you do, might I ask you a few questions about Sandpoint?'
"Of course," Ameiko said with a nod.
"I was helping Sheriff Hemlock with a task today and the topic of the Late Unpleasantness came up," Draul explained. "I'm new to Sandpoint so I'm not sure what it is. I was hoping that you could tell me."
Ameiko hesitated for a moment but sighed. "You deserve to know since that's actually the reason why you're here. I wasn't there when it happened because of a family feud but I know some of the details. The Late Unpleasantness happened five years ago during a difficult period of the town's history. A serial killer plagued Sandpoint and killed around two dozen people before he took his life. Afterwards, a fire consumed the northern part of Sandpoint, including the old chapel."
"Unpleasant would be an understatement of what transpired," Draul said.
"You're right," Ameiko nodded in agreement. "I came back when my mother died when she fell from a cliff."
"I'm sorry for your loss," Draul quickly said. "Kennick was around in Sandpoint then, right?"
"He was," Ameiko said and glanced over to the table with Kennick none the wiser of the conversation as he quietly enjoyed a mug of ale. "We were friends back then. He hasn't changed much but he lost friends after the Late Unpleasantness. It didn't help that I left to go on my own adventure but we were each dealing with our own problems back then."
"I understand," Draul said with a nod. "I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories. I was curious and Kennick didn't want to talk."
"It's alright," Ameiko told Draul. "Now, let's move on from the past. I think we should look to the future."
Draul nodded in agreement and let Ameiko return to the kitchen. Sandpoint had been through much before his arrival and he was worried that the goblin raid was a sign that the town would face more problems. It was his duty as a paladin to do what he could to protect Sandpoint but it was a task he couldn't do alone.
He glanced back at his table, taking note of his new companions. It couldn't have been a coincidence that they had worked together to defend Sandpoint. They were the heroes that Sandpoint needed to face whatever threat was lurking in the shadows. They only needed to prepare themselves and it was up to him to help them. Draul returned to his table and took a seat.
"You were gone longer than I expected," Razvan commented. "Is everything okay?"
"I just had some questions I wanted to ask Ameiko about her father," Draul quickly answered. "If you don't mind, I have an offer for all of you."
"What would that be?" Corita asked curiously.
"We've done a great deed in protecting Sandpoint but I believe that we could do much more," Draul started. "The people see us as heroes and I would hate to disappoint them. Still, I feel as though some of us have a long way to go. Corita and Kennick, you're both new to the life of an adventurer, and Razvan, you say you're a cook but you have potential to be something greater. I would like to train the three of you so that we'll be ready for the next attack on Sandpoint if it comes."
"Are we really that inexperienced?" Corita questioned.
"You are," Mariel answered without hesitation.
"I'll take your offer," Kennick said with a nod. "We could learn from your experience."
"I could get used to living the life of a hero," Razvan muttered under his breath while stroking his chin. "I'll have to have a word with my boss but I don't think he'll have any problems."
"If you two are in, so am I," Corita said in a cheerful tone. "What about Mariel?"
"I hope you don't intend to imply I need training," Mariel told the group.
Draul chuckled. "Of course not. While the four of us are more warrior in nature, you are a capable spellcaster. Still, we could use someone of your talents. I'd like for you to join us in our adventures."
"I suppose there wouldn't be any problems with that," Mariel admitted. "Just don't expect me to take everything you say as is like everyone else will. If I have reason to question your orders, I will voice my objections."
"Duly noted," Draul said with a smile. "I have a feeling that this is the start of a wonderful partnership."
"So do I," Razvan agreed.
"Here here!" Corita raised her mug in the air.
Draul, Kennick, and Razvan joined Corita and clanked their mugs in the air. The group looked at Mariel, who sighed before joining her companions in the gesture. Draul couldn't stop himself from smiling, wondering just how much of a difference he'll make through his plan.
A/N: Another update, and although things are moving slowly, the plot moves along. The group needed to officially come together for the rest of the story and this was the perfect place to cement their partnership.
Until next time.