Arannis groaned in pain and pushed himself back up onto his feet slowly. He heard cheers and boos from the crowd that watched and dancing embers from braziers lit up the cavern. Arannis ignored the others in the cave and focused on his opponent, a burly dock worker who had a bone to pick with the dark elf. The dock worker had been part of the crowd that Arannis had to fight off at the Laughing Goblin weeks ago and held a grudge. It was only by chance that Arannis was put up against him during his rounds fighting in Phlan's underground fighting ring. The dock worker grinned viciously at Arannis, intending to beat him down again.

The two had gone against each other for several minutes, refusing to yield to the other. Arannis spat blood on the ground and took up a defensive stance, determined not to lose against the dock worker. He wasn't as good in hand-to-hand combat as Pallas was but he could hold his own against the untrained commoners of Phlan most of the time. There had been times he lost but he kept coming back to fight. The gold he earned from winning fights was certainly appealing but what Arannis truly enjoyed was the rush he felt in battle. He was a warrior at heart and there was nothing more exciting than a good fight.

Unfortunately, it's been too long since Arannis felt the thrill he sought in battle. So far, he could count the number of times he felt that he had truly been challenged in Phlan on one hand: against a bugbear and a tribe of goblins, when he fought Pallas on the shores of Sokol Keep, and when he joined a battle between cultists and fiendish pirates. A lot of the other fights he had been involved in had ended too quickly and weren't against strong foes. The dock worker was far from his strongest foe, but without his swords, Arannis was at a disadvantage. It wasn't much but it did mean that this fight would last longer than his typical work as an adventurer.

Seeing that Arannis wasn't going to be the one to throw the first punch, the dock worker charged at him. Arannis blocked the first punch by raising his forearms to protect his face and gritted his teeth in pain when the dock worker kicked at his leg. He kept his footing and threw a jab toward the dock worker's face. The dock worker wiped away the blood from his bloody nose and growled. He launched himself in a tackle towards Arannis and the two found themselves on the ground. Arannis wasn't that muscular and found himself on the defensive, keeping his arms up as his opponent wailed on him punch after punch. Arannis found himself pinned but he wasn't ready to give up so easily.

Eventually, Arannis could tell that his opponent was getting worn out. He felt the pain in his arms but he was still in fighting shape. When the dock worker was too slow with his next punch, Arannis made his move. He threw a punch upward, catching his opponent under his chin. The dock worker gasped and fell down onto his back, breaking his pin. Arannis wasted no time in seizing advantage as he lunged at the dock worker, getting on top of him. The dock worker tried to throw the dark elf off of him but Arannis continued to punch his opponent across the face. After his third punch, Arannis had knocked the dock worker out cold and rolled off of him, taking deep breaths as he felt the adrenaline faded away.

Arannis remained on the ground for several seconds, listening to the cheers of those who had bet on him along with the angered screams of those who lost a good amount of gold because of him. He didn't care much for fighting for an audience but there wasn't much of a choice if he wanted action. They had yet to find a lead relating to the Cult of the Dragon or Red Wizards in Thay, and without any other jobs, he had to find excitement wherever he could. Still, while pit fighting was a challenge, it didn't give the same thrill as a life-or-death battle did.

It was only when the dock worker was dragged away that Arannis got up from the ground, grimacing in pain. He made his way to the sidelines, waving aside anyone except for the "official" that ran the fighting ring, who gave the dark elf his winnings. He tossed the pouch of gold coins on the bench with his brimmed hat so that he could slip on his shirt quickly. With his fights over for the day, Arannis grabbed his payment and put on his hat, readying himself to head outside during the day. The one thing he enjoyed about pit fighting was that he didn't have to worry about his sunlight sensitivity within a cavern. It was far from a reminder of his old home but it was preferable than being out in the streets.

With little else to do for the day, Arannis made his way toward the caverns. He didn't care to watch others fight when he knew he could fight. With how battered his body was, he felt that a break was needed. Wondering what his friends were up to, Arannis felt it was best to find them. He figured that if he stuck around the Laughing Goblin for long enough, it would only be a matter of time for him to find one of his adventuring companions. With a plan in mind, Arannis made his way out of the cavern and toward the inn.

It was evening by the time Arannis finished his fighting, and even with his brimmed hat, the setting sun was uncomfortable. He looked down at the ground to avoid the light, and even then, he continued to wince in pain. Even after being out of the Underdark for years, he struggled to adjust to sunlight. He hoped that it wouldn't take too long for him to be able to step outside without being in pain but for now all he could do was push on. Fortunately, Arannis didn't need to look up often as he memorized the ways to the places he frequented in Phlan.

Arannis eventually made it to the Laughing Goblin and sighed in relief when he stepped inside, no longer having to deal with the sunlight. The Laughing Goblin was fairly busy and he was only able to spot his friends because they sat at their usual table. He wasn't too surprised to find Nalos and Pallas drinking together but he couldn't say the same of Camilla, who stood out compared to the usual patron of the Laughing Goblin with her fine noble clothing. Arannis recalled that Camilla didn't enjoy the Laughing Goblin as much as the others and wondered why she had chosen to come. He hoped that her being here was because she or someone else had found an adventure to go on and made his way to join his friends at their table.

Pallas and Nalos were the first to notice Arannis and raised their mugs to greet him together.

"Arannis!" Pallas and Nalos said in unison.

"Evening," Arannis told the pair and took a seat next to Camilla. "I see the two of you have had plenty to drink."

"Actually, we just started," Nalos told Arannis.

"We were hoping that you could save us from her," Pallas said, gesturing toward Camilla with his mug. "She's trying to stop us from having fun."

"Don't try to lie to Arannis," Camilla told Pallas firmly before turning to the dark elf. "I am trying to keep these two in line so that they don't waste their night drinking away. If I'm going to be a part of this little group, I feel that it's in my best interests to look out for Nalos and Pallas. Imagine what people would think if they learn that I associate with these two when all they do is drink and gamble."

"And fight," Nalos reminded her. "Don't forget about the fighting."

"You have your work cut out for you, Camilla," Arannis said with a smirk. "I don't think I could set these two on the straight and narrow."

"At the very least, these two need actual jobs for when we're not adventuring," Camilla said, shaking her head. "Not only will it stop them from wasting their time, it'll help make them more responsible. I'm sure Jerica would appreciate it if you found work on your own, Nalos."

"Maybe…" Nalos nodded slowly.

Pallas rolled his eyes. "Look, I get what you're trying to do, but you're not our leader. Arannis is and you're not. Nalos and I are both adults and we can decide if we want to be responsible or have fun."

"Perhaps you should follow in Arannis' example," Camilla suggested. "Arannis, what is it you do for work when not out on adventures."

"Not much, honestly," Arannis admitted. "I get by with what gold I make from quests."

"And you get by with pit fighting too," Pallas reminded Arannis and took a sip from his mug. "How's your streak going?"

"What?!" Camilla gasped. "Arannis, that's hardly better than what these two do!"

"I don't see what the big deal is," Arannis shrugged. "It's not much different than the quests we typically go on."

"It's hardly professional," Camilla shook her head. "How did you come to lead this group anyways?"

"I just stepped up when it became necessary," Arannis answered. "It just kind of happened."

"I see," Camilla nodded along and turned away, deep in thought. "Interesting…"

Truth be told, Arannis never thought much of how he was considered to be the leader of his companions. He had stepped up when the group was disorganized, but since then, he didn't feel like there was much to the role. Arannis felt that even though the others looked up to him when it came to making the final decisions, he was still an equal to the other adventurers. Camilla joining the group complicated the matters and he had yet to see how she would handle the way they worked together.

The doors to the Laughing Goblin opened and Arannis turned his head to see if it was anyone else in their group. He was glad to see that it was Hana who arrived and she was quick to notice the walked over to join them and Arannis noticed that she clutched a piece of parchment in her hand. Even though it was late in the day, he was glad for a potential chance to go on another adventure as he had grown bored with his typical schedule. Hana announced herself by slamming the parchment on the table as everyone turned to face her.

"The Lord Sage of Phlan is offering a bounty to anyone who can solve a murder and theft that took place in Mantor's Library," Hana revealed. "I was thinking that this would be a simple job to work."

"Is that so?" Nalos asked and took the parchment so that he and Pallas could read the bounty.

Pallas whistled. "That's an impressive bounty, alright. At least a hundred gold."

"Sounds like a good bounty," Arannis said with a nod. "Good job finding out about this, Hana."

"This job does provide us with more than gold," Camilla smiled. "The Lord Sage is an influential man. If we could get on his good side, that would provide us with more opportunities."

"Then it's settled," Hana said. "We'll need to let Nordak know. I imagine that he's at the Valhingen Cemetery. One of us can go get him while everyone else meets with the Lord Sage before it's too late."

Arannis and Camilla stood up from their seats, and without realizing it immediately, spoke up at the same time.

"Hana, would you mind finding him?"

"Pallas, go and get Nordak for us."

Arannis and Camilla turned to face each other when they realized the other had given out an order as the others watched on in confusion. While Arannis had seen times where the others suggested a different course of plan, this was the first time someone wanted to take command from the start. He should have expected it from Camilla given her noble upbringing and it brought out feelings that he hadn't felt before. He felt doubt over his own suggestion, and for several seconds, wondered if Camilla was right. Arannis could only hope that by explaining his reasoning, she would come around to support his decision.

"Camilla, I know you're new to the group, but Hana and Nordak are good friends," Arannis told her. "I think he would be glad to see her and learn about this job from her."

"Be that as it may, Pallas is quicker than Hana," Camilla pointed out. "We don't know much about the job but it could be that time is of the essence. If that is the case, it's best that Pallas doesn't waste any time finding Nordak."

"No offense to Pallas but Nordak is rather critical of him," Arannis argued, his tone defensive. "Nordak didn't want Pallas to enter the chapel once."

"But he didn't have a problem with Pallas when there was undead in the catacombs," Camilla reminded Arannis and crossed her arms.

"Those were different circumstances. The Doomguide requested us. This is another matter altogether."

"I don't see how that makes a difference at all. Someone has been killed according to Hana and there may be more violence waiting for us."

"Where's Mar?" Pallas asked, looking around the room. "I'll want another round of drinks for tonight's entertainment."

Arannis sighed. "You know what? Just for that, Pallas can go get Nordak."

"Seriously?" Pallas looked ready to argue, but after a moment, sighed. "Fine. After I finish my drink, I'll go."

"I can agree to that compromise," Camilla nodded. "Let's go and check in with Lord Sage."

Camilla made her way to leave the Laughing Goblin without waiting to hear from the others. Arannis caught a glimpse of Hana and Nalos looking at each other before nodding along to follow after the paladin. Arannis took a few seconds before leaving the building, unsure of what happened. He shook his head to dismiss his thoughts from before, deciding to focus on the current job.


Author Notes: I hope everyone is ready for the next story in the Moonsea with The Courting of Fire, the next part of the Tyranny of Dragons Adventure League season. This will probably be the last story in the series I write for the month as I have big plans coming up I need to prepare for.

Compared to Dues for the Dead, I expect for The Courting of Fire to lean more into the overall plot of what's going on rather than focus on a dungeon exploration. I'm very excited to write about what comes next and hope that I can finish this story before the end of the month.

Until next time.