Ana tucked her nose into her spotted glass in a half-hearted attempted to escape the smell of vomit and urine and spilled drink. Stagcross wasn't known for being respectable, but the least they could do was clean the floor. Instead, they threw down soiled hay and sawdust and called it good. She buried her nose more deeply in the glass.

It had been days since she sent out word about her journey into the mountains. She knew not many would risk it, but she had expected someone to show up. Someone desperate for coin or recklessly craving adventure. How much longer could she linger in this gods-forsaken village?

~Miles Kyzalith~

"So...this is Stagcross."

Miles said with a raspy voice. He hadn't spoke much since he set out travel from Fendrel and being alone with little water on his journey left his voice hoarse. It wasn't a particularly dangerous journey, from Fendrel to Stagcross, but it felt long. He'd successfully fended off a mocker beast on his first day out. The clever animal had gotten close to miles while wearing the disguise of a merchant, no doubt it had gotten the look from an actual merchant some time in its past. When miles saw through its rouse it quickly changed shapes and attacked. It resembled a short haired wolf with an extra set of limbs in its midsection.

That happened on his first day out, since then things have been uneventful. It didn't matter now anyway, he'd made it to Stagcross. Parched, he set off for the closest tavern. He would surely be able to wet his beak there, it was also likely he would find the person who he came to find. A tavern was always a good place to find rumors and gather information.

After asking around briefly he had managed to locate the tavern. He marched up to the front doors and swung them open, standing in the doorway, acknowledging the room...and the smell.

The long road from where he had come was mainly empty, he ate what he could find or what he had brought with him, he did not hunt much in his youth and kept mainly to eating the eventual meal that was trapped or fished out of the water with a net. He did not have a sling, or bow to kill a deer or rabbit with, but he did know what may or may not be able to be eaten, as well as how to fix things that had been broken for food and place to eat. He had begun his journey a week before hearing of adventure from a traveler that had come by his home on the way to the lone mountain, and he decided to go to the place where this adventure would begin, hoping it would not start without him.

Irnflow stared at the 'Stagcross' and continued down the road, he had found a stick to walk with but had not enjoyed his journey. He looked down at the wraps upon his feet as he continued, he smelled, his hair flowing from under his hood as he walked. He found himself going to where he had come from, a place to stay. To find one, he must follow the people to hospitality.

He looked at some man standing in the doorway of a building, and walked behind him, "can you move? I wish to find a place to eat and sleep in peace, and I believe this may be it, and possibly if I am not too late, to go past the mountains and see the world..." he quietly and softly.

"I really shouldn't have accepted that job offer," Roland thought to himself.

A few days ago some random villager came to his tower to ask him for a favour. Honestly, he didn't fancy going on a quest with other travelers - mainly because being under the sunlight is uncomfortable for him; but they did say that due to the recent crop failure the village is running short on resources, and every single coin was important to ensure they could survive the coming winter. Their livelihood was at stake - which is why Roland reluctantly agree with their request.

Little did he know that the villager was telling him to jump town towards Stagcross. You heard that right. Stagcross. The 'supposed' gate to King's Pass Mountain, that - in reality - is pretty much a sorry excuse of a backwater village. Or a cesspool, if you were being harsh.

"What was the job again?" Roland asked himself.
"Right. Escorting a Sorceress named.. Ana, was it?" He recollected.

Pulling his hood lower, Roland begrudgingly willed his trusty steed - a mule the Village lent to him - to pick up the pace. He's practically melting under the sun, and any stinking tavern or inn would be better than being in the open. The noble beast, however, did not increase its speed whatsoever. The trip was slow and uneventful - save for Roland's constant and consistent cursing along the way.

---

It was slightly past noon when Roland reached the village of Stagcross. And without wasting his time, he urged his mule to the nearest stable, tether it tightly to one of the open stalls, and quickly left for the tavern.

"Barkeep! Give me something cold and hard!" Roland announced his arrival.

(So my cat has attempted to rip my charger out of the wall again multiple times. Apparently he just loves to be a nuisance. If anyone has any ideas on how to get him to stop, I'd love to hear them before I have to buy another charger.)

Ana of Auroris

People were arriving. Ana had never seen them before, and after awhile you began to recognize every grime-coated face in Stagcross. There weren't many. Hopefulness rose in her chest; she pushed it down. It did no good to be hopeful. But if they were here about her job . . . Then she could finally make her way back into the mountains. She noted the few that had entered the tavern. They seemed to have potential.

She took a small sip from her newly refilled glass. The cheap whiskey burned her throat and made her eyes water, but she'd finally tamped down the urge to gag. Her fingers drummed softly against the sticky underside of the table. Not wishing to seem a fool, she would wait for them to approach her. Besides, if they couldn't tell a sorceress from some flea-infested peasant they might not fare well on the trek to find the tomb.

~Miles Kyzalith ~

He leaned to the side letting a burly man pass him in the doorway, his eyes kept to the people in the bar. Voices echoed in the room from all the patrons, the low growl of noise made all the voices seem to blend together, making it hard to distinguish any voice. Most of the patrons here looked local with the exception of a few outliers, including the burly man he'd let pass. The man Miles was referring to didnt exactly look like he came from another village, but he didnt quite blend in like the rest of the rabble. Milles started walking slowly through the tavern dodging ale spills and broken glass as he made his was to the bar top. He sat next to a lady with smooth, young looking skin and brown hair that flickered red in the torchlight.

Looking down the bar pass this girl he could see one of the other outliers, he paid them no more attention than that.
"You must be Ana! Correct?" Miles said, his tone low and slightly raspy.

He looked away from this girl and turned back to the barkeep. Miles knocked on the wooden countertop to gain his attention.
"Just an ale please." The beekeep closed his eyes and gave Miles a nod. Miles started to fish for coin in his pocket. Waiting for both Ana and his drink.
"You're the one with the job, no?" Miles asked, his voice a bit louder than before. He didn't look at Ana when asking, he just looked around the bar instead.

Ana of Auroris

Someone had come. Ana glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He had a strong build and rough features characteristic of a fighter. If he was as he appeared, he could prove useful against some of the mountains' more unsavory creatures. If they happened to run into any of them, that is. Ana had been careful to avoid her during her last trip, but she had been alone and hadn't made it very far.

She cleared her throat. "Yes," she said. "I am the one with the job. You do realize what it entails?"

He had moved past the man when he could and went to sit at just some table, "Whatever is to eat and drink..." he said as his hand went up for a moment, then he heard that there were people talking of a job, he was on time. He stood and made himself to the table sitting down when Ana had spoken her last words, "He is ready... but are you?" he asked with a smile as he looked at her.

He looked back at his other table, and then for whoever was in charge of food and drink to see if they had heard him before he had moved to this table. "This is the work that goes across a pass, no?" he asked looking between the two thinking he had gotten the wrong deal.

Ana of Auroris

Ana cleared her throat. "Yes, it is," she said to the new arrival. "Are you interested as well?" That hope she'd been pushing down was rising up again. Two had already asked about the job. Perhaps it would be possible after all.

~Miles Kyzalith~

Miles leaned backwards on his chair, holding onto the counter of the bar to stop himself from falling backwards. He looked at the man, the same man who had passed him earlier. hmmm, so he is an adventurer. Miles pulled himself back to a upright position, he then leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table. He'd sipped at the ale he'd been given but it wasn't as good as the drink back home, the ale in Fendrel was mostly imported from Auroris where master brewers were.

Miles slowly stood up from the stool at the counter, using his free hand to wipe foam from his lip, his other hand still holding his drink. He held the mug away from him, towards the space between the burly man and Ana.

"Well there ye have it, three of us should do it. I reckon we all have skills and what not that could...uhh." he held the 'uhh' for a few seconds, his mind scrambling for the word. "Complimnet each other!" He blurted. Miles eyes shifted from Ana to the man, a genuine smile resting on his face.

He brought the mug back to his lips and sipped, than stretching out his arm once more as if expecting something.

He looked at the man, "I don't think we even know names." he said looking at him, "I am a blacksmith, and I do not know your respective trades."

He smiled as a plate of some brewing stew was placed in front of him with a mug of whatever beer was available. He placed a few small coins on the table after it was set down. Looking up to the individual delivering it to him, "I thank you." he said smiling before turning to the girl, "yes... I was told job that would be a once and a lifetime thing by a friend coming by what was my home."

"Well.. That was rude," Roland complained to nobody in particular after nobody responded to his demand for a drink. Not the bartender, not the waitress, no one.

Though perhaps that was to be expected. After all, this is a human settlement. And not even the more advanced one at that. These people tend to not like those that were not of their own kind. Which, while not exactly the most fun experience for an outsider like him, was totally the norm that simply had to be accepted.

"Ah well, whatever." He muttered. It's not like he's here for leisure anyway. He's here for a job. And apparently he's late to the party. As he quickly found the single fellow magician in this backwater settlement, he noticed that two other adventurers were already flocking by her side. Both seemed to be rather seasoned in their craft too.

"Hmm.. This is troubling," he thought. After all, the more people taking up the job, the less each person's portion is going to be. And if he were to support his village's finance, one or two gold coins would not do. So unless the job was either very rewarding or at least very challenging, it might be better for him to look elsewhere.

With that in mind, Roland strode towards the table the trio was at, and.. Well, barged in.

"Hello. I am Roland. I heard you are hiring helping hands?" He introduced himself.
"Excuse me for being curt. What is the job and how much is the pay?"

Stagcross... the very name was an illusion. A deceit put up by the inhabitants of this place so no wary traveller could anticipate that this actually was not the place any stag would dare to cross, but instead a rat's filthy nest. Or was this too much of an insult against the species of rats ? Vadymc had seen rats much more cleaner than this village as he did not even want to know what kind of soft and muddy stuff his large feet were sinking into. At the very least there were shoes around them, even though the journey here had added a lot to their overall wear and tear.

The assassin had potential to stand out of the crowd and that did not change as he approached the tavern. Added to the smell of excrements came that of vomit and spilled drink, the latter probably being the least intolerable of the three. Unfortunately the conversation that hopefully was to come would take a lot longer than he could hold his breath, so he would have to try and keep his own stomach at bay so not to add to the carnage already unfolded.

He shoved past a few people clogging up the entrace, having to duck in order not to bang his head against several supporting crossbeams. The tiefling's eyes looking out not for the counter and the drinks that were sold there, but for the one that might have made the anonymous call. A woman of magic, a sorceress. Someone who had potential to be well distinguishable from the drunken crowd. He found her in the midst of a few other people that had already gathered around her and approached them.

"I'd like to apologize for interrupting your conversation, but... are you Ana ?"
He hoped that if she was then she could already guess why he approached her.

Ana of Auroris

Hm. Even more. Not that Ana was complaining. The trek to the tomb would be dangerous and rife with all sorts of challenges. Once again, she gave a slight nod. "Yes, I am Ana." She pushed her glass aside. She felt to compulsion to finish the whiskey anyway.
"And as for the pay," she sighed, picking at a piece of nonexistent Linton on her sleeve, "it is whatever you can carry out with you. I wouldn't worry. Kings tend to be buried with plenty of riches." She paused. "The only things off limits to you are the scrolls. I intend to bring them back to Marillon, so that they may grace the library's shelves."
She looked between the crowd that had gathered around her. "Do you have any problems with that?"

~Miles Kyzalith~

By the gods own weapons... Miles thought as the last sip of ale flowed smoothly down his throat, an audible sigh escaped his lips following the gulp. He realized the quest when she said 'kings', she was planning on looking for the tomb. This, he knew, wasn't a quest for the weak willed, Miles knew many stories of adventurers entering the Kings Pass looking for said tomb. None made it out. This was exactly the sort of challenge he needed, stories and song would be sang by bards upon their return. Returning home after surviving the pass would give him the renown he would need to make his way to the top of the soldier's ranks. The thought made him giddy, but he wasn't so far removed not to understand just how dangerous this quest was.

What would make it even more dangerous would be the lack of trust there is in this group. When you trust your comrades, a squad could fight like a well oiled machine. However, this group hasn't even gotten to a first name basis yet. Miles knew the names of Roland and Ana, but there was still the blacksmith he didnt know. None of them knew his name either. A tall horned fellow managed to snag himself in the conversation aswell, making that yet another person he'd need to grow to trust. Miles didn't need to know these people, he just needed to understand that they are all here for the same thing. He still failed to see why Ana had chosen to start this quest in the first place, despite his eagerness Miles still had questions.

"Oi! Miles Kyzalith here, Soldier. This 'bout that tomb ain't it? Well every man, woman and child knows of it. They also know it ain't ever been found, what makes your quest any different, eh?" Miles said, he waited for the others to finish speaking first before blurting it out. His obvious skeptical comments betrayed his excitement, but he didnt want to seem eager to the point of naivety. Miles didn't exactly need to be convinced to go on this quest but information never hurt anybody, in fact he thought it would benefit everyone if the most obvious questions were asked up front. Roland had the right idea it seemed, getting straight to the point.

"I did not know of it beforehand, I just knew there was some grand adventure." he said looking at Miles, then back to Ana, "Is this enough people to send to your tomb? For whatever reason I feel as if it could be, but there is no need to be unsure." He really didn't know much outside of his home, and the book, he knew the world around him was huge but was not bothered to learn about it much.

He looked at the group, it was a usual assortment to what little knowledge he had from people like them traveling and stopping at his home to sleep and eat. One weird creature and a few random people that filled out ranks of different roles, now what were the roles of the individuals. For that he did not know.

---

"Great. This is just great." Roland could not help but shook his head.

"You're delusional," he said to his to-be-contractor. "Tomb raiding by itself is a risky business, but The Tomb of Kings in the Mountain Pass? Do you know how many adventurers had tried and perished while attempting that ancient ruin?"

He'd gush out some more after hearing the more-than-ambitious mission they were going to attempt, but realizing that they would fall on deaf ears anyway, he restrained himself. Instead, he let out a long sigh and plead to the Gods that what he was about to do next was not a wrong decision.

"Fine. If we're going to do this anyway, let's introduce ourselves," he said. At least, by knowing the trades and specialties of each other, there will be a higher chance to survive. After all, if this was the same Tomb of Kings that he had heard the stories about, there's a fat chance of them getting a hold on riches and probably some valuable artifacts, even if they didn't get to reach the end of the dungeon.

"I'm Roland. A wizard," he announced again for the sake of the to-be-teammates that just arrived. "My specialty is, well.. Maybe it's better for you to see for yourselves."

Roland snapped his fingers and all of a sudden, a fragrant smell filled the tavern. Gone were the smell of vomit and urine, and in their stead, smells of freshly baked bread and simmering stew wafted in the air. The humid and stuffy air, too, was replaced by the sensation of cooling, comfortable spring breeze. And for some reason, Roland himself appeared to grow a couple of feet taller and with chiseled muscles.

Of course, none of them were real. With another snap of fingers, everything returned to how it was before.

"Illusion magic. Not the most efficient of crafts, but it sure has its uses," Roland said with a somewhat proud snicker. "So yeah, unless the rest of you could actually do something that's not mere tricks, I think it would be prudent if we just forget the whole thing."

Ana of Auroris

Ana raised an eyebrow in appraisal. A wizard skilled in illusion? That had been one of the skills Ana had never been able to pin down. She could do it, sure, but holding it was near impossible and there were always slight nuances in her work that made it possible to see it for what it was - a trick.

"As for your questions . . . Miles, is it?" Ana crossed her ankles and brought her folded hands to rest on her knees. "That tomb, as you so eloquently put it, belongs to King Segarus. If you don't mind me giving you all a history lesson, he was one of the most prominent kings in our kingdom's history. If you didn't already know, he unified both halves of the continent." She sniffed. "As such, he wished to be buried with enough gold and jewels and artifacts befitting a man of his status."

A couple of the locals eyed the gathered group curiously. Ana gave them a pointed glare until they looked away. When she had first arrived, they hadn't seen her as much of a threat. She quickly remedied that.

"And why we will see results where countless others have failed . . ." She reached into her satchel and pulled out a tightly rolled scroll. The seal had all but fallen off, the wax so old it had crumbled to near dust ages ago. The paper, however, remained intact thanks to the magic of the library's sorceresses. "I'd let you all see it, but I'd rather not stain the paper with . . . that." She frowned down at the sticky countertop. "In short, this is a scroll that had been kept in Marillon's extensive library, forgotten in the back chambers. It tells where the tomb used to be. Hopefully it will be enough to get us close to where it is now. Bear in mind, though, that when we manage to find the entrance, an illusionary spell isn't the only thing protecting the tomb."

~Miles Kyzalith~

Miles watched curiously as the short pale boy cast the magic. It wasn't so obviously an illusion, for a second Miles thought the boy had used some sort of transformation magic. Once it dissipated the ruse was obvious. Miles was impressed by it, mostly by the ease of which it was cast, but he refused to acknowledge the magic. This Roland character came off a bit supercilious with that last remark, 'unless the rest of you could actually do something that's not mere tricks'. It didn't sit right with Miles. That was clearly not the extent of this boys power, but to imply the rest cannot do better? Well, that's just insulting.

Miles was so caught up in his negative thoughts he'd almost missed what Ana, the reason he was in this village, was even saying. His attention snapped back when she explained the scroll. This scroll was more than rumors and history books that perpetuated more rumors, this scroll seemed like a genuine lead. Was she to be trusted however? The excuse of not wanting to open the scroll on a sticky countertop was far from unreasonable, but that did not mean the contents were what she said they were.

He pondered, resting his left hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword idly. This group was a diverse bunch, most likely the skills they bring will be just as diverse. To Miles, this was the real quest. Do I have confidence that this squad will work together? Hmmm... he took in the information and looked out the window, the time was flying by. The mug of ale sat comfortably in his stomach, one more would lead to another after that and he didnt want to throw the night away as he'd done in the past. He'd call for water if this group had more information, and if not, he'd find a room for the night and retire.

He stared at he magicians and wizards, he was glad that he was not one, they seem to insult each other a lot. He slowly ate what he had in front of him, eating the stew and slowing drinking the ale that was placed in front of him. "so an expedition that has never been accomplished before, why not go now, we will move better in a small group..." he said as he looked at the younger girl.

"And as long as we set our quarrels behind," he said looking at the two magicians who looked like they were about to have a magic show contest. "we will be fine in our journey." he said looking at the group, "so when do we leave?" he asked as he sat there finishing his ale.