Of Sorcery and Ale: Chapter 1

Yes, I changed the name. Because I wanted to. Because this is more catchy. Anyway, onwards!
Still need reviews, so don't be shy and blah blah.
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--Chapter One
--Nalia

Kita resisted the urge to punch the man in front of her, who was grinning like an idiot. For one thing, he kept on repeating the word, or phrase, or sound, or whatever, "Coo!" over and over, and it gets annoying. Not to mention he looks slimy to boot. Metaphorically. She was only here, in his messy house, only because he said he had information on Imoen. They met on a street, and the man said to her that he had information on both Imoen and Irenicus, so naturally, Kita followed.
"Well, it's good to be seeing you once again." the man said. "I be Gaelan Bayle, me lady."
"Yeah, well, you said you had information on whereabouts Imoen is?" Kita asked.
"Ah, yes, Imoen. Now...I'll get to the point, I will."
"That's a relief..." Kyron muttered.
"Anyway, I know a powerful group that can be helping you, they can. They can even affect the capture of the mage to boot!"
"And just what is this organization, anyway?"
"Ah...you don't need to know that just yet, ay? All ye need to know now is that we'll help ye for...20,000 gold."
Kita's jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
"Think that's too much, do ye? Well I be telling ye, this group be the only one who can help ye, and if ye think about it, 20,000 gold is not too much if one wishes to fight the Cowled Wizards, is it? No, 'tis isn't. Now...I'm sure you've spent that amount in the past, and you'll spent more, I'm sure. There's quite a few jobs around 'ere that needs doing, there is. I'd suggest you go to Renal Bloodscalp for work..." Gaelan looked thoughtful, and Kita took the chance to swipe a piece of bread from his table.
"Whatever job that is, I'm sure it won't cover your little fee." Kyron said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"There's also a Nalia lass at the Copper Coronet, and there's a dwarf there too. They're both lookin' for mercenaries, they are. The churches are at it again, fightin' each other, and I think the Cowled Wizards needs some help. Well, me nephew's outside. Ask him for work."

Sure enough, a boy was outside. He introduced himself as Brus, and Kita told him to take them to the nearest tavern. While chewing on a piece of stale bread.
Meanwhile...

"These are the prisoners from the disturbance at Waukeen's Promenade." a Cowled Wizard informed his supreior, who looked bored.
"Yes, yes. They are deviants. Let them rot in Spellhold."

* * *

"So," Kita asked, while glugging down a cup of ale at the tavern known as the Copper Coronet. "How many cups have I had so far, Kyron?"
"Four..." he replied, and downed one himself.
"Wha...? Only four? But I'm already feeling tipsy..."
"You shouldn't drink too much, you know. The last time you were drunk, you started singing to everyone in the Elfsong, and we got kicked out because the only music allowed there was the ACTUAL Elfsong, not your Humansong."
"I did that?" Kita looked thoughly puzzled. "When was this?"
"Before we were captured. No, not the Sarevok song. That was the Blushing Mermaid. Seems like a day with you is never dull."
"And isn't that great?!"
"Aren't you a pretty one, girlie?" said another voice. Kyron turned around, and saw a drunkard smiling at Kita.

Kita was indeed rather beautiful. She had long, silvery-blonde hair and a very pale skin, and Kyron sometimes wonder if she is half-elven. He knew that she couldn't be, though, because he knew her mother. And father. Or rather, who he was.
"Yes, I *am* rather pretty, am I not?" Kita said and smilied almost seductively. Kyron snickered under his breath and wondered what in the hells she's going to do to the poor man, who practically drooled.
"How much for a night?" he asked boldly.
"Hmm, I don't know. What about, say, 20000GP?" Kita asked innocently.
"WHAT?! 20000GP for a NIGHT?! Are you crazy?!"
"Actually, yes she is." Kyron said. The drunkard stared in disbelief.
"Bu-bu-bu..."
"Sic 'em, Kyron!" Kita yelled, standing up.
"I'm not your servant, Kita!" Kyron replied.
"Bah...you're no fun." Kita declared and sat back down. The drunkard moved away from them.
"What were we talking about?" she asked.
"Something about a day with you is never dull, and you said and isn't that great?"
"Oh, right." she smilied. "And isn't that great?"
"Well. Not exactly. Okay, sometimes it is, yes, but..." Kyron sighed. "Other times, as Xan puts it so well, you are knocking on death's door."
At the mention of Xan, the elven mage and also their friend and former ally, Kita suddenly looked thoughtful. This didn't happen all the time, as Kyron noted, so the situation is probably rather serious.
"You know, I was wondering. What happened to our friends we traveled with? Xan, Alora, Kivan? Safana?"
"I don't know, really. Perhaps they were killed?" Kyron said, and remembered Safana's constant, meaningful looks at him. He blushed a little from those memories.

Fortunately, Kita didn't notice and continued talking.
"But then...why did they take Imoen?"
Kyron thought about this for a while.
"Hm, I don't know. But shouldn't we start looking for work? We can talk about it later."
"I guess we should." Kita said, standing up and looking around. "Now, where's some work for us to do?"
As if on cue, a girl with a reddish-orange hair approached them.
"You! Are you...mercenaries?" she asked somewhat rudely.
"Eh, for now we are, I guess." said Kita.
"Oh good! I'm looking for adventurers to help me. You'd think the lesser folks would jump to help people like me, but no..."
"Alright, alright." Kita cut her off. She didn't like nobles. "What do you need help with?"
"There's no time! They're invading my keep even now!"
"Keep? Just who are you?" Kyron piped in.
"My name is Nalia de'Arnise, and..."
"Nalia? Oh good. We were going to look for you anyway." Kita said happily. "So who's attacking your keep anyway?"
"There's no time!" Nalia said hurriedly. "Will you let me travel with you? I know how to pick locks and I've studied magic for a while, I think I'm quite good at it!"
Kyron glanced at Kita.
"Sure, I guess you could join then." Kita said, and held up a keg of ale. "Drink?" she asked.

[quote]
Kita resisted the urge to punch the man in front of her, who was grinning like an idiot. For one thing, he kept on repeating the word, or phrase, or sound, or whatever, "Coo!" over and over, and it gets annoying. Not to mention he looks slimy to boot. Metaphorically.

And is the definition of a man that looks "untrustworthy"

"Anyway, I know a powerful group that can be helping you, they can. They can even affect the capture of the mage to boot!"
"And just what is this organization, anyway?"
"Ah...you don't need to know that just yet, ay? All ye need to know now is that we'll help ye for...20,000 gold."

You call that "help"

[quote]
"So," Kita asked, while glugging down a cup of ale at the tavern known as the Copper Coronet. "How many cups have I had so far, Kyron?"
"Four..." he replied, and downed one himself.
"Wha...? Only four? But I'm already feeling tipsy..."

That is not an encouragement to drink more.

These people are insane

Hunter

Hell, I believe Gaelan refers to 20000GP as his "Little fee" in the actual game. And yes, Kita is perhaps slightly insane. Chaotic Good.