Chapter 56: An Awfully Familiar Name
From opposite corners of the tavern, two figures rose to their feet and approached Starfall warily, eyeing him as if he were an old enemy.
The orc bartender introduced them with enthusiasm. "This is Hastin, a veteran rogue that specializes in disarming traps. And that's Hares, a ranger. His raven's been specially trained and is very good at finding hidden rooms and secret passages."
Starfall studied the two adventurers.
The ranger, Hares, wasn't particularly remarkable, though his half-elven bloodline was mildly noteworthy.
As for the rogue, Hastin, he was far too tall, built more like a warrior than a thief. More striking still was his aura, one that Starfall found oddly familiar: that of an ascetic..
Hastin seemed as though he had already seen through life's suffering and entered a state of utter detachment. His eyes were calm, distant, and unfathomably deep. One could only wonder what he had experienced to reach such a state at so young an age.
"I'm looking for someone to infiltrate a mage's tower," Starfall said simply. He avoided specifying which tower, then asked a few follow-up questions to confirm their competence.
Both performed well. The rogue effortlessly cracked a magical lock Starfall produced, while the ranger's summoned raven quickly located a magical ring Starfall had hidden away. By any standard, their skills were first-rate.
The problem was when they named their prices.