18 An Exchange

Ryan took a deep breath, then let it out, along with all his problems and worries. He would think about them tomorrow; for now, he would relax, something he hadn't been able to do in a long while.

He scrubbed himself with the bath towel, cleaning his entire body, then soaked in the bath for a couple of hours, as he eventually fell asleep inside.

Ryan's head jolted up as he woke up, looking around him in panic before sighing. He couldn't be too careful. He stood up and stepped out of the bath, taking the towel that was hanged neatly at the side to dry his body.

Walking out of the bathroom, he moved towards the bed, picked up the clothes he was given, and put them on before heading to the mirror at the side of the room.

The clothes were simply a wide, fluttery dark shirt and grey pants, basic, but what mattered was that he had clean, fresh clothes. As Ryan looked in the mirror, he noticed he managed to pull off the look.

Ryan hadn't taken time to look at himself since arriving in this world, and as he did, he realised he did not look the same. Of course, it was still his face, yet it looked many years younger, like how he did in his early twenties. His eyes, they were blank and un-telling, odd, scary even.

Ryan sighed as he turned away, grabbing his room key from the table before heading out the door. He locked the door behind him, stored the key in his inventory, and began heading downstairs.

He was extremely hungry and needed something to eat, but he had foolishly spent all his money on the room alone. Now, he would need to find a way to eat while having zero of this world's currency.

"Should I eat and make a run for it?" Ryan asked himself as he descended down the stairs. "No, I already paid for a room here, can't waste those fifteen coins" he concluded as he entered the bar.

It was very different from how it was just the afternoon prior; the smell of alcohol and food intertwined to give the tavern a unique scent. The loud, heated arguments of men discussing pointless topics blended well with the robust laughter of others.

"Do they know about the beast tide? Do they know they could all potentially die?" Ryan wondered as he watched them drink, laugh, shout, and merry.

Ryan saw Chloe navigate through the tavern, moving from table to table serving food and alcohol to one patron or another, and it didn't take a second look to realize she was getting overwhelmed.

Ryan turned and walked to the bar, where the old man who had brought him in stood behind, pouring jugs of beer and other spirits and setting them on the counter as they awaited Chloe's collection.

"Busy night?" Ryan asked as he sat on one of the stools. The old man, who was the innkeeper, owner of both the tavern and inn, turned to look at him.

"It's been like this for a couple of nights now," the innkeeper responded as he poured some beer into another jug. "Have you gotten something to eat yet?" the man asked.

"No," Ryan voiced out as Chloe came to pick up the beers from the counter.

"Tell Ruck to bring some food for him," the innkeeper said. "Who? Adrian?" Chloe confirmed.

"Yes, and tell him to be quick, the orders are piling."

Chloe responded with a simple nod, and she was off, back into the sea of needy customers.

"So, you're not even from Azkai, are you?" The innkeeper asked, his eyes a soulless shade of grey, and his voice as rough as his calloused hand.

"No," Ryan responded, "What gave it away?" he asked as he watched the innkeeper take a bottle from the shelf and twist the cap open.

"Well, you didn't dress like someone from around these parts," the innkeeper poured the transparent liquid into a glass cup, filling it halfway before pushing it over to Ryan.

Ryan grasped the glass, his eyes examining its contents. "Well, you're right," he said as he put the cup to his lips, taking a sip. He grimaced as he swallowed the strong gin.

"Chloe also told me you were five coins short for the room. You have no money as well?" The innkeeper glanced at Ryan as he poured another beer.

"Also right," Ryan admitted, perhaps the innkeeper wouldn't charge him knowing his situation.

"Well, I have a solution for you. You can live in the room, eat good food three times a day, if you can do something for me in return," the innkeeper proposed.

Ryan understood what he was getting at now; they were indeed understaffed. "I understand, you want me to work here in exchange?" he asked.

"No," the innkeeper replied, his brows furrowing. "How good of a murderer are you?"