The inn's main floor was packed and loud. Rough wooden tables filled the dim space, lit by sputtering lamps hanging from low beams. Orcs with scarred faces, wiry goblins, and stranger, hunched creatures crowded the benches, their deep voices and sharp laughs mixing in with the hazy air. Spilled ale made dark patches on the floorboards. Darno pushed open the heavy wooden door of the inn and stepped inside. The humans followed him in. Instantly, the noise stopped. Every head in the crowded room turned. Orcs paused mid-drink, goblins froze mid-laugh. Dozens of strange eyes fixed on the humans. The air grew thick with sudden tension.
Darno flinched at the silence. He quickly raised both hands, palms out, waving them slightly. "Don't worry guys." he called out, his voice a bit tight but loud enough to carry. "They're peaceful. No trouble."
The creatures stared hard for another moment. A few grunted low in their chests. Then, a large orc near the bar shrugged his massive shoulders and turned back to his mug, slamming it down with a loud thump. Like a signal, the noise slowly returned. Chatter picked up, mugs clanked again, and the brief tension broke. Most monsters turned away, losing interest, though a few still watched the newcomers with suspicion.
Darno lowered his hands. He then led the humans through the noisy crowd to a table tucked away in a corner, slightly removed from the main part of the bar. They sat on sturdy wooden chairs.
The Master leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on Darno across the table. "So, explain this then" he said, his voice low but cutting through the noise. "How do you have buildings like ours? Even better ones? And how do you know our ways?"
Darno's gaze dropped to the worn surface of the table. His shoulders slumped, making him look smaller. "I don't know how," he mumbled, tracing a crack in the wood with a clawed finger. "We were made in labs. We see the world above... somehow. That's how we build." He glanced up quickly, his eyes troubled, before looking down again. "Our leader, a Royal named Kiichi, calls us failures. Failed experiments. Unfit for fighting." He paused, his jaw tight. "So we work."
The Master watched him, his face still, unreadable. He absorbed the words without expression.
Tiren leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, his focus sharp. "Who are these Royals?"
Darno sighed, a quiet sound lost in the room's noise. "We only know Kiichi. He rules City Ten." He spoke flatly now, resigned. "Each city has a Royal. ten cities, 10 Royals. We don't know the others. We can't leave our city. We just work. Like slaves."
"That's messed up," Kin stated simply, looking around the room at the varied monstrous faces.
A small goblin boy ran straight to their table, now beside Kin. "Dada, dada! Play!" he chirped, His mother followed, her posture weary, but her eyes watching him. Darno's entire demeanor shifted instantly. The tension left his shoulders, his spine straightened slightly. His serious face broke into a wide, unguarded smile, eyes softening as he looked down. "Soon, Aoto," he said, his voice gentle now. "I promise."
Sye watched the exchange, a small, soft smile touching her lips as she looked at the boy. Aoto glanced up, his bright eyes meeting hers for a second, curious, before returning to his father. "Okay, Dada!"
The mother put a hand on the boy's shoulder. Her voice wasn't loud, but gentle "Don't take too long okay? We got a lot to do tomorrow."
Darno chuckled, a warm sound, rubbing the back of his head. "Alright, alright. I'll see you both soon."
The mother startled, her gaze snapping towards the fleeing boy. She hurried into the crowd after him, her voice subtle with worry. "Aoto!" Darno watched them disappear into the crowd. The smile faded slowly from his face, like a light going out. His expression became serious once more.
"Right! We are going to meet this Kiichi," the Master said. His tone was matter-of-fact, a decision made.
Darno visibly flinched, pulling back slightly in his seat. His eyes widened, pupils large in the dim light. "No! You mustn't." Fear sharpened his voice, making it tight. "Kiichi is cruel. An evil leader... If he finds humans here... he may kill you all!"
The Master's calm expression didn't waver. He held up a small, purple orb. It pulsed with a faint, internal light. "Don't worry," he said quietly. "First sign of real trouble, we leave with this."
Darno stared at the strange orb, then back at the Master's steady gaze. He swallowed hard. "Alright," he finally said, his voice strained. "But stay here tonight." He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "Tomorrow morning, I will show you where he lives. And please don't tell Kiichi about any of this."
The Master gave a single, almost imperceptible nod. Darno pushed himself up from his chair slightly. "I'll get your rooms ready upstairs," he said, starting to look at each of them. "One room for each..." His gaze scanned the Master, then Tiren, then Sye. He paused, his eyes searching. His brow raised in slight confusion. Kin wasn't at the table.
Then he saw him. Kin was kneeling on the dusty floor near the edge of their corner, facing Aoto, who had apparently circled back. Kin's hands were flashing in the familiar shapes of rock, paper, scissors.
The Master turned his head sharply, his expression firming. "Kin!"
Kin looked up, his face alight with pure, uncomplicated fun. He grinned widely. "Ha! I just taught Aoto rock paper scissors!" he announced brightly to the table, completely oblivious to the serious conversation he'd missed. "He hasn't won yet, though!"
The Master's stern look held for a second, then visibly eased. The corners of his mouth twitched. A quiet chuckle started with Tiren, low in his chest. Sye laughed softly, covering her mouth for a moment. Even Senen let out a short huff of air, almost a laugh, shaking his head slightly.
The Master turned back to Darno, the slight amusement still softening the lines around his eyes. "How about a drink?" Darno's own smile returned, genuine this time, chasing the worry away for a moment. "Coming right up." He nodded and headed towards the bar.
The noise of the inn pressed in again – rough shouts, bursts of laughter, the rhythmic clatter of heavy mugs hitting tables. The air was thick with the smoke of roasted meat, and the smell of spilled ale. For now, the humans at the corner table blended into the loud, messy life filling the underground inn.