Wish Upon a Sin

Arc 2 - Interlude: Otto Suwen

To the average observer, the Broken Wheel wasn't a particularly remarkable place. It was a decent bar, and the drinks were spectacular for their price. Not that any but a true alcohol connoisseur would be able to tell.

The bar mainly catered to merchants, but it was affordable enough that it was sometimes visited by the odd group of day labourers or other commonfolk.

Therefore, it wasn't too uncommon to see the occasional down on his luck merchant slowly drinking away what little remained of their finances.

"...It's no fair. Hic."

One such merchant was slumped over the bar, cradling a half-finished cup of dark liquid, spilling his complaints to any who would listen.

In this case, that meant no one. The other patrons were too far to hear, and the bartender was barely paying attention, busy cleaning his cups.

But that was no reason to refrain from speaking. The green cloaked merchant had many worries, and complaining about it offered at least a small amount of catharsis. Od knew he'd be getting little of that in the coming days.

"There's no reason for the border to be closed. Hic. And, it should be temporary, at least. Hic. I'm going to miss the trading season because of this. Hic."

Left unsaid was the terrible price he might have to pay for that misfortune. He would never be able to sell his merchandise for a decent price in Luginica, and selling it wholesale would bankrupt him.

But it wasn't the end just yet. He could defer his debt repayments for a little while, and he had enough funds to last a little over a month if he stretched it. He'd be able to find something in that time. Maybe.

He'd already spoken to several of his contacts, asking to be put in contact with anyone who could turn his situation around. But it didn't look good. Lugunica's economic situation wasn't great, and that meant less need for couriers and transportation.

"Well, well, Otto!" a boisterous voice called out, startling the merchant out of his train of thought.

He sat upright, and turned to look at the person who had spoken. It was a young, black-haired man, probably a little younger than Otto.

"I have to admit, I almost forgot which day to come and look for you!" the young man continued, pulling out a stool beside him and sitting down. "Everything has been so busy, trying to get things set up when I only half-understood it all when it was explained to me."

He shook his head as if in disappointment, but the smile on his face put the lie to the gesture.

"Hey barkeep!" he called out, tossing a couple of dull copper coins onto the counter. "You have appa juice here, don't you? I might as well have a cup."

The barkeep gave the newcomer an eye-over—likely worried the newcomer might cause trouble—but after a moment he seemed to decide the man wasn't going to be an issue, and nodded curtly before wandering off to fulfil the request.

With the barkeep gone, the young man finally turned his head toward Otto, meeting his eyes.

The first thing that struck Otto were those eyes. The whites were clearly visible around his irises, giving them a sharp look, an effect that some might describe as 'nasty'.

And now that Otto had a little more time to get his bearings, he noticed the man's clothes. They were strange, but were clearly finely made. Combined with the rarity of his hair colour, Otto got the feeling he wasn't dealing with any ordinary person. And if Otto hadn't misheard, he had known Otto's name, and where to find him. Had one of his contacts come through for him?