Teclos stopped beside the stranger at the bar.
Up close, the man looked even less remarkable. The brown coat was worn at the cuffs, his boots were dusty, and there was nothing about his face that would draw attention in a crowded room.
Only the mana felt wrong.
It sat too quietly.
The mercenary captain hovered several steps behind Teclos, one hand pressed beneath his bleeding nose. His men had managed to drag themselves away from the broken tables, though none seemed eager to approach the bar again.
The stranger lifted his cup.
"You came all this way," he said. "You may as well order something."
Teclos looked at the purse beside his hand.
"Give them their money."
The stranger glanced over his shoulder.
The mercenaries stiffened.
"They lost it."
"They say you cheated."
"They also said I attacked them."
The captain opened his mouth.
Teclos looked back at him.
"You did say that."
The man's jaw tightened.
"He provoked us."
The stranger took another drink.
