[Narrator] Three nights later…the Living Swords reached the Red Dragon Inn. And even from outside…it sounded dangerous. [Tavern Crowd] DRINK!!DRINK!!DRINK!! [Narrator] The Red Dragon was enormous. Three stories tall. Built like someone expected tavern brawls to become military campaigns. Nearly a hundred mercenaries crowded the interior. Gamblers. Smugglers. Scarred adventurers. Wanted killers. And somewhere among them…the future of the Company waited. [Hagan] Oh this place is absolutely going to kill us. [Kess] Stay focused. [Brakka quietly] Smells nice though. [Narrator] Ale flooded warped wooden tables. Dice games exploded into screaming arguments. A half-orc loudly proposed marriage after losing an arm wrestling contest. Twice. [Fiddle kicks harder] [Narrator] Then the crowd erupted. One massive man had just thrown another mercenary across two tables. YOU THROW LIKE A NOBLE!! [Narrator] Dom the Fat. Six foot four. Built like an angry brewery. Fat. Scarred. Drunk. And terrifyingly experienced. Three unconscious mercenaries already surrounded him. [Kess] That’s one of them. [Brakka] …he protects smaller fighters. [Kess] You noticed that too? [Brakka] Big men who hurt weak people are cowards. [Kess smirks] You like him already. [Brakka] Hits things correctly. [Narrator] Across the tavern another recruit conquered the room without throwing a punch. [Aelric] Ladies…please… there’s enough of me for everyone eventually. [Narrator] Aelric Vael. Bard. Mercenary. Professional liar. Women crowded around him while silver lute strings danced beneath skilled fingers. Even the bartender stopped listening to customers. [Hagan] I already dislike him. [Lira] You dislike confidence. [Hagan] No…I dislike HIS confidence. [Aelric singing] ♪Gold and glory,steel and sin… buy the next round and I just might win…♪ HEY!! [Aelric] ♪Devils cheat and kingdoms fall…♪ HEY!! [Aelric] ♪But the Red Dragon drinks through all!!♪ [Kess] He watches every exit while performing. [Lira] Never stops scanning the room. [Kess] Meaning he expects trouble. [Brakka] Smart. [Narrator] Then the room changed. The warmth faded. Laughter softened. Even drunk mercenaries avoided one dark corner near the back wall. Because someone sat there watching everything. [Ziddelgzt] You’re staring. [Brakka awkwardly] …sorry. [Ziddelgzt] Don’t stop. [Narrator] Ziddelgzt. Half drow. Half something far worse. Beautiful. Elegant. Dangerous. And somehow…Brakka suddenly forgot how speaking worked. [Hagan whispering] Oh no…the giant’s in love. [Brakka] …I am not. [Ziddelgzt smirking] You are. [Laughter] [Kess quietly] She’s hiding something. [Brakka] …probably. [Narrator] Near the fireplace another figure carved symbols into ash using a human finger bone. [Jaska] Interesting. Your healer carries Moradin’s blessing. [Kess] And you carry grave dust. [Jaska] Professional curiosity. [Narrator] Jaska the Grave Whisper. Necromancer. Relic smuggler. Dealer in forbidden things. Half the tavern feared him. The other half owed him money. [Kess quietly] I don’t trust him. [Brakka] Neither do I. [Kess] But we may need him. [Brakka] …I hate when Troy is right. [Narrator] The night became chaos. Coins vanished. Barmaids danced across tables. A chair flew through a window. Someone started fighting over a goat. Nobody understood why there was a goat. [Hagan] I LOVE THIS PLACE!! [Lira] That explains so much about you. [Narrator] But beneath the chaos…the Living Swords watched carefully. [Kess] Dom protects weaker fighters. [Lira] Aelric never loses awareness. [Brakka] Ziddelgzt scares everyone. [Kess] Including me. [Brakka quietly] …not me. [Kess] That may become a problem. [Narrator] One by one…the recruits were approached. Dom joined after Kess beat him in a drinking contest. Aelric joined after hearing Eric’s name. Ziddelgzt joined because she found Brakka “interesting.” And Jaska joined because war creates profitable opportunities. [CHORUS] RAISE THE MUGS AND HOLD THE LINE WE DRINK TONIGHT CAUSE WE AIN’T DYIN’ FROM HELL TO WAR TO KINGDOM FALLS THE RED DRAGON STILL STANDS TALL STEEL AND SONG BLOOD AND FIRE MERCENARY HEARTS NEVER TIRE WHEN DARKNESS CALLS WE RIDE AGAIN THE LIVING SWORDS UNTIL THE END [Narrator] By midnight…the Company had grown stronger. But outside the tavern… hidden beyond torchlight… someone watched the windows carefully. And far to the east… spider riders gathered for war.
