A different view

You wait a few days before visiting the bar, giving Naia and Julie time to get used to the job before visiting. When you do go, Aisha and Marin come with you, for different reasons. Aisha, understandably, wants to check on her sister, while Marin simply wants to see what the place is like.

“After all, maybe this could be a good hangout spot!”

You chuckle. “I’m surprised you hadn’t scoped the place out before. You seem to know all the fun places.”

Marin looks around as you walk. “I do, but…I don’t normally go to this part of the city.”

Aisha nods. “It’s true, this is a less nice part of town.”

You look around as well, and realize how different it is than where you normally are. It’s not run down or dirty, but there’s definitely a feeling that it’s less safe here. You have no worries for yourself, being accompanied by a muscular tiger girl and a less intimidating, but still dangerous raptor girl, but you wouldn’t want Julie traveling alone here. Still, with Naia’s protection, she should have nothing to worry about.

“Marin, you’ve been here for a while, what’s the crime like? I honestly didn’t expect this.”

Marin shrugs. “Any city this size is going to have areas like this. Honestly, it’s not as dangerous as most cities, **** is pretty rare. There’s some robbery and things like that, but the dwarves come down pretty hard on violent stuff.”

You nod, noting that the bar is just ahead. “So we shouldn’t worry too much?”

Aisha laughs. “As long as Naia is around, they’d have to be crazy to mess with them.”

You chuckle, conceding the point as you approach the bar. A sign above the door proclaims it the “Long Road Bar”, a fitting name for a place catering to travelers. The front of the building is done up with brickwork, making it look like a place you’d find in a typical new world city. You swing the heavy wooden door open and step inside, followed by the girls, and you’re greeted almost immediately by a rough voice.

“Well, new customers! Welcome, come in and find a seat, I’ll be with you in a minute.”

The man speaking is near the bar, and he appears to be older, with gray hair and a weathered face, though a broad smile softens the harshness of his features. He is tall and broad shouldered, and moves with confidence, clearly not a weak old man. Behind the bar, you spot Julie, who looks up and smiles.

“Greg! You finally visited us!”

The older man, who you assume must be the owner, glances at Julie. “Ahh, this is your companion, then? Go let miss Naia know she can come say hello as well, but don’t let him distract you from work.”

Julie nods, and bounces off through a door into what looks like a kitchen area. Meanwhile, you find a table and sit, along with Aisha and Marin. The man approaches, and you take a moment to glance around, taking in the decor. You almost dismiss it as a typical place, until you realize that all the faded posters and weathered instruments hanging on the walls must have been imported from the new world. No wonder this place is popular with travelers, it feels like it was just ripped from the new world.

The man leans on the back of an empty chair and nods. “It’s nice to see new faces, especially ones I’ve heard so much about. Naia and Julie are doing well already, even if they have more energy than I expected.”

You chuckle. “Sounds about right.”

He grins. “You’re a lucky man, you know that? I’d tell you to take care of those two, but from how they talk about you, I’d say that’s not a problem. My name’s Hector, by the way. This is my bar.”

You shake hands with him, and look around once again. “It’s a nice place. There must be a story behind it.”

Hector’s grin widens. “Of course there is!”

He glances around at the mostly empty bar. “We have some time before the regulars start showing up, I suppose I can tell my story. But I’ll want to hear yours as well.”

You see Naia and Julie come out of the back room, big smiles on their faces. “Deal. The girls will keep me honest, too.”

Hector laughs. “I’ll do my best to keep it truthful as well, then!”