The dossiers covered Jax, their friends, and all their families - there was also one on the Royal Sorcerer and more informal reports on the crown prince, princess, and her governess. These he also ignored, going through the file on Jax’s fathers - as Heline had said, it seemed the men were estranged. Aanda lived in the capital of Ballatsa, which he knew already, and so was definitely out - even if he didn’t, Drazaria was pretty sure Aanda had greatly disliked him before he was framed for treason. No doubt the man hated him now.

That aside, according to the dossier, Jax was still in regular contact with his other father - so Drazaria would have to make do with Ked. Though he supposed a former mercenary was more his speed anyway.

“So what are you going to do, anyway?” Owal asked, feeding strips of fish to the hawk that had yet to leave. Thon sat at one corner of the table the sorcerer was standing at while Heline had been pacing around - watching hopefully. She stopped next to the vanin as thon spoke.

“Simple,” Drazaria said, closing the folder of notes and dropping it on the table, “I’m going to seduce this Ked guy and then use him to manipulate Jax.”

Both teens stared at him blankly before Owal burst into a grin.

“Have… have you ever seduced anyone…?” thon asked, appearing delighted for some reason.

“No,” Drazaria shrugged, headed towards the door, “Can’t be that hard.”

Heline was hurriedly cleaning up all the notes and said, “Um, I don’t think that’s a-”

The sorcerer ignored her, walking out the door. He went to his part of the base, retrieving his teleportation stones and measurement rods. Seduction would probably take time, so he intended to move his base closer to the inn for convenience.

The idea actually sat uncomfortably like a pebble in the pit of his stomach - Drazaria wasn’t generally a party to manipulating others. If he wanted something, he took it by the most straightforward means necessary - money, force, or even just asking were all fine. But that wasn’t an option this time - and if he were compromising his already dodgy morals, he was at least going to pick which compromise he was making. He was the villain in this story, after all.

“I’m moving this base, so you two stay inside unless you’ve decided to leave me be,” the sorcerer ordered the teens, not giving them time to argue before he threw a swap stone up to the top of the cliff face.

As usual, he walked with his enhanced movement until he found a suitable location near - but not too near - the mercenary town of Faobrin. He teleported his base, put away his teleportation stones, and once again ignored his unwelcome guests’ protests before heading out to find Jax’s father’s inn. Well, he ignored Heline’s protests - Owal seemed oddly in favor. 

When he reached the inn, it was… unassuming. Solid stone architecture, little ornamentation, and fairly large. Drazaria grimaced as he walked up to the door - he still wasn’t entirely sure of this plan or how exactly seducing Jax’s father would help him get Swordheart, but he was sure he was running out of other options. Besides, he could figure out the rest as he went - he was at least as smart as most of the people he knew to use these kinds of tactics, after all.

He set aside his doubts and opened the door to a cozy common room. There were no traditional tables but several collections of couches and cushioned chairs and twice as many rugs covering the wooden floor. Three hearths ranged around the room, making it uncomfortably warm by human standards. While there were a fair amount of customers, no one seemed to mark his entrance—which was good. Drawing too much attention was likely not going to end well.

The only person the sorcerer himself marked was a kradreen - Jonoor the Knife, Oralie’s Assassin. As they were meant to, the kradreen ignored him - but Drazaria had no doubt Jonoor was watching him closely.

Drazaria made his way to the bar, catching sight of his… target. Ked was tall, even by woozhi standards, with dark blue scales and orange eyes. The sorcerer jumped up to crouch on one of the stools, not calling out.

Ked was facing the back of the bar, but one of his eyes looked over at his latest customer.

Am I going to be able to do this? Drazaria wondered, realizing he had no idea what to say to the man.

The woozhi innkeeper sighed, then set down the glass he’d been cleaning and approached, “You haven’t been here before.”

“No,” the sorcerer replied, then arched his brows, “Is that a problem?”

“Not if you follow the rules,” Ked replied, seeming… unimpressed, “No fighting. If you’re an assassin or mercenary, no business. If someone tells you to stop talking to them, you stop.”

“Am I allowed to defend myself?” Drazaria asked, looking around at the rough crowd.

“No. Fighting,” the innkeep replied flatly.

The sorcerer held up his hands, “Just wanted to be clear.”

Ked regarded him suspiciously, then sighed, “Were you ordering something to drink? Eat?”

“Well, I don’t know what’s on the menu,” Drazaria replied, trying for flirtatious with his most winning smile - though he was… inexperienced in that area.

The woozhi blinked at him slowly, each eye individually.

Drazaria forced himself not to flinch - the foreign smile making his face feel askew.

Then Ked… also smiled, which for a woozhi meant showing his sharp teeth, “Of course not - I’ll get you a menu.”

This is going better than expected, the sorcerer thought, nodding his thanks as the innkeep put a menu in front of him. As long as I don’t say anything to give myself away, I’ll be fine.

The menu was mainly simple fare - woozhi dishes and a small collection of wine and ale. As Drazaria couldn’t taste anything anyway, he wasn’t sure what to order - should he just get something simple, or something expensive to be seen as a good patron?

After some time, Ked returned, asking, “Have you decided…?”

“Zawn,” Drazaria answered the unasked question with his kradreen name - finding petty enjoyment in the subtle way it made Jonoor flinch across the room. Setting that aside, he leaned forward to ask, “And you are…?”

The innkeep seemed to consider a moment before replying, “Ked.”

“And you… own this inn?” the sorcerer asked, then cleared his throat and glanced around the inn. He gently scratched at his wrist as he thought, That’s a good starting point, isn’t it?

Ked tilted his head and said - in a slightly strained tone, “I do.”

“It’s… nice,” Drazaria struggled for a compliment, then said, “I’m sure everything available is… good. Perhaps, as the owner, you have a suggestion?”

The woozhi smiled and said, “I’ll be right back.”

The sorcerer barely caught himself from hitting his head on the table when Ked quickly snatched the menu out from under his elbow while turning.

Was that on purpose? Drazaria wondered, watching the innkeep walk over to the window connecting the bar to the kitchen. His eyes narrowed, wondering if he’d been found out already.

He plastered his fake smile back on his face as Ked turned back, bringing a bowl of something hot with him.

The woozhi set the bowl down and said, “The house stew. Changes depending on what we have in stock for the day.”

“What is it today?” Drazaria asked, stirring the bowl to get a better look at its contents - and sending a spark of utility magic down the spoon to check for poison. Just in case.

Ked poured a pint of warm brown ale, setting it down with a smile, “Isn’t it more fun as a surprise?”

The sorcerer offered his own smile in return - but was almost certain it looked more like a wince. He hated surprises and didn’t know how to react to a surprise flavor he couldn’t taste. So he reached over and took a drink of the ale first - he could probably pretend the drink made it hard to figure out the taste of the stew. Then, as it wasn’t poisoned, he tried a cautious spoonful of the stew.

Ked watched him expectantly - like he was waiting for a response.

“It’s good,” Drazaria mumbled flatly, hoping the innkeep wouldn’t ask further questions.

The woozhi tilted his head, “Is it?”

The sorcerer tried to hide his growing suspicion behind another smile and asked, “Is it… not supposed to be?”

Ked smiled again and asked, “How’s the ale?”

“… also good,” Drazaria said, drinking down the rest to prove it.

The innkeep was still smiling when he’d finished and said, “Glad you’re enjoying it, Zawn. Call if you need anything.”

“What if I just want to chat?” the sorcerer asked, trying for flirtatious again.

Ked leaned close to the human’s good ear, making goose pimples rise along his neck. Softly, he said, “I don’t chat with liars.”

Drazaria studied the woozhi sharply as he leaned back up, sure he’d been made. Still, in case he was wrong, he asked, “Liars?”

Ked nodded at the soup.

Ah, the sorcerer relaxed and smiled, “My apologies. I have no sense of taste - but I prefer to be… polite.”

“Well, as long as it was only to be polite,” the woozhi said - and loomed over him just a touch too closely.

Drazaria swallowed, forcing himself not to lean back as he held up his empty mug, “Can I have another?”

“You can’t taste it,” Ked replied, raising an eye ridge.

The sorcerer shrugged, “Can still get drunk, though.”

“Fair enough,” the innkeep said flatly, pouring a second pint all the same.

Drazaria glanced around the room again - making sure no one was giving him undue attention. Jonoor had moved a few feet closer but was otherwise pretending they didn’t exist. No one else seemed to have taken notice of him though. Good.

“What did you want to chat about, Zawn?” Ked asked, starting to clean and organize behind the bar.

Oh, right, that, the sorcerer thought, and asked, “Is this… also a house ale?”

“It is,” the woozhi replied.

“Where’s it from?” Drazaria asked, trying to think of something more… substantial to ask about.

“Calabaam Farms,” Ked replied, “In Fis.”

That sounds vaguely familiar, the sorcerer thought and asked, “Is that where you get your food stock as well?”

“There, and a few other Fis farms,” the innkeep confirmed, “Why the interest?”

“Just… trying to be polite,” Drazaria said, scratching at his arm as he added, “It doesn’t seem like you get a lot of that around here.”

“You aren’t wrong,” Ked shrugged, then asked, “What brings a gentleman like you out here?”

“I’m not a gentleman,” the sorcerer replied, with his first genuine grin of the night, “But I… recently moved into the area. Doesn’t serve much purpose to be rude when inns are sparse.”

“Did you move into Faobrin then?” the woozhi smiled back.

“No,” Drazaria replied, “I prefer to live alone.”

If only those teens would let me, he added to himself.

“These are dangerous lands to be alone in,” Ked said, tilting his head, “Though I suppose a sorcerer can usually take care of himself.”

Said sorcerer shrugged - that much about him was painfully obvious, so he said, “Little other reason for a human to have a kradreen eye.”

“Or a kradreen name?” the woozhi prompted.

“I was adopted,” Drazaria replied - sticking with the truth for the moment. His gaze slid involuntarily to Jonoor again, but he just as quickly looked away.

“And yet you live alone?” Ked arched a brow ridge, also glancing at the kradreen, “Kradreen are very family-oriented, aren’t they?”

The sorcerer just smiled, feeling a knife of old feelings twisting in his gut.

After a moment, the innkeep shrugged, “Not that it’s my business.”

“And what about you, Ked?” Drazaria asked, “Do you have any family?”

Ked copied his guest by smiling without answering.

So the sorcerer copied him as well, shrugging and saying, “Not that it’s my business.”

Ked inclined his head in acknowledgment.

Is this really Jax’s father? Drazaria wondered, sensing an undercurrent of… not exactly malice, but something close. Suspicion? Perhaps - it would make sense. It felt… harder than suspicion but softer than true malice.

What’s that called again…? the sorcerer took a drink as he tried to recall - then realized, Ah, right - dislike.

It had been some time since anyone had simply disliked him. It kind of excited him.

“Do you plan to stay in the area long?” Ked asked.

“As long as I need to,” Drazaria replied, finishing his stew, “I’ll probably stop by as long as I’m nearby.”

“Well, I’ll look forward to more… conversation,” the woozhi seemed to settle on with another smile.

The sorcerer smiled back wanly, knowing enough to recognize the sarcasm, “How much do I owe you?”

Drazaria settled his bill and left without further pressing - though, as he walked back to his base, he did feel more confident that his plan was at least possible.