After Ayra returned, the group reviewed their plans. Meyra showed Kalin and Ayra the drawings of the people in the village, and they were unable to identify them. Ren recommended going to the shops and bars in the area for information collection. They were to specifically focus on the bars who specialize in alcohol.

Everyone was given copies of the drawings and were assigned to different regions within the town. Meyra was to stay closer to Rildin, Ayra to the north, Kalin west, and Ren to the south. They were to meet at the center of Dovin before their meeting with Weylyn to reconvene. 

From the guild, Meyra stopped by various shops on her way to the border. From meat markets to jewelry dealers, she was unable to find any information. As she neared the border, she noticed a bar down an alley. It wasn't hard to see from the road, but most bars were along the main street.

She walked down the wide alley but it was full of litter. Meyra pulled her wings closer so she could comfortably walk. The sign above the bar appeared to be new, the windows directly across from mirrors to increase light. Knocking on the door yielded no answer, making her look in through the windows.

A woman was wiping down the bar top, setting up for the day. When she looked up and made eye contact with Meyra, she waved, making the woman run to another room. The door opened to a well-built, tall woman. They looked down on Meyra with a disgusted look. 

"We're not open to hagglers. Come back later." They attempted to close the door, but Meyra grabbed it.

"I am here to just talk; I can give you collateral if you would like." Meyra pulled out a basket of baked goods, and the woman allowed her in. 

The tall woman sat across from the bar eyeing up the bread. Meyra handed her a piece for which she thanked her. The woman Meyra saw earlier did not come out from the back. 

"How may I help you?" The woman asked in-between bites. 

Meyra briefly described the situation with the fish, making the woman stop eating. She put down the bread and called for the woman, Layren, that Meyra saw earlier. She came in, looking down at the floor. The woman that opened the door briefly explained the situation to Layren before leaving.

"I apologize for our behavior. People have been busting the door down to steal food and liquor, so I hired the guard you met."

Layren explained that she was the owner and had two other regular members of staff. The bar was small, with a few tables and the bar top for people to sit. The bodyguard Meyra met earlier primarily checked people in and dragged people out when they became rowdy. 

Due to the bar being off the main road, they typically have regulars that travel in and out of Dovin. This particular bar is popular because of their fish and alcohol deals prior to evening mealtime. Layren explained that people have been acting rowdier and more agitated. They source their fish from the local market on the border with Rildin.

Because their fish supplier has not changed their methods, it is unlikely that the behavior change is a result from eating at this bar. Layren mentioned that most people they serve are also eating at Cruxn when they are able to. Eating at her bar is seen as a treat when they have the money, their regulars coming closer to once a week instead of daily. 

Meyra handed the drawings to Layren to see if she would be able to identify the visitors. She clicked her nails against the wood with squinted eyes. The bodyguard came over when she called for her and they looked over the drawings together before agreeing.

"This person is a regular here. Their name is Yavi," Layren said while tapping her finger on the one drawing.

Layren explained the last time they had seen him. He had come in with a few people, but they split up shortly after their first round of drinks. Yavi sat by himself in the corner, drinking and eating a substantial portion of meat. At one point, he got so drunk that instead of lifting his glass, he started to levitate it towards his mouth. After a few more drinks, he was unable to levitate them up to his mouth, dropping the glass on the table and it spilled all over him. 

He got angry at the glass, stumbling out of his chair, and swaying in place. He picked up the glass, staring at the lights through it, then he changed positions to throw it. The bodyguard was able to stop him, picking him up, tossing him over her shoulder and walking out the door with him. He was not seen again that night, and as this was a few days ago, has not been since. 

Meyra profusely thanked Layren and slipped her a small piece of paper explaining what to say when she contacted the guild. She held up a finger to her lips and Layren nodded. The bodyguard walked back up to the counter, taking a seat next to Layren. Meyra handed them the basket of baked goods, explaining it was just for them and the rest of the staff. 

"Hun, check out the fish market at the border. My guys said Yavi’s been seen around those parts," the bodyguard said, leaning back while taking a bite out of her loaf of bread. 

Meyra thanked them again, getting directions from the bodyguard to the fish market. She walked down the main street, looking above at the signs dotting the buildings. As she got closer to the fish market, the crowds got denser, and the clientele changed. Past a small central square laid the market to the side with overhead cloths to block it from the sun.

She went up to multiple shopkeepers, asking about the fish and the people in the drawings. One of them directed her to someone named Graile in the back of the market. Meyra made her way back, carefully maneuvering around the dozens of people. As she arrived in the back, she saw a person wearing a loose-fitting dress with a large metal collar which fit their description. 

"Hello, one of the shopkeepers directed me to you. Would you be able to answer some of my questions about the market?" Meyra asked, standing awkwardly beside a customer and shopkeeper fighting over the cost of a fish. 

"Yes, please follow me." Graile walked further back from the market, it was still bustling but at a more manageable volume. 

After her explanation, Graile nodded and pulled out a small sachet. They handed it to her, telling her to open it when she got back to the guild. Their sachet had the same markings as their collar wrapping around it, sealing it closed. Graile said that it would be helpful in their search. 

"Due to the procedures with the famine, all food business must be conducted in public settings such as this. We have two people meeting your description coming on a weekly basis. They have a client buying extremely large quantities of fish." 

Meyra gave them the same explanation that she did to Layren. She thanked them for their time and made her way back to the group’s meeting spot. Getting there early, she walked into multiple shops browsing the town. Once she saw Ayra, she went out to meet up with her. 

The two sat outside a restaurant at a table. They kept an eye out for Kalin and Ren. Not long after they sat down, the other two arrived and also took a seat. The group got snacks and drinks over their discussion. 

Meyra explained what she had found and handed Ren a jar of the fish she got at the bar. Kalin said that he unfortunately didn't find anything, and the same went for Ren. It was likely too far for them to walk, as it takes nearly a day to walk through just central Dovin, let alone the other sides. 

Ayra had also gone to a bar that was known for being quite rowdy. When she entered, it was quiet as they were closed. She was greeted by two large people standing behind the bar. As she was holding food, they told her to take a seat at the bar top. 

She explained their situation, the two staying quiet as she explained. They looked at each other, beckoning Ayra to hand them some food before they talked. After she gave them half the food she brought, they sat down and looked at the pictures on the bar top. 

They explained that they saw one of the individuals, the healer Meyra saw. That person was a regular and often healed people after people roughhoused. The individual always came in alone and looked depressed, covering their head with a hood. Their wings were large, the feathers always peeking out from underneath their coat. 

They discussed and agreed to keep in touch, keeping quiet about the situation. Once Ayra gave them the rest of the food, the man hit a bell on the counter. A bunch of children ran in, each grabbing a piece of bread, thanking her, before running off. They thanked her and gave her a drink as a gesture before she left. 

"That bar wasn't near a Vallan location, so I'm not sure if they're working with them," Ayra said, taking a sip of her drink. 

"Is it possible that they're contracted from members of Vallan or Cruxn? I have yet to see any involvement from Quixm," Kalin mumbled. 

"Based on what I saw at the market, they do not appear to be directly involved in their business. If they're contracted privately, Quixm wouldn't have a record which lines up with the information we've found." Ren leaned back and looked around. 

"Well, it sounds like we're playing a waiting game with the two bars and the market. Should we split up to test the fish and search the center of town?" Meyra asked.

They decided to split into pairs. Kalin and Ren went back to test the fish and combine all their information. Ayra and Meyra agreed to head to the center of Dovin to see if they could find them in person and collect additional information. After breaking off, Ayra and Meyra went to the center square, sitting at one of the tables and people watching.