Pizzas and Dragons

The innkeeper was polite and very efficient. After merely a few minutes, our rooms were arranged and we were seated in the common room enjoying our lunch, smoked pork with potato stew. The taste is so-so in my opinion, but I am well aware that by the standards of this world, the food is considered superior both in taste and quality. The tables around us are mostly empty, as merchants tend to run around to do business during the day and gather at the inn only in the evening, but a well-placed discreet bribe to our server points us toward a tavern, where a group specialized in dealing in information resides. Happy with the result, we finish our lunch quickly and walk out of the inn "to resupply for our voyage", the last part said loud enough for the innkeeper to hear, just to reaffirm what I said to the guard at the gate. we leisurely walk around buying this and that, haggling enough to be considered a normal person, but not enough so they might remember us, while gradually making our way toward our destination. When we finally finish gathering our supplies, lo and behold, a tavern is right next to us. As we feel parched from the shopping and haggling, we decide to stop by for a drink... Totally normal, right? .

We sit at a table and order two ales, which we drain in one gulp, and then I discreetly arrange five copper coins in a circle and place a silver in the middle, before placing the empty mud on top of it, as instructed by the inn's waiter. Honestly, while calling the waiter to fill our mugs, I felt like a fool, but I doubt that the inn's waiter would risk losing his job and probably a couple of teeth just to do a prank at a guest's expense.

The waiter carries two full mugs and places them on the table before removing the empty ones, exposing my coin arrangement. Upon seeing it, he swiftly grabs them and pockets them before going back to the bar, where he murmurs something to the tavern keeper before leaving the empty mugs on the bar and entering an inconspicuous door in the corner. 

You might wonder why would I search for an information guild instead of the location of the black market and the answer is simple. Everything is for sale in the black market, and this includes descriptions of every visitor, what they said, what they bought... As long as you have money, everything goes. Thus, merchants prefer to work with intermediaries such as the information guild, that will find the items you need and deliver them to you for a (not so) modest fee. Of course, there is always the risk of the intermediary selling your information, but reputable ones will not do so, especially when merchants are involved. Getting on the bad side of a merchant means getting on the bad side of ALL of them, which is reaaally not a good prospect if you intend to remain in business.

After a while, the waiter exits the door and after filling two more mugs of ale, brings them to the table. While leaving the mugs, he murmurs in a low voice,

"The door in the corner, only one person.", then leaves.

I smile at Alfric as I stand up, signaling with my eyes for him to stay put, then quietly walk to the door and after opening walk inside, closing the door behind me. In front of me stands an oversized thug with a shaved head and garish clothes guarding another door. He nods at me and opens the door behind him before moving to the side and gesturing for me to enter. I do so seemingly nonchalantly, but in truth, I am very tense at the moment. There is always the chance that something went outside of my expectations and the guild has already been paid off by my brothers, in which case, this might be the last door I walk through in my life, but I have no choice but to take the risk. As I enter the room, the thug behind me closes the door while remaining outside, leaving me in complete darkness. I stand still and wait, and after a few seconds, a spark lit a candle on the other side of the room. In the dim light of the candle, I see a well-dressed middle-aged man sitting behind an ornate desk whose surface is empty but for the candleholder, smiling at me like a cat smiling at a sparrow.

"Greetings, how might our guild assist you?", he asks.

I like that, no bullshit, straight to the point.

"I would like for you to acquire two items from the black market for me."

His smile widens as he replies,

"Of course, this is what we do best! What items do you need?"

Here it is, all or nothing..."

"Two face-changing masks..."

His smile disappears and his eyes narrow as he looks at me as if trying to decide whether to keep talking or dispose of me on the spot.

Face-changing masks are not only illegal, but possession carries the death penalty. It is obvious that this man is not thrilled with my request, but on the other hand, he stands to gain a lot from this transaction. We stare at each other in silence for two full minutes before he sighs,

"Before I might even consider agreeing to such a purchase, I need to know for what reason you need it. If you refuse to tell me, then our discussion will end here." Yeah, and probably my life as well...

I spread my hands while smiling wrily as I reply,

"Very understandable. The thing is, I pissed off the wrong noble by gallivanting with his daughter and had to make myself scarce post-haste. In my defense, I didn't know who she was, I was drunk, and she started it, but I doubt that her father will see things my way, so I think it is better if I change my identity and start my life from scratch."