"I know! Poi Village!" the Mercenary on the left said.
"Everybody fucking knows that," the Mercenary on the right snapped.
"Then why didn't you say it?"
"Because my mouth isn't as loose as your mother's ass."
"You talk about my mother? I'll kill you!"
The argument was about to become a brawl when the Tavern owner, who had been watching for a while, tapped the counter.
"Enough. Don't make a spectacle of yourselves in front of our guest."
Strangely, the Tavern owner's voice held no authority, yet the fierce-looking Mercenaries obeyed. He then nodded to Annan. "Welcome to the Black Reef Tavern, traveler from afar."
"You know me?"
"No, but every stranger who pushes open that door comes in with much the same questions."
So the Black Reef Tavern was different somehow... No wonder the atmosphere here felt strange.
"They were talking about someone being skinned..." Annan couldn't let that word go.
"She was once a spiritual leader to many people... Raymond's brutality didn't frighten the resistance into submission. It only spread her story further." The Tavern owner had a poetic way of speaking.
Annan looked intrigued. It seemed he had come to the right place.
"What I'm curious about is how you learned of this hidden past."
"Your Grand Lord showed me her skin yesterday and bragged that it was his trophy."
As soon as he said it, Annan felt the mood in the Tavern shift toward grief, anger, and helplessness...
"I thought as much... With an air like yours, you could only be an honored guest." The Tavern owner smiled. "May I offer you a house special?"
"I should be buying you all a drink."
Having realized who they were, Annan went to the counter and sat down with Black Widow. "A glass of your best for everyone."