The Dragon's Head Tavern and Inn, Vorland,1439 ATC

Elsewhere... He found himself falling again through an endless blue void, and then in the old air of a familiar world. He found himself staring at an old house in the distance of a dark rain forest. As dusk descended, the creepers of the old building curled back, revealing unblemished stone and revealing, the statues of olden, forgotten figures from Venser's past. The boards across the building's windows faded and light poured through them. 

''What the fuck...'' The handsome bearded man muttered awakening against the wall of his home and workplace, one hand down the front of his baggy red pants and another gripping a crude wooden sign that read ''will merc for food''.

"Hey boss? Are you okay?"

"Ulp!" Venser spilled his grapefruit beer before quickly gulping it down 

"Ah... Huh? Uh, yeah. Yeah! What time is it...'' Venser said standing up, cracking his back and looking out the window. The sky was dark and filled with grey clouds, and the hard pattering of the rain was hear outside the window. 

''Holy fuck it's night?!'' Venser exclaimed setting his empty tankard down, and followed it with a hiccup.

 ''Yes boss. It has been a slow day, though. Barely any customers today. It's been a strange day... The sun came out, the snow melted, and then it started raining and its all slushy outside now." The sandy haired barmaid said.

"Funky weather alright."

Sunken trails of footprints were left with each step Gloria Yagami into the moist dampened earth, haulting in front of a rustic building completely in check with the others around Vorland.

Old and rustic.

 "Ahh... hmmph... So this must be the place." She grinned, baring her ivory canines, standing proudly with her hands on her hips in front of the old establishment. 

"It looks like shit!" Her grin faded as she hocked up a loogy, spitting on the ground. Gloria, once the second princess of the Yagami Clan, rarely ever left her familar lands for petty business trips, but there was someone that she needed to meet urgently, known as Venser Tybalt Karkaldwin. 

 He was known for his cannabis that raked in profits from all over, so she was told. It was hard to find this man as he traveled a lot, giving her lots of trouble, but she finally managed to sniff him out and here she was. 

Gloria wasn't the most favorable of the royals, she was known as the haughty, prideful princess also known to be the most war hungry cause of her greed. Even worse now with the fall of her family and everything they had. She came today out of her usual armor to keep her profile low and not to be discovered by any prowling eyes. 

She dressed like any other fair maiden, she wore a black dress made out of fine velvet that covered her ankles, accented with her family heirloom she and her sisters all split, made by a rare bloodstone which stored powers for her to use. She quickly swept the strand of her raven hair, styled in a layered bob above her shoulders at the back and much shorter at the front, from her face as she entered the old tavern.

Very inconspicuous indeed.

 "Ven! Venser Karkaldwin?" She spoke aloud, her voice echoing throughout the room.

"Don't you think running a tavern and a cigar business is work enough? I've been meaning to ask again." Brea asked.

 "It is, and I've been having other people sell for me since it's a lot of work and time in itself to set up the stall in the Capital. And you know how I am. I can never seem to resist the urge to go out and have an adventure and... Tear shit up!"

 The handsome bearded man patted her on the back and walked past him, stopping at the words yelled aloud in the tavern. Slowly, he descended the stairs, hood over his head, only his lower face was seen with the lighting. ''And who are you?"

Gloria's orange, slanted eyes quickly darted over to the male approaching down the stairs. She could barely see with the hood hovering over his head. The corners of her lips slowly creaked upwards, smiling, amused at the man's reaction just by her voice calling out to him. The beautiful woman with oriental features sarcastically raised both her hands in the air, playing off as if she was fightened until that quickly dissipated, lowering her arms to her sides. 

"I've been looking for you... It was a great deal tracking and money spent to finally stand before the teleporting one. Let us talk..." Her eyes still locked onto the man for any sudden movement he'd make, she'd grab her dagger that was hidden underneath her dress.

He stared blankly at her for several long seconds. The teleporting one. Right. Sure he was arrogant and loved to called different things like The Babydaddy of The Dragon's Head or a cumblasting god but he couldn't recall a time where someone simply called him ''The Mad''. Besides. He recalled being called The Beast of Pandyssia once. But like with his status as being mad, that was years ago. Hitting the replay button, he laughed at her previous statement.

 ''That's strange, I figured you would have found me here or a brothel or something. But, it's not like I tell people where I live so its understandable.'' He said and walked back up the stairs to the bar. 

''Alright then. Want a Pink Footed Booby while we talk?"

 "Well.. You're known as Venser and I've seen what you can do. I heard everyone used to call you Venser The Mad as well. Maybe you should update your name then. Or, many names." The slanted eyed woman said making her way towards the bar with him. She kicked open one of the seats to make herself comfortable, waiting for her drink.

 ''Who are you again?'' He asked turning around to look at the woman, watching her sit down at the bar as he shook up cocktail mixer, before straining a glowing neon pink drink into two glasses set in front of him. 

''Not everyone. Especially not that nowadays.'' Venser said sitting down.

 ''Ah, on the house.'' 

When she would tastse the drink she would find it tasted exactly like a strawberry starburst. Only liquid. 

''Well putting two and two together, you said something of cannabis. So you're looking for Mr. Karkaldwin. Or The Mack Daddy of No Name Port when I get more influence in No Name Port.'' He pulled down his hood and looked to her with green, snake like eyes, picking up his glass and taking a sip. ''What do you want, miss?''

"I'll tell you a little story, Venser..." Gloria released a sigh from her pink lips, stretching her legs from where she sat, then reached for her drink, sliding it towards her.

 "Deep within the Great Eastern Forest, in the mountains, there stands a Kingdom ruled by an Incubus King. He had two beautiful daughters... One was a beauty named Sirra and the other Gloria. Sirra is not here today, guess which one I am." She smirked.

"Gloria. Easy."

 "I'm here Venser because of your great knowledge for herbs, especializing in cannabis now known in any parts of Laguna... There's a land not far off from here, in the East... I've sent my herbalist to scout for a rare flower the produces..."

Her story got cut short, pausing as she looked him directly in the eye. 

"I want this land and you're going to help me get it." She smirked, lifting the glass to take a sip from her drink. "If it's money you need, you will be paid handsomely." She assured him.

 ''Sirra... I think I had a lover named Sirra once...'' He reclined in his seat holding his drink while Brea cleaned the bar. Venser racked through his memory trying to recall this so called beauty that the woman spoke of, Laura. 

''I think I licked her ass once." Venser let out a loud, raunchy and slammed one hand down on the bar for several long seconds before it ended abruptly. ''Right, right. How am I going to help you?''

Just by watching him, she was entertained, he was a funny fellow. Kinda peculiar in a sense. She brought the glass back up to her lips to take another sip, gulping down the sweet nectar, listening to him talking about her sister, pretty sure he probably got caught up as being one of her fuckboys. 

Thinking to herself that he was lucky to be alive, her sister usually wasn't the type to play with her meal and then release. She made sure she finishes all her meals, leaving no crumbs left behind. Lucky for her, he was alive since it was Venser Karkaldwin. Just when she was about to answer, a man entered the tavern. Her attention drifted to the warrior, surprised this place gets business at all.

''What can I get you sir?'' The sandy haired barmaid asked.

Venser's amused smile weakened as he watched Gloria drink. ''Right...'' He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, setting his drink down and leaning forward.

 ''Well. If these people know the importance of these herbs, their value then they will be guarded. Either way you just want the land and everything in it for these plants. And no king wants to lose land.''

The nameless newcomer looked up from his hands at the man asking him the question and responds in a gruff voice as if he'd been smoking pipe for a very long amount of time. "Aye, whatever ale you have will do nicely. I've not been in a tavern for a long amount of time. You wouldn't happen to have food as well, would you?" He glances once more around the room noting how few people were inside. "Slow day, I take it?"

 "Of course they wouldn't want to lose their land... " Gloria leaned back in her seat, pushing her empty glass forward for a shadow tendril to take notice and refill her glass, slipping several gold coins that was more than enough to cover many, many drinks. 

"I want the land.... I'd rather have them make negotiations with me... Propositions and investments in a civil manner than for it to go to war. But first, I could use the coin to buy it." The demoness tapped the tip of her claws against the wood counter before she pulled out a folded napkin from underneath her dress, inside a compartment. She slipped it towards Venser, she wanted him to examine the species of cannabis she had one of her herbalist collect for her that was inside. She didn't reveal it in front of other bodies within the room.

"Yes, we do serve food here. I myself make some pretty good baked treats for my patrons." Brea replied as she set down a mug of ale down in front of the man. ''Two silver and yes, it is a slow day.'' 

Venser held up his left hand and pulled it towards him, catching it in a clenched fist. In turn he removed a tin from his belt and slipped it down the front of Gloria's dress. When she opened it, she would find it was lined with light green cigars. ''You know, where I'm from people kill for this stuff all the time. Whereas in the Isles, especially the land where this particular strain is grown, is legal.'' He looked up to her and said, ''And the only place you can get this is not only Kupidnos but Pryldahn, and then it's imported to Black Pearl Port. And I control all distribution, and I must admit it's a real pain with all the other things I have to do in my daily life."

 "Aye, a very fair price." The newcomer would reach down and remove a small bag from his side. He removed silver and gave it to the woman. He sets the bag on the table and grabs the ale taking a large gulp. "That's including the food?" 

 "Well, I'm not going to get into questioning whose exporting those sales, but listen.. " Gloria slid herself closer to him, just about an inch away from their bodies colliding, she softly whispered into his ear. 

"Just take a good look at that strain that I just gave you... Tell me, if you've seen something like it, or smoked anything like it." A smile etched on her lips confidently, crossing her arms, her eyes shfiting over to the newcomer that seemed to enjoy his ale from this place. The drinks prepared here in this place wasn't bad, it was actually delightful in taste, especially the unique concoction that was mixed, prepared for her. Gloria might say, this would be her new favorite drink. She still waited on her refill, her glass still empty.

 ''It's a legal business. Funny it's probably the most honest business in a city where lots of organized unorganized crime runs rampant with man local authorities just turning a blind eye. And they have a lot of good brothels in No Name Port." Venser scoffed and nodded his head, rubbing his eyes.

 ''I sound like a recruiter...'' He muttered under his breath before snorting like a pig and stood up. "Hold on let me go get some rolling papers."

The handsome bearded man left and returned about two minutes later with a small wooden box filled with tobacco, other herbs, rolling papers. The small papers littered the inside and wood carved into hollow roach all prepared inside. He rolled up the sample Gloria had given him and lit it. Then he took a few draws and let the smoke fill his lungs and his chest rose. 

''Mmmmm...'' He gestured to the empty glss before Gloria. ''Like the Pink Footed Booby? I in... Invented it meself... Mmmmm... Boobies. And your sample... Excellent."

 The corner of her lips curled upwards, giving him a partial satisfied smile by his words of approval that the stuff is legit. Gloria brought out the tin he handed to her and snapped it open. Immediately, the essence from the herbs that was neatly rolled into the papers drifted, filling the air around her, maybe also the fact that her keen demon senses were just extra sensitive to the smell than an ordinary human. She pinched one of the joints between claws and examinted it.. Then brought it under her nose to inhale the fragrance from the cannibis.

 "This has a nice smell, I'm sure it works magic... Anyways, what do you think about that? I want to get into exporting as well as being the manufacturere. Dominating the markets... Does that sound too impossible? I have big dreams Venser, a woman with big dreams and big goals. Nothing got handed down to me... And now I have to start from nothing." Her voice trailed, with a hint of jealousy and spitefullness in her tone. She brought the joint between her lips and lit it up with the flames of the candles that illuminated the tavern tables.

 ''My cigars, Pryldahnian Cigars,'' He paused and spoke in a high pitched voice, his eyes widening.

''Sophisticated rolled luxury brand Pryldahns! Or just Karkaldwin's Fine Kannabis.'' Venser coughed out smoke and reclined laily in his seat, switching the joint into his right hand and picking up glass with his right. 

Venser then picked up the silver cocktail mixer and refilled his and Luara's glass with the glowing neon pink liquid of Venser's own invention. ''Sure. How else are you gonna make money? I'm sure it does in other ways... But still. Exports yo!'' He took a puff of the spliff, and then followed it with a sip of Pink Footed Booby. ''I mean, if I make loads of coin selling my product in No Name Port but mainly Capital De Seraphim...'' His own voice trailed off. 

''Yeah. We can help each other. Honestly, with how successful we can be, who needs a ambitions to rule a kingdom?"

 "Hahahah! That's exactly the point. I will succeed. Even though most kingdoms and land are ran by the royals, but what I'm trying to achieve, I'll be running the lands behind scenes, not the King. Once I have the money AND the influence." Gloria took a long drag, her lungs exapnding to hold the smoke to get the full effect of the cannabis. She slowly exhaled from her nostrils while reaching over and picked up the refilled glass that was served before her. She brought it to her lips and took a sip of the pink neon concotion. "Lets help each other and grow... what would be our next move. I'd like to hear your suggestions."

"That's a lot you want to do. Rise back up to luxury and have enough social standing to know royalty. But, my business is successful and I do need someone to run my business while I do... Other things."

The handsome bearded man cleared his throat. 

"What I propose... Is a partnership."

Gloria's pink lips curled into a sinister smile.

"And," The handsome man held up his pointet finger and said, "How about your beautiful face on the posters?"

"I would say, Mr. Karkaldwin, that would be absolutely perfect."