The tavern smelled of smoke and sweat, but the beer was cheap, and nobody bothered Hafnis. Sailors and dock workers exchanged stories and songs, clutching either wooden mugs or women’s curves, and the waitresses carried around heavy jugs of ale.
He grimaced but ordered another drink, pondering his choices. Staying in Kaighal was not one of them, if he wanted to save up some coin and settle down. No arcanist, especially one as unskilled as he, could make money easily in the town governed by the high mages. One wrong step, one mistake, and he could be accused of conspiring with demons or some other ridiculous deed. But Gildya Magna paid enough for imbued stones to get by, while going north or west meant changes, and Hafnis liked a stable life, even if it comprised cheap beer and a dirty bas
