Chapter 0: The Meeting - Part 1: A strange pair

A thousand years after the escape, an unusual pair is approaching a bar in the Low Slums, the filthiest Slumship in Abscond. 

"Ha, we're back in the picturesque slums, like in the ol' days. I did miss them." the halfling says, walking down the busy, dirty road in the Low Slums. After a few twists and turns, the pair finds themselves in front of the Old West Bar.

"Seems we're still a bit early." says the halfling, looking at his pocket watch "Should we get in and grab a drink while we wait, Beef?" he looks over his companion, a book over his face, lost in reading "Beef?" he asked again.

"Oh? You said something Biff?" the huge minotaur says, lowering the book and putting the marker on page 23 of the literary adaptation of Slumship Millionaire. 

"Damn it Beef! I've told you already to stop reading and pay attention! We've got to keep our eyes open. I don't see the Spellguard inviting me for anything else than some vacations in a Jailship. Have you forgotten that's why I brought you with me?" Biff says, jumping and snatching the book from the minotaur's hand "You're not going to look very scary if you're reading a romance for housewives, now will you?" he takes a look over the book "Hum, this one actually as a really funny ending..."

"Biff, bro..." the minotaur says calmly, cracking his neck as he did, turning slowly towards the halfling "I was reading that." he says, not much as a matter of fact, but more like an order.

"Hehe, you just had a, hum, spot here in the cover." the halfling says quickly, realizing he had just risked his life by touching the minotaur's book "There, all clean now!" he says, returning the book to Beef with an innocent, scared smile on his face "It is a really good book actually."

They enter the bar, reaching for a table at the back while Biff asks the bartender "Hey, 'tender! Will you bring two ales over to this table, hey?" then to his companion "This one's are on me little bro."

"Thanks brother." the minotaur says, reaching for his ale as soon as the bartender brings it over, downing it in one large gulp. Really good would have to have my marker back as well... "I'm not saying anything barbaric when I say that, like me, you also think that you're not the only one getting the letter, right?"

"You can bet your book on that, little brother." Biff says, sipping on his mug "Judging by the faces around this dump, we're not alone in this. I've lived a long time in the slums and I know how to spot faces that simply don't match. And this, my dear bovine friend," he says waving to the several people at the bar "is not your typical crowd of a typical night."

As the time passes, Biff keeps sipping his ale, while Beef is already in his fourth mug "You can feel it in the air, little bro." the halfling says "Something is going to happen tonight."