Danor was not a violent man. He had never been in a direct physical confrontation and the idea of walking around town shaking people down for money did not appeal to him.
"Sorry Mr Gembuckle," He apologized as he stood up from the table "I'm going to try my luck elsewhere"
He made his way out the door back to the street. With the sun fully risen, there were a lot more people walking around. That interview had been a disaster but Danor was not completely discouraged. Perhaps he could find another place that was hiring.
For the next few hours he walked around checking businesses and stores. Most stores declined politely, others rudely implied a brute such as him was incapable of higher thinking. By afternoon Danor was beginning to lose hope. He had been to over a dozen businesses in the upper district and was contemplating moving towards the lower class areas to try his luck when he was pulled from his thoughts by a yell.
"Shadup 'fore I slice ya ta pieces!"
Danor looked about for the source and saw a very smartly dressed man backed up against a wall in an alley with a grubby man holding a knife to his neck and roughly patting down his satchel and pockets. Normally Danor would have preferred to stay out of this kind of trouble but a strange instinct took over and he charged at the man, tackling him to the ground making him drop the knife. The thief struggled and started throwing punches trying to break free but Danor kept him pinned and threw a few punches of his own in an attempt to subdue him. After a minute of scuffling on the ground he the sound of clattering footsteps surround them and a number of voices ordered the criminal to stop resisting at which point he reluctantly ceased to struggle. Danor let him go and stood up, a dozen guards had formed a ring around them and had their spears pointed at the thief. He was made to empty his pockets before being cuffed and lead away. The nicely dressed man came forward to reclaim his possessions.
"Your heroism is very much appreciated good sir!" he thanked Danor as he checked his bag to make sure everything was still there "I am Junis Gildvest, if there's anything I can do to repay you just say it!"
Danor's heart was still pumping from the encounter, he did not think he was capable of such aggression but thought maybe the day's frustration must have weighed on him more than he thought. When he finally caught his breath he saw an opportunity.
"Well now that you mention it, I've just moved to Goldwick and I am looking for a job-" he started hopefully.
"I could certainly use a personal body guard," Junis replied "It seems the city isn't as safe as it use to be-"
"No- I'm not normally- I'm a bookkeeper and scribe," he clarified "My temperament is usually more suited for something safely behind a desk"
"Ah apologies good sir," he replied, before pausing to think "Unfortunately I am not in need for any such employee at the moment, however as luck would have it I am throwing a banquet at my manor tonight. Important clients and a few highly influential individuals in Goldwick will be there. I am certain you will be able to form several new business connections."
"Thank you very much Mr Gildvest, that sounds like a wonderful idea" Danor enthused.
"You may return with me to my manor to...freshen up."
Danor looked down, his fancy garments where all dirty and torn. Normally he hated being in any untidy state but for some reason it didn't seem to bother him. Nonetheless he accepted the offer.
Back at Gildvest manor Danor was able to take his first proper bath in weeks. He thought he would like the feeling of being clean again but for some reason he found himself feeling more naked and vulnerable without the dirt that had gathered on him in the past days. He squeezed himself into his second best set of clothes and headed down to the parlor room as the other guests began to arrive. The evening was spent introducing himself to others. Some of them engaged him when they recognized his family name but quickly lost interest when they found out he had little connection left with them. Those who didn't know of his family paid him little mind and quickly excused themselves after a few seconds conversation. Danor found himself getting more nervous and eating fistfuls of the appetizers being served on platters to calm himself. The odd looks he was getting made him realize his behavior was quite rude and he would have ridiculed anyone who acted this way back home. He was wiping the crumbs off his face wondering what came over him when it was announced that dinner was ready.
Danor was seated between two gentlemen he had met earlier before dinner; Marus Highhill, a minor noble and Bolgus Stigins, a small bank owner. The ornately dressed Marus on his left gave a mild look of disgust as Danor plopped down next to him. Bolgus on his right, wearing neat yet dull colors, barely gave Danor a disinterested glance. Danor said hello when he sat down but his greeting was ignored.
The first course was an assortment of savory pastries and meat. Danor immediately bent forward and started popping a few tasty morsels into his mouth with his fingers when he heard a scoff and a muttering from his left. He looked over to see the fancy lord sitting perfectly upright and consuming his own meal with a fork. Looking around he noticed no one else was using their fingers. It seems he must've picked up some bad habits on the road. Embarrassed he started using his fork to do the same. After clearing his plate (spilling some gravy on the front of his tunic in the process) he washed it down with a goblet of mead and looked around eagerly awaiting the second course. It was then he realized no one else was yet halfway through their first. However he saw Bolgus had not touched his food, busy as he was conversing to the person on his other side.
"Are you going to eat that?" Danor interrupted the bank owner with a smile.
The pompous man turned around and finally acknowledge Danor's existence with a look of displeasure. Nonetheless the man stuck up his nose and waved his plate across to Danor who rubbed his hands together and pulled it towards himself devouring it hungrily. When he had finished he went for another swig of mead only to find his cup empty. The guests around him jumped when he shouted for a refill.
Not long after a sounding of trumpets signaled the second course of succulent roast boar. Remembering his manners Danor grabbed the largest fork and jabbed it into the slab of pork placed infront of him, tearing off a generous portion with his teeth. Once again he heard a mutter that sounded like "typical" to the left. He glanced over to see the Marus cutting into his meat with a knife and fork and eating it one slim sliver at a time. Groaning, Danor put down his large fork and picked up the middle sized cutlery. Oddly enough he had the strangest feeling that they were shrinking, however on closer inspection he realized his hands were growing and patches of skin were starting to take on a greenish hue. After lingering on this only momentarily, his hunger overshadowed his curiosity. He carved away at his meat and shoved chunks larger than anyone else's in his mouth. Having to deal with the fiddly utensils, his second course wasn't finished as quickly as his first, but even still his plate was cleared before anyone else's. Peeking over to his right again he was disappointed to see the stuffy bank owner was slowly savoring his meal this time. He pouted and polished off his refilled cup of mead in one go, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. His clothes started becoming tighter as if he was stuffed even though he didn't feel particularly full.
By the time the trumpets finally announced the third course of venison, his cutlery was all bent out of shape from the impatient grip of his beefy hands. He grunted at the useless utensils, dropped them and picked up his meat to start tearing into it with his teeth. Yet again, another snort from his left interrupted him.
"You have something to say to me?" he turned and snapped at Marus, getting bits of spittle all over his fancy clothes and well coiffed beard.
Marus was jumped back, shocked at the audacity of being addressed in such a manner. Danor picked up the big two pronged fork and started waving it menacingly.
"If you got something to say spit it out." he growled. Marus shook his head, his eyes crossed on the fork pointed at his nose. The fork swung to the side and speared the venison on Marus's plate. Danor brought it to his mouth and tore into it with his sharp teeth taking a few chews with his mouth open before snarling "Good" and returning to his own plate, taking Marus's hunk of meat with him.
Over the next minute Danor hunched over and continued to tearing into his and Marus's food, his hands were dripping in meat juices and were starting to turn a dark shade of green. As time passed he found the food easier and easier to bite into as two sharp tusks had formed inside his mouth. When he got down to gnawing on the last scraps off the bones there were screams all around him. Danor glanced up to find everyone was scrambling away. His head was swiveling around to see what was happening when he spotted the bank owner's unattended plate of partially eaten venison. Danor grabbed it and started devouring the meat as the sounds of clattering armor surrounded him. When he finally looked up after licking the remaining juices on his plate, he found himself encircled by house guards pointing spears at him. The host came forward to see what was going on.
"Is this some kind of joke Gildvest?" inquired Marus "What the hell is going on?"