There was something oddly off about the entire encounter. If Rashid had truly wanted to talk, there were simpler ways—ways that didn't involve choking Luke half-unconscious in the middle of the market.
Luke sat there, the faint sweetness of that drink still clinging to his tongue, and finally voiced the thought.
"If you wanted to speak with me, you could've just asked. Why do all… this?"
Rashid didn't seem insulted in the slightest. He gave a lazy shrug.
"As I've already told you—it was Taryn's idea." He tilted his head toward the dark elf, whose expression hadn't changed since Luke woke up. "I simply gave the affirming nod."
Luke's brow furrowed. That explained exactly nothing, but judging by the silent wall that was Taryn, no further details were coming.
"Well," Luke said, leaning back in his chair. "If the aim was to talk, you've set a pretty bad first-meeting example."
