The moment Cillian leaves the port, he ’t help but smile at the sight of Memphis mertilism. People in dresses and suits walk the sidewalks while the streets in the ter haul goods by cart. Numerous goods from food, to clothing, to even ons. Houses are several stories tall with small alleyways behind eae to transport trash. This, most of all, expins why the city is so very spotlessly .

  As he traverses the streets, several looks are turned in his direost of them fearful, but also curious. Which he’d found odd until he remembers that hes is following him. The woman is gring predatorily at everyohat passes by.

  “You don’t have to be so vigint. You rex.”

  “Those who grow x, grow weak and die,” She answers back.

  He sighs, but tinues on. At the interse of the street, he finds a bolted do. “Let’s see. We’re here,” he pces a finger on a red dot, “and the Mert Guild is- oh, not that far.”

  Remembering the street names, he takes several twists and turns until he arrives at the rgest buildihe building is made of marble with a stru simir to a greece- but als taller and with windows. Two heavily armored [Guards] stand at the entrahey carry magnifit glowing halberds that also match the glow of their armor. ting the runes on the on, he ihem to be of Rare make, as does the pte armor.

  Walking through the entrahe [Guards] ignore him, but give a slight g hes. The Phytonid matches their gh an eagerness for violence, bloodshed, and the ption of prey.

  They quickly avert their eyes and allow the two to ehe guild ued.

  The moment they do enter, a guild official swerves towards the newer. He walks to Cillian in what looks like a normal gait, but is actually much faster. “Wele to the Mert Guild.” The man bows. “I am Salenice, a [Guild Journeyman] for the Mert Guild. Is there anything I assist you with?”

  “His heartbeat is elevated to the point of eagerness or excitement. Possibly both. His eyes, gait, and focus are simir to that of a predator looking at prey. This human knows something of you and wishes to capitalize,” hes expins.

  The man finally looks away from Cillian while still smiling. “You seem to have a very iing panion with you.”

  “His heartbeat is further elevated now and there is slight perspiration of this human’s skin.”

  Cillian chuckles. “I was hesitant about having you as my bodyguard, but this is pretty beneficial. Now, Salence. I’m going to guess you’ve got a skill of some sort that’s telling you of great profit potential- which is good. I have some very valuable goods to sell- so valuable that I’d prefer a nice cozy office with some snacks and a good bit of wine before I speak further.”

  Salence quickly nods. “Of course, we have a booth ready for just that. Please follow me.”

  The man quickly turns and starts walking. Cillian chuckles at the little bit of sweat behind the man's neck before following.

  The mahe door to the room. “This booth has sound dampening ruo keep any and all versations private. Please, e in, take a seat, and feel free to enjoy the amenities.”

  Cillian does just that. He grabs two bottles, a tainer of nuts, and then sits down on the fy couch. Before Salence even sits doosite Cillian, the scott has the bottle open and is drinking directly from it.

  “Would you like a gss?”

  “No. Too slow.” He grabs a bite of peanuts.

  “Of course. The man leans forward. Now, what is it you have to sell?”

  “Chests.”

  “Chests, sir?”

  Cillian nods with a smile. “Yes, several chests of Exceptional quality.”

  The man’s back seems thten and his smile bees menuine. “Exceptional? How exceptional are we talking about? Have you ted the runes? May I know the craftsman or in what location you’ve found such items?”

  The phytonic grabs a nut from the bowl and es it. “His heartbeat is elevated,” hes adds.

  Cillian takes another sip of the wihere are many chests of different sizes. All are Exceptional quality. The smaller ones have six to eight runes while the twe chests both have ten. As for the rest of those questions, I ot reveal suformation without my [Captain's] permission.”

  “Suformation will elevate the selling price of yoods.”

  Scott snorts. “For on goods, I’d agree. But scarce, exceptional goods will sell just as well on the market regardless of suformation.” Cillian quickly raises a hand. “Though, my [Captain] may be willing to supply suformation for a better price. Even the location of where such goods are located.”

  Salenods slowly. “Are the chests engraved with symbols or names?”

  “They are.”

  “That will reduce the price.”

  “My [Ruh] informs me that the engraving is not ected to the ruhey be ged.”

  “The ges will impact the price.”

  “With exceptional quality items, the price of engraving a symbol is poultry in parison.”

  The [Guild Journeyman] leans back. “The general auing price for the guild is twenty pert- but, I offer you fifteen pert and a pert dist if you reveal the information of where the chests are located.

  Cillian chuckles. “Five pert ission, down to three pert if you want the information.”

  Salence shakes his head. “The Gert Guild runs the rgest and most well-known aus iire world. Because of this, we generally sell items far more than other aus do. But, on at of your williue- I will reduce my offer by a single pert.”

  Cillian fihe sed bottle. “hes, grab me several more bottles off the shelf. Looks like I’ve got several hours of haggling to get through.”

  hes obliges. She grabs bottles, several more snacks, and refills the bowl of nuts.

  ________________________________________________________________

  Irmgards sidesteps a sword strike. Before the man recovers, she uses the side of her cutss to smack the man's wrist with such force that he drops his ons. Before the man recover from his surprise, her bde stops at the man's neck.

  He freezes. She tilts her head, She forces her bde into his neck. The man steps bad trips over her leg. He falls. Before he get up, her boot sms on his crotch. He creams. Unfazed, she averts her gaze to the other men.

  “Is there anyone else that wishes to bed me?”

  The other [Meraries] stare wide-eyed at the woman who’d just expertly dismantled one of their regurs. Grahe man was drunk, but still.

  The [Merary Captain] starts ughing. The man has a build like Boriss and wields a battleax. Out of every [Merary] in the Merary Guild, he is arguably the highest leveled. “First a mage bsts my boys into a wall and now a woman dismantles one of my better fighters. I really o train them better.”

  “I’ve e to hire prote for my [Captains] ship.” Irmgard expins.

  The [Merary Captain] stands up. “Really now. sidering you just dismantled my man so easily, getting hired by you might be a bit of an insult. So, how about a bit of a duel first. I win, you pay double our fee. You win, and you hire us for half.”

  “I acce-” Irmgard halts as the door behind her opens up. An individual covered in a full bck robe and wearing a ask walks in. In the individual's hand is a magnifitly detailed staff.

  The individual halts and looks down at the man with a boot on his crotch. Then the person looks at Irmgard. “Do you require assistance?” She asks in a distinctly feminine voice.

  “Auranta, stay the fuck out of my dealings.” The [Merary Captain] warns. Though, the warning is ced with wariness.

  “No. I am attempting to hire prote for my ship. The [Merary Captain] has offered half price I defeat him.” Irmgard expins.

  “Then you best be capable of taking out all the [Meraries] in this room. The man is a sore loser that is not above attempting to overwhelm you with numbers.”

  “Auranta! Shut your trap.”

  The masked woman tilts her staff towards the man and the man immediately steps back.

  “You speak as though this has happened before,” Irmgard says.

  “I came for information and was willing to pay for it. Grandis here offered to give it freely if I bested him. When I did, he sicked his [Meraries] at me.”

  “You defeated them all.”

  Auranta nods. “Yes.” She looks at Grandis. “Have you heard any new information?”

  “No. There are no ships heading for the tower.”

  She lowers her staff. “I see. Unfortunate.” She gnces again at Irmgard. “Do you know of any ships headed to the nerdy tower?

  Irmgard slowly nods. “My [Captain] pns to head there soon.”

  “Oh? I am willing to pay for passage to and back from the tower.”

  “That is my [Captains] decision.”

  Auranta nods. “Uandable. Then, as an act of goodwill, would you allow me to take you to a far more reliable and ho [Meraries]?”

  “Auranta, get the fuck out.”

  The mask surveys the room. “You seem to have fixed the holes in the walls. Do you wish to have to fix them again?”

  Grandis grits his teeth. “Just get the fuck out of here.”

  Auranta nods. “e, miss…”

  “Irmgard Von Braum, [First Mate] of the Timbergrove.”

  “I am merely Auranta, an [Air Mage].”

  The two exit the Guild Hall building dubbed Grandis Meraries aer into the Fabricate.

  “Generally, Merary panies located at the docks are cheap, but also of the lowest quality. The only exception is at the isnd of Magnis where the tral Merary Guild is located. The petition is fierough that quality be obtained for much cheaper.”

  Auranta starts walking and Irmgard quickly matches pace. The woman is slightly shorter than her, but her stride matches Irmgards natural long-legged pace. “Why is there a single Mert Guild but many Merary Guilds?”

  “[Merts] are all about effid tralisation for profit. Multiple Mert Guilds will pete at a single location to improve speed and efficy of transas, but Merary Guilds are different. Each [Merary] pany is generally a guild in of itself. If the pany is rge enough, then they will have guild based csses like [Guild Leader].”

  “I prefer how the Mert Guild does it,” Irgmard states.

  Auranta slows her walk. “There are bes to both systems. A tralized system gains greater efficy, yes, but it suffer from a ck of adaptation and easily lead to a more monopolistic system.”

  “And a monopolistic system leads to stagnation. Yes, I uand the cept. But, it sounds like the Mert Guild does’t have such a problem.”

  “They do not, precisely because the highest leveled [Merts] are at such a level that they outperform their peers in adaptation. The leader of the tral Mert Guild is a Master csser whose profits alone is nearly five pert from the bined profits of all Mert guilds bined. Out of all the master cssers, he is the most iial.”

  “You are knowledgeable about such things,” Irmgard says.

  “Knowledge and uanding is power. The more you know and uand, the better decisions you make throughout life, and the greater the bes you reap.”

  “Is that why you are ied iower?”

  Auranta slows again. “I am tasked by my mother to learn as much of the towers as possible.”

  “Couldn’t you have asked the Tower Ecclesiasticus?”

  “My mother is already familiar with what information that group knows. Certai circumstances lead me to research the tower more intimately.”

  “Are you willing to share said circumstances?”

  “No… we are here.”

  The two stop at another building also located at the Fabricate. The sign says Memphis Meraries.

  “Didn’t you say that panies near ports aren't the best?”

  “Memphis Meraries has several locations, with the major one located he Mert and Bounty Hunter guild.”

  The two enter and are immediately met with a very different atmosphere of professionalism. The [Meraries] take only a paltry g the two women before returning to what they were doing.

  They walk down the hall to what is clearly a female [Secretary]. She smiles at them. “Auranta, it is o have you back. Unfortunately, we’ve heard no informatiarding your request.”

  “That is fine. I currently have a lead on transport. Now, if you will, Miss Irmgard here has a request.”

  Irmgard steps forward. “I am looking to hire prote for my ship.”

  “We have many [Meraries] with the [Guard] job avaible. Let me just ask a few questions. What is the ship size? Length of stay? External or internal guarding?”

  “Frigate. Weeks to a month of stay. Possibly more or less. External guarding only.”

  She nods. “Will you require [Guards] all the time or certain hours?”

  “All the time.”

  She nods again. “We have that done. Fates, we have a five [Guard] system. At least one of the [Guards] will be an Advanced css. You will have two teams. One for day and one fht. Is that fine?”

  “So long as the price is right.”

  “We will get to that st. You have many packages to choose from.”

  Auranta pces a gloved hand ard. A hand that feels quite hard.

  “I must visit the rest of the guilds and taverns. Will I be able to find you at your ship?”

  “Most likely.”

  Auranta nods. “Then I’m off.”

  She walks down the hall and leaves. When Irmgards focus returns, the [Secretary] hands her several dozen stacks of dots.

  ___________________________________________________

  The door to the Bounty Hunter Guild squeaks open, and the first sound Auranta hears is the sound of maniacal ughter.

  “She’s here. She is fug here. I told you fuckers they would return. I told you!” The seethes happily.

  Auranta walks to the screaming dy. “Miss Egressa, you seem to be quite happy.”

  The woman turns to Auranta with a crazed look on her face. “Three fug years my prey escaped. I waited three fug years and now she returns. I’m going to finally get my level Auranata, and I am going to be fug rich.”

  “That is nice. I wish you lu your hunt. Before that, have you obtained any informatiarding my request?”

  “About a ship to the tower? No. No idiots are going to waste their time heading there unless it is the tower ecclesiastes. You’re wasting your time. Just take the dagger and pay some [Captain] to take you there. I know it’s expensive, but so is waiting.”

  I see. I will keep your advi mind. Thank you for the information.”

  Auranta turns to leave. She opens the door. As she steps out, a cat walks into the building.