009

The ‘Adventurer’s Guildhouse’ was a sprawling campus that took up two city blocks with various shops of all kinds located both inside of the campus and outside, in the surrounding neighborhood. Restaurants of every kind both fast and formal, armorers, blacksmiths, vendors and buyers of monster parts, money changers, alchemists, three general stores of all about the same size, a Mage’s Guildhouse, even more alchemists, one really fancy weapon shop, and a ‘Wayfarer’s Guildhouse’, whatever that was.

But more than half of those businesses were dark inside, the holographic signs that would have glowed their names a distant memory. The only way to tell what had once been, were the faded paint images on some windows. There was a breadbasket on the window of one dark building, with a central counter and shelving for bread in the back. It was probably a bakery. The former restaurants were easy to pick out. The open floorplan and the tables and chairs stacked to the sides of the front rooms were a dead giveaway. As were the armorers and blacksmiths, with images of anvils and swords and shields engraved in the stone facades. But the ring of blacksmiths striking metal was a distant memory. The scents of food from dozens of cultures did not fill the air, though some of the food sellers were doing a brisk business.

Vendors did not hawk their wares to passersby. There were barely any passersby to hawk to. Only one general store was open, but it was the second largest one. The Mage’s Guildhouse had a sign that said… something unreadable, because —Erick just realized— interpreting the images on every sign was easy, but he hadn’t yet learned how to read. Hopefully [Language Acquisition] was still active. He had to find a book!

He’d probably have to have someone read it to him, too.

Lost in that particular thought, Erick made his way to the building that was probably the ‘house’ in ‘Guildhouse’. Three stories tall, with a large gold-lettered sign on the front of the building, a rough looking group of five non-humans walked out though a wide open set of double doors. The incani and dragonkin in the group looked at Erick, but resumed their talk with the rest of their people.

Erick walked into the building. It was air conditioned.

Temperature [Ward]s are great, aren’t they? He really should level that skill.

While Spur’s courthouse was stone elegance, this place was wood lodge chic. Three stories tall, the guildhouse had a bar and restaurant area on two of those stories, and full-sized trees for pillars. A receptionist’s area was done-up like a bank-teller’s, with three, eight foot wide privacy stations and metal bars separating the receptionists from the rabble.

There was a lot of rabble and they weren’t shy about noise. Erick tried to ignore their indiscriminate jeers and shouts from the left side of the guildhouse as he walked over to a receptionist. But the black metal orcol receptionist was staring across the guildhouse, at the rowdy bar.

So he gave the sight a second look. And then a rapid third look.

Jane was squaring off against a very large incani in armor similar to Savral’s, but no hands had been raised, no weapons had been bared. That was good for Jane; she was still unarmored and weaponless. She yelled something, but it was too quiet to be heard over the circling crowd.

The man threw a punch. It was so fast he couldn’t see the movement, he could only feel as his stomach dropped to his feet.

But Jane had moved, too, twisting under the arm, grabbing—

The man kicked out. Jane flew across the room. She smacked into a wooden wall and bounced to the floor.

And then Erick found himself standing between the man and his daughter, yelling, “What the hell are you doing to my—”

A punch like a semi truck was headed for his face. The gauntlet of the fist was steel. It was well cared for. It was also odd that Erick was so focused on the—

The armored Incani was smacked away, like a rag doll kicked by a giant. And what a giant! An orcol woman with short black hair and huge muscles stood where the incani man had once been. How she had gotten there, Erick did not know. But he was thankful, no matter the magic or skill involved. She had just saved his life, and Jane was—

Erick rushed toward his daughter, heedless of the silent crowd.

Jane was trying to stand. Erick helped her to her feet. She was bleeding a bit, but her eyes were focused. There probably wasn’t a concussion— And, she was healing herself now. Gently glowing with her [Rejuvenation], she was going to be okay.

The orcol woman spoke to the crowd, “Fights are fine. No biggie. But that human is wearing a Silver Star. You all know the rules in my Guildhouse. We respect those who denounce the Quiet War.” She turned to the armored man who was just now stumbling out of the plaster, onto his feet. “THERE’S NO WAY YOU DIDN’T SEE THE STAR. You finally, FINALLY, handed me a reason to kick you out of the guild, and I’M GOING TO TAKE IT. GET THE FUCK OUT.

“NOW.”

The now-silent guildhouse echoed with the power of her singular voice.

She glared at three other incani, all huddled together. “Are you going to be a problem?”

“No Ma’am!” “No.” “No way.”

“Good.”

Jane whispered, “You shouldn’t have helped, Dad. Bulgan—”

“Shut up, insolent child.” The orcol woman was suddenly standing four feet away, talking to Jane. “Bulgan would have killed you. He was going to kill you. If not today, then as soon as you stepped into the Dead City. I’m sure he’s done it before, but I could never prove anything.” She turned to Erick and bowed quickly, once. “I’m sorry for what almost happened to you, sir.”

Everyone else stopped, confused as to why the obvious Guildmaster had bowed to Erick. She turned around and glared. The room was back to business as usual, and then her eyes were back on Erick.

“I’m Mog, guildmaster of this house.” She glanced at the Silver Star. “We respect pacifists here. Especially ones apprenticed to Al. He gives us a lot of business every month, and has saved the lives of many rookies down there in the dark.”

Erick smiled wide. “He’s a really good guy, isn’t he! I didn’t know what I expected when I started, but I got more than I bargained for. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Mog.”

She waved him off. “Phshh. Just ‘Mog’ is fine. ‘Miss’ feels strange.”

“I’m Erick Flatt, but I guess you already knew that. I’m Jane’s father. Just ‘Erick’ is fine.”

“Yes you are, but Jane never told us you were an avowed Pacifist.”

“I didn’t know he was, either,” said Jane.

“Me either! Events conspired to send me to the Interfaith Temple because I had heard about this star and a priest inside the temple just handed it to me. And then she was speaking of stuff she shouldn’t have known, and telling me I had to get over here as soon as possible.”

“You… Just got it? Today, even? Really?” Mog frowned, glancing to where the injured incani was limping out of the front door. He moved a bit faster. “Oh. Huh.” She asked Erick, “That priest. About you-tall, older dragonkin woman, silver scales, straight wooden staff?”

“Yes! Who is she?”

Mog nodded, like a light had gone off. “Darenka. The gods and otherwise give her specific missions sometimes, but to qualify for a Silver Star you need a Deep Scan and personal validation from Rozeta herself. That usually takes months. Not… whatever you went through to get it.”

“Irogh did a Deep Scan on us both a few days ago, Guildmaster Mog,” said Jane.

“He did? Hmm, That could… Explain… Sooo many little things adding up to form a proper picture.” Mog smiled. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Erick. Please give my best to Al.”

“Of course.”

“Go home for the day, Jane.”

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Jane hung her head. “Yes, Guildmaster Mog.”

– – – –

Erick waited till they were out of the guildhouse district to say, “Soooo… Looked like you were being bullied.”

“Like a fucking child!” Jane spat, “I couldn’t do shit, either!” She calmed down, asking, “How the hell did you know about the pacifist thing? I found out about it yesterday but Head Priest Darenka said I’d never qualify.”

They were walking through a market of the Scaled District, produce piled high and organized in open air stalls, people of every color of the rainbow and the earth buying and selling. A few perked up when they noticed that two humans were walking through the street, and at least one person stared directly at the silver star on Erick’s chest. No one made to impede them, but a few milling through the crowd definitely altered course to listen in on Erick and Jane’s conversation.

Erick was sure to speak loud enough for his audience, but not too loud.

“So there I was, walking out of the sewerhouse, headed out to explore the city like any normal person, when those two incani from the other day flanked me on the street…”

Recounting the story took all of five minutes.

“And then I stepped between you and that big incani— What was his— Bulgan! Looked like a real piece of work, that one.”

Jane was both calmer and angrier at the end. If any of the nearby dragonkin had stuck around for the full story, Erick didn’t know.

“Sooo… what happened between Bulgan and you?”

“Nothing on my part.” Jane pointed at what was probably both a bakery and a sandwich shop, according to the holographic sign. It must have been pretty popular, too, according to the number of people walking in and out. “What do you think they have for lunch?”

“… We should buy sandwiches for the guys at the sewerhouse, too.”