Galen Vesa

“No.”

I shook my head making the odd one scowl and thump her foot.

“But why? Why wouldn’t you trust me? Come on mista whabbit. A little bit of faith?”

“Let’s say I have a family history of… bad luck when it comes to trusting others. Especially ones that won’t even reveal who or what they are. For all I know, I might be locked up in a padded basement drooling through a gag into my straight jacket.”

“Now, now mister whabbit, that is…”

“I’ve been there. I’ve done that. Of the top of my head I can name meds, drugs or their combinations that can make one see what I live through now. Not to mention that recently my body tends to do stuff on its own. Do I need to say more, miss hallucination?”

Like an angry child she puffed out her cheeks. Had she had a tail it would lash out madly from side to side.

“Very well mista whabbit. Let us play a game. Three questions I give you. Absolute truth and truth only. Ask if you dare but each one will cost you. The price I shall decide.”

Her shape changed, becoming larger, more majestic. Imposing to say the least. As if I found myself in one of those fairy tales, confronted by a sphinx guarding a treasure. Something in her eyes made me shiver. Should I take the bait?

“Who or what are you?”

“An investor. I hold vast interest in you and your service. That is your first question. As a price, I forbid you from slaying the serpent you despise. In time of great need, you shall come to her aid.”

Like an iron stake, her words rammed into my soul and a black mark burned itself onto my skin just below my navel. I wanted to scream my pain out, but my body remained frozen.

“Your next question, mister whabbit?”

Satisfaction twisted her face into a mask of demonic grin. Dolt you did it again.

“Why should I listen to your requests?”

“Because I shall reward you amply. Effect my will and earn my praise, fail, and suffer my wrath. That is your second question. As a price, you shall bear the mark of my servant.”

New wave of searing pain ravaged my soul as more shapes tore themselves out of my skin. Blood began trickling into my eyes from my forehead. Whatever happened, she seemed quite pleased with her work.

“Your final question? Do not make me wait mister whabbit.”

“How can I free Erta?”

“By following my words. I shall grant you that. That was your final question. As a price… I’ll keep this one for now.”

Her smile sent shivers down my spine.

“Now since we have that out of the way, mista whabbit, listen well and choose wisely. Before the third moon of spring, the emperor will call for your presence in the capital. Go there. Retrieve the sealed sword of Quan. That is your task. In exchange, the reward shall be your dragon’s life.”

She walked behind me and resting her hands on my shoulders she lowered herself to whisper into my ear.

“Do not disappoint me.”

As her words rang within my ears, the flow of time returned to its rightful place just as Zee tossed herself at me and buried her teary face into my pillows. I let her stay there for a while, long enough to notice my charms were starting to activate at which point I gently extracted myself from her embrace.

“Zee, speak no more of it and go back to your sister.”

We got up, supporting each other and she walked away, smiling. Not smirking. Not basking in someone’s else misery. No. Her lips held a gentle smile making her face look as if entirely new person stepped into the room. Once more she deeply bowed before me and left, trying to dry her tears.

And I felt like passing out but alas, my body had a better idea. It kept me awake and in pain. Whatever the odd one did to me, it did not show on the surface. For now at least.

“So, I’m not being kicked out or arrested?”

I fired at the speechless wolf since our silence dragged on for a while now.

“A? No. You stay. May lord Shamuu have mercy on us, you stay. Stay and work if you feel inclined to. I will use any help I can get.”

Altina dragged her bones up, her age showing regardless of the spirit’s meddling.

“However, I do not know how I am to pay you. I do not know how I am to pay anyone. This guild hall is officially done for. Our contract with the main branch will expire this spring. Our bonds will no longer hold any value. With our reputation as thorn as it is, we hardly get any bookkeeping requests. With Blue bird undermining the worth and quality of our service, contract sealing has dwindled. Without the backlog of paid requests, I would be forced to close the Hall. Which I might do as well and sell this place. Although even that will not be enough. And your guests there… while they are quite well behaved, their presence alone puts a strain on our reputation. Whatever left of it.”

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“What about the marriage certificates? If there is still market for that I can play the part of your unholy maiden.”

That got a chuckle out of her.

“It is an idea we may try. We could specialize. It could even work in the short run but in a broader perspective, marriage contracts are a seasonal thing and there is only enough of nobles wanting to marry… we have work for two or three weeks, a moon at best. After that, we’re done.”

She picked a flower from a blue vase resting on a table by the entrance and smelled it. Whatever the name of that plant was, it looked like a primula although to my nose it had no scent whatsoever. Perhaps Altina felt something.

“Then maybe it is time to think of becoming independent?”

We turned our heads to witness Earth appearing atop my bed, sitting in the exact spot I left. I would think she was hunting for residual mana if my body bleed some but, that wasn’t the case. I had no mana signature and my body mostly sucked mana in rather than expelling it.

“My love, guild master.”

She offered us a dignified bob of her head and became preoccupied with my pillow, possibly still warm or even holding the scent of my body.

“You do not strike me as one coming uncalled for so there must be a reason behind your visit?”

“That is true my love.”

Earth’s eyes fell on the wolf.

“We would like to offer a partnership. We would provide you with means and resources while you would in turn take care of the mortal parts of the entire affair. Altina Elizabeth Camille Hishgrew, would you run a guild for us? ”

“You want me to run a guild for you?”

“Yes.”

“My mind must be rotting away. Karin, are you hearing this?”

“Well, unfortunately I did. Explain yourself. Whatever are you scheming now? I will not allow you to abuse my friends.”

That sounded so awkward. Friends. Do I have any?

“We mean nothing of the kind. We like it here and we have come to understand the value of a guild. Create a guild for us. One in each city. Use this coin to satisfy your rulers. In each of their towns, secure a place we could claim as our own.”

Earth smiled at us as if teaching children the value of money while five wooden chest, no smaller than the one I was once locked in, appeared before us, each chock full with golden coins, diamonds, pearls and rubies. Whatever they were scheming I had no clue. I could just shrug my arms and look at the wolf. Altina came closer and picked up a coin from the box. I could tell, these were authentic, golden imperial coins.

“Forgive my bluntness queen of everlasting forests, but why would spirits need a guild?”

She tossed the coin back among the others.

“Not only wise but humble. Brave yet of careful heart. I can see those shiny trinkets do not cloud your judgment, guild master. How splendid, I would not mind calling you my daughter in law.”

Eart’s body vanished from the bed to appear behind us. Her arms wrapped around the wolf. Altina stomached that surprisingly well, only her fur puffed out.

“It is tempting to offer you gifts and enjoy the price you would pay. However, you are but one lonely, green blade of grass among many, many, rotten weeds. Times are changing, hume’s hearts are changing. Yet we were not changing with them.”

Her hands went exploring.

“We have grown weary of looking for those worth of our favors. They are more and more difficult to find and even less easy to conquer. Many can no longer hear our voice. Nor do they offer a reward worth taking.”

“W-what does that have to do with a guild?”

Altina did her best to remain composed and I did my best to remain standing. My insides were still in pain.

“A guild is a place where many souls mingle. A place that attract others. We want such place to claim as our own. A place where we could, choose unconstrained, a place where we could offer our favors.”

“And siphon mana out of all the unsuspecting guests? I have heard of such cursed places before, many souls had wandered into those to never again be seen or heard from.”

A buffet providing free meals for spirits. A death trap where they would suck dry unsuspecting people. What else did I expect. The queen looked into my eyes, saddened.

“Yes. That was done before however we do not want to repeat those mistakes. Such places would be swiftly pronounced as cursed and avoided or even cleansed by those that brandish enough power. No, we wish to avoid that. We shall leave you the management of the guild, you will set the price. We will only take what is asked and no more. If you agree to rule over our guild, we shall provide our service.”

Earth seemed to enjoy rubbing her cheek against the wolf’s cheek.

“There are details to discuss if you agree to our offer.”

“I-I must think about some more. The responsibility…”

“Is what you are born to bear, heir of blood spear. I shall return by this full moon, awaiting your choice, my daughter. Ah, yes, it does bring me pleasure calling you that. Would you do me this honor and go on a date with my son? He is a shy one but a man of honor he is non the less. I am sure the two of you would fit together. I always hoped for cute grandchildren…”

That made the wolf panic, her eyes begged me for help and the queen misinterpreted that.

“Unless you prefer my daughter?”

Earth winked at me.

“I think my love won’t have anything against that…”

“Enough. You are troubling my employer. We will think about your offer but first, please, give us some privacy.”

“As you wish my daughter, I will not interrupt your time…”

Th spirit began fading away with a smile fueled by misunderstanding. Eh. Whatever. I’ve done worse.

“Take that alcoholic with you.”

I jabbed my thumb in the general direction of Fire, Earth acknowledged with a nod and whispered into the wolfs ear.

“Stay well, daughter in law. Regardless of your choice, you may keep this small gift as a token of our appreciation and payment for all the help you have rendered for our love.”

She pecked the wolf on her cheek and was gone, vanishing alongside the strength in the wolfs knees.

“Merciful Shamuu… how did I sin to deserve this?!”

“Can’t help you with that one. Not the most religious sort here.”

Altina huffed, hiding her face in her paws. Spirits scheming something? Not that I could care less. At this moment, the only thing I wanted to do was roll into a ball and whimper. And I did exactly that. Pain in my abdomen was killing me while my enchants were going high wire all over the place. A new shape carved itself among the runes of the so-called matrix that held my body together. As much as I could read the meaning of all individual runes, only Erta had a vague idea how this ball of runic yarn worked. Thankfully, after the newest interloper settled itself in, the pain lessened and my body calmed.

“…Karin!”

Cora, Altina, Beatrice and several maids converged above me, renewed worry livid in their eyes.

“Forgive me, I have not been using my charms in a while, there is a lot of pent up energy within me.”

A lie as good as any.

“Well…”

An effective one it seemed. All but Cora moved a step or two away from me.

“Guild master, if you allow me to handle this.”

She whispered something into the wolfs ear. It made her fur stand up.