The sun was high in the sky as James and Lauren made their way back to the hotel, leaving the unconscious figures of the Rhododendron Guild members behind in the alley. Their stride was brisk, a silent agreement between them that, for today, they had courted enough danger. The events that had just transpired left them with a heightened awareness of their surroundings, each shadow and sound scrutinized more carefully than before.

"I can't believe I forgot to ask them about the Clearsky Guild," James grumbled as they navigated the increasingly busy streets of Miami. People were everywhere, shouting, laughing and running. Families arrived to the beach with their children while couples shared drinks or chased each other.

Lauren, keeping pace beside him, let out a soft chuckle. "As if they would have given us a straight answer. Those thugs? They looked like they barely knew what day it was, let alone the intricacies of guild politics here. Plus, considering Rhododendron and Clearsky are on opposite ends, it might've just confused them even more."

James sighed, acknowledging her point but still frustrated by the missed opportunity for information gathering. As they approached the hotel, they began to relax.

They weren't necessarily afraid of getting attacked again, but the experience had shown that they couldn't navigate Miami with the same ease they did New York. There, people could freely move about without getting bothered when there wasn’t an emergency, while here, the situation seemed to be much different, at least for Awakeners.

Entering the hotel did little to ease James's annoyance, though the luxurious surroundings offered a modicum of comfort. They were barely a few steps into the lobby when Mr. Julian appeared, his expression stern and an unmistakable air of irritation surrounding him.

Without a word, he gestured for them to follow him, leading them to the private elevator that serviced the upper floors. James and Lauren exchanged wary glances, sensing that something beyond disapproval for their fight was happening.

The elevator ride was tense, the silence heavy with unspoken questions and Mr. Julian's palpable disapproval. When the doors opened to his floor, he led them down the plushly carpeted hallway to his room, a spacious suite that overlooked the city.

Once inside, Mr. Julian turned to face them, his expression a mix of concern and exasperation. "You two certainly know how to make your presence known," he began, his voice carrying a note of reproach that was uncommon for him. "But let's discuss why what you did was not just reckless but foolish."

James and Lauren, taken aback by the seriousness of his tone, listened intently as Mr. Julian paced the room. "Being in the middle of the city doesn't just mean you're surrounded by only civilians," he explained, pausing to emphasize his point. "It also means you're under the watchful eyes of several powerhouses. Your little scuffle earlier? It didn't go unnoticed. Now, we have eyes on us everywhere."

James opened his mouth to protest, to argue that the four Awakeners posed no real threat and that they had easily handled them, but a new voice cut him off, one that came from seemingly nowhere.

"Boy, listen to your teacher. You handled the thugs. But that's not the point, is it?" The voice was accompanied by the sudden appearance of a wizened woman with a long white braid, donning a beach dress, who materialized next to Mr. Julian. James jerked in surprise, his psychic senses not having warned him of her arrival.

The woman chuckled at his shocked expression, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Worried that you didn't sense me? You shouldn't be. If you sensed me, I'd be concerned about my skills."

Mr. Julian gestured to the woman with a resigned smile. "This is a very old friend of mine, Bianca Law. And she's right, James, Lauren. The issue wasn't whether you could handle those D-ranks. It's the consequences of your actions. I had to leave our chat abruptly to intercept an A-ranker coming directly from the Rhododendron Guild's offices. He was on his way to your position, fast, likely to make you pay for your actions."

Lauren and James exchanged a look of dawning realization, the weight of their oversight settling heavily upon them. The woman continued, her voice taking on a stern tone. "You two are strong, but there's always someone stronger. The guilds here don't take kindly to challenges, especially not from outsiders. You're lucky Julian was here to defuse the situation before it escalated further."

Mr. Julian nodded, his gaze fixed on his students. "Your strength is a valuable asset, but it must be wielded wisely. Miami is not like the Everglades. There is no convenient way of telling friend from foe, and I won't always be here to help you."

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James listened silently. Their earlier victory, while exciting, had exposed them to risks they hadn't fully appreciated. He felt ashamed as he sat in the safety of Mr. Julian's suite. Hadn't he been the one to always keep an eye on the political pitfalls in New York? Why had he allowed himself to be blinded by his newfound power?

We weren't the instigators, but that doesn't mean much when we could have just come back here or lost them among the crowds. They wouldn't have made a move if we had stayed with the civilians. It's their city, after all.

"Understood," James finally said, his voice low. "I'm sorry. We'll be more cautious."

Lauren nodded in agreement, biting her lip, "I'm sorry too. We were too reckless."

Mr. Julian, seeing their genuine remorse, softened his expression, his initial ire dissipating into a more paternal concern. "Just because you did something unwise doesn't mean I'd let anyone punish you. Not under my watch," he affirmed, a protective edge to his voice that showed how close they had gotten during the retreat.

James wouldn't consider him a grandfather, but Mr. Julian had become something like an uncle. He was so much more powerful than him that the barrier wasn't visible, making him more approachable than usual. He hoped they would be able to keep seeing each other occasionally and not just for the tips.

The old woman, Bianca, laughed heartily, breaking the tension that had built up in the room. "Julian beat that kid six ways to Sunday," she said, amusement clear in her voice. "Made the man regret ever getting out of bed this morning."

James and Lauren exchanged a glance, amused. The old man could be grumpy when things didn't go as he wanted, but he was as protective as a mama bear.

"The man was from the Enduriel Guild, which oversees the Rhododendron," Bianca continued, leaning back comfortably as if recounting a mildly entertaining anecdote. "He thought to show off his power before his subordinates, only to bite off more than he could chew. I doubt he'll be showing his face around here anytime soon."

The noon sun cast a warm glow through the room's windows, bathing the luxurious furnishings in bright light. Despite the gravity of their earlier mistake, the suite felt surprisingly cozy, a safe haven from the potential dangers of the city outside. James marveled at the situation, sitting in a room with powerhouses and discussing the fate of one of Miami's most powerful people as if he were a rowdy schoolchild.

After a moment of silence, Mr. Julian sighed, his gaze softening as he addressed them. "I didn't invite Bianca here merely to catch up on old times or to brag, though that would have been reason enough," he began, his tone shifting towards the pragmatic. "While I have no intention of fighting your battles for you, that doesn't mean I can't assist in other ways." He gestured towards the old woman, "Bianca here has a particular skill set you might find very useful."

The old woman smiled, her presence exuding an aura of calm authority. "I'm known to run the most efficient information network in the states, particularly here in Florida. This city is like an open book to me," she stated with a hint of pride.

James leaned forward, his previous frustrations giving way to a renewed sense of purpose. "Thank you, both of you," he said sincerely, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. Taking a deep breath, he turned his attention to Bianca. "Could you tell me everything you know about the Clearsky Guild? And more specifically, about Jeremy Hopkins and Theo Knowles?"

Hiding my intentions at this point would be foolish. If she’s really the best information broker, she’d learn of their disappearance soon enough and connect the dots. I’ll just have to trust she won’t jeopardize her relationship with Mr. Julian.

Bianca nodded, a spark of interest lighting up her eyes. James had the fleeting thought that while the old woman might not be as powerful as Mr. Julian, she certainly was no less dangerous. "Clearsky has been making waves lately, expanding their influence around the financial district. They have received significant support from civilian equity, which implies a deal of some kind has been struck. Their growth otherwise wouldn't make sense. They have been aggressively recruiting from out of state for a while but have stepped it up lately. Though it won't be easy, they are trying to close the gap between them and Enduriel. Despite that kid's foolishness earlier, Enduriel is a strong guild. They will fight back."

That was interesting in the abstract and showed that Florida was likely to be hit by a wave of inter-guild rivalry soon. The Glades would still keep their first place, being the only ones who could field an S-ranker, but below them would be a free-for-all, especially since they didn't have a strong presence in the biggest city, Miami.

"Jeremy Hopkins, the first of your two targets, is quite the character," Bianca started, her tone suggesting a mix of disdain and amusement. "He's notorious for his... let's say, interest in young women. Not always legal ones, to be precise. He's been known to engage them in whirlwind romances, a practice he poorly conceals from his wife. It's more than mere indiscretion; it's a pattern he repeats with alarming frequency."

Lauren's expression hardened at the description, clearly indicating her thoughts. James, meanwhile, filed away the information, not batting an eye. It didn't surprise him at all that the men who abandoned his father were deviants.

"As for Theo Knowles," Bianca continued, shifting her focus, "he's somewhat more discreet with his vices, but they are vices nonetheless. He has a penchant for gambling and the company of escorts. Unlike Hopkins, he manages to keep his indulgences under wraps, at least from the public eye."

Man, did she know that off the top of her head? That's crazy. My memory is fantastic now, so if she has some mental skills at A-rank, she might not even be capable of forgetting something. Even the smallest details are probably just there under the surface. I could take a peek in her head, but something tells me it wouldn't be a good idea. And I've learned to trust my instincts.

"Both men have reached C-rank," Bianca confirmed, validating James's suspicions. "However, they haven't engaged in combat with anyone above E-rank for years. Their actual combat readiness is questionable, to say the least. They're likely not in the best of shape despite their official ranks."

James nodded. So far, it all aligned with his expectations.

"But," Bianca warned, "when they work together, they can be quite effective. Hopkins is something of a Druid. He can call upon various elements, albeit in a weaker form than a specialist might. What he lacks in power, he compensates for with versatility. On the other hand, Knowles is a Tank that can use restoration magic. It's a combination that serves them well, especially in tandem."

"Thank you, Bianca," James said sincerely, his mind already turning over strategies. "This is enough to start working on a plan."

The old woman gave him a look, "Try not to get killed. Cleaning up the mess this old man would make to avenge you would be annoying."

And with that, she disappeared before Mr. Julian's sputtering could end.