Metropolitan
“Home sweet home!” exclaimed Tara.
Janus was amazed. They hadn’t left the tunnel system yet. Instead, the region they entered reminded him of a rail station. It was a wide open chamber with info desks near the center. The opposing wall was covered with various tunnel entrances.
“Where are we?” asked Janus.
“Oh, right. We’re below the Bear Station Delver’s guild. It’s a bit different from the guild in Crow Station.” Tara explained.
“I’ve seen the Delver’s Guild here from above. I just had no idea all these tunnels were down here,” replied Janus.
“Well, we don’t have the luxury of tunneling right into the cavern wall. Our Delver’s Guild is smack dab in the center of the station, after all.”
“Yeah… That makes sense.”
The Delver's Guild was a vast space that greeted Janus with its bustling energy as he ascended the winding staircase. Unlike the guild in Crow Station, this one was expansive, its interior seemingly stretching far beyond what its exterior suggested. It felt akin to entering a grand marketplace, with various shops lining the periphery.
In the heart of the guild stood a large island-style desk, where clerks busily attended to paperwork and interacted with guild members. The desk served as a focal point, drawing attention with its constant activity. Surrounding it, members of the guild moved about purposefully, engaged in conversations or going about their tasks.
He had seen the Bear Station Delver’s Guild from afar, but had never ventured inside. He used to eat his lunches nearby, staring at the imposing building, and daydreaming about being a delver. His college was only a few blocks away.
“Oh, right. Ya’ don’t got anywhere to stay tonight, do ya’?” asked Rowan.
“No. Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it.” Janus had been more focused on other things, like learning more about what might have happened to his dad.
Surprisingly, it was Hashilli that offered a solution.
“He can stay with me. I have extra space in my apartment.”
“You’re certain?” asked Janus. “I’m sure with the money from the writ, I can find somewhere to stay tonight.”
“It will be fine. The money from the writ will only last you so long.” Hashilli replied.
Janus suspected that there may be an ulterior motive for Hashilli’s kindness, remembering the man’s reaction after the failed attempt to replicate his water producing spell.
Hashilli removed his hat and gestured towards another set of stairs going even further up. “You said that you had things to take care of. I will show you my room so that you can continue with your business.”
“You stay in the guild?” Most delvers in Crow Station stayed in the Backwash, so the revelation was another surprise for Janus.
“Indeed. The guild provides lodging for members. For a price, of course,” replied Hashilli.
Tara turned in the writ for the dungeon to a clerk, and Janus looked on in curiosity as the others collected their payout.
“Here, I’ll give you a third of mine.” Tara said and handed Janus six silver eagles. She glared at Rowan until he did the same. Hashilli offered a third of his share without complaint.
Janus had never had such a sum of money. It could have paid his rent back in Crow Station for almost a year.
Tara and Rowan bid Janus farewell and made plans to meet him the following day in the guild commons.
Hashilli maintained a focused demeanor, showing no inclination for small talk as he guided Janus through the guild's interior. Ascending flight after flight of stairs, Janus couldn't help but wonder how many floors the guild contained. Eventually, the climb led them to a hallway, lined with numbered doors on either side. Following Hashilli's lead, Janus arrived at room number 314.
“This is my apartment. I should be here all night. You need only knock,” said Hashilli.
“I appreciate it. Thank you”
“It is no matter.”
With that, Hashilli stepped inside. Janus stood there, uncertain if he should follow or head back downstairs. Hashilli cut off his moment of indecision by closing the door in his face.
Downstairs it is.
His legs were a bit sore as he finally reached the ground floor of the guild. He knew the guild here was massive, but the size from inside was still overwhelming. Bear Station was the “unofficial” headquarters of the Delver’s Guild, and often had the best jobs.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
The official headquarters were instead seated in Eagle Station. The two branches of the guild had a somewhat famous rivalry.
The common area of the ground floor was covered in a neat array of tables and chairs. Many of those tables were already occupied by delvers and visitors to the guild.
Curious, Janus approached the shops at the periphery and stared at an arrangement of delving equipment. Armor, weapons, enchanted items, and dungeon drops were on offer. The selection was dazzling.
It wasn’t the first time Janus had been in such a shop, but the variety here was superior to anything he had seen in Crow Station. There must have been a dozen different shops specializing in different wares. Janus wished he had the courage to come inside the guild when he had still been attending his classes. Usually, the hustle and bustle of his campus was more than enough for him.
He stopped ogling shops and made his way to the center of the guild floor. There were several bored looking clerks there, scribbling away in notebooks and stamping paperwork.
“Hello, please present your guild ID,” stated a clerk as Janus approached. Somehow, the man appeared even more disinterested than the others.
Oh, right. I never actually joined the guild officially… the clerks in Crow Station were a lot less strict about this stuff.
He had intended to ask the clerks about the situation in Crow Station, but decided that he might as well apply to the guild. Tara and Rowan might have questions if he wasn’t listed as a member.
“Uh, hi. I guess I’m here to apply to the guild,” said Janus.
The man’s eyes lit up a little at the news. Janus was curious why a new member would excite the clerk when he had looked so bored a moment ago.
“Fill out this paperwork. I can see you already have a class and meet the level requirements.”
Janus took the papers from the clerk and used the ink and quill already on the desk to fill it out. He had to list his class and skills along with his station ID number. There was a section that asked for his residence and Janus simply put “Room 314 Delver’s Guild.” He hoped that Hashilli didn’t mind. The last few pages were all legalese that mostly went over Janus’ head. He assumed the guild wanted to waive responsibility if he died or was injured while on a job.
He shuffled the papers around into their correct order and pushed them back towards the clerk. “How long will I have to wait?”
“Hopefully not long.” The clerk smiled. “If I had my way, you’d be approved by the end of tonight. Alas, bureaucracy.”
“Why do you seem so eager?” asked Janus.
The clerk looked embarrassed. “We get a sign-on bonus for high levels and in demand classes. You’re not the highest level, but most join at the minimum, which is 20. And, well, [Enhancer]s are always in demand.”
“Huh, well, the faster it gets approved, the better. I have some questions, though, if you could help me out.”
“Yes, of course.”
“I wanted to know about Crow Station and if there were any refugees?”
The clerk winced. “That was a tragedy. Other than the first batch of people, I don’t know if anyone else made it out. Unfortunately, the rail line was collapsed… The guild is organizing a rescue effort through the delver tunnels.”
“The rail line collapsed?” Janus could feel his heart pump in his chest.
“Yeah, well. It’s standard protocol. They collapsed the rail line to protect the other stations. Whatever happened in Crow Station, it was big. The governor here has turned up security like crazy.”
“What about the workers that were repairing the rail line between here and Crow Station?” Janus asked.
“Woah, slow down. The workers? I’m not sure if they were evacuated or not. I guess they may have collapsed the rail line further down… If anything, those workers would have been involved in collapsing the rail line itself.”
“But you said that there were refugees?”
“Yeah, whoever made it to the rail station before the line was collapsed would have been evacuated either to here or to Cougar Station. I don’t know much, but the governor’s office has been rehousing the refugees. You would probably have more luck with them.” The clerk shrugged.
If dad stayed behind to collapse the rail line….
The thought only made Janus even more anxious. The best-case scenario would put his dad somewhere in Bear Station. Otherwise, he could be in Cougar Station, or…. Janus didn’t want to entertain the thought.
“Right, yeah…. Actually, have you heard anything about Dario Wall?” asked Janus.
“The [Tinebrand]? I heard he was in Crow Station when the attack happened. I’m not sure where he went after that. The station brass doesn’t tell us a whole lot,” the clerk replied.
“Okay, well, thanks for the info.”
“Of course.”
Janus made his way towards the exit of the guild and stepped through a large revolving door. The guild was near the center of Bear Station, along with dozens of offices. The station hall wasn’t far.
Thankfully, Janus and the others had arrived around midday. That meant that the station hall would still be open to the public. The rune lights were all at their brightest, and there was a crowd of people milling around, going every which direction.
I forgot how much I hate walking around here.
Janus had never been all that comfortable with crowds, but he pushed down his discomfort and started heading towards Bear Station Hall. It was one of the larger buildings in the station and loomed over the offices nearby.
When he got to the entrance, a station officer at the door gestured towards him. “Woah, stop right there.”
Oh, no.
“You look like you’ve been through a meat grinder, kid,” the officer said.
My robe! I forgot how horrible I looked. I should have stopped by Hashilli’s place for a shower… and maybe some fresh clothes.
The officer pointed at a spot nearby and Janus complied, standing off to the side. In response, the officer took out a strange runic device and waved it over Janus’ body. It let out an abortive buzzing sound when it passed over his pocket with the [Focus] and [Torchstones].
The officer stepped back. “Alright. Slowly reach into your pocket and present any enchanted objects.”
There was no reason to argue in Janus’ mind, so he did as the man instructed, presenting the items.
“Alright, that stuff is pretty harmless.” The officer waved the runic device over Janus’ body again. “What is your business at Bear Station Hall today?”
“Uh, I was told to come here to ask after the refugees from Crow Station,” said Janus.
“Could I see your ID?”
Janus shuffled around in his pack until he found his wallet. He still had his Crow Station ID inside.
“You’re one of the refugees? I took you for a delver. I thought they had already matched all the refugees up with whatever families made it here.”
“I, uh, I came from the tunnels.”
The officer winced. “That sounds pretty rough. Everything seems to check out, but I’m going to have to accompany you inside.”
The man motioned to another officer at the door.
Janus watched the exchange, his anxiety rising by the minute. “Uh sure, whatever works.”
“Pretend like I’m not even here. The secretary should hopefully get you sorted.”