A week passed and Ayo soon started learning Cammard.

Ayo, Ballen, and a primeguard were making their way towards Treasure Auction Palace. The boys lead the way. They’d fallen fastback into good friends and rarely did a moment pass without a joke shared.

The Treasure Auction Palace was a hub for younger nobles of Cammard to amass goods and connections. Skilled daoist could make fortunes selling the goods they'd found and make themselves known to Houses at the same time, while Houses could find talent and get treasures that would help them against other Houses.

In the Treasure Auction Palace Houses and daoists competed alike. But Ballen as son of Master FirmWood planned for Ayo to directly enter a suitable clan that his House had good rapport with. In this way they could square their debts.

A beggar in a tattered white robe sat along their path. He had a graying beard and hair,

“My wife is ill and my boy…” the beggar whimpered,” He has not long left. I plead your virtues, could two gentles like yourselves spare a little change? Anything would do.” The old man grabbed his cap, offering it as a basket for coins, and he hung his head.

There were no laws against begging on the high side of Cammard but people still usually avoided it. Most feared they would get ‘dealt with’, usually from a nobles’ complaint. If it ever did happen, you’d rarely see the same beggar twice.

For the beggar to know this meant he was either in truly dire straits or skilled enough a street beggar to survive those terms.

Ballen’s face turned more and more disgusted as the beggar spoke.

A thud sounded like dull stones clanking as Ballen’s foot connected with the man’s ribs. The old man gasped and fought for air as nasty coughing and wheezing took him.

Ayo juttered, shocked. And though no one noticed, small sparks flickered around his fingers. “Why’d you kick him?” Anger brandished his tone.

“Ah, you’re right.” Ballen clicked twice with his fingers and the primeguard that had been watching closely behind rushed forth. “Deal with him.”

The beggar was too scared to look up. Within moments a shining silver sword had entered the guard's hand and been up-raised. The guard cut down air like thunder, aiming for the beggar’s neck.

Ballen started to walk on not saying anything else of the matter until he heard a roaring flame and smelled burning steel. Ballen turned his head back to the beggar first and when seeing nothing had changed, He darted his gaze to the primeguard and Ayo.

The primeguard was left with only half a sword left and Ayo’s hands filled with dancing flame.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Ballen spoke cold and slow.

Ayo had never seen him like this, “I… Ballen he’s done nothing wrong. Why kill-”

Ballen cut Ayo short. "What,” the words were like rolling thunder this time. An entitled anger. “Do you think you're doing? We may be on good terms Ari, but do not insubordinate me again.”

Ayo watched his friend now newly. Insubordinate? What was going on?

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Ballen looked to the primeguard with domineering eyes. But the guard just watched him back.

“Do what I said.” He spat the words.

The guard smirked but it was too brief to be certain of. He turned to Ayo, giving him a long look, a challenging one. As he reached an arm out to the beggar's neck.

The beggar’s head was hung, acquiescing, but his eyes were in view just enough for Ayo to see the fear in them.

The guard made no haste this time. He was waiting for something. He was taunting Ayo.

As the guard tightened his grip, Ballen began to turn once more.

Then Ayo’s hands took to flames.

Before Ayo could do anything more a thud sounded as a wooden staff hit the ground nearby.

“Deconstruction Wave.” A manly voice called.

The wave moved like slow winds and fast tides. It was like a hollow sea that spread in all directions from the staff. Ayo was blown back by it but fought to stay standing, though his flames were vanquished.

The primeguard didn’t manage so well. The wave carried him, blowing him backward into a nearby wall. His head whipped against stone. It hurt more than the primeguard let know.

The newcomer was a man dressed in leathers with a sigil ward and a large jasmine medallion around his neck. A Finders Guard. He stood at the epicentre of where the wave came from, unbothered.

They usually focussed on researching numinous magic and traveling for intelligence gathering but were fully qualified guards nonetheless.

The Finders Guard studied the remnant embers still budding around Ayo's fist. It was odd they hadn't all been extinguished by his deconstruction wave.

Ayo noticed his gaze but couldn't figure out why it stayed on him for so long.

The destructive wave stopped everything and everyone with ease. Ayo wondered how powerful the Finder's Guard must be to do that. Was he a Sage like his father? What would happen if he used that skill he learned traveling to Cammard. Could the destructive wave handle a sword filled with anger in his true flames?

The Finders Guard took the old man and left without a word, not even of reprimanded to the boys for endangering the man's life.

Ayo couldn't sit right with that.

The Finder's Guard had given Ballen an acknowledging nod, though their seemed to be some disaproval and hesitation coming from him, and then before leaving he'd given Ayo one more peculiar look before leaving.

The rest of the walk was carried in silence. The boys made no attempts at communication. Ballen made sure to stay ahead as they crossed wellington street and boarded the carriage first, making sure to sit the driver's side.

When they exited the carriage right outside the Treasure Auction Palace, Ayo finally couldn't hold back his thoughts.

“Why would you try and kill him, Ballen? The old man had done nothing wrong. And his family…”

Ballen watched silently with cool eyes. “Reuben go inside and- forget it.”

The primeguard watched on.

“Ayo, you can consider our relationship familial. Our house is indebted to yours and you as the remainder, we will do right by you. But you will do well to remember this is no longer Zaven Keep.”

Ballen pointed to the building of the Treasure Auction Palace as if to say look at the world.

It was grand, even gilded on parts like the railings. It had an ancient door at least twice the height of any man and all-around there were people dressed finely in dark slacks, fine shirts, and black robes wit crests on them others wore strictly highly colorful garments, with floral and geometric patterns laced all over, and others yet still dressed in leathers, and armor that seemed knitted from the scales of massive beasts.

Ballen put a hand on Ayo’s shoulder and whispered into his ears, “Strength without weakness.”

It took Ayo a few moments to realize Ballen was waiting for him to do something. Then it clicked, from the dredges of his mind he remembered the highborn custom.

“Strength without weakness.” He echoed back, the words feeling empty.

The primeguard let out a small chuckle but once again too minor to be addressed. But this time Ballen gave him a pointed glare and the guard looked away.

Like this they made there way in.