Alex stares hard into the small, doggish eyes of the fat merchant man, and he was in fact very fat. Scanning the otherwise unimpressive vertical height of him, it looked as though the floor beneath his feet would buckle and send him through to the level below for the mass of his middle section.

The man's appearance was made more strange for his nearly bald head, which had long wispy strands of hair near the sideburns, and then brushed over to give the very poor illusion of a much full head.

Furthermore, his breath reeked of booze and bile. Alex wanted to recoil from the acrid smell, but instead stuck to her plan, and stood her ground, staring the man down in his own home.

“You, come into my home, with my daughter and then propose we do business? Are you mad?! I have half the mind to have you hanged!” Lord Josson blubbers with shaky jowls.

“Correct, and it’s a business proposition you can’t possibly ignore, nor risk losing so you won't have my hanged.” Alex gives a dramatic yawn, and fishes through the pockets of her pants.

“The nerve! The preposterousness! The- the!” Josson continues to try and conjure up new words to express his displeasure, though finds it all fading rather quickly as Alex passes several of the bank notes through the threshold, and rests him in the man's hands.

“The… my…” Josson coughs a few times to clear his throat, and then adjusts his shirt as his eyes skim across the incredible values on the bank slips.

“Consider this a forward, a show of good faith.” Alex offers, and lets the door swing open slightly.

“Who, exactly are you?” Josson gapes, holding the notes up to a nearby lantern light to check for its watermarks.

“Surely this isn’t a good place to discuss the details of our business, please. How about we get something to eat first. On me.” Alex smiles.

“Yes, yes of course.” Josson’s predictable greed has the man pocketing the notes and wiping the sweat from his forehead with a big apologetic smile.

Leaving Katelyn alone in the room to sleep, Alex leads Josson from his own home, as the two make their way to the nicest, most expensive location Alex could find that would serve them breakfast.

It didn’t take long, the entire upper city was sprawling with lavish eateries and luxury dining experiences, more so than most other cities she had seen.

Upon learning one of the nicest establishments required a reservation, she instead fronted an absurd amount of coin to ensure they received a seat right that minute.

The building itself was a large tower like structure, with an open air center and tiers of seating at each level that rises higher and higher. Alex selects a seat at the very top, watching with sadistic satisfaction as Lord Josson struggles to make the climb.

This man was more desperate than she could have even anticipated. Apparently his blackmail strategy to acquire money wasn’t going nearly as well as he had hopped. A man of means wouldn’t ever reduce themselves to this level of embarrassment if he had all the money he could ever dream of.

very good to know

Once at the top, Alex orders one of everything from the menu, much to the shock of Josson and the waitress serving them.

“Really, this is all rather extreme-” Josson starts, but Alex silences the man with a smile.

“No no, please, this is nothing to me, really.” she insists.

“Is that right?” Josson tries to hide his surprise, though Alex notes that the man searching her face with an intent, though poorly disguised look. “Where might I know you from?”

Alex looks down at her hands to further dramatize the display. “Oh, you wouldn’t.” She offers.

“I wouldn’t? What is your family name?”

“I have none.”

“None? At all? Forgive me but that is hard to believe given all the… ah, given all the expenditure here.” Josson tries to be polite, though it appears the man is equally confused at all what was happening this morning, as well as needy, needy for the coin that Alex implied she had.

“None.” Alex confirms, letting the unsaid words fill the gaps.

“I believe I understand.” Josson tests a smile of his own.

Alex had every intent to keep both this man and his daughter on their toes. These were individuals who were used to pushing their weight around, it had likely been quite some time before either of them was put on the back foot, and that is exactly where Alex wanted them.

If either Josson or Katelyn believed they had power here, they would be much harder to manipulate. Placing them both off kilter, both of them far outside their comfort zone would be optimal to ensure her plan worked.

“So, ah, this business.” Josson tries.

“Ah ah, no business yet. I dare not talk economics on an empty stomach.” Alex presses, furthering the pressure on Josson, making him uncertain of anything at the moment.

Alex had spent a good majority of her life watching her father and her uncle deal with people like this. Each had their own methods, and while Alex genuinely preferred her fathers approach of being a fair, reasonable, and just man, she had to admit her uncle's tactics suited the moment better.

“Right, yes of course,” Josson chuckles, coughs, regains his composure and waits in tense, uncomfortable silence until the large amount of food is brought to their table.

Beautiful dishes, all crafted to the utmost perfection are presented to them both. Meats, salads, soups, breads, each one more exotic and refined than the last. A veritable feast, one that Alex happily tries a little bit of.

She lets the pressure build, delicately tasting each item, stretching the time between the two until it looked as though Josson was bound to burst. So she wanted just a little longer than that, before finally sipping on her wine and folding her fingers together.

She timed it so that Josson had to rapidly chew his food and chug down his own drink to free up the space in his mouth for them to talk. Alex made the point of waiting patiently too, letting her expression slip ever so slightly into contempt.

Once Josson swallows, and gasps for breath, Alex leans backwards and begins to talk.

“I understand that your hold over the count here is rather strong. Leveraging the fact that he allows the thieves guild to operate to keep the man in line… It’s a good method, though I also understand it isn’t nearly as lucrative as you may have hoped.” Alex starts.

“Ahem, yes, yes quite right.” Josson confirms.

“I'm sorry to say, but the profit won't turn any time soon, that is for certain.” Alex sighs, looking out through the windows of the tower out towards the sea.

“You’re certain? How?” Josson leans forward, his fears soon to be realized.

“Because the Duke was the one who had ordered and followed through with the destruction of the auction house.” Alex confirms.

She lets the information hang in the air for a moment, and watches as the merchant's brain clicks together the pieces. Still, she explains it all anyway. The best thing to do was to patronize the man, make it appear as though his desire to hold out hope makes him stupid.

“The count here allows the thieves guild to operate in order to receive kickbacks from their profits, profits they will no longer be seeing in the same volume due to the destruction of the auction house at Crimson Harbor. The entire city is compromised, it has a target on its back and there is very little chance the guild will be returning there any time soon. This means the Count isn’t receiving his money, which means he can’t pay your diamond prices any more.” Alex explains it all very casually, though with a hint of “it's obvious isn’t it.” Just in case she managed to hit on something the merchant hadn’t known.

“But surely the guild will find a new location?”

“They will, in time, but not soon enough. You know you can’t lower the prices of your diamonds, because you know your supply is dwindling. How long has it been since a new shipment has come in?” Alex presses.

“...”

The merchant's uncomfortable silence further confirms her suspicions. After monopolizing the trade and inflating the prices for control over the Count, the regular citizenry couldn’t afford to buy any product. Which meant the true profits dwindled for a time. It was likely Josson believed the losses would be offset by the count’s high volume of need. It would pay for itself eventually. Until it didn’t.

“You took a gamble, and a very high risk, high reward gamble. Let me guess then. It all paid for itself, but the time between the losses and the profits was too large, you lost your workers who were mining and shipping the diamonds. You are hoping your remaining stock, at its current price, will be enough to make up for all your past losses and set you up right, right?” Alex further presses.

“This is correct, yes. Though I pray you didn’t bring me here to this dinner to rub salt in my wounds?” Josson narrows his eyes.

Alex brings up both of her hands and lets her expression drop.

She may have pressed a little too hard then, the goal was to make the man uncomfortable and show how desperate he was, not make him angry. She needed to correct.

“No no, of course not! I just wanted to ensure that my finds were correct. I dare not insult you with inaccurate summations of your current situation. Forgive me.” Alex responds genuinely.

Josson softens slightly, though he still appears to be insulted. She would need to work to smooth that back over. She had gotten a little too lost in the power over this man…

“All that is to say, that I would like to enter into business with you. I see great potential in you, a competent and capable businessman. You see, I’ve made nearly every coin I own from the slave trade. I'm sure if you ask any one of your many associates you will hear about the number I keep in my company.’ Alex plants the seed, and then continues. “And, I have done all of this without the auction house. I am something of a private collector, a curator of only the best. I sell directly to the wealthiest of private parties outside the view of the kingdom, but I’m looking to expand my practice and your hold over the count can help me with that. You help me, you get to see profits as well. Besides, perhaps I can even be convinced to go a step further and give you an heir with your daughter.” Alex winks.

Josson's face goes red at that, and he quickly takes several gulps of wine.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“You are rather direct.”

“I am.”

“I like direct.” Josson smiles. “Though as you said yourself my hold over the Count is rather strong. Even if it impacts the money I make, the threat of execution from the King is more than enough to use him as a piece on my board.”

“Wonderful to hear! Now, As much as you have hold over the count, it is the count that is holding the thieves guild, and the thieves guild is a small piece of my desire to expand the operation. The bank notes I gave you are given in good faith, they are yours to keep as an advance on our partnership. Now, as for your part in all this…”

Alex leans forward, and takes a sip of her wine.

“I need access to the guild's slaves. The ones that were meant to be sent to the auction house, and now are stuck here. I wish to test the goods, as well as see for myself the operation they are running. You tell the Count that I'm interested, and I expect to be there by tonight, no later. You do this for me, and I will see that we are both very wealthy.”

Josson's smile widens, creasing the corners of his small beady eyes. “Of course! Of course, it can be done.”

“As part of this partnership, I of course expect you to join me, as I take it you haven’t actually been before?” Alex issues the final test.

It was a logical assumption. In order for Josson's hold on the Count to have any weight he needed to be manipulating the man from the background. The hold over the count had to be from the shadows, which meant Josson's had never been seen by the guild before. It was too much of a risk for him. She was betting on this being true.

“I try my best to stay away, and I would prefer not to go if it can be avoided. Should the guild see me there, it may damage-”

“May damage? Not going with me will damage your prospects.” Alex narrows her eyes. “Lord Josson if you do not come with me to see the full breath of my intent then I can’t trust you to be a savvy partner in its inner workings. I insist.”

Josson gulps audibly, and takes another drink of wine. “Very well then, if you insist. I'm sure the money we make from this will be more than enough to offset.”

“I assure you it will.” Alex confirms.

It was perfect. The man had never been seen by the guild before, which will make the next steps all that much easier.

With a content smile, Alex continues to eat the remaining food at the table.

For as much as Alex hated her uncle, she had to give credit where it was due. The mans methods worked like a charm.

“Are you sure all of this will work?” Annabelle asks Alex as the two women follow Lord Josson down a long stretch of steps descending lower, and lower into the cold earth.

“I am sure, just remember, you need to remember ever face and name I talk to today. All of them.”

“I remember…” Annabelle confirms with a slight frown, as the thieves guild member opens the door for them, and leads the three through a massive network of natural and carved stone.

Alex keeps her attention straight ahead as they snake through the labyrinth for nearly a mile, before it opens up into a massive underground cove.

She ignores the crashing falls, the smell of rot, and lingering glances.

Alex did have to admit however, that the single best part of being disguised as a man, was the fact that other men didn’t ogle her. She didn’t have to worry about being approached or anything worse. Sure there were a few who enjoyed boys, but being guarded by Annabelle quickly dismayed anyone with those notions.

The three were guided to the series of buildings built into the walls of the cave that overlook the underground lake. Climbing up the greenish wooden platforms, they are brought through the wooden exterior facades into the deeper, carved stone interiors that lead to the slave holding cells.

The entire place smelled of sweat and stale bodies. A wall of cells, ten wide and 5 rows high, each affixed with a barred metal door to allow a view at the nearly naked captives inside.

For cells, they were relatively nice. Alex figured given the fact that these were the slaves to be sent to auction, they were supposed to be the cream of the crop. Each cell had a bed, and a chamber pot, as well as basins of clean water and small tables with plates of food. Functionally luxury compared to how most slaves were kept.

“Here it is.” Their guide offers, motioning to the collection of slaves.

“Well, what do you think?” Josson asks, turning to Alex, who pretends to examine them all.

There were quite a lot, most if not all of magical or higher races, though there were a couple of humans who appeared to be above average by beauty standards. Of the usable options for her goals, was a very young dragonkin, a dryad, an elf, and a lesser fey. She honestly wanted to help all of them, if only for the sole purpose of gaining Casper's praise, given how he still didn’t like the idea of slavery, but alas she could only use one for her plans.

“Good, these are usable.” She confirms. “Let me see… this one first.” Alex points towards a dryad being held in the bottom corner.

The guide obliges, and opens the cell for her.

Alex motions the Dryad out, and watches as the plump, green skinned figure obeys.

“Where are your private chambers?”

“Just over this way.” The guide directs.

Alex has the dryad woman follow the guide as the two are taken slightly further back, deeper into the cave where torches warm the space.

The private chambers themselves like the walls, and are each fitted with a bed, a writing desk, and a small hearth that warms the room. Chains attach to the bed to keep the occupant in place, though Alex wouldn’t have any use for that, or the bed at all really.

Once the guide leaves, Alex closes and locks the door, and quickly stops the dryad from undressing what little she has on.

“No no, we aren’t doing anything.” Alex quickly clarifies in a low whisper.

The dryad, a slightly younger looking woman, perhaps either the same age or a year younger than Elisayra, looks confused at first.

“I am going to free you, though I cannot do so right this moment. You have my word, no, I swear to you, you will be made free and no longer a slave to anyone if you follow my instructions.” Alex continues to whisper.

She watches as the dryad's large oval eyes widen even further on her small, round face, and nod intently.

Alex had selected the dyad specifically, due to their innate magical abilities, and their far more archaic following of debt doctrine. To swear to a dryad was a profoundly powerful thing. She knew she could trust this dryad if it agreed.

“Why would you do this?” The dryad asks. Her voice was like a gentle breeze that carried with it the scent of roses. She was a sweet thing, it almost made Alex upset to see something so profoundly beautiful so incredibly broken…

“It’s rather complicated I am afraid, and I don’t have the time to explain it all, but I swear to you, if you help me you will be freed.”

The dryad's eyes grow sad then, the eyes of someone who has been betrayed before. Someone who trusted, and then suffered for that trust.

“I understand you may not believe me… so, I would offer you this.” Alex pulls a few strands of short hair from her head, and offers it to the dryad.

The dryad's mouth parts slightly, impressed by the ancient gesture.

“I give you my hair as an extension of me. Should I fail to abide by the words, then it is I who is to be bound to you until my death. I promise unto you, that I will keep my word, less my soul be damned.”

The dryad’s expression grows incredibly sincere. Her eyes soften, her mouth curling into a nearly disbelieving smile.

“You speak the pact of my people…”

Alex finds herself grateful for Nephinae’s lessons of old elven culture. Though dryads are not elves, they are more closely related than any other races. Alex recalled the old pact as one of the many ritualistic rites Nephinae had taught her mostly for fun.

“Do you accept?” Alex asks, growing slightly anxious at the passing time.

“I do…” The dryad takes the hair, and presses it into her chest, where ivy and vines manifest to pull the locks into her body.

“Wonderful, now listen closely…”

After explaining the plan to the dryad, and then waiting several more minutes, requesting the dryad make the appropriate noises to really sell the entire show, they leave the chambers.

Apparently, the dryad had sold it so well, the guide was blushing as the dryad was taken back to her holding cell.

Annabelle and Josson were both equally as red, as Alex hadn’t had the chance to fully explain every detail yet. She would have to find time later to clear things up, as she really didn’t want Annabelle thinking poorly of her.

Alex smiles wide, and places her hands on her hips. “This will do very nicely, now, why don’t we look over the shipping details.”

The rest of the night Alex and Josson spent their time discussing the logistics of Alex’s lie. She was very good at sounding convincing, despite not speaking a single true word in the hours of negotiations and contract drafting.

Josson looked exhausted by the end of it, which was exactly what she had wanted. Her plan may have sounded convoluted as she explained it all to Annabelle on their return from the guild, back through the streets on their way to Janus and Dorain.

In fairness, Annabelle was confused because she hadn’t dealt with people like this in a professional setting. She had robbed a few but never negotiated or talked with them really. From Alex’s perspective, everything she had deduced and assumed was all very normal. The best way she could describe it, was that in a fight with a seasoned warrior, it doesn’t take much for you to anticipate their movements with a sword. The way they shift their weight, the way their eyes look, the kind of build they have.

All of those small details add up into a “profile” of a person, a profile that can be dissected and exploited. The same ideas applied to the nobility. When you spend enough time around a certain group of people you naturally pick up on all of the little nuances that make them that way.

Those nuances then can be built out to create a profile, a profile that can be dissected and exploited.

By the time Alex and Annabelle arrived at the place she had arranged for Janus and Dorain, Annabelle had seemed to understand the general idea, the specifics were lost on her still.

Entering the tavern, Alex and Annabelle approach the cousins who are waiting for them.

“You look like you’ve been busy.” Janus offers with a raised glass.

“I have, and we are almost ready. I just need a few pieces from the both of you.” Alex returns the smile.

“We are all ears. Let us know what you’d like us to do.” Dorain responds.

“My pleasure…” Alex sits down, takes a large mouthful of wine, and once again begins to explain.

Alex’s eyes are heavy with sleep, her legs exhausted from walking around, and her brain ready to shut down from the constant stress of being “on.”

Still, she persists, even as the tenth yawn in a row threatens to send her to sleep.

Alex had yet to get any rest since the morning after with Katelyn, and she still had several more hours to go before she could manage to get any more.

Annabelle, who stuck close to her side still, seemed to be managing it all much better. The woman barely looked tired at all, which was good for the next steps of their plan.

When Annabelle had asked why they needed to stay up, Alex had explained that in order for any of her ideas to work it all needed to move quickly.

Thieves were at their core opportunists, and she couldn’t afford to give them a chance to undermine her plans. While it might have been foolhardy to rely on speed as a component for her plan to work, but even if it all failed spectacularly, she could inform Casper with a heavy heart and then sit back as he killed everyone for her like he did back in her uncle's castle.

It wasn’t her idea of a good outcome, it would deprive them of alot of resources and they would have to leave town, but it was most certainly an option if it all went to hell.

Arriving to the place Josson had taken them to gain access to the thieves guild, Alex stops and turns to face Annabelle.

Out of earshot and sight of anyone who would seek to hurt their efforts, Alex hands Annabelle several bags of coins.

“Every person we talked to today with Josson needs to be paid off, they are to be given 100 gold marks each for their cooperation. If anyone gives you trouble, you give them violence.” Alex explains.

“You are scary, you know that?” Annabelle notes as she takes the coin.

“I am?”

“Yes, you really are.” Annabelle confirms.

“Well, I am about to get much scarier. Once you are done with the payoffs, I would ask you to return to the slave quarters to help guard.”

Annabelle nods, and stuffs the coins into her own hip pouch.

“You enter the guild first, I will be just a few minutes behind you.” Alex rubs her eyes and shakes her head to stay conscious.

Alex watches as she does so, and once Annabelle disappears down the hatch, she cuts off to make her way back to Josson's estate.

Every muscle in her body ached. Be it from overuse or just raw exhaustion she couldn’t tell any more. The cold night air did little to help keep her conscious either.

She wanted nothing more than to return to the inn and sleep for a hundred hours. Each step made her realize she still needed to take a thousand more before it was all over.

The only thing that kept her moving was the thought of how satisfying it would be to watch all the pieces fall into place. Perhaps once Casper returned, he would praise her for doing all of this. Or better yet, she would gain real respect within the ranks of the others.

Even without there being any semblance of a formal hierarchy within their little group, it still felt like there was one. She couldn’t quite place the reason she felt that way, only that it felt that way.

Then again, it was possible the sleep exhaustion was poisoning her mind…

Once again trying to shake the sleep off of her, Alex returns to Josson's estate through the method of entry Katelyn had shown her.

Taking a few tips from Elisayra's book, she keeps her profile low, and sticks to the shadows as she returns. Which frankly hurt like hell. There was no wonder Elisayra's legs were so nice, crouching and walking like this really worked the muscles hard.

The one thing that would ruin this entire plan now, was being caught during this step.

Alex tries to slow her breathing as guards meander the grounds. She tries to stay low and out of the torchlight, despite the ache in her legs. Piece by piece she bounds her way down the halls, towards Katelyn's room.

Trying the handle, she feels that it is open, and slips inside.

Once again in the space, Alex looks around to find the woman lounging in her bath.

She almost screams, which Alex really should have considered the possibility of, but much to her luck Katelyn stops herself before the noise leaves her lips.

“My! You startled me…” Kaelyn sighs.

“My apologies, I didn’t want your father to see me here again…”

“Oh? Why is that? I believe he had agreed to allow us a little fun~” she purrs.

Alex suppresses the shiver, and stomachs the sight of the spindly, spider-like woman emerging from the tub.

“Because, he wouldn't approve of the fun I have planned for us tonight.” Alex offers, trying her best to put on a cool, sexy male voice.

It ends up coming out as more prepubescent than intent, which visibly excites Katelyn, which in turn sickens Alex.

“Is that so? Please, elaborate.” Katelyn presses, stalking closer.

“Get dressed and come with me, I have an incredible surprise to show you.” Alex smiles.