"As a member of the Farrowport Guard, I am requesting permission to enter the Governor's estate to escort these two guests." Alson maintained a clear and steady demeanor. His posture was upright. His face was calm yet serious. All the while, he remained steady and kept eye contact with his fellow man.

"On what grounds?" the other guard replied, his voice booming.

"An academic exchange, sir!" Alson stomped one foot and put his hand up to his head, making a salute.

The man blocking the door tilted his body to the side just enough to see past Alson and peer at the Xiwaoan woman that stood behind him. "Is that girl the subject of the exchange?"

Alson then followed suit, turning his head just enough to look at an idle Miwah. "Yes sir. She is here for... cultural reason. And the other woman is the translator."

Tamma nudged Miwah in the shoulder. The seamstress looked towards her. With a short nod of her head, Tamma implied that she wanted Miwah to go through with their plan. With a startled look, Miwah cleared her throat and began to speak. She stood beside Alson and gave the guard of the door a friendly smile accompanied by an equally friendly wave. She then spoke in perfect Xiwaoan to the guard's confusion. Tamma then darted next to Alson and the man guarding the entrance.

"She said that you have... a very nice smile," the hunter said to the armored man with a wink. Even through his facial hair, it was clear that he was blushing.

"Tell her I said 'thank you.’” The man blocking the door said in the same tone he had been carrying. Although it was still evident that he was trying his best to hide his embarrassment.

Tamma looked at Miwah. She then muttered some incoherent words with the utmost of confidence, trying mimic the Xiwaoan language as closely as possible. Miwah smiled again then looked at the guard before giving a small bow.

"Will you grant us access to the Governor's building?" Alson asked. "They have an appointment with Chaston and time is of the essence. Her boat for Xiwao leaves later this evening."

The first guard turned to his partner. They both looked at each other across the entryway in silence, giving one another contemplative looks. After an unbearable moment of quiet, the man that Alson talked to turned back to face him.

The door guard pulled his spear back, prompting his partner to do the same. The wooden door to the building was now unobscured. "Aye. Don't seen any reason not to. If you're looking for Chaston, he should be on the second floor. Saw him chatting with some other researchers before reporting in for my shift."

"Much appreciated." Alson let a faint smile slip as he adjusted the sword fastened to his hip and pushed the door open. He held it wide, waving at Miwah to invite her in first. Both her and Tamma entered through first with Alson letting the door close behind them.

"You did a fantastic job back there!" Tamma whispered, unable to hide her giggling. A gentle jab landed on the back of Alson’s shoulder, making him stagger forward while keeping a soft smile. "See what happens when you just follow my plans?"

"Even I must admit that Alson can put on the act of being a proper guard," Miwah said quietly as she walked down the wide corridor. A long blue rug stretched out from the doorway for as far as long as the hallway extended.

"You're on your way to bigger and better things, eh lad?" Tamma patted Alson on the back, making him grin nervously and run his hands through messy red hair.

"Don't you two need to see Chaston? Let's just focus on that for now so I can't get back to my post as soon as possible. I’m not one to talk about my interest in careers. I just go wherever life takes me."

"For once, I agree with you." Miwah continued to lead, looking around the long and chilly interior of the building. The area was mostly silent save for the occasional person walking in and out among the multitude of doors. They wore more elaborate gowns and robes adorned with jewelry. As they left their rooms, some would turn to Miwah and Tamma and look at them with both confusion and worry before hurrying back to their routine.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Didn't think we'd stand out this much," Tamma whispered.

"Hopefully no one will complain," Alson replied. "If they reprimand me, both of you are going to help me with cleaning duties!"

"Then hurry and take us to the second floor so that will not be the case," Miwah replied in a voice just above a whisper.

Alson took lead of the group and me a sharp right turn down the first intersection. An identical looking hallway extended just as far as the one they had just left. The guard darted his head around nervously, looking at the surrounding area. Both Miwah and Tamma stared at him, with the hunter tapping her foot as she waited for Alson to continue the procession.

"You know where you're going?" Tamma asked.

"Of course I do," he replied with some hesitation. "It is my job after all. We just uh... keep going straight. The staircase to the next floor should be a straight walk from here." Alson continued forward, leading the group to the other end of the hall. It ended with another intersection that went in two opposite directions, making the guard pause once more upon reaching the fork.

"Let's just go left," Tamma said as she stepped past Alson. With a brisk pace, she took control of the group. A short jaunt brought the party to a tall staircase.

"I was going to pick left," Alson muttered under his breath.

"I believe you," Tamma replied with a wink.

All three continued upwards. The floor above mimicked that of the floor below save for the paintings that lined the walls. A few other guards roamed the area, some giving the trio an odd look as they made their way to the steps. Alson took lead again, giving his fellow members of the Farrowport Guard a quick nod, acknowledging that the women were accompanying him.

Muffled conversations echoed throughout the empty space. The individual words of the various discussions taking place behind the walls couldn’t be deciphered, but the various tones and emotions could be gathered.

"This floor sounds busy," Tamma whispered. She paused, pressing her hand against Alson's chest to make him halt. "Wait. I think I heard Chaston's voice." The hunter angled her ear to the closest door. The other two leaned in. Instead of a male voice, the dampened sound of a feminine laugh flooded the hallway.

"That certainly doesn't sound like him," Alson said softly.

"You know he's got a way with women. I can only assume he's working his charm on some upcoming academy instructor." Tamma then pressed her ear against the wood of the door again. A deep voice chuckled before talking in a low yet smooth tone. The words were indistinguishable, but Tamma still nodded in confidence. "Yeah, that's him."

"You going to interrupt his little meeting?" Alson asked.

"We're here now. Might as well." The hunter knocked on the door. Chaston cut his sentence short, saying 'excuse me' just loud enough for everyone outside of the room to hear clearly. Tamma took a step back to let the researcher open the door.

"Oh. Tamma. And Alson." Chaston said clearly. With no wall to stifle his speech, every word came out in a steady manner. He quickly adjusted his small, rimmed glasses that rested on his wrinkled nose so that they covered up his vibrant green eyes. With one hand he stroked the dark gray hairs of his beard and looked at Miwah. "And I see you've brought a friend along."

The seamstress nodded her head and spoke in a few sentence in fluid Xiwaoan before bowing her entire body. Tamma looked back at Miwah then towards the researcher in front of her. "She said that it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Well... uh... tell her I said likewise. And perhaps that she should get a new translator. Because that is clearly not what she said."

Miwah's eyes grew. "You speak Xiwaoan?" she asked with surprise.

"Just a bit. I picked up some from the locals during my time studying their plant life." Chaston stepped backwards, letting the three outside see the woman that he had in the room with him. She was younger than him by a few years, giving her a mature and sophisticated look that was made more evident by the long and flowing gown she wore and the white gloves that covered her hands. "I have a guest here with me at the moment. Perhaps we could discuss this some other time? I'm free all day tomorrow."

"It's an emergency, Chaston." Both Tamma's voice and face took a serious turn.

"How bad of an emergency?"

"There is a lot on the line," Tamma continued with her dire tone. "Lives. Innocent lives."

The woman in the back of the room became flustered, turning her head awkwardly from the conversation. Chaston huffed silently before pressing a hand against his guest's arm. "I apologize. It seems there is an emergency looming. Would it be all right if we met up again some other time?"

The guest lowered her head. With a brisk walk, she headed out the front door, saying 'excuse me' as she brushed past Miwah. Chaston maintained a frustrated look as he watched his former guest vanish down the corridor.

"I'm sorry if we interrupted something, Chaston," Tamma said quietly.

"No need to be sorry if what you're saying is true and there is a genuine emergency." The researcher got off the frame of the door and stepped to the side, gesturing for the others to step inside. "Now, start off slowly. What is it exactly that you need to see me for?"