"So do we have anything on it?" Tyrion looks down at the collection of tubings and bones, and Amadeo shakes his head. "This is some weird stuff. I don't think I'm gonna get much further with it, if I'm being honest." Raising the magnifying glass from his eye, the wizard sighs. "I think we need to find someone who can do a better job at identifying it. Maybe an alchemist or a metallurgist. Tyrion, can any of your new contacts help out?"

"Probably. One's a local politician who thinks halflings are 'cute'. And the other is...well, someone like me."

"Short?" Anna asks with a giggle.

"Someone on the wrong side of the law most days. She knows alot of the local shops, though. She's apparently in tight with a guild called the Horns of Harrod."

"What's that?" Hope asks with a sniffle, moving behind a changing screen and groaning.

"It's a local trade guild. They're pretty popular since their prices are better than alot of independent merchants. My contact, a half-orc woman named Sheeva, says they're wanting to expand and include other merchants. Our friend Beejnak is one they've had their eye on for a while. He's...less than enthused. Every time they come around, his answer is just 'no'."

"That's odd." Amadeo scratches his chin in thought. "Most merchants would kill for the chance to join a guild. Access to more goods and resources. Regulated prices that make people more inclined to buy from you. Larger customer base, especially if you get into a multi-city or international guild. If you're accused of a crime, your guild will back you up and help pay your court costs if you're in good standing with them. And if you travel abroad, they even help pay for your travel expenses if the trip is business related."

"How do you know so much about guilds, farm boy?" Hope asks from behind the screen, peeking her head out with a wincing grin.

"My folks started one up back home. 'Golden Fields', they called it. Alot of the villagers got in on it, but that was just before I left. They were often going on about how beneficial they are."

"I see...Oh gods, Anna, help get me out of this thing. Why anyone would wear this stuff is beyond me. Feels like I'm being suffocated." Anna moves behind the screen and snorts. "That's not how you untie a corset, Hope!" There's a grunt and groan, followed by a heavy sigh and Anna gasping with an 'Oh my!'.

"That feels soooo much better." Hope says from behind the screen. "I think I can finish getting the rest done on my own. Thank you, Anna."

"Hey, uhh, ya know, wh-what are friends for?" A very red Anna steps out from behind the screen, taking a seat at the table and just looking down at herself as if contemplating something. Amadeo raises an eyebrow. "You alright?"

"Huh? Yeah! I'm good. Just, uhh...wondering what she eats." She lays a hand on her heart and sighs, then perks up momentarily as she looks at Amadeo. "Actually, now that I think on it, why was she the one in the dress?"

Amadeo looks away immediately, collecting the tubes back into their bundle and tieing it up. "Uhh, I just wanted to see something."

Tyrion grins. "You wanted to know what Red looked like in a dress. I understand, though. It's hard to tell under all that armor there's a woman in there."

"I'm right here, you hairless dwarf!" Hope steps out, now dressed in brown trousers and a green tunic, her feet bare as she moves across the wooden floor to bop Tyrion on the noggin.

He laughs even as he holds his cranium. "I mean, you did look quite lovely in that getup. But it's just not you."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Yeah, it's really not." Amadeo blurts, covering his mouth to hide a cough and eliciting a raised eyebrow from Hope.

"You got somethin you want to say, Mr. Ravenwood?" The devilkin folds her arms and smirks, to which Amadeo responds by hurriedly packing his new kit away. "No ma'am, nothin at all!" Trying to change the subject, he clears his throat. "Tomorrow, I'm hoping to take a walk around the city, then I'm gonna finish a little project I've been working on. I think we should try to let Kiriel know what happened. Of all the people in this city, we should be able to trust them."

Hope nods, taking a seat on the edge on a bed. "Agreed. It's probably also wise to find out what benefits we get for being part of the Wild Hunt. Granted, we just wanted the money, but the extra contracts will be useful to keep our pockets lined while we decide what to do or where to go next. Personally, I think I'd like to walk with you tomorrow, Amadeo. Maybe go to the beach, do some relaxing. This past day has been a bit too heavy for me."

"I-" Anna starts, but Tyrion shakes his head. "Nuh-uh. You and I are gonna sit down and go over a few things."

"What things? And why do we need to go over them?" Anna tilts her head curiously.

"You probably don't know alot about the surface world. So in order to acclimate and educate you a bit, I'm going to teach you a litle history so you don't seem to everyone else like you've been living under a mountain."

"But I have been-"

"And we don't want people to know that. Subterra is a scary place where only scary things live, remember? We don't want people to think you're one of those 'scary things', now do we?"

"...No, I guess not." Anna frowns. "But I want snacks."

"Deal." The halfling grins, patting Anna's hand and stretching. "Oh dear, it's about that time for me. So dark outside, you can't hardly see anything, so we might as well tuck in for the evening."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Anna grins, leaping into one of the empty beds without even bothering to get changed first. Within seconds of her head hitting the pillow, her breathing evens out to a steady rhythm of sleep.

Tyrion chuckles. "She really is a big kid. Well, you two don't stay up too late. We've got a big day tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Tyrion." Hope responds, watching him take one of the beds. She sits back, looking out the window as Amadeo watches the flickering lamplight. There's a long moment of silence between them, punctuated only by the rolling thunder and the 'pit pat' of rain.

Finally, Hope looks at Amadeo out of her peripheral vision. "So, being honest, why did you put me in the marriage position rather than Anna?"

Amadeo looks back at her. The glow of the lamp is a bit dim, but she can almost swear there's a redness to his cheeks. "Tactics. Anna wouldn't be able to sell those ruffians on us just being a married couple fresh off their wedding day. You, meanwhile, can have quite a poker face when need be."

"Oh. That's all, huh?" She looks away and down at the table, scratching at the wood a little bit.

"But I did also kinda want to see what you looked like in a dress. You looked good, but it just wasn't you."

"How do you mean?" She turns back to him, her eyes dilating to see him more clearly in the dim light.

"The dress fit well, but you seemed uncomfortable from the moment you put it on right up until you got a sword in hand. Your armor, on the other hand, doesn't hug you like the dress, but you act more natural in it, like it's a second skin. Sure enough, you look best in armor."

The devilkin smiles, a soft smile, and gently nudges him with her foot. "Mr. Ravenwood, I do believe you're trying to tell me I'm pretty."

He chuckles and waves a hand dismissively. "My apologies, Mrs. Ravenwood. I have a hard time finding the right words to say to people. But it's not about you being just physically attractive. I mean, you are, but..." He sighs, thinking for a bit before looking her in the eyes. "There's a confidence you display when we're in a fight. Like even the biggest challenge is nothing to you. I think you're at your most beautiful when you can just be you...So yes, I am saying you're pretty, but not just this." He gestures to her face, turning red again and looking away. "Forget I said anything, I'm no good with people!"

Hope eyes him curiously and smiles, standing from her bed. "Well, I will say this. Not quite enough to earn a date, but..." She moves toward the wizard, leaning down and planting a small kiss on his cheek, her lips leaving a soft warmth as she moves to the bed she'd been sitting on, next to Anna's. "Good night, Amadeo."

He sits in stunned silence, just nodding as he watches her go. "U-Uh huh, you too." And he in turn blows out the lamplight, going to the last of the beds and curling up beneath the sheets.

Outside, the storm grows stronger as a cloaked figure enters the city gates. Lightning flashes, and the light reveals a visible scar crossing from above his right eye over his nose to his left cheek.