SETTING UP SHOP
Iris and Sera stepped out of the Merchant's Guild, the door closing behind them with a heavy thud that seemed to resonate with how hard Iris’s heart was pounding. She paused and shared a look with her partner, the new Adventurer’s Guild Head Administrator. Iris noticed how Sera’s eyes sparkled with a barely contained excitement. She was sure hers did as well.
We did it. We're making history here.
As Iris turned her attention to the front steps, she found Kaira and Tanith eagerly waiting. Iris couldn't help but break into a broad smile at the sight of them, relief and joy flooding through her veins.
In an instant, Kaira squealed—elation plain on her face—and sprinted toward Iris. She leaped with abandon, launching herself into Iris's arms. “You did it! Oh Eona, you did it!”
Iris chuckled, her arms adjusting swiftly to cradle Kaira’s weight which felt as light as air in her adrenaline-fueled state as the woman wrapped her legs around her midsection.
Just then, Tanith enveloped Sera in a whirlwind embrace. With the grace of a dancer, he lifted her up, spinning her around as though they were the only two people in the world. Sera’s giggles punctuated the air before Tanith set her back down and sealed their joy with a passionate kiss.
Iris’s brow arched slightly, half in amusement, half in competitive spirit.
So, that's how it's going to be, huh?
Seemingly reading her mind, Kaira slid her hand tenderly under Iris's chin, tilting her face gently towards her own. “We can't let them show us up, can we?”
Iris’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Hell no.”
Without another word, their lips met in a deep, triumphant kiss.
Upon their exit from the shared embrace, the group of four briskly headed toward the Frolicking Fawn Inn, their steps fueled by adrenaline and anticipation.
As the heavy door to the inn swung open, revealing the bustling crowd inside, a ripple of excitement coursed through the room. The glowing faces of Iris, Sera, Kaira, and Tanith left no doubt as to the outcome of the meeting.
From the far corner, Gryff's voice boomed over the cacophony, “To the Adventurer's Guild! Lehelia's first native guild! Drinks on our very own Grandmaster!”
As the room roared in agreement, Iris grinned broadly. “Damn right! Lehelia’s got its own guild now, bitches! First round's on me, but hear this,” she raised her hand with a glint of mischief in her eyes, “don’t you dare let my mug go dry tonight! Let's get fucked up!”
The inn responded with a deafening cheer.
No sooner had Iris’s words settled, than Akane and Mocha barreled into her, ensnaring both Iris and Kaira in a tight embrace that had even Kaira laughing.
Every corner of the inn brimmed with congratulations. Laken and Bree were quick with their heartfelt wishes, while Gryff, in his exuberant way, gave Iris a hearty slap on the back followed by her first mug of ale. She retaliated with a playful punch to his arm. Gryff's wince only added to her satisfaction.
In the midst of the celebration, kegs were drained at record speed. Even those who had been strangers at the start of the afternoon were bonding, all reveling in the birth of Lehelia's first native guild. Though Iris splurged on the initial round, true to her shout, no one let her mug go empty. The refilling of her mug even became a game to see who would be the next one to get her a drink.
With a drink in hand, Iris made it her mission to introduce Kaira to everyone, her declarations becoming more exaggerated with each refill. My elven girlfriend might be blushing, but everyone needs to know she's the best thing ever.
A giddy thrill pulsed through Iris. If one could fly on feelings alone, this euphoria would have her soaring over the highest peaks without a second thought.
The day turned to night and the party didn’t end. Her party had all spread out amongst the taproom, each doing what they enjoyed most.
Akane was a whirlwind of mischief, pulling harmless pranks that left the crowd laughing at each person targeted. Surprisingly, people took her appearance in good stride, especially after Iris drunkenly explained it happened because of the Flash. When next to each other, her striking resemblance to Iris often led to many mistaking them for twins.
Which led to Kaira telling one guy off, and Bree having to come over and help hold the elf back when the two were drunkenly propositioned.
Later, when the former Guard Captain wasn’t threatening the lives of people hitting on her girlfriend, Bree sat at a table and started strumming her lute. Soon she was serenading the room with her voice, followed by finding her first groupie in Neri, the telv girl hanging on to every word and note with rapt focus.
It was adorable.
Amidst the revelry, Gryff seamlessly slipped into the role of a captivating storyteller, regaling a couple of girls with thrilling tales of their recent adventures. His bearded telv countenance animated with each recount, making Iris wonder if he had missed his calling. By the time she looked again, Gryff and the two companions had vanished into the night.
Mocha took a seat across from a group of heavyset telv men who were deep in the throes of a rowdy game of cards. The cute sun elf convinced them to let her join, which even prompted one man to pass her some coin to get started. The rest was history. After a few unsuccessful rounds that had the men laughing and offering to teach her, Iris caught a brief glint of mana in Mocha's eyes followed by a predatory smirk. Ah, shit here we go, Iris thought. What followed was an absolute decimation of the table and a growing mountain of gleaming copper and silver pieces in front of her friend.
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
When Iris had seen Mocha’s excerpt, she didn’t realize that her best friend’s [Don't Worry, I Got This] would be even more potent than she first thought.
Praetor Hana made a surprising appearance in the inn, looking almost unrecognizable without her armor. She quickly caught sight of the horse-in-disguise and joined the table to take part in the high-stakes game. In no time, it became evident that she demonstrated an uncanny ability to call out the magical horse’s bluffs.
By the end of their game, Mocha had grudgingly parted with half her previous winnings.
Across the room, Iris noticed Laken animatedly conversing with a dwarf whose striking red beard was adorned with intricate braids. The topic of discussion was Laken’s owl bear and its impressive size. However, the suggestive glances the dwarf shot back had Iris suspecting that he might be misinterpreting the subject entirely.
Oh, Laken, you’ve no idea.
The evening was undeniably one for the books. But the reality of responsibilities loomed on the horizon.
Eventually, the night came to an end, and Kaira helped Iris away from the dwindling taproom at the polite requests of the innkeeper.
Stumbling back to her room, Iris, emboldened by her inebriated state, attempted to coax Kaira into some playful mischief. The experienced former Guard Captain, however, had other plans. With a sultry hand on Iris's chest and a seductive gleam in her eye, Kaira sent her sprawling onto the bed. This could be—
The world started to whirl around her.
Damn room, stop spinning.
She spent the remainder of the night with a bucket for company, with Kaira playing caretaker as she both held Iris’s scarlet hair and gently reprimanded her for going too far.
Eventually, Iris’s last groggy thought before sleep claimed her was a simple one.
Totally worth it.
✦ ✦ ✦
The next couple weeks flew by in a whirlwind of activity, Summer was finally over, and its end brought the first chill of Autumn. The city, however, didn’t seem to care as the hustle and bustle never seemed to abate. Today… Today was an important day. Just another step in the future.
She watched Mocha and Akane rush ahead of her and Kaira.
“Come on, Iris! We have to hurry!” Mocha called out over her shoulder.
“I’m coming! Calm down!”
But she didn’t. Today was an important day and one that had come much quicker than they had thought. It seemed that Praetor Hana had been almost prescient when she had spoken highly of the Church’s Archpriestess.
Word had quickly come back from the leader of the world’s sole organized religion. And now they were going to a meeting.
“They’re excited,” Kaira said with a smirk.
“I mean, wouldn’t you? We both know what this meeting is about.”
“True enough.”
They continued down the street until they reached the city’s temple.
When Iris, Kaira, Mocha, and Akane stepped through the towering, ornate doors of the temple, their faces mirrored a mixture of anticipation and solemnity.
The meeting they were about to have was no trivial matter—she expected that they were about to have to argue for the recognition of Mocha and Akane as beings deserving of personhood. They were led into a room adorned with rich tapestries, and flickering candles casting a celestial glow over the stone walls, to meet the temple's triad of power: the High Priestess, the Hierophant, and the Praetor.
Iris had been prepared for a long debate, perhaps even a moral tug-of-war, where she would have to gather witnesses or evidence. Yet, to her surprise, the meeting unfolded with an almost surreal simplicity. And she learned then that Praetor Hana joining them at the bar was no mistake, she’d done it specifically to interact with Mocha and Akane.
Then, the High Priestess, in her flowing robes that seemed to carry the weight of centuries, extended her arms and blessed Mocha and Akane as children of Eona, handing over documentation that affirmed their newfound status.
Sometimes things do go more smoothly than you anticipate, Iris mused, exhaling a sigh of relief she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
As if scripted, Ser Meredith was conveniently waiting for them outside the temple, like a sentinel. After greeting them, she escorted them to Lady Arden's chambers at the castle—a sanctuary of elegant tapestries and the lingering scent of lavender along with her massive desk.
Iris and Kaira stood back while Akane and Mocha were invited to sit in front of Thalia. The woman went through a speech about the obligations that all citizens hold, their rights, and a brief overview of the law.
Mocha happily chimed in that they had been learning about elf laws and culture at the temple.
After speaking to them and having them swear a pledge to strive to be good citizens, she smiled and produced two documents.
With her quill barely making contact with parchment, Lady Arden granted citizenship to both magical creatures, as if the ink itself were imbued with the gravity of her words. The momentous event then segued into an equally significant topic—the harpies and their Cursed Forest.
Iris listened intently as Lady Arden explained that while she had researched the subject and determined that she did indeed have the authority to grant land to Lady Nysera, the deed hadn't been formally carried out.
Thalia explained, “Once your Adventurer’s Guild is operational, I intend to issue a quest for an escort for my representative to meet the Harpy Queen.”
Both Mocha and Akane were quick to agree. Kaira, although a touch more reserved, sighed before conceding she would join the quest once the Guild was in a position to accept formal assignments.
The two had clearly understood what their new status meant.
Iris, her eyes locking with each of theirs, promised, “That will be soon.”
Promises have weight, especially in the beginning stages of something like a newly formed Guild. The thought carried a twinge of urgency, yet also filled her with a resolute sense of purpose. We're laying the foundations for something monumental here; every stone, every promise, every piece of parchment—it all counts.
With her two magical sisters almost skipping along behind her, they left the room.
Before turning right back around and making Akane fix the chair she somehow illusioned and swapped places with a small table while literally everyone was around her.
I still have zero clue how she’s able to do this so easily.
Getting caught still didn’t mellow the kitsune’s excitement and she easily returned to swaying her three tails back and forth as she bounded out of the castle.
“Alright, let’s head back to the inn. I have to meet with Sera and go check out the Guild Hall.”
Kaira reached over and squeezed her hand. “Good luck! You have Lady Arden’s support, so there shouldn’t be any issues.”
“Nope! We have a busy couple of weeks before we can take possession of it though. I can’t wait!”
Akane turned. Her eyes were suddenly wide as she must have realized the same thing Iris had earlier.
“I’m an adventurer!”
“Me too!” Mocha cried out as she spun around in place.
Iris chuckled. “Yes, you two are now official adventurers by order of the Grandmaster, herself. But! We need to get the guild hall set up, and that’s next week.”