Missteps V.2

Chapter 18 – Visitors

With her vision hindered from the bright light that emanated out of the compact, Shenir turned towards her small halfling boyfriend. The sight of the large minotaur left her breathless as her eye opened fully in shock. She stowed the biography in her bag as ran up the aisle, behind Ander, and towards the door. The shop was small, but crowded. If they had to fight here, it wouldn't do any good. Looking back, Shenir saw the so-far motionless Minotaur begin to stir. The red eyes of the monstrosity opened, and the look they held was not one of peace.

Throwing her hand out, Shenir let loose a bright green blast of energy over Ander's head, hoping to give Ander time to run.

The blast had the opposite. The pain from the attack woke the minotaur up fully, and its eyes focused on the small creature at his feet. The minotaur threw back its head and let out a loud guttural roar.

Ander brought up his hand. The newly purchased diamond began to spin in the center of his palm as he muttered his spell. A beam of white energy spat out of the spinning top. The beam grazed the minotaur's shoulder, and left a line of ice crystals. In response, the larger creature hurled a clenched fist down towards the small man.

The wizard felt the whoosh of air over him as he flung himself to the side. The diamond rolled out of his palm. Ander did a few quick hands signs and pointed two fingers at the minotaur. An angry red spiral of energy erupted from his fingers and towards the minotaur.

Pained grunts and the smell of burnt fur filled the air. Ander scrambled away on all-fours, scooping the diamond back into his pocket as he did. He glanced over his shoulder, and watched the minotaur pat away embers off his arm. The wall next to the minotaur had started to smoke as the old wood quickly caught fire.

Shenir was the first one out of the door of the shop. Her escape came to a halt as she ran into a figure and they were both thrown to the ground.

The armored individual was helped to her feet by an equally armored companion. Looking up, Shenir saw first their longswords, and then the PeaceKeepers insignia that was branded into the front of their armor. One wore a leather cap, while the other had her brown hair braided and stacked on her head.

"There's a minotaur!" Shenir shouted as she pointed inside. The three of them turned and looked inside, just in time to see the minotaur charge at the small body of Ander. The minotaur's horn tore into the side of Ander's stomach, and the force of the blow propelled the wizard out the door, landing with a heavy thud at the PeaceKeeper's feet.

With blood dripping from its horn, the Minotaur moved and stood framed by the doorway as it looked out at its newest foes.

Ander groaned in pain, as Shenir gathered him in her arms and moved him out of the way. She ducked just beyond a corner in the building's wall and pulled a healing potion out of her pack. Her hands shook as she uncorked it.

Out in the street, other shoppers had taken notice of the minotaur as it stepped out into the street. Screams filled the air, while two more PeaceKeepers came out of a store across the street and immediately ran towards their compatriots. They screamed at the pedestrians to get clear, and to get help.

Shenir handed the vial to Ander, who chugged it down. "We need to get out of here, let the PeaceKeepers deal with this monster." She fearfully peered around the corner and watched the PeaceKeepers try to attack the creature.

"You go, fighting these kinds of creatures is my job now. I can't just run away." Ander stood up with a wince. The wound on his side had closed up and stopped bleeding, but he could still feel the pain throbbing from it. He stepped out and faced the minotaur. Like a whip, a stream of lightning energy sailed from his hand and wrapped itself around the creature's leg. He wasted no time in sending a surge of lightning towards it.

Both of the female guards attacked the seven-foot tall creature. Their attacks were blocked by the greataxe. Their backup, two men in similar armor; one with blond hair and the other bald, were still trying to reach the action. Their way was blocked by a cart, as its owner tried desperately to calm the steed enough to move out of the area.

Shenir came up behind Ander, leaned down, and kissed his cheek. "This may be your job, but it's not mine. Be safe." With a final squeeze to his shoulder, she stood up and took off down the street. Her feet lit up and she moved with magical speed down the road and out of sight.

The minotaur brought their greataxe up above its head, and brought it down on the capped woman's shoulder. With a horrible squelching sound and a gush of blood, the greataxe cleaved her left arm off. The woman howled in pain before she crumbled to the ground.

As he let loose another surge of lightning, Ander moved away from the wall that was starting to smoke. Black smoke now billowed out of the building as the fire lapped at everything in its way.

Finally the two male guards joined their comrades. The bald one faced the minotaur, while the blond-haired pulled their fallen comrade out of the fray.

"This is for Lydia!" The brown-haired woman yelled as she attacked the minotaur, and slashed a deep line across the burnt chest. The bald guard tried to get a strike in, but couldn't pierce the creature's thick skin.

With a heavy snort, the minotaur readjusted its grip on their weapon. They swung it like a bat towards the woman who'd hurt them. The blow connected with an almost concussive force as it smacked into her ribcage. She was thrown sideways into the open doorway of the burning shop. She didn't move.

Standing merely twenty feet away, Ander's feet felt like lead. He clutched his spell like a lifeline. His eyes met the brown-haired PeaceKeeper's, who had been furiously pressing a piece of cloth he'd taken off a vendor cart to the now-stumped shoulder of his comrade.

"I can't get her!" Ander yelled, pointing at the woman in the doorway. He sent another surge of lightning, and the minotaur grunted in pain. By now the creature was visibly hurt, and it was obvious that the only one doing any real damage to the creature was the small, halfling wizard.

"We got her, you keep that spell up!" The PeaceKeeper got his feet, and quickly surveyed the scene. The fastest way to get to the doorway, was to move past the minotaur. The way around was blocked by vendor carts, and going any other way would take too long. Already flames licked the floor around her.

He waited until his bald-headed coworker had lashed out with another strike before he dashed forward.

The minotaur, never one to miss an opportunity, didn't try to block the bald-one's strike as it reared back its greataxe. Just as the guard tried to pass, he let the greataxe swing out and in one motion the brown-haired PeaceKeeper no longer had a head. As the headless body landed with a thud, the minotaur curved the greataxe around with the same momentum and eviscerated the final PeaceKeeper.

A painful surge of lightning reminded the minotaur that he wasn't alone yet. He turned to face the wizard.

As their eyes met, Ander felt a fear like he'd never felt before crest to a crescendo in his chest. Over the past few weeks he'd felt fear many times. He was afraid the first time he'd left home with Jun. He'd been afraid when they'd fought against the bandits, the owlbears, and the zombies. He'd even been afraid as he'd sat in the stands and watched Jun fight against the other candidates. He knew what fear was.

All those times though, he hadn't been alone. Jun and the other members of their almost official party had been there. He knew that he wasn't fighting alone, he knew there was hope, no matter how small.

Now, was different. As the minotaur moved closer to him, the horns moving into position for an attack he'd already become familiar with, he strained his mind for a spell, a plan.

He didn't have anything. He was held captive by the lightning cord in his hand. As long as the spell was alive, he couldn't concentrate on another spell, and quite frankly he was afraid to let go of the guaranteed damage the lightning tether afforded. Holding on to the spell, meant that he couldn't run. The mystical tether was only thirty feet long, any more than that and the connection broke.

Of course, looking at the powerful equine legs of the minotaur, he knew his little halfling legs didn't stand a chance in hell of outrunning it.

As the minotaur began its charge towards him, he closed his eyes. If this was the end, he didn't want to see it. He was happy that Shenir had gotten away.

As he waited for the searing pain of the horns rushing into his skin, he wished for a miracle.

What he got, was a roar, followed by a grunt.

A second passed, and Ander realized that none of those noises had come from him.

Opening his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of the minotaur sprawled out on the ground in front of him.

Ander immediately unleashed another surge of lightning. He watched as the minotaur tensed from the force of the attack. As the surge ended, the minotaur lied there. Ander let loose the final surge, and rejoiced when the minotaur didn't move as the force coursed through it. The mystical tether vanished.

Ander's hands shook as he combed through his hair. Nervous laughter escaped his lips and he began to look around. His eyes landed on the brown-haired PeaceKeeper who slowly crawled away from the burning building, her image black with soot. Ander ran over and helped her move farther away.

With the sound of his own heartbeat beginning to slow down, Ander became aware of the sound of claxons.

Coming down the cobblestone street were several carts and PeaceKeepers. Coming down the opposite way was a contingent of Dwarven guards and their own cart. Each group sounded off their own claxon.

As the two groups tried to protect the other buildings from the burning junk shop (the dwarves leaving it to the human PeaceKeepers upon seeing it wasn't on the Dwarven side of the market), medics came up to Ander and Giselle, the only survivors of the battle.

Ten minutes into the fire-fighting, a figure wearing blue robes, their hood obscuring their face, made their way through the crowd of PeaceKeepers. Upon seeing the Sylph Heart Circle's symbol emblazoned on the amulet around their neck, the guards were quick to get out of the figure's way.

The robed figure pulled out a dark wooden wand and pointed it above the burning structure. A streak of light blue energy shot into the sky. Immediately dark clouds sprang to life as the temperature around the area suddenly plummeted. Freezing rain and sleet fell to the ground, and within minutes the once flaming structure went dark.

The robed figure made their way over towards Ander, who sat on a cart as his side was bandaged by a PeaceKeeper medic.

Pulling down their hood, the woman smiled sweetly, paying no mind to the rain that now rained down upon her. Her emerald green hair hung down in rivulets on either side of her narrow face. Long pointed ears stuck out through her hair.

Her purple eyes fixed onto the Halfling and she spoke. "Hello Mr. Tealeaf, I've been looking everywhere for you. You have a visitor waiting at the Chapter House."

"Who is it?" Ander grunted as the bandages were tied by the medic as they finished up.

The woman shook her head. "You can find out when we arrive." She held out a hand and helped the halfling down off the cart. The two of them didn't get more than a few steps away before a burly older man yelled for them to stop.

"Where do you think you're going?" The man in PeaceKeeper armor bellowed as he stomped over to them.

The woman held up her medallion. "Mr. Tealeaf has business at the Chapter House."

"This man has business here." The PeaceKeeper gestured towards the smoking building and minotaur corpse. "He's not going anywhere."

"Yes, he is." The woman reached down and grabbed Ander's hand. She moved to walk past the burly man, but was stopped. He glared at her, and she did the same. She sighed heavily. "Listen, I'm going to get in big trouble if I don't bring him to the Chapter House right away."

The guard crossed his arms. "I don't care."

"Oh you will care once I name you in my report." She turned to another guard close by and snapped her fingers at him. "Hey, what's this guy's name?"

The guard, who had been in the process of wrapping up the severed arm of his comrade, looked up surprised. "Captain Tibill, ma'am."

The woman smirked and looked at the Captain.

The Captain grumbled and ran a hand down his face. He barked at two other guards and waved them over. "Escort these two to the Chapter House, and keep an eye on them." The guards saluted and the quartet left.

The trek to the Chapter House was not silent. As it turned out, the woman was a chatterbox. From the moment she first opened her mouth, Ander had rarely seen it closed.

"I tell you what, it never fails that as soon as you've got your tea nice and hot, here comes someone wanting you. In this case it was a little boy we have at the Chapter House. His name is Michel and he's seven. Blond hair and green eyes, oh he's just the cutest. His dad runs the front desk. Anyway, Michel comes to get me, says his dad has a mission for me. Isn't that cute, he calls everything 'missions'. We tried to get him to call them 'errands', but it didn't stick." The woman laughed. She still held Ander's hand tight in her own. "So I go to the front desk, and there's this man just standing there. Pretty good looking, in my humble opinion. So, Iason, the guy at the front desk, tells me to go down the street and fetch you. Said the good-looking man was looking for you.

"I headed down to the Inn, and they tell me that no one named 'Ander Tealeaf' registered. Of course they sent me across the street, and sure enough, once I walked in and yelled out your name this big guy stood up and said I'd just missed you. He offered to help me look for you, but I turned him down. Iason hadn't said how quick this 'mission' needed to be and it was still pretty early." The woman paused a moment to take a breath. "So, I spent all morning hitting the main tourist spots in town: Believer's Fountain, GlassBlower Lane, until finally I hit the Divided Market. I'd barely walked in before this woman with an eyepatch came right up to me. She's all, 'You're with the Circle, right? There's a minotaur up there! Ander needs help!' So I grabbed her hand and pulled with me while we went straight to the PeaceKeepers post. We get there, and they're already scrambling from some dead body and reports of a fire. Eyepatch girl said 'minotaur', but it didn't calm them down. I sent her back up to the Chapter House, then followed the PeaceKeeper cart and found you."

"So Shenir is alright?" Ander asked.

"If she's Eyepatch Girl, then yeah she's fine." The woman waved off the question. "So, we should probably wait till we get back to the Chapter House, but where'd the minotaur come from? Last I checked, they weren't on the list of approved creatures for transport through Dayur."

"They're not," One of the guards said from behind the two spellcasters. "As you said, we should hold off this conversation until we get back to the Chapter House."

The woman, who hadn't introduced herself and no one had asked for her name, shrugged. "Fine, then what do you want to talk about? We've got about ten or so minutes left till we arrive." She sent a questioning glance at the escorts, neither of whom seemed amused.

"Do you ever shut up?" The same guard questioned, and the woman grinned like a challenge had been issued.

"You sound just like my last boyfriend. All he wanted was for me to be quiet and demure like the other girls he'd dated. I told him to shove it, and he could either learn to live with it, or he could leave."

The guard grinned. "Let me guess, he left." The second guard, slightly taller than the first, kept his eyes trained on Ander.

The woman nodded with a smirk. "Yeah, but he came back four years later and asked me to marry him. Turned out that quiet and demure wasn't his type after all." She winked down at Ander. "He's the cook at the Chapter House now, makes the best vegetarian stew you've ever had. Of course, only Circle members are permitted to eat at the Chapter House, so I guess you'll just have to miss out." The guards exchanged mumbled grumbles but didn't say anything else.

Ander was glad that she did all the talking. He couldn't stop his mind from replaying the battle over and over again. The woman seemed to sense the spiral that Ander was in, and she tried to distract him by explaining in great detail a very passive aggressive feud going on between a few weaver stores involving a phallic shaped stone.

Finally the small group reached the Chapter House and they all walked inside. Inside was Iason behind the counter, and Shenir who paced nervously from one side of the small reception area to the other.

Before Ander could say anything, Shenir knelt down and enveloped him in a tight hug. "You're alive, thank Jozion!" Shenir began to cry in relief as she let go and kissed her boyfriend. "I was so afraid."

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"I won't lie to you, it was close." Ander grabbed a small cloth from his pocket and wiped her face.

"You'll need to complete a full incident report for the Circle." Iason stated as he stepped out from behind the desk. Looking at the guards, he continued. "We'll be sure to send a copy to the PeaceKeepers as well. You can go now."

The shorter guard shook their head. "We were told to stay with the halfling. He's a suspect in the investigation."

"He took down the minotaur, you should be thanking him!" The Elven chatterbox said.

"Witnesses say that there wasn't a minotuar until him and this woman," the guard gestured at Shenir, "Entered the shop. Either way, we have our orders."

"Might I remind you, that the PeaceKeepers authority ended as soon as you entered? This building is the property of the Sylph Heart Circle, and we handle all matters in-house. I assure you that we will be doing our own investigation. Go back and tell your Captain that we'll send him a copy of our report, as a courtesy." Iason stared down the guards. "Stay any longer, and you will be trespassing."

The guards both glared at the middle-aged man, before they clicked their heels and left. One of them stayed and took up a position next to the door outside, while the other headed off down the street.

Iason wordlessly closed the door. "Follow me, and don't say a word." He led the way to a door behind the counter. Ander and Shenir took out small round medallions that were similar in size to the one hanging around the Elven woman's neck. Iason removed his own medallion from under his shirt. As they each passed through the door, the medallions gave off a pulse of green light.

On the other side of the doorway was a nicely appointed lounge area. A large fireplace was situated on the far wall, with chairs and couches littered about the area. Various rugs were strewn about the room, each with different designs and colors. The walls were lined with bookshelves. A staircase led the way to the upper floor, while three other doors, two on the right-hand wall and one on the left-hand offered other presumable rooms. The room was windowless. Silver and gold candelabra's walked around the space on their own, as they brought light to every corner. As they walked in, a silver tarnished candelabra came over and flitted around them.

"Thank you for finding Mr. Tealeaf Stellea, will you please go and inform his guest of the situation?" Iason pointed towards the left-hand door. Stellea nodded and left.

"Now," Iason led the way over to the fireplace. "What the hell happened?"

Iason settled himself into an armchair, while Shenir and Ander sat down in a love seat. The two of them took turns telling the story, as Iason examined the small book and compact. While they spoke, Stellea came back in with the newcomer. She didn't stay long before she scampered out one of the other doors. The hair on the back of Ander's neck stiffened as he watched the man walk over.

"You say this compact was already in the store?" Iason's hand glowed as he examined the silver bauble. "I've no idea what this, what about you?" He handed it over to the newcomer who had settled himself on the arm of a nearby chaise.

The newcomer performed the same action, and grinned. "I've never seen one, but I've heard of it." The newcomer was a middle-aged half-elf with white hair that was pulled back in a half braid. The unbraided part just lightly kissed the shoulders of his tailored dark blue robe with silver trimmings. "It's a portable prison of sorts. The idea is you read the words on the mirror, and you can entrap, or release, a creature. It had a brief period of popularity about fifty or so years ago, but not so much anymore."

"You said that you sensed the magic?" Iason asked. Ander nodded. "If that's so, then proper protocol would have been to bring it back here, not to activate it."

The half-elf chuckled. "Oh don't blame him, I would have done the same thing." He handed the compact back over to Iason. "It should be easy to pin the whole situation on the shopkeeper. After all, it is an unregulated magical item. I'd mention smuggling and leave it to the PeaceKeepers to take it from there."

Iason nodded in agreement. "Where was the shopkeeper while all of this was going on?"

"No idea, we never saw them. The shop was empty when we ducked in." Shenir explained. "Anything on the biography?"

"It's as Ander said, there is no magic on it, but the reference to Skonia certainly merits a further look." Iason leaned back in the chair as he thought. "It might be prudent to send the book to Pryria, get some more advanced magic done on it. The Circle does have a special interest in all things Skonia."

"I'm headed back to Pryria at the end of the week, I have no problem taking it if you want." The half-elf offered.

"I'd be most grateful of that Relnesh." Iason stood up, both items tucked under his arm. "I'll go start on the report. Ms. Allandra I'd like you to accompany me and help me. Mr. Tealeaf, after you and Relnesh are finished please join us." With that Iason led Shenir through the door on the left.

Silence permeated the air between the two occupants. Finally Relnesh sighed and let himself fall back into the cushions of the chaise lounge.

"First rule of being an adventurer, if at all possible stay away from the local authorities. They are nothing but a headache." Relnesh gave a small chuckle to himself. "Though, breaking comrades out of prison can be quite fun."

Ander moved so that he was sitting on the edge of the cushion. If this was who he thought it was, it was better not to get too comfortable. "Why did you want to speak to me? You're not who I was expecting."

"You thought I was Ekiyoh, yeah sorry about that." The man swung his legs around and sat up. "Name's Relnesh Racksec, and I came to talk to you about that report you sent in."

Ander tilted his head. "The one on the Dwarven settlement? Why?"

"Technically, the place is called Vorgron, but don't beat yourself up about that. It took a lot of work to erase that name from practically everywhere so that one's not on you." Relnesh leaned back. "As for how I know about the report, it's passed through quite a numbers of hands since you sent it in. You and your friends were pretty thorough down there, good job."

Ander gulped. His fist curled around the edge of the loveseat. "Before we continue, tell me something. Are you part of Scarlet Thunder?"

A huge grin broke out over the half-elf's face. "Ah, you've heard of us. I take it your Master told you."

Ander nodded. "He did, but I've also seen your work up close." He hopped off the loveseat. "I'm not telling you anything that isn't in the report."

Relnesh shrugged. "Fair enough, but there is one thing you didn't go in to detail about. The journal, the one that was written by the evil Cleric."

Ander's eyes narrowed. "What about it?"

"Why didn't you send it in along with the report?" Relnesh had sat up once again, his face stern as he faced down the halfling.

"Lia had plans to send it to her organization the Elder Door Sanctum. We were both there on missions, and hers seemed to be more relevant." Ander was more than a little creeped out by the sudden harshness of Relnesh's eyes. More than anything, he did not want to be alone with this man. "Talk to the Sanctum if you want the book."

Relnesh sighed and stood up. "I highly doubt that we'll ever see that book again. Do yourself a favor, and stay away from the Sanctum. In fact, you should just go back to Pryria. Last thing this world needs is another green adventuring group. Leave it to the professionals."

"Last I heard the professionals were dying out. Scarlet Thunder isn't as powerful as it used to be." Ander's heart was beating loudly in his chest.

Relnesh smirked and walked closer to Ander. Leaning over till he was eye level with the halfling, his eyes narrowed. "Ask yourself this, are they dying out, or being culled?" With that he straightened up and walked out the main door without another word.

Ander leaned back against the love seat, using it to keep him standing as his legs gently shook. He thought back to when he'd first joined the Circle, twenty-five years ago. Scarlet Thunder was in its heyday. They were practically the only group out in the field. Treasures and artifacts that were only myths came out into the light because of them. Everyone wanted the Scarlet Thunder working for them, everyone.

As time passed, it became very noticeable that artifacts that should belong with the Circle were instead showing up in the hands of private collectors. Reports started to trickle in of Scarlet Thunder working as mercenaries to anyone with coin. Once, ten years ago, Ander, his Master, and other apprentices were sent by the Circle to investigate one of these claims. They were sent to a small village about three days out from Esterwill. According to the report, the village was full of akudaems that were being forced off their lands. Ander's Master had been sent solely to determine whether the Scarlet Thunder were involved, not to get involved in territorial disputes.

When they reached the village, the matter had already been settled. The entire village was dead, and all the bodies had been piled up and set ablaze. The pyre was still burning as they approached, with Relnesh and three of his compatriots tending to it. They'd claimed that the villagers had attacked them; self-defense. Ander's Master had turned and left without another word.

When they returned to Pryria they reported that the Scarlet Thunder was involved, they reported what they'd seen, but that was all they had. The Circle depended on Scarlet Thunder, and Ander's Master knew it. They stuck to the facts, unable to do anything. Whatever Scarlet Thunder wanted, they got.

Ander had only broached the subject with his Master once after that, and his Master had told him in no uncertain terms, to never get involved with Scarlet Thunder. Run and go as far away as you can.

Ander shook his head to clear his mind of that burning pyre. He had an uneasy feeling that his Master's wishes were becoming more and more relevant. He was in desperate need of a distraction now, and paperwork was perfect.

He spent the rest of the afternoon inside the small office with Shenir and Iason, making painstakingly sure that the report was full and complete. At the end, Iason gave the compact back to Ander. It didn't see the value in turning in a one-trick magic item.

As dusk began to set in, Shenir and Ander met up with Zhann and Jun, and the four of them headed to the edge of town. It only took about twenty minutes for them to find the outdoor stage. Already a large crowd had amassed. On the opposite side of the field a makeshift bar had been set up with multiple casks. PeaceKeepers in full uniform patrolled the perimeter.

The four of them passed through a booth, a yellow ribbon being tied around their wrists to show that they'd paid. It cost them fifteen silver apiece, but they paid extra for the open bar. Jun paid for Zhann.

A few minutes after they'd arrived and gotten mugs of ale, the band started to take the stage. Two of them played lutes, one had a drum set up, and one of them held a flute in their hands. The four of them were dressed in bright colors, but they obviously weren't the star.

The drummer, a large half-orc, banged his sticks together, getting everyone's attention and quieting the crowd. The two lute players, one male and one female, took up positions on either side of the drummer. The flute player, a female gnome, climbed up onto a small platform that was about ten feet above the stage. Candelabras, like the ones from the Chapter House, lined the stage in a u-shape as they shed light for the performance.

Just as the gnome raised her flute, a strong gust of wind rushed through the clearing. Every light was extinguished and only the dim light of the moon shined above. Flute music began to sing out, a soft mournful melody. A quartet of bright little balls of green light materialized out of the darkness and began to dance around her. The flutist started to dance with the balls of light, before the spheres winked out. The melody turned even more somber, as the lutes began to pick it up as well, twisting it slightly as the darkness held on. Behind them, the drums started and sounded like a dying heartbeat.

Just as the somber tone became too much, the sound of a violin came out of the darkness. The mood lifted as the violin became more and more pronounced. One by one the candelabras on stage began to light. As the final one lit, the music stopped. The stage was silent.

Suddenly there was a flash of light, and standing there was a woman with dark blonde hair. She wore a blood red corset with white puffy sleeves. The top part of her thigh was surrounded by a black mini skirt, with a tail of red and black fabric trailing out behind her. Her eyes had been outlined in dark red eye make-up, while her lips were pitch black. A silver choker adorned her neck, while silver rings were stacked up her slightly pointed ears. In her hands was a beautiful cherry wood violin.

She lifted the violin, and began to play. The sound was one of hope, and one by one the other instruments joined in until they had a beautiful melody that filled everyone's hearts with joy.

The rest of the concert was a mix of story and fun. Now that its star was there, everything was cheerful and bright. She didn't just play the violin the whole time, she was quite the singer as well. She narrated stories of bravery and triumph, accompanied by wooden dolls that played out the story on stage. She brought new takes on familiar bar favorites, invited the audience to join in and dance.

There was no doubt, that she was a bard of a very high caliber.

During one of the songs, Jun and Ander found themselves alone. Zhann and Shenir were busy dancing with a group of children, enormous smiles plastered on both their faces.

Jun took a swig of his drink. "I heard about what happened today."

"I was going to tell you, tomorrow." Ander admitted as he looked down into his ale mug. "I really wished you were there."

The berserker shrugged. "The way I heard it, you had it handled."

Ander scoffed. "Oh, is that what they're saying. Three people died. I'm not even sure how I survived."

"It tripped."

"It tripped?" The wizard repeated. He looked up at the berserker who was still focused on the scene in front of him.

Jun nodded. "The guard who survived saw it happen. It tripped on the cobblestone as it was charging."

Ander gave a small chuckle. "So I survived due to its clumsiness. That's kind of pathetic in a way."

"No, just lucky." Jun crouched down and finally turned to look at Ander. "I'm proud of you."

Ander snorted. "Don't be. You want to know what was going through my head. 'Let it kill these guards before it gets to me'. I'm not like you. You put your life on the line to save a complete stranger, while I used them as meat shields." The statement hung in the air between them for several moments.

Finally, Jun spoke. "Did any civilians get hurt?" He knelt down to Ander's eye level.

Ander shook his head. "No, they'd cleared out."

"Why didn't you run? All the stories say that Shenir ran for it, but you stayed behind, why?" Jun asked.

The halfling shrugged. "I would have lost the spell."

Jun reached up and scratched his neck. "According to the guard, you had the opportunity to run and you didn't."

"You talked to her?"

"I had a free afternoon." The larger man shrugged. "Now, why did you cast a spell that would tie you there? I've seen you do other spells that don't literally connect you to the target. Why that one?"

Ander's nose crinkled as he felt himself get worked up. "I don't know, I mean it had worked so well on the owlbears that I thought it'd work on the minotaur. The guards were there so I knew I had a distraction."

"So it's less you used them as cannon fodder, and more as a tool to take down a threat."

"Does it really matter?" Ander snapped. "People still died!"

"Ander, you can't save everyone." Jun reached out and placed a heavy hand on Ander's head. "They were soldiers, they knew what they were getting into the moment they ran into that situation. They did their duty, they got the civilians out of the way, and then faced the threat. They were trained to back up the people who can hit the hardest and get the job done fast. It's not the job of a magic-user to be front and center. Your job is to stay alive long enough for your spells to do their job."

The halfling shrugged off the hand. "What I need are more powerful spells."

"Then we'll get them, and the next time we face a minotaur, you'll take it down in one hit." The two of them shared a smile. "In the meantime, stay behind me."

As Jun stood back up and went to go join Zhann and the kids, Ander sighed in relief. Then he wondered why he'd sighed. He didn't realize, but maybe he'd been feeling a little guilty about what had happened that morning. He took a moment to take in the sight of Jun as two of the kids clung to his arms as he lifted them up. Maybe he needed Jun around for more than just his strength.

All too soon the night ended. The couples brought their energy from the concert back to 'The Gilded Rose'.

Shenir was gone when Ander woke up. She left a note saying she'd meet him for lunch at 'The Gleaming Rose' across the street. The Halfling spent a lazy morning studying his spells and enjoying a morning bath.

Around noon, he walked into 'The Gleaming Rose' and found Shenir and Jun already seated at a table.

"No Zhann today?" Ander asked as he took a seat next to Shenir.

"She had another client." Jun explained. "Hope you don't mind, but we went ahead and ordered for you."

Ander shrugged. "As long as it's edible I'm good." He turned to face Shenir. "So, where did you go this morning?"

"I went shopping." Shenir smiled, bent over, and pulled a chain mail shirt out of her pack. "I paid a pretty price for this, so you better appreciate it."

"It's beautiful, but I can't wear it. I've never trained in armor before." Ander explained as he ran his hands over the finely linked chains. It was so delicately made, that it was almost a work of art.

"I wouldn't worry about it." A new voice said at the table next to them. Its owner was a dark red-headed, brown skinned elf. He was hunched over a bowl, with a pack at his feet, and a sword at his waist. "That's an elven design."

Ander's brows knitted together. "I agree that the elves make nice armor, but I still haven't trained with it. There's a chance that all this metal will mess up my spells."

Shenir shook her head. "It's been enchanted so that it won't be in your way."

"Seriously?" Ander looked back at the chainmail shirt, a shirt that seemed to have been made for a human. "It's still way too big though."

"Aren't you a magic user?" The elf next to them shook his head. "Trust me, it'll shrink to size once you wear it."

"Thanks for the advice," Jun leaned over and stuck out his hand. "Name's Jun."

The elf wiped his hand on his pants before shaking it. "Ekiyoh."

Ander's ears perked up. "Is that your name, or some kind of elven greeting?"

"My name."

"You're with the Recovery Department!" Ander jumped down off his chair and hurried over to him. "I'm Ander Tealeaf, it's an honor to meet you!" He vigorously shook the Elf's hand.

The elf looked the halfling up and down for a moment before he turned his attention to Jun and Shenir. "Have to say, you are not what I was expecting." Ekiyoh grabbed his bowl and moved to join them at their table.

"What's the verdict? Have we been approved?" Ander asked excitedly as he took his seat again.

"Yep," Ekiyoh went back to eating his potato stew. A waitress arrived then with three plates of sausage pastries for the rest of the table.

Ander visibly deflated in his seat. "That's all we get, a 'Yep'?"

The elf grinned. "If you'll let me finish my stew, I'll dig out your papers."

"So when you'd arrive in town?" Jun asked as he picked up his pastry and took a big bite. Steam rose out of the inside.

Ekiyoh shrugged. "About an hour ago. Stopped here for food before checking in at the Chapter House."

"Too bad you weren't here last night. A bard and her troupe gave a great performance. They pulled out of town this morning."

"I know, I waited till they'd left before coming into town."

"Why?" Shenir asked, her eyebrow raised.

"The less I have to deal with the Racksec's the better." Ekiyoh grumbled.

"Wait, are you talking about Relnesh Racksec?" Suddenly Ander's delicious pastry wasn't so tasty.

"Yep, and that bard you guys mentioned is his wife, Sagen Racksec. The two of them head up Scarlet Thunder."

Jun shook his head. "She's a part of Scarlet Thunder, damn. What's she doing touring?" He'd heard plenty of stories about the group, and had had the displeasure of working with them once.

"She's finishing up a contract so she can be done with a certain individual." Ekiyoh told them before he picked up his bowl and downed the last of his meal. Licking his lips, he reached into his bag and brought out a canvas wrapped package.

"This holds Identification papers for all the individuals you named, a printed coin for each of you that can also act as ID, a small list of potential sites you can check out to get you started, and a message tablet." Ekiyoh explained as he passed the package over. "Your Master has the other tablet in his possession. Do you know how they work?"

"Hold the tablet, cast the spell, and a short message gets sent to the person with the paired tablet." Ander recited, his excitement slowly coming back.

Ekiyoh nodded. "Correct. The tablet is only for emergencies so don't go using it willy-nilly. Now, as the Circle representative you do have an additional job. Part of your duties will be to write a report on your activities once a month and send it back to the Recovery Department. Even if you do nothing but visit brothels and get drunk, send it to us. It's a way for us to track you. Don't make me have to come after your ass. For the first month, we require that you let us know next of kin for all members in case death notifications are needed."

"That's going to take a little bit of time actually." Jun interjected. "We're not due to meet up with the rest of our group for another two months."

The elf nodded. "Explain it in the report and send the information when you can then. Any questions?"

"Not right now." Ander said distractedly as he opened the package and began to rifle through the papers.

"Then I will take my leave." Ekiyoh stood up and gathered up his pack. "Oh, and one more thing. Iados, did he used to be a pirate?"

"Is that a problem?" Jun asked. He and Ander had decided to leave out that bit of information when they'd submitted the application.

Ekiyoh shook his head. "No, we don't really care. His name came up in some old reports and they wanted to me check."

"Before you go, I do have a question actually." Shenir stood up. "You seem like the kind of person who travels a lot. Have you come across a temple to Erindoe around here? I was told there was one in Dayur but I haven't been able to locate them."

"They're not in Dayur anymore." Ekiyoh explained. "They were given some land a couple of years back about ten miles west of here. I'm actually headed right by them if you want to tag along."

Shenir's eyes lit up. "That'd be great!"

"Alright, grab your gear. I just have to check in at the Chapter House and then I'm headed out. All I had to do in town was deliver that package to Ander and give him the spiel. I'll meet you outside the Chapter House." Ekiyoh and walked out.

Ander and Jun ended up walking Ekiyoh and Shenir right to the city gates. They said their goodbyes and watched the two of them disappear into the crowd.

"Well, what now?" Jun asked as he adjusted the pack on his back. He'd learned yesterday that "The Gilded Rose" makes you pay for a room, even if you just kept a personal item in it by accident.

Ander shrugged. "I don't know, I mean, we've two months to kill now. We could stay here in Dayur?"

"Nah, the PeaceKeepers are pretty mad at the Chapter House and we'd probably get dragged into something."

"What are you, best friends with the PeaceKeepers?" Ander put his hands on his hips as he looked up at his friend.

Jun shrugged. "Maybe. Let's go ahead and head to Esterwill. If nothing else maybe we can trade labor for being extended guests at that monastery Iados was talking about."

"Sounds as good a plan as any. Last two months of quiet before a whole lot of craziness, we should try to enjoy it." They both gave a laugh and headed towards for the port city.