“Greg, stop staring. She’s gonna catch on fire, with you catching glances of the fiery vixen brighter red than my fur,” Bonnie teased from the other side of the carriage. Upon departing the apartment, they’d hired a driver to get them to Jake’s estate. It was within walking distance, but the fare was relatively cheap. Fiona played along and sent a leering smile toward Greg, who sat cross-legged and was trying to focus on his notes, rather than paying attention to her.
“I’m not staring. My eyes are strained, from the amount of red in that dress,” he retorted. The carriage bobbed lightly along the street, and Fiona noticed a few others headed in the direction of the guild hall. Which was to say, the adventurer’s guild, and the large established meeting area they used on occasion for events like this. Fiona gazed at the twilight sky with the indigo colors giving way to a near-black sky, with pinpricks of light. A pink moon was up above, and the slightly larger white moon starting to rise past the horizon. She struggled to remember the names: Luna, and Palena, she recalled. Luna at least sounded familiar, from Earth.
Bonnie waved to get her attention, and smiled. “Greg won’t say it, but he’s right, it’s glamorous, dear. It suits you.”
“I mean, it’s not that glamorous–” But then, Bonnie leaned in closer, brow furrowed, and her eyes lit up with excitement as she traced a sleeve–the gold embroidered thread, specifically.
“Girl, who did you steal that from? I recognize the enchantment work! That’s seamstress Melanie! She does all sorts of high-end work, how’d you get one of her dresses?” Bonnie asked while leaning in. “It’s protected against tearing, staining, poor hygiene, and most importantly, spills from snacks.”
Fiona narrowed her eyes and gave that kitsune troublemaker a good glare, even as she shot her a smug look. “I’m careful with snacks.”
“With a willow bough like you, I don’t know how you hide those snacks. You must have the metabolism of a hummingbird,” Bonnie grinned. “Try not to raid all the river shellfish, please? I do love how they roast them up and stuff them, and not need to go to the ocean to get fresh shrimp.”
“But they’re soooo good! If I’m not eating them, I’m doing the world a disservice!” Fiona asserted, and brushed her hair behind her ear again. “And those fancy sausage sandwiches! I call them in advance, they’re mine! All mine!”
“Bonnie, are you allowed to…I don’t know, magic away certain food items, so that others may have a fair shot at them?” Greg asked with a hint of ire.
“Sure. Buy me dinner, and I’ll steal whatever snacks you need,” Bonnie teased. It was telling that Greg cleared his throat just then, and tried to hide his face from her by pretending to look out the window. Bonnie focused her gaze back on Fiona. “Alright, where’d you get this one, though?”
“A thrift store called Jaycees! I don’t think even the lady at the place knew what she had! Neither did I, until the dress sort of accommodated my form. It was just off, a little bit. It was also quite a bit more flirtatious and bold. Too bold for even me,” Fiona laughed, and Bonnie leaned in, with a wily smile. “The neckline would have given Greg a nosebleed.”
“That doesn’t happen,” he retorted, even as he tried not to laugh.
Bonnie still looked amazed. “Fiona, I don’t think you realize how much of a steal that was! Please tell me this wasn’t from a super sketch place, that told you it fell off the back of a cart. Wait, hang on, you said it was Jaycees? I know the place, it’s a little mom and dad place,” she stated after snapping her fingers. “Sometimes, I think you are just blessed with fortune, Fiona!”
“I mean, it was there. Everyone else saw it, no one bought it. The granny that ran the place, Nami? She just dropped the price another ten percent to entice me. I couldn't pass it up!’” Fiona beamed. They were crossing the stone bridge over the Therla River that meandered through the city–several canals could be seen connecting to varying points, since it made shipping bulk far easier, and the moons reflected in the wake of the gentle current. “So, here I am!”
“Goodness, Fiona, always putting on a show, are you?” Greg commented with a slight smirk. “Do try to control yourself, and not attract unwanted attention.”
“What? The adventurer’s guild is my guys! And telling me to not mingle, is like telling water to not be wet! Or, are you telling me from a professional standpoint?”
“From a professional standpoint,” Greg offered, with a gently extended hand. “This is a gathering of clientele that could help us move these items. Or, they know people who do. I know that you have a particular attitude that may be endearing to many. But some people are, well…”
“Unfunny, stuck-up, snobby, rich beyond comprehension?” she asked with a twitch of her ears. Greg cleared his throat.
“More refined. Don’t take it as an insult, dear. Your education is not lacking, having known you this long. There is a certain dialect and mannerisms the nobles are known for,” he finished. He glanced out the window of the carriage and smiled. “We’re almost there. I forgot the guild hall is such an establishment in the commerce sector.”
Fiona peered out the window and couldn’t help but smile wildly. This place had been home when the apartment hadn’t. the grounds consisted of a series of two and three-story buildings set up almost like a small university, right in the heart of the city. The white stone buildings, wooden trusses, and small military-style barracks were the draw, and even now, arcane lights graced several walking paths. A few recruits of the adventurers guild were doing night training at the moment. They were hustling along with trainers geared in light armor, presumably going through maneuvers, testing against training dummies, and firing off magical spells.
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They were always busy, preparing against the next great danger. But, they also served as protective detail, resource scouting, and a slew of other activities that few other guilds could manage. Given their training, they served a unique niche.
Fiona gazed at the three-story, stained glass window main hall with steel beam reinforcements, and the entryway was adorned with white stone pillars that spoke of greatness within. A small statue of famous adventurers–the first, that had come to the call of the defense of the country–sat in front, like a small memorial. There was a wizard with a pointed hat, a mage with flowing robes and alchemical gear, a healer with a symbol that even now glowed faintly held in their hand, and two mighty warriors posed together, their grim determination etched into history.
“Gonna stare longer, Fiona?” Bonnie teased. “It’s not like you haven’t been here before, you know.”
“Hey, before I got Granny’s apartment, this was home! I swear, Jake always brought me snacks when the mess hall ran out. That was so nice of him!” She opened the window of the carriage and waved a hand lazily in the breeze. “I have a lot of good memories of this place. You know, when I wasn’t beating up goblins, dancing with spiders, vaulting over big, nasty, mean monsters, and giving them a broadside with my hammer!”
“I am grateful for the lack of action on that front,” Greg demurred.
A moment later, they disembarked from the carriage and Greg gave a small tip to the driver with the casual cap and a crooked smile, who waved them off and went to pick up more arrivals. Fiona skipped along the pale gray slabs, where people were milling about by the front hall entrance. One man in light armor was checking invitations before waving people in. Jake was there too, dressed in a black suit and a tie–Fiona almost giggled, it was strange seeing him so formally dressed up. Someone had to account for all the bulky fur–and well-toned muscles, too. Jake waved them over, and she skipped along, the red dress flowing like fire.
“Fi, Greg, Bon-bon, you made it!” Jake announced, and nudged the guard aside, who smiled politely. “Welcome to the party! We have snacks, and I set aside a few for you–”
“Oh my gosh, you are the best!” Fiona announced as she pounced and hugged him–he made a funny strained sound when she did that, she didn’t hug him that hard! “I haven’t eaten since morning, I was busy getting ready!” She spotted a server bringing something that looked like shrimp, and she broke her grip just long enough to snag an appetizer, and downed it in one go.
It tasted like shrimp scampi, with a dose of spice, and she waved her hand in front of her face while Jake chuckled. “I am amazed you ate that in one bite, those are a little…spicy.”
“Nonsense, it’s as spicy as a summer wind!” she countered while clapping her hands together. “Have you got time to lead us around, and mingle?”
“I’ll tell you what, I’ll catch up with you in a bit. I have to be the representative of the guild to greet the VIP’s coming in tonight. Eh, we’re good at taking care of our own,” Jake added, and nodded to a new gathering of people just arriving down the bush-lined path, looking glitzy and sleek. “Fi, I’d like to introduce you to Madam Vicona Taragot, she runs the mercantile guild for the northern half of the city.”
Fiona turned to see a young woman with platinum hair and ocean-blue eyes wearing an equally blue dress. Said fabric seemed to flow like water, and hugged all the curves in all the right places. Her hair was braided in a simple pleat and little golden threads were weaved in, and she was…here solo?! That surprised her more.
Fiona gasped and leaned in. “My goodness, a pleasure to meet you, and I must say, I love the hair, it’s stunning! What a way to bring art to fashion!” The woman blinked and smiled politely, before extending a hand to greet her. “Oh listen to me gab, I’m Fiona Swiftheart.”
“A pleasure–wait, you’re the one who put a stop to Douglas the Red! Jacob was telling me about a certain fiery-haired elven that pulled that off! And a dress to match the hair, Miss Swiftheart!” she said in a bout of flattery.
“Call me Fi,” Fiona suggested with a polite smile. “Yeah, I beat up a big bad dragon, took his loot, and I decided to try my hand at something new: business. Adventuring is fun, but it’s a lot of work! Of the paper variety, too,” she added, and Jake shrugged before nodding softly beside her. “Anyway, we should talk, but I need to go pay a visit to some friends!”
“Indeed, Miss Swiftheart. I heard from Jacob that you pulled together a business plan in record time, and have been working day and night in this effort. I look forward to hearing more about this,” Vicona mused before turning to Jake. “The place looks lovely by the way, Jacob. I see you’ve been putting the new recruits to work.”
“We try. What better way to get them an after-adventuring job, than by preparing them for it, while they’re learning the ropes? I’ll see you inside, Fi–oh, there she goes.”
Fiona was already bounding inside with Bonnie and Greg, because she could hear the commotion in the brightly lit center room. Those familiar deep brown doors were open–doors that could hold back even a dragon. She practically danced inside and took in the massive space, now filled with people, tables, and more.
The arcane chandeliers set to an ambient glow of white and gold, and the black and white tile floor had been brought to a fine polish. Tables had been rolled out to accommodate one end of the hall. Around them, carefully woven tapestries hung on the white brick walls, with a few color accents marking old victories and famous adventurers. Pillars lined both lengths of the long hall, and a second floor had people milling about, talking excitedly. The vaulted ceiling above her gave an impression of vast space, and she pressed her hands together. This was a place that still felt like home.
“C’mon, Fiona, it’s not like it's been ages since you were here,” Bonnie teased.
“If it isn't an inspiring wonder every time I come in, it’s not doing its job!” she countered with a slow spin around to take in the sights. “We usually didn’t have this many people around. Or food that is teasing me, because it’s way over there!” she called out. Food and other refreshments were on the far end, already being handed out for distribution by several people in white shirts and dark jackets, bustling about hurriedly while people occasionally took a sampling. “Let’s go eat, and then, mingle! I’ve got clients to accost, and victories to toss into King Raspberries’ face, like a freshly baked pie!”
“What a tragic end for the pie,” Greg grunted. “Well, there she goes. Rest in peace, food.”
She was already in motion, grabbing what looked like small dumplings filled with river crab filling, well seasoned and hot to the touch. And some fruit arrangement of apples and grapes? That had to join the plate, too! She hummed merrily as she took a sampling of Fiefdala’s finest. She was going to have to work hard tonight, and she couldn’t work on an empty stomach!
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