“Pleasure to meet you, Captain Haley,” Rory favored her with a dazzling smile.

“Likewise, master Poole. You and your people stay out of trouble now. You’re not wrong that Moryven has strong legal protections for both citizens and visitors, but it also has harsh punishments for offenders,” she met his eyes in a level gaze that managed to be stern without being unfriendly.

“We plan to rest a bit. Any suggestions on what to do after we’re feeling frisky again?” Jack asked her.

The captain gave him an odd look but shrugged and adopted a well-worn tone, as though the speech she was about to give had been repeated many times.

“Saltwind road just outside the gate goes all the way to the coast, to a little town called Nevermire, which is mostly a big wharf and a lot of taverns that serve cheap ale. Sailors, merchants, and hunters stop there, and there’s a Guild office that mostly issues requests to escort caravans up to Moryven,” she paused a moment, then continued when she noticed they were all still listening.

“To the east, Ilvire Hollow is named for the ilvire grass that grows there. It’s purple, so you can’t miss it. If you’re an even middling herbalist, grab as much as you can. Blackwicke Manor pays top coin for it, as it can be brewed into decent healing potions. The Hollow is relatively safe if you’re over the first wall, but sometimes tougher stuff can wander in from the Golden Sea. You see a Veldt tribe raiding party, you turn tail and run like hell. Maybe you’ll make it back. North are the Silvergloom Peaks, full of dwarves, savage goblins, and seven different kinds of trolls. Every kind will try to eat you. South is the Whitespine Range, full of more dwarves, more goblins, more trolls, but also giants. Orcs, too, but we have less trouble with them, since most are at least theoretically aligned with the Red Stone,” at this point, she seemed impressed the four were still paying attention.

“Finally, Moryven is divided into five wards. East end of town is the Black Ward. Smiths, tanners, apothecaries, everything that makes a smell, it’s there. Full of warehouses and less fortunate folks’ homes. The south side of the Black Ward is a poorer neighborhood, so I’d tell most not to be caught there after dark. You’ll probably be fine, but do your best not to kill anyone. Wind blows in from the coast most days, so it carries the stink down into the Hollow for a few miles. Most hawk their wares in the Market Ward, which is in the middle of town, connected to the other four. Upper Ward to the north is where the merchant families and the patricians live, and there are a few high-end shops in the area. Watch presence is hefty, so don’t get up to anything foolish. Cross Ward is just inside the gate on the west end, where the Watch headquarters and the Hunter’s Guild are located, as well as most of the inns, decent eats, and the middle-class homes. Last, the Thorn Ward is on the south side and is the smallest. It’s also the one you should avoid most. The Thorn are a ‘school’ of mages, with enough political power in the city to keep the Watch out and manage their own affairs,” she spit out the word ‘school’ and rolled her eyes at the mention of politics.

“If you do choose to hunt for herbs, or if you come across any interesting alchemical goods, head into the Upper Ward, all the way to the northeast end. Just outside the city is Blackwicke Manor. The old man or one of his daughters will buy whatever you find, at a premium. And that, my new vagabonds, is the end of my speech. I have work to get back to,” she smiled and turned to walk toward the door.

“Thank you, captain,” Jack smiled back.

“You’re welcome…” she raised an eyebrow.

“Jack,” he replied.

“Very well, master Jack. Stay out of trouble,” with that, she marched out the door.

From deeper within the guardhouse, they heard an ear-splitting crash, and the polite, almost cheerful woman they had just met began screaming with the volume and ferocity of a fiend.

They wisely followed the guard who offered to take them back to the gates. In the morning sun, Jack and Layla both put up their cowls, wincing at the bright light’s sting on their skin. The guard gave them both a disconcerted look, then shook his head and went back inside.

After leaving the guardhouse and deciding to make their way to the Hunter’s Guild, the four strolled along the immaculately paved cobblestone roads.

“Ohhhh… do you smell that?” Erin’s eyes might have popped out if they opened any wider.

“Bread. I smell a bakery,” Jack smiled.

“What’s that boy? Timmy’s in the bakery? He needs biscuits? Lead the way!” she grabbed Jack by the shoulders and began walking behind him, steering him as he laughed.

“I could have a scone,” Rory smiled.

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“I wonder if they have cinnamon rolls… or donuts, or danishes, or cake… oh my god, guys, cake…” Layla wiped the drool away from her mouth.

They followed the smell of sugar and fresh-baked bread through the Cross Ward to a modestly-sized, though extremely busy, bakery with a large serving window set in the front wall. Above the serving window, large, brazenly pink letters proclaimed the establishment to be the “Saffron & Sugar Confectionery Company” and below, in slightly smaller, but no less pink lettering, “Home of the Hellfire Honey Puff, Moryven’s Most Diabolically Delicious Dessert”.

Layla stared up at the sign.

“Well, now I have to have one. You know we have to try them,” her mouth curved into a grin.

Unable to argue with that assessment, they got in line. The queue moved much faster than they expected, though, by the time they arrived at the serving window, there was an equally large line behind them. A girl of about fifteen with bright violet eyes, cotton-candy colored hair, and long pointed ears stood behind the counter, greeting them with a smile and enough cheer that the four were powerless to avoid smiling back.

“Allo! Welcome to Saffron and Sugar. What can we get you today?” she grinned, eyes crinkling as she looked the group over. “Oh, you’re new! Everyone new to town gets a free Hellfire Honey Puff on the house!”

“That’s suspiciously generous,” Layla’s smile didn’t match her dubious words.

“They’re diabolically delicious. Once you try one, you’ll be back tomorrow for more,” she chirped.

“Then we’ll have four of the puffs. And…” Rory looked over at the menu on the wall. “Two baker’s dozen scones for the golem and myself, dozen cupcakes, two loaves of the spice bread, slice of the cream cake for the horny tart here, and one of… that, that, those, that, that one, that, that, that and that, for the ghost in the back to try.”

The others simply stared at him as he ordered.

“What? We haven’t had bread in a month, and my storage will keep it warm and fresh,” he shrugged.

“Look at you, big spender,” Erin laughed.

“Oh, no, legs. The more you order, the bigger of a discount you get,” he grinned.

“I should’ve fucking known,” she groaned at him.

“Scuse me, miss? Can you recommend where to get,” Jack began ticking his fingers, “salt, flour, live yeast, sugar, and what local spices are good?”

As the girl was packing up their order into several elaborate paper boxes, a woman emerged from the rear of the bakery. Like the younger girl, she had brilliant violet eyes and cotton-candy hair done up in an elaborate braid, with even longer pointed ears. She was clearly the older of the two, but her appearance suggested an older sister, rather than the girl’s mother.

“We have aspiring competition at the window, Honeybell?” the older woman smiled gently.

“Oh! I didn’t tell them anything, Saffron! I swear!” the girl didn’t seem afraid, only startled.

The four chuckled a bit at the younger girl’s panic, until Jack decided to save her.

“I’m not competition. I just like to cook,” he smiled at the older woman.

“I do love a man that knows his way around a pair of loaves,” the woman’s purple eyes sparkled in the dim light of the bakery interior.

Erin cleared her throat, taking Jack’s hand, her other hand occupied with her helmet.

“Oh, I see,” the woman raised both hands in a placating gesture. “Still, you’re both lovely. If you need someone to show you around while you’re here, I’m always… available,” she licked her lips.

Jack raised an eyebrow and glanced at Erin, who had turned several shades of red. He especially noted that the usual signs of Erin’s temper were completely absent. He squeezed her hand, and when she started and looked at him, he gave her a crooked grin and a wink. She shoulder checked him gently and looked away.

“Just the bread and the sweets then?” the woman laughed.

“Is that offer to show us around after you close up shop still open?” Layla grinned at the baker, making some intense and deliberate eye contact with the older woman.

“Only if your master prevents you from draining me so much I can’t work tomorrow, demon,” she winked at Layla and eyed Rory, then Jack. “Who do you belong to?”

“She’s unbound,” Jack replied. “That’s not a problem is it?”

“Well, she’s walking in broad daylight, next to a pair of very pretty men and a girl that I wouldn’t kick out of bread for eating biscuits, so no, it’s not a problem. But it’s bread only for you, succubus,” she gave them a smile that didn’t touch her eyes, significantly less playful than a few moments before.

“Oh well. Guess I’ll have to content myself with putting your honey buttered biscuit in my mouth,” Layla gave the baker a wink and a lascivious grin.

Then she picked up one of the Hellfire Honey Puffs and popped half of it in her mouth.

“MMmmnnnnnnnnggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Oooooooooohhhhhh, fuuuuck,” she turned around and stuffed the rest of the pastry into Erin’s mouth, who unleashed nearly as lewd a moan of pleasure as the succubus.

“We… mmmm…” she chewed. “We’d like two dozen, mmmmm, more of those, please.”