The spire was the third tallest building in the entire city of Nila. A twisted structure that stood straight and upright looking strikingly similar to a massive wind chime. Its body crystalline and filled with with various large perforations.

The form twisted and slightly whimsical. The structure hung suspended in the air,  moored with anti-gravity enchantments and a few hundred feet of tension cable. Anchored to a much smaller building that was more or less just a gray concrete cube.

A garish construction, that used to be owned a by a fairly famous wizard, whose name was lost to the annals of history shortly after he joined with the rest of the Argus’s vast number of dead nobodies.

This tower was the Bone Tree Companies new Nereidan headquarters. A recent purchase that was made after the business had expanded a bit and Meallan’s fear and unease with their grip, made it seem prudent to move.

*****

In an office at the very top of the tower sat a young women, with pale yellow feathers for hair, golden eyes and warm brown skin. She sat at her window, staring down at the city below whilst biting her nails.

Not even resisting the urge to do so, because she’s found that if she really wants them to, they’ll grow right back, before the day is over.

“Miss Maddoc? Miss Maddoc? There’s a call on line four.” said a voice, at her door.

That was Cindy, who went by the handle, Red Cinder, she was with the Thousand Ghosts and was technically Jermaine’s secretary. However Jermaine was off on vacation, because he had his head on straight and knew how to properly delineate between business and regular life.

As for Jermaine’s number two, Matthew, he was over in Albrecht specially delivering a very high tier, magical artifact. Handing over a magic sword, to a client  with enough status that it required a managerial associate to handle their issues.

“Huh...uh. Sure, thanks.” said Edna.

Sounding a bit distracted. Her thoughts disjointed and formless because she was always fairly exhausted at around this point of the day.

“Yes, ma’am.” said the girl. Polite as always in her manner, though  Edna wasn’t sure how she felt about being called ma’am when she’d only just barely turned twenty-five.

“This is Edna Maddoc, Co-Chair of the Bone Tree Company, speaking.” said Edna. Picking up the phone and slipping into the same meaninglessly cheery voice she used for any stranger she found herself speaking to.

“Good Evening Miss Maddoc, this is Rebecca Stanning of the K.O.G. Messenger service with a message to relay to you. Would you like to come in person or are you okay with us relating it over the phone?” said an equally perfunctory voice on the other end of the line.

“Ah...relating the message over the phone is fine.”

Edna listened to the message. It had likely been sent over from another KOG agency, so it sounded a lot like someone reading out and old time-y telegram. WIth heavy use of the word ‘stop’ instead of natural pauses.

It wasn’t a very long message and Edna had the phone back on its base by the time five minutes had passed. She sat at her desk with her head in her hand. Rubbing her temples with her fingertips.

She had a very brief, very minor freakout, that began and ended with her calmly unhooking her phone from its line and sliding it into the waste basket by her desk. Then she got up and walked out to the door of her office.

“Cindi, could you go see if the other Miss Maddoc is available, we need to talk. Apparently there’s another fire that needs to be put out.”

“A fire, ma’am?” said Cindi. Her generally dour look brightening because the newer Ghosts were always looking forwards to a chance at proving themselves to their boss Jermaine and his friends at the Bone Tree Company. Hoping for a chance at earning themselves a dose of the Booster Serum.

The serum only worked once and came at the cost of some extra difficulty when it came to cultivating the normal way, afterwards,  but could push one directly into a higher realm.  Making it priceless, its worth on the market easily equating to a hundred times what the company had made in the past. Which ironically enough, just served to give Edna yet another thing to worry over.

“Ah...apologies, that was just a figure of speech.” said Edna, feeling bad, but not really having any time to spare, for that purpose.

The girl’s face fell, looking plainly disappointed.

“Yes….ma’am. Right away, ma’am.”

*****

A week later, and in a certain lounge in a certain high scale establishment in Nereidan, a group of young faced, old timers in robes sat waiting. The one at the lead, a man known as Kasen, sat with his chin resting on his knuckles while he stared at the door.

Waiting and hungry, growing increasingly impatient as the seconds ticked by. The moment that he’d been waiting for came and the door began to open. The all-important stars of this little dinner date finally arriving, their silhouettes hiding smoke, and dancing light.

*****

“Keheheheheh….Knight to E4.” said Ophelia.

She moved her piece and took not one but two of Alphonse’s pawns before ending her move just a single space away from a helpless general.  

“Ugh...you know, considering that you turned three hundred nearly fifty years ago, that little girl laugh of yours has gotten creepy as hell…” said Alphonse.

“.....It’s not wise to speak of a lady’s age, Alphonse. Even ‘if’ you ‘are’  the head of the church.” said Ophelia, leisurely watching the Primus take one of her Captain pieces and countering by taking his general, a Bishop and a queen.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“*Ehem*..Fair enough…” said Alphonse. Tugging on his vestal collar, even though for once it wasn’t too tight for his tastes. Sensing that the sneaky old fox was in another of her strange moods.

The wisest thing would have been to leave well enough alone, but after losing that first game and then knowing he was going to lose with five moves of playing the second one, he found himself getting curious.

He tried to resist it and whether it his age, or  his experiences slowly making his way to the top of the clergy, he did fairly well and probably wouldn’t have brought it up again if she hadn’t giggled a second time.

“....*Sigh*...Okay. Let’s  hear it.” said Alphonse.

“Hear what?” said Ophelia.  Her pawn held in the air, just a second away from taking his last lieutenant-piece.

“Let’s hear what’s got you in such a good mood.” said Alphonse.

“Good mood? Are you trying to say my normal disposition isn’t sunny?” said Ophelia. Her brows arching.

“Tch...Try selling that to someone who hasn’t known you for the last three centuries , yeah?” said Alphonse.

She frowned, but she couldn’t hold it for long. The frown soon became a smile, wide, and bright as the sun on a clear day. Almost enough that it could’ve even enchanted the man across from her, were he not a man of the cloth, and were she not an existence infinitely close to being his sister and were he not as gay as the day was long. All the same, it was a very, very pretty smile. Dazzling even.

“Okay...fine...you got me. So a little bird just told me, something very interesting is going down.”

“Hm? Do tell.” said Alphonse.

“My ‘favorite’ company of young upstarts, has finally managed to run afoul of the Seven Sons Council.”

“Oh...ouch.” said Alphonse, understanding immediately.

The Seven Sons Council, was the mages guild, the organization that governed most of the Spellscribed, Alchemists and Sorcerers of Monde. They also controlled all the contingent business and magical trade.

If they were calling the Bone Tree Company for a sit down, it meant that they either wanted a cut or they were angry at the Bone Tree Company for swallowing up so many of businesses that were associated with their guild.

In either case it wouldn’t bode well for the youngsters, the old timers at the Seven Sons, were quite rough in their manner and way of doing things.

Often coming to very violent loggerheads with the EITC and KOG associated Magical Goods suppliers. Unless of course, the groups paid their dues and played according to the Seven Sons rules.

“Yes….Ouch.” said Ophelia. Seeming downright excited, momentarily abandoning her usual dourness and affected cool.

“So do you think the kids will cave?” said Alphonse.

“How would I know?” said Ophelia. Accompanying her words with an exaggerated shrug.

“...Do you think the Seven Sons will be able to get them to fall in line?” said Alphonse.

“No clue.” said Ophelia.

“Then what are you so excited for?” said Alphonse.

“I honestly don’t know. It’d be one thing if they were just another company, but they’re a fucking institution now. Almost as big as Seven Sons themselves. I genuinely have no clue what’s going to happen. Do you know how many years it’s been since that’s happened.”

Alphonse just stared at his friend of several centuries mouth slightly ajar. His throat got dry and he decided to wet it with a little coffee. Taking a sip of the latte that sat waiting at his side before sighing tiredly.

“You’re nuts you know that, right? Completely off your rocker.” said Alphonse.

And of course she answered just like he expected her to.

“Uh-huh...and so? Both groups have been driving me nutty for years now. Are you going to blame me for taking a little joy in their misery..or for hoping they both wipe each other out? I mean either way the world gets a little bit safer. A little bit more stable. At the very least it’ll make an opening for me to step and maybe do some trimming.”

Alphonse frowned, shaking his head like he’d into a cobweb and was trying to get it off.

“I’m still a Priest, you know….The Primus is the church’s Head Priest afterall. So believe me, when I say, speaking as a professional, that..just now, that just came out of your mouth sounded more than a little evil. I genuinely worry for your soul.” he said. His tone grave and deadpan, though his expression was a wry one.

His eyes glittering with a certain wickedness, that didn’t behove an ancient clergyman like himself.

“Pft, as if you haven’t done worse, oh most holy, Hammer of the Gods.” said Ophelia, wrinkling her nose.

Alphonse sighed, she wasn’t wrong. Even the head of the Church couldn’t afford to keep his hands clean if the world was to be properly watched over.

“Okay, that’s checkmate. Next game!” said Ophelia. Lining up the pieces again after taking his Emperor.