(Heka)

A dour Heka could be found at the bar inside the Blustone Guild sipping on palewater. She hated coming to these places; everyone here was so... happy. It was a bit unsettling, especially since the next time they dove could very well be their last. She would never understand adventurers, albeit they probably thought the same of her. Nearly everyone on this infernal island praised the mouth, even those who were not up for venturing inside revered it.

The inside of the guild matched the grandiose nature of its members. White pillars laid in an array supported a high marble ceiling that depicted a mural of the blue moon. A number of Manch Licht, a lower grade artifact, were floating above, giving off a vibrant glow like that of a thousand candles. Lower grade artifacts, or Arcs as they were more colloquially called, did not usually contain much power.

One would be lying, however, if they claimed that Arcs were not useful, on the contrary they trivialized many aspects of daily life, part of the raison d'être behind the mouth's popularity. When even the most common treasures mined from its depths were coveted across the world, it was no wonder so many gathered in hubs like Bluestone to partake in the plundering.

"I still think they're all mad."

Divers, medics, merchants, even blacksmiths, drank and ate with zest as they mingled amongst each other. Heka noticed quite a few who had dancing shadows; it was to be expected, Bluestone attracted the strong.

They came from all over the world to test their mettle in the mouth. She could see dark-skinned sailors from the Nudimian Isle with brightly dyed green hair who shared fisticuffs and then a glass of Venetian ale with rigid grey knights from Laustrenia. Golden-haired nobleman from Czilaria dined with proper etiquette while three hulking Gondvyr noisily tore into a slab of meat a mere seat away. Both male and female alike took part in the debauchery; there was no gender or even race when it came to the mouth, only strength.

A bard was playing a merry tune on his lute off to the side, and some danced while others cheered them on with guffaws and jeers. Halflings scurried about serving ale and meat, a swarm of bees amidst the throng. Poor creatures, they would get a kick to the backside if their serving was not up to task. The prevalent smell of sweat and alcohol was enough to make Heka choke a bit.

Much like Lucian earlier, there were a few upstarts who could be seen showing off their freshly scavenged Baldrics; even middle grade artifacts were enough to please anyone these days. They were probably newly promoted green scarabs, finally breaking past the novice's slope as veteran divers called it; many trained for years and were never able to ascend to the next level.

The Zurwyne siblings were late so Heka had been persuaded by Gayle to wait inside the guild. Sultry gazes had followed him as he ushered her inside; Heka often teased Gayle about how many women seemed to fancy him. Predictably, as soon as she had settled down he had been whisked away, leaving her bored. A vice-captain sure lived a busy life.

No one joined her at the bar to ease her listlessness; her reputation wasn't exactly stellar, even if she was friends with Gayle. Most of the people who knew her in this ward avoided her, and those who knew of her did more than just avoid. They would whisper behind her back whenever she passed by, as if a thousand crickets haunted her every step.

The barkeep must have felt sorry for her, because a fresh glass of mango juice was nudged towards Heka, "Here, it's on the house miss."

Duren was a portly man, his graying black hair laid back in small curls. He was one of the only people who didn't seem to mind Heka, no doubt being friends with Gayle helped.

"I guess that charmer Gayle is good for some things after all."

"Duren how are you, what's my favorite barkeep been up to, got any news lately?"

Duren started to wipe down a few used glasses with a long sigh, "Nothing much, just the usual. A few green scarabs were lost in the mouth recently, may the Nix return their souls to the shadow. Poor fools died to a stray facestealer that had ascended. Other than that, it's been relatively quiet, although," and here he craned his neck around to check that nobody was listening before he leaned forward, "I have heard whispers about a new Choir being found."

Heka raised her eyebrows, a Choir was an upper grade artifact and could easily fetch a small fortune. As if these stupid divers needed any more enthusiasm, this kind of revelation would make them salivate at the mouth if true.

"Are you sure you heard right, I mean when's the last time a new one was actually found, two-hundred years ago?"

"Begging your pardon miss, I know how you feel about the mouth," Duren said, "But you must understand that it is a place of never-ending wonder to the rest of us. Even to someone like me, who has never had any doubts about his place in this world, hearing about a new discovery made in this day and age is a wondrous feeling. Now as for it being true, this is another matter. I cannot say for sure, but a little bird told me that the other day, a múnblud strolled into the Inkheart Guild and said he would sell a never before seen Choir to the highest bidder."

"By the Nix, you're insane old man," Heka said as she rolled her eyes, "Absolutely mad, not only do you claim a new Choir was found, you're also telling me someone saw a múnblud? Never before have I ever heard tell of such-"

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Something flashed by in Heka's periphery that halted her rant.

She spotted a few novice divers eyeing the quest board in the far corner of the guild's main hall. It was filled with subjugation requests, rare artifact expeditions, and a host of other jobs. A boy and a girl with light green hair amongst the pack were what had caught Heka's attention.

"Duren, I'll be back later, thanks for the juice," Heka said, and then she got up and sped towards the quest board.

The boy looked younger than her but was almost a head taller, while his wide shoulders and already developing build suggested he'd grow into a sturdy man. A few girls admired him from afar.

The girl had a lean but sinewy look about her, her long hair tied back in a ponytail. There were two morning-stars strapped to either side of the boy, while the girl had a bow and quiver. Both wore deep blue satin cloaks that looked like they could probably feed Heka for years if she sold them. Gayle had said that the siblings she was waiting for had green hair, could that be them? They certainly looked the part.

If it really was them, she would be miffed that they had blown her off to look at quests of all things! Heka marched up to the girl and tapped her shoulder, "Excuse me, are you Airo Zurwyne by chance?"

An angelic face turned to greet her, "Me? Sorry, you must be thinking of my brother," the girl said and gestured to the boy next to her, "I am Akira Zurwyne, you are Heka I take it? Airo, say hello."

Heka was still a bit stunned by Akira's beauty to say anything. She had a graceful demeanor but the air around her was filled with a noble aura, almost enough to make Heka cower.

Clueless to her discomfort, Airo enthusiastically shook her hand with both of his, "Sir Gayle has told us all about you my lady, pleased to make your acquaintance, my name is Airo. We were told you would be showing us around Patala? I must say I thought you would look stronger, cursed or not, a bit cleaner as well I must admit. But, Sir Gayle told us you were an exceptional individual, and I definitely judge him to be a man of his word. Perhaps there is more to you than meets the eye? I certainly hope so. By the way, this guild looks almost as magnificent as our guest house back home, do you know who painted that exquisite mural up there? Anyhow, let us get on with it, I cannot wait a moment longer!"

His words came out like a rapid-fire cannon artifact, Heka could barely process one question while he blurted out the next, most of which were very rude. And, Sir Gayle? She would have to ask him about that little title the next time she saw him, the oaf.

Heka tried to regain her bearings a bit before continuing, "Umm, yes well, anyway as you have said, I am Heka, pleased to meet you my lord," she said, exchanging her usually brusque tone for a more subservient one, "It has been around 18 blue moons since I was born, I take it you and your sister are a moon or two younger than me. If you please, tell me what you would like to know first, or where you would fancy heading to?"

Akira laughed, "There is no need to call him lord, Heka, we want to dismiss the formalities while we are here. Treat us as your friends, we have come here as benefactors after all."

"I would not mind being addressed as Lord though," Airo interjected, "And we first want a tour of the city and its various wards, I am sure there are many sections that contribute to the expeditions in the void. I wish to see them all and introduce myself as their savior. With my sister and I here, it should only be a matter of time until its depths are breached, and its treasures secured."

He rapped the twin morning-stars at his waist, "I have been training my whole life for this, ever since I was a babe I have heard stories about the wonders of the void, the treasure it holds. They say a boy becomes a man down there, and I intend to see it for myself. None of the knights in my father's duchy can hold a candle to my skill in combat. I call this one Vengeance," he said as patted the mace on his right, "and the other one Salvation. They will be a guiding beacon of light for me as I plunder the void for all its worth, and claim its riches for Graemoore."

"Wow... was he dropped on the head as a child?! What does he think people have been doing in the mouth for the past three-thousand years, planting daisies?"

Heka was stunned, Airo wished to come here as a savior? It looked like he was about as arrogant as you could expect from a noble.

Heka tried her best not to crack a sneer but the young man was making it extremely difficult on her. Nevertheless, she was able to maintain her stony countenance. The mouth must have seemed like a children's playground to him, the way he talked about it; how foolish.

Judging by how Akira's calm smile didn't waver while her brother boasted, she probably harbored similar thoughts, but was simply not as gregarious as him, "I would be glad to take you around the wards today, we can go over the ins and outs of diving tomorrow since it is usually best to not juggle our focus. And, one more thing, while you are here I would beseech you to not mention the void, it is considered a bad omen to call it that. Most residents refer to it as the mouth of Patala, or simply the mouth. The rock formations surrounding its entrance resemble teeth, hence the name."

"How quaint," Akira laughed, "But we will be sure to follow island customs, we wouldn't want to upset anyone here, do we now Airo?"

Akira touched her brother's arm with a sardonic smile and he nodded, "Yes! We will observe your customs, silly as they may be. Now let us be off, adventure awaits!"

"Well, he's quite blunt."

Airo strode importantly out of the guild, leaving Heka and Akira behind. The girl gave her a once over, like she was appraising Heka's worth, "The curse that Gayle mentioned, it really piqued my curiosity. I admit I have never heard of anything of the sort before, which is strange because my mother does much more than just dabble in runes as I am sure you were told. You do not look much deserving of such a mystical fate, but there is something different about you, something alien. However, I can't really tell what it is yet."

Akira slithered right up to Heka, forcing her to back up until she bumped into a table. She was hypnotized by the younger girl's sharp gaze, allowing Akira to come so close that their noses almost touched, their breasts squished together, "At first glance I thought you looked quite dirty," Akira whispered, "You wear rags and look to be just another rat from the slums, but now I see there's a pretty wench underneath all the filth after all."

Broken from her stupor, Heka instinctively backed away from the table, caught off guard by the other girl's complete lack of personal space, "I could barely think there for a second, what a vixen."

Akira gave a satisfied smile before gliding to her brother outside; she moved like a dancer. Heka could not read that little minx at all, she gave nothing away! Staring into her eyes was almost like staring into the mouth itself, a vast ocean lay behind them.

As if that wasn't enough, Heka's jaw dropped when she glimpsed the siblings basking in the sunlight that struck the guild's entrance.

Neither had a shadow.

"This is going to be a long day, isn't it?"