A loud clattering and angry shouting outside of her window awakens Jeshin from her sleep, the orange light from the setting sun sending soft rays against her door. Swinging her feet lazily, she yawns and stretches with audible pops. Standing up, she strides to the door and looks out onto the street, seeing two vendors yelling at each other, a cart half filled with crates of vegetables overturned in the street. Onions, carrots, potatoes, and cabbages all rolled down the slanted street. The merchant that had knocked his cart into the vegetable merchant's cart was red faced and gesturing wildly, the vegetable vendor himself screaming back, spittle flying into each other's faces. A young child was running after the spilled vegetables, panickedly putting them back into their crates.

Jeshin snorted at the scene, then looked up toward the city. Their inn was located halfway up a hill, streets packed on either side with buildings, business signs and residential homes mixed together in an amalgamation. The winding street was connected by dozens of side streets going in random directions, as if the one who planned it all had just thrown lines of ink against the wall. The thing Jeshin liked most about the Jaded Gnome was that it was three stories, an entire floor higher than most everything to its sides and below it. She could see over the rooftops down into the massive city, as well as the valley beyond, all the way out toward the snow-capped mountains in the distance, the sun dropping down between a massive break between them. Crows alighted on the many rooftops in the city, cawing at each other and the passerby underneath.

A lucky sign, she thinks to herself.

The children of Ma'liksa, the god of luck, chance and virtuous wealth, were always welcome by the populace. Especially when it came to freelancers such as herself. She hums a wordless tune to herself softly as she watches the world go by. Eventually the vendors leave, still spitting venom at each other, a few of the city guard coming by not much later to question the passersby. She watches as the sun finally dips below the horizon, then pushes herself from the window to put on her boots, grabs the letter on her desk, then leaves the room, locking it behind her.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

As she walks down the hall, she notices Cossack leaning against his door frame. He was dressed in his normal dark blue robes trimmed with golden thread, his staff, capped with obsidian-colored veerwood on either end, strapped across his back. He falls in behind her silently as she passes by, and they descend the steps down into the common room below. At the bar she could see Norvor and Joshua drinking and laughing with the barman and other patrons, the others at their normal table in the front corner speaking quietly amongst themselves. She strides toward the table, catching the eyes of Norvor and Joshua. They leave their drinks and coin at the counter and follow.

Jeshin steps past the table where Kor'lo and Vara are talking. "Kor, come on, you can't be serious! That trip would take at least seven days and cost at minimum seventeen silver. And that's not including lodging!"

Kor'lo shakes his head quickly and speaks in his gurgle voice, "No, no, Vara, lissten. If you usse normal transsportation, ssure. But Kor'lo is talking about sspecial travel! If you hire a kre'kua, you'd get there in a day and a half, maxx! And the cosst iss far lesss!"

Vara frowns and speaks, annoyance in her voice. "A kre'kua? Isn't that the huge flatfish? How do you suppose I even find a handler in the first place? Not just anyone can hire them."

Kor'lo grins toothily. "Not to worry, dear Vara. Kor'lo hasss their connectionsss. The isle of Bru'la is waiting! Thhink of the vacation we could have! The island fruitsss make Kor'lo'ss mouth water."

The two stand up as Jeshin passes by and continue talking, Vara now contemplating the logistics of Kor'lo's proposal. As the six of them exit the inn, Jeshin turns to the left and goes back toward the rathole she had left this morning. "Uporin better be ready," she growls to herself. "I'll drag him by his little fur if I have to." Joshua and Norvor laugh, while Cossack's eyes scrunch up with a smile. Vara glances at her then snorts and turns back to her conversation with Kor'lo.