Jareth moved his loose robes in an elegant gesture, causing them to make a swishing sound, to allow Axel and Aria into his office. The office was nice, with a large wooden desk, a lamp with a light gem, and neat stacks of paperwork covering its surface. Jareth followed the pair into the interior and took his seat in a large padded chair. He then motioned for Axel and Aria to sit in the chairs before the desk.
“As I asked earlier, what can I do for my friends?” Jareth asked again now that everyone was sitting.
“Our fledgling group wants to start hunting and needs freeze storage for meat,” Axel began. “We plan to complete our Cycle quickly and try to build up money so that we can start Flame Seeking.”
“Humm,” Jareth leaned back in his chair and hummed in thought. “What you are asking for is likely out of your price range, Axel.”
“I figured that much, as this is gear any hunter wants. Is there a way for a loan or to borrow one?” Axel countered, only to get a kick in the shin from Aria.
“What my dear Axel meant was, do you provide a rental service for the equipment? Aria is a resident with good credit, and Sapphire's Wayward Home could back this rental service to guarantee that you would not risk a loss,” Aria began to talk over Axel.
Jareth chuckled and pulled out his pipe, filling it with some dried plant. Axel stayed silent; he did not have anyone as a guarantor to cover this and was a bit surprised that Aria had brought her foster mom into this. Axel had the feeling from meeting Sapphire and Aria's nature that it felt unlikely for Aria to even bring that up.
“I know of Sapphire, of course, but her assets are tied up and non-liquid at this time,” Jareth started, much to the wince of Aria.
‘Was Aria bluffing?’ Axel thought, based on how stiff her wings were and how she was sitting up in her chair.
“But I can see that you both are skilled hunters by what you sold me earlier,” Jareth continued as if Aria did not show how down she was. “I also have learned that Axel and your new friend Lyra both don’t have a village or guardians to offset the risk.”
“I have a counter-proposition for you,” Jareth leaned forward with a scary twinkle in his eyes. There was what Axel would swear was a hint of madness in his eyes. “Work for me until you make Adept! At the rate you are likely to grow very quickly, you won’t need to work for me for long, but I am in need of hunters that are skilled and trustworthy to hunt between the novice zone and adept zone for several rare beasts.”
Axel leaned back, not expecting such an offer. With how much wealth Jareth seemed to have, Axel did not see him needing two novice hunters.
‘Can we afford to deny this opportunity though?’ We have some money, but we need more gear. Axel thought and began to run options through his head quickly but could not come up with anything better. Even saying no, then making a team to gem craft and maybe help others in their Cycle, it was the best option to take up Jareth. Axel then looked at Aria to see her waiting for his decision. He gave her a small nod and let her do her thing.
“Aria thinks that can work as long as we can gather a decent team. As you mentioned, we have three members and a line on a fourth, but this would need to be a five-person group, not counting yourself, if this is going to be safe. Aria can work as a scout in a standard hunting group, Axel works well as a vanguard to hold a beast, and Lyra is good back support with healing through her blessing. Aria knows of someone who would be interested, but they have not been introduced to the group,” Aria started, getting a nod from Jareth as he relaxed back into his chair. “Though this person would be more interested in being a base camp support for now than fighting on the front line.”
“Aria and Axel do not know anyone else to bring into this venture. Aria would take any recommendations, and Axel would likely want to vet them as well,” Aria looked to Axel and received his nod in agreement.
“I have two people I know are trustworthy and could help with this if I can get your group on board. I trust them implicitly, and they have always been trustworthy to work with,” Jareth added after Aria stopped talking.
“That’s fine,” Axel nodded and added. “So when do you want to get this going? Our group will need a week or so before we can leave, as there is training remaining after completing our first trials for Lyra and me.”
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Jareth stopped and looked at Axel in confusion at that statement and asked, “Completing your first? I know from my sources that Lyra was new, sadly that she could not be a full healer, but she would have been wrapped up by the Healers if that happened. But how is this your first? I could feel power coming from you when we first met.”
Sigh, “That is a long story, but the short version is I am the holder of a proto core, and my father was Glenn Thunderstrider, who completed the Trial of Ordeal to get a master tier material to save me as a baby,” Axel replied, much to the shock on Jareth’s face.
“Well, I will be damned to the crimson. I had heard about that years ago, but it was during a trying time in my life, so it is a little fuzzy,” Jareth replied to Axel’s condensed life story. “That would also explain your reaction to Aria being hurt in the fight. I could barely follow you when she called out in pain.”
“I am still coming to terms with that, as a proto core is complicated, but I don’t wish to go into this much more, sorry Jareth,” Axel explained. “Also, now that I think of it, why do you know about Lyra?”
“Ahahahaha, I just happened to come across dear Aria over there on a date with a lovely human woman and got curious. I did a little digging and asked a few inn staff members questions. This is not too hard to do,” Jareth laughed and tried to explain. “I was also keeping an eye out for you to complete what I thought was your second cycle and was looking to recruit you and Aria as you fit best into my plans.”
“Please don’t think too much into it. I do this with everyone who I think to bring into a venture like this, as you can never be too careful,” Jareth finished, taking up his pipe again and relighting it.
“I will leave it alone for now, as too much suspicion could hurt us all at the start of something like this, but please just ask things next time,” Axel looked Jareth in the eye when he said this, thinking of the strange situations he had seen in the alleyways the last couple of weeks and the fact that no bounty hunters had found him yet.
“Good, good! Now I will also need about a week to contact the other two that will join this. I suggest you see about the person you want to work with, and we all meet here at the end of next week to plan and pack. This will be dangerous, but if we can succeed, you will likely not need to hunt again until after your third cycle and can focus on growing your powers through the trials,” Jareth said with the red glow of his pipe lighting up his face.
“Aria will also need the contract to look over this,” Aria chirped as things settled, much to Jareth's amusement.
“I will get it to you by the end of the week if that is fine?” At Aria’s nod, Jareth smiled. “Good, now as you can see, I have a lot of paperwork to complete here and now need to write up a contract, so please close the door on your way out.”
Jareth then led them out the door and, after shaking their hands, closed it right behind them. Axel led Aria back down the stairs and out of the shop with a wave to the shopkeeper as they left.
“So that was strange or was I overthinking things?” Axel asked as they walked down the sidewalks.
“So that was strange, or was I overthinking things?” Axel asked as they walked down the sidewalks.
“Definitely sus. Aria wants to trust Jareth, but we should be careful as we have only known him for a short time,” Aria replied while looking around at the shops. “Also, Aria thinks we have a tail following us.”
Aria’s non sequitur caught Axel slightly off guard, but he kept his reaction in check by stopping at a food vendor and buying some meat skewers for him and Aria. He tried using his peripheral vision but could not see who Aria was talking about.
“You sure?” Axel asked quietly as he handed her the skewer.
“Yep. Aria has been watching them through the glass reflections for a while. They are decent, but there are only two of them that Aria has seen, and their tailing rotation needs work,” Aria replied happily, eating the skewer and kissing Axel on the cheek, leaving some of the sauce on his cheek that she then licked clean, causing a shiver down Axel’s spine.
“We doing anything or trying to lose them at the launch and heading home?” Axel asked, feeling more confident about his safety now with his new power.
“Nope, we let them pass. Aria thinks they may be part of the thieves guild based on how they are tailing us, and Aria already gave them the sign to back off while cleaning your cheek,” Aria replied casually.
“Thieves guild? Okay, you are getting to be a little much there, Aria. How are you involved with the thieves guild?” Axel asked as this was getting to be too much for him to handle.
“Foster Mom wanted Aria to have the best knives trainer growing up, and that was a man in the thieves guild. Aria would only be considered an outer member as she trained under her master for a time, but they are well respected, so Aria knows how to get the lower members to back off,” Aria explained as if this was nothing.
“Aria, I think you have led a much more interesting childhood than you led me to believe before. Also, Sapphire is beginning to scare me a bit with how connected she seems to be,” Axel told Aria as they reached the launch.
“You have nothing to worry about. Foster Mom was quite taken by you when you came over. Just treat her as an old lady that wants to help kids, and you will be fine,” Aria said as if a woman who knew upper members of the vanguard and the thieves guild while being able to just call in favors on a whim was the most natural thing.
The ride on the platform did not take them to the inn as Axel was expecting but to the Crimson Vanguard. Axel looked at Aria, but she just said that they were meeting the new prospective member. Not knowing what Aria planned this time, Axel just tried to enjoy the ride through the city as the weather was beginning to leave winter completely and come into spring in full. The twin sun's shone through the light cloud cover, giving the tall buildings a lovely color and accentuating the beautiful architecture built so long ago.