People idolize the Dusk Guild, and I can't fault them for it. As an organization, the guild is helpful, easy to work with, and fair in their dealings. That doesn't change the fact that the guild serves one purpose: funneling people to the Gates of Dusk. I don't agree with that core purpose, but at least they make it a choice.

The second best thing Nezierian ever did was to hire people with morals to run his guild. The best thing he ever did was to die.

-Basen Koh on the Dusk Guild

The fight inside the Dusk Guild's main hall wasn't exactly what Reid had been expecting. People cheered and jeered, gathered around a ring set into the hall's floor, seemingly purpose-built for the fight. In the ring was a young woman who looked about his age and another person wearing a smooth grey mask. Reid couldn't see the person under the mask, and there didn't seem to be any openings in the mask to see out of. That didn't seem to interfere with the person's ability to dodge every attack from the young woman.

She gritted her teeth and seemed to snarl as she thrust and slashed with a whip-like sword. Each strike found no purchase as the masked figure moved just enough to dodge every time. Reid didn't see any kind of judge or official managing the fight. People sat at desks along one wall, tucked in slightly, but they watched the contest passively. The crowd was less passive, but they all seemed to have the same wish.

"You can do it, Leah! Hit him where it hurts!"

"Knock that dumb mask off!"

"Push him toward the edge!"

"Watch out for the cane!"

Reid saw the cane just as he processed the shout. The masked figure pulled it from behind their back and swung it casually. The woman jumped away, but the hooked end caught her foot as though the masked figure had seen the jump before it happened, catching her perfectly. She fell back and thumped against the somewhat forgiving floor of the ring. The figure pressed the cane to her head, and everyone around the ring booed.

The crowd dispersed quickly, and the masked figure helped the woman up. Reid hadn't moved from near the back of the crowd and couldn't hear the conversation between the contestants. After a few things were said, the woman nodded, and the figure turned and left, walking through a door near the desks at the back of the room.

Reid wanted to know about what had just happened, being a curious sort of person, but he didn't know the woman and didn't want to intrude on her moment of contemplation. He'd try to find her later, he thought.

No one was in line for guild services, so Reid picked a desk and walked up.

"Good afternoon!" the clerk said. "What can I do for you?"

"Hi, I'm new in town, and I was told your guild could help me get settled?"

The man nodded and began pulling out some forms.

"Sure, sure. We get that a lot, but we don't mind. What do you need help with in particular?"

Reid wasn't sure how to answer that. His most immediate need was housing, but he also knew nothing about this guild, whatever that fight had been, the non-humans in the city, and countless other things.

"Uh, a little bit of everything, I think."

The clerk laughed. "I know the feeling. How about this: Three questions should be all I need to get you what you need. Do you have a place to stay? Are you in town on a visitor's permit? And what do you hope to do or accomplish in the city?"

"No, yes, and ideally, I want to live here permanently. I'll probably be looking for a job, with my sights set on learning to become a full time merchant."

The clerk put a few papers away and pulled out a few more. "Right then. First, fill out this. It's an application for temporary housing supplied by the Dusk Guild. We handle that in one of two ways. You can either pay for the housing up front or sign a service writ for the Dusk Guild. The writ requires you to report to the guild a couple times per week and take on some assigned work."

Reid glanced at the application, which clearly listed the cost of the housing at ten silver per week. That seemed high to him, but he really didn't know if it was or not. Either way, he couldn't pay for it. Without selling the goblet of ice, he only had seven silver to his name.

"What kind of work?" he asked. He would figure out something else if it wasn't reasonable.

"Oh, nothing too onerous and nothing dangerous. It's mostly just cleaning in the tower, message running, some mild manual labor like packing or unpacking shipments, and the occasional unfulfilled public request. You sign a new writ every week, so you can switch to paying if you want to in the future or move out any time."

Reid nodded. It was a good arrangement.

"Great. You can bring that back here when you finish. It sounds like you generally know how to get a permanent residence permit, so I'll include a small pamphlet rather than explain it. I've also included some general city information and rules, as well as some extra information about the Dusk Guild. None of what I'm offering you requires membership or any obligation of future membership, but there is an information notice here. Now, is there anything else?"

"I, uh, was told you might have some information about non-human races in the city? I'm from a small border village. Not a lot of non-human interaction out there, and I don't want to make an ass of myself."

The clerk chuckled. "With that attitude, you should do well with most, but we do have a small informational sheet I can include. Now, why don't you fill out that application and think about more questions. I'll help you when you're done."

Reid sat down at a table. Since the fight had ended, the hall had calmed down significantly, but there was still a night and day difference between the Dusk Guild and the Merchant's Guild. The Merchant's Guild had felt formal and professional. It was quiet except when deals were being struck or information exchanged. There hadn't been loud conversations, laughter, or anywhere to stop and sit. The Dusk Guild had all of that. It felt like a place where people came for community.

He finished his application, which asked some basic questions about his preferences, culture, and profession, along with personal information like place of origin, citizenship, and age. The clerk took it and his visitor's pass and noted some information.

"Great. We'll get you set up in an apartment. You're in luck. There's usually a few days wait, but a room just opened up in a unit in this building. It's on the second floor, and you'll reach it via the stairs. Be aware that the stairwell isn't secured, so the general population can, in theory, make it to your door at any time."

The clerk fished out a key and placed it on the desk with his visitor's pass. "Rules are posted in your informational packet. Report tomorrow morning for a duty assignment. You're in suite three, room four. Did you have any other questions?"

Reid did, but he also wanted to think about things first. "I think I'll be reading through all the information you gave me first, then coming back with some."

"Sensible. Oh, one more thing. In general, there's no curfew, but the guild hall locks up at midnight and opens up again bright and early at sixth bell, so if you want to sleep at night, be back inside before midnight."

Reid accepted his key and carried his armload of informational papers up the stairs at the far end of the guild hall. The stairs weren't super noticeable, and several signs indicated that they led to private residences, so Reid didn't think unexpected visitors would be too much of a problem.

He found suite three and used his key to open the door. Inside, there was a small kitchen area and a slightly larger living area opposite it, with doors along the back wall leading down a short hallway. Someone was sitting on the couch with a towel over their face. He shut the door, noting that it seemed to lock behind him. He would want to make sure he had his key when he left.

The person on the couch heard the door and pulled off the towel. To Reid's surprise and slight embarrassment, it was the woman he'd seen get beaten in the rather one-sided fight.

"Oh, hello," he said, like an idiot.

"Hey. New initiate?" the woman asked.

"Uh, no. I don't think so? I'm just here for temporary housing. I'm Reid."

He walked over and extended a hand. She shook it with a firm grip.

"Leah. Are you in room four? Did Nick leave without saying goodbye?"

"I am. I don't know who Nick is, though."

"Eh, that's alright. He was kind of an ass."

She sat back on the couch and drummed her hand on her leg. "Want some advice?"

"Always," he said truthfully.

"Leave your stuff here and open up your room. Open the window and prop open the door. Nick wasn't that bad, but he was always a little...fragrant in the morning."

Reid laughed. "Good advice. I'll do that."

She nodded. "I'll be here."

Reid dropped his things. He was a little nervous about leaving them with someone he didn't know, even if it was only for a minute, but he thought Leah was being friendly. Maybe he was naive.

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Whatever Leah was, she wasn't a liar. The room was clean, but the lingering smell made his stomach turn. It was like the man had eaten nothing but pickled eggs and raw turnips. The window, praise the true gods, opened easily, and he left the door propped open a little.

Reid found Leah reading one of his informational papers when he returned.

"I didn't know they had these!" she said, showing him the paper about common non-human races in the city.

"Yeah. I met a...Uhh, can I see that?"

He found the entry.

"Orkenna, who told me the Dusk Guild could provide more information about different races in the city."

Leah found the entry he'd mentioned.

"Orkenna are a seven to nine foot tall people with green skin and scales covering their scalp and backside. Despite their distinctive physique and natural red eyes, they are no stronger than humans. They are generally inclined toward pacifism and peaceful resolution of problems through open communication rather than violence. Wow. I can't believe I haven't seen one of these."

She set down the paper and sighed.

"Have you been in the city long?" Reid asked.

"No, not really. A little over a month, but I've spent most of it kissing asses at the guild. You?"

"No, I can't say I've been kissing any asses."

She rolled her eyes at him dramatically. "Have you been in the city long, smart ass?"

"No," he said with a chuckle. "I only got in today. I've got some long term plans, but short term, I need a job and an authorization of residence, or whatever they call the non-visitor pass."

"A lot of people in the temporary housing are the same," she said. "I'm trying to join the Dusk Guild, not here on a visitor pass, but I can't pass the dumb assessment."

"The fight?" he asked.

"Ahh, you saw that then?" She had grown a little red in the face.

"Yeah, but I didn't know what it was. You need to beat the guy in the mask?"

Leah burst out laughing. She slapped the couch and wheezed. Reid looked on in confused amusement until she wiped her eyes and took a few steadying breaths.

"Sorry, I needed that, though. Thanks for the laugh. The guy in the mask was the New Avennia branch guild leader. They say he's a six star Greater Mage. They could tie him to the floor and give me a sledgehammer, and I probably wouldn't be able to hurt him."

"Oh. Wow. That's..."

"Yeah. Truth be told, I'm not sure what I need to do. Part of joining is the fighting assessment, but I lose badly. Then Gadren tells me one of the thousands of things I did wrong, and I fix it and repeat the entire process the next week. It's frustrating."

"Ouch. I'm surprised they make it so hard to become a member."

Leah let her head fall back and groaned.

"It's not though! I've seen people come in—day one—and take the assessment on the spot. They get their butts handed to them, then pass. I'm just not sure what's so different."

"No one will tell you?"

"They say the assessment criteria are a secret, so no. Ahh, well. I'm just going to keep trying. It's not like I have anything better to do."

She rolled her head in his direction to look at him.

"What about you, Reid? You have a life?"

The question was a little blunt, but Reid took it in stride. She was dealing with things that he didn't know about and might not understand.

"I guess? I just left home. I finished my schooling and was declared an adult. So the first thing I did was tell my parents I was leaving and found the first person willing to take me here. It wasn't immediate, a few months, but even though we kind of made up before I left, I think my parents are still upset with me. My little brother and sister took it a little better, but they're young. Anyway, I'm here to start learning the merchant's trade. It's always been something I've wanted to do."

"Let me get this straight. You have a family and parents at home, and you decided to come here to become a guy who sells stuff?"

"That sums it up, yeah."

"It sounds weird to me, but my home was destroyed by the Black Dragon Father years ago. I was one of the only survivors from our village. No parents, no family, no friends. So it's just a little hard for me to imagine leaving that behind."

Reid winced. There was a lot to unpack there.

"I'm sorry that happened to you."

She gave him a sad smile. "Yeah, me too. Wow. I am really just bringing the positivity today, aren't I?"

"I'm significantly more worried about depression than I was when I walked into the room. So yeah, you're crushing it. Literally."

Leah laughed and wiped at her eyes again. "I'm sorry, Reid. Just a little in my head about that failure of a fight earlier. I'll make it up to you sometime, but I think I'll head downstairs for some training. Do you fight?"

"Only with idiots."

"I'm not sure if that's smart or dangerous."

"I don't know, but it probably explains why I argue with myself so often."

Leah shook her head at his joke and stood. "You're funny, Reid. I'll catch you later. I'm in room two if you need anything, but honestly, I don't like being in there, so if I'm not out here, I'm probably either sleeping or not home."

She collected a small bundle from under the couch and left the suite. Reid really enjoyed the conversation and was glad at least one of the people he was living with seemed nice. He picked up his stuff and went to his room. He had a lot of reading to do.

He sat on his bed and read. After learning everything he could about different races found in the city and deciding the guide would be much more helpful with some basic illustrations, he moved on to information about the guild.

The Dusk Guild was the outreach and public facing arm of the Infernal Council. Reid had heard of them. The information he read agreed with the stories he'd heard. The Infernal Council was based near the Gates of Dusk. They fought against the monsters that threatened to invade the world from beyond the Gates. The Dusk Guild served as a goodwill relationship mechanism between the countries of the world and the Council. In the packet, they referred to it as a mutual support model. The guild provided a valuable service in the communities of various nations, and in exchange, the rulers of those nations supported the Infernal Council in their never ending war.

Reid couldn't imagine what it was like there, at the Gates of Dusk. In his mind, he pictured a giant black ring that served as a window into some kind of desolate wasteland crawling with rock based monstrosities. He had no idea what the monsters actually looked like, and the informational packet was kind enough not to fuel his nightmares.

He set that information aside and looked at some of the city information. There were generally three districts, but there was no absolute division. The southern district was primarily residential, the market district was mostly commercial in nature, and the northern district was mostly bureaucratic, with government, guilds, and various societies holding real estate. Each district had some mixed use, as evidenced by his new home in the guild district and some shops he'd seen on his way through the residential district.

He compared the map in the informational papers with the map he'd borrowed from the traveling trader, Quinn. Quinn's map was considerably larger and more detailed, but it didn't have some things highlighted that were present on the smaller map.

That presented a problem. He wanted all the information in one location, but it wasn't his map. He probably wouldn't be happy if he loaned out a map and someone drew all over it, even with the best intentions. No, he needed his own map.

"Pen and paper..."

He looked through his things. He'd brought both in limited supply. His paper wasn't sturdy, though, and when he found it, he knew he'd need something more substantial.

Instead of drawing a map with his paper, he started a list.

"Map paper...a job...see if this goblet is worth anything."

The goblet in question was chilling some water on the nightstand. He sat on the bed since those two things and a small chest of drawers were literally all the tiny room contained. He liked having cool drinks on command. While traveling, he'd used it several times. Now that he thought about it, he'd probably used the goblet more than the Merchant's Mark.

A knock at his door pulled him out of his musings. He opened it to find Leah outside, holding up some bread and a small bag.

"Hungry? I figured I'd grab us something to eat on my way back as an apology for traumatizing you."

Reid grinned at her. "You don't have to apologize, but I will definitely eat some of your food. I got carried away reading, so I'm starving."

They ate at the small counter between the kitchen and living space. "How was your training? Also, where do you train? Not in the main hall, right?"

"No, no. That's just for the assessments. There's another set of stairs on the other side of the hall. It goes down into a training area. They have all kinds of stuff, free to use for initiates. Not sure if you could use them, now that I think about it. It was good, though. I sparred against another initiate and kicked his butt, so I'm feeling a little better about myself."

"Nice. Do you always fight with that sword? It's a sword, right?"

"It's a foil. More traditionally a sport weapon than a battle weapon, but mine is magic, so I use it anyway."

Reid perked up at that. "You're a mage?"

"Yep. Three stars, thanks to the foil. All the initiates are. You have to be a mage to join the guild."

"Interesting. Would you mind telling me about your item? I'm a mage, too. Only one star though."

"Ahh," she said, scratching her head. "You might not want to say that to people in the city. It's technically true, but only people who have bound at least a three star item call themselves mages here."

"Oh. I think my friend told me that. I've learned a lot in the past few days, though."

"Fair enough. Asking about powers can sometimes be rude, too, but that's usually only true if you're asking someone at the same level as you. There aren't really rules. It's just a custom thing that's kind of hard to understand. Most people just don't ask unless there's a reason you need to know, like if you're working on a job notice together and expect a fight.

"As for my foil, it allows me to make strikes that have an additional sonic effect. It's hard to use around others, but it's really effective. There's that, and binding it makes it deal more damage with regular strikes."

She pulled it out of the cloth she kept beside her. "Want to give it a few swings?"

He looked at it skeptically. He did not want to attack himself with sonic energy.

"Is that safe?"

"Sure. It's bound to me, so you won't be able to trigger the ability unless I give you permission, which I don't. The extra damage won't work for you either."

Reid accepted the foil. It was even lighter than he expected. The blade wasn't really a blade, as it didn't have a cutting edge. It was circular and ended in a small sphere at the tip. He swung it a couple times and tried to feel the magic inside. It was blocked in an interesting way. He could feel and examine it with his senses, but reaching for the power in any way put up a wall, blinding him to the power for a few moments.

He knew his mark wouldn't work either, as the blade was bound, but he tried it, too. The same thing happened. His ability had no problem trying to connect to identify the item, but it was similarly blocked off.

"What are you doing? I can sense something."

"My ability lets me identify items, but only if they're unbound. I was trying to see what would happen if I used it on a bound item."

"And?"

"Nothing. It's like a wall goes up."

"Weird. It feels like some of the magic pull of the binding is redirected for a moment when you do that."

Reid handed back the weapon. "Thanks for showing me. I've only seen a few magic weapons before."

"Sure. It's kind of weird having it bound now. I would have never let anyone see it before I got my third star."

"Because they might bind it?"

"Or just steal it."

"Can they steal it now? Or will it just be worthless since it's bound?"

She held the sword back out, and Reid took it, confused. Leah walked across the room and smiled at him.

"You've really never seen this before?"

"Seen what?"

"Watch."

Reid looked between Leah and the sword. After a moment, magic flooded the weapon in his hand. The weapon's glow blazed for a moment, making him blink. In an instant, the weapon was gone. He looked up and saw Leah twirling it.

"You can't steal a bound magic item," she said. "The binder can just summon it back to them."

Reid felt like he should have known that. People in the village did have some bound items after all. Heck, he had one. He pulled off his mark and tossed it to Leah.

"What's this?" she asked, examining it.

"It's called the Merchant's Mark. It lets me identify items, as I said. I didn't know I could summon it, though. How do I do it?"

"It's bound?"

Reid nodded.

"Close your eyes. It will help get the right feeling. Good. Now, find the magical connection between you and your item. Once you have it, you just need to wrap your mind around it and pull. I can't explain that part, but it should make sense when you get it."

Reid found the link easy enough. Leah was right. It was easier to sense with his eyes closed. He tried for a full minute but couldn't get his mind around the link, and no amount of pulling without doing that seemed to help.

He finally gave up and shrugged. "Maybe I need more practice with it?"

"Maybe. It might be easier for items with more stars, too."

She handed his mark back and yawned. "Sorry, Reid. I better get to bed. Long day tomorrow. It was nice talking to you though."

"Same," he said. "I need to report to the guild for my service writ tomorrow."

"Ahh, yeah. Those suck, and you're definitely going to be glad you went to bed early. Probably best if that's all I say about it. Have a good night!"

Leah grabbed her things and went to her room, leaving Reid wondering just what he had signed himself up for.