We heard Thor before we saw him as we entered Castille's master suite at the Pit. His loud oinking filled the room as two women dried off his head with white cotton towels.

The women of the Pit were used to dealing with pigs, making them the best suited for bathing the boar. Cassandra had spared some of their precious rainwater for the effort. Whatever magic Castille used on her needed to be taught. She sat at the foot of the bed, covering her mouth to hold back laughter. Her eyes brightened when she saw us enter the room.

"Jacob. Dugan. Does this mean your visit to the Sanctifier Guild was fruitful?"

"That’s one way to describe it. Was the building always so fortified?"

"They made renovations after the last bit of fighting. When the Lagos brothers came into power.”

“How long ago was that?”

“Five—maybe six years ago. Time moves fast in the Del.”

I thought back to Van Lagos and the fire that didn’t burn. I needed to learn more.

Cassandra continued speaking.

“When the Lagos brothers defeated the old cartel leaders, there was a scramble for power. Different mining crews and gangs fought in the streets while Sanctifiers waited out the storm. When the dust settled, they formed a new Steeltown compact with the new leaders, Lady Kateen, the Lagos Brothers and Tiny Tom.”

“What do you know about the Lagos Brothers?”

Cassandra blinked at me.

“I only know what everyone else knows. They’re powerful mages.”

“They don’t come here… Use your services.”

She laughed.

“You don’t know many mages, do you? Even if they did partake in our services, they would be too worried about creating a bastard to enjoy themselves.”

I rubbed my chin. This wasn’t going anywhere. I pulled out my cane and fell into the chair at the side of the bed. Dugan walked to the other side of the room to scratch Thor on the head while the other women watched.

“How about Lady Kateen? Can you tell me anything about her?”

Cassandra squirmed on the bed.

“I'd rather not say. We pay protection up to her. Me and the rest of the Service Quarter.”

“She sounds powerful.”

"She is. Lady Kateen has her hands in all merchant activity in and out of Steeltown. The Lagos Brothers and Tiny Tom couldn't sell their goods without her connections. She’ll want a cut of your business as well. When she asks, just give it to her. Your life will be easier."

"Sounds like she's the one in charge around here."

"Not quite. It's a delicate balance. While Lady Kateen controls trade and the Service Quarter of Steeltown, the Lagos Brothers and Tiny Tom's cartels control the mining and the Industrial Quarter. They also have more muscle. They can pay them directly from the ore they mine."

I nodded, rolling my cane in my right hand.

"How does Lady Kateen match up to the Lagos Brothers as a mage? Could she handle them if she had help?"

Cassandra gave me a confused look and then laughed.

"Lady Kateen isn't a mage. She was a penniless wet nurse before she moved here. That's the beauty of Steeltown. You can become anything here."

"If you don't die of lead poisoning first."

Cassandra gave me a sour look.

“Not all of us can come from money. To make something of yourself in this world, you have to make sacrifices, and, for most of us, your body is the first thing you forfeit.”

She stood up, clapping her hands together.

"Ladies, our job is done. Let's leave the gentlemen to their business."

She glided out of the room with the two women on her heels, leaving Dugan, Thor, and me alone.

I sighed.

"I shouldn't have said that."

Dugan looked at me with impassive eyes.

"Y- y- your heart wwwass is in the right place."

I raised my eyebrows.

Dugan blushed, looking away and running a hand through his beard.

Oh… that’s why he didn’t talk.

One of the boys at my orphanage stuttered. I didn’t know who got it worse: me or him.

I smiled. Things were so much simpler back then.

"Do you wanna check out this tailor?"

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

He nodded.

“Ca… Can you help me with the saddlebags?”

I shrugged, getting out of my chair to walk around the bed and brush past Thor. He smelled of rosewater and fennel. Were the girls cleaning him or preparing him for tonight’s dinner? Beside him, the saddlebags he shrugged off laid on the floor.

“Should be easy enough.”

I grabbed onto the saddlebags and pulled. My arms strained from the weight.

“Wait!” Dugan said.

I let go, panting from the unexpected exertion as my biceps burned. Beside me, Thor wheezed out a short series of laughs.

“Shut up before I turn you into stew.”

Thor leaned forward and bit me!

“Ow! You-“

“Enough! D-don’t egg him on, and you...”

Dugan pointed to the pack animal.

“Apologize.”

Thor grumbled out what I assumed was an apology.

Dugan walked to the other side of the saddlebags.

“Lift wwwith your legs.”

Together, we hoisted the saddlebags onto Thor’s back, fastening the straps around his belly. The saddlebags had to be hundreds of pounds, and that was after the enchantment on the bags reduced the weight. Thor had been carrying this weight the entire time with no complaints.

“Thor… I’m sorry.”

The boar looked at me over his shoulder and oinked.

“Thanks.”

I think.

# # #

The three of us stood in front of the Iron Doublet before midday. This part of the Service Quarter was more upscale. The wooden storefront was made from planks of wood taken from a single source. Large glass windows revealed displays of men's and women's clothing.

We walked through the entrance, ringing a bell above the door. Racks of clothing lined the walls, with men’s clothing on the left and women’s clothing on the right. In the middle of the shop, a large bundle of lavender cloth was heaped on a table, its ends spilling onto the floor.

The mountain of cloth moved.

We stepped back as a head with long, black hair uncovered itself from the heap of fabric. The cloth was a robe that draped over the slim frame of the figure whose head almost brushed the ceiling. He turned; the robe was open, revealing a well-defined chest and abs a dark shade of brown.

At least he was wearing pants.

"Hi?" I asked.

He didn't answer. Instead, he tapped a slender finger against his cheek as he looked us up and down. Even Thor was inspected. After another moment, he spoke.

“Clothing the beast will cost you extra.”

“What?”

"I am Shay, tailor extraordinaire at your service."

He bowed, his robe cut off at the elbows, making his arms look longer as he spread them wide. Long strands of wavy dark hair fell over his face.

"I'm Jacob, and this is Dugan and Thor. Reed sent me."

I ruffled through my pocket and pulled out the card.

Shay plucked it between his index finger and thumb, running his free hand through his hair. He turned over the card and quirked one threaded eyebrow as he read the message written in High Elvish.

Give my agent the best.

As much as I hated to admit it, I was curious. What was the Sanctifiers’ best? I needed to learn more about them and what they were capable of. How else could I outplay them? How else could I stay the hunter?

In one smooth movement, Shay slipped between us, crossing the room to lock the front door.

He’s fast!

I reached for my cane, twisting my short sword free as he slid purple curtains across the store’s windows.

Shay turned back to us and flashed a wolfish grin.

“Now that we have some privacy… What are you doing?!”

“This isn’t an ambush?” I asked.

He laughed.

“No. If I wanted to kill you… you’d already be dead. Now put the toy away.”

I clenched my short sword tighter.

Someone about this man made the hairs on my neck stand up. He wasn’t human, but he wasn’t an elf.

I sheathed my weapon. Reed wanted to protect the Guild’s investment. She wouldn’t send me to someone that would kill me. At least not yet.

“Good.”

He walked past us, normally this time, his loose, lavender pants swishing on the hardwood floor.

Shay walked to the store’s back wall, exhaled and deflated. He fell onto the floor like a sheet of fabric.

I turned to Dugan, who stared back at me with the same wide-eyed disbelief as he slithered under the wall.

A few moments later, there was a loud clunk, like a lever had been pulled. Part of the back wall opened to reveal Shay holding a lamp in one hand and bundles of clothes in the other.

He pushed aside blue fabric on the table in the middle of the room, laying out each item of clothing before falling back onto a nearby stool.

"This is my best. I’ve taken your measurements and colour preferences into account. Any more alterations should be minimal."

I stepped closer to the table, and I was drawn to a red jacket embroidered with gold thread. Two gold phoenixes stared at each other on the jacket’s front.

"I can't afford this," I whispered.

The craftsmanship was on a different level. I reached out to touch the material and felt a familiar, hungry sensation.

Enchantment.

"Then it's a good thing you're not paying for it. Now watch."

Shay whispered into his hand. His index finger unravelled from the tip like loose knitting, revealing a large sewing needle that jutted from the base of his knuckle. He stabbed and sliced into the jacket, leaving no holes or tears.

"The jacket is both cut and stab-resistant. Although, I will warn you. Its protection will be limited against direct attacks from large weapons."

"It’s enchanted," I said.

Shay laughed, shaking his head.

“Making fabric stronger is not enchantment.”

“Then what is?”

“Watch.”

Shay whispered into his hand. His index finger rewrapped itself as he placed it on the jacket.

Wait. Where did the jacket go?

I scanned the room, looking everywhere except for the table in front of me.

"This is for stealth. It makes people look away from the jacket. The effect is more efficient than invisibility, but it has its limitations. You must burn will to maintain the effect. The amount of will burned increases with the number of people looking at you and how hard they try to look. Do you understand?”

I nodded.

“Good.”

He lifted his finger off the jacket. My eyes snapped back to the table.

"There are change rooms at the side over there. Why don't you try it on so I can make alterations."

I turned to Dugan, who had picked out a deep green doublet embroidered with silver leaves. Shay was amazing. From a moment of observation, he knew exactly what we wanted.

“What are you?”

"How rude. Are you like this with everyone who gives you gifts?"

I did my best imitation of Reed’s stare, the kind that assumed you were already guilty.

Shay smiled, throwing up his hands in mock defeat.

“Fine, I’ll tell you. It’s not difficult to deduce. If objects can be enchanted, why not people?”

I blinked.

Enchanted people? I’d never thought of that.

Shay tilted his head up, savouring my shocked expression—smelling weakness.

“You’re enchanted too, Landbound mage. Although, in a way that’s less interesting than me.”

I’m enchanted?

“The beauty of the Sanctifier contract is it gave us the ability to rename ourselves. That was always the one limitation of spoken High Elvish. But I wonder… Do you think your ancestors would approve of you, half-elf? You let part of your soul die to connect to dead spirits. Was it worth it?”

My body trembled. Dugan and Thor stepped away from us—wide-eyed, unsure what would happen next.

“How old are you?” I asked in a whisper, terrified of the answer.

“Old, child. Very old.”

“Are you behind the curse?”

“Heavens, no! I prefer cloth to metal.”

I searched his dark eyes.

He wasn’t behind the curse, but he was a liar. He understood that the world was a lie and had gained the power to shape it as he willed.

“Teach me. Teach me the old ways. Teach me the First Magic.”

Shay stared at me, a wild excitement dancing across his face that just as quickly died.

“No.”

“Why not?!”

“I’m busy.”

Shay waved a hand, gesturing at the clothes lining the walls.

“Besides, I already have a new apprentice. For now, let’s finish your alterations.”