“What do you mean, there is no one looking for a job?”

Nuliyaa felt her plans shattering as each of those words dropped from her lips. Cheeyt looked away, jaw clenched.

“The graduation was barely a week ago. How could every new mage have already found a position?”

The clerk shrugged. “We had a small class this year. There were barely enough students looking for jobs to fulfill the academy’s contracts.”

“There is absolutely no one left?” Nuliyaa could not imagine every single one of the dozens of mages who would have graduated had already found employment.

The clerk leaned closer. “There are always a few who don’t accept jobs,” they said. “You don’t want one of those, though. They’re usually the brats who are living on their parents’ wealth and don’t do work like the rest of us.”

“Paper, please.” Nuliyaa waited for the clerk to pass over a scrap of parchment and a quill, then she wrote out her contact information. “Should anyone become available, please have them send a message here.”

Taking the scrap, the clerk set it on the bottom of a stack of identical scraps. Apparently they were not the only business in need of a mage.

The sisters left the office and struck out to cross back through the city. “Do you have any other ideas?” Cheeyt asked. She sounded defeated.

Three mage academies in their city. All three had said the same: students were either fulfilling academy contracts or wealthy enough to not need a job.

She’d known the mage academies’ tuition was steep; she hadn’t realized so many had been priced out of attending.

“No. There are no mage Guilds, so the academies act as school and Guild house.” Nuliyaa rubbed her head. She would need to warm some water for a steam when they returned home. Though perhaps she shouldn’t waste the herbs. “Are there any jobs we can take on without a mage?”

Cheeyt sighed in a way that told Nuliyaa her sister had already been considering that and didn’t like the options. “If we do not have a mage, we must hire at least three other guards. And you will not be accompanying us without the protection of a mage. The other guards shouldn’t have to split their focus to keep you and our customers safe.”

Nuliyaa bit her tongue on the immediate retort that jumped to mind about being able to protect herself. And then the one that accused her sister of being happy Nuliyaa wasn’t involved. She needed to try for peace.

The more important issue was that she had estimated their projected earnings based on the business she believed she could gain them while they were on the road. Cheeyt might be able to do so herself, but she wouldn’t be able to do as much as Nuliyaa even if Nuliyaa coached her. Cheeyt wasn’t personable. She didn’t enjoy talking to people, and her ability to read others extended only to those she knew well.

“Would Nuttulch and Saknuu be willing to work for food until we were able to offer back wages?” Nuliyaa asked. She would rather not but that may be their best option. And wouldn’t Cheeyt like to work with her friends?

Cheeyt was shaking her head before Nuliyaa even finished the sentence. “I don’t want to hire them if we can avoid it. They make poor decisions when they drink.” She caught Nuliyaa’s eye and said, “Trust me. Even they don’t think it would be a good idea to split with me. If it was, their names would have been on that application, too.”

It seemed Nuliyaa didn’t know Cheeyt’s two friends as well as she had thought.

“I can do courier work,” Cheeyt said with a twist to her lips.

Courier work was what the least experienced guild members were assigned. Cheeyt probably hadn’t done that since finished her weapons training.

“Let’s see what else we can find,” Nuliyaa said.

They returned home for lunch. Somehow they were able to avoid Miyt and Tseetsaa—because one thing they seemed to agree on without talking was not to tell the rest of the family about the company—and after eating, they went separate directions.

Nuliyaa wanted to spread word of the company among the other shopkeepers around Maltangku’s shop. The customers she used to sell jewelry to were precisely the people she and Cheeyt should be targeting.

And there were enough shops in the area that she could visit a couple of the best gossips and not need to go past Maltangku’s shop at all.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

At least today the walk between home and the shop didn’t include broken crates and injured malks. If she had time, perhaps she should return to the Nengmekian chancery and see if anyone would be willing to let her know how the malk was recovering.

Her pace slowed to a meander as she aimed for those who had spread blankets in the middle of the square. The gossips wouldn’t be as forthcoming if they thought Nuliyaa was looking for information. And then the information would become expensive. With academy graduations all around and the warming weather, someone must need their new company’s services. Those who didn’t have permanent shops or stalls might know people outside of the locals, since most of them came from more distant neighborhoods or even outside of the city.

“I wouldn’t have expected to see you here shopping, neschum,” a round woman said from the middle of an orange-and-red blanket covered in cookware.

Nuliyaa swallowed back her sigh. It shouldn’t be a surprise that people already knew. The entire Jewelers’ Guild would have been told by now, and probably half of the Metals Guild, with a sprinkling of others from the various crafting Guilds. She would just have to spin it in her favor.

“Nor did I, Miyt Lanes,” Nuliyaa said. “However, Cheeyt and I have decided to go into business together.”

Miyt Lanes’s eyebrows shot up. “And what business would that be?”

“Wayfinding and escorting, preferably.” Nuliyaa dropped down to pick up a tin cup. She would need gear like Cheeyt’s, wouldn’t she? Not her weapons, of course, but the camping supplies.

She looked up to see the shrewd gaze Miyt Lanes was leveling on her. “And so are you here to find some business for yourself? Most of the people here aren’t inclined to go traipsing about the world.”

“Of course not,” Nuliyaa answered. “But everyone here might know someone who is.”

“You always were a clever girl. Something that former boss of yours forgot, I think.” That calculating expression hadn’t left the other woman’s eyes yet. “You know, some sellers might be willing to put a word or two in the right ears for a fellow business owner.” Her gaze dropped to the cup Nuliyaa held.

Well, that was certainly clear. Nuliyaa reached into her purse and pulled out a saayi instead of the few uusengs the cup was worth. “And for friends?”

Miyt Lanes gave a wide smile. “For friends, a seller will sing far and wide.” She snagged the coin as though she thought Nuliyaa might take it back.

Cheeyt would probably consider Nuliyaa’s action as wasting what were currently limited funds, but Miyt Lanes was one of the most well-informed, and honest, gossips in the city. And Nuliyaa genuinely liked her. If the older woman came across a potential job, she would steer people to Nuliyaa.

“Nuliyaa!” The warm, friendly voice made her shoulders hunch. Before yesterday, she had desperately wanted to hear that voice again. That was before Wiispuu had been allowed to push her aside. She had too much to do for this.

She turned. Maltangku and his wife Tsus were picking their way through the market vendors. She gave a slight bow. “I am glad to see you so improved,” she said.

“Thank you. I am glad to be feeling improved.” Maltangku chuckled and patted Tsus’s hand that was clasped in his own. “We were very afraid for a time.”

She had been, too. Since she was seventeen years old, Most of her days had revolved around Maltangku. Learning the shop. How to talk to customers. Where to place the merchandise to get the most interest from those who walked by.

“Walk with us, please.” Maltangku motioned down the row of vendors.

“Enjoy the cup,” Miyt Lanes said when Nuliyaa looked back at her. The woman gave her a nod. You’ll survive the next few minutes, that nod seemed to say. There’s nothing else for them to take from you.

Nuliyaa felt dread curdle in her belly. Dread and something else. What could they possibly want from her?

“We need to enjoy this bit of cooler weather before the heat sets in.” Tsus looked around her husband to eye Nuliyaa. “As the heat worsens, the healer expects my husband to spend less time in the sun.”

Nuliyaa took the moment to appreciate that they were heading into warm weather instead of cold. Keeyl was temperate enough that they did not deal with much freezing weather, but overland travel into the more northern countries stopped almost completely. Only sea trade remained open. Cold weather would make getting jobs even more difficult.

“I cannot walk long,” Maltangku said, smiling the soft smile that meant a situation was not wrong, precisely, but he was making what he could of it. For so long Nuliyaa had found that smile reassuring. Now she wanted to scream in frustration.

“But I did want to make sure you knew,” he continued, “I will provide a letter of reference, an excellent one, of course, to anyone you need me to. Every member of the Jewlers’ Guild would be so fortunate to have you.”

Now Nuliyaa understood what she was feeling. Anger. Because they should have had this conversation yesterday. Maltangku and Tsus should have come down from their living quarters above the shop to tell her their decision themselves. They should have offered this then, perhaps even have prepared by speaking to other shopkeepers to ask if they anyone had a position open for Nuliyaa.

Tsus’s eyes narrowed on Nuliyaa and she realized she had been silent too long.

“Thank you, but I have new work. My sister Cheeyt and I have registered a new escorting company. Cheeyt has been a Guarding Guild member for a long time, and I will help her find clients.” Nuliyaa gave her own smile, one she was certain looked feral. “Though I appreciate if you would recommend our company to any traders you know, or anyone looking to travel.”

The couple stared at her before Tsus burst out, “Don’t be silly, girl! How will you support your mother and sister on such inconsistent work? And your sister may have experience, but you have never set foot outside this city!”

Nuliyaa could have explained how Cheeyt’s earnings had equaled or even surpassed her own throughout the years. Or that having never been outside of the city was part of why she was doing this.

She could have asked if Tsus had been concerned for Nuliyaa’s mother and sister when Wiispuu had let her go.

Instead, she said, “We are confident in our success. Especially since we will have a good reference from respected shopkeepers such as yourselves.” She bowed just enough to be polite. “Thank you for your offer. I must be on my way. Good-bye!”

She pushed through the crowd until she couldn’t see them anymore.