“The Telson Guild’s offer is rather enticing. I could see why you would be willing to consider it,” Gerald told the man.

“I appreciate your honesty,” the man named Brandon nodded with a complacent smile. The kind that was a little… too easy to read. If not for having listened to him blabber on for the last half hour I’d have thought maybe he was more than he seemed.

Especially since he was supposedly a noble. A rising one, as Gerald had mentioned. One, who would, if allowed, become rather powerful here in Lumen.

“With that being said however, I regretfully have to inform you that our offer still stands. In all truth, after hearing what Sir Telson is offering you, I’d be more inclined to either rescind our offer… or to lower it, in fact,” Gerald sighed as he opened his hands and gestured regrettably.

Brandon sat up straight, his large fur robe slid off his thin shoulders a little as he stared in awe at Gerald. “Rescind?” he whispered.

Gerald nodded and sat back a little, as if to portray he no longer saw this as a business meeting. He had been sitting up straight the entire time until now. “Regrettably. I’ll honor our current offer, Lord Brandon, since we had made it. The Animalia Guild never goes against their word, after all. But if Sir Telson is willing to offer such a generous contract with your family and town, I’m afraid I might need to rethink the profit and loss of the situation...” Gerald sighed as he glanced down at his desk, as if to review the many papers in front of him.

Brandon grabbed his knee, and I noticed the way it shook, as if upset. Yet he wasn’t angry… he was now concerned. Visible worry encompassed his face as he raised his other hand waved it back and forth quickly. “Sir Gerald, please! I don’t understand… why the sudden change of heart?” the noble asked. His voice shook as much as his hand and knee.

“Sir Telson, although has always been cordial with me… regrettably has been making many bad business decisions as of late. To the point of concern. If he’s that interested in your business proposal then…” Gerald frowned and shrugged, in a way that said the rest.

The Noble groaned and then put his head into his hand. He took a deep breath, and then sat back. “I had suspected as much…” he then moaned.

A little surprised, I changed my opinion of the man a little. I had expected him to grow irate, or at least a little upset. To storm out of the office, not actually admit and agree with Gerald.

“It is a horrible thing to say aloud, of course. I hope you understand I mean no ill will to you, or even to Sir Telson. I enjoy the man’s company, and have done business with him on many accounts… but sometimes people get stuck in a rut,” Gerald said calmly, and sat back up a little more. His back became a little more straighter. His voice a little firmer.

He used his appearance and voice as much as his words when negotiating. It was interesting.

“Nay, you’re correct. Telson had seemed very… strange our last meeting,” Brandon said.

“Likely stress. Personally I hope he overcomes it, and he may well still might. Maybe the two of you can find a avenue or…” Gerald gestured for the man to continue.

“No!” Brandon shot to his feet, and then hurriedly looked over at me. I didn’t have to look away, since I was already looking down at the desk I was writing at. I could hear his relief and embarrassment as he coughed and straightened his puffy fur coat. “No. That wouldn’t be necessary. I am more than happy to accept your original offer, Sir Gerald. With great joy, as well,” Brandon said.

Gerald stood, and I wasn’t sure who wanted to take each other’s hand the soonest. They shook hands, and then Gerald glanced over at me. “Miss Renn, would you please bring the contract over here to be re-signed?” he asked me.

“Yes sir,” I calmly obeyed. The singular page, which was made out of oddly hard paper, had been patiently waiting right next to me.

Walking over to Gerald’s desk, I carefully put the contract down in front of the noble, and then pulled over the ink and quill that he’d be using to sign it. I stepped away, but didn’t return to my own smaller desk. Instead I stood a little behind Gerald, to watch as the two men signed the paper and then shook hands once more.

After shaking hands Gerald brought out a large bronze stamp. One that I knew had the company’s logo upon it. Or rather, the guild’s. I had noticed that here in Lumen, they called it a guild. Vim and those outside Lumen called it a company.

“For our future,” the lord said as he and Gerald both pushed the stamp down onto the parchment.

“Our future,” Gerald agreed.

After one final handshake, I hurried to open the office door for the noble. He bowed his head in thanks, and then greeted his servant outside.

Closing the door behind him, I wondered why he smelled like the mine back at the smithy. He smelled like ore.

Yet the business proposition he had offered to the guild wasn’t a mine at all. It had been a textile offer. His family was in possession of a new sewing technique, to make fancier clothes easier… like that fur robe he had been wearing. However they lacked the needed base materials, and were what we were offering for a portion of their profits.

Turning back to Gerald, I watched as he studied the contract he had just signed. He read the print with a knowing eye, and seemed… “Is it not what you had wanted?” I asked.

“It is. More than I had wanted, in fact,” Gerald sighed.

“Then why the look of defeat?” I asked as I stepped over to his desk. I had read the contract already. Honestly it had seemed not only simple… but rather well meant. Both parties would benefit from it greatly, not just us.

“It may not have been worth the ire of the Telson Guild, and their allies,” Gerald said.

“Ah… but you said they were failing?”

He shook his head as he sat back down into his chair. He pushed the contract aside to the corner of his desk, as if it no longer mattered. “They are. But their allies are powerful. A few as powerful as we are. And they’re not allied by parchment and ink, but by blood. They have members married with one another, children, and such,” Gerald explained.

“Oh,” I understood then. Gerald had just made powerful enemies. Enemies that would now be targeting the whole of the Guild, thus the Society.

“Yet at the same time, it might go well all the same. Especially if I formally invite those individuals into the business myself,” Gerald said.

“Invite them?” I asked as I sat down in front of his desk. Not in the chair that the human noble had been in, but instead another. The only other chair in front of his desk.

“I can invite them into the process of selling the finished products. So it will be outside the main production, but will let them be happy and forgiving with the portions they’d make on the front end,” Gerald explained.

“You’d do that just to stay on good terms? Won’t that eat up most the profits for our company?” I asked.

“Our Guild will still profit well, being able to control who gets allowed into the process. Plus we’ll earn favors from them later on, as well,” Gerald said. I noticed he emphasized the word Guild. He wanted me to call it a guild, not a company.

“I see,” was all I said.

Gerald stared at me for a moment, and I realized he really was beautiful. It made me wonder why he and Vim, and other men of our kind, were so different.

Most of the men of our kind were… well… maybe not ugly, but just not attractive. In certain ways.

Though to be honest, I was glad Vim wasn’t as beautiful as him. It would have been weird.

“Have you worked as a servant before?” Gerald then asked me.

“A servant…? No? Not really,” I said. Why had he asked that?

“You seemed accustomed to what a noble would want, is all. Have you dealt with such people before?” he asked.

“Oh. No. I only have a little experience with such people. Did I act weird?” I asked.

“The opposite. You did well. It’ll be interesting to see where you end up. Lumen nobles don’t like letting women be in power, but you’d probably succeed all the same,” he said.

I frowned at him. What was he planning on making me do?

I know that they made every new member work in every section, to let them pick where they wanted to work… but honestly. Why was I already spending a day with Gerald, the man who oversaw everything? Surely it was too early for this…?

Unless of course it wasn’t really to see if I wanted to work with him, but rather so he could spend the day watching me.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

He did ask odd questions sometimes.

Gerald sat back a little. He had oddly yellow eyes, which only accented his beauty even more. Right now they were staring at me as if I was a stack of coins to count.

“Most of our people don’t like dealing with humans,” he said.

“I’ve noticed,” I said. There were a few even here who hated them. Merit especially hated them. But honestly I couldn’t blame her… her circumstances were…

“What was your opinion on our new associate?” he asked.

“That noble? He seemed normal. Although I was surprised he actually admitted and acknowledged what you said about this Telson. I had thought he’d argue or get offended,” I said.

Gerald nodded. “Most merchants would have. Since I had basically insulted their potential business partners. Yet those in the aristocracy, especially the older bloodline nobles, are actually a little more down to earth in my experience. At least in this region. Lumen especially,” Gerald said.

“Do you deal with them often?” I asked. The Primdoll family had been my last real experience with supposed nobles. That had left a horrible taste in my mouth, and I hadn’t even ever met any of them.

“All the time. The nobles and royals of this area are all bound to merchant guilds one way or another. Most of the ones we associate with are foreign, however. We chose to represent the powerful and wealthy of other nations here, keeping their interests in line,” he said.

“Thus the depot,” I said.

“Thus the depot. Vim and Brandy helped set it up,” he said.

That was news to me. I had known Brandy and the Society had built this place, of course, but Vim had that major of a role?

“Vim did?” I asked.

He nodded. “Figuratively and literally. He not only helped start the transactions, contracts and the guild but also built this entire building. Or at least, the foundation of it. That depot is his handiwork,” Gerald said.

“Did Nebl help?” I asked.

Gerald went still, and I felt my tail coil under my dress. Woops.

“You know Nebl?” he asked me with an odd tone.

“I do,” I said.

“Yet you’re new. How is that possible?” he asked.

I frowned at him. “I don’t understand. How does me being new make such a thing so unbelievable?” I asked.

“Because he’s the smith! Vim wouldn’t have…” Gerald went quiet as he slowly stood from his chair.

The hairs on my ears went stiff, standing up, and I did my best to not stand up myself. I remained collected as I stayed seated, watching Gerald’s eyes go wide as he stared down at me. He didn’t seem… angry… but…

“He took you to see the smithy,” he said. Not a question. A fact.

I nodded. Did I just make a mistake? There was no changing it now… but…

“What are you?” he whispered.

“Renn. A jaguar,” I said smoothly.

Gerald’s eyes narrowed at me, as if upset I had answered so sarcastically… but I hadn’t. I had answered with the truth. The truth… the only truth I knew. We held each other’s gazes for a long moment, and then he blinked. The guild leader held his breath for a moment, and then looked away from me. He suddenly looked hurt.

“What did you want me to say?” I asked him.

“Vim promised me nothing was happening. That everything was fine,” he said.

“Then what’s wrong?” I asked. He sounded… Did he think Vim had lied to him?

“You’re not nothing. What’s he been preparing you for? What’s he doing with you?” he asked me.

So it wasn’t Vim he was doubting, it was me. At least, in a way.

“He wants to see if I would be willing to call this place my home. I’m not sure what else you mean,” I said. That was the truth, in its own form. Vim likely would be very happy if I decided to make this place my permanent residence. He’d probably kiss me if it’d get me to leave him alone.

“Yet you were carrying weapons too. The same ones as him. Where else have you been? Who else has he shown you?” Gerald asked. He leaned forward and put his hands on his desk, it made him look a little too serious. A little too upset.

Although I really wanted to answer his questions… I now felt like I shouldn’t. He wasn’t just asking me a question out of kindness, or just to get to know me better… he was now prying. He was now questioning me, and even Vim.

I knew this man was upset thanks to what I had said. I had told him of my knowing of Nebl. And that had bothered him. It seemed I wasn’t supposed to have known him… but that wasn’t my fault. How was I supposed to know that Vim letting me meet that family was something unusual?

Plus if he reacted that badly just to that knowledge… who knows how he’d act knowing anything else.

“Well? Who else have you met? Where else have you been?” he furthered.

“You can ask Vim when he returns,” I said. I did my best to keep my annoyed tone out of my voice. Honestly it sounded like I had done a good job.

“Secrecy is for those who earn it,” Gerald said.

“And those who can protect it, of course,” I said. This time I hadn’t done as well a job.

Gerald shuffled back a step. A singular, small movement… that in any other scenario I would not have noticed or cared about. He hadn’t even bumped into his chair, which was right behind him.

Yet here… in this room… at this time… because of who I was, and what I was… and because of who and what he was…

I sighed and lowered my head a little. “I’m sorry. I’m… a little upset. Not at you, Gerald. Please forgive my quick mouth,” I said.

Luckily even I could hear my very genuine apology. And it had been. I had scared him. And the last thing I wanted to do was that, or to ever do it again.

The last people I had scared in such a way banished me. And might have died because of it.

I’ll never do that again.

Gerald slowly stepped back and slumped into his chair. The beautiful man still looked pretty even with sweat forming at his brow. He was staring at me with shrunken pupils, wide eyes… and a look of absolute shock.

“Vim and his… foolish personality is to blame for this. I’m sorry. It’s his fault that you and I are having this moment,” I said to him.

“You’re upset at Vim, aren’t you?” he asked me.

Shifting in my seat, I felt my ears furrow under my bonnet hat. “Yes,” I said honestly.

“You’d voice that? You’d say it out loud?” Gerald actually leaned forward, his eyes going even wider.

Wasn’t that what I had just done? “Why wouldn’t I?” I asked him.

“He’s the protector!” Gerald nearly shouted as he waved his hands at me, in shock. When he realized he had shouted he actually looked to the door… as if suddenly worried Vim himself would walk through it.

I couldn’t help it, I laughed at him. “He is!” I said.

Gerald’s panicky face contorted, as if his face didn’t know if it should laugh with me or start weeping in fear. “Renn… I thought you liked him? We all thought you did,” Gerald said softly.

“Well… I do?” I asked. What was he getting at? And wait, they all did? Were they all talking about me behind my back…? Well, I guess of course they were. How else would they decide if I was trustworthy or not?

“Yet you hate him?” he asked, shocked.

“Oh. No. I’m just angry with him. In a certain way,” I said.

Gerald sat back against his chair, this time slumping a little. Suddenly he didn’t look very… leader-like.

I knew what the problem was, however.

Like most of our people… Vim was seen as something more than just a man. He was the protector. The warrior. The man who was more a force of nature than not.

They could tease and joke with him… but not a one so far had actually stood against him. As far as I had seen, or knew, not a single one of them would dare to actually argue with him.

The only one so far had been Trek, the duck… but he hadn’t actually argued or fought with Vim. Vim had simply told me that he would do so if Vim pestered him too much.

Though maybe that means he didn’t either, in a way? Vim had said he’d not leave that pond, but that didn’t mean he actually fought with Vim either…

“What are you thinking about right now?” Gerald asked me, with an odd tone.

“I’m trying to think of anytime any of our members have actually argued or gone against Vim before. At least, in front of me. I can’t think of it happening before,” I said honestly.

“Well… duh? Who in their right mind would actually argue with him? Maybe jokingly, or half-heartedly, but never for real,” Gerald said.

“So it seems,” I said.

Had I ever done so? It felt like I had, but at the same time not. Though I knew I would, if I ever had to.

The reason was obvious… and it wasn’t because I liked the man in a way the others didn’t.

I saw Vim as a man. A person.

They saw him as something else. Some might even see him as a deity almost.

All of them, even the ones who should be predators… were cowards. Cowards who put Vim on a pedestal.

A lonely pedestal that should crumble away forever.

“Who are you, Renn?” Gerald asked softly.

“Someone who hopes you’re not scared of me. I really didn’t mean it that way, Gerald,” I said.

“I can tell. You’re forgiven,” Gerald said with a nod.

“Thanks,” I smiled at him, and he actually smiled back.

“You didn’t really answer my question, though,” he pointed out.

“True… but in a way I did, I think. I’ll tell you my story, if you’re willing to do something for me in exchange,” I said.

“Offering me a contract?” Gerald suddenly smirked, and I realized I had just let him get comfortable as we entered his territory and not my own.

“Hm… sure… I just made another, so I guess one more can’t hurt,” I said.

“You made one already? With whom?” he asked.

“Vim,” I said.

Gerald flinched and looked away. “Poor you,” he whispered.

Poor me? On the contrary.

“So? What can I do for you? To hear your story?” he asked me excitedly. He seemed more excited over this than he had been the noble.

“Well… I need a favor,” I said.

He nodded, leaning and leaned even more forward… his chair actually creaked thanks to how close he was trying to get to me.

How quickly he had lost his fear and worry. How quickly he now trusted me again.

Hopefully I could keep that trust, and build off it from here on out. Though I wasn’t sure what to think about his dislike of me knowing members of the Society, or the way he seemed to doubt Vim… but…

That was not something I could blame him for. Vim was rather secretive. Very opaque. He seemed to forget, or intentionally not tell things, to most.

I leaned forward as well, sitting nearly on the edge of my seat as to whisper to him.

“I need to write a letter,” I told him quietly.

Gerald tilted his head and frowned. He was waiting patiently for me to continue.

“To whom?” he asked.

“Lomi, a young fox girl, at Twin Hills,” I said.