The crowd of Magi gathered at the exit once more. This time, desperation sharpened into rage, and their yells blared with the raw need to survive. The Greysnow Guild came out in full force to barricade the street market, but they still receded step by step before the fuming horde. Even the manager who had shushed the rogue Magi yesterday sweated bullets and remained on the backfoot this afternoon. Thorin, Clay, and Quin were among the crowd, and they lent their voices to the protest with their all. After all, Thorin needed to get out more than the other Magi did.

  Just when they were hopeful, as they thought the guild would relent, a man wearing the official coat of the Greysnow Guild walked before them. The wintry breeze fluttered the hems of his clothes, and the mountain with the grey snow on his back came alive with the wave. He lifted his finger, and the crowd had to hush down. His presence was that of a mortal. Even the manager from yesterday exuded more pressure than this man, yet no one dared to defy him. He was beyond what Sequence-0 Magi could contest.

  “The blockade of the street market is for your own good,” the man said as his voice echoed around the quiet exit. “The Silverfield Guild has surrounded the area. You have all signed our contract. Though it can't bind you, it still makes you affiliated with us. The other side won't take kindly to you if they find you. So, be grateful and stay in the market honestly. We’ll release the exit ban once things settle down.”

  “Sir, we’ll take our chances out there,” Thorin said as Clay and Quin stood with him.

  The man took a heavy breath and looked at the three cousins then turned to the crowd again. “If you insist on going out, we’ll consider that a breach of the contract,” he said. “You can pay the penalty and exit. But remember, once you don’t have any affiliation with us, you’ll be a potential addition to our enemy. In that case, we’ll be forced to move against you. If you’re willing to shoulder that risk, you’re free to leave.”

  He moved aside, and the guild members also cleared the blockade on his command. Yet, not a single rogue Magus took a step forward. They couldn’t risk it. Even those who’d yelled the loudest backed off. Thorin’s group was the same. They clenched their fists and glared at the guild members who sneered at them, but no one dared to argue.

  Since they had ripped off the mask of courtesy, Thorin didn’t care to keep it up either. He left with his cousins. As they did, the dam broke, and the rest of the crowd split up as well, smothering their grumbles in whispers.

  “The spellcard of the Ashfall Society lit up,” Clay said.

  Thorin nodded. “When’s the meet?” he asked.

  “Right now,” Clay said.

  “Should we go take a look?” Quin asked. “Maybe someone there can get us out.”

  “I have a better idea, but let’s see what they have to say first,” Thorin said.

  ……

  They gathered in the Rightseal Tavern again and took their seats while the solemn air in the room thickened with each arrival. Every murmur and the chorus of whispers that drifted into the air carried the grimness they all felt about the situation. Some rubbed their foreheads in despair while some bit their nails.

  “I’m glad you all made it,” Lanthern said with a smile, taking the stage again when the seats were full.

  “Rest it with the speech,” Stetson said. “We all know the situation. Let’s discuss the solution if anyone has it.”

  “I was going to propose an idea if you hadn’t interrupted me,” Lanthern said, spending a glare in Stetson’s direction then looking at everyone else. “I’ll keep it short. I’ve made some connection with someone in the guild. He has a channel that we can use to get out of this mess. Please rest assured of its authenticity. He’s reliable enough that I can bet my life on it. I would like to extend that offer he gave me to all of you. Of course, if you have any other solution, please feel free to pursue it.”

  “How much will it cost us?” Clay asked.

  “It won't cost you any mana shards,” Lanthern said. “You just have to pay in contribution points. I’m sure none of you have any use for it anymore. You can't spend it anywhere else, and the guild won't let you exchange anything now. This is a win-win deal for both sides. We get to go out of this mess, and he gets something that is useless to us.”

  Stolen story; please report.

  “How much?” Stetson asked.

  “One hundred and fifty points per person,” Lanthern said.

  A scoff rippled through the room and annoyed clicks of the tongues followed. “That’s a very disingenuous amount,” Stetson said. “Does he even want to deal with us?”

  “The guild takes forty percent if we transfer the points,” Thorin said. “Who will bear that cost in this deal?”

  Lanthern coughed and cleared his throat in embarrassment. “We’re in the weaker position to begin with,” he said. “We’ll have to bear that cost, of course.”

  “So, it’s not one hundred and fifty per person, but two hundred and ten,” Quin said with a chuckle.

  Thorin backhanded his thigh. “It’ll be two hundred and fifty,” he said.

  “Even if someone among us saved that much without ever exchanging for anything, that’s still eight months of our income,” Stetson said. “He wants that much per person?”

  “Please see this from a pragmatic point of view,” Lanthern said. “This is income that you’ll never be able to spend otherwise. Why not use it to buy our freedom?”

  “This situation won't last forever,” Frederich said—the man who sold them the information that was the precursor to their current predicament. “I’ve confirmed this already. Our contribution points aren’t temporary. Once things settled down, we could come back and exchange it with the guild again. In that sense, it’s not an income we’ll never be able to use again.”

  “That’s somewhat misleading,” a man from another group chimed in. “The whole exchange with points system has always been meant for the guild members. They let us use it only temporarily. If we come back later and want to exchange our points, we would have to look for a member and have him exchange for us. He’ll eat his share of the points for sure though. Not to mention if we breach the terms of our contract and don’t pay the penalty, we probably won't get to use the points anyway.”

  “Exactly,” Lanthern said. “It’s better to use it now when it’s such a dangerous situation and when it’s still valid.”

  “If Lanthern’s words aren’t enough, then we’ll also vouch for this,” Aura, one of the girls in Lanthern’s team, said. “The man in the guild is a good friend of ours. He won't betray us. You’ll definitely get your points’ worth.”

  “How much of it is your cut?” Clay asked with a sneer.

  “Please do not insult us like that!” Lanthern snapped, staring daggers at him. “We’re in the same boat as you all are. We’re only extending a helping hand to you because we belong to the same society. We had no obligation to share this with you, yet we did. So, please show us some respect and don’t throw baseless accusations around. You’ll have to bear the consequences if you keep it up.”

  Quin laughed. “If only we were all so righteous,” he said.

  “Alright, that’s enough.” Thorin stood up, putting his glass down and fixing his shirt. “Thank you for giving us the opportunity. Alas, we can't afford it. Good luck with your venture. We wish you well.” They really couldn’t afford it, so he headed for the exit with his cousins as another wave of chattering buzz took over the table. But he stopped and turned to Stetson’s team and a few in the society he knew well. “If we’re able to get out of this mess alive, let’s meet again someday.” He showed them the spellcard of communication with a nod then left the room with Clay and Quin.

  “What now?” Quin asked, stuffing his lungs with the fresh air outside. “What was your better idea?”

  “Let’s go meet him,” Thorin said.

  ……

  Thorin’s bright idea snored on his worn chair under the warm sunlight outside his shop’s fa?ade. His grinding exhales blew his grey whiskers, and his whistling inhales sucked them in. Thorin tiptoed in with an evil grin and blocked his nose, enjoying the fidgeting old man before he jumped up with squeal and a heave.

  “Is your business down today, grandpa?” Thorin asked innocently as the old man fought his drowsiness.

  “Everyone’s busy with other important things today,” the old man said, dragging the chair to the section that had better sunlight now.

  “About that,” Thorin said as his cousins stood by him. “We’re here to ask you for something. Please help us.”

  “Do you want me to get you out?”

  ?