The [Shopkeeper] smiled.

  “An Emberflame Cloak perhaps? Not much use here and now but when the weather turns or you’re venturing into a dungeon, you’ll be glad of the warmth.”

  Dappled Shadow took the russet length of fabric from the woman and swirled it around to sit on her shoulders.

  “Ohh. Very Dapper.” Brunalda grinned.

  Dap preened and ran a paw down the trim that lined the edges - feathers made to look like they were on fire. She eyed the merchant’s other wares.

  “How much are you asking?”

  “I’m looking for something around the four-hundred and fifty gold mark.”

  The woman said it without any hint of remorse, though from the last few stalls and her conversations with Greeleena, Marie was sure that would be most of a year’s salary for a normal worker.

  Dap took it off and held it out to her fellow adventurer.

  “What do you think, Brun?”

  The mage took it and began to appraise its quality, muttering some [Mage] Skills under her breath. Whilst she was doing so, the tabaxi pointed out a couple more objects on the counter.

  With the practiced smile of a merchant looking for a sale, the woman on the other side picked up the first.

  “An excellent eye, and if I may suggest, an item that may suit a [Bladesinger] such as yourself. This is a Whisperstone. Best used threaded onto a necklace or embedded in a ring. If you’d step across to the other side of the street there for a moment…”

  The [Shopkeeper] waited as Dap obligingly stalked out the door and wound between a score of marketgoers until she was two dozen yards away. Then the woman lifted the stone and whispered into it.

  “it can actually send messages more than double this distance, though at the utmost end of its range it tends to drop some of the words. fifty yards is its safe limit.”

  Dap returned as Brunalda finished examining the cloak and inspected the stone as the [Shopkeeper] held it out to her.

  “Certainly useful, but I’ve heard of Speaking Stones that would surely be better.”

  Shrugging, the [Shopkeeper] replied.

  “For some things, yes. For others no. A Whisperstone has a few upsides - the major one being that you only need one to communicate with a whole team. They might not be able to respond but if you’re wanting to avoid attention from a monster, I know which I’d rather have.”

  Marie frowned, joining the conversation for the first time.

  “If there is a Speaking Stone, could you not simply whisper into it for the same effect?”

  The [Shopkeeper] was already shaking her head before she’d finished the sentence.

  “No dear. Speaking Stones are enchanted to produce the same noise that goes into them; unless the person was holding the other stone to their ear when you whispered, they’d not likely hear anything. With a Whisperstone the message is whispered into the recipient's ear. Not as flexible as a Speaking Stone but much more suited to…clandestine or sensitive work.”

  “And this other one?” Dap pointed to a small leather pouch covered in stylised patterns.

  Brunalda jumped in before the merchant had a chance.

  “Pouch of Preservation. I’m definitely interested - for the right price.”

  Marie watched on as the three others discussed the items and started haggling. When they finally walked away, Dap was holding the Whisperstone she claimed was a steal for a hundred and twenty gold, and Brunalda had already tied the Pouch of Preservation to her belt after spending a ‘mere’ thirty gold on it.

  Their food vendor was still following them and handed them some spiced wings as they celebrated their purchases. Rollo had already pointed out another [Butcher] to her, and so far Braer’s offer for the expedition’s meat was proving good. She was pulled away from mentally calculating what she hoped to make when Brunalda addressed her.

  “It’s a pity Wayfarrow’s been so light on loot the past few years. I came through a decade back and there was a much better haul available - the border skirmishes had pushed up and some of the warbands came back from the south with their spoils. Then someone unearthed an ancient wizard’s tower buried in the hills and there were a good few months of teams diving in to see what they could find. Since then it’s been quiet, but I’m hoping the rumours of the bandit’s lair will prove true and there’s something more out in the hills. Otherwise we’ll have to rethink where they’re getting their reported artifacts from.”

  Dap sneaked a look at Marie out of the corner of her eye.

  “Could be worth getting in on, miss [Scout]. I heard Sirro and Eldun talking about inviting you along.”

  “It would be good to have another ranged person.” Brunalda said, nodding down towards Dap. “It’s only me and Fodrin in Evermore’s, and these chuckleheads in the Spellswords are all close-quarters.”

  “Hey! That’s not true.” Dap protested. “We’ve got… Fee? Ferri? Lord Entoll’s kid.”

  “Fila?” Marie supplied as she gestured an apology to a man carrying a stack of sacks that had nearly tripped over Napoleon.

  “Yeah that’s it. Fila. Saw her throw some spells when we went up against the snapjaw. That counts.”

  Brunalda snorted, and the hair on Marie’s head was swept sideways in the ensuing gust of wind.

  “Barely. What is she - level 15?”

  Dap shrugged.

  “Who cares. It’s another person who can pretty much handle herself. She’s only Bronze ranked but her gear is Silver at least. People are saying there’s been close to a hundred [Bandits] reported - I’ll take what I can get. She’s not even gonna claim her share of the reward money.”

  Marie swallowed, nearly choking on the spicy wing.

  A hundred [Bandits]?

  Brunalda didn’t seem overly worried. Then again, when you were a seven-foot-four goliath with magic at your beck and call maybe those sorts of numbers didn’t bother you much. The giant woman glanced back to Marie.

  “What do you say, Marie. Do you have any ranged Skills? You up for a little hunting?”

  Feeling a blush rise to her cheeks, Marie coughed past the minor choking incident.

  “Sirro did ask me. I said I would think about it. I’ve only just joined the guild this morning and I’m afraid I am only Bronze rank too - level 17 [Scout] and 13 [Ruins Delver]. I’m best with improvised weapons - I can throw a mean rock, but I don’t have any real gear either besides what the guild gave me.” She paused for a moment and accepted a drink that Rollo handed her. “I’ve got a chest and I think there are valuables inside, but I have not been able to open it yet.”

  Dap reached out to pat Marie on the shoulder with one paw as a foot kicked Brunalda.

  “Don’t listen to this great lout Marie, a Bronze rank [Scout] is great for this kind of mission. No pressure though. Come round to dinner at our place and we’ll introduce everyone. It’s not going to be an overnight effort either so take a few days to decide if you need to.”

  One of Brunalda’s huge hands reached up to rub guiltily at her neck.

  “Sorry. Didn’t mean to be rude. Nothing wrong with Bronze rank. We’ve got one in Evermore’s - a new recruit - a [Rogue] called Rina. If you want to bring your chest over I’ll ask her to see if she can pick the lock, and I’ll take a look at it myself.”

  Marie held up her hands.

  “I wasn’t offended. You’ve both been very kind and welcoming. I’d love to come over for dinner, I just have a task I need to finish for the guild sooner rather than later. I’ll make time though.”

  Placated, the two adventurers dragged her off towards one of the final stops they wanted to make: the local [Alchemist].

  —

  Marie wondered if she lit a match, whether the shop would explode. Napoleon snuffled around the base of the dozens of chests and tables that lined the walls of the space and she wondered if even he could smell it.

  Alcohol.

  She spoke, trying not to open her mouth more than a crack.

  “I thought we were going to see an [Alchemist].”

  “We are.” Brunalda’s voice echoed down from where she was bending her head to avoid hitting a ceiling festooned with bottles - half of which were filled with various coloured liquids and half of those giving off a luminescence Marie couldn’t identify. “He diversified years ago. He doesn’t make a lot from his potions - not much call for them.”

  “And they taste so bad people need something to wash them down with.” Dap muttered.

  Their conversation was interrupted by the appearance of the proprietor. Marie was sure he was a little unsteady on his feet.

  “Ah. Brunalda. Back again. Run out already?”

  The [Alchemist] and apparent [Brewer] was clearly part-halfling, if not quite so small as Quartz. The giant goliath woman peered down at him.

  “Hah. Hardly old man. I’ve got some more people for you to poison.”

  With a cheery glint to his eye, the [Alchemist] threw up his hands.

  “Odious woman. How I put up with your constant complaining is beyond me.” He turned to go to a back room. “I should just have you barred from the shop…”

  Brunalda’s whisper to them was surely loud enough for the [Alchemist] to hear.

  “He’s an oddball, but Perdy’s good people. Just a shit [Alchemist].”

  There was a minute of rummaging and clanking from the doorway he disappeared into. Dap leaned in to sniff an open jar and shot back sneezing.

  It was only slightly concerning that the flagstone floor was pockmarked with scorches and that there was a barrel of what she was almost certain was gunpowder next to a pile of half-melted candles.

  In fact, if someone had told her a small explosion had gone off in the shop just before they’d entered she’d have believed them in a heartbeat.

  She resolved to stay in the centre of the room.

  Is this alchemy?

  The rattle of bottles heralded the return of Perdy, and Marie tried to work out if the sway in his step was due to the tray of potions he carried or a different kind of tonic he’d been imbibing.

  “Here you go, you ungrateful oaf.” He handed the lot to Brunalda, who took it one-handed and pivoted to Dap, trying not to knock any of the hanging bottles.

  Dap leaned in and blanched.

  “These look even worse than the one we had before.”

  A glimmer of uncertainty came into Perdy’s expression.

  “They do work. Honestly. And they come with a flask of brandy…to help with the taste.”

  There were nine on the tray, and all three women leaned in to take one. Marie examined it closer.

  Inside a dirty green bottle was a mixture that could generously have been called red, though there appeared to be little bits of other colours or substances floating in it. She uncorked it and took a slight sniff and instantly regretted it as she struggled to suppress her gag reflex.

  “In the name of-”

  “-all the godless-”

  “-like an orc’s crotch.”

  Brunalda looked down at the others as they stared up at her.

  “What - it does!” She tried to deflect the stares. “Perdy - you can’t expect us to drink this.”

  He actually seemed to go into a huff.

  “Well if you don’t want them you can find another supplier. Oh wait - no you can’t, because I’m the only one stupid enough to waste time making things to stop you crazy [Adventurer] types from bleeding out when some slaad-spawn tries to gut you.”

  Dap waved a paw in his direction as soon as she’d managed to re-cork her vial.

  “Fine, [Alchemist]. How much d-”

  “Thirty-five g-”

  “Perdy. We discussed prices last time. Sirro’s Spellsword will be working with Evermore’s Flame. Same deal.”

  The [Alchemist] withered under Brunalda’s glare.

  “Fine. Just bankrupt my business why don’t you. Not like ingredients are cheap, and the time it takes…” he trailed off as Brunalda continued to stare at him. “...twenty gold. Happy?”

  Dap’s mouth twisted like it held an eel.

  “I’m not sure I will be, but okay.”

  Perdy cheered up when a bag of gold was passed over and the nine vials and a flask of brandy disappeared into Dap’s bags with a wrinkling of her nose.

  “Honestly old man. At least clean the bottles next time.”

  “What do I look like, a [Washerwoman] with [Instant Rinse]?”

  “I wish you were.”

  The conversation descended into friendly bickering as Perdy showed them more of his wares, which did include a rudimentary explosive device stuffed with granules from the barrel she thought contained gunpowder, and a poison he’d been concocting from some herbs he’d brought, though he lamented the price. He was about to move on to some of his alcohols, which Brunalda assured them were actually quite good, when Marie had a sudden thought.

  “Perdy. Why is the poison so expensive?”

  “Well my dear, the herbs only grow in remote places, and not many people round here are willing to spend days searching for them, and then there’s the fact that I need to save some for the healing potions-”

  “What!”

  “-don’t worry - I know what I’m doing. They’re also used to make a rare purple dye. But that means they’re always in demand, and unless I can get enough of them I can only extract a tiny amount of the essence and it’s a real ballache to do everything one at a time.”

  “So if you could get more of the ingredients it’d be easier to make them?”

  “Well, yes. In a sense that I could do larger batches and get back to what I actually want to do.”

  That brought Brunalda up short.

  “Wait - you don’t enjoy the alchemy?”

  Perdy shrugged.

  “It’s not terrible, and it brings in good coin when folks need them, but the novelty wore off years ago when I realised it wasn’t my talent. I only make them now so you lot don’t go dying in a field somewhere.”

  That was the last of potions they spoke about in his shop as he began to show them a new ale he was working on, but like the sugar and yeast he was pouring into the barrel, an idea began to ferment in Marie’s brain.

  —

  It was late afternoon by the time Marie returned to the guild, and she was not entirely sober.

  Perdy had proved to be a much better [Brewer] than [Alchemist], and their tasting session had probably gone on too long.

  Still, she’d managed to find another couple of [Butchers] with the help of Rollo who had since bid them adieu and gone to replenish his rotisserie stall. She was still in awe of how much Brunalda could eat - and drink. She suspected the goliath had taken up the adventuring lifestyle just to fund her dining habits.

  But that was neither here nor there. Marie realised her mind was wandering and focused on her mental list of tasks. First off…

  “Greeleena.”

  The myconid [Guild Clerk] popped out from a side room where it smelled like she was cooking and raised a mushroom-eyebrow.

  “Yes?”

  “Could you show me where the ledger for adventurers’ loot is?”

  “The what?”

  “The ledger - to keep track of the items that adventurers bring in and what we do with them.”

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Err…”

  Greeleena stared at her for a full ten seconds and Marie tried to avoid sighing.

  This place really is not run efficiently.

  “Okay, what about a list of approved labourers and vendors?”

  ”...um…”

  “Really? How am I meant to know who to do business with, and how much they should be paid?”

  “Um. I guess ask around? Or tell the allagi to do it.”

  This time, Marie did sigh.

  I guess I should have expected that.

  “Okay, can I just get some requisition forms? I just need to pay to get it transported then I’ll be able to pay it back.”

  “... what’s a requisition form?”

  …This is worse than I thought.

  —

  An hour and a half later, Marie emerged from her workroom with two large, bound books and a mound of papers. Greeleena and Rudi were both looking on with interest as she heaved them over to the counter and slammed them down as Napoleon tapped along behind her.

  “Okay, this is what we’re going to do: I need someone to find a few trustworthy people that I can get to haul the expedition’s meat to Braer the [Butcher].”

  “Not me - I’m off for the evening.” Greeleena said, but Marie blew right past the protest.

  “The other one of you two is going to get me enough money from the guild coffers to pay for the work - a gold for whoever transports the wagons and two silver for each of you - and then go through these documents with me.” She patted the books and papers and looked at the two guild workers who were suddenly all ears. “I want to be taking the shipment over in half an hour at most, so let’s get a move on.”

  Rudi darted for the doors, claiming to know some [Haulers], and Greeleena broke into a loping run as she headed for what must have been the guild’s vault.

  Marie shook her head as the myconid woman left her sight.

  “And she didn’t even confirm I was authorised to take the money out.”

  “She didn’t, but I’ll allow it.”

  Marie leapt out of her skin as Guildmaster Thror peered over her shoulder, and even Napoleon seemed to flinch.

  “Never mind young Greeleena; let’s see you justify your expenses with an overview of what we have here.”

  Marie hurried round to the other side of the counter with her undead companion - definitely not just to put some space between herself and the hulking tabaxi. How did something that size move so silently? She spread out the various books and papers she’d drawn up so he could see them all without peering over her shoulder.

  By the time she’d gathered her wits and slowed her heartrate to something approaching normal, Greeleena was already returning with a small pouch of coins.

  She waited until the myconid was standing next to the guildmaster, peering at the documents, to explain it.

  “Right, so. These two here,” she gestured to the thick books, “are ledgers. One for the loot that is brought in by adventurers, and another for tracking quests that have been taken on by guild members.”

  Thror and Greeleena bent over as she flipped the wider loot ledger to the first page where she’d filled in the expedition’s haul as an example.

  “There are a dozen fields to fill: Item Name - Echodeer and Snapjaw Meat; Type - Food ; Origin - West of Wayfarrow; Date Delivered - I’ve left this one blank as I’m not sure yet.”

  “18th of Attreman, AoR 1182.” Greeleena supplied, and Marie made a note.

  “Okay, then this next column is ‘Deliverer’, which in this case was Sirro’s Spellswords and allagi [Hunters].”

  “Not Lord Entoll?”

  “No Guildmaster. He hired them for the expedition but the remains after he took his trophies belonged to them.”

  Thror nodded and continued to follow as she pointed out the next areas.

  “Condition: Fresh. Storage Location: Preservation Carts. Then we have Value and Appraiser, and Guild Cut.”

  “We don’t usually take a cut of adventurer loot here.”

  She quailed slightly at the resonance in the guildmaster’s voice but she pressed ahead.

  “Well, you should do. Adventurer Guild laws allow it - suggest it even. My idea is to take the guild’s cut on these sorts of things and invest it back - or most of it at least - into improving the guild for its members.”

  The last three columns ‘Notes’, ‘Final Distribution’ and ‘Sign-Off’ were blank, and Guildmaster Thror swung his head to stare directly at her.

  “And how would you improve the guild.”

  She was ready for this, if only he wasn’t looking at her with such judgement in his eyes…

  “I…to start with… there are elements of it in the other documents and ledger, but initially I’d like to see proper starter packs for every person who signs on with the guild that would be theirs to keep as long as they worked for the guild.”

  When neither of her audience objected, she went on.

  “I’d also like to see healing supplies kept at hand for any member to use, and part of the proceeds I’d like to invest in training someone up to be an [Alchemist] so people don’t have to rely on Perdy.”

  At the mention of his name, both Greeleena and Thror flinched.

  “That would be… an investment I could approve of.”

  Marie nodded.

  “The next part would also feed into that; I’d like the guild to post some quests with minor rewards for lower level people to help them gain experience, and the types of things they’d be looking for would be herbs or game animals or rarer resources that would then be used by the guild to make potions or provide meals for members, or sold to merchants if we had no need of them.”

  If Greeleena or Thror noticed that she’d said ‘we’, they didn’t let on.

  “If that works out and the cut of the loot supports it, I’d like to investigate sick pay and pension plans, and definitely disability benefits for injuries in the field-” she cut herself off as she saw she was losing her audience “-but that’s for another day. Especially if I can find some local traders or investors who would be interested…”

  Note to self - ask Braer if all goes well.

  “The second ledger here is a log of all the quests the guild accepts: Description, Requestor, Date, Threat Level, Deadline, Payment - and we’ll get to minimum rates in a moment, Additional Notes, Adventurers Accepted, Status, Date Completed, Outcome, Sign-Off.”

  Greeleena leaned in closer. There was already an ‘Open’ quest Marie had entered as an example - to gather the herbs that [Alchemists] needed for healing potions.

  “That seems a lot more efficient.”

  “Well, that also comes alongside these other documents.”

  Marie pulled the stack of papers over and laid a trio out and pointed to the first.

  “Adventurer files that detail adventurers’ name, levels, Rank, noteworthy Skills, specialties and more, each on their own sheet so they can be organised by Adventuring Group and reorganised as necessary.”

  She moved it over to one side and slid another forwards.

  “Next, an approved list of vendors, merchants and labourers. This can be populated with names, locations, Skills, rates and other notes like this one.” She pointed to the first of the two current entries - Braer the [Butcher]. “I have spoken to Braer and I believe he may be amenable to giving us a good deal on any meats we may bring in if certain standards are put in place that will help new or lower-level people like the allagi.”

  She didn’t mention deals with Perdy. No one needed his goods brought up too often when she was trying to convince them to come onboard. Besides, hopefully he’d agree to help train a new [Alchemist]. A better [Alchemist]...

  “I thought about doing them on separate sheets based on categories but frankly it’s only worth it if we build up a larger database, and then it would be worth redoing anyway.”

  The third sheet she pushed over was split into four quarters, with the same layout in each.

  “I thought you already had a quest log?”

  With one foot Marie pushed an inquisitive Napoleon to one side as he tried to stand on his hind legs to see what was happening on the countertop.

  “The quest log is a way for us to track quests and ensure they are completed within the terms dictated and that payment is made. These are updated forms for the quest board: Brief Description, Risk, Location, Rewards, and a section for information on the job that the requestor can fill in. If they don’t fill it in I’m suggesting we charge a higher rate as less information leads to higher risks.”

  “And guild members like [Hunters]...or [Scouts]... can fill in the information later for a small fee?”

  That thought hadn’t actually occurred to her, but Marie blushed at the implication.

  “That would seem like a fair compromise.”

  Greeleena was going over the various forms in more detail but Guildmaster Thror looked towards the pile of papers Marie still had beside her - some of which had writing on.

  “And those?”

  “Works in progress. Drafts for suggestion and wishlist forms. Minimum hiring rate suggestions based on risk rating and adventurer ranks. Proposals for higher ranked adventurers to offer training to lower ranks in exchange for perks or discounts on guild goods and services, or a reduction in the cut the guild takes of their loot.” She began to pull out some of the sheets. “Guild item hiring and renting policy document draft. Requisition form draft. The start of an idea to sell discount healing potions to clients with the proviso that they use them on wounded adventurers if needed, but keep them at the discount rate if not. A rough layout of a feedback form for adventures to report on problematic clients-”

  “The nobility will not like that.”

  “-and one for clients to submit grievances against adventurers.”

  She could see the guildmaster wavering. The merits of some of these were clear - especially if something simple like the feedback form could avert disturbances in his guild - and they were simple enough to implement. Others would require more work on her part to get approval in this less-advanced world, but she could persuade him, given time, she was sure. She’d started with the no-brainers.

  When Greeleena looked up with approval in her eyes she knew she’d won this first round. The myconid glanced up to the guildmaster and his mane rippled as he nodded his head.

  “Very well. Greeleena, tomorrow you will go over these logs and forms in more detail with Wilhelmina and Rudi and put them into practice. Marie, when you can show a profit being made, we will discuss implementing your plans for improvement further.”

  She let out a relieved sigh as the tabaxi stalked back to the higher floors of the guild and disappeared from view.

  But she didn’t have time to waste if she was going to make her dinner engagement and, grabbing the coins Greeleena had pulled from the guild’s coffers, she followed the sounds of industrious activity to find Rudi shepherding three allagi [Haulers] round to the front of the guild in the wagons, ready to go.

  “Thanks Rudi, I’ll take it from here.”

  The [Receptionist] took the coin she held out with a grin.

  “Any time, ma’am.”

  She shuddered, but let it go. She was definitely older than him, but not that old.

  Introducing herself to the lead wagon driver, she hopped up with Napoleon and pointed the way and the three horse-drawn wagons set off down the darkening streets.

  It was only a ten minute trip to the butcher’s shop; the town wasn’t big, and the guild was fairly central, and as the wagons rolled in, Braer came out and directed them round the side where he informed them one of his hirelings would take the delivery.

  He nodded to her and gestured to the interior of his shop.

  “I appreciate the use of allagi [Haulers]...”

  It hadn’t been a specification when she’d sent Rudi out, but she took the goodwill, and Napoleon took the fresh shin bone the [Butcher] held out and lay down inside the doorway, gnawing away contentedly.

  Inside, the shop was dead. Without the sunlight streaming in through the windows, and with less of a hustle and bustle outside now the market was packing up for the day, and with the undead hound and slabs of meat everywhere, it was even a little sinister.

  But Braer was welcoming and in good cheer.

  “...may I ask what the guild is paying them? It’s not in meat is it?”

  Not this time.

  “A gold.”

  That made the man stop and raise an eyebrow.

  “All the more justification for my generous offer to you.”

  Right - time to ask now.

  “One I appreciate in return, Sir. I was wondering if we could make this a formal arrangement for future game that comes to the guild - beast or bird or perhaps fish?”

  The [Butcher] relaxed into the familiarity of negotiations.

  “For allagi? I’d make an offer but the one I’ve given you today is a charity to help my fellow brothers and sisters that I couldn’t afford to give all the time. I’d certainly be open to above-market prices for allagi-hunted meat though. Perhaps market price and a quarter?”

  “Ah - I was hoping to come up with a deal for everyone equally. If I’m trying to ensure fair treatment for all at the guild I can hardly promote allagi over other groups, or people will protest inequality.”

  “Seems to me they’re happy with inequality when it goes their way - why shouldn’t they get the short end of the stick for once.”

  Marie furrowed her brows in thought.

  That’s actually a fair point, but…

  “Perhaps if it were up to me, Braer, there would be some redress, but I have to get the approval of the Guildmaster, and I do not see him or the others going for it. Rest assured though, I believe that the allagi will be the ones benefiting most from the agreement as they are the ones that do most of the hunting from what I gather, and I have put some proposals to Guildmaster Thror that will also help the allagi community there if I can fund them.”

  The argument seemed to mollify him, and after a brief haggle, they settled on twenty percent above market price for all game that came from guild work.

  “I have to warn you though; I’ll be offering the same rates to any allagi bringing meat to me to dress and sell. You’ll be getting a better deal than others - non-allagi [Farmers] and [Trappers] and the like - but I’m not gonna force allagi to sign on with the guild to get better pay.”

  Marie shrugged.

  “I have no issue with that, although if they do sign on they will be entitled to the free adventurer’s gear pack I will be putting together, and a free meal at the guild once per day.”

  “I…hmm. Maybe I will mention the option if others come round. What other prospects will they have if you get your plans approved?”

  He leaned on the counter as Marie began to describe some of the proposals she was hoping to get through, and as the scope of them came out he gave a low whistle, which made Napoleon’s head prick up for a moment before he went back to his bone.

  “Ambitious, and generous. Let me know how they go.”

  Marie promised she would, but further conversation was interrupted by the appearance of Braer’s assistant who came in from behind the counter and handed a slate tablet to the proprietor, who thanked him and dismissed him for the day.

  The [Scout] and [Ruins Delver] watched the younger man leave with a quizzical eye.

  “You don’t employ purely allagi yourself?”

  Braer put the slate down carefully so as not to shatter it, and gave a sigh, gesturing to where his assistant had left with a large and hairy hand.

  “The realities of business. More… pragmatic when dealing with certain customers to send a human representative, or a tabaxi or a beastkin or someone else. Just not an allagi. And some of them are just good workers; I won't refuse talent and Skills.”

  Marie hesitated before she asked her next question, but the [Butcher] seemed the best person to ask.

  “Braer - why do people dislike the allagi? The ones I’ve met so far have been nothing but nice.”

  He leaned back and examined her closely.

  “You really don’t know?”

  When she shook her head he continued.

  “I figured you just didn’t care or were from the south and trying to keep it quiet.” He waited until she shrugged her ignorance. “Well. You must be from a long way away.” He sighed as she schooled her face into a blank expression. “There’s too much of it to tell in full now, but the long and short of it is that a few hundred years back, my kind weren’t… well, we sort of took charge in a lot of places. There was one chap in particular - like a [King], but he had a Class no one talks about anymore - that ruled an empire that spanned most of the north of this continent, and a couple of others. They… weren’t nice. We allagi aren’t any better than other species. We usually ain’t worse either, but a few at the time were, and when they got into power… let’s just say it was a dark time in my species’ history. It ended in a war that spanned half the world at a time where it really should have been focussed on other things. And people still haven’t forgiven us. We’ve been pushed out to the edge of society - literally. Most of us live on the border of the wilderness in places like this; people don’t like to be reminded of what we did.”

  Marie had been leaning in as the [Butcher] had haltingly told the story and she let out a breath. It sounded… not so different from periods of human history.

  “A few hundred years ago - and the shadow still hangs over you? Merde. That is a long time to hold a grudge.”

  Braer cracked the knuckles of his hands.

  “For you or I maybe. For an elf, they might have fought in it. For a dwarf, they might have been left orphans because of it. Even some gnomes or genasi might remember the tail end of it. Not that I’m saying it excuses how we’re treated, but it’s not all that long ago for some. Besides, it’ll be a full moon soon and that always reminds people of what we are.”

  “What happens on a full moon?” Marie asked, suddenly getting a premonition. Perhaps she had heard of allagi before, but by another name.

  It might have been her imagination, but she could swear there was a flush in the [Butcher’s] cheeks.

  “Oh, well, it won’t impact you, Miss. We all make sure we’re secure in our houses, and the [Guards] and a few of the higher rank [Adventurer] types will be around on patrol to make sure everyone’s kept safe. It’s the only time we can’t control it - some of us anyway - and we follow the law and stick to our normal selves the rest of the time.”

  She didn’t push him as he deflected from her question by picking up the slate and checking the numbers his assistant had given him. She had a pretty good idea. But if no one was at risk of harm, what was the issue?

  Draconian laws to oppress people.

  An image of a scaled man in the market earlier popped into her head.

  Wait - is draconian a slur in this world?

  Braer gave a whistle that was too loud and long to be a natural reaction.

  “Well look at this here. Maybe I should have said weight without the bones. But a deal’s a deal. I’ll need to fetch a chest. I’ll tell one of the [Haulers] to load it up. Don’t worry - I recognise them; they’re good people. I’ll ask them to unload it into the guild when you get back too. Won’t be a moment.”

  Wooden wheels rolling and metal clanking and voices all muted by thick walls kept Marie company as she waited.

  She paced the room, Napoleon getting up from his bone to join her as if they were going out for a walk. There were dozens of different cuts of meat around; marsh buffalo brisket, a haunch of venison, Langschloss ham slices. There were little placards dotted round with suggestions for recipes on them and a list of other ingredients that they would require. Everything was neat and everything was laid out in an almost artful manner. On the surface it was almost as opulent as the guild, but where one was a shambles behind the scenes (as far as she was concerned), the pride the [Butcher] took in his work was clear, and she wondered if there were tricks she could learn from his as to how to run a business.

  As the older allagi ducked back in through a side door to inform her everything was underway, Marie thanked him asked something else that was on her mind first, not as an accusation, but out of curiosity.

  “How have you done so well as an allagi? Given the perception others have of your people I mean.”

  Braer began to pack away, wiping down the surfaces. Marie took a broom and began to sweep up, drawing a silent nod of thanks from the [Butcher], though the floor was already cleaner than she would have expected. He gave it some time as he formulated his reply.

  “Have you ever come across something you didn’t like, but you ignored it?”

  She gave the question the same consideration he’d given hers. A few memories came to mind, but the one that stood out most recently was of her, sitting in a tent, making polite conversation - at least at first - with a haughty lord.

  “Occasionally.”

  “I reckon it’s probably a bit like that then.” The [Butcher] gathered up the tools of his trade, washing and sharpening each knife before putting it away. “Most people have their own personal set of morals: things that make them blanche or give them pause. But most of them also seem to be able to set them aside when those morals impact the path to an easier life...”

  He looked up at Marie as her mouth was twisting into a frown.

  “That’s not to say I don’t do it myself. There’s a lad down in the smithy that makes lovely little decorations - beasties made out of silver wire and the like. I can’t stand him; he’s arrogant and rude and thinks his one little trick makes him worthy of respect. But the wife loves those ornaments, so twice a year I suck up my dislike and smile and play nice and hand over too many coins for a special order.”

  Another memory came to her. Of Tunisia and of Benny, and his constant slapdash approach to handling artefacts. And how she occasionally threatened to report him when she knew she wouldn’t go through with it because he was the one that could drive, and he’d go into town to pick up wine when they’d run out.

  “I think I understand.”

  “Well that’s most of the reason I guess: people will be angry about something or speak out about it until it makes their lives less convenient; I happen to be a bloody brilliant [Butcher]: level 38 - the best Skills around - so if people want the best quality meat, they’ll overlook the fact that I’m an allagi for half an hour and then go back to treating the rest of us like dirt as soon as they leave the shop. A lot don’t even come in themselves any more; they send servants or pay for someone to collect an order just so they don’t have to face the reality that they’re buying their dinner from someone they’d otherwise leave lyin’ in the street.”

  Perhaps there are more similarities between this place and Earth than I realised.

  Marie helped him finish cleaning up in silence. It was a depressing thought, and even if the allagi of years past had done bad things - that was before any of the ones now would have been born.

  Why hold them culpable for the sins of their forebears?

  Grudges, perhaps. Or greed. A way to keep people downtrodden and profit off their lack of status.

  It wouldn’t be the first time.

  It only stoked her resolve to push her ideas through in the guild. It would be a starting point.

  She only left him to finish when one of the [Haulers] came in to inform her that they were finished and ready to go. She handed the broom back to Braer, and the [Butcher] handed her a small wrapped parcel that she took with the grace it deserved.

  “I hope this arrangement can continue for a long time, Braer, but I’m looking to get more people like you on-board with agreements that can be mutually beneficial for them and the Adventurer’s Guild. Would you mention it to anyone you know that would be a good fit for what I’m trying to achieve? Any profession.”

  The hand that she shook was twice the size of hers, and as hairy as… well, nevermind what it was as hairy as.

  “I would be delighted, Miss Marie. Please keep me up to date as to how it’s all going, and I’ll keep an ear open and have a few chats.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No. Thank you, miss.”

  —

  The ride back to the guild was also in silence, but not through anything other than Marie being absorbed in the lives of the people she passed on the street. In truth, she didn’t even realise she’d not spoken until the carts pulled up outside and two of the burlier drivers carried the chest into the guild, leaving her to pay the third.

  “I can’t promise this generous a payment every time, but if you’d like to be considered for work when we need things transported, I can put your names down on the guild’s approved list.”

  The allagi, Halster, was more than happy to be added to the roster she was building, and promised to bring more names for her to check out if he came across them.

  “Anything you need, miss, me and my brothers can do it. I’ve got [Tight Turning] and [Rapid Unloading], and Osywn has [Mile-Eating Pace] if you’re looking to go further afield. We might not be adventurers but we’re no slouches in a fight either. Bunch of thugs tried to cross us last year and found out we’d each got a few levels of [Brawler] in our youth.” He reddened. “Not that we do that sort of thing much now. We’re legitimate business people.”

  Marie smiled as she let him go to share the minor windfall with his brothers, but as she realised what time it was she hurried into the guild, past Rudi and Greeleena staring at the chest, and into her workroom. Her few belongings were stacked in a pile in the corner, and she took the chest, and then stopped and took a sheet of paper from the table. She swung by the counter on the way out and handed the paper over. Rudi read it and his mouth fell slowly open.

  “That’s a total of three hundred gold for the [Hunters] to split amongst themselves.”

  “Equally.” Marie insisted. “And that includes the families of the dead. I got a list of all their names from Algar but it might be best if we can call him in tomorrow and arrange the distribution. I don’t have addresses and they’ll need to be signed off to make sure they each receive pay.”

  “What about the rest?” Greeleena said, looking at the chest full of coins.

  “I’ll take the Spellsword’s share with me - I’m just off to see them. I’ll take my payment too.” She counted out the ten she’d allocated to herself - the same as the [Hunters] had received in the end, and then took a pouch that Rudi gave her and filled up the considerably more for Sirrochon’s group. They were Silver-ranked.

  Updating the loot ledger with a few quick notes, Marie bid the two guild workers a good night and left with the payment and her locked chest,, but not before she’d caught the start of a conversation between Greeleena and Rudi.

  “You think we’ll be getting paid that well?”

  “Not unless you actually do something, idiot. Get the guild’s share put away in the vaults, and make a separate pile for this ‘guild update and improvement fund’. We’ll deal with the rest tomorrow.”

  Marie smiled to herself and headed for the end of the street and the Spellsword’s current accommodation, where two groups of Silver-ranked adventurers would be waiting, including a person who Brunalda thought could open the damné chest.

  Hi all! Welcome to my book, Miscast Heroes.

  I'm uploading a few chapters to start with and then will upload one a day after.

  The full first book is available on Patreon - and I greatly appreciate anyone who chooses to support me there.

  Hope you enjoy it - please leave comments below!