Together, him and Eleanor help Mary redress herself, while Ena watches their surroundings to make sure no one is coming... He also cast a cleaning spell over the exhausted clerk, and a heating one over her corn, to make it warm again.

  “Sorry, but you’ll have to walk her home,” Sincir tells Eleanor once they have Mary presentable once more.

  Eleanor grimaces, but since even now Mary is still unable to stand on her own, having to lean against the nephilim’s shoulder while heavily favoring her right leg, it is clear their clerk is in no shape to go anywhere by herself.

  “I... I can do it myself. Don’t need a escort,” Mary mumbles tiredly.

  After watching Mary’s state for a moment, Eleanor sighs. “Fine... I still remember the way, in any case. Give me the stupid bag of corn.”

  Sincir chuckles, doing as instructed. “Here... Once you get her to a bed, make sure she eats and drinks something, then cast a healing spell over her thigh... Also, give it a post healing massage, like I taught you. Think you can manage it?”

  “Hey, don’t fucking ignore me!” Mary murmurs, gring at them.

  “I’m not stupid; I’ll take care of her properly,” Eleanor grumbles as she adjusts Mary to a better position, ignoring the clerk’s obvious irritation over having been ignored.

  Sincir nods. “I’d go with you, if not for the meeting... But since things turned out like this, you might as well spend the night there to make sure she is fine.”

  “I’m not a fucking child!” Mary snaps, seeming to have finally recovered some of her energy, “I can sleep on my own!”

  Eleanor easily ignores Mary’s attempts to stand on her own, simply staring at her until the clerk eventually stops struggling against her to gre back.

  “...Just because you can, doesn’t mean you enjoy it,” Eleanor tells her, “Am I wrong?”

  Under the nephilim’s intense gaze, Mary blushes. “F-fine... I suppose-”

  “Uh, guys?! You might want to straighten your clothes!”

  Ena’s hushed whispers attracts the attention of their trio, and they turn to stare at her as she looks back from where she was standing, near the staircase leading to the guild below, and gestures for them to back away, before also running in their direction herself...

  A few moments ter, a armored woman appears around the corner, staring at the four of them with a frown on her face.

  “Excuse me...? Is there a reason for this commotion in front of my grandfather's office?”

  Celia is just as Sincir remembers; Tall, cdded in partial armor, and of bronze skin. Her slitted eyes and tail make her draconian heritage obvious, and the axe she carries at her hip could slice through a bull without trouble... Did she just say grandfather?

  Under her gre, the four of them stand awkwardly for a moment, before Mary smiles weakly toward the half-dragon, whose frowns deepens once she notices the state of the clerk.

  “Mary?”

  “I’m sorry, Celia... I was escorting them to see the boss, but I forced myself too much and colpsed. Eleanor was about to escort me home.”

  Celia’s frown subsides slightly, becoming stained with worry. “Are you well? Should I tell the old man you need a couple of days off?”

  Mary shakes her head. “Eleanor knows some healing magic... She’ll help me, so don’t worry.”

  Celia stares at them for another moment, then hesitantly nods.

  “Go,” Sincir tells Eleanor, “Mary needs to rest, and the sooner she gets to a bed, the better.”

  Eleanor nods, walking by Celia and heading toward the stairs as the half-dragon narrows her eyes toward him and Ena in turn.

  “...I’m not stupid,” she murmurs once the other two are gone, “And I haven’t forgotten how you treated me the other day, Sincir.”

  She went through the trouble of learning his name after what happened, huh... Probably means his little reprimand effected her more than she’d like to admit.

  Smiling, Sincir touches his nose. “I know you’re not stupid, and that those senses of yours are pretty sharp... We haven’t done anything to Mary she didn’t enjoy, I promise.”

  Celia frowns, making a face. “Mary said that my grandfather wanted to see you? I’ll escort you myself.”

  Heh, nice change of subject... He bets she is also desperate to leave the corridor.

  “Sure... Let’s go, Ena. We’ve kept the old man waiting for long enough.”

  “He is Guild Master to you,” Celia corrects through a growl, which Sincir ignores.

  Ena seems a little pale in the presence of the half-dragon, her eyes constantly shifting in the armored woman’s direction as they walk down the corridor... Sincir has to admit Celia makes for an impressive sight, so he doesn’t bme his elf for freaking out a little in her presence.

  Once they arrive in front of the old man’s door, he briefly debates whether to knock or not, but Celia is already walking past him and Ena, opening the double doors wide and striding in to reveal a well lit, well organized office room.

  “Grandfather, I’ve brought Sincir,” Celia announces.

  Sincir and Ena follow in after a brief moment of hesitation, and he takes in the many documents over a rge wooden table made of bck wood, the small window showcasing the city below, as well as the nice couch near a lit firepce... And stly, the rge man standing with his hands crossed at his back as he stares toward a smaller version, yet still considerably rge, of the map the guild hangs at their lobby, showcasing the continent of Adall in its entirety.

  “Celia,” the man greets, turning toward the half-dragon as a warm smile parts his otherwise stern expression, “You haven’t caused a commotion again, have you, girl?”

  “Ena, close the doors,” Sincir says once Celia stops near the firepce, crossing her arms, and the old man’s gaze shifts to rest over the two of them.

  “And the infamous Sincir...” the man continues, shaking his head, “We’ve only met, and you’ve already given me quite the headache, son.”

  The Guild Master of Elderspire is more or less what Sincir expected; Which is to say, the man has the built of a ex-warrior who enjoyed his retirement a little too much, plus a head of half-brown, half white hair, and cold gray eyes which hint at a sharp mind behind them... Sincir would put him at his fifties, maybe older, but the man’s back is still straight, and it doesn’t show signs of hunching anytime soon.

  “Good evening, Guild Master,” Sincir greets evenly, “I heard you wished to see me?”

  The man sighs, waving his hand as he moves toward his table and sits behind it. Then, pulling one of the papers on top of it, he meets Sincir’s gaze once more.

  “I can see you are as the rumors described... Did you know they call you The Child Mage?”

  Sincir contains a grimace, barely. “No, I did not... I guarantee you it’d not be my choice for a tittle.”

  The man ughs, nodding. “I agree; Not much of a child in you, other than the size.”

  Sincir clears his throat. “I’m sure you’re a busy man... Why have you called for me?”

  The Guild Master snorts. “Busy, yes, but you’re a whole more interesting than this pile of papers, son,” he says, gesturing toward one of the chairs facing his desk, “Take a seat.”

  Sincir considers refusing for a moment, but since the Guild Master’s offer sounded more like an order, he decides against it in the end, thinking it’s better not to antagonize the old man yet.

  While he sits, crossing his legs, Ena also comes to sit, taking the other chair... To say she looks nervous would be an understatement, so Sincir fshes her a brief smile of encouragement.

  “And you must be our magic wielding half-elf, Ena,” the guild master continues, shifting his gaze toward her, “Another headache child, in fact... I was to call you at some point, but it slipped my mind.”

  Ena pales slightly, quickly lowering her eyes. “G-good evening, Guild Master,” she murmurs.

  “You may call me as Mr. Davis,” the Guild Masters retorts, “If that feels easier... Was Sincir the one who taught you magic?”

  “I am her teacher, yes,” Sincir interjects, “Is her heritage going to be a problem for the guild?”

  Davis sighs, leaning back against his chair. “For the guild? Hardly... Elves have refused any interference within their nds, and the guild has no reason to abide by their ws. That being said... I don’t think they’ll ask for my permission if it comes to their attention that you’re defying their queen’s will. And from what I’ve heard about their methods...”

  “We’re aware,” Ena murmurs, having tightened her jaw, “They’ll come for me, and they’re no pushovers... Still, I refuse to hide.”

  Sincir sighs, chuckling humorlessly. “I’d have it differently, but you heard her... Compromising is not exactly her strong suit.”

  Davis groans. “Yes... I’m used to head-strong women, myself.”

  “I also love you, Grandfather,” Celia murmurs from her pce near the fire.

  Davis shrugs. “Case in point... Well, I suppose we’ll have to deal with the problem when it blows up on our face, then. Etalyra is far from here, so with some luck, word of your existence will never reach them.”

  “Thank you for your concern, Mr. Davis,” Ena murmurs, seeming to mean it.

  Davis nods, shifting his eyes toward Sincir. “Which leads us to the main topic at hand... Do you know why the guild exists, son?”

  “...To expand human territory?” Sincir guesses.

  “To expand habitable territory,” Davis corrects, “For human or demi-humans... But you’re not completely wrong. The problem is, driving the monsters away is not easy, and as of te, it has been harder than ever, with those damn things all around... Our only worries used to be goblins, orcs, the occasional lost dragon or blood-sucker, and a harpy’s nest or two... Maybe a nymph here and there, attached to some three...”

  “That was decades before your time, Grandfather,” Celia reminds, causing Davis to grimace.

  “Indeed, the good days were a few decades before my time,” he continues, “But the point is, nowadays, the guild isn’t in a position to refuse adventurers... So long as they abide by our rules and stay out of trouble, we won’t pry into their business.”

  Sincir chuckles. “And yet, here I am.”

  “Very well observed. And I’m certain also know the why, yes?”

  Sincir nods. “I’m too strong.”

  Davis sighs. “I’ll be blunt, son; What in the fuck are you?”

  Sincir shakes his head. “Celia over there can smell it, can’t she? I’m human; Fully, as far as I’m aware.”

  The guild master shifts his gaze toward Celia, who nods begrudgingly. “He speaks the truth, Grandfather... And his smell feels natural, nothing magical about it.”

  Davis raises an eyebrow.

  “Do not ask me what else he smells of,” the half-dragon adds, before Davis could ask her to, “It isn’t relevant.”

  Sincir ughs. “Look, I don’t remember having read anywhere in that contract about a background check, so I think you’re more worried about my intentions than my exact identity.”

  “Perhaps,” Davis admits, sighing, “And you’ve proven trust worthy enough so far, from what I’ve gathered... Even the way you treat the missy sitting next to you points to a good character, which is more than what I can say about some of our other members.”

  Sincir nods, rexing ever so slightly. “Thank you. I’m not perfect, but I wish no harm upon the guild, and I have no problem following the rules of your beloved organization for so long as I remain a member of it... As for my identity, just know that it likely won’t become a problem to you, or the guild. Is that enough to easy your mind?”

  The Guild Master scratches his chin, seeming to consider it for moment, then nods. “Aye.”

  Sincir smiles. “Onto other matters, then. I’m sure Yesenia has let you know I have information you desire?”

  Suddenly, Davis expression becomes serious, and he leans forward, crossing his hands above his desk while staring Sincir in the eyes. “Yes; The crystals, and something about one of my nests.”

  Seeing the man’s intense atmosphere, it is clear to Sincir that the Guild Master cares more about such matters than his real identity.... Not that he is compining, mind you. Sustaining the Guild Master’s gaze, Sincir makes a show of crossing his arms while leaning back into his chair.

  “Before we start, how much do you care for these answers, Mr. Davis? Honestly, this information could be quite dangerous in the wrong hands, and I’m not sure how much it’ll spread from here once it reaches your ears... No offence.”

  Initially, Sincir was pnning on using the information he has as a way to have the guild leave him off the hook, but since Davis proved to be a much more reasonable man than he expected, now he doesn’t need to anymore, which means it might be better to go about this in a different way.

  After a moment of facing his gaze, Davis sighs. “I’ll gdly pay you for information about the nature of the crystals,” he says, leaning back into his chair while rexing slightly, “Those damn elves have known about it since the beginning, but they refuse to share... Same for the Mage Council of Krador, and Estrein. Somehow, we’re the only ones left in the dark, when the bulk of dealing with these damn nests has fallen into our backs across the continent.”

  “Sorry to hear it.”

  Davis snorts. “I’m sure you are. In any case, I’ll share what I learn from you with the head of the guild, and they’ll decide who else gets to know about it... Nothing I can do about that.”

  Sincir nods. “Seems good enough... As for the money, how much are we talking about, exactly?”

  Davis shrugs. “It depends on what the information entails.”

  Sincir considers it, then nods. “Do you know about demons? Vampires?”

  The Guild Master raises an eyebrow. “I do suspect we might have a problem with the tter in the city, and I know how to kill them for good... Not much else, unfortunately. Our records might have more detailed information about them, but my memory has never been my strongest suit. As for demons... Not a clue.”

  “Out of our purview,” Celia adds.

  Sincir sighs. “Then I’m afraid the expnation might not make much sense to you at first, but bear with me for a second... I guarantee you it is important.”

  Celia and Davis exchange a brief look, before the tter nods. “Go ahead.”

  Since even Ena is now staring at him curiously, Sincir smiles as he continues. “You see, certain creatures, demons and vampires, for example, feed from what we call ‘Life Force’... Which is not to be confused with mana. The point is, Life Force is present in every living creature, and nowhere else... There being exactly one exception I’ve encountered over the course of my existence.”

  Davis frowns. “Does that mean...?”

  Sincir nods. “Precisely. Those crystals are made of Life Force, which should have been impossible... But there is no mistaking their nature, not for someone who has come in contact with the real thing before.”

  Davis sighs. “Damn it... It makes no sense to me, son. Does giving it a name change something? We knew it wasn’t mana already...”

  Well, it’d change a lot if they knew about demon summonings, but Celia already made it clear the guild doesn’t usually deals with that... If they did, chances are they’d have known about the crystals already.

  Of course, Sincir could try to expin more about the nature of the crystals, mentioning his theories about Souls, or the fact they work as sacrifices for demon summoning, but he fears the consequences of doing as much. Furthermore, from what Davis told him, he suspects the other powers are already aware of the danger represented be the crystals, and that they must’ve been working to stop the cultists... Otherwise, the world might’ve ended already.

  “...It’s important information, I promise you,” he answers as the guild master stares at him frustratingly, “Even if you can’t see it right now. And don’t worry, I understand it means you won’t pay me much for it, but consider it a favor over having allowed my identity to remain a secret.”

  Davis groans, waving his hand. “Well, damn it... Not much of a choice, you’re giving me. Fine, then I’ll tell the boss what you’ve told me, and hope they can make something out of it.”

  Sincir nods. “Thank you. Should we talk about Insect Burrows, now...? I assume you’ll also be paying me for that?”

  Davis grimaces. “The damn nest, yes... Disappearing parties, nightmares made in the flesh, and a fucking endless headache to deal with... I can’t wait.”

  “Is it true you gave up on trying to destroy the pce?” Sincir asks curiously.

  The Guild Master sighs. “For now... Since it was discovered as a new nest, and we already had to others to worry about, we rushed to try to destroy it... Lost too many good men and women inside that fucking hellhole, and it was my stupid fucking mistake... Supplies sinking into the mud and a few giant lizards? That our adventures can deal with. Endless swarms of flying fucking wagon-sized insects? Not so much, and I should've realized it sooner... Now we leave the cursed pce alone, other than sending the occasional cleaning party; And even then, they don’t return sometimes.”

  Seeing the hatred in the others man’s expression, Sincir nods sympathetically. “I’m sorry about the adventurers... I’ve only come across this information recently, myself, so I could not have prevented their deaths.”

  Davis waves his hand. “Out with it; What other manner of nightmare must I lose my sleep over?”

  Sincir sighs, deciding to get it over with fast. “I suspect your cleaning parties are being preyed upon by a group of cultists, Mr. Davis; More specifically, they’re being killed or captured in order to keep a secret the fact said cultists have made of the nest their hideout.”

  Davis blinks. “Cultists...? Demon worshipers? In Elderspire?”

  Sincir nods. “They’re the ones behind the recent streak of disappearances across the city, but I suspect they’ve been operating for a while; Several months, at least.”

  Davis frowns, then suddenly rises, smming his fist against his table hard enough to cause Ena to jump, and several documents to fall.

  “FUCKING HELL! I knew something was wrong about those disappearances...! Had my gut screaming at me to investigate more!” the guild master says through clenched teeth, seemingly to only barely stop himself from committing further violence against his office’s furniture, “But did I?! No...! Was too damn afraid of losing more lives to stupid fucking insects! Cursed pce!”

  “How do you know of this?” Celia asks, causing Sincir to jump slightly once he realizes she now stands behind him, having approached at some point.

  Fuck, for somebody wearing armor, she sure can move silently...

  Noticing both Celia and Davis gazes aimed at him, Sincir clears his throat. “I happened to be looking into those disappearances myself, for personal reasons, and the investigation led me to find out about the cultists... I was also shocked to realize they’re using the nest to hide themselves, or at least its surroundings, considering the dangers involved. They must also have lost many of their people while trying to establish their den... Unless they have a sure way to keep the insects away.”

  “Fuck their people, I’m going-!”

  “Grandfather,” Celia interrupts, causing Davis to grimace through his otherwise stormy expression.

  In the end, the Guild Master sighs tiredly, sitting down again.

  “What’s wrong?” Ena asks, “Now that you know what we’re dealing with, we can at least prepare ourselves better, right?”

  Celia shakes her head. “You don’t understand... The guild does mercenary work, but we don’t have permission to arrest Krador citizens, let alone kill them, unless they already have a bounty on their heads. Of course, we can defend ourselves in the case of an attack, but that is a far cry from sending in a party intended on dealing with kingdom citizens... We’ll have to forward this information to Krador’s Mage Council, or the king, and it might take them days or weeks to react.”

  Ah... The guild might deal with the nests, and profit from them, but the rights of the nd still belong to the Kingdom of Krador, of course. Shame, since having a party of Rank A adventurers helping would’ve made things much easier on his end... Still, this doesn’t mean the guild cannot help him at all, only that they’ll have to do so indirectly.

  “Well, I was already pnning on dealing with the cultists myself,” Sincir confesses, attracting the attention if the room once more, “It should be fine if I do it on my own, right?”

  Celia and Davis exchange a look.

  “So long as we don’t issue an official order...” the half-dragon murmurs, “And this conversation doesn’t reach the wrong ears.”

  Slowly, Davis smiles. “Aye, it wouldn’t cause us trouble... Problem is, the same can’t be said about you, son. Are you certain of this?”

  Sincir nods. “These people are dangerous... More than you realize, and we can’t afford to leave them alone. In any case, I promised a friend I was going to deal with them as fast as possible... But I could use some help, at least in material terms.”

  The guild master frowns thoughtfully. “Well, it wouldn’t sit right with me to have you face these cursed cultists without help, not when they have been predating on my fucking city... What do you need?”

  Sincir smiles awkwardly, nodding toward Celia’s bck axe. “I’ll need some bck steel... Half a bar, at least, and some silver. If you could arrange a forge for me to use without attracting attention, that’d be also of great help... Some jewelry molds, as well.”

  “You pn to create some sort of artifact,” Davis concludes, to which Sincir nods, seeing no point in denying it.

  “Unfortunately, I’m not the greatest at it, or I’d have already done it long ago... Specifically, I’ll need something that will hide my presence from detection spells, but I doubt I’ll find anything in the market.”

  Davis nods. “Aye, you won’t... The Council runs a tight monopoly on that sort of thing; In fact, I’m fairly certain what you’re doing breaches at least a half dozen of their stupid ws, so make sure not to get caught.”

  Sincir ughs... He’s starting to like the old man more and more by the minute.