[Closed] Week 97: Money Speaks

[Valero]

Two pairs of footsteps echoed out of sync as the two figures traversed the dimly lit street. Deni recognised the area somewhat - it seemed to be near the Ruby Jewel if he recalled correctly - but he couldn't pinpoint exactly how close he was. Brick buildings lined both sides of the street. The shape of them and lack of store signs told the velen that it was more likely a residential district, but he couldn't know for certain. Besides, it wasn't the location that Deni was concerned about. It was his company.

A woman who masked half of her face and wouldn't give her name interrupted his meal to take him away to someone who she claimed was a 'recent associate' of Deni's. Most people would have listened to their instincts and declined the invitation, but the gunslinger was intrigued. Besides, he was almost certain that Ignis would be tailing them. She was a smart woman and wouldn't let some stranger steal her date from under her without any explanation.

The enigmatic woman turned down an alleyway, away from the lights that lined the street. Deni realligned his black fedora and followed into the darkness until they came to a small courtyard, where a single house stood alone in the centre. They both approached the building and the masked woman unlocked the door. The velen resisted the urge to look behind him before he went inside. His heartbeat grew heavier. If he'd wandered into a trap, the room at the top of the rotting staircase could have been the last place he ever saw. If someone was waiting to kill or capture him, however, he wasn't going down without a fight.

The woman knocked on the door at the top of the stairs.

"I've brought Deniisis Perfide," she said. The back of Deni's head itched as if he felt the gaze of someone behind him staring. Clammy hands ready to draw his auritium pistol, he waited for the person on the other side of the door to show themselves.

[338/338]

Note

This thread is intended for myself, Hare and Dys.

 

[Apeiron]

“That took a bit longer than I expected,” a familiar voice remarked. Muffled though it was, there was an unmistakable overly-chipper quality to it. One more of arrogant unconcern then genuine care-free happiness.

A moment later and the door opened up, spilling brilliant light out into the dark courtyard. A small plaque to the right of the door frame caught the light, and flowing script painted two words: Semper Mihi.

Standing in the doorway opposite of Deni was a laicar. Almost a foot shorter than the velen, it wasn’t hard to place the other man. His dull grass-green eyes had stared into Deni’s deep blue over a year ago from across a table in an interrogation room. More recently, though, the laicar had cast spells to cloak Deni and their team as they had trespassed through the Arx, smiling every step of the way.

But on either account, the laicar had been called by a different name. First was Duilius Fortis, a lieutenant with the Larceny Department in the Terminus Guard. The second time was as Kincaid, an elusive and enigmatic thief that had been dodging the Conexus and the Terminus Guard for well over a year.

Stepping to the side, the laicar ushered Deni in, saying, “Come in, come in. You and I have some things to discuss.” He then turned his attention to the woman who’d shepherded Deni to Semper Mihi. Nothing was said, instead a playful smile and a wink were all that exchanged between the two.

As the door closed, the courtyard was once again plunged into darkness, and the woman descended the steps with her cloak billowing out behind her. At the foot of the stairs she stopped and her head abruptly snapped up, looking towards the mouth of the courtyard. There was a brief moment of movement under her cloak, difficult to see in the darkness, but an unmistakable shifting of something.

Then, without ceremony, she disappeared from sight.

The night ticked away silently for a heartbeat before being broken again. Not by a scream, or drunken shout, but by a careful whisper placed into the ear of a spectating enlil woman, whose curiosity and concern dragged her after Deni.

“Curious little bird, aren’t you?” The whisper was gentle, and playful, but the blade pressed against Ignis’s throat told otherwise. The enlil woman’s body went stiff as the invisibility the other woman had wrapped herself in disappeared. “Did Cnu send you?”

 

[Dysney]

Ignis watched Deni disappear inside of the building, a frown deepening on her lips. Before she could follow, the stranger was upon her.

The drone trailing her aimed it's gun at the stranger behind her, whirring.

“Just curious about who took my dinner date,” Ignis murmured, trying to force herself to relax. Her heart pounded in her chest and her stomach tightened in an all too-familiar manner, but her voice didn't waver. After the Arx, the feeling of fear was fresh in her memory --uncomfortable but familiar.

She took a deep breath before forcing her muscles to relax.

“Just tell me if he's safe, please? We don't have to come to blows, I'm a little tired of violence.”

Ignis closed her eyes and prayed to Aquila. She didn't want to die here after everything was over.

[136]

 

[Valero]

As soon as the door closed behind him, the velen became unaware of anything that happened outside of that room. That short, recognisable laicar in front of him was the last person he had expected to see. He squinted briefly, just to make sure it was definitely the man he thought it was. Once he was sure, Deni sighed and relaxed his pistol hand. After recent events, he couldn't think of a reason why that thief would want him dead.

"Oh, I imagine we have a couple of things to talk about," the rogue said in a casual tone. "It's a good job I had a free schedule. It'd be a shame if that ominous masked woman interrupted something important."

Deni circled round to the side to the of the room and leaned his back into one corner. He forcefully drained the bitterness from his smile, though he still looked a little drowsy. It was late after all.

"So how are tricks, Duilius?"

[163/501]

 

[Apeiron]

There was a momentary pause as the cloaked woman seemed to consider her situation.

The blade eased itself off of Ignis’s neck, and the woman stepped back, her hand disappearing with the knife beneath the cloak. Presumably, she had sheathed it, but it could just as easily still be in her hand.

A faerie laugh erupted from the laicar then, as she apologized, “I’m sorry. I hadn’t realized he was… busy.” The pause in the other woman’s words had been so small it might not have been there at all. But it was. Had she nearly said something else? Whatever it had been, the moment to confront it past, as the laicar started walking back down the alley, waving for Ignis to follow.

“Follow me and I’ll show you” she said.

The interior of Semper Mihi was well lit, and carried a homey quality to it, as if welcoming any who entered. Far from being lavished in riches and finery, it was instead the image of an earnest living.

Rugs were laid out against the hardwood floors, and the odd painting decorated the occasional wall. A plain table, lacking in polish, was set towards the far right near by where Deni stood, and a handful of chairs were neatly arranged to face one another immediately to the left of the room’s entrance.

This was where Duilius stood, by the chairs until he had decided that standing wasn’t as comfortable as sitting. With quick, short, strides the laicar wove himself in between chairs until he found the one that sat facing out towards Deni. It was made of old greying wood with a tattered cushion to ease the hard seat.

Only once Duilius was seated and comfortable, one leg crossed over the other and his right arm thrown over the chair’s back, did he reply with a shrug. “As well as they can be,” he said, casually waving the velen to take one of the other seats across from him with his left hand. “Recently took a pleasant trip out to a nearby village for some Conexus work. Boring stuff, really, you wouldn’t want to hear about that, now would you?

“Even if you did,” the thief went on to say, “it’s a story for another day. I seem to have caught you at an inconvenient hour, and I don’t want to keep you any later than necessary. Look there on the table.” He motioned with his chin towards the table next to Deni.

[820]

 

[Dysney]

Ignis’ shoulders visibly relaxed when the knife was withdrawn from her throat. She followed the woman, resisting the urge to rub her neck.

“I suppose it can’t be helped; I assume someone has business with my....”

What was Deni to her? They never had gotten around to deciding what, so Ignis decided to play it safe.

“...friend.” Her pause was a bit more noticeable, but the avian continued before the other woman could think too hard about it. “Thank you for being so hospitable.” the enlil's tone was too ambiguous for the other to decide whether Ignis was feeling a bit bitter at being threatened or had an unabashedly terrible sense of humor.

The enlil bit her lower lip to silence herself before she could ramble on and say something even more stupid. She caught a glimpse at the name of the building just before they entered. Semper Mihi. Always Me. It was an odd name in the engineer’s opinion, but it had a ring to it. Next, Ignis took care to focus on her surprise at how homey the place was. This was someone’s house, she supposed.

Her anxious observations came to a halt when her eyes came to rest on her companion. A quick once over confirmed that he was uninjured and not in danger.

Good.

Finally, Ignis could start to calm down, though she couldn’t quite shake a wariness that kept her gun hand half tensed and ready to draw. The slight upturn at the corner of her mouth disappeared when the engineer saw an unfamiliar man speaking with her companion. He looked oddly familiar, but the engineer assumed he resembled someone she'd met before.

[272/409]

 

[Valero]

Deni leaned forward to glance at the documents on the table next to him. He only managed to pick out a few words from the paper on top before Ignis came in with the enigmatic, half-masked woman. The velen's eyes beamed at the sight of the intimately familiar enlil. He tried to hide a short smirk and failed. She was too curious and protective to let her date wander off with a random stranger without any explanation. In a strange way, he found that sort of cute.

Deni sighed. It was not the time or the place to observe how her eyes shone in the dim twilight. He switched his gaze back to the papers on the table, caressing one webbed hand across them to fan them out. After a moment of skimming over the text, he hummed.

"Semper Mihi," he said slowly. "You did mention that to me when we last met a year ago. It looks like whatever plans you had are falling into place."

The papers referenced the establishment of some sort of business, known officially as 'the Societas'. It appeared as though the intention of the business was to provide particular services to those who willing to pay. Protection and security, retrieval and transportation of goods, crew operations... just a few words that stuck in the velen's mind. They all seemed like the sort of jobs that the gunslinger took on when he was a freelancer, so he could only assume that he was there for an invitation. Regardless, he thought he'd best ask in case his instincts were wrong.

"So what does this have to do with me?" Deni asked, fixing his eyes on the laicar man. He gestured towards Ignis with one hand. "Don't worry, she's a close friend. You can trust her."

[299/800]

 

[Apeiron]

Ignis’s unease might have had something to do with how Kincaid was already halfway out of his seat when she arrived, and his arm cocked across his chest with the blade of a throwing knife between his fingers. Where had that come from?

When no one made a move on the new intruder, Kincaid lowered himself into his seat, although where he once sat at ease and aloof, he now was the perfect image of a proper gentlemen. Straight-backed, one leg over the other, and his fingers interlaced, and something about his general air seemed to change. The dancing light behind his dull green eyes seemed to disappear, replaced instead with something meant sharp and searching.

He didn’t lose his smile, however, though it had dipped for the barest of seconds. It was a shorter smile, now. Somehow crueler.

To Deni, the sudden change was obvious, only emphasized when Kincaid spoke. The easy Hiemian accent the thief had been using mere moments ago was gone, replaced by a heavy Secarean. Where his words had once sounded smooth and fluid, they now curt and formal. This was no longer Kincaid, but Duilius Fortis. “With you Mister Perfide?” he said, “That is a simple matter.”

Duilius shifted, uncomfortable, before he released an exasperated sigh. “I am sorry,” he told Deni, “excuse me.”

With the slightest dip in his shoulders, Duilius turned to the masked laicar, saying, “Do we not knock?”

The woman merely giggled, an almost purr-like sound, before she glided across the room to Duilius’s other side, playfully asking, “Since when do I knock?”

Duilius, obviously irritated, thrust both of his hands out towards Ignis, “When you bring unexpected guests with you.” Despite his best attempts to keep his voice controlled, Duilius’s irritation was plain. Ignis was not an original part of this.

“Mmm,” was all the woman replied with. “Yes, well, I thought it would be fun. Apparently they’re an item.”

That gave Duilius pause, as he looked back to both the velen and enlil, gauging their appearance. “Oh,” was all the man could say in reply. Then, “I really did pull you away at an inconvenient hour.” A pleasant smile passed the laicar’s face for a brief moment before it disappeared. He cleared his throat then, and returned his attention to Deni while the woman escaped down another hallway, further into the house. “We should look at this as a blessing.

“Originally I thought I was going to need the help of one other person, but if you can vouch for your friend, Mister Perfide, than I shall continue.”

Setting down the knife he’d kept in his hands, Duilius explained, “I want to start a guild. Since I have been in Terminus, crime has been… messy. Disorganized and chaotic, to such an extent that the combined efforts of the Conexus and the Fraternatis cannot deal with the recent surge in particularly nefarious work.” Canting his head to one side, appearing bored, the suave laicar gestured to the papers again.

“So I propose an alternative. Legalize some crime.”

[1329]

 

[Dysney]

Kincaid’s sudden movements were received with a loud, awkwardly mechanical chirp and a gun pointed at him. When he sat back down, Ignis waved a hand and the drone retreated behind her. She sighed, relaxing once more, biting her lower lip. These ‘greetings’ were making her jumpy.

The avian glared balefully at the other woman as she retreated further into the house, but drifted towards Deni’s side rather than say anything after the exchange. Despite Deni’s relaxed posture, Ignis wasn’t quite comfortable around the masked woman or this strange man. Once she neared the one person in the room who hadn’t threatened her, the engineer felt a little more steady.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, a snide little voice dubbed as Val said, move over, you jumpy hatchling. I’ll handle this.

Outwardly, the avian’s face stilled, lips thinning and pressing themselves together firmly. She leveled the odd man opposite them with a flat look. “Legalized crime,” she repeated flatly, feathers rising a bit. Withholding a derisive snort, Val glanced at Deni to assess his reaction with one brow arched.

[151/590]

 

[Valero]

Deni massaged his forehead with one hand. Somewhere between the awkward mistrust and the revelation that Ignis and Deni were an 'item', the velen was starting to get a headache. He thought all of the drama would have been left behind after the prison break, but apparently not. He loved to keep himself busy, never staying still and always breaking the monotony, but for once he just wished he could slither into a dark corner and go to sleep for several days. A sliver of heat trickled down his spine as he began to lose his patience. Suppressing his agitation was a challenge, but he tried his best.

"I'm pretty certain that officially establishing a guild means going through legitimate channels," Deni replied after a moment of hesitation. He shuffled a little closer to his enlil friend when she moved towards him. It was more for her comfort than his own. After all, if she didn't agree once Duilius had explained his plans, who knew how he and his mysterious assistant would react? He'd worry about that if it happened.

The rogue suddenly seemed more alert as a thought crossed his mind.

"You've been working for the Conexus and you already have the guild forms on the table," he stated. "Has the establishment of this guild already been approved?"

[219/1,019]

 

[Apeiron]

“No,” Duilius replied. Then adding as an afterthought, “At least not in any official capacity. I submitted the idea and inquired as to what sort of restrictions such a guild would have. Their response was... ,” his smirk widened a bit, “interesting.”

Unfolding his legs, and rising to his full height, Duilius took several confident strides to the wall across from him. There, on the wall, was a painting of a bronze demvir standing atop a hill. At his feet, scattered all around him, were the rusted pieces of his kin that lay defeated. Even so, the bronze herald did not seem beat. Instead he looked determined, with a single finger pointing ahead as he looked back, presumably to the mass of demvir following him. Duilius seemed to study it as he chose his next words.

“As a blessing from the Viskar themselves, the established policies do not prohibit such a guild as the one I have planned; however, due to some obvious red tape and foreseeable complications, they’re reluctant to approve my application without additional corroboration. Similarly, no policies can be specifically made against a guild like this when the idea of such a guild presents a solution to a current problem Terminus is facing.”

Turning away from the painting, Duilius folded his hands behind his back. He was obviously relaxed, but only in the same way that you might consider a snake relaxed when it was coiled around itself. “The details won’t be problematic. They will undoubtedly pertain to things such as assassination or maiming, activities which I have no interest in. But as I wait for the bureaucrats to finish with their deliberating, I find myself at an odd question.

“Who will lead the guild?”

[1616]

 

[Valero]

"That's a very good question," Deni replied. Duilius' intentions had become clear to the velen, but he was trying his best not to acknowledge them. The gunslinger had no idea why the man had sought him out specifically to lead the guild. No-one in the northern half of Araevis had ever seen Deni in a notable position of leadership. There was no evidence to suggest that he would do well taking care of a business. So why had he been summoned?

When the crafty thief before him didn't say anything else, the velen rolled his eyes and let loose a short sigh.

"Me? Really?" he asked. He managed to pass a brief glance to Ignis, to see if he could quickly gauge her thoughts on the matter. Perplexity got the best of him before he could even read her expression. Deni lifted his body away from the wall and ceased his slouching. He didn't seem disappointed, just puzzled.

"Out of all of the blaggards in Terminus, what makes you think that I'd make a good leader?"

[176/1,195]

 

[Dysney]

Val was mildly surprised, she had to wonder how this man knew about Deni’s leadership skills. She glanced between the two men; they were acting pretty familiar. Something was up. The only time she had seen Deni in a situation where he could present skills useful in a leadership position was the Arx. While he hadn't been in charge, he'd been the most level headed and sensible person present.

“It's a good idea,” the enlil added, “though not anyone's first thought. Your friend must have seen you in action. You're not too prideful and you know how to work with others’ abilities, enough said.

“The question isn't why you should be considered but if you're willing to do this and what's in it for you.” The engineer scrutinized the man opposite them. Would he show any surprise at her assumptions? She hadn't properly baited him, but a more clear attempt might've been too obvious.

[154/743]

 

[Apeiron]

“I say ‘lead’ but it is a misleading title, if you will forgive the pun.” Calm and collected, Duilius walked towards the couple and took the papers in his hand. He stood there, shuffling through the papers until he came to one in particular, then handed it back to Deni. “In truth, choosing you was a matter of practicality and never about leadership.”

With the papers in Deni’s hands, Duilius shifted to the velen’s other side, away from Ignis, and pointed, “On paper you would be the leader, responsible to the public for the guilds actions, what jobs the guild undertook, and any situations which might involve the larger guilds such as the Conexus, Arcanum, Commercium, and Fraternatis.”

Walking away, back towards the painting with his hands clasped behind his back, Duilius finished by saying, “Within the guild, however, you will simply be one voice. In order to ensure that the guild does not break down, and to optimize the broad reach we will have, the guild will be lead by a council. A board, if you prefer something more business-like.

“If you are wondering about the perks,” Duilius turned around so both Deniisis and Ignis could see his face creased with a faint half-smirk, as if the prospect of them having perks was somehow funny, “then look no further to fame and immunity for starters. Fame, for being the leader of the first successful and public thieves guild, and immunity from persecution by the Conexus or Fraternatis. No more running and hiding from day to day simply because you needed exa in your purse, and some fat-cat needed something that was not theirs.”

He paused here, letting the two mull over the information he’d just given them, and busied himself by fixing the fine collared shirt he wore, adjusting the cuffs before adding, slowly, carefully, as if baiting, “...Then there is also the matter of money.”

[1932]

 

[Valero]

Deni let loose a short chuckle as the thief handed him the papers. The way Duilius was explaining it sounded like he intended for Deni to be the pretty face on the front of the organisation, the same way some businesses advertised their products with beautiful women.

Well, I am good-looking, he thought to himself. As Kincaid continued to explain, however, the velen found himself thinking about the decision deeply. For years he had only cared for himself, doing whatever he wanted to do and dealing with the consequences whenever they came to bite him in the arse. If he was going to be the face of an organisation, he'd need to think more carefully about his actions. Not only would his reputation be on the line, but the reputation of the guild as well. Even if there was a council pulling the strings behind the scenes and he wasn't the official leader, people would still be relying on him in the public eye.

He turned to Ignis. She supported the idea? His thoughts turned back to the Arx for a moment. Before they reached the prison, a member of their team had suggested that he lead the operation. Had the two brothers not been so insistent on it, he might have taken charge. For better or worse, a complete stranger felt that they could trust him in a position of power. The avian woman also agreed with that. In fact, it seemed as though he was the only person who doubted that he could be trusted in such a position. There was a small sense of relief that the others didn't know what he had done in Pelagia. Perhaps he had changed since then. He hoped so.

The rogue's gaze caught Ignis' brown eyes. It would be the perfect place for her to hide, right beneath the Conexus. He could repay a debt or two by angling for a position of power within the guild. Deni inhaled deeply and then exhaled through his nose. It was time for a change.

"I want to be more than just your pretty face," the pale velen said, shifting his blue eyes to face the smug laicar. "I want a place on that council. I'd also like partial ownership. I will pay into the guild's registration fees."

Deni was not known for doing things by halves. He was either all in, or all out. The establishment of the guild was not going to be any different.

[413/1,608]

 

[Dysney]

Val was a little put out at how easily he evaded letting on whether he’d somehow known about their mission at the Arx, but resolved to keep an eye on this man. She met Deni’s eye, lips briefly quirking up at the corners. The dark voice in Ignis’ head couldn’t even blame her counterpart for falling for those eyes. It was clear he was thinking of her, too.

Val returned her gaze to the man across her and her date, all hints of the brief smile gone from her face. “I’m with him on this one,” she said tilting her head to gesture towards the velen beside her, “I’ll help out with guild fees for a place on the council. I think two seats on the council and Deni letting you use his handsome face to represent your guild isn’t too much.” The enlil raised an eyebrow slightly, as if daring the laicar to challenge her conditions.

Having a seat on the council could be useful; it would ensure that if Deni got a seat it wouldn’t just be a token vote and made her own position more secure. Meanwhile, Ignis whined mentally. This was more than she had expected to get into.

Shut up, hatchling! Val growled internally. You don’t know how to look after yourself, I can’t believe you’d consider letting Hotman wander into something like that without putting yourself in a position to have his back. Even you don’t trust this guy.

[245/986]

 

[Apeiron]

“Of course,” Duilius replied without missing a beat. “Split between three people, the guild fee would be drastically reduced.” The short laicar gestured to his home, an almost sheepish grin on his face. “As you can see, I am not one to quibble over something that saves me money.

“I would like to arrange a few other things, so you will have some time before I finalize the papers. If I might be as so bold, the two of you will need to legitimize yourselves by abstaining from your usual work until the guild is established. I would also recommend making your frequent haunts less frequent. I have spent some time looking for you Mister Perfide, and because of that certain contacts of mine have noted a...,” Duilius paused here, struggling, as if he wasn’t quite sure how to phrase what he was going to say next.

Eventually, however, the man decided to say, “...an absence recently. One that plays curiously close to recent events in Terminus.” Before either of the two could say anything for or against what Duilius was implying, the laicar pushed on, “Because of that I would recommend a short vacation away from Terminus. I can recommend a place or two that should provide you with both adventure, money, as well as,” his dull green eyes shifted to Ignis and then back to Deni, “romantic vistas.

“You could call it an apology, or symbol of good faith, if you wanted, but I prefer something a bit closer to the truth:

“Business.â

[2187]

 

[Valero]

Deni's usual smirk deepened. It was interesting how events played into his hand sometimes. He needed to be absent while the official side of the Societas was being sorted out, so that he would not be suspected of playing a part in the recent prison break on Nocte Nils. Fortunately enough, he had an expedition coming up and was going to be out of Terminus for over a month. A little discussion with Vaferis and the merchant would likely conjure witnesses that placed him in a meeting on Nocte Nils. As much as he insisted that he was a legitimate merchant, he sure was crafty.

"Don't worry, I'll be out of Terminus for an expedition soon," Deni replied. "Some ruined city in Arctoa or something."

A sudden thought carved its way into his head. During their date, the pair had ended up so lost in conversation and the atmosphere of the restaurant, that it appeared as though the velen had neglected to tell Ignis about the expedition. He passed a glance her way. His expression didn't change much, but his eyes seemed defensive, as if he expected a lecture for not telling her about his recent plans.

"It's not exactly romantic, but you're welcome to come along," he said to the enlil, before returning his gaze back to Duilius. He coughed into his fist to clear his throat. He was sure that an awkward conversation was going to follow once they left the building.

"So is there anything else we need to do besides give you the money? Sign any forms to confirm our part to play in the establishment of the guild?"

[273/1,881]

 

[Dysney]

Val arched an eyebrow at Deni; this was the first time she was hearing about an expedition. Then again, the velen had missed the chance to tell her when the masked woman stole him away.

“An expedition could be interesting,” she admitted, brow relaxing.

The engineer went back to scrutinizing the laicar across from them, searching for any sign of deceit or trickery. She still didn't trust that man. Something was off, but she just couldn't pin it down. Frustrated, but somewhat pleases with their current arrangement, Val retreated.

Ignis’ face reddened, but other than that her expression didn't change much outwardly. She was just glad neither of the men seemed to notice how different Val was. A sharp incisor sank into her lower lip. She looked at Deni for a few moments, wondering what they were getting themselves into.

Then, Ignis watched Kincaid, wondering what sorts of documents would have to be filled out. Hopefully it wouldn't involve anything that needed her signature.

[164/1150]

 

[Apeiron]

“Your understanding of the situation is impeccable Mister Perfide,” Duilius said, nodding to the papers one final time. The pleasant business-like voice actually sounded happy as he went on to say, “On the guild form, at the bottom, you shall find my own signature. Simply sign your name below mine.” He paused and regarded Ignis whose continued scrutiny seemed unrelenting. As he stared into her eyes from across the room, he added, “Both of you. There is a pen on the table.”

Striding back to the chair he’d been in earlier, Duilius sat down, crossed one leg over the other and intertwined his fingers. “And please, do not feel rushed in your little expedition to the north. Though if you do find yourself with some time, I would ask you to travel to Aridus. There happens to be some strange happenings that might impact the future of our guild.

“Outside of that, simply leave the exa to pay your part of the fee here before you leave. When you return, I will have a good portion of the guild established and waiting for you.” He gave the two a greasy smile, “If you would like, I can even prepare your offices as you would like, within reason of course.”

Spreading his hands to either side, Duilius seemed almost welcoming for a second. The image was somewhat ruined, however, as, sitting within the humble room of his home-turned-business, Duilius ominously said, “Welcome to the Societas.”

Final: [2431]