Turning attention back towards the guild masters, Varun and Nadie do actually do something besides give Russo a justified hard time. A nebulous and surprisingly organized network of 'dark' guilds is giving them plenty of reason to worry. Discretely divulging information with one another regarding the growing threat, they have every reason to exercise a healthy amount of caution of paranoia.



Icon is © to  DemonRoni

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Chapter 35

“Oh hell… I knew I forgot something.” Tapping a clawed finger against the side of her head, Nadie growled at the response she had written up and promptly forgotten about sitting on her desk. She had been so preoccupied with learning about Umbra and fulfilling her bargain with Russo, Varun’s letter had completely slipped her mind. Reaching into a desk drawer, the panther pulled out the Tedrah guild master’s message.



Nadie,

You’ll have to excuse the messenger that came tacked on along with this. Provided this actually gets to you, I will concede that at the very least he gets things done. That is honestly the kindest thing I can muster to say about him. Well… that and I managed to squeeze out some unpaid labor from him for this. Have you seen how much couriers have been charging lately to carry a message from one side of the province to the other? It’s outrageous! Anyway as you’re no doubt aware, due to the lack of gloating shoved into the introduction, the excursions that myself and the Gorsk sent out have yielded nothing. You would think that coordinating when to descend upon the suspected ‘guilds’ would work in our favor. My much quieter, and competent, members found absolutely nothing in the tiny compounds they ransacked. We guild masters have been going back and forth about these other ‘guilds’ for ages, but we’ve done little more than acknowledge them. And yet as soon as we began planning in earnest about actually getting some real reconnaissance on them, which was strangely enough right before that nasty bit of business in Peccamen, they up and vanish. It’s far too convenient to be a coincidence.

Worse yet, I fear that they aren’t standalone like we once thought. It could just be the insomnia from wracking my brain over this talking, but what if they’re more centralized than we give them credit for? Do you honestly believe that a single guild could possess the means to bring down that barrier? I sure as shit don’t. Now that I’ve broached the topic, you’ve noticed how disconcertingly quiet they’ve been, haven’t you? Way back when, remember how every so often a self-proclaimed ‘guild of old’ would show up waving their banner and stirring up trouble, proclaiming a return to our origins? …Back when guilds were self-serving and furthered the interests of their own members at the cost of everyone else. Tedrah had Ruo, and well… Yash had its own horror story to deal with. But these ‘guilds,’ they’re very secretive. Very hush hush. The fact that we haven’t the faintest idea as to what the hell they’re doing worries me. Robberies, disappearances, murders, trade of any kind; you’d think that somehow we’d be able to trace something back to them. Yet all we have are sneaking suspicions.

For instance, Russo, the smart ass messenger attached with this letter, claimed that a sentient relic found within the heart of the mountain was what we were inadvertently containing. Ignoring some boorish details of how he goaded the thing into obliterating itself, along with the entire mountain, he did mention something rather enlightening. Judging from the relic’s comments, assuming he accurately recalled them, it had absolutely nothing to do with bringing down the barrier. That confirms our suspicions that the only feasible suspects we have as to who was capable of such an act are one of those ‘guilds.’ This can only strengthen the argument that we finally focus our undivided attention on them. Given that our joint investigation was scheduled to happen right when the Peccamen scare reared up, I’m half tempted to think it was just a means of distracting us.

The nearest enclaves that we were aware of were located by Tedrah and Kovous, meaning it fell upon Gorsk and I to handle the brunt of the work. We had been conversing back and forth for months about a simultaneous venture, but well, you remember how we had to drop everything to tend to that emergency. Gorsk and I hastily scrambled together some resources and carried on with the reconnaissance anyway, hoping that maybe we’d learn something useful. Unfortunately, you already know the answer to how well that turned out.

Oh, and did I mention that immediately after cleaning up in Peccamen my members were attacked? Yeah, so that happened. The warrior I had tag along on the trip, Jem, killed the hell out of them though. Thank the gods I had the right mind to send someone capable along to keep tabs on that mage of mine. Now, it could have just been one unfortunate event following another. But I’m inclined to treat it with a liberal dose of suspicion. I’m seriously beginning to consider whether or not our correspondences and actions are being monitored or intercepted, which is why I had Russo deliver this to you personally.

I’m at a loss for what to suggest and how to proceed from here, Nadie. The more I think about this, the more paranoid I get. If we begin to exclusively send out our members to relay our messages for us, I fear they’ll become targets. If someone is observing our lines of communication, pretty damn sure they’ll notice the sudden lack of letters travelling between us and the totally unrelated increase in members making visits to the various guilds around the province. There’s no need to unnecessarily endanger them. Yet if we keep going on like we have, we’ll essentially be laying out our battle plan for all to see. I don’t know how we should approach this. I suppose we could send out letters brimming with false information and have our respective guild members subtly relay what we’re actually intending during some infrequent visits. Until we are aware of what we’re dealing with, I don’t think we could possibly exercise enough caution.

I’d appreciate getting some input from you on this, lest I start losing my mind as my thoughts become consumed with this.

P.S. Keep an eye on Russo, would you? Seriously, it’s in your best interests. This isn’t me being doting or anything. Half your damn city is liable to be destroyed in some idiotic fashion if you don’t keep him on a short leash.

Sincerely,
Varun



Laughing to herself, the panther couldn’t help but smile at her old friend’s prophetic warning. Tucking the letter back into a desk drawer, she turned her attention back towards her reply. Forced to trash her initial reply after failing to entrust Russo with her letter, Nadie scanned over her newly drafted work. Careful to word such that it did not seem like a direct reply, she was purposeful in her wording, crafting it such that it appeared she was the one initiating the conversation, not simply continuing it. Right ear flicking up and down, Nadie’s powerful padded fingers dug into the desk. Clamping down on the rough wooden surface, her digits made noticeable indents. “I could just about kick myself over this,” she grunted. Tilting her head back, her eyes fixated on the gentle curves and contours in the rocky ceiling.

Let’s see… there was the friendly introduction, acting like she was checking up on him after not hearing from Varun in ages. Then there was the spiel about how wonderful it was having a member of his guild visit and what a wonderful guest he was. Aside from the demon and the temple and his general uncooperativeness. Following that was the strongly worded invitation for Russo to come back and visit any time he pleased. “So long as I don’t make it sound urgent,” Nadie grumbled under her breath whilst mulling over the wording of the sentence. Clacking her teeth together, the panther shrugged in response. It’d have to do. Finally there was her own bout of boasting, poking at the old geezer about what the hell he had done with his raggedy old self lately. Oh little old imposing me? I captured a demon and have dived headlong into research about their connection with the foundation of magic. You know, not much, same old same old. Ohhhh she could already imagine his face scrunching up. The crotchety old bastard hurling her letter against the wall, only to rage in exasperation as it barely sailed past his desk and gently bounced against the floor. Sighing in contentment, Nadie stifled her snicker and tucked her letter away inside a ragged and worn envelope. Lapping at the back of it gently, the flap of the envelope clung tight after soaking in her saliva.

“Now for the matter of finding a courier that looks remotely trustworthy,” the panther mused aloud. Pushing herself up out of her chair, her heavy footsteps echoed loudly in the Yash guild’s subterranean corridors.

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“Doesn’t the fact that I’m this town’s guild master mean anything?” Nadie bluntly inquired, her tone growing increasingly irritated.

Tucked away inside an alleyway, the courier leaned against a wall. “And what of it?” Scratching at her snout, the scrawny possum was less than impressed.

“It means I’m the woman who could rip your head clean off your shoulders,” the panther morbidly thought. Stifling a low growl, she rolled her eyes. “Is there any reason in particular why your asking price is so ludicrously high?”

“It’s a dangerous business travelling from one town to the next. I need some reward to offset that risk,” the possum snarked back, rubbing her fingers together.

“The roads leading to where I’m asking you to venture are as safe as they’ve EVER been. Travelling alone may still be a risky venture but at least you have a chance, let me repeat, a chance of journeying along unmolested. That’s a dramatic improvement from not even a decade ago. And that was due in no small part to the efforts of the local guilds, my own guild playing a significant role in that clean-up effort.”

“So?” Tipping her puffy cap up, the courier’s eyes melded with the shadows cast upon her face. Much to the guild master’s annoyance, pickings were slim. Choosing between couriers came down to which one would financially gouge her the least. Bent and nicked in various places, the possum’s torn ears poked out from crude holes cut in the top of her headgear.

“Soooooooo I believe I’m not being entirely unreasonable when I plead you to reconsider your asking price.”

Dusting off her vest, the possum scratched off a smudge of dirt. Cleaning her wardrobe was apparently infinitely more interesting that paying heed to the panther looming overhead.

“Fine. Here’s an argument I think even you’ll be able to understand,” Nadie curtly remarked, her tail bristling and angrily swishing back and forth. “You can either get half of your asking price or nothing at all.”

Tapping her fingers against her arms, the courier let out an uncooperative groan. “Something is better than nothing,” she relented. Sticking her hand out, she wiggled her fingers impatiently. Grinning as the weight of a thick sack of gold plopped into her grubby little mitts and tugged down at her arms, a letter shoved against her snout quickly soured her mood. Stuffing the gold into the seemingly depthless pockets of her vest, the possum hesitantly accepted the letter. “…Tedrah, huh?”

“Directly to the guild master residing there, Varun. And I expect some proof of your delivery when you get back.”

“I heard you the first time,” she grunted. Pulling down her cap, the possum dashed off towards the horizon. Hanging low in the sky, the winter sun hurtled westward across the sky as the courier snaked along the winding dirt paths. Dusted in a layer of frost, plumes of dust trailed up every time the possum’s feet slammed against the ground. That was about the only good thing about winter she thought to herself. More often than not she could count on the ground being frozen solid, making navigating it all the easier. Casting a glance to the side every couple hundred feet, the courier kept a constant sentry. Brown shoots of dead and dying wildflowers cracked and crumbled in the fields surrounding the road, the brutal cold snap marking the transition from fall to winter killing off everything but the grass and stray patches of winter wheat. Smirking, she began to ponder whether or not to race the flaming orb trailing through the sky. “Hmmm, will I be able to finish today’s trip before you do? Heh, we’ll find out one way or another anyway.” Her long bare tail whipping side to side, her body drew closer and closer towards the ground. Leaning further and further forward, the possum blazed through the countryside without missing a beat, her pockets jingling softly and shoots of grass swaying softly in her wake.

As the sun sank over the horizon to her left, the courier tilted her head to the side and spit into the wind. “Can’t win em’ all I suppose.” Drooping her shoulders, she continued ever forward determined to at least make it to the first stop on her journey before the moon took its position high in the sky. Tossing looks over her shoulder with increasing frequency, the possum slowly pulled her arms towards her chest. Carefully pressing a hand against her vest pocket, she held Nadie’s payment against her torso tight. Even with the clanging coins muffled, a soft jingling continued to be heard. Kicking it into high gear, the courier’s feet barely made contact with the ground. As she tore across the poorly illuminated path, the tell-tale sound of metal objects jostling in place slowly faded. Breathing a sigh of relief, the possum’s lips curled upward. The village marking her first stop on the trip had finally come into view. Keeping up the breakneck pace, she zipped along for the remainder of her moonlit journey. Jogging between the clustered houses draped in the moon’s pale pallor, the courier’s eyes scanned for any signs of light. A quick survey revealed a soft orange glow emanating from the windows of a particularly quaint and cozy looking home, the wooden sign advertising “Inn” creaking softly in front of the door. Slinking inside, and mindful to slip the sliding locks into place behind her, she forced an air of courtesy as she faced a graying old squirrel rocking back and forth in chair. Situated before a fireplace that was bathing him in ambient heat, the aged fur eyed her suspiciously.

Reaching into her pocket, she painfully parted with a couple of gold coins and flicked them his way. Snapping them out of the air with his stiff and arthritic fingers, the squirrel’s impression lightened up. As his lips parted and words began tumbling out of his mouth, the possum strutted right on by into a bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her. Padding over towards the lone window in the room, she ran her fingers along the windowsill. Short of smashing out the panes, no one would be getting in through there. Letting a soft chuckle crawl out from her throat, the courier tossed off her clothes and crawled under the covers. A fleeting shadow danced across the covers, the moonlight pouring through the window impeded momentarily.
Clamping his jaw shut, his attempt at friendly banter shot right down, the old man simply shrugged and pocketed the change. Closing his eyes, he hrmmmmed softly while he resumed gently rocking back and forth. Basked in the fading warmth of a dying fire, the old fur nodded off to sleep, too tired to make the trip back to his bed. After the light from the flickering flames had finally faded a couple hours later, the sliding locks on the door jostled in place. Barely visible in the darkness, a pointed claw shoved itself in between the door and its frame. Slowly sliding up and down the frame, it brushed up against the metal cylinder of the first sliding lock. Waving about from one side to the other, it tapped against the small knob used to slide the lock back and forth. Dully tapping against it constantly, the claw maneuvered itself under and around it and carefully pushed it forward. Sliding back up and down the door frame, the same process repeated itself. Pushing the door ajar, a brief gust of air marked the intruder’s entrance.

Easing the door shut behind them, the hooded figure turned towards the old squirrel dozing off by the fireplace. Letting their left arm drape to the side, a magic crystal slid down from inside their sleeve into a curled hand. Gripping it tight, the magical crystal took on a black glow. Swiping a hand through the air, a wave of darkness sailed towards the fur and wrapped around his eyes like a veil. The squirrel slid down further into his rocking chair and snored loudly, having fallen into an even deeper sleep. Noiselessly, the intruder treaded towards the courier’s bedroom door. Dipping their hand into a pouch wrapped around their thigh, a clawed furry hand pulled out a tiny corked clay orb. Digging a claw into the cork, the figure yanked it out in one smooth motion. A foul and noxious odor wafted from inside. Exhaling deeply, they knelt down and rolled the orb under the door. Rising to their feet, the intruder backed away towards the front door and cracked it open. Muzzle poking out from under their hood, the glistening black nose upon it took in deep breaths of the fresh air blowing outside. Their head cleared, they gently shut the door and paced towards the fireplace. The figure stood in place, taking in what remained of the smoldering logs that were beginning to ash. Taking a few steps back, they leaned towards a window to grab a candle sitting upon it. Shoving it into the hearth, the wick pressed up against a cooling ember. It took on a red hot glow as a tiny flame swayed to and fro upon its tip. Setting the candle upon the floor, the intruder cautiously approached the possum’s bedroom. Wrapping a hand around their muzzle they swung the door open, the metal hinges creaking loudly. Their free hand rested on their waist, fingers tapping against a dagger holster hanging from their belt. Tiptoeing to the bed, the hooded figure removed their clawed hand from around their muzzle and grabbed hold of the covers. Yanking back the bedding, they promptly drew their dagger, ready to sink it deep into the possum’s neck if need be.

The passed out possum soaking in an accumulating puddle of her own spittle rendered that course of action unnecessary. Sheathing the weapon, the intruder pulled the covers back over the naked fur. Dropping to their knees, the figure pocketed the empty clay orb on the floor and rummaged through the courier’s clothing. Picking up the vest splayed out on the floor, the intruder shook it to and fro. A wry smile crept upon their face at the sound of coin. Squeezing the sack of coins tucked within an inner pocket, the figure hesitated. Would the girl really notice a handful of coins missing? …Probably not, but that wasn’t what they were here for. An audible sigh could be heard as the figure shook their head and set about to the task they were assigned. Furry fingers explored the remainder of the vest’s pockets until the object of desire was struck upon. Pulling out Nadie’s letter, they tapped it against their free palm. Sauntering back into the living room, the figure drew their dagger once more and slid the metal blade under the flap of the envelope. Careful not to tear the paper, the intruder slowly pulled the flap back and retrieved the letter inside. Straining their eyes in the weak light cast by the candle, the figure drank in the contents of the letter. After the eighth read-through, the exact wording of the letter had more or less been committed to memory. Bringing a padded finger up to their lips, they dabbed it with a wet lick and dragged it along the back of the envelope. Depositing the letter back inside, they folded the flap down, returning the envelope to its original state. Blowing out the candle, the intruder set it back upon the windowsill and proceeded back towards the bedroom. Tucking it back into the pocket it was pulled it from, they closed the bedroom door behind them and strolled out the front door. The sliding locks jostled once more as a claw poked through the door frame and slid the cylinders back into place.

Turning their back to the inn, the figure was surprised to see a jet black bird hopping at their feet. Its form was murky and unstable, the moonlight warping upon hitting its surface. Jumping up and down the tiny bird took flitted before the intruder, flying in circles to draw their attention. Pulling back her hood, the hyena cocked a brow and decided to play along. Dutifully following behind the bird, she trailed it to the agreed upon rendezvous point.

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