Together we walked the rest of the way to the guild hall. It wasn't a very long walk, and I could see the building coming up fast, exactly as the arms and armor merchant had described.

The several structures around town had thinned out, making the guild hall easy to spot in the distance. Even from where I was, I could see that the building was made of grey brick and—at its most basic—cubic in design.

It had a smaller second and third story above, making it look like some kind of grey multi-layered square shaped cake with multiple arched windows lining its walls.

I couldn't make out much more than that from where I was, so I instead focused on Darmund himself. It wasn't a very long walk to the guild, but it looked like there may have been enough time to get to know the man I was following.

To my dismay, and slight annoyance, he beat me to the punch. Just as I was about to speak, he turned his head slightly to look back at me—a small, intrigued smile on his face.

"So, Rose told me somethin' interestin', Miss Sparkle," he began, a hint of curiosity coloring his tone, "the way she tells it, ya done some mighty fine work for this town—work that would net ya a high rankin' position in... certain circles."

"Certain... wait," I furrowed my brow in thought before blinking in surprised realization, "are you from the Order of Nox Atra?"

"Just so, little lady," Darmund replied, barking out a laugh, "I'm sure Rose told ya a bit about us, but apparently nothin' about me."

"And what about you?" I pressed, seeing an opportunity to learn more, "from what I've heard, the Unyielding Blade and the Order of Nox Atra didn't get along well, and you're just going to walk in there?"

"First off, that ain't necessarily true," Darmund began, raising a finger without looking back, "most folk in both the Order an' the guild tend ta keep to their own affairs, sure, but we ain't on bad terms, not really."

He raised another finger.

"Second, ah'm a bit of a... special case," he lowered his fingers and chuckled, "ya see, ah was a member o' the Unyielding Blade long before ah joined the Order, and while that in an' of itself ain't too uncommon, ah was a bit of a big deal back in the day."

"So... what?" I asked, intrigued, "were you some sort of famous bounty hunter or mercenary or something?"

"Ya'll could say ah was a hunter o' sorts—still am, really," he replied mysteriously, "point is, ah made a name fer mahself in the Order—earned a high rank pretty quick.

"Now what ya have to understand about the Order, is that as ya rise through the ranks, ya get more leeway to do certain things outside its influence, an' ah just so happened ta miss the good old days ah spent in the guild, see?"

"So you do work for both the guild and the Order," I surmised, nodding my head. I gave him a bemused look a moment later, "and they don't have rules against that sort of thing?"

"Nah, not really," Darmund answered with a small shrug, "while mah duty first an' foremost lies with the Order, they don't stop me from takin' guild jobs on the side so long as it don't interfere with those duties. The guild don't give a damn either way."

"I see..." I muttered, "that's... interesting."

I had to admit, the prospect of working for the Unyielding Blade seemed a bit more appealing than working for the Order. It looked like the guild offered their members more freedom to do what they wanted, and you didn't have to take on certain jobs if you didn't want to.

I also guessed one could make some good money if they were skilled enough to get the riskier, higher paying jobs done.

Maybe if I learned how to fight—got some more experience under my belt, then I just might be able to make a decent living...

The prospect of taking on dangerous jobs and fighting for my life on a regular basis—when I really thought about it—didn't seem all that appealing, but there was one thing in particular that made me consider it all the same.

The more I thought about it, the more I began to realize I was more or less built for that kind of life.

I woke up with a powerful weapon in my hands, I was abnormally strong despite my less-than-muscular frame, I had magic that I suspected hadn't even been fully tapped into yet by far, and most importantly... I could regenerate damage to my body.

Sure it was possibly only to a certain extent, but still, that alone gave me an advantage like no other, to say nothing of everything else I had going for me.

"Enough about mah borin' life," Darmund suddenly exclaimed, snapping me out of my inner musings, "why don'tcha tell me a bit about yerself, Miss Sparkle?"

"Me?" I asked, taken aback for some reason, "I... I don't know. Didn't you hear about me from Rose?"

"Ah did," Darmund conceded with a small nod, "but she didn't really tell me much. Mostly that ya ended up doin' what most folks thought impossible, an' that ya had a nasty case of amnesia," he shrugged and gave me a small, helpless smile, "Didn't tell me much other than that. Didn't even tell me how ya did what ya did."

He stared at me for a moment, and it took me a second to realize that he wasn't actually staring at me, but past me.

He was eyeing the sword on my own back.

"Speakin' o' which," he began in a quieter voice laced with curiosity and slight disbelief, "that blade ya got there... that ain't the real deal, is it? A Spellblade, I mean."

"No," I quickly replied without thought, "w-well, I don't know for sure actually. but I don't think so. Rose told me there were only five in existence, so I doubt it's real."

"Hmm," the large man replied, giving me a long, considering look, "well, ah suppose it ain't all that far-fetched. Ah doubt ya coulda offed somethin' like the Headhunter with a fake though, so either yer lyin' or ya did it by... other means."

I kept my mouth shut, though I began to sweat slightly. I didn't really know why I lied in the first place, but something told me it was by far a better idea to keep the fact that the sword was the genuine article a secret.

Not like I'm doing a very good job of it though...

"Well either way, ah won't pry anymore so don'tcha worry none," he continued, waving a hand and giving me a placating smile, "we're all entitled to our secrets, though ah'd advise against showin' that thing off if ya don't wanna draw unwanted attention ta yerself.

"There's many a folk out there who'd literally kill ya ta get their grubby hands on a Spellblade," he let out a dark chuckle, "If certain folk thought that thing was real, they'd hunt ya to the ends o' the earth an' beyond, and even if it wasn't, the fakes still fetch a mighty high price themselves."

My pace slowed to a crawl as his words sunk in, and I paled slightly. I knew going around telling people my sword was real was a bad idea, but to think I'd be hunted just for having a fake?

I shivered at the implications.

"I'll uh... I'll keep that... in mind," I croaked before picking back up my pace and changing the subject, "o-out of curiosity, you wouldn't happen to be the member of the Order Rose was talking about, would you? The one who's supposed to confirm the body of the Headhunter?"

"Nope," Darmund replied casually, "ah came here ta see Rose about another matter, but since ah'm here an' all, we both figured ah might as well go an' take a look."

"Oh," I replied, before stopping suddenly as I remembering something else, "oh, right! Hang on a second..."

Darmund watched curiously as I pulled off my new bag and flipped open one of the pouches on the side. I rummaged around for a moment until I found what I was looking for and pulled out the letter Rose had given me.

"Rose told me to deliver this to the Order's recruitment office in Ruvenbor," I explained, straightening up and holding out the letter, "since you're from the Order, would you be able to deliver it?"

Darmund hummed curiously and took the letter from my hand. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he flipped it this way and that.

"Ya said Rose gave it to ya?" he asked before shaking his head and handing it back to me, "nah, 'fraid not, Miss Sparkle. Not this time."

"Oh, alright then," I replied with a frown as I took the letter back, "sorry, it was so convenient I just kind of asked without thinking."

"Now now, no need ta make that face," Darmund replied raising a hand, "there's a few reasons ah'm declinin' the request. First and foremost is that, fer all you know, ah could be lyin' about bein' part o' the Order—ah'm not lyin' o' course, but all the same ya don't wanna go trustin' a stranger with that kinda information."

I winced at his words, realizing just how stupid and hasty my decision really was. It seemed everyone and everything I ran into was out to teach me some kind of lesson in trust, self-awareness, or common sense.

What made it all the more irritating was that I felt like I shouldn't have needed all these lessons. Was I always this sheltered and naïve?

With a title like the 'Princess of Friendship', I probably was...

"The other reason," Darmund continued, "is that you'd have no real reason ta go ta Ruvenbor otherwise, unless yer lookin' for work, and lemme tell ya right now, Miss Sparkle," he leaned in close, a serious look on his face, "unless yer lookin' to become a soldier in the King's army or joinin' the Order, yer gonna have a hell of a time findin' any decent work."

He straightened up and shrugged.

"Though who can say fer sure, ya might just find somethin' worth doin'," he said in a lighter tone, "either way, from what ah've seen o' ya so far, it might do ya some good ta get out an' see the world."

"Yeah, I kinda think so myself actually," I admitted, slinging my bag back over my shoulder, "there's a lot I don't know about... well... a lot of things. I don't really want to get taken advantage of, but it's kind of hard when I don't know what I'm doing."

"Ah hear that," Darmund replied, nodding his head and giving me a sad, pitying smile, "what ya need is someone ta teach ya how things work, without screwin' ya over." his sad smile turned into a thoughtful frown, which then became another smile a moment later, "...and ah think ah know just the gal fer the job."

"What do you mean?" I asked warily.

"Yer lookin' ta hire a mercenary ta guard ya fer the journey out ta Ruvenbor ain'tcha?" Darmund guessed, a knowing smile plastered across his face, "if that's the case, ah know someone who'll do the job fer free, that is, if they know it's me that sent ya."

"Really?" I asked hopefully before frowning, "that's... I mean, that'd be great and I appreciate the offer and all but... why? Like I said, I'm not too comfortable with the idea of traveling with a mercenary as it is, and making someone I don't know and who doesn't know me travel with me just seems... I dunno... wrong."

"Come on now, little lady," Darmund replied, patting me on the shoulder, "I know the word of a stranger ya just met on the road don't mean much, but ah'm askin' ya ta trust me on this one. The woman ah'm talkin' about may be... rough around the edges, but she's one o' the good ones."

He turned and began walking down the path once more as he spoke, prompting me to follow. It turned out we were only a few more yards away from the guild hall, and I hadn't even noticed.

"She just so happens to be one o' the best damn mercenaries this side o' Vale," he chuckled as we made our way closer to the large wooden double doors that made up the entrance, "ah can personally attest to that little fact. Besides, even if she don't like the idea, she owes me a big debt, an' she always pays her debts."

"Well... okay, but..." I hesitated just before the doors, deciding rather reluctantly to tell Darmund about my other errand, "look, hang on a minute."

Darmund, who'd been reaching for the brass knockers on either door, stopped and turned to me with a quizzical expression. If he was going to insist on involving another stranger, then it was only fair I tell him what I was getting them into.

Once I had his attention, I swallowed and spoke up.

"Do you... know anyone by the name of Qaedis?" I asked, "Qaedis the Seeker?"

"Qaedis the Seeker, eh?" Darmund replied, lifting a hand to his chin and frowning in thought, "now there's a name ah haven't heard in quite some time," his frown deepened slightly and he looked back at me seriously, "ah've heard o' him alright, but what business do you have with him, Miss Sparkle?"

"M-Me?" I stammered, "w-well, I just... I heard about him in town, and I was told he collected things people needed... a-and I kind of figured..."

I trailed off, glancing at my boots as Darmund eyed me critically.

"Ya'll figured you'd pay him a visit, is that it?" he guessed, before shaking his head, "that ain't a good idea, little lady. Qaedis is one o' the best—if not the best scavenger in Vale, but he don't charge bits fer his services."

"W-What do you mean?" I asked, taking a bemused step back, "what does he charge if not bits?"

I don't know what I would've expected from talking to Qaedis. When Samson told me I'd have to pay a price, I figured that would only be fair, and I had hoped I'd have enough to pay for what I needed, but from the way Darmund was talking...

"Favors, Miss Sparkle," Darmund answered with a tone that sent chills down my spine, "the more dire the need, the higher the cost, and these ain't simple favors. They're the kind o' favors that'll get a man, or woman, killed if they ain't careful."

I stared at him, mouth slightly agape. A moment later I snapped my mouth shut and swallowed before speaking again.

"So... if I were to ask him for a traveler's permit to Ruvenbor," I replied weakly, "what do you... what do you think that would cost?"

Darmund's eyes widened in realization and he sighed wearily a moment later.

"Goddesses damn it all," he groaned, removing his stetson and running a gloved hand through his messy black hair, "ah shoulda known ya wouldn't be able ta get a permit at a time like this... come ta think of it, Rose shoulda known that too..."

We all should've known that, I thought bitterly, and unless Darmund or someone else is willing to front the money or get a permit for me... actually, wait a minute...

"Would I just be able to... borrow a permit from someone?" I asked with a sinking feeling, "or are they specific to each person?"

In response, Darmund scratched his head and sighed again before replacing his stetson back on his head and giving me a helpless frown.

"Permits have ta be signed an' stamped by an official," Darmund explained, "if ya can get yer hands on a permit that's already been signed an' stamped, yer golden, but you'd be hard pressed ta find someone willin' ta part with one."

"Unless I were to steal one or go to a scavenger with my request," I surmised, lowering my head and letting out my own tired sigh, "I don't really have many options here, Darmund."

"Well, if ya still wanna see Qaedis about that permit ah can't very well stop ya," Darmund replied, turning back to the doors, "but ah'd still strongly recommend against it, and ah'll leave it up to you ta convince Mauri ta take ya to him."

I blinked and frowned.

Mauri?

Rather than explain, Darmund pulled the doors open and stepped inside, motioning for me to follow with a lopsided grin. I hesitated a moment before stepping in after him.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I entered the guild hall, but what I saw at first glance looked something like a strange cross between an indoor marketplace and a large tavern all rolled into one.

There were several stalls and counters lined up against the walls, leaving plenty of space to walk around. Further back I could see a large open space with several circular wooden tables and chairs scattered about and what appeared to be a bar at the very back, complete with bartender.

On either side of the bar were a set of staircases that led up to a second floor, and I idly wondered if that was were they kept lodgings for anyone to use. If this place really was part tavern it'd make sense, but again, I still wasn't sure if that was the case.

The hall itself looked a bit smaller on the inside than it did on the outside, but I quickly realized that it was because many of the stalls seemed to have doors behind them, no doubt leading into back rooms where merchandise and other supplies were kept.

I didn't know that for sure, but with how much this place reminded me of a market, that was the first thought that came to mind. Next to each of the counters were large boards posted with all sorts of documents.

Some boards were propped up by wooden stands while others were attached to the nearby walls. Some of the counters had no boards at all, and a lot of the ones that did were almost bare—only having a few papers posted here and there.

I couldn't see what was written on any of them from where I stood, but I could see that there were some that had sketches and pictures of various people and unfamiliar beasts.

Those are probably the requests sent in by the townsfolk...

Looking around a bit more, I noticed just how... empty this place was. For as big as the guild hall was, there weren't many people walking about. Aside from those manning the counters, many of the people that were here were sitting in the back, having subdued conversation over drinks.

"Is... is this it?" I asked, walking further inside as I continued to look around, "the place is nice but... where is everyone?"

"This is everyone," Darmund replied with a chuckle, "ah said ah'd getcha acclimated ta the atmosphere, ah never said it was a lively one."

I frowned slightly as I turned to the man, but he seemed as distracted as I was. He walked ahead, scanning the surroundings as though he were looking for something... or someone.

That's right, he's probably looking for this Mauri person.

"Used ta be you'd see all kinds o' people wanderin' about the guild," Darmund continued, still searching the hall, "takin' jobs, postin' jobs, or just wastin' their time an' bits over at the tavern.

"Nowadays though? This place ain't had much trouble in the last few years, so there ain't much need fer the guild, an' this town was already small ta begin with. Headhunter was more a myth than a threat ta most, so no one stuck around ta try an' bag it."

"That's... well..." I paused and furrowed my brow, unsure of what to say to that.

It was sad in a way, sure, but at the same time, wasn't it good that the town was so peaceful? There hadn't been any attacks by the Headhunter and now the town had no more need to worry about it.

"Ah know how ya feel, Miss Sparkle," Darmund said suddenly, glancing back at me with a small, understanding smile, "ya don't need ta worry none. The guild may have diminished, but it ain't goin' anywhere anytime soon."

"It most certainly is not," came an oddly accented and slightly raspy feminine voice from up ahead, "it does not matter how boring things get around here, there is always going to be some poor sap who gets in way over their head, and that is when they come crying to us to get the job done."

I stepped out from behind Darmund and looked ahead to see a woman approaching us. The first thing I noticed was the woman's eyes. They were an icy blue shade that contrasted heavily with a short, tangled mop of dark green hair.

I got the impression the hair color wasn't all that common, but given the color of my own hair, I chose not to comment. The ears peeking out from her green hair tapered almost point, not in an overtly unnatural way but just enough to be noticeable. While it was strange, most of my attention remained fixed on the woman's eyes.

They were sharp, narrow, and slightly slanted, giving her a rather exotic appearance compared to everyone else I'd seen up until this point. The armor she wore was light, the attire above her waist consisting mostly of skintight brown cloth and leather with various pieces of dark grey metal plating here and there.

A dark grey armored corset covered her chest and midriff and she wore a dark brown, formfitting leather tunic beneath, the short sleeves hugging the upper halves of her forearms. Studded, dark grey pauldrons covered her shoulders and were connected by lighter brown straps crisscrossing about her torso.

The majority of her arms were left bare, save for a small metal armband on her left arm just below the sleeve of her tunic. A pair of armored brown leather gloves covered her hands.

Draped around her thighs and held up by a heavy studded dark brown belt was a fauld made up of dark grey, flexible metal scales. The armor itself wrapped completely around the back of her legs and hung rather loosely just down past her knees.

I could just make out a second layer of dark brown leather beneath the metal, along with black wool pants that flared out near the bottom before being neatly tucked into a pair of knee high armored brown boots.

Hanging from her belt was a weapon that looked as foreign as the woman herself did. The black scabbard was long, thin, and had a slight curve. I noted with some interest that the woman wore the scabbard with the curve facing downward, meaning the edge was most likely facing up.

The hilt of the weapon had a flat square guard and the longish grip had been intricately wrapped in some kind of shiny cloth material the same shade as her hair. I couldn't get a good look from where I was, but it looked like the cloth was made of silk.

Maybe it was the combination of her dark green hair combined with all of the brown she wore, but the woman seemed as though she'd be right at home wandering around a forest.

"You got something to say, girl?"

I blinked and refocused my attention on the woman's face, wincing when I saw her borderline hostile expression.

"No, I just... I haven't really... I mean—"

"Never seen a Djävagoan before?" the woman said with a small smirk, "well, get a good look, girl. We are not too common around here," her eyes lidded and she bent over slightly, striking a pose that came off as somewhat provocative, much to my discomfort, "and I am one of the better looking of us, so I do not blame you for gawking."

I frowned, my face burning at the accusation, though Darmund simply rolled his eyes at the woman's antics as though he'd seen her do the same thing countless times before. The woman eyed me for a moment, her smirk turning to a thoughtful frown. She straightened up and moved closer, causing me to take a nervous step back.

"Um..." I took another step back as she got right in my face, "c-can I... help you?"

"You know," the woman mused, looking me up and down, "you are not so bad a specimen yourself. I love the hair, and those eyes are quite... striking," she gave me a wicked smile, showing all her teeth, "I bet you would make a fine lay."

I practically scrambled away, my entire face burning red with embarrassment and indignation. I fumbled for a response, but I was too caught off guard to say anything intelligent.

"E-Excuse me?!"

"Alright, alright, that's enough o' that, Mau," came Darmund's exasperated voice as he pulled the chuckling woman away by the arm, "yer scarin' the poor girl, and we ain't even made proper introductions yet."

"Oh, she is so innocent! I love it!" the woman turned to Darmund with a childish grin that, combined with her smaller frame, made her look like an actual child, "tell me, where did you find this one, Darmund?"

"She ain't from around here, and ah'd appreciate it if ya didn't scare her off," Darmund replied, scowling at the woman. He turned back to me with an apologetic smile, "mighty sorry about her, Miss Sparkle. This here's Mauri, and like ah said, she can be a bit of a handful, but she means well, don't you, Mau?"

He gave Mauri a pointed glare, to which the smaller woman merely replied with a roll of her eyes and a glare of her own.

"I can introduce myself, Darmund, I do not need you coloring the opinion of every person we meet," she turned back to me with a sweet, almost saccharine smile, "my name is Mauri Bandal. It is very good to meet you Miss... Sparkle, was it?"

"Uh, yeah," I replied, nonplussed and slightly wary, "Sparkle—S-Stella! Stella Sparkle, it's... nice to meet you too. Darmund kind of told me a bit about you."

"Oh did he now?" she replied, raising an eyebrow at the tall man, "good things I hope? Surely he had more to say than that I am 'a handful'?"

"No, he did," I replied quickly, "he mentioned you were a good person, reliable... and that you might be able to help me," I grimaced slightly, unsure if I even wanted help from the woman, "he said you were a really good mercenary—one of the best out here."

"Well aren't you sweet," Mauri teased, turning to fully face the sighing man next to her, "unfortunately flattery will get you nowhere with me, Darmund, you know that."

"Ah ain't trying to get anywhere like that, Mauri," Darmund replied, rubbing his face tiredly, "Ah'm just callin' it like ah see it, an' nothin' more. Yer a damn fine mercenary, no two ways about it, but yer far from mah type," he shook his head an gave the pouting woman a serious frown, "in any case, ah am askin' ya to do Miss Sparkle a favor here on mah behalf."

In that moment, Mauri's features sharpened, her mouth falling into a thin line and her eyes becoming hard as she stared back at Darmund. The sudden change shocked me, and I fell into a nervous silence as I watched the exchange.

"You realize what it means to ask this of me for free, yes?" Mauri asked in a quiet, yet weighty tone, "if I do this favor it will count towards what I owe you, and once the debt has been paid, I will consider us even, no matter what you say later."

"That's fine by me," Darmund replied, shrugging his shoulders, "ah figure ah've been holdin' this debt over yer head long enough. So long as ya get this little lady where she needs ta go, ya'll can consider us square. No more debt."

Mauri eyed the man a moment longer before breaking out into a wide grin and clapping her hands together with an air of finality. I wasn't sure what had transpired between the two, but I got the odd impression that some kind of unseen contract had just been fulfilled.

"Very well then!" Mauri cried happily before turning back to me, "as Mister Belmondt has been so kind to recommend my services, I suppose I have no choice but to help, and for free to boot!" she winked at me and her smile grew playful, "aren't you a lucky one?"

I smiled back at Mauri, outwardly grateful that she was willing to help. Inwardly however, I wasn't exactly looking forward to having the diminutive woman as guard, given her dubious and somewhat off-putting personality.

Well, the first impression might not have been all that great, but I suppose I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth... right?

This is about where I left off, so the next chapters will take a bit longer to come out. Next chapter will be the final chapter for this episode.