Zery had not returned by the time the tide ended, and we needed supplies. Luckily, we didn't spot anyone on the other side of the door when we opened it, and thus we were free to collapse the tunnel behind us as we left. We could always return here by going through Calyx's tree, the dryad assured us, and while a collapsed tunnel would not deter the more determined of workers, it and the knowledge that there was a deadly riddle that killed everyone who dared touch the shield… well, we hoped it would be enough for a while.
Back in Perseverance's End, we headed straight for the guild, where Bib was waiting for us with a smirk on his face.
"I am hearing strange things about a certain new point of interest," he said casually, but not without a clear hint of amusement on his face. "Do you happen to know anything about that?"
I shook my head. "Nope," I said.
His smirk intensified. "You can keep the job active. It will remain in your guild token and automatically update if you choose to share any findings. Then, all you need to do is transmit them and collect the money. The money needs to be collected in person, though, so keep that in mind."
"Here?" I asked.
The man shrugged, grabbing another mug to clean. "Any guild would do, but there aren't many to go around. Suppose you travel to another city and choose to share once you're there; you can do it. Presumably other people might have already shared your info, unless there's something keeping them out."
I narrowed my eyes. "Let's stop skirting around the topic, shall we? You know I went there, who else knows?"
"Hard to say," the man rasped. He cleared his throat by taking a nice swig of… water? I expected beer or ale, but no, it was water.
I leaned in. There weren't many people around, most of the workers having gone out after the tide. A good deal of them were hanging around the outer city wall, which was still damaged but had somehow survived yet another surge of monsters relatively unscathed. For a broken wall, at least.
"I know the token has a map function that tracks my position," I said in a low voice.
The man looked around and then gestured for someone to cover him, then directed us to another room. There, he crossed his arms and nodded. "It does."
"If it can track me, and can transmit stuff to the guild, then I guess it's fair to assume that the guild can see my position?"
Bib chuckled. "Usually takes a bit longer for newbies to connect the dots. Congrats, you now know you are being watched." He paused. "Well, if it makes you feel better, it's only a few higher-ups that can. The guild master totally does. I don't."
"I'll… take your word for it," I said.
The man nodded. "Why the sudden paranoia? Found good stuff down there?"
"You know already that there's a shield, don't you?"
"I heard rumors," he said casually. "People from the three-letter also paid me a visit. They were veeeery interested. Not just them. Many people are. Well, that's until I dropped your name. That got the three-letter club and also a suspicious number of other agents suddenly nervous. Do you happen to know what's up?"
It was my turn to shrug. I had information—at least in his eyes, though I personally had no idea what was going on—and thus I had leverage. I thought about it. I didn't have the full picture, but I was pretty sure Ted was planning something. Whether he wanted to help me or use me, it was hard to say. Out of all the people in the city, he was the one who knew most of my secrets. Perhaps it had been a mistake to tell him, or perhaps this would allow him to help me. Maybe, had I not told him my secrets, none of this would have happened. I would have never been given that envelope that led me to Zery, and even if I stumbled upon it, the club wouldn't have covered for me because I wouldn't have been a member. Maybe.
"I can see that you want to play your cards close to your chest," Bib grumbled. "I can respect that. I don't have to like it, but I respect it. Gets me thinking, though. If you are worried about being tracked… I might have something for you."
I perked up, as did the girls behind me. Bib didn't miss it, of course.
"See," he said smugly. "You owe me one. I disabled the location tracking of your token when I gave you the envelope. Map pings got rerouted and scrambled, so you got the info without anyone knowing where it went. Well," he laughed. "Until the subscription ended, that is. As I said, you owe me one."
I grimaced. "Thank you," I said. "And fuck you."
The man roared with laughter. "You're welcome, and fuck you too."
"What about next time?"
"We can work out a deal. It's risky business for me, you know?"
"How do I know you're not lying?"
"Open the map. See the green status up top? Means you are being tracked. Now? It's yellow, right?"
"Yes. Says danger. Also says that if I die, they won't find my body."
"Yeah who cares, right? Yellow is most people's best friend. If you see yellow, means I am holding my part of the bargain. A gold a day."
"Damn."
"Take it or leave it. And you still owe me one for the freebie."
"I take it. I take it."
After that, things sort of settled down. We went out to hunt, checked on the demonic core room to see if Zery was back, and went to many club dinners. It was basically a daily grind. Hunt, make money, collect favors, owe favors.
We were slowly getting tangled in the mess that was the city life. We even took fighting lessons from Ted's contact, and while they were as unpleasant as the man himself was, they were certainly useful.
Then, at one of the dinners, Ted approached us. He had been avoiding us lately, politely making it clear that he couldn't be seen interacting with us for whatever reason. We let him be. Things had cooled down with Zery's hideout, and we thought we were safe. People didn't like to die upon touching the shield, and even though the occasional attacks weakened its energy, they had no way to know that. To their eyes, the shield was as solid as ever. They had no reason to attack it.
This allowed the demonic core to slowly recharge thanks to the tree, and to our contributions in the form of monster cores.
"Hey, lad," Ted said after taking us aside. "A tip: you should really invest in a Block Inspect. Your status is already partially hidden, somehow. I suppose it's your bond? But lad, people can see too much. You need a Block Inspect for what's coming."
"What's that? A general skill?"
"Yes. But you can also buy it. Go to Lee's shop. Don't talk to Lee, talk to Master Slyzarik. He already knows what to do."
He turned to leave, then stopped.
"And lad," he said gravely. "The official induction into the club be nigh. It is custom that new members try to do something meaningful for the club, and there's a golden opportunity everyone is talking about. Involves a dryad and a shield and a riddle that kills everybody. A riddle you happen to know the answer to. I'm not saying anything, but you know the club and the guild are open rivals. You can take people inside if they are allies, can you not?"
I nodded slowly. "What are you getting at?"
"I'm not asking you anything strange. I did you a lot of good, these past few weeks, consider that. Used up a lot of favors. No, I'm not saying you owe me. Let's just say… I need to replenish those favors. One I have is with the freebuilders down below, and to the Chasmers, and if I can get them something they need, well. You already suspect I'm quite high up in the club here in the city, don't you? The induction ceremony is a prime opportunity to take the last leap and reach the top. Once there? It's you and I against the world, or the city at least. You said you wanted to change things, and I told you how much I'd like to see you succeed. Now we have the chance. Think about it, alright?"
The dinner wound down, and we left town soon after. We made our way back to Calyx's tree, and barely a moment after we stepped inside his shield radius he suddenly perked up, eyes going wide.
"The dragon, Zery!" he exclaimed. "She's back but… she's still chained. She's crying? She's calling Sol's name!"
Vespera grabbed my hand and broke into a run. "Let's go! Quick!"
We ran. When we arrived, we found Zery where we left her. She was crying, alone and scared, but a radiant smile came upon her face as soon as she saw us.
"We are here," I said. I wanted to take her hand, but her wrists were bound near the ceiling, too high to reach.
"Don't worry, dragon lady," Vespera said. "Sol is very good at freeing damsels in distress. Trust us, we know. Don't we, Elyra?"
The angel blushed. "It is true. And once you are free I suppose you will fall in love with him, much like we did."
Vespera sputtered. "What?"
Before I could say anything, Zery spoke. "If… he will have me," she said timidly. "I am not ashamed to admit that I have been thinking about him a lot while I was… alone. Oh! And you two! Both of you as well!"
I blinked. I just never expected Elyra, of all people, to be the one to say it. Vespera maybe, but her?
"That is up to him," the angel said. "But, between you and i," she added with a wink and a furious blush. "I think he is rather into you already."
"But physical attraction is not everything," Vespera said. "See, I charmed him with my quick wits and my silver tongue!"
"You charmed him by strolling around naked," the angel deadpanned.
"Unnecessary information!" the demon said loudly.
I chuckled, and Elyra too began to laugh. Soon, Zery was sharing the happy moment with us, the drying tears on her cheeks the only reminder of her isolation and loneliness.
"I will charm him alright," she declared. "I am a proud dragon. Once I overcome this momentary setback," she said looking at her chains, "and regain enough power… you will see."
"I look forward to that," I said. "I know we are just joking but… would you two girls really be alright with that?"
Vespera shrugged. "I don't see why not."
Elyra looked at me in the eye. "Who told you I was joking?"
I shook my head. Unbelievable. They were all possessive, and now this?
"You clearly don't get the nuance," the demon said. "Don't worry, Zery. He'll come around. For now, let's find a way to free you. We don't have much time."
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END OF BOOK ONE