Chapter 8: The Blightbane Guild

Subject: Caim Location: Maliscade - The Blightbane Guild

Large metal doors opened automatically before Alice and Caim with a *swish*. They crossed the threshold into the wide interior lit by bright lanterns attached to blue-gray metal pillars. Their boots pounded across a stylish gray brick floor. Caim heard the door close automatically behind them.

“This is the local Guild headquarters of the Blightbane here in Maliscade,” Alice explained, just loudly enough for Caim to hear her voice over the noise of the busy room. “Right now, we are in the public space. The restricted areas of the headquarters are much bigger than this. That doesn’t even include the training grounds, the smithy, and the lecture halls!”

She was boasting with an adorably prideful grin, glancing at him to see his first reactions. He didn’t know how to respond because there was far too much to take in. During her brief description of the place, Alice had implied that it was a gathering place for seekers, but that didn’t do this operation justice. She strode forward down the main aisle, but Caim was still trying to process his first sights before wading into the unknown.

“You’re impressed, aren’t you? Aren’t you?” Alice gently nudged Caim with her elbow. “I can tell you’ve never seen anything like this. I welcomed you to Maliscade when we were inside the gates, but this is the core of Maliscade to me.”

Caim nervously laughed and nodded. He went back to taking in the sights.

The building seemed much larger up close, more so now that they were on the inside. Rows of tables and booths lined the outer ring of the public area. Boisterous conversations filled the air. Though, no matter how lively the atmosphere, it still seemed relatively orderly. It was like a mix of a cafeteria and a professional meeting place.

“Keep following me,” Alice directed. “You can hold my shoulder if you think you’re going to get dizzy again. Or, feel free to hold my hand if you’re afraid of getting lost,” she offered with an insistent nod.

The offer was kind, and Caim could see that his companion was only looking out for him, but doing anything of the sort would only draw attention.

Is the culture here really that different, or does she have no awareness of common social etiquette? I really have no way to know.

The entrance was formed by a door and a small stretch of a smooth gray material Caim didn’t recognize. It looked like a mix between steel and plastic with the way it cast dull reflections. There were no glass windows, but this had been apparent from the view on the outside. The lanterns were made of a similar substance for the rectangular frame, opaque white panels glowing a consistent yellow hue that was too unnatural for a common flame.

“This really is like coming home for me,” Alice explained in a relieved tone. She let out a deep, relaxed sigh. “I know so many of these people. They are family to me.”

She pointed to the far wall down the main aisle.

“That is our destination. Let’s hope she’s on duty. I’m pretty confident she will be.”

“You don’t know?”

“I know her schedule, and this isn’t technically one of her duty hours, but she usually comes in early to cover for the other clerks. Guild employees take their jobs seriously, but Mille is something else… I found that out after getting slapped with a timeout from the Guild. I tried to drag her away from her job by force to have a little fun with me.” Alice’s voice dipped while she reminisced. “That was the first time she really got angry with me.”

While they walked, diagonally slanting walls widened the room until they reached a small section of wall extending on either side, each about the length of the entrance. These rested perpendicularly against the far back wall. All in all, the irregularly shaped room was the size of a modest auditorium.

“What is a ‘timeout’?” Caim asked, stopping in place as he finally processed what Alice had said. “Were you doing something you shouldn’t have?”

He stepped to the side to let a heavily armed seeker pass by with a tray of food. The seeker nodded in thanks as he passed by, and the two large blades sheathed on his belt clinked as he placed the tray down at a nearby table. Before politely looking away, Caim noticed a trail of faint white scar tissue slanting diagonally across the back of the stranger’s muscular neck.

Caim wondered if this scarring was the result of a grave wound that hadn’t been completely healed by magic, it the man simply hadn’t received healing in time, or what other explanation might account for the residual marking. How common was healing magic in Shroud? What other treatment technologies and practices were available?

“The timeout was nothing, but your second question is harder to answer,” Alice said with a suspiciously nervous laugh. “Mille and I got pretty close a few years back, and she told me no one had ever played a prank on her before. I had also seen her getting stressed over her job, taking extra hours and extra work.”

Alice spun in place with an energetic bounce. She held a hand out like she was holding a plate, tilting her head in that direction while smiling innocently. Then, she repeated the gesture with the other hand while she continued. She tilted her head the other way, coyly biting her lip.

“It just so happens that, a week later, the Guild forced me to rest after a contract turned out to be a little more than I could handle. You see… I was getting more experienced, but I still hadn’t found a party yet. I came across a blightbeast that I knew I could beat, even if, technically, I wasn’t supposed to try. Of course, I took it out no sweat.”

“Why weren’t you supposed to go after it?”

“I was still a seeker ‘Initiate’. The rules restrict what different ranks of seekers are allowed to fight and where they are allowed to go.”

This mention of rules was in line with something Caim was noticing as he looked around. He saw what were obviously Guild staff, wearing uniforms that shared four colors. These were deep violet, black, blue-gray, and off-white. It was difficult to fully contrast these uniforms with the eclectic seeker armors and plain clothes. That was too much to ask for when he was also paying attention to Alice. However, he still got the clear impression that this place was not at all what he expected.

“I was injured and I received medical treatment, but they thought I should have a break. The Guild does things like that to make sure people don’t die and stuff, but I wasn’t mentally scarred or anything. I was scared and then I survived. That was it.” Alice held up a cautioning hand. “That is not to say that people who do need further treatment are somehow weak,” she clarified.

“Oh… that makes sense. It is good that they look out for their employees. Wait, that actually doesn’t clear something up. What did you actually do to force her away from her job?”

Alice flung one arm wide, fingers outstretched and rigid like she was slicing through the air. Caim barely managed to stop her before she hit someone about to walk by her from behind in the face. She apologized to the passerby, who laughed off the mistake.

“Thanks for the assist. Anyway, you don’t need to know what I did, because all that matters is that she forgave me after the paint washed out, after I paid for the actors I hired to help her cover her lost work, and after a long apology,” Alice explained.

She was speaking rapidly and nodding with a firm finality that screamed: “do not mention this to Mille or she might get mad about it again”.

“Besides, half the traps misfired. It could have been way worse… way, way worse...”

Alice nodded silently to herself, just enough to cause a clump of her black hair to cover her right eye and part of her face. She continued staring off into space for some time.

“I blame the boredom. Too much time off is bad for a seeker. It’s a stereotype, but we don’t tend to like staying in one place. Also... technically, seekers are more like independent contractors, but Mille can explain this when she signs you up.”

Did Alice decide I was becoming a seeker without telling me, or did she think I got her intention in bringing me here and assumed I had agreed to the idea? She knows I have no combat experience, so why does she think I can handle it? She’s so passionate that I don’t think I’d be able to convince her of anything right now...

She had a strange personality. Caim hoped Alice wouldn’t try and play a similar trick on him. His impression was that she wasn’t a bad person, but he was coming to realize that she was blunt and very intense. Apart from any insecurities and anxieties about her Mark, she definitely wasn’t one to “overthink” things.

Caim saw Alice turn and begin walking deeper into the room. He followed after her, stealing glances at this snapshot of Guild life. All manners of unfamiliar food and drinks were being consumed at the tables. He couldn’t recognize the foods, but they were at least prepared in a vaguely familiar way.

Tables were of different sizes, with the largest of them sandwiched in the interior of the three aisles. The main aisle led to a long desk tracing the back wall. A large sign above the desk read “information”. Caim could see an enormous black plate fixed to the large wall, raised so all would see the pale blue etchings on it. It depicted a simplified map of the region, focusing on the festerfonts like Shimmerden. There were twelve in total.

The left aisle ended at the left wall, where a crowd of people was gathered. They were looking at something up against the wall, but he couldn’t make out what that something was.

The right aisle led to a restaurant that was embedded in the right wall. People also gathered here, picking up and returning food trays, and lined up to place orders. He could see that people who were eating at their tables were more heavily concentrated near the entrance.

Caim noticed that the closer they got to the desk, the more the gatherings around the tables transitioned from social to professional. Those sitting at tables closer to the entrance looked like they were relaxing before or after work. Those at the tables closer to the information desk were busy conducting preparations or distributing the spoils of their work. It didn’t appear to be a Guild “rule” that created this division, as some tables didn’t fit this pattern, but it was a noticeable trend at the very least.

“This is-” Caim began, pausing while he distractedly looked around the room. “This is different from what I expected. Much more organized.”

“I think that is a common assumption, even if you have lived in a city before,” Alice explained. “Civilians see us all the time and there are all kinds of stories spread about the Guild, but you really need to live the life to understand it.”

Caim looked back at the entrance and saw guards stationed on either side of the door. They were very obviously not Shroud Enforcers. They looked intimidating but approachable. Granted, it was easy for an armed and armored person to look more approachable than those sentries at the gate. Caim knew it would take him some time to get used to their appearance.

More Guild guards were scattered around the public space. While he was looking around, Caim locked eyes with a seeker who was at a table covered in a disorganized heap of meal trays. Those around him were laughing, drinks in hand like they were relaxing after work.

This seeker looked different. His hollow gaze was hardened and frail all at once. Caim saw someone who was both scared and tired, and a chill swept through his body.

One of the seeker’s companions jostled them with a hard elbow. He turned and smiled at his comrade, raising a mug and joining them in their mild merriment, no trace of his former contemplations.

But Caim’s memory of that haunted stare lingered.

Closer to their destination, seated seekers and Guild personnel were all business. Upon some tables, there were maps and other expedition gear. Groups huddled together, engaged in serious discussions. Caim caught part of one of the conversations and heard a debate about how to navigate unfamiliar terrain.

“There she is,” Alice excitedly announced. “I told you she’d be on duty.”

Alice turned and waved to one of the Guild attendants standing behind the long desk.

“Mille!” she called out, briefly drawing the attention of those in the immediate area.

This employee was, as Caim had been informed, not human. Her skin was flint gray, and the small orbs embedded above and below her eyes flashed green in response to seeing Alice. Thin lips curled into a gentle smile.

“Alice! It is rare to see you stop by before the day is done,” Mille answered in the same faintly melodic tone as the faron seeker.

Another faron trait? Caim wondered.

Alice walked up to the desk and held a finger back to ask Caim to wait where he was for a moment. He complied and instead began watching a hushed exchange take place. Caim tried not to stare at Mille. He saw her lean over the desk and allow Alice to whisper into her ears. These ears were slightly more angular than a human’s.

Mille noticed Alice’s ruined armor and her smile vanished. Her conduits flashed red and she grabbed Alice’s shoulders with two four-fingered hands and pulled her close. Alice nervously laughed like she was a kid who had been caught misbehaving.

“What did this? What wounds remain?” Mille sang the questions with a protective anger coating each word.

Mille’s uniform was a mix between a lab coat and military formal wear. It was primarily blue-gray, with off-white shoulder pads. A familiar symbol was emblazoned on the abdomen. Looking around, Caim realized the symbol was on other kinds of uniforms, too.

It was a simple symbol. The blue-gray outline of a circle, with blue-gray webbing, strung across the black interior of the circle. When Caim concentrated on it, he understood what it meant.

Blightbane Guild.

Caim broke his stare to give Alice and Mille some privacy. He looked around to see what other things he could make sense of.

Subject: Caim Location: Maliscade - The Blightbane Guild

Caim wondered how much of the city’s wealth was concentrated within this building. What he had seen of the city was impressive for a civilization less technologically advanced than he was accustomed, but the Guild headquarters was on a whole different level. The Guild seemed like an organization that was integral to the city.

Much more serious than I assumed they’d be, Caim thought, remembering the seeker’s haunted expression.

As previously observed, the seekers were equipped with an eclectic mix of armor. This made it a little easier to see where the Guild guards were now that he had become more acclimated. Some guards stood at attention, but others mingled with the crowd, even eating meals with the seekers.

Looking out from the information desk toward the entrance of the Guild, the view was different from what he had seen walking in.

It is almost like these people are gearing up for war. This isn’t a casual work hub. This is a military base… albeit a flavorful one.

The crowd of people that Caim had seen before, huddled before something he couldn’t see, had now thinned out. He now had a good view of what had them so fixated, and it made his jaw drop. He was staring at a technological anachronism.

“Digital screens?” he accidentally mumbled aloud, absentmindedly stumbling in the direction of five black fixtures on the wall.

White characters, obviously writing, scrolled across the screens. Seekers took turns manipulating the information on the screens with their hands. Black cables connected to the bottom of each screen, trailing all the way along the wall to the information desk.

No, these can’t be digital screens, at least not like I’m used to. Much more primitive, but this must be how seekers find their jobs.

Before he knew it, Caim was standing before the rightmost board, behind an older seeker who looked to be in her late thirties. She seemed to be deep in thought. The seeker wore a segmented carapace of lightweight silver armor. A clear liquid flowed through channels visible in the translucent surface of the armor. He looked back up at the board, but he didn’t get a chance to read it, because an angry voice reigned him in.

“Caim!” Alice shouted, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. “Not that one. I don’t care how curious you are, I don’t want to ever see you using that infoboard. You aren’t a Champion. You aren’t even an Initiate yet.” Her expression was stern. Her body was tensed.

This got the attention of the expensively-armored seeker.

“Take this one’s words, freshbane,” she urged, “she is wise beyond her rank.” The experienced seeker looked down at Alice’s armor and frowned. “But Alice, it looks like you’re well on your way yourself.”

“A distance yet, Nina,” Mille’s voice cut in. “The Guild thanks you for your continued service.” Mille bowed her head slightly, revealing a pair of black flower clips atop pigtail buns of thistle-colored hair.

“And the seekers thank you for yours, Mille, even if they don’t say it,” Nina respectfully nodded back.

“I look away for an instant and you are off flirting with danger again,” Alice chided. “Is this going to become a habit?”

Mille put a guiding hand on Alice’s shoulder. Her face looked calm, but Caim didn’t really know how to read a faron’s face like he would a human’s.

“Other examples aside, Caim’s only looking. He probably doesn’t know.”

Alice let go of Caim and followed Mille back over to the desk. Caim followed along.

“He can read, but I get it. Will you explain it to him?” Alice asked, looking up at her slightly taller friend.

“Rest easy. I’m there,” Mille assured. Then, in a quiet voice, she continued. “I’ve never seen you so defensive. Not even with the other Initiates. You call me overprotective… You’ve only just met him.”

Alice whispered something back, but Caim couldn’t hear what it was. She pressed her body sideways against Mille and discreetly passed her a small cloth pouch, which she quickly pocketed it in her uniform’s coat pocket. They arrived back at the desk.

“I need to meet up with my party,” Alice informed Caim, wincing apologetically. “Mille will help you. Don’t worry, you can trust her. I’ll see you around! I’m rooting for you at the ceremony!”

Mille calmly smiled and nodded in agreement. Before Caim could protest, Alice had raced off. He felt abandoned, but Mille quickly waved for him to follow her through a set of doors behind the desk. After a moment of pause, he walked forward.

“We never got formal introductions, but my friend often forgets about formalities. As a seeker, she can do as she pleases as long as she doesn’t break the rules. What I do is different. It reflects on the Guild.”

Mille paused to allow the automatic door to slide open for her, walked a few paces into the long hallway beyond, and turned. She extended a welcoming hand.

“I’m Mille. I’m a clerk for the Blightbane Guild branch here in Maliscade. I’ve known Seeker Ardent Alice for years, since back when she was an Initiate. She is a good friend. It is good to meet you.”

Caim took Mille’s hand and gently shook it. He thought he noticed a brief moment of surprise in her eyes before they released their grip.

“It is nice to meet you, Mille. I’m Caim. I’m not anything right now, and I only just met Alice.”

Mille studied his face while he said the words. She shot a discreet glance at the guards posted at the far end of the hallway before she began walking toward them.

“Yes. So I’ve heard,” she quietly concluded.

Caim didn’t want to go somewhere deeper into the heart of a building he didn’t know, especially now that Alice had left him, but he realized that it was probably better than remaining in a public space full of strangers. Even if he didn’t know what Mille was referring to in such a grave tone, he would likely find out soon.

“We can speak privately back this way,” Mille explained, louder now.

They reached the guards. Mille presented herself by pausing before them and they acknowledged that she could pass. One guard pulled the gray metal door open and held it for them to pass. Caim followed Mille into the restricted section beyond, anxiously twisting the bottom fabric of his jacket through to the shirt underneath.