Theo waited. The knocking didn’t stop, but he thought he recognized the voice calling out. As he made his way closer, the vice around his heart loosened. So, it wasn’t anyone from the guild.

Approaching the door, Theo spotted the pair of piercing yellow eyes looking through to him. He unlocked the door, and the man behind it shoved it open.

“Theo, are you okay?” Frevan asked, grabbing Theo by the shoulders.

It took a moment for Theo to process the question. He’d never seen the man so perturbed before. “I-I’m fine, why?”

“Business picked up and I- I’m sorry,” Frevan said, releasing his grip on Theo’s shoulders. “I should have checked in with you sooner. I told Heva and Trals I’d keep an eye on you.”

“I’ve been- everything is fine,” Theo said, not meeting Frevan’s eyes.

The man’s lips tightened into a line. “One of my collectors let slip everything you’ve been through lately. Why they didn’t tell me the news earlier is another question.” He stared off in the distance, furrowing his brow.

“Okay, maybe everything hasn’t been fine,” Theo admitted, taking a step back. He felt calmer already, with Frevan around. “It’s just- I’ve handled everything so far.”

“Severe physical injuries is not ‘handling everything so far,’ Theo,” Frevan said, staring down at the shopkeeper. “You should have come to me, I could have helped.”

“I know, but I thought I could-”

Frevan pulled Theo into a hug.

Theo’s eyes widened. Never in his years had he known the man to do that.

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” Frevan said, rubbing an eye as he broke the embrace. He cleared his throat. “Even still, my workers never told me what happened to you until one of them made a mistake. I’ve… told them to keep an eye on you, too.”

“You said you hired them through the Merchant’s Guild, right?” Theo asked, straightening his vest. It’d rumpled on him with the sudden hug.

“That’s what I suspected,” Frevan said, clenching a fist. “I’ve never had problems with them before now, though. They tend to keep me… informed about the state of Romuen.”

“That’s… concerning,” Theo said, and gestured for Frevan to follow him. “Here, let’s catch up over tea.”

“And so he still hasn’t woken up?” Frevan asked, glancing into Theo’s room. “Why in Taberna’s name is there a pile of vests- is that a dragon?”

Tirr made a surprised noise, and Frevan ducked out of the room. Something shook the room, and Theo heard objects clattering to the ground.

“That’s Tirr,” Theo said, cringing as something else crashed to the floor. “He um, found me. Sort of. I also kind of found him, I guess.”

“You guess?” Frevan gave Theo a look.

“Okay, I fed him,” Theo said, raising up his hands. “And I guess he found me after that somehow. He was eating my gallarant seeds in my workshop one morning.”

Tirr slithered into the room, squinting. A forked tongue poked out, testing the room. His color shifted to red when he saw Frevan. The zilant inhaled, puffing up.

Theo shot up out of his chair, knocking it to the floor. He waved his hands. “Tirr, it’s a friend!”

The zilant turned to him, and deflated. “Nice day?”

Frevan’s eyes widened. “The dragon talks?” He shook his head. “Of course it does. You’re a Lukien, after all.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Theo asked, standing his chair back up and holding out an arm for Tirr as he sat. The zilant coiled around, snaking his way up until he wrapped around the shopkeeper’s neck and perched his upper half atop his head.

“Trals was always innovating - finding new ways to apply runes, or better ways to brew a potion,” Frevan said, leaning back in his chair. “Can’t tell you the amount of junk he’d store away just in case it would help him someday. You Lukiens have a knack for finding the interesting.”

Theo thought back to his home in Renwurd. “You’re not wrong. Dad still keeps piles of stuff in the basement.”

“So you do, apparently,” Frevan said, pointing to Theo’s bedroom. “What’s with the pile of vests?”

“Oh, well, um,” Theo said, his cheeks heating. “I- I didn’t want to share a bed with Adam, so I just… piled vests on the floor and slept there. Turns out, vests are Tirr’s hoard-focus now. I keep finding vests that aren’t mine in the pile.”

“I hope you wash them,” Frevan said, scrunching up his nose.

“When Tirr lets me,” Theo said, frowning. “I haven’t had much time lately, either.”

“Right,” Frevan said, turning to look at Theo’s shop through the kitchen door. “Did you truly take on a golem - on your own?”

“Well, I had Maraz’s help at the beginning,” Theo said, and heard Tirr huff from above. “I was getting to you, Tirr. His air blasts redirected the golem’s beams. I’d be ash and cinder right now if it weren’t for him.” He scratched under the zilant’s chin, eliciting a pleased trill.

“And now you’re part of Vanguard’s Grip?” Frevan asked, eyeing the silver tag chained to the pocket of Theo’s vest.

“An honorary member, but, yes,” Theo said with more than a little pride. “I’m uh, not quite sure what that even means, if I’m honest, but I got the tag!”

“You have my congratulations, then,” Frevan said, a genuine smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “It’s what you always wanted.”

“Thank you,” Theo said, warmth filling him. “There’s- there’s something else I want, now.”

“Is there?” Frevan said, lifting his untouched cup of tea for the first time.

“I’m starting a guild,” Theo blurted out, unable to hold back like he did with Nils.

It spoke to the man’s experience that he didn’t choke on his drink like the Phrenic mage had. He set the cup down with care. “You’re what?”

“A guild,” Theo said, feeling the same excitement as before swell in his chest. “I figured out how to get the Merchant’s Guild to leave me alone. I just need to have a force behind me that they can’t just bully their way out of.”

The man’s eyes scanned Theo up and down. He shifted in his seat. “These are… large ambitions, Theo.”

“I have it all planned - or, well, mostly,” Theo said, sitting up straighter. “I-I’d like you to join, too. If you’re willing.”

“I’d have to hear about it, first,” Frevan said, taking another sip of tea. “But, I do trust your judgement, so I’m interested.”

“Okay, so,” Theo started, delving into his explanation. The same points he’d brought up with Nils came from Frevan, as well as considerations neither of them had made before. The man’s years of business experience shone through in the discussion. By the end of it, Theo found himself surer than he’d been, but filled with caution about the plan, too.

“It’s not a decision I want to make overnight, Theo,” Frevan said, setting down the quill he’d been writing his points with. “It’s a solid plan, though. My interest is piqued.”

“That’s what Nils said too,” Theo said, nodding. “That’s quite fine, I wouldn’t want you to make a decision so rashly anyway.”

Frevan glanced up through the roof slats. The golden afternoon sky stared back at the both of them. It’d be dark, soon enough. “It’s getting late, I should be going now. Let me know if anything happens with the Merchant’s Guild, okay, Theo? I… worry about Maraz being off your case.”

“I do too,” Theo said, standing up from his seat. “For all he was… problematic, there was a certain honor to him. He seemed to respect me, at least.”

“I’ve had my problems with Maraz, but I got the same impression,” Frevan said, walking out into Theo’s shop.

“Thank you for checking in, Frevan,” Theo said, opening the front door for the man. “It means a lot.”

“I care,” Frevan said, shrugging. “Did you ever receive word back from your parents? You sent a letter, correct?”

“I did send one,” Theo said, frowning as he remembered the poorly-written thing, and the amount of things that’d happened after he wrote it. “Pina used a more… discreet delivery route, though. It might not have even arrived yet.”

“Ah,” Frevan said, turning on his heel. “Have a nice night, Theo. Stay safe.”

“Everyone seems to be telling me that,” Theo mumbled, watching the man stride off down the street.

Locking the door, Theo strolled around his shop, tidying up the shelves. He took the time to bring out his new stock from his workshop. After discussing his guild idea twice today, he was out of mental energy to keep making potions. Organizing his shelves would have to suffice.

Theo smiled as he fit a label onto a bottle, patting it and setting it next to its companions. Looking up, it was night already. How long had he been at it?

Well, I’ll just tidy up the window and call it a night, Theo thought, moving to rearrange the display.

His eyes met another pair staring through his window from the street.

Something in the back of his head rang “trouble.” His heart racing, Theo stepped out from the view of the window. When he gathered the strength to peek, whoever it was had left.

A shiver ran down Theo’s spine. He walked away from the window - after double and triple-checking that his front door was locked.

Just three days left, Theo thought, stretching and yawning. Good thing, too. This vest-pile worked fine for a zilant, but his back ached every morning.

Theo stood up, and took care of his morning routine. At this point, it included peeking through every window in his shop and home. He kept spotting people staring in. No one had approached him. Yet. But he was nervous.

This time, he’d let Frevan know what was going on. The man took it seriously. His workers? Less so.

Theo had spotted stardust collectors standing on his roof for all of five minutes before they left to do… whatever it was stardust collectors did on their days off.

If anything, it made Theo’s offer to Frevan all the more enticing - a small silver lining, at least.

As the last portion of Theo’s morning ritual, he checked the loose floorboard he kept his lockbox full of money under now. Every single coin accounted for, Theo re-secured the floorboard. Maraz had dropped off the money for his lost stock. Only his Cinder Strike wand that he hadn’t used survived.

He was sure some of the wands looked okay when he’d been saving Maraz, but, there was nothing he could do about it now. At least the Merchant’s Guild reimbursed the lost costs. It was a miracle that Nils had him increase the prices on his stock just before all that had happened, or he’d have made considerably less.

The irony of him using Merchant’s Guild money to start his own guild wasn’t lost on Theo - it just made it all the sweeter.

With funds mostly secured for his own guild, Theo took no chances with the money being found. He certainly didn’t trust storing it with anyone in Romuen right now.

Theo pulsed mana into the floorboard, and the enchantment on the underside of the wood activated, locking it in place.

Humming to himself, Theo flipped the sign in his shop to “open” and went to unlock the door. Only, it wasn’t locked.

Sweat began to drench Theo in seconds.

“Heya, pal,” a voice called out from behind him.

Theo stiffened, turning around. He recognized that voice.

“What’sa matter?” Arlon asked, tossing a potion bottle up and catching it. He grinned, his teeth just as sharp as the spikes dotting his head. “Just here to make a visit. Guild gave ye a few days.”

“A few days for what?” Theo asked, feeling at his pocket. Drat, he’d forgotten to grab a wand. He still had Air Cage, though, if anything went wrong.

Arlon laughed. “As if ye need to be told.”

Licking his lips, Theo swallowed. “That’s- how did you get into my shop?”

“Some advice for ye, kiddo?” the urchin man said, pushing off from the wall. “Invest in magic locks. They might take me a bit longer.”

“I-I’ll call the guards,” Theo said, his mind racing for options.

Arlon raised a brow. “That threat work on Maraz?”

“Well, no,” Theo admitted. He stood up straighter though, and unclenched his hands. “Please leave my establishment, you aren’t welcome here.”

“No wonder the big guy likes you,” Arlon said with a laugh. “Yer a funny one. I’m just here to pass on the same message ye’ve been gettin’. One final chance. A favor for saving Maraz’s life.” The chosen man’s face grew serious. “Conform, or else.”

Looking at the spines on the man’s head, Theo didn’t want “or else.” That hadn’t stopped him before, though. “No.”

Arlon cackled, now. “So serious. C’mon, pal. What’s wrong with making more money?” The urchin stepped toward Theo.

He took a step back, and bumped into the wall. “Don’t come any closer!”

“What if I wanna?” Arlon said, his grin growing wider with every step.

“Stun Bolt!” Theo called out, the electric bolt coalescing in his hand and firing across the shop floor.

Arlon stood in place, letting the electric bolt wash over him. He chuckled.

Theo felt anger boil in him. Stupid spell. It never worked! It hadn’t a single time he’d been in this darn city!

“Block this,” Theo said, holding out his hand once more. “Air Cage.” Infusion and Primordial mana spread across the room, surrounding the man in a block of hardened air.

Arlon’s eyes widened, and the quills on his head began to quiver.

“Oh no you don’t,” Theo said, closing his thumb over his index finger. The Air Cage sealed shut, blocking off Arlon’s head too.

He already felt the mental strain begin, but Theo lifted his hand, and Arlon followed the motion. The man drifted across the room.

Opening the door to the outside, Theo guided the trapped urchin man out of the shop and onto the street. Once he was back in his doorway, he released the spell.

Theo dusted off his hands, huffed, and let the spluttering guildsman drop to the ground. When he closed the door, Theo grabbed a stamina potion off the shelf, and splashed it on the door frame.

“Condense.” Mana pulsed into the liquid, solidifying like it had on the thugs that had assaulted him after his dinner with Maraz.

“That should hold the door until I can draw a locking enchantment,” Theo said to himself.

Arlon stayed on the street for a few more minutes, watching Theo. The man just… wasn’t as threatening as Maraz, though.

With his inscribing stylus in hand, Theo began to draw out the locking rune. After he finished, he dissolved the gelatinous mess on his door, something he’d have to clean later, and checked over the original lock on the door. It didn’t look tampered with - not that he knew what to look for.

There should have been some anti-spell properties in the original lock, too. As far as he knew, most locks had them. Mana leaked into Theo’s eyes. Yup, there’s some kind of enchantment in there. Just how did Arlon get in, then?

Theo began to have the sinking feeling that a lock may not keep the urchin man out. He just thanked his lucky stars that the guildsman had left for now.

That was a problem for future-Theo. For now, he had Adam’s recovery to care about.