"Oh man, that was way too much excitement for me." Guy groans and splays his body across the large stuffed chair situated behind a large wooden desk.

"I did most of the work you know." I huff, leaning back onto the old sofa Ramon keeps around for guests.

After I had tossed the killer Dire Bear into the crowd, the three of us had a clear path straight to Ramon's place of business, or the "office" as he puts it. Though its actually a basement located underneath a dive pub deeper inside the Temple district. Ramon's family owned the entire building, and the pub provided a paper thin cover for his fencing and smuggling business.

The cover fooled absolutely no one, but it gave the law a ready reason to ignore Ramon. Our suicidal friend may be paying the Order for protection, just like every legitimate businessman in this neighborhood, but there was still the gendarme to worry about. Not that the gendarme was particularly keen to step on the Order's toes. So the polite fiction Ramon built was a welcome excuse for the gendarme to close an eye to the less legitimate activities of our dear legitimate businessman.

"Where did Ramon go anyway?" Guy complains, "Wow, his chair is really comfy. I should order a similar model for my office back in the station."

"Eh, disappeared somewhere between crates." I shrug and wince at the sting of my tired muscles. Ramon's basement doubled as both an office for him to negotiate his deals as well as a storeroom. Most of the space was taken up by various boxes and crates holding the dubious merchandise. Ramon had to be doing well if he could move so much merchandise comfortably.

With nothing else to do, I pop open one of the trunks to examine the gems we had brought here to trade. Being in Ramon's office was never my first choice in handling this transaction. If either Guy or myself were seen entering the pub, the reasonable conclusion anyone would draw is that we were here to sell or buy illegal goods. But now that I had very publicly saved Ramon and needed a place to lie low until the fracas in the streets died down, I at least had a good excuse for my presence here. Better still, I had the presence of mind to let Guy pick up and carry the luggage trunks when we were running here. If push came to shove, I could just wipe my hands off the matter and point a finger at Guy.

"Fingers are sore." Guy complains as he massages his hands, "Those trunks were heavy. You could have helped."

"You could have jumped into the pit with me." I shoot back while shutting my eyes, ignoring my companion's annoyed grunt.

"Neither of you needed to help." Ramon's voice drifts over as he approaches the office. I open an eye and note that the man is now shirtless, showing off his trim and sculpted body. Ramon takes a swig from a bottle and as he drinks, the wounds on his arms seal up and vanish without a trace.

"Big spender." I whistle as Ramon downs the last of the healing potion. There's a pang of jealousy in my heart as I am reminded of my bog standard first aid kit. No healing potions for Senior Brother Nair, that's for sure. Those are only reserved for the important people.

"Plenty more where that came from." Ramon answers, not noticing my dour expression as he waves tiredly at Guy, "Please get out of my chair."

"No." Guy smirks, "We saved you, show some gratitude."

Ramon sighs and crashes on the sofa next to me, his face drawn in an expression of defeat. I bunch one of my hands into a fist and Ramon immediately jumps in alarm.

"Hey! What the hell?" he shouts, startled.

"Remember what I said back at the arena about me breaking your jaw?" I hum, "Besides, you've got the healing potions to heal that damage up right quick don't you?"

"Why did you try to commit suicide by bear, Ramon?" Guy chimes in.

"Amanda. She dumped me." Ramon collapses back into a heap on the sofa.

"Wait, what?" Guy blinks in surprise.

"So what?" I snort, "Get another woman. Don't you patronize several brothel girls anyway?"

"Mac, you don't get it." Guy interrupts, "Ramon and Amanda are getting married. The ceremony was supposed to be week after next I think."

"Its next week." Ramon moans, "Not that anything is happening now. Amanda called it off."

"Uh, sorry to hear about that?" I respond a little lamely, not quite sure what to say. But the unhappy feeling in my heart only intensifies.

Its not easy making friends in a strange land where you never grew up in, especially a place like Deshawn City. Its as if the more people there are about, the harder it is to actually know anybody. Weird, but there you have it. Guy and Ramon were the only people I knew outside the House of Robeur, meaning they were the only outside of work friends I had. The revelation that neither of them had wanted me around for Ramon's upcoming and now cancelled wedding stung to say the least.

"Why did Amanda call the wedding off?" Guy pursues, leaning forward.

"She said I wasn't ready for marriage." Ramon mutters unhappily.

"Weird." I muse, spacing out of the conversation, my mind wrestling with my own relationship woes.

Considering the matter further, I mentally concede that I might be being slightly too ungenerous with Ramon and Guy. I only visit the duo whenever I want to sell the stuff I pilfer from the trainyard. There's no hanging out except for the occasional social drinks. They were amicable with me sure, but almost all our interactions were about business. This is really the first time I had ever heard Ramon talk about his private life.

"Well, I guess we should cancel the stag night -" Guy purses his lips but is almost immediately cut off by Ramon.

"No. We're going ahead and gathering all the guys." Ramon declares, slapping the hand rest of the sofa in affirmation, "I'm going to get totally blasted."

"What's this stag night?" I ask, mildly curious.

"Oh y'know, we hired a nice inn, got all of Ramon's favorite girls together," Guy explains, "Last shot for him to experience freedom right?"

"Did, uh, Amanda know about this stag night?" I rub my chin, trying to keep a solemn expression on my face.

"Amanda knows about my hobbies." Ramon responds, tossing his hands up, "I never kept secrets from her! But I was always clear that she was the one I actually love."

"Cool." I settle back down, "She's the one missing out then."

Yeah, missing out in getting hitched to a syphilitic donkey like you Ramon. I snigger deep inside my heart, my previously sour mood lifting considerably. Maybe that's why Ramon took to chugging healing potions, to cure any disgusting sex diseases he caught from the legion of floozies he visited.

"Hey, Mac, how about you?" Guy turns to me, "Any advice of the heart for our compatriot?"

"Just one." I demur, "Find a good woman. That's it."

"Wise words. But have you managed to follow them yourself?" Ramon raises an eyebrow at me.

"I had my childhood friend back in Springvale." I muse, "We liked each other, I think? It was so long ago ..."

"Wow, you're still sweet for your childhood friend?" Ramon breaks out into a cackle, "That's so ridiculously corny!"

"What's her name?" Guy queries, eyes alight with curiosity.

"I ... don't know actually." I reluctantly admit, "I know I had a childhood friend back in Springvale, but can't seem to remember the details. Its been decades since I was last back."

"Are you sure your 'childhood friend'," Ramon chuckles as he does air quotes, "Isn't really just your right hand?"

I merely roll my eyes at him and wave the taunt away.

"She's probably fat and has several children by now." Guy laughs, "I don't see you slaving away in the fields as a peasant anyway."

"No. Absolutely not." I shudder, "Don't get me wrong, I like Springvale, its just that it was too ... well ... provincial for me, I guess?"

"Wants to make it in the big time!" Ramon crows, raising a fist.

"Damn straight." I agree.

Its true though. Even as a boy, I had always felt that I was destined for greater things than being a peasant, or a small town guard. And when my latent aptitude for magic manifested, it only served as further confirmation. All this was before I realized that plenty of other people also have aptitude at magic obviously. Reality has a way of forcing someone back to the ground. The only problem is that by then, you're already committed to whatever dream you had sold to yourself.

"Senior Brother Nair, in the flesh." Guy cheers from the side.

"Seriously though," Ramon looks levelly at me, "you ever thought of going back to your village? See how your family and friends have been getting on?"

"Can't afford to leave Deshawn City." I shrug, "There's too much competition back at the House. Got my hands full just keeping my position."

"That's a real shame." Guy commiserates, "But I understand. Plenty of people angling for you the moment you hold even a scrap of power."

"Give us a good price Ramon," I perk up and tap the trunks, "Then both Guy and I can retire early."

"Sure. Sure." Ramon smiles and begins to examine the merchandise as Guy rises from the chair to join us. Shooting the wind with Guy and Ramon might be fun, but one thing is clear, for me at least.

Business first.