At Hannah’s prompting, they dismounted their horses. Leo nodded and took the reins. He pointed at Hannah, then at the horses, and gestured brushing them.

“Leo, you can come with us,” Jet offered.

Leo glanced at the baron and shook his head fiercely. He shrunk back a bit, hiding behind the horses, and shook his head again.

“Jet, how dare you force the boy to come along with us. Leo, unlike Jet, I acknowledge your autonomy. If you want to take care of the horses, please do,” Gideon said, shaking his head at Jet.

Jet sighed.

As Hannah and Leo took the horses away, the baron approached them, all smiles. He offered a hand to each of them, and clapped their hands warmly, beaming up into their faces. “Baron Nolen, Baron Nolen, wonderful, wonderful to meet you. I heard about you destroying the wyrms? Fantastic, absolutely fantastic. If you wouldn’t mind, could you stay around until the festival ends? The wyrms get riled up so easily, and it’s been a hard year, with the True Dragon and everything.

“Everyone’s stressed. More than ever, we need this festival.” He shook his head and turned, looking out at the mess of people. “I would hate for a few wyrms to ruin it all.”

Gideon stepped forward and clasped the man’s hand, leaning close to him. A bit taken aback, the baron leaned subtly away from him. The further the baron leaned, the further Gideon leaned, until the baron bent almost in a C shape, and Gideon made his compliment. A keen eye would notice that Gideon stared at the man’s necklace rather than his face, intently staring at the opaque orange gem. “Sir, please leave it in our hands. We will do anything we can to kill those dragons. You can count on us.”

Jet grabbed Gideon by the shoulders and drew him back, brows furrowed. He shot Gideon a disapproving look, which Gideon didn’t so much as acknowledge.

For his part, the baron straightened back up with a light laugh and dusted off his suit. He nodded at them and pointed at the fine building behind him. “Could I invite the heroes of the hour into my offices for a spot of tea? I’ve got some wonderful strawberry shortcakes—fresh as can be—and the finest strawberry tea.”

“We must be—” Jet started, but Gideon stepped forward, shoving him back. “Of course!”

Jet scowled. “Gideon…”

Gideon glared at him. “What? Is it too much for us to accept some snacks? Is that a bridge too far? Is enjoying myself for a moment too much for you? I’m doing this gratis, you know! You can’t ask me to refuse every reward, too!”

Elly glanced at Jet from the corner of her eyes. “There’s no need to play the hero so stiffly. It’s fine if we relax a bit too, Jet.”

“Strawberry shortcakes,” Kat repeated, her eyes shining.

Jet looked at his companions, then sighed. “Alright, fine.” I hope I don’t end up regretting this. No politician has ever offered anything truly for free.

“Wonderful! Right this way,” the baron said, patting them on the shoulders. He bustled them up the stairs and into his building.

A grand entrance awaited them. Marble tiled the floors, and grand marble pillars stood to the arched ceiling high above. Gorgeously detailed gods and goddesses swirled mostly-nude on the ceiling, cavorting around a lush feast that prominently featured ripe strawberries. They only got a moment’s glimpse as the baron rushed them past into a yet finer room. Walls in an expensive, dusty green supported fine portraits of barons and baronesses past, while pure white upholstered chaises and lounges were scattered tastefully in a loose circle around a low mahogany table.

Jet sat delicately on the edge of a soft chair, afraid of staining it with the dust from the road. Gideon, meanwhile, sprawled across a divan, reclining in complete relaxation. Kat bounced nervously on a plush ottoman, while Elly sat impossibly upright, prim and proper, in an overstuffed settee.

Baron Nolen clapped his hands twice. Almost instantly, a pair of identical, prim maids appeared in traditional black and white, carrying a pair of trays. They unloaded a delicate, but large, teapot and teacups, all with a matching pattern of twined strawberry plants, and a three-tier tray laden with finger sandwiches, cookies and pastries, and at the top, a half-dozen gorgeous, fully laden shortcakes, brimming with fresh cream and ripe strawberries.

Kat drooled.

The Baron chuckled. “Go ahead, please. Be my guest.”

Jet hesitated. It isn’t proper. This… he’s looking for a favor, isn’t he?

Gideon snatched the biggest shortcake seconds before Kat’s hands closed on it. She glared at him, then snatched the next biggest shortcake and stuffed it wholesale into her mouth. Even as she chewed, mouth open, she reached for another.

Jet sighed. He ignored the food and turned to the baron, a forced smile on his face. “Please excuse my companions. They’re weary from the road.”

“No, no. Of course. Would you like a shortcake? They’re a specialty of the town,” the Baron said, serving one onto a plate. He held it out to Jet.

Jet shook his head, raising a hand. “I’m fine.”

“I’ll take it,” Elly offered.

Baron Nolen beamed at her and passed her the plate. She lifted a small golden fork and took a bite, her eyes shut in bliss.

Secretly, Jet swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He took a deep breath and forced himself to ignore the others. He’s trying to bribe us. Stay aware, Jet.

“There’s one left. Are you sure, Jet? You won’t find shortcake like this anywhere else,” the Baron said, carefully lifting it onto a plate.

Gideon swallowed loudly and stared at the shortcake, licking his lips. Kat leaned forward, wiping whipped cream and traces of strawberry off her face with the back of her hand. A dab of whipped cream stuck persistently to the tip of her nose, beyond the reach of a casual swipe.

Jet licked his lips, then swallowed forcefully. He dragged his eyes off the piled-high cream and the fresh strawberries, so ripe they stained the cake and cream alike with red juice. “I’m sure.”

Kat glanced at Jet, then snatched the shortcake. Gideon reached out and grabbed a handful off the plate, even as she dragged it back to herself. Immediately, she dropped the plate to the table and dug in with both hands, stuffing her face full. Not to be outdone, Gideon grabbed another handful, taking as much as his larger hands could hold.

Baron Nolen beamed at Jet, ignoring the strawberry carnage being carried out right in front of him. “Ah well, to each their own. My friends… lately, those filthy wyrms have been growing bolder.”

“Have they? Filthy creatures,” Gideon replied darkly, grimacing.

“Indeed! We only encroached their breeding grounds a little, and they’ve been going absolutely insane ever since. They must be put down,” the Baron said, leaning forward.

Munching a mouthful of strawberries and cream, Gideon pointed at the Baron, nodding. “You’re speaking my language.”

Jet narrowed his eyes at Gideon. “We aren’t here to eradicate every dragon nest on the way to the True Dragon.”

Gideon frowned at him. “Why not? What, are you going to refuse me every spark of joy that exists in my life? Besides, what’s the problem? I’m eradicating dragons, free of charge,” Gideon emphasized, flicking his eyes at the Baron, who immediately nodded and tossed him a wink.

Jet took a deep breath. “Gideon. Every moment we waste—”

Gideon waved a hand. “Every moment we leave dragon nests active, dragons are creating more filthy dragons. Come on, Jet. I’m doing the country a service. And you’re going to stand in the way of me serving my country?”

“Indeed. And you will be compensated,” the Baron promised.

“We don’t need compensation. We’re on a mission from the King himself,” Jet snapped.

Gideon winked at the Baron. The Baron rubbed his hands together and winked back, knowingly.

“Don’t wink at him, Gideon. I see you. I’m sorry, Baron, but we don’t have the time to stick around and eradicate random wyrm nests,” Jet insisted.

“But if we do happen to incidentally destroy that nest,” Gideon said, and winked very obviously.

“Gideon,” Jet warned, putting his hand at his chest, about where the pendant hung.

“You can’t even negotiate some tax breaks for me, and you won’t allow anyone else to compensate me, either? Are you trying to leave me destitute? No gold, no castle, no women, not even a few measly tax breaks, and now I can’t even negotiate a side job or two?” Gideon complained.

“If you’ll excuse us, Baron,” Jet said, pushing himself upright.

“Baron, that’s a stunning necklace you have there. I imagine it’s priceless?” Gideon asked, suddenly changing the subject.

Jet hesitated, then sat again. Whatever he’s up to, I can’t leave now.

The Baron glanced down. The thick, golden chain, set with flat square pieces every so often, sporting the opaque orange stone at its center, gleamed back at him. He shook his head and chuckled. “No, not at all. The stone is simply a local curiosity. It has no value. The chain is ancient, though… if a part of it is priceless, it’s the chain, not the stone.”

“Oh? I imagine you store it carefully, then. Especially with those nasty wyrms bumping around, stealing all the gold they can find,” Gideon said, sitting forward and putting his hands on his knee.

“Indeed. In fact, wyrms used to burrow under the city and into people’s storerooms often, not so many generations ago. Would you like to see what we’ve done?” Baron Nolen offered.

Jet narrowed his eyes. Gideon, what the hell are you up to?

Gideon smiled. “Of course.”

Baron Nolen rose to his feet and gestured for them to follow him. Kat bounced up, stuffing a few last cookies in her cheeks. Setting down her teacup, Elly rose elegantly, fluffing her skirts subtly as they walked. Gideon bounced up to stand at Baron Nolen’s shoulder, and the two chattered as they walked, like old friends who hadn’t seen one another in a while. Jet followed in the rear, eyes slightly narrowed, watching Gideon closely.

Baron Nolen led the way through his manor. Toward the rear, he opened a door and turned down a narrow set of stone stairs. Hewn into stone, they descended into the earth. The Baron reached into his pocket and drew out a small gold mirrored plate shaped like a sun. He ran a thumb over its surface, and warm sunlight beamed from its surface.

He glanced back at them and chuckled. “Just a little charm.”

“Is that a light spell? What a rare talent,” Gideon said, raising his eyebrows.

“You flatter me. No, no, I’m barely able to light this little enchantment. ‘Talent’ is not the word I would use to describe my skill with magic. Certainly not compared to a genius like yourself,” the Baron said, shaking his head.

“But light is a rare element. I can’t use light at all, only lightning. Lightning is far more common. It’s quite an impressive element you have,” Gideon insisted.

“Actually, most priests and priestesses specialize in light. What’s rare is for a light specialist to opt to become a mage, since light doesn’t do much damage compared to the other elements,” Elly said demurely.

Gideon waved his hand. “Priests don’t count.”

“She’s explaining that light isn’t a rare element for someone to be able to cast,” Jet said flatly.

“And I’m explaining that priests don’t count,” Gideon replied.

Jet opened his mouth, then sighed, putting his face in his hand.

Baron Nolen chuckled quietly and shook his head.

They spiraled down into the stairs. Baron Nolen glanced back at them. “The city used to stand out in that field you passed through on your way in, a long time ago. When the wyrms became a nuisance, we relocated over here. Probably… mmm, about five centuries ago. Now, there’s solid limestone beneath the city. The wyrms can’t tunnel into stone, and it isn’t too hard for us to carve, either.”

The stairs came to an end. A few small chambers stretched to either side of them, closed off by steel-plated wooden doors. A pair of small vents opened in high in the corridor’s wall.

Gideon glanced at the vent. Baron Nolen followed his gaze and nodded. “The air gets very stale without the vents. We used to not have them, but after a few people suffocated in the chambers from stale air, we added a network of vents. There are small wind enchantments in the vents, powered by ambient mana—very small enchantments, of course. Whenever enough ambient mana builds up in the enchantments, they turn on and send some air flowing through the chambers. It’s quite ingenious, if I say so myself.”

“Ambient mana… interesting,” Gideon said, putting a hand to his chin.

He stepped closer and peered inside, hauling himself up on the vent cover, a simple piece of iron with five bars to close off the vent. About as wide and tall as a loaf of bread, maybe a little wider, there wasn’t much to the vent from the outside. Gideon squinted inside. “I wonder if I can see the enchantment from here…”

“Ah, careful—”

The iron-barred cover popped out of the vent, and Gideon fell backward. He staggered, but caught himself, then looked at them and laughed. “My bad.” Standing on his tiptoes again, he pushed the cover back into the vent.

Baron Nolen lifted a big ring of keys and unlocked one of the doors. He pushed it open to show them a dusty store room. It held documents and a few pieces of wayward furniture and decorations, nothing that stood out as valuable at a glance. He lifted the necklace off his shoulders and set it in a shallow, velvet-lined box, lining it up with the impression in the velvet from where the necklace had rested over the years. “It’s nothing too fancy, but then… it isn’t as if anyone has much of a reason to steal my jewels of office. The stone isn’t worth much, and the jewels have always been symbolic… it’s not as if whoever steals them becomes the next Baron.”

“But the necklace itself, of course, has some value,” Gideon prompted.

“Oh of course, of course. I’d hate to lose it,” Baron Nolen agreed.

“Putting it away now?” Gideon asked, as Baron Nolen shut the velvet-lined case.

“My official duties are done for the day. I don’t wear it for fun, you know. It is quite heavy,” Baron Nolen said, giving him an apologetic shrug.

“Makes sense,” Gideon allowed.

He stepped out of the room and locked it again, rolling out his shoulders. “Well? Is your curiosity sated?”

“Sated indeed,” Gideon said, nodding.

Kat jiggled in place, running her hands over her arms. “Is that all? I’m bored.”

Baron Nolen smiled at her. He gestured for them to lead the way back up. “It is chilly down here, isn’t it?”

Jet glanced at Gideon as they climbed the stairs. Was it really mere intellectual curiosity? As strange as he is, Gideon is a mage, at the end of the day. Most mages are curious people, or at least, that’s what the woman who taught me magic always said.

Although… I’m not sure which form of curious she meant, anymore.

Gideon looked over his shoulder and caught Jet’s stare. “What?”

Jet looked away. “Nothing.”

“Aww, are you being shy? You can just admit you were staring at my magnificent face. It’s practically a work of art,” Gideon said, primping his shoulder-length hair.

“Wash it, first,” Jet muttered under his breath.

“Eh?” Gideon asked, looking back at him.

“Nothing.”

“Jet. Come on. You don’t have to be so shy. Tell me what you’re really thinking,” Gideon said accommodatingly.

“Absolutely not.”

“You can tell your buddy Gideon anything. I’ll keep all your secrets.”

Jet stared at him, eyes dead. Sure you will.

Gideon let out a dramatic sigh and shook his head. “No trust between party members. See, this is why we can’t fight effectively. We just don’t trust one another enough. Let’s open up to one another by sharing some secrets. Jet, you go first.”

“What’s all that nonsense you’re spouting about? We fight fine together. And even if we didn’t, would it really effect you? Aren’t you used to fighting alone?” Jet asked, scowling.

Gideon’s face twitched, just a hair. A second later, he laughed and grinned at Jet. “That’s true! Even without you, I’d be fine. Actually, I’d be even more fine if you’d take this little trinket off…” He pulled at the iron collar, lifting it off his neck.

“Nope.”

Gideon clicked his tongue. “What did I say? No trust amongst party members.”