Jano was still sore from the workhouse as he climbed out of bed and stretched. After powering the conveyor belt for most of the day, he helped to move some of the finished items from the floor to a nearby warehouse and he was feeling it. He could hear Alsace moving around in the next room and he groaned as he rushed to get dressed, in order to have enough time to make her some coffee. His bones ached as he grabbed his ragged cloth bottoms and pulled them on.

He had spent half of his wages from the workhouse on the way home, picking up a few groceries. When Jano missed out on work, they would rely on Alsace’s wages. So it gave him a sense of accomplishment to be able to bring home some supplies.

He stumbled through from the bedroom to the kitchen as he poked his arm out of his simple beige shirt, sharply followed by his head. She handed him a boiling hot cup of black liquid.

“You know that’s my job.” He said.

“If I waited for you to make it, you might miss out on another day at the workhouse. Anyway, this time you bought it, so it’s only fair that I make it.” She flashed him a smile.

He heard doors slamming outside as others were heading out, a good portion probably heading for the workhouse to chance their luck. He took a large gulp and immediately regretted it.

“Shit…Shit…. shit!” He stuck his cup back on the small shelf and tried to swallow the lava in his mouth. He examined his shirt, which had survived the ordeal. His tongue, on the other hand, was in tatters.

Alsace poured a little bit of cold water into the cup. Jano waved her away. “I’m going to be late. Thank you so much for the coffee.” Jano kissed his wife and ran out of the door. Judging by the amount of people already out on the streets, he was already pretty sure that he was too late.

His tongue still pulsed as he began to walk as fast as possible. There was an odd unwritten rule that running to the workhouse was considered poor form; though many of the more desperate townsfolk would stretch that rule within an inch of its life.

He made his way as quickly as possible, but his shoulders dropped when he saw it. A long, snaking queue from the doors of the workhouse to the bulletin board where they posted the jobs.

Nevertheless, he raced to the board. His eyes confirmed what he should have already known. Zilch. There was nothing there available to him, or someone of his level. He eyed up the queue, he had heard stories of people sneaking in without a chit and somehow managing to get paid.

He let out a massive sigh and thought about returning home, empty handed once more. He looked around at the queue and debated bargaining for someone to trade, but nobody would. Those in the queue for work kept their eyes down. Out of ideas, he walked over to the wall of a neighbouring building and slumped down until he was bent over double. He screamed into his hands.

He heard a noise behind him, as though someone was coughing and trying to get his attention. He looked around but other than the queue and a few other disappointed stragglers, he couldn’t see anything.

Someone grabbed his shoulders and panic shuddered through him. A person dressed in long red robes appeared. Only Mages wore those sort of robes, Jano thought as he started to shake. He had to be Class Four or higher. What did a Mage want with him? He started to rifle through anything which could possibly land him in trouble. Other than the minor burglary the other day, he couldn’t think of anything. And if the Mage was pulling him up on that…

“How much for a day’s work here?” The Mage asked, his voice clear and confident. Jano looked at the robes in shock, struggling to reply. He surely can’t be looking for work - not here. Jano thought, his mind racing.

“It’s… erm” he bowed, realising that he hadn’t. A Mage could have him beaten for not doing so. “It’s a halfcoin for a full day's work, a quartercoin if you last half the day. But they don’t always give you that.” He replied. The man in the red robes considered the board, then he looked towards Jano. Or at least he thought he did. His hood obscured his face.

“Hm. I see. So what do you usually do here?”

“I… well, I do whatever I can. But I’m usually a Stone Turner. I can. I mean I could manipulate stone essence. You could do most anything I assume.”

The Mage looked at him, or at least the hood was angled towards him, Jano couldn’t quite make out his features. “You look like an enterprising fellow. Are you available to work for me? What would you say to my offer of a few weeks work or so for thirty fullcoins? I need a job taken care of and I could do with an extra pair of hands so to speak” His eyes didn’t leave Jano’s as he spoke.

Jano took a sharp intake of breath and felt his stomach tighten. He was sure the man was playing a trick on him, but he couldn’t afford to call a bluff, just in case.

“What sort of work?” Jano replied. He was immediately angry with himself. If someone else overheard that offer, they wouldn’t ask questions.

“Well I’m afraid I can’t disclose the nature of the work right now, but…”

“Sorry sir, yes of course. Whatever it is, I accept your offer.” He said before anyone else could steal his coins.

“Excellent.” The man said. “Come along.” The man walked away quickly and Jano followed. What could a Mage possibly need from me for that much money? He thought. He had no idea what he might need help with. He preferred not to think about it. There were plenty of tales about nobles and Mages with a desire for Slummers on the quiet. Hopefully, this wasn’t anything to do with that sort of work. If it was, it was a bit early for it.

“Hurry up, or you’ll get lost” The robed man shouted. Jano struggled to keep up with him. The rain was getting into his eyes as they picked up the pace. The Mage probably had a spell or a simple cantrip which could prevent such an annoyance but Jano didn’t have such a luxury. They walked away from the workhouse. Jano hoped this was genuine, or he had missed any last opportunity at a day’s work. They had passed deeper into the Middle without Jano realising. The Middle was the centre of the city, where merchants and the people of the guilds tended to live.

The houses in the Middle were all made of simple stone brick, roughly hewn together and were generally uniform in appearance. The robed man walked to a small, unassuming stone house at the end of a street.

Jano had worked in the Middle many times when he was employed as a stoneshaper. He had almost saved enough to move here before the incident. Back when he was a Class Seven. The house was only small and barely furnished. There were a few chairs at one end, wooden and uncomfortable and a fabric chair at the other. It was hardly a home.

“Sit.” The robed man said. “Are you aware of the Mages?” He sounded a little like he was talking to a child. Jano nodded.

“So you’re aware that I and many of my profession could wipe you and your family out without any consequence whatsoever?”

Jano thought it was a bit of a strong way to start a conversation, but he nodded once more. Mages were paid to enforce the rules of the Empire and do the bidding of the Emperor. They were made up of citizens best able to channel essence. They were all Class Four and above. They were the most powerful people in the Empire, below the emperor himself. “Do you know what the red robes represent?” He asked.

Jano paused. “They’re the robes of a fire mage.” He was suddenly very aware of his every move.

“That’s right. Perhaps you are smarter than you appear” The man talked with a matter of fact attitude, there was no malice in his voice. Jano had only ever talked to a few Mages and all of them had thought him too unimportant to say much to. It had always been stilted and short.

The man removed his hood slightly so his face could be partially seen, though much was still obscured. He was older than Jano but his face had none of the weathering. “Having said all of that. I hope this working relationship can be cordial. My name is Darrel. And yours?” He asked, changing his tone completely as he did so.

“..... Jano. Sir.” He stammered, caught off guard by the switch.

Darrel smiled, which again caught Jano by surprise. “Nice to meet you, Jano. Ah before I forget, here are three fullcoins to show you that I’m serious. I know you must be worried having left the workhouse.” Darrel handed him three small, heavy fullcoins. He crushed them in his palms. This was more than he had earned in the last month. Darrel watched him curiously.

“I need you to do some of the jobs I can’t be seen doing. Or be seen asking my servants to do.” He added hastily. “Fortunately for you, I don’t need you until tomorrow. So I want you to go and get a decent meal or something and a good rest. I want you back here tomorrow evening. Just after sundown. Do you think you can remember the way?” The man pulled out a small notebook and began writing. Jano nodded firmly.

“Tell me how to find your home, so I can find you if you try to run out with my money. Remember, I’ll know if you’re lying.” Jano described his home and how to get there. There was at least one example of a Mage killing a Slummer for trying to lie or steal from them every year or so and the Mage’s would always go unpunished.

“You may go.” Jano opened the door to leave before Darrel changed his mind. “By the way, if you do these jobs well, there could be more than just coins in it for you. But we must keep this secret.”

“Thank you, sir,” Jano said, trying to sound confident. “I’ll be here immediately after sundown tomorrow.”

“You better be,” Darrel said, tapping his notebook and with the traces of a smile still on his face.