Twenty minutes passed and the smithing apprentices had been gathered for Kinsey to judge. They were each told the payment should their services be accepted and came as soon as they could peel themselves away from their work.

The first to arrive was a red headed eighteen year old man named Clay. Though his job title was indeed smith, his specialization is considered to be organic material manipulation. This entailed the construction and deconstruction of various woods, plastics and glass using magical means. The fact that he showed any measure of magical ability meant he was once recruited by the Magic Academy, and Kinsey surmised that he must not have shown enough aptitude to continue.

The second and third smiths were twin sisters; Jenevieve and Maryanne. Both were nineteen years old, and both had short black hair tied back in a bun. In their file it was known that their Father was a royal blacksmith and they learned their technique from him, though they were not allowed to inherit their Father's title due to their gender. Instead they were given ownership of his previous workshop within the inner city walls to provide swords and armor to adventurers.

Their creations were unparalleled and the synchronization they displayed while working was like a dazzling performance. The older generation would complain about the sisters making a mockery of the job; while the newest generation would watch on, inspired by the beauty and grace of the twins.

Clay, being the first to arrive, immediately stepped up to the old woman and showed his guild membership card. After a moment of processing, the old woman pointed out his potential employer sitting on a bench nearby.

A young woman no older than himself sat with five other attendants while sipping some tea. The steam from the tea and the vigilant attendants gave Kinsey a very intimidating aura. One of the attendants noticed the transaction between the guild worker and Clay, so she notified Kinsey.

Kinsey stood up from the bench and approached the young man, her curves swinging wildly as if it were her own establishment. The man was enraptured, both at the prospects of the money he was told and the amazing beauty that approached him.

"Your name is Clay, and you are the man I seek?" Kinsey sent out a thin layer of magical force to probe his abilities. Fire was his only element and he had a weak affinity for it, this low level kind of ability would only be useful for stoking a fire. That would explain why he became a smith in name.

"I believe I am, there are not many magic smiths in the Bastion Of Hope. They cannot alter organic materials as I do." Clay gave a common inner city salute while pleading his case.

"You will be shown unique designs and tasked primarily with the creation of said items, your time limit is two weeks. You will be working alongside a certified master smith and two other apprentices. If the work is not exactly as it is detailed in the design, documentation of modification must be explained in written form. This work takes place within the outer ring, and you will be protected by paid guards at all times. If you have any problem with this, speak now." Kinsey stared into the eyes of the man.

Clay gulped down as he thought about everything she had just said. Considering how much money he was being paid and how much protection was being given to him, as well as it taking place away from the inner city, it could be said to be dangerous work. However without looking at the design he would not even know for sure whether he can complete it or not. However in this work, risk went hand in hand with reward, and those who hesitated died a dog's death.

"I accept." Clay matched Kinsey's line of sight and opened his palm for a firm handshake.

Kinsey misunderstood and removed a small satchel of gold from her pouch before placing it in his hand.

"An advancement on your pay. Work begins tomorrow at dawn, you will co-ordinate with the hired guards for protection. You may leave now." Kinsey went back to sit on the bench.

After a brief pause due to confusion, Clay hurriedly put the satchel away and excused himself to prepare whatever he may need. He spoke with the old woman and officially accepted the request. As he finished up, he ran quickly out of the guild hall, passing by the two twins on his way out.

Jenevieve and Maryanne had just finished on their latest variation of the full body armor and rushed to the guild hall as fast as they could when they got the information. Though the workshop was doing well, any gold in their pocket made their lives a little easier. They often took requests from the guild for special types of weapons or armors.

The twins headed to the older woman whom had personally sent them the request and handed over their guild identification cards. After a moment of verification, the old woman pointed to Kinsey as the potential employer.

Jenevieve and Maryanne matched footsteps as they headed toward the beautiful young woman. Comparatively, Kinsey's complexion was much better than their own. Not to mention the beautiful flowing dress, or the better measurements. The most noticeable difference between them was the rippling muscles that protruded from the twins. Having been smiths all their lives, their bodies had been well toned from the stressing work.

Kinsey recognized the two girls, as the daughters of the smith the Golden Dragon family used. Though he was the royal smith, he would often take special orders from nobles and the like. Seeing the two girls reminded Kinsey of a time when she did not have to worry about the burden of being a Golden Dragon family member.

Letting out a small smile, Kinsey once again stood up from the bench and took the initiative to meet the twins halfway. Jenevieve and Maryanne gave a curtsy befitting noble women, and it was returned by Kinsey.

"You are-" Spoke Maryanne.

"Kinsey Dragon?" - Finished Jenevieve.

"Yes, and I see you have not changed since we were little. Still finishing each others sentences. Well, enough with the social, let us get down to business." Kinsey sighed gently.

"My Master has asked me to find three worthy smiths to work with a certified master smith and create for him items based off his own unique designs. You will be given any tools you need to accomplish this job within two weeks, and your compensation will be high. The job itself will be conducted in the outer ring, and you will have personal guards to protect you at all times. Cash will be handed over once confirmation of the items has been approved. Will you accept?" Kinsey juggled a small bag of coins in front of them as incentive.

"Who is..."

"The third?" The twins asked.

"A young man named Clay. He is a magical smith known mostly for his manipulation of organic material." Kinsey spoke matter-of-factly.

"We accept." They said together. Jenevieve's face turned a slight shade of red, and Kinsey sent out magical force to monitor her vitals. Her cheeks were flushed and her heart beat faster when Clay was mentioned.

"Very well, you can speak with the guards I am about to hire and co-ordinate with them to ensure your safety." Kinsey handed over the small bag of gold coins to Maryanne.

The two young women took their leave after speaking with the old lady and officially accepting the request. After they had left, Kinsey went back to the old lady while carrying a large sack of gold coins.

"Payment will only be given upon confirmation of the job done with the seal of Atlee Smithing. The timeline they have been given to complete this task is two weeks. Please accept these gold coins." Kinsey lifted the bag of gold coins and waited for the old lady.

The guild worker slowly counted out the gold coins, and upon confirming the amount stamped the request form and sealed it, to only be opened with confirmation of the seal of Atlee Smithing. The old woman whispered something while sealing the parchment with a green magical energy, and once she was done she placed it in a bin with the gold coins.

Kinsey left the guild and headed toward the warrior enclave to seek guards for her new apprentices. Since it was only a few minutes walk between the guild and the warrior enclave, the carriage driver was given some more time for lunch while the attendants walked with Kinsey. Along the way Kinsey was gifted with chocolates, flowers and even fish from the market employees.

One of the employees in the market handed to Kinsey's attendant a thread of fine silk, and proceeded to get pummeled by his wife with a wooden spindle.

Kinsey covered her mouth and laughed at the older man being beat by his wife, and it was as if a spark had been lit around her. The males erupted into a frenzy over her smile, and many women as well could not help but get a little red in the face.

After a little time had passed, Kinsey finally arrived in front of the warrior enclave. It had taken her longer than expected as she had to stop multiple times to accept daisies from the children whom were offering them to her.

Two large metal doors stood against a jutting wall of stone and hard wood, giving off a feeling of oppression and unbalance. Kinsey snapped her fingers and the servants immediately did everything they could to open the doors. Though it was difficult, after giving it their all they finally opened the metal doors.

Kinsey strolled in nonchalantly and looked around until she found a worker sitting behind a desk. Though the worker seemed meek and unimpressive, Kinsey could tell from the unique aura that surrounded his body that he had killed before.

"What is your business here in the warrior enclave?" The worker did not even look up to greet Kinsey.

Undeterred, Kinsey spoke without faltering. "I seek warriors to protect my employees while they work in the outer ring. Twenty five gold pieces each for five workers, for only two weeks of work."

"You understand what you are saying, do you not? Twenty five gold is equal to living wages for half a year." The worker finally looked up after hearing the amount of money involved.

"I assure you I do, and I must ask you to give me your best. I require at least one paladin and one shield bearer. They will protect three smiths while they do their work in the outer ring as well as protect the master smith and his family. I will pay half now, and half when the job is done." Kinsey handed over sixty two gold pieces and five silver pieces in a medium sized satchel, along with the information on the three smiths to be guarded.

The worker nodded and confirmed the down payment of the coins. Once he was finished counting, he called for another worker and immediately told them the details. They rushed into the back, and the worker approached Kinsey.

"Please forgive my rudeness, we often get asked to protect people whom have no intention to pay. Your down payment has been received, and we will be more than happy to oblige you. Do you wish to interview the guards we choose?" The worker lowered his head in apology.

"The mission is to protect the Atlee Family and the apprentices. Send their information to the head of the Atlee family, if he has any issues he will notify you directly." Kinsey nodded and began to leave.

The worker gave an inner city salute and attempted to return to his business, but he could not help and watch as Kinsey left the building.

This time, as the group approached the door, Kinsey circulated her magical force into her arm and opened the door with force.

CLANG!

The door forcefully swung open and smashed into the jutting wood and rock.

Kinsey's servants shuddered from the loud noise as curious onlookers stopped in the streets to watch the spectacle. Kinsey stepped out into the street and made sure her servants were out of the way before closing the door.

BOOM~

The thud of the door released a backlash of air that sent dust and debris flying all over the entrance. Kinsey's hair whipped in the stirred wind, making her look slightly devilish as she made her way down the street with servants in tow.