The High Elf was offered freedom, but the slave rejected emancipation. In the back of his mind, Suran wondered if the choice was her own and not the will of the slave spell that latched her to him. Hundreds of other slaves sat in the warehouse. Would they have all rejected the same proposal? He half-heartedly hoped they would; he shuddered at what it would mean for her to be the only one who denied freedom. For now, Iylia was his responsibility.

He took the free chair and sat in front of her. Waiting for Natalya. “Do you have anything you want to ask me?” He asked optimistically, trying to kill time. Her head movement said no. While she sat there like a finely chiseled statue, Suran squirmed in his seat like a word, uneased by the deafening silence. Idle chatter was a terrifying beast.

Natalya finally walked through the door. Suran let out a sigh of relief; he was saved. She came over holding folded fabric. “Slavers know nothing about style, but, then again, I didn’t know what I was expecting” she held out a plain white slip dress. “The fitting might be poor and the color a little dull, but it’s the best they got,” she shrugged. Iylia looked at the dress. Then at Natalya. Then at Suran. She acknowledged the existence of the dress.

“The dress is for you. It would not be good to go around wearing those tatters so put it on.” Iylia got up and began to shed her tatters without hesitation. “Wait, hold on!” Suran called out to stop her. Iylia froze. Almost naked. “Let me leave the room first then put on the clothes.”

Suran began to leave the room, but Natalya stopped him and teased, “What’s wrong? She’s just changing her clothes – you don’t have to be a prude!” Her joshing grin indicated she knew exactly she was doing.

“Not a prude – it’s a matter of decency,” retorted Suran. On the surface, Iylia did not seem to care; she remained frozen mid-strip. What worried him was what was hiding under the surface. He didn’t expect her to act so unreservedly, but, then again, she was faithfully carrying out his instructions. He would have to be more careful in the future. For her sake.

Natalya let up her grin and began giggling, “Yeah, yeah, I know! I was just messing with you!”

He coldly said, “Don’t do that.” Natalya pouted. “Come outside when you’re done changing,” he motioned to Iylia. He turned and left the room. Outside, two Reginalds chatted.

Upon his approach, Wylin greeted him with his grating smile, “So, how is she?”

“Henry, we will be heading to the Guild next.” Suran paid no mind to Wylin who muttered ‘how cruel’ for being ignored. Natalya and Iylia came out of the room a moment later. Her simple white dress was a little dirty and its fitting was a little small, but it was a clear step up from rags. He nodded his head and said “Let’s go,” and went to the exit.

“Have fun and take care!” Wylin said as they all walked away, waving his hand. “Hope to do business with you again…”

He derided the offer. If he ever came back here, it would be to dismantle this business, not add to it. He left the slave warehouse. “Do you know how to get to the Adventure’s Guild from here,” Suran asked Reginald.

Henry nodded his head, “Yes, of course. Since we’re by the docks, the Guild isn’t too far from here.”

Out on the road, Suran looked at the docks. It was hard to call it a harbor anymore; only charred debris and rubble from buildings and pier were there. A rock sunk in his stomach and he asked, “What happened here that night?”

“An inferno consumed the coast,” he said, shaking his head. “A cost in coin that dwarfed the wealth of many. A cost in life far greater than the Kingdom is willing to admit.”

“Let’s leave.” Suran turned away. Reginald led the way.

True to his words, the Guild was close. The hall was busy; adventures bustled about. He spied open counters at the front and a mess hall to the right. He rummaged through his pockets and frowned. Not one coin was found. “Natalya, do you have money?”

“Yup.”

She still had the money from selling her home, surprisingly. “Can you buy Iylia food from over there?” He motioned to the area of the guild where people were ordering food and drinks. “I’ll take care of the guild business with Reginald.”

“Sounds good!” Natalya happily agreed. “I’ve been craving something to eat as well…” Natalya grabbed Iylia’s arm, catching her by surprise, and dragged her off.

Suran and Reginald walked up to an open counter. A girl with a red vest came up, “Hello, my name is Susan and welcome to the Guild. How may I help you today?”

Reginald spoke for Suran, “He would like to register a company with the guild. I will vouch for him to waive the administrative fees.”

“Very well. Allow me to get the proper forms.” Susan took a slight bow and excused her from the counter.

“Do all companies need to register with the Adventure’s Guild?” Suran asked Reginald while waiting.

“Not at all. You only need to register with the guild if you want to do business with them. Many companies and business owners don’t bother going through the Guild since they just don’t need to.”

“I see.” A clock ticked. People left. He waited. On the counter was a bell and he moved his hand to ring it. He was interrupted by a bunch of papers sliding in front of him.

“Apologies for the wait! Please fill out these forms and we will have you on your way!” Someone not Susan spoke to Suran. In her place was a different young lady with tied-back golden hair.

Suran looked around. “Where is Susan?”

“She suffered an unfortunate accident,” the woman said with a cheery smile. “She won’t be helping anyone now. I hope you find that I, Jeanne Gagnon, will be an acceptable replacement.” She courteously lowered her head.

He furrowed his brow. Her words were suspect, but her smile was disarming. “Very well then,” picking up a pen from the counter, he began shuffling through the paperwork and filling it out.

“Is there any paperwork for me?” Reginald inquired, looking over Suran’s shoulder.

“There won’t be any,” Jeanne said, “The fees were already waived by another.”

Suran stopped scribbling and looked at Reginald with perplexion. Henry shrugged; he didn’t know who could have done that. It wasn’t worth worrying about, so Suran went back to the forms. It asked for members of the company. He listed himself, Iylia, and Natalya. It asked for the main address or headquarter of the organization. He got the address of the house from Reginald and listed it. Suran mindlessly went through the questions. At the same time, he popped questions at Jeanne to get a better understanding of how the guild and these companies work.

Jeanne explained that a company can employ or add anyone to it without going through the guild – like all the other companies and groups that act outside of the Guild’s influence. But, to work with the guild, the individuals need to be registered. Setting up a company with a guild lets its members gain Guild clearance easier and cheaper. There were other benefits to registering through the guild and not through the Kingdom’s records alone; the Guild is a multi-national organization, making it easier to work and establish a presence across borders due to the Guild’s influence. It was interesting, to hear about the different jobs and tasks the Guild deals with. From hunting dangerous and rabid monsters and animals that disturb the peace to clearing out and exploring the depths of lost ruins. The scope of the guild was impressively large.

He went through the forms, and, near the end, one final questioned stumped him. It asked: what is the name of the company? It was hard to remember, but there was a time where he once felt free. Nothing weighed him down and the stars guided him. He put pen to paper and wrote ‘Samawi’. An old word he barely recalled, but it felt fitting.

With the forms complete, he pushed them towards Jeanne. She happily collected and reviewed them. After looking through them she said, “All the forms are in order. Now if you could gather the rest of your members, I will finalize the registration.”

Suran went off to go grab Natalya and Iylia while Reginald waited at the counter. At the other side of the Guild among the clatter of utensils and the chatter of men, Natalya and Iylia were sitting quietly with their gazed fixed upon each other as if they were engaged in a heated staring contest. “What’s going on?” He asked as he approached the table.

“You know,” Natalya said with a tinge of disappointment, “I told her she could get whatever she wanted and however much she wanted, and you know what she did?”

“What?”

“She ordered the wateriest soup with the blandest toast in the tiniest portion.”

“Why did she do that?”

“She didn’t say. She didn’t say anything, actually. She still hasn’t said anything.” Natalya pouted in her chair and crossed her arms while Iylia sat stoic.

“Can’t be helped,” Suran shrugged. “If you’re done, come with me. There’s one last thing that needs to be done before we can leave.” The two got up and followed Suran back to the counter. He presented the two to Jeanne, “We are all here now.”

“So these two beautiful ladies are your companions?” Jeanne asked. For a brief moment, Suran thought Jeanne’s warm smile was replaced with a scowl of pure rage. It came and went like a flash, almost like an illusion. She placed three blank cards in front of them with a prick next to them. “Last is to create your Guild membership cards. Prick your thumb and dab your thumb into the box on the right of the card. Using the latest technology, the card will generate a portrait of you in the box on the left. After that, fill in the accompanying personal information in between and that would be it.”

Suran went first since he was skeptical; he wondered if the card would really generate his image with a print of his bloodied thumb. He pricked his thumb, let the blood flowed, and stamped his thumb print neatly on the card. The card shimmered, and, in the left box, a shoulder-up portrait of him inked itself in the box. Following suit, Iylia and Natalya made their own cards for themselves. After that, an additional set was made for the Guild’s records.

Jeanne collected the Guild’s set and said, “With that, you are done! The free company, Samawi,” she struggled to say the name, “With Suran Ibrahim as its leader, is now established! We, the Guild, will handle the rest of the paperwork on our end to finalize it. If there are any problems, I will contact you. From now on, I will be your liaison between you and the guild, so I will be looking forward to working with you in the future!”

“Alright then. Thanks.” Suran took his card and began to leave the Adventure’s Guild with everyone following him.

“It was great working with you again!” Jeanne called out as they walked away.

Suran turned around, “Again?”

“We spoke over a week ago when you first came,” she cheerfully explained. “A lot has happened since then, but I pride myself in my good memory!”

There was an inkling of familiarity to her, Suran thought, and he vaguely recalled the short conversation he had with her all those days ago. “Look forward to working with you more, then,” Suran said. Her face glowed with vibrance. Leaving her at her counter, the group of four left the Adventure’s Guild behind.

The Baron took the lead out on the streets. “Now, the Mage College is next. Let’s see if my old friend is in…”