The doors to the dining room flew open, and a group of four people marched into the room, shortly followed by a group of servants who began lighting the candles along the walls. The group gathered around the table and the rustling sound of paper being unfurled across it.

“Lord Darik, I assume you have a very good reason for assembling us this late… I am sure we all have things to attend to…” One of the group, a stern-looking woman leaned over the table towards an equally opposing figure at the other side.

“I do Lady Urwalis, as you know, the policy reviews are coming up, and efforts to clear the streets of beggars and other miscreants have not yet yielded satisfactory results…”

The woman banged her fist into the table. “If you my lord would appropriate me the necessary funds and personnel, I’d have covered that underground hellhole in cleansing fire thrice over by now!”

“Now now…” One of the others, a calmer gentleman smiled and raised his hands to bring them to silence. “This isn’t the time to throw blame… Rest assured that measures will be taken to facilitate the cleansing of the sewers, at the lowest possible price. Even now we’re looking for the appropriate candidates.”

“And how long, my good Lord Ferresyin do you estimate this recruitment drive will take? I suppose it would be a waste of breath to remind you we’re on a tight schedule?”

“The last few… Subjects are being gathered, and it is merely a question of how quickly they’ll accept my proposals… A few weeks, at most.”

“A few weeks!?” The others nearly shouted in disbelief.

The discussion’s intensity escalated further, until insults and threats flew as commonly as the wind. She remained still, having made a mental note of the people involved and their plans, but as it stood, she was stuck in a fireplace. For a moment, she considered moving, but she was beaten to it by a metallic clank and a sudden descent into nearly complete darkness. A metal gate had been closed over the mouth of the fireplace. She looked up. Far up above her she could see the sky, and a faint stripe of moonlight. In addition, as her eyes adapted, she could make out that the chimney stack she was in, was connected to several other fireplaces located on different floors of the mansion.