RAILEY was sad that she woke again. There was a brief moment, little more than a second, where she was happy. The hazy fog of semi-sleep was warmed by the rising sun that caressed her face through the broken, barely useable shutters banging against the side of her apartment. The noise provided an apt background for her misery as she came to full consciousness. She closed her eyes, drawing the ratty blanket over her head and shivering slightly. The sun was warm but the room still held the night's chill, the stone it was constructed from sucking all the heat from her body. Railey sighed as a Pertimo crowed, signaling the start of the day. She rose from the tattered blanket she used for a bed, closing her eyes for the barest of moments.

  Why do you keep waking me, gods?

  It was the only thought in her mind as she readied for the day. Railey picked up her singular uniform, praying that it was dry from yesterday's rain. It was, thank the gods. She sighed as she dressed, pulling torn socks that were more yellow than white now over her feet, a green skirt that was way too short and was missing half its buttons over her too-thin waist, and a white blouse that barely had any buttons on it at all over her shoulders. The shirt barely closed, having a singular button right across her breasts. She suspected that the guild's Manager had given her the clothes specifically but she didn't have any proof. Railey closed her eyes one last time before leaving her run-down apartment. She should consider herself lucky; many of the Vartin in Lingholm didn't have half of what she did. She had her own place, a stable job, and didn't need to worry about her next meal. She was lucky.

  Adrianas stalked by the desk, dragging a dead-faced Talov by the hand. The young boy, who was no older than fifteen by Railey's estimate, barely moved his feet as the woman half carried him up the stairs. It was later that day, about one in the afternoon, and the Hunters had gotten started early. Apparently, one of them had killed an entire Tyrib family, wyrms included, and they had decided to celebrate and Adrianas was the worst of the bunch, summoning every single Vartin at the guild at one point or another. Railey sent a silent prayer to the absent gods asking that they watch over the poor boy. She had been summoned by the woman about a year ago and still woke in a cold sweat from the nightmares. She unconsciously put a hand to her backside, grimacing as the memories of that night over came her again. She pushed them down as always, forcing memories of her former House to the forefront. She missed the Freyolin's. They had treated her and her father well, providing for them, clothing them, even keeping Railey on as a personal attendant to their youngest daughter after her father died. Railey and her father never had much and the Freyolin's had taken them in when they needed it the most. She owed them an incredible debt, one she could never repay. Serving them had been a dream come true for born Vartin's like them. She was lucky.

  "Railey!" a loud, booming voice called out. Railey flinched, recognizing it immediately. She looked up to find Adrianas grinning at her from across the room, hands on her hips. The Hunter stalked forward, crossing the forty feet between them in under a second. She gave Railey a nasty, evil grin and leaned down, nearly spilling out of her leather top. Railey tried not to look but failed horribly. Those things were huge! How was she able to move out in the field with those melons attached to her chest?

  "Y..yes?" Railey asked, doing her best to stay strong under the Hunter's intimidating gaze. "How may I help you?" Adrianas clicked her tongue, reaching out and dragging her fingers through Railey's long, sky blue hair.

  "Oh, don't be like that, sweatheart." the Hunter purred, indigo eyes flashing. "Come on, don't you remember our special time? We had so much fun." Railey shrugged noncommittally. It was in her contract to never deny a Hunter, not that any sane person would; Hunters were known killers. Still, she didn't want to go with the woman. She knew what lay in store for her if she did.

  "My break isn't for another two hours." the Vartin lied. Please go away please go away please go away. Adrianas' smile deepened, seeing right through Railey's pathetic attempt at dissuasion.

  "No, it's not." she stated simply. The fingers in Railey's hair tightened and pulled hard, yanking the smaller woman's head back. Railey could feel the fear in her eyes, a look confirmed by the awful grin Adrianas wore. "You're coming with me. Now." The Hunter vanished from sight, reappearing behind Railey in the blink of an eye. The Hunter slid her hand down the receptionist's chest, touching and squeezing the Vartin's pale skin in all the wrong places before finally slipping under her too-short skirt. Railey gasped and stiffened, her body fighting what was happening to her but unable to stop the stimulation. Adrianas chuckled low and deep, working faster and licking her ear.

  "Gods, I missed you." the Hunter whispered in a low, salacious voice and planted a kiss on her cheek. Adrianas continued her assault, grabbing one of Railey's breasts in her other hand and squeezing hard. Railey fought against the rising tide and failed, unable to contain herself. She groaned and placed her hands on the counter, legs shaking slightly. She let out a sob, tears filling her eyes but refusing to fall. She fought them back down, retreating into her mind and subsuming herself with memories of the Freyolin's.

  Why do you keep waking me, gods?

  The next two days were some of the worst Railey had ever had. Adrianas hadn't stopped, ordering Railey to her room along with Talov. She had the two of them do some very naughty things to her, acts that made Railey shudder as she thought about them again. Her rear was still sore and her womanhood hurt, raw from the Hunter's abuse. She hadn't made Talov lie with Railey, thank the gods, but he did lie with the Hunter. Many times. The boy was the only male Vartin on staff, and Railey did not envy him. He was summoned every night, usually by a new Hunter passing through, and they seemed to enjoy his constantly dead-eyed look. Adrianas certainly did, forcing Talov to look her in the eyes every time she quaked. The only time she didn't was when she had her mouth between Railey's legs. Adrianas did feed her, at least; not everyone who summoned her did. And yet, as she thought about the Hunter behind her, continuing to ram into the Vartin even when begged to stop, Railey's heart sank. This was her life. All she would ever amount to was a hole and a face. The world was better off without her. It wasn't the first time she'd had that thought, but her sore body and broken mind finally agreed on one thing. Tonight was the night.

  Railey shook her head and refocused. She was still at work and there was an hour left before she could go home to her shitty apartment with no bed and shutters that didn't work. One more hour before she never came back.

  Only one more hour. she thought morosely, even as she plastered on a fake smile and helped the next Hunter in line. She kept repeating the mantra over and over again until it was all she heard. Out of her twenty-two years on this planet, only the four she spent with the Freyolin's could have been considered good. One more hour. Railey closed her eyes, seeing the youngest Freyolin child's face. The girl had been a beauty with emerald eyes that glistened with mischief and dark red hair. She wished she could see that girl one more time. Railey shuddered, the heat from the house fire still very much prevalent and the screams as the family was slaughtered echo'ed in her ears. She was lucky to be out in the garden that night gathering herbs for supper when the carnage had begun. She was lucky.

  Railey's eyes opened and she glanced at the clock. Ten more minutes. Ten more minutes and she could go home after not being allowed to leave for the last two nights. An hour and ten minutes, and she would be free. Her eyes were drawn from the clock to the door, the little bell that hung above it tinkling as it opened. Three people entered the half full room and the corners of Railey's mouth drooped in confusion. One of the people, the sole woman of the group, looked extremely familiar. She had burgundy hair tied back in a loose braid and her small frame was dwarfed by the man standing next to her. When she turned to look at the Guild Hall around them, Railey was stopped dead by burning emeralds.

  "Miss Ameilia?" Railey whispered, hoping against hope it was truly her. The last time she had seen the girl, she was being dragged off by the Emperor's personal guard in chains. "Is that you?" Railey walked out from behind the counter in a daze. Her heart soared as she approached the girl, each step solidifying her belief. It was Ameilia. She was alive! Tears welled in Railey's eyes as she broke into a run, racing for her long lost friend. She flew through the air, eyes locked onto her former Mistress. As soon as Railey got close, though, something grabbed her by the back of the shirt, jerking her up into the air. She hung there, suspended by her shirt as whatever was holding her twisted his wrist, turning Railey to face him. She stared into deep, dark eyes speckled with golden flakes that shone with power and a low growl rumbled from his chest, the golden scar around his neck beginning to glow. Railey felt her own face contort into one of fear and despair. The man was a Hunter. Mortified, Railey opened her mouth to apologize for whatever offense she had committed when the gods proved their hate for her. The final button on her blouse gave out, splitting the shirt open and dumping her onto the floor. Railey looked at the man's feet and prayed for death to come. Whatever lay after this life had to be better than what the Hunter was planning.

  "Shit!" he swore in a deep, resonant bass and dropped her ruined shirt. He reached towards her and Railey closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to begin, but was surprised when no pain came. Instead, she was wrapped in a warm hug, soft cloth settling over her bare chest. She heard the man cursing and fussing as he got the clothing on her, and, when her head popped free, she gasped. He had taken off his own shirt and put it on her, which was more than enough cause for shock, but there was another reason for her gasp. The man was stunning. Onyx hair nearly brushed broad, thick shoulders and sun-bronzed skin rippled with muscle as he moved, his arms in particular drawing her eye. His biceps were as large, if not bigger than her head and his stomach was toned and flat. His chest bore three symbols right above his heart that she couldn't decipher. One was a triangle with its bottom open and a bar across the middle, the second looked like the left half an hourglass, and the third was a circle with a line going through it vertically. She inhaled unconsciously and was smashed by the smell of aged wood with a hint of something spicy. It tingled her nose in an exotic way, one that immediately made her like him. His eyes were kind, too, now that they weren't glowing with power. She could tell that they were a soft brown color, the golden flakes within glinting joyfully.

  "You alright, miss? Are ya hurt?" he asked. His deep voice was smooth as honey, thick with worry, and soothed her ears, laying her tired soul to rest. There was a drawl in his voice and he spoke slowly, like he wasn't in a rush to do anything but talk to her. She could feel his genuine concern for her just through his words. She shook her head no and the man grinned an easy, confident grin. "Good." He let go of her and rose to his full height, towering over her. She could see the beginnings of abdominal muscles when he stood and looked around. His legs looked like tree trunks under his pants and there was a part of Railey that really wanted to see what was underneath them. The man looked down at her for a second, then nodded and walked away, returning to his companions. Railey's eyes tracked him from her spot on the floor, though he only took a few steps back to the others. Railey glanced at them and her heart, again, stopped for a beat. It really was Ameilia Freyolin. Railey scrambled to her feet, rushing forward. The man spun on his heel and moved to intercept her, wrapping Railey in a hug and pinning her arms to her side.

  "Alright, that's enough." the man stated, walking forward a few steps and setting Railey down. "I don't know who you are, but you can't be chargin' my Lady like that. It triggers the defensive protocols." Railey stared at the man, dumbfounded. He snapped his fingers in her face. "Hey. You okay, miss?" She nodded dumbly and the man gave her a confused, assessing look. "Uh-huh." he said slowly, like he was trying to figure her out. "Well, this is yer final warning. Don' do it again, alright? I don' wanna hurt ya."

  Railey was in complete shock. The man was a Hunter, yet called her Miss? He gave her his clothing, talked to her like a person. Who is this man? Railey glanced over the man's incredibly broad, thickly muscled shoulders at Ameilia. The girl was looking at him with complete adoration in her eyes, having no sight for anyone else. She finally glanced over at Railey and her emerald eyes narrowed in concentration. Railey smiled hesitantly, unsure if Ameilia remembered her. The Lady's emerald eyes went wide in recognition and she whispered:

  "Railey?" Railey's smile spread wider as Ameilia rushed past the large man and flung herself into her lost friend's arms, sobbing. They held each other tightly, both women sobbing openly. It was her. Ameilia was alive! Overcome with relief and a dozen other emotions that came bubbling up, Railey clutched her Lady like her life depended on it. They stayed like that for an unknown amount of time as Railey lost herself in Ameilia's embrace, both women's tears beginning to slow after a while. She pulled back and smiled down at her friend.

  "I see I'm still bigger." Railey said teasingly, glancing at the smaller girl's body through teary eyes. Ameilia's smile instantly curved into a dissatisfied look and she scoffed.

  "Only because I'm still growing. I'm nineteen, how old are you? Fifty-something?" Ameilia grinned and drew her friend into another hug. "I'm so glad you're alive." she whispered. Railey took a deep breath and wrapped her Lady tighter.

  "Ahem." the man cleared his throat politely, standing beside them awkwardly with his hands clasped behind his back. Ameilia turned a bright smile on him and his face melted. He schooled it back into his normal look quickly, but Railey still saw the stupid, dopey smile in his eyes when he looked at Ameilia.

  "Railey," Ameilia said, drying her eyes and smiling brightly. "this is my Blessed Champion, Marshall. Marshall, this is Railey, a dear friend of mine." Railey let go of Ameilia and stepped away, folding her hands in front of her waist and bowing deeply.

  "Good evening, sir. I am Railey. Do not be afraid to call for me as I am here to serve." The man's face darkened as he glanced at her neck but, again, he schooled it quickly. Did she say something wrong? She approached the man, putting as much sway as she could into her thick hips. She knew people liked to look at her rear, gods knew Adrianas liked to play with it, and it was larger than the other Vartins' at the Guild. Maybe she could use it now? The man's dark look grew darker as she approached and he stepped back, putting his hands up.

  "I'm good, sister." he said, shaking his head. "I got all I need." His eyes shot to Ameilia for half a second before locking back onto her. His smile was easy-going and reassuring, and he put a hand on her shoulder. "If yer a friend of Lia's, yer a friend of mine. Nice to meet ya, Railey." He dropped his hand and held it out before putting it back down and cursing softly. "I gotta remember y'all don't do that here." Railey looked at him, confused.

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  "You... have all you need?" she asked, uncertain. He nodded.

  "Yup." His smile never wavered and Railey got the sense he was telling the truth. She glanced over at Lia who was enraptured by the man, looking at him with complete and utter adoration. Railey understood, a grin splitting her face.

  "I see." she said, smiling gently. "You have each other." Marshall's face blushed and Ameilia went sunset red, looking at her feet.

  "yes." she whispered softly. The man didn't respond, eyes distant. She watched as he refocused and his gaze locked back on her. He nodded, grinning.

  "We do."

  "Railey!!" a voice boomed out over the quiet room. Railey blinked, her eyes going wide in horror. The room was darker than it should have been. She glanced out one of the windows and gasped. The sun was down.

  "Oh, no." she whispered, turning on her heel and dashing for the counter. Ameilia reached out for her as she dashed by, but Railey wrenched her arm free of her Lady, terror plastered clearly on her face as she sprinted for the counter, searching for the switch to turn on the lights.

  "Come on, come on." she muttered, pushing aside papers and leather binders.

  "Railey!!!" the voice boomed again. "Why aren't the lights on?!!" Railey sped up, scattering papers all over the ground in her panic. The switch wasn't there, it wasn't where it was supposed to be. Railey's breathing got faster as she thought of the Manager's rage. Why did it have to be today of all days? Railey sobbed, unable to see what she was doing around the tears in her eyes. They leaked down her face and she continued to search fruitlessly. A shadow fell over her, darkening the already dark room, and Railey looked up into Marshall's kind eyes.

  "You alright?" he asked from the other side of the counter. "Need some help?" Railey shook her head no, refusing him. He smiled kindly at her and stepped back, listening to her. Railey didn't have time to think about the oddity of that as she caught sight of the Manager heading her way. She sped up her search but knew it was useless. She was too frazzled and gave up, accepting her fate. Tears slid down her cheeks and she sniffled slightly, looking at the ground. She saw a pair of large feet covered in leather boots enter her vision and stop. She looked up through teary eyes at the Manager's rage filled face. His mouth dropped into a scowl and he slapped her hard, jerking Railey's head to the right, flinging tears from her eyes and two teeth from her mouth. She gasped softly and came back to center, having learned not to react to his discipline; it only led to more if she showed a reaction. The teeth were already starting to regrow as it was, the Contract's magic working. She was lucky.

  "You have one job!" the Manager roared, spittle and flying from his mouth. "Handle Hunter quests and ensure the lights are turned on at the proper time! Why is my guild dark?!" Railey didn't answer, knowing better than to open her mouth, rather choosing to swallow the blood that filled it and closed her eyes, accepting her fate. The Manager growled and drew his hand back for another slap but the pain never came. Instead, a new voice spoke.

  "She jus' found her long lost sister, sir." Railey opened her eyes to find Marshall with his hand around the Manager's drawn back arm, holding him back from striking her. Railey felt her heart skip a beat as the large man stepped between them. "Have a heart and give 'er a minute." The Manager looked at the tan skinned man with hatred in his eyes and tried to jerk his arm free. Marshall held true, his forearm and shoulder clenching in effort. Railey felt a pair of arms around her shoulders and looked over, finding her Mistress covering her.

  "It's alright," she said. "I'm here now." Railey's tears finally fell and she sobbed into her Lady's arms, overwhelmed with emotions.

  *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

  I held the man's wrist in mine, glaring at him as best I could.

  "She just found her long lost sister, sir." I said, keeping my voice steady and stepping between the two. "Have a heart and give her a minute." He gave me a withering look and tried to pull his arm free but I held strong, growling slightly.

  "That does not excuse its failure to do its job." he snarled. I schooled my face, hiding the rage I felt bubbling just under the surface.

  "We've started off on the wrong foot, sir." I said, letting go of his wrist. "May I assume you are the Guild Master here?"

  "I am Fred Klampot and I run this guild, yes." he said, neither confirming nor denying. "Who are you?"

  "I'm Tank, and I'm here to register as a Hunter with my Team." Fred gave me an assessing look and I followed suit. He was a large man, almost as tall as I was and almost as large. Certainly as large as Zerik, if not bigger. He had a wicked mustache; oiled handlebars that extended a solid foot out from his face. His head was bald and his eyes were yellow as they looked me up and down. Three lines of text appeared above his head.

  Fred Klampot

  Human

  Level: ???

  Question marks? That's not good. I must not be a high enough level to see how high his level is, which means he is either incredibly high or I am incredibly low.

  "A new recruit?" he asked, more than a little skeptical. I nodded, standing tall under his gaze.

  "Yes, sir."

  "A little late, wouldn't you say?" he glanced around at the dark guild. "I can barely see." His gaze snapped back on Railey who was very much not in a position to work. She was sniffling constantly and tears leaked down her bloody face.

  "Then turn on the lights." I said evenly.

  "It's her job." he snapped back.

  "It's your guild." Fred scowled at me and I really tried not to roll my eyes as he crossed his arms over his burly chest like a child. He opened his mouth to respond when the lights came on. I turned around to find Lia standing from behind the counter, helping Railey up. She shot a fiery, hateful look at Klampot and hissed:

  "You have five seconds to explain yourself." Her hand ignited with fire as she took a step towards the large man. "Or you will not see tomorrow." My eyes went wide and I moved to intercept her before she could attack the man, but a high tenor rang out over the room, stopping all activity in its tracks.

  "What is going on here?" A short man approached us from the stairs on the other side of the room flanked by Kiltont and another person I didn't know. The small man wore a fancy looking blue robe with a red and white bird on it. The bird had talons and wings extended in an attack and I frowned. It looked like an eagle. Fred shot to attention, a look of fear in the large man's eyes. He began to shuffle from foot to foot, looking guilty.

  "Ah, Guild Master. What are you doing here? I thought you were in Martion."

  "I was." the small man responded, walking past Fred to kneel beside Railey. "I see he struck you again." Railey nodded slowly, her soft pink eyes not leaving the Guild Master. He sighed. "I see what you meant by 'Trouble', my friend." the Guild Master said, rising and looking at Kiltont. "They've been here less than five minutes." Kiltont laughed harshly, more of a bark than a laugh.

  "You should have seen Tank when he first got to Rivera. Leapt the wall while carrying an injured Cave Wolf and outrunning a pack of Terrors." The small man gave me an appraising look.

  "Really?" I smiled and shrugged.

  "I just got lucky." He smiled but his eyes said that he didn't believe me.

  "It seems more than luck is on your side, my boy. Come, let us speak in private. I am very curious as to how you outran a pack of Terrors." The Guild Master turned and walked back towards the stairs to the second floor. I glanced over my shoulder at Lia who nodded, and we followed the man up the stairs. Rialey tagged along with us, trailing behind Lia nervously. The wooden halls of the second floor smelled old and musty but good, like your grandparent's attic. We walked to the end of the hallway and turned left then walked to the end of that hall. The Guild Master opened the door and bade us enter, gesturing with his hand. Kiltont nodded and walked by, followed by Lia, then Railey, and I brought up the rear. He closed the door behind us with a soft clink!

  "So." The Guild Master said, walking behind a desk so large he looked like a kid sitting at the adults table. He folded his hands in front of his face and looked at us over his half-moon glasses, violet eyes flashing. "Railey. I understand that Manager Klampot struck you in the face. Is this true?" Railey nodded, some blood dripping from her chin as she did so.

  "Yes, Sir."

  "I see. Kiltont, you recommend this 'Tank' person highly. So highly that it comes across as suspicious. And this woman here is unknown to me. Now that I have laid out my knowledge, I want you four to help me, ah, fill in the gaps, so to speak. The large gentleman in the back, my first question is for you. Who are you?"

  "My friends call me Tank, sir." I responded evenly. "Who are you?"

  "Tank. Kiltont speaks highly of you. He says that you are reliable and strong willed. Would you say this is accurate?" I grinned.

  "Absolutely. If my friends need a helping hand, I'm the guy. Who are you." The Guild Master nodded thoughtfully.

  "No hesitance. Perhaps you were right, Kiltont." The bird man shrugged.

  "He is a reliable one, that is certain. A bit of a fool, but what's to be expected of a Hunter." The Guild Master scoffed at his words, continuing to ignore me. I felt a flash of anger come on as I had the realization.

  "Yes. Well..." I forced my fist to unclench.

  "May I ask a question, sir?" I asked before he could get going again. He tilted his head, like he wasn't used to people interrupting him.

  "And what is that?"

  "Who are you?" He smiled a thin, slightly annoyed smile.

  "I am Tzolob Maribo, Guild Master of the Lingholm Hunter's Guild." I smiled.

  "Nice to meet you, sir. I'm Tank."

  "Yes, I am aware. You've just told me who you are. You are just as odd as Kiltont said. I didn't think that he would have described you so accurately, and yet you are behaving exactly as I expected."

  "Is that a good or a bad thing?"

  "That remains to be seen. You, young miss." he said, apparently done with me and moving on to Lia. Her fiery emeralds hardened as he looked at her and she stood tall. "Who are you?"

  "I am Lady Ameilia Sarie Freyolin, and I have a few choice words for you." Lia was hot, fists clenched as she spoke. Her voice was tightly controlled but I could hear the rage simmering just underneath. I could see it, too, bands of red and gold power lashing at the air around her. "I thought we got rid of that cancer." The Guild Master's eyes went wide before he caught himself and sighed.

  "We did. The President assigned him back to us. He wanted Mr. Klampot to be here as a 'preventative measure'. Most likely, he wanted me to keep an eye on the criminal."

  "You have criminals here? As part of you staff?" I asked, incredulous.

  "Technically, no. Any who are blessed are welcome to become Hunters. There are background checks, of course--we do not hire convicted criminals--but there is nothing stopping a Blessed from abusing their power."

  "Isn't that your job?" The Guild Master laughed hard and loud, banging his fist on the wooden table. He laughed for a good few minutes and I shifted my weight from foot to foot as we awkwardly waited for him to finish.

  "Oh, that is a good joke, Mr. Tank."

  "Just Tank is fine."

  "Just Tank, then." he said with a well-meaning smile. "In short, no, ensuring that the Hunters follow the rules is not my job. That particular role belongs to Mr. Klampot." I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily.

  "Of-fucking-course it does."

  "It is my job to ensure that this city isn't overrun by monsters and bandits. I have to carefully coordinate teams of Hunters that work somewhat well together to try and mitigate deaths while simultaneously ensuring that they are at least a little bit capable of handling the issue at hand. Hunters are... shall we say, bombastic in nature. Many of them do not get along and tend to get a little rowdy when forced to work with others." I nodded in understanding. If Hunters were anything like athletes from back home, most of them would be diva's used to getting their way.

  "That sounds about right. Who watches the watcher, though?"

  "I do. I have the final say on what happens in this guild."

  "I see. Why is it, then, that within five minutes of my arrival, I find a staff member abusing another?" The Guild Master's smile grew tighter as I spoke, anger igniting behind his eyes.

  "I have been away in the Capitol for a few weeks and only got back just before you arrived. I have yet to unpack. I do not appreciate being interrogated in my own office, boy." His voice deepened as he spoke, loosing its soft liveliness. I nodded and relented.

  "I can understand that; travel takes a lot out of a person. I'll drop it for now, but we are not done with this conversation. I want to purchase Railey from you." I blinked in surprise as the words left my mouth. What the fuck? Why'd I say that? I felt Lia's smile from my right, even though I couldn't see her, the sun poking out from behind grey storm clouds as she beamed at me. Railey jerked in surprise as well but continued to stare at the ground, hands clasped tightly in front of her. The Guild Master gave me an appraising look and made a thoughtful noise, putting one of his hands to his chin and leaning back in his seat. Kiltont shook his head disapprovingly at me from behind the Guild Master, though his eyes smiled at me.

  "I am surprised you would be so forward with your desires. Why should I sell her to you? She is one of my best workers."

  "If getting her out of an abusive situation isn't enough, how about these two being sisters who haven't seen each other in years?" Lia nodded and grabbed Railey's hand.

  "It's true. Railey served my family for four years before we were separated."

  "Mm-hmm." Railey made a small noise of assent, her pale cheeks flushing with color. She stared at the ground harder, her blue head almost horizontal now.

  "He did the same thing to me." Kiltont said with resignation. "I even warned him not to do this exact thing when we got here." I smiled at him and shrugged.

  "I am who I am. I can't help it, bro."

  "You are going to regret your recklessness one day, Tank."

  "Maybe. I doubt I'll regret helping someone out, though. Be the Good Samaritan and all that jazz." Kiltont rolled his eyes.

  "Hmmm. You seem to be a good man and your Soul is warm. I see no reason not to sell Railey into your care. However, I care for her and don't want her working for a Hunter. I will consider it if you prove that you are capable of protecting her."

  "How can I do that?"

  "There have been reports of a Nevind on the outskirts of the city for the last few days and no one here currently is able to handle it. I want you to kill it." I gave Kiltont a confused look and opened my mouth to ask a question but Lia cut me off.

  "You have no Crystal's on hand?" The Guild Master shook his head negative.

  "No. Adrianas is our best and she's a Gold."

  "That's odd. Isn't it standard for every Guild to have at least one Crystal on call at all times?"

  "Yes. Our's hasn't returned from his latest hunt and I am beginning to fear the worst."

  "A Crystal's gone missing?" Lia asked. I was extremely confused by this point and held my hand up, pausing the conversation.

  "Hold up, I'm confused. What exactly are these rankings and why are they so important?"

  "Hunters are ranked based on their physical and magical abilities. The lowest is Tin, second lowest is Bronze, then Silver, Gold, Crystal, Obsidian, and, lastly, Iridescent." I looked at Lia blankly and she sighed.

  "I am at the peak of Silver rank." Kiltont said with a proud smile. "I could have moved up to Gold but decided to take the job in Rivera instead." I shook my head blankly.

  "That still means nothing, sadly." Kiltont thought for a moment.

  "I would say that Lady Rosie is a little less powerful than me, maybe the low to mid range of Silver."

  "Ok. Where do the Steban line up, then?"

  "They are Bronze rank. A well-placed blow from the tail will still kill an unprepared Hunter but they are easier to hunt than a Cave Wolf."

  "Those thagomizers are nasty business, ain't they?" I said with a grin. "So a Steban is Bronze, a Cave Wolf is low silver, and the Tyrib is Crystal. Where do the Tyrib sit in that rank?"

  "Right in the middle. They are stronger than the Gybulim but will still run when faced with a Devilk."

  "Okay." Those were definitely words that were said. Where the fuck does that put me, then? "Regardless of how confused I may be, where does this Nevind line up? How worried should we be?"

  "Nevind are nocturnal creatures." the Guild Master said. "They scrounge around in the dark, searching for corpses to feast upon and wear the bones of its victims as armor. It is known for hurling its body as a weapon, using the bones attached to it as a battering ram and crushing Hunters who are too slow."

  "That's cool as fuck."

  "The beast is a walking nightmare that smells of death. " the Guild Master said. "How is that 'cool'?"

  "Most of the creatures here are terrifying. What makes this one any different?"

  "A corpse rising out of the dark water to hunt is not something a man easily recovers from." As soon as he said it, the door flew open.

  "Guild Master!" the person who had followed behind Kiltont and the Guild Master earlier cried as he burst into the room, panic on his face. "It's here!" Kiltont swore and went to the window. He looked out and swore louder.

  "The man is right. The guards are congregating to the south, by the water." He sucked a breath through his teeth. "Gods above. There are three of them."

  "Three?!" the Guild Master cried, rushing to the window. "Gods help us." He whirled on the man who had alerted him and stepped with purpose. "Rally the Hunters. The Guards will need our help to hold the walls." The man nodded and dashed out of the room. The Guild Master turned to me, grey eyes staring into mine. "You as well, Tank. You said you wanted to become a Hunter. Consider this your entrance exam. Use this opportunity to prove that you are capable of being one of us."