The geonids were not caged individually, but Morrigan could work with this. Vail managed to snatch the creatures from Ceres Celestia’s improvised cages, shoving them into groups of four or five. Morrigan noted that he only really complimented the apprentice for her work, something that made them grind their teeth. Though Vail’s assessment was not an inaccurate one - she was technically the one doing the lion’s share of this grueling task.

But now that they were comfortably in cages, and it was time to get this grift started, it was time for the silver-tongued scammer to work their magic. They held up a finger, as if gesturing for the others to wait, before returning to their wagon. They were gone for a few moments, before they returned with a heavy bundle of lumpy, oddly-shaped cloth that seemed to contain any number of odds and ends. Weirdly enough, they seemed to have a couple of alchemical potions, too. When they reached the grass once more, Morrigan sat down cross-legged on the floor and pulled one of the cages closer.

Deep in concentration, the fellblood uncapped a vial that looked to contain some kind of sticky paste -glimmery and sparkly as everything else, because of course - before getting to work. “Now, it’s important to keep your audience in mind when -ack! Little buggers - designing the con. In this case, the stuffy nobles of Moonglade that collect exotic pets and kitschy trinkets. There’s nothing that sells better than a gimmick, no matter how cheesy. And what do you do when you need to push bulk product?”

They paused, waiting for dramatic effect, but when Vail didn’t bite, Morrigan huffed.

“You make them think they can’t have just one. They just need to have the whole set.”

They unfurled the cloth, revealing what looked like the mangled corpse of a pinata or something equally as gruesome. It was as if some eldritch being of crafting or potionmaking had vomited all over the ground. It was a damn mess, but one that Morrigan seemed to know their way around. They grabbed a couple of buttons painted to look like eyes and slapped them on the alchemical glue on top of the geonid, until it looked like a little cartoon.

The others in the cage got the same treatment, until each geonid had fake eyes on their body.

“Now, I know what you’re thinking. But wait - there’s more to this plan.”

Morrigan stood and pulled out a small chest from their wagon, bringing this over to the hellish, impromptu crafting station they’d created. Their machinations had only just begun. Morrigan opened the chest, revealing a plethora of tiny costumes that looked like they were designed for small animals. Morrigan would not elaborate where these costumes had come from.

“Now, chances are that a lot of these nobles will have children. Bored children, who are easily attracted by sparkling things and shiny new toys. They’ll just be chomping at the bit to get their hands on a new pet that they can accessorize and doll up. And therein lies the crux of my scheme.”

They hastily scribbled something down in bright pink on a piece of parchment, holding it up for Vail to read:

EXOTIC PET FAMILIES - COME IN SETS!

EACH FAMILY MEMBER HAS THEIR OWN UNIQUE NAME AND PERSONALITY! COLLECT THEM ALL AND DRESS THEM UP!

(ACCESSORIES SOLD SEPARATELY)

Morrigan offered Vail a sly grin, as if to say, not bad, eh?

“And wait, just when you thought this couldn’t get even more perfect - I’ve got something even better. An ace up my sleeve.”

Morrigan glanced at Ceres Celestia, where the child had busied herself skipping stones in the river, and had tuned out of their conversation.

“I’ve got a plant in the crowd.”

Vail didn’t know what to expect when Morrigan began to lay out their grift, but it certainly wasn't this. Seeing the geonids subjected to the fellblood’s inane machinations almost elicited some sympathy from the ash lander. Something in that liquid must be tranquilizing the wild little creatures, normally they would be scrambling in a panic, yet somehow this crazed fellblood was able to dress them up without issue… for the most part. The fake eyes were no doubt the strangest part of their improvised cosmetic surgery, they didn't even look the least bit realistic. Who in their right mind would buy such an absurdly dolled-up endanger elemental? If anything this might lower the value.

He watches in stern silence as Morrigan demonstrates their grandiose pitch, trying to figure the best way to deliver his confusion without upsetting the fellblood. He tilts his head to the side as he finishes reading the parchment the fellblood was so proud of.
"I'll be honest with you; this is more your area of expertise. I have never sold anything aside from protection, from others and the party I represented at the time; I believe the term for it was coercion or tribute? Anyway, I've never been to Eclipse City either. All I know is that opulence tends to loosen the purse strings. I would never buy such a frivolous creature, but I also don’t have enough solars to buy up every farm in the Luna Valley either. I don’t know anyone who would ever-”

Vail is stopped as Morrigan suddenly continues their pitch, this time roping the small elf mage into it. The addendum actually catches him by surprise; buried beneath that mountain of glitter and narcissism, there might just be a proper schemer.

“That… actually might work. I didn’t have the most conventional childhood, so you can forgive my misgivings, but my travels across Charon have shown me that spoiled noble brats will drop massive amounts of solar just one up each other.” He glances to the young elf with a smirk. “All we need is an inciting purchase.”

He holds his smirk as he looks back to Morrigan. ”I’ll admit it, you’ve impressed me, I do have one request for you though. I don’t exactly have a ride to the city, and I assume you don’t have a secret army of child mages at your beckon call, despite your many talents. Presumably you have some manner of transport, for both us and our product. Might I hitch a ride with you?”

They could see the skepticism plainly on Vail’s face as they described their scheme. Not big on it yet, eh? He’d be won over eventually. Morrigan was any number of things - a fool, impulsive, a narcissist too obsessed with themselves and coin to bother with the world around them. But the truth was that Morrigan understood the nasty, vulnerable parts of humanity. It took a greedy, selfish asshole to play to the wants of other greedy, selfish assholes. And Morrigan had never grown up in the throes of opulence, but they had conned the most noble of pompous nobles across the land, and they were old hat at how to toy with those selfish wants and loosen those coin purses.

They flashed Vail a devilish grin, putting a clawed hand on Ceres’s shoulder.

“I know what I’m doing.”

… Though they could stand to be less cocky about it.

“If there’s no demand for your product, you create it.” That was the crux of how Morrigan had been so successful at peddling their snake oil. Their flagship product, Dragon-Be-Gone, was proof of this. A product so functionally useless and difficult to prove whether it worked or not that there was virtually no purpose for it. Especially when there were hardly any dragons around anymore to necessitate such a purpose. But you fake enough dragon attacks, and…

That stuff practically sells itself!

“You give the elite something cute and exotic and shiny and harmless and then you make them think they’re missing out if they don’t buy that item right at that very moment.” And that was where Ceres Celestia came in. She would be the one to make those rich, pompous children think they needed to buy these dress-up rocks, and their parents would pay whatever price it took to get those kids to shut the hell up and not melt down. Oh, the area was different, but Morrigan had taken advantage of the vulnerability offered only by spoiled children who’d never been told no a day in their life.

Despite the way they dressed and the lifestyle they lived, Morrigan hadn’t exactly lived a childhood of means, either. But they quite liked the lavish lifestyle.

At the question of transportation, Morrigan perked up. “Yes, of course. I’ve a wagon parked some ways away in the trees. We can use that to transport the rocks and make our way to the city.” It would make quick work of transporting the cages to the back of the Wagon of Wonders - a carriage that looked every bit as ostentatious as the name implied - before Morrigan got behind the driver’s seat and ushered them into the city.

It was time to con some suckers out of their coin.

If Vail’s doubts had done any damage to Morrigan’s ego, they were quickly healed the minute he gave in. The fellblood’s demeanor was as bright as ever, their mind was probably in some state of self-aggrandizing judging by their words. Vail on the other hand, was less impressed by their statements, choosing instead to hamper their self-importance, if only slightly. “I get where you are coming from, that’s the basis of coercion after all. Gangs often don't have much to offer the more tame parts of society; so, in order to sell protection, they create the need for it. From both other criminals and from their own organization of course.”

With his subtle jab at Morrigan's supposed genius, Vail grabs several cages and follows the fellblood back to their wagon, tempering his expectations as he walks. Sure enough, the wagon was as gaudy as he expected; an accurate reflection of its owner. Yeah, he wouldn't be caught dead riding on something this bright. He gestures to the tarp covering the back of the wagon as speaks in a calm tone. "I'll ride in the back if you don't mind."

With a grunt he lifts the cages he was carrying onto the back of the wagon before boarding it himself. As he moves the tarp aside, his eyes immediately lock eyes with Morrigan's other passenger. The lizardfolk was clearly some manner of minstrel, judging by the instrument lying in her lap. They seemed considerably older than the deluded child mage; he couldn't help but wonder what unfortunate twist of fate landed her in this situation. He adorns a sympathetic expression as he introduces himself, extending a hand forward. "The name's Vail. Sorry, but I'm going to be sharing this space with you temporarily, hope you don't mind."

The ride to Eclipse City was relatively smooth, despite every bump in the sending loose glitter raining upon Vail. He had made sure to cover the geonids with the tarp before they started moving; the last thing he needed was hundreds of angry little elementals screaming next to him as stray glitter rained upon them.

The city came into view faster than Vail had expected; breaking through the dense jungle stood tall white walls, a far cry from the humble farms of the Luna Valley. The guards let them pass with a confused glance, no doubt curious as to what ‘wonders’ awaited inside. As they pass through, Vail moves up towards the driver’s seat to address Morrigan. "So what's the plan from here? Door to door knocking or are we hijacking a stage?" He stares at Morrigan for a brief moment before continuing. "You want a stage, don't you?"

Morrigan nodded along excitedly as Vail explained that the same principal was often utilized by Darkveil thugs. It made sense - it was simple economics, supply and demand. Even thugs needed to make a living where there was scarcity. If they recognized the dig at their business, they didn’t show it in their expression. Morrigan was the kind of person who was so assured in themselves in a way that bordered on self-delusion that even if others expressed doubt in their abilities. Vail would have the opportunity to bite his own tongue soon. Unfortunately, and probably much to the chagrin of all that knew them, Morrigan was generally quite good at pulling the wool over the eyes of others. They nodded and clapped their hands together, back to business as Vail loaded the cargo into the back of the wagon and pulled himself inside, likely not wanting to more time with the obnoxious, sparkly charlatan than necessary.

In the back of the wagon, the reptilekin strumming at her lute looked up when Vail addressed her. She didn’t look particularly surprised to see the menagerie of rocks adorned in a plethora of bright accessories. Truthfully, it seemed like though Morrigan was keeping Ceres Celestia in the dark about the true nature of their work, the mature woman knew exactly who Morrigan was, and what they did. She grinned at him, revealing a mouth of fangs and a forked tongue. “Maripossssssssa.” She dragged the consonant between her teeth before glancing down at the cages. “They’ve roped you into their manic schemes, then, I see. Well. Don’t feel the need to listen to anything they offer. Sometimes a good whack in the back of the head gets them off your back if they're being insufferable.” She laughed. “Or, do feel the need to go along with it. I’ll get a cut of the profits either way.” She strummed at her lute, preparing for the upcoming show.

It didn’t take long for them to reach the edges of Eclipse City, traipsing through the jungle and even the familiar edges of the Lantern Light Woods. Morrigan sighed, almost wistful as they watched the dancing lights in the corners of their vision. The guards gave Morrigan a curious look as their wagon bumped up the road, but waved their caravan on. Morrigan was no stranger to Eclipse City, having pulled grifts here in the past. Apparently, no one had gotten the memo to deny the little purple bastard entry, so they figured that was invitation enough to keep on scamming. After they entered the city proper, Vail poked his head out of the back to ask after the plan.

Morrigan let out an overly-grandiose laugh as Vail realized that asking the question was a futile effort when he already knew the answer. “Why, a stage, of course, my friend! You can’t drum up competition if you don’t have a sizable crowd to work with. There’s an amphitheater in the marketplace a little ways away from here - we’re going to set up shop around here and let word of mouth do its magic." They finished with a wink. While Vail spoke with Morrigan, the caravan passed through a crowded street, allowing Mariposa to slip out of the back and disappear into the market in plain clothes. While Morrigan and Vail arrived at the amphitheater and set up the tarp-covered cages (i.e. Vail put everything in place while Morrigan directed), Mariposa whispered in the ears of locals about the wizard from far off lands who seemed to be preparing something on the other side of town.

Vail reacts to Mariposa's response with a smug smile, happy to know there is at least someone in Morrigan’s entourage with some sense. "The name’s Vail and don’t worry, this was my idea to begin with. I’m using the fellblood just as much as they are using me, I assure you. It’s good to know that there is someone here with their wits about them though.”

As the reptilekin slips out of the back of the caravan, Vail silently observes the crowd as they enter the city. The city residents seem considerably more refined than the residents of Darkveil, considerably snottier as well. They would no doubt be insufferable to interact with, but that’s why Morrigan is here, got to fight fire with fire after all. “An amphitheater will work, we would have to keep an eye out for any authorities, but I’ll handle that.”

The caravan pulls up to the back of the amphitheater with little issue. The stage is empty aside from a closed curtain, giving our would-be scammers ample space to hide their product before their show begins. Morrigan is quick to bark orders to Vail, with the Ash Lander only complying because of his lack of sales skills. With the tarp-covered creatures successfully unloaded, Morrigan slips through the curtain, likely to finish their last-minute preparations for their ever so glorious performance. Vail stands against the beam of the stage, letting shadow drape over him as he patiently awaits the show^[1]. His rest is soon interrupted however, as he catches a figure approaching their unoccupied caravan.

A moon elf drabbed in a rather fanciful uniform, one befitting a capital city guard, approaches the overly extravagant wagon. The man has a rather confused expression, no doubt bewildered by the oddity intruding on his typically peaceful day. His eyes then venture towards the stage, filled with all the pent-up malice of a bureaucrat who hasn't had the opportunity to whine in quite some time. The moon elf approaches the back entrance of the stage, unaware of the Ash Lander silently observing his movements from the curtain’s shadow.

As much as Vail would love to discuss licenses, paperwork, and all other types of government forms, his capacity for dealing with obnoxiousness is currently filled by a certain fellblood. As the guard steps foot onto the back of the stage, Vail grabs onto his arm with one hand as he delivers a swift blow to the head with his other. The busybody falls into Vail, unconscious, as the Ash Lander disappears back into the shadows.

With the guard’s trifling interference dealt with, Vail peaks his head out from behind the curtain and calls out to Morrigan. “So we’ve run into a bit of an issue.” He pulls the curtain slightly to reveal the unconscious guard and gestures towards him. “Somehow, I don’t think his co-workers will miss his absence, but he also strikes me as the punctual type. We might have to get some unexpected company if we linger here too long.”

---

[1] Pass without a trace

Goods set up - check. Curiosity piqued - check. Morrigan grinned, surveying their work like an artist did a canvas filled with paint. In a way, there almost was a delicate art to all this. A rhythm one had to learn, the proper ways to stoke intrigue in the common peoples and sell as much as you could while maintaining an aura of mystique. It was a craft that Morrigan had perfected in the long-ago days during their time with the circus, and had elevated since striking out on their own. They played for bigger game than conning vulnerable circus goers out of their pocket change for bunk fortunes. This was where the big money was.

Once everything was done, Morrigan moved to grab Ceres Celestia by the shoulder, bending down to her height. “Now, Ceres Celestia - remember that you have the most important part in this job. How are the children of Moonglade supposed to know that we’re selling them genuine magical curios if we don’t have an expert in the crowd telling them how genuine it is? I need you to get out there when the crowd starts forming and start spreading the word of how wonderful these geonid pets are. And when everything starts getting more energetic, you come up to me like we don’t know each other, and offer me this-“ Here, with a flourish of their hands, they produced a loaded bag of solars from their sleeve - “For a family of these little fellows.”

Ceres Celestia nodded before frowning. She was naive, but not stupid. A dull mind did not a top Arcane Academy student make. Perhaps she had her doubts, but she trusted her teacher too much. Eventually, as she grabbed the bag from Morrigan’s palm, curiosity won out. “But Master Moonweaver, is this not dishonest? I don’t want to lie to anyone…”

Morrigan chuckled, patting her twice on the shoulder. “Oh, Ceres Celestia, Ceres Celestia!” They repeated her name with a click of their tongue. “Why, there’s nothing untoward going on here, if that’s what you’re suggesting. We simply want to make sure that the skeptical people around here know that what we are doing is legitimate and good, and that they don’t have to worry about our pets being anything but the real deal. And what you have here is the most important job. Can I trust you to accomplish it?”

Ceres Celestia remained silent for a long time. Perhaps it was Morrigan’s words, or the fact that she had no reason to doubt that the geonids were anything but real (because they genuinely were the real deal, even if she wasn’t quite privy to the fact that they were really stolen goods). But in the end her trust won out and she nodded, slipping away through one of the side curtains with a determined look on her face. Morrigan straightened, clapping their hands together triumphantly. That was one matter taken care of.

… And another problem popping up like a daisy. They just never did stop coming, did they?

Morrigan raised their brows at the pompous looking individual wrought unconscious by Vail’s hands. Hmm. Well, this was… not ideal. A time limit on their sales would put a damper on things. Their tail swished behind them in thought, wondering what might be the best course of action here - retreat before they ran the risk of arrest, or make as much money as they could?

Oh, who were they kidding themselves? Morrigan was about as far away from playing safe as the king of Sol City himself was the problems of his people. Morrigan reached into their bag, pulling out a small vial of pressurized, venom-green gas swirling within the Crystal. With great care, they handed it off to Vail.^[1]

“We’ll stay for as long as we can. If, Ginma forbid, a hoard of the bastards shows up, just lob this at them. The problem will take care of itself.” They promised, which probably was not reassuring in the slightest. They then set out to the amphitheater, their voice bouncing off the walls as they got started.

“Ladies and gentlemen and all things in between! Today this humble Wizard of the Wastes, High Mage of Zeinav, visits your land with an offer you cannot refuse…”

Unfortunately, Vail’s hunch was correct. The longer Morrigan spent charming the crowd and making coin, the more of a mob gathered to buy product. And the more guards grew curious, the more they risked getting caught. While Morrigan made money in the front, the more they pushed their luck, the more apparent it became to the brass - in conjunction with the realization that their buddy was missing - that something was not quite right. And from the back, Vail would notice a group of them whispering and muttering to themselves. Four in total.

Trouble, on the horizon.

---

1. Plague’s Pandemic given to Vail

Vail takes the glass vial from Morrigan with an especially questioning glance. So far, fellblood had been eager to brag about every magical concoction in their repertoire and yet they were oddly silent and seemingly cautious for this one. He stares at the pressured gas as it swirls, wondering if the fellblood’s trepidation was due to lack of confidence or concern. Oddly enough, this wasn’t the first time a fellblood had given him a strange vial with the intent to deal with some guards, albeit he wasn’t inclined to taste the contents of this one.

The ash lander tucks the glass into his coat as Morrigan moves to front of the stage, their excited voice signifying to him that the show had begun. He lifts the unconscious guard as he moves towards a collection of props scattered about backstage. If this pompous ass were to awaken and wander onto stage, the show would be all but ruined; what he needs is a nice place to stay still and reflect on his meddling ways. Eventually, Vail spots an ideal spot for a good long rest; a wooden coffin, likely placed back here for a future horror show. He places the moon elf face down and begins to shut the lid when an idea suddenly creeps into his mind. He quickly strips the moon elf of his belongings, leaving the busybody sealed in the wooden box with only his undergarments.

As the ash lander dons the guard's overcoat and militaristic pants, he hears a noise swelling from the front of the stage. Morrigan’s plan seems to be working without a hitch aside from one meddling guard. His fingers fiddle the top button of the overcoat as he walks back outside to the wagon, only to see four more guards approaching, all of them seemingly more uptight than the first.

This is why I hate bluebloods, they always have the most annoyingly overstrung security. Well, time to see how my acting skills compare to the fellblood’s.

Vail gives the nearest guard a salute with his head held low, hoping his presence alone will draw their suspicions away. Unfortunately for him, the group approaches the ash lander, clearly confused by his presence.
“Private, what is going on here?” The leading moon elf asks with a questioning tone.

Vail nearly scoffs upon learning that their interloper was at the bottom of the authoritative ladder; if a lackey was that eager to disrupt them this wasn’t going to be easy.  “Sir, a traveling salesman is doing a showcase of his products.” Vail barks in a completely unnatural tone.

“And what is their name?” The leading elf asks as another guard pulls out a thick book and begins scanning through it.

“Uhh.. I believe their name was Zaedeus… Sneakius?” Vail responds with an extreme lack of confidence.

“Not on the list.” the elf with a book replies. “We are going to need to get their performance permit, their selling license, their wagon pass, their bright color voucher, their-”
“Got 'em right here.” Vail interrupts as he tosses the vial into the middle of the group^[1], kicking his feet off the ground and dashing backwards^[2] before it impacts the ground.

The glass breaks immediately, sending gas spewing everywhere, immediately sending the guards into a coughing fit. The effect is short lived however, as the leading guard quickly reorients himself and points in the direction of the ash lander.

Lot of good that did, another cheap parlor trick from the fellblood.

Vail readies himself, lifting his fists in front of his face in preparation for a good old fashioned street fight. His preparations are interrupted by his surprise when the bookkeeping elf suddenly slams the large tome against his superior’s skull, before turning to face him with an intense glare, all while the remaining two guards beat each other senseless.

Might have spoken too soon.

---

[1] Tosses Plague’s Pandemic
[2] Bare hands: Dashing enchantment

While Vail was working the crowd outside, Morrigan was working a different kind of magic on the crowd around the amphitheater. A modest gathering had formed, gazing upon the cages filled with strange, stone animals made with angles of impossible geometries and covered in glitter and little colorful bows. Morrigan could see kids amongst the crowd, Ceres Celestia lingering towards the back, face obscured by her hood. The mob was hesitant, unsure whether what they were looking at was legitimate or a scam. But Ceres performed her job admirably, working the crowd with childlike wonder, innocence, and a plethora of coin.

Everything was going, for lack of a better word, swimmingly.

And therein lay the problem.

Morrigan traditionally operated on just this side of overconfident - they reserved a healthy dose of cowardice for the protection of their own life, but genuine displays of caution were few and far inbetween. They protected their own existence, but they were nothing if not ambitious, and that meant pursuing danger for the sake of the almighty coin. And right now, Vail protecting their game from the shadows was only inflating that sense of safety. That it was okay to push, dig deeper. By the time that Vail had used their potion in the back lines, forcing guards to beat the ever-loving shit out of one another, Morrigan had already sold half their wares. Their pocket was laden with coin, but they were hungry for more.

Unfortunately, Vail was not the only one who’d spotted a problem.

In the crowd, the reptilekin who’d slithered from the back of Morrigan’s tent traipsed through the crowd, skirts trailing behind her, strumming her lute. Her primary job was to spread rumors and sing songs about the mysterious desert wizard selling curios in the amphitheater, drum up interest, and - when necessary - keep an ear out for trouble brewing on the horizon. And brew trouble did. Most people paid little attention to the dangers a minstrel posed, lulled into the false sense of security that a running mouth meant her eyes and ears weren’t open to their surroundings. Fortunately, Mariposa had the boon of being the shrewdest member of her entourage, and the one with the most common sense; out of everyone she knew when it was time to give up a ruse.

As she walked through the crowd, she made note of an inordinate number of guards. It was innocuous at first, nothing worth returning to the boss about. But as the hours stretched on, the more agitated they grew, all muttering about themselves. Rumors spreading like wildfire that something was going on at the amphitheater, of guards who weren’t returning to their post. Mariposa paused, cocking her head to the side to better listen to the rumors… but no, that could not be her idiot boss. She continued on her patrol, only stopping when she heard raised voices.

“… Eyewitness description says it’s a purple fellblood.”

“Think it’s the same one who bled people’s coin purses dry with that dragon scam?”

“The ‘Wizard of the Wastes?’ Seems like it. Loud and flashy… fits their modus operandi. But they’d have to be really stupid to show their face around here again.”

Mariposa winced. Oh, hell, that is my idiot boss. Great. They had to put an end to this, fast, before the guards caught onto the fact that the little shit causing trouble through unsanctioned soliciting was actually a wanted little shit. Furious that Morrigan hadn’t felt the need to tell anyone that their last stint in Eclipse City had put some kind of target on their back, Mariposa put her lute away and stalked back to the amphitheater.

There she found the man who Morrigan had partnered up with for this mission, wearing a guard disguise of all things, while more guards beat the ever living hell out of one another like their lives depended on it. She didn’t want to know. But at the very least, she’d found the one other person she could probably trust to have common sense around here. She approached him, grabbing him gently by the arm.

“We have an isssssssue.” She hissed. “Guards are flooding the city. Whatever that moron did last time they were here, they’re on a list. We should get their dumb ass out of here before the situation gets bad.” She eyed the brawling guards with disdain. “Worse than it already has, I mean.”

This is bad, why did he have to give me something this messy… This is what I get for thinking this charlatan couldn’t hurt a fly.

Vail watches in horror at the violence unfolding before him. The sheer animalistic rage of the guardsmen was a stark contrast to bureaucratic protocol they had previously displayed. Luckily for Vail, their beastial demeanor was apparently foreign enough to not effect his condition; their grunts and growls of rage were not causing his numbness to spread. Should these crazed officers get their hands on an innocent however; yet another beast would join the fray, one that he doesn't have the ability to subdue.

The Ash Lander nearly jumps out of skin as Mariposa’s voice takes him by surprise. The Lizardfolk had taken hold of his wrapped right arm, causing him further dismay. While anyone else would probably guess that the pale man was too distracted to notice her approach, Vail knew that his right arm’s numbness was the true cause of his startlement. She could have been holding on to him for multiple minutes and he would not have noticed, a thought that once served to increase his discomfort.

“I can see that, do what you can to get them to wrap it up.”
Vail’s eyes linger on the bookkeeper, who seems to have finished his assault on his superior and has now turned his attention to the Ash Lander and Lizardfolk. “Right now, we’ve got a bigger problem.”

Vail pushes Mariposa back as the enraged bookkeeper charges, attempting to bash in his head with the heavy tome of procedures. His palm catches the book on both sides^[1], stopping the leather-bound spine inches away from his forehead. Feeling his hands begin to slip, the Ash Lander swiftly moves his right leg upwards, delivering a heavy kick to the moon elf's chest. The force behind the tome dissipates as his boot pushes against his opponent's uniform, adding a dirty boot print to the blood splatters adorn the elf’s chest. Disarming the bookworm did little to dampen his aggression however, and the furious elf lunges back towards the Ashlander, ready to tear him asunder. Vail backs away his adversary, leading the crazed man up the small set of stairs and away from Mariposa.

Vail’s retreat buys him a moment to catch his breath, his arms falling to his knees as he breathes heavily. Heavy growls come from the stairs as the enraged elf stammers his way upwards. Whatever was in that brew may have increased the elf’s strength and speed but seems to have only hampered his coordination and balance. The Ash lander’s respite doesn’t last long, as the elf dashes towards him the second his overpriced boots reach the top of the stairs. Vail’s barely able to catch the elf’s hands as his retreat begins again, albeit with his adversary inches away from his face; their fingers curved into claws that would no doubt add additional scars.

In the chaos of the pair’s struggle, Vail fails to register the multitude of sounds growing louder as he retreats further into the backstage. His eyes widen as he feels the fabric of the stage curtain against his back, his mind quickly realizing what was about to unfold.

Hopefully this crowd is more impressed by my improv skills.

Vail backs out onto the stage with his adversary in tow, the crazed elf’s eyes looking between him and Morrigan as the crowd suddenly goes silent. Putting on the best smile he can given the circumstances, Vail turns to face the crowd who are no doubt confused as to why two of the Eclipse City’s finest are interrupting the fellblood’s presentation.

“Hello folks! Sorry to interrupt. These critters are hot commodities, even amongst the guard, so better not hesitate if you want one for your kids!” Vail shouts in the cheeriest tone he has ever given anyone. He turns his attention back to the moon elf, whose eyes were now locked onto Morrigan. “Come on Steve, just because you’re our best bookkeeper doesn’t mean you get priority. Let's get you to the back of the line with the rest of the public.”

Vail’s legs kick off the wooden stage with as much might as he can muster^[2], pushing himself and the moon elf back behind the curtain. Once they are out of sight of the likely still confused public, the Ash lander delivers a swift knee to the guard’s stomach, causing him to bend forward from the impact. Using this small opening, Vail delivers an elbow to the back of the bookworm’s head, dropping him to the floor. He backs away in defensive posture, readying himself for a counterattack that never comes, as the guard lies still aside from fatigue breathing.

Collecting himself, Vail rushes back to the carriage, finding the remaining guards in a similar state. Finding no trace of Mariposa, the Ash lander races around to the crowd in front of the stage, hoping to pull the fellblood out of their routine before they are swarming with guards.

---

[1] Steel Catch
[2] Bare hands: Dashing enchantment

Man, Morrigan thought as they made another sale, this is going off without a hitch!

They could hear sounds in the back, of course, but they hadn’t heard from Vail yet, so they assumed that whatever was going on was no cause for alarm. Of course everything would be perfect! I’m just that good at planning!

Meanwhile, Mariposa was currently dying.

Not really, but the bard was having a hell of a bad time. Vail was holding off the brainless zombies caused by Morrigan’s potion, but the reptilekin didn’t have weapons and she wasn’t good with her fists. Still holding onto Vail’s arm, only half-registering that he couldn’t even seem to feel or respond to her touch, Mariposa’s eyes narrowed, watching the fighting zombies with growing disdain. “What the hell did this idiot do this time?”

Her answer came in the form of Vail throwing her out of the way of an attack from the mindless bookkeeper. She stumbled, catching herself before she could hit the ground, dusting herself off. Vail was combatting the mindless monsters, who weren’t acting much different from zombies right now, whatever potion Morrigan had given Vail erasing their free will and increasing their bloodlust to the point where they had no desire but to claw out the eyes of those closest to them. And Vail, who was in the midst of their mob, was taking the full force of their rage.

“Ugh. Fighters.”

She had to do everything around here herself, didn’t she? Instead of going to get Morrigan, Mariposa made a beeline for their bag. Vail was sprinting up the stairs, elf-zombie in tow, and the rest of the mob-guard-zombies not far behind. She hissed under her breath, sifting through bottles of trash in search of a familiar potion. “Why the hell do they carry so much snake oil…”

There! Triumphant, Mariposa plucked a bottle from Morrigan’s things and downed it. In one swift motion, a pair of draconic wings sprouted from her back, and her throat grew hot from the new gland the elixir had granted her.^[1] another handful of zombies had split off from the chase and were chasing after her, some even running on all fours like mindless dogs. Mariposa took to the air, opening her mouth to sing a song; fire pouring from her mouth to the music.

The good news: the flames kept the zombies at bay.

The bad news: the flames caught on the old wooden floors, and the backstage was now on fire.

Mariposa stared at the growing blaze for all of a second before reaching out to grab Morrigan’s bag and slinging it over her shoulder. “Welp! Time to go.”

Outdoors Morrigan was still making their pitch when Vail sprinted from behind a curtain, acting as natural as he could - which was to say, not very natural at all. Morrigan was about to open their mouth to ask what he was doing when they saw the mindless man dressed in Eclipse City guardwear sprinting after him. Morrigan yelped and stepped backwards, sticking their foot out to trip the elven man before it could get its grubby hands around them, throwing it off balance. Just in time for Vail to grab him and flew backstage once more.

Morrigan stared at them, bewildered, before throwing their hands in the air with a flourish of glitter. “See? You, too, can be the proud owner of a valued item coveted by our noble boys in blue, like Steve!” By gods, the entire world could be burning down around them and they’d still have it in them to act natural.

Good thing, too - because the longer the seconds ticked away, the more the fire below grew, licking at the foundations. Morrigan’s nose twitched while they collected money from another family buying a cage full of geonids for their fussy children. “Do I smell something burning…?”

“Pardon?”

Out of the corner of their eye they could see smoke pouring from the stairs. Shit. “Why, that must be the smoke from these hot deals! You, lucky customer twenty-eight, have been selected for one random two-for one combo!” They picked up another cage and shoved it at the buyer. “Two for the price of one and a half!”

Outside, Mariposa had made her way to the wagon, which was still swarming with the remainder of the mindless creatures, missing Vail only by a couple of seconds. Grimacing, the woman pulled out a mirror from her pocket, setting it on the ground as a near-perfect double of herself rose from the metallic surface.^[2] The mirror darted forward, catching the attention of the zombies as it ran by. Delighted by the prospect of another creature to fight, the enraged assholes ran after the decoy, allowing Mariposa to slip into the wagon. Not wasting any time, the minstrel snapped at the reins, urging the horse onwards at a gallop. The backstage was still burning, and it was only a matter of time before the zombies made their way to the crowd where Morrigan, Vail, and Ceres Celestia were, and cause mass pandemonium. She needed to reach them first.

This was going to be tight.

---

1. Beist’s Transmutation Tonic - Wings, Drake Gland (Fire)
2. Clone Self - Mariposa

Vail reaches the crowd rather quickly, finding at least a small bit of relief as sees Morrigan doing their best to sell their product as fast as physically possible. The feeling is short-lived however, as his sense of smell gives him a grim warning of chaos that is soon to come.

Fire, why is it always fire?

Vail pushes his way through the crowd, outright shoving anyone too absentminded to realize his advancement. He was used to dealing with stymied upper-class folk, but these city folks are on another level; it’s as if he didn’t exist in their world until he had the gall to move them aside. At the very least none of them were brave enough to resist him, likely helped by the fact he was still dressed as one of Eclipse City’s finest.

Vail reaches the front of the crowd, his nostrils getting a rather potent sample of the flames building backstage. His eyes lock onto Morrigan's, staring harder and colder than ever before. He points at the fellblood before closing his fingers and swinging his outstretched thumb to the side, signaling to the fellblood to get off the stage. The ash lander then does his best to mouth the word ‘or’ before pointing a finger against his chest. He transitions his hand to his neck, running his thumb along his throat. The gesture is unmistakable for anyone who has spent even a small amount of time in the criminal underworld: ‘Leave now or I’m going to kill you.’

With his warning given, Vail turns to face the direction of the carriage only to catch a glimpse of the fellblood’s young mage, her face mostly obscured by a hood as she continues to rile up the children amongst the crowd.

Damn, no way this kid makes it out on her own. Guess my acting practice isn’t over yet.

The ash lander pushes his way through the crowd once more, arriving at the small group of children. The kids are gathered in a circle, surrounding one of the purchased geonids as Ceres tells them all about the wonders of the creature. Vail approaches the child from behind, giving her a tap on the shoulder before being his hastily prepared reasoning.

“There you are young lady, your parents have been looking everywhere for you. They whined to every guard they could find about you. We need to get you back to them posthaste.”

Vail picks up the girl with both arms, holding her by her knees and her back, an image that would no doubt look like a kidnapping if not for his outfit. Before the girl can offer any protest, Vail does his best to reassure her of his actions without causing her to panic.

“This crowd is getting rowdier by the minute, allow me to escort you safely out of here.”

The ash lander shields the child from the mass of bodies as he commands his way through the crowd. The sound of galloping horses reaches his ears as he nears the edge of the assembly and his eyes catch the unmistakable eyesore of the fellblood’s carriage racing towards their direction. It seems Mariposa had managed to slip away unharmed and is luckily on the same page as him. The carriage is almost at their position when the ash lander and young mage are finally able to move freely. There is no time to stop, however, as his eyes catch several of the crazed guards still hot on the wagon’s trail. Vail runs out into the road, holding Ceres close as he begins to run in the same direction the carriage is headed. His feet move as fast as they possibly can^[1], trying his best to match the vehicle speed as it begins to reach parallel with him. Seeing no way to board safely in his current circumstance, Vail prioritizes the young mages safety. Mustering as much strength as he possibly can, the ash lander throws the child^[2] into the open back of the wagon, hoping that she lands on something soft.

His actions prove successful as the careening child passes through the cloth flaps without a hitch. Unfortunately for the ash lander, his efforts have jeopardized his own safety as the gap between him and the carriage grows too far for his hands to reach. His eyes close for a brief moment as he dreads needing to rely on his less than natural state.

Just a second, no more, just imagine it for a second and then back to normal.

The wrapping on the ash lander’s right arm loosens as the limb stretches outward^[3], flying forward until his hand grasps onto the wagon. With his grip holding strong^[4], his arm slowly returns to normal, pulling the ash lander along with it. With a grimace of disgust, Vail climbs into the wagon quickly moving through it to get to Mariposa. He climbs onto the front seat, sternly informing the reptilekin of his intentions.

“CIRCLE AROUND AND GRAB THE FELLBLOOD NOW OR NONE OF US WILL BE SAFE.”

---

[1] Bare Hands - dashing enchantment
[2] Bull's Strength 
[3] Soft Body [1/2]
[4] Iron Grip

If you asked Morrigan Moonweaver, everything was going fine and dandy.

The rocks were selling like hot cakes. It seemed that the commotion earlier from whatever Vail was doing - and really, the charlatan wasn’t sure what all that was about, but they didn't really care - but he was supposed to be doing his job keeping threats off Morrigan’s ass so they could do their job, and it seemed to be going off okay, and they were making money, so everything was about as well as could be expected!

Until they saw the smoke from underground, of course.

Now, any rational person would have sniffed trouble and cut their losses. Anyone rational, like, say, Vail, who was currently wading through the sea of customers in search of Ceres Celestia. But Morrigan Moonweaver was a gambling charlatan, and so the saying went - in for a penny, in for a pound. Besides, a little danger never killed anybody, right? They were going to squeeze this scam for all it was worth. Fire? What fire?

Meanwhile, Ceres Celestia was in the middle of the crowd, trying to talk some other children into buying the rocks as she’d been instructed, when Vail approached her with a display of honestly stellar acting. Unfortunately, Ceres was about as dense as a box of rocks when it came to subtlety, and was honest to a fault. “Um, Mr. Vail? What’s going on - EEK!” She gasped as she was hoisted into the air like a potato sack, Vail sprinting towards the exit with her in tow.

Fortunately, Mariposa had made it towards the edge of the crowd in time for Vail to throw Ceres onboard and secure entry himself. Unfortunately, she brought with her a few more of the remaining enraged guards who’d heard the motion of the wagon and started chasing after it. Mariposa was too busy manning the reins to notice the oddity about their new companion, but Ceres, who was just pulling herself to her feet, caught the tail end of his maneuver, the way his arms elongated just enough to catch the back of the wagon and pull himself upwards. And rapidly catching up to him was the rest of the horde.

“Hurry up!” She shouted, hoisting her wooden staff into the air with both hands, the glittering green gemstone glowing with ancient, arcane energy and heat - and she shot a blast of pure flame straight into the chest of one of the approaching guards.^[1] “Sorry!” She called, not quite understanding why they were fighting these people, but knowing that they were being chased all the same. Vail rushed past her, making his way to the passenger seat and barking for them to turn the wagon around.

“DO WE HAVE TO?” Mariposa shouted back, but snapped at the reins nonetheless. At the helm, Sparkle Blossom gave a sharp turn, the wagon skidding and tilting dangerously on the axel. The change in their momentum gave the mob a chance to draw dangerously closer. In the back, Ceres Celestia shrieked, grabbing hold of the alchemy table for balance.

“WHAT ARE WE DOING?”

“SAVING AN IDIOT!”

And then Mariposa drove the cart straight through the crowd.

Onlookers screamed and frantically dove out of the way of the wagon barreling through the streets like hell was at their heels. And for all intents and purposes, it was; the hoard enraged guards followed behind it, looking for something to battle, to tear apart. Mariposa winced as they started chasing the poor idiots who’d been conned out of their coin then nearly flattened by wooden wheels. An alchemist would be able to fix that, right? A more responsible one? Either way, she wasn’t paid enough to care about anyone but her boss. Not my monkey, not my circus.

At the sound of horrified screams, the charlatan finally drew their attention away from the sale they were making and saw the approaching wagon - and the men behind it.

“Oh, fuck…”

They hastily grabbed their bag, waving a handful of glitter in the air with a nervous chuckle. “Alright folks, show’s over! Thank you all for coming out, you’ve been absolutely wonderful! But this wizard’s got to make a grand exit!”

One of the mindless guards clambered up the stage, lunging for Morrigan.

“Whoa!” They leapt back, reaching into the sleeve of their silk brocade for an old, familiar pouch. “Stay back, buddy! Pocket glitter!”^[2]

Fortunately, the sudden burst of the sparkly substance sent the guard reeling back. Unfortunately, because Morrigan was so loud and glittery, the other zombies had finally spotted them, all clambering for the fellblood, stumbling and climbing over one another towards the center stage.

Well. This was a bit of a problem.

“Alright there, officers, I know that I don’t exactly have a permit to be here, but I swear there’s a perfectly good explanation for all of this THINK FAST!” They reached their hand into one of the last remaining cages of geonids, grabbing one of the rocks with one jewelry-clad hand and lobbing it at the zombie.^[3]

CONK!

The projectile knocked the zombie to the ground, stone cold unconscious.

“Ha!”

Morrigan reached into the cage, scooped up the remaining geonids, and sprinted towards the approaching wagon; towards safety. Intermittently, they lobbed geonids at the guards, keeping the approaching zombified enemies at bay. Mariposa pulled the wagon around, making a sharp turn. She wasn’t going to have time to stop. Morrigan only had one chance -

They leapt for the wagon’s ledge -

“Master Moonweaver!”

Ceres Celestia’s staff glowed with arcane energy as she cast another spell, a spiky whip cracking through the air and wrapping around their torso. Morrigan let out a pained yelp as they were tugged into the back of the cart, both charlatan and witch collapsing to the floor in a heap. Mariposa took that opportunity to speed up the cart, zombies on their tail, the amphitheater on fire, the audience screaming in terror, loose geonids scuttling along the floor, and the fellblood bleeding from the puncture wounds from the thorn whip.

Morrigan wheezed, pulling themselves into a sitting position, and flashed Vail a thumbs up.

“Pretty… successful… scheme… wouldn’t you say?”

---

1. Fire Bolt - Ceres Celestia
2. Pocket Sand
3. Gauntlets of Ginma
4. Thorn Whip - Ceres Celestia

Vail clings to the inside of the wagon as Mariposa pushes the vehicle to the limits of its maneuverability. Despite spending eighteen years of his life in the most violent and crime-ridden place of all of Charon, this getaway attempt is by far the craziest he had seen, let alone participated in. As they approach the stage, Vail spots several of the crazed guards turning their attention to Morrigan. He watches with a just sliver of amazement as Morrigan manages to slip their way past the guards, a skill no doubt built from years of practice. With the fellblood’s window to board drawing narrower by the second, Vail moves to the back of the wagon to grab the fleeing fleecer, only to see Ceres already moving to assist. Her staff unleashes several vines that wrap around the fellblood and pull them to safety, saving the ash lander the discomfort of warping his arm for a second time.

Morrigan’s comment couldn’t be more poorly timed, eliciting feelings within Vail that he hadn’t felt in quite some time. The pale man stares down at the fellblood with fiery rage, holding it in for several seconds before finally grabbing him by the collar and lifting him off his feet. “Your bullshit nearly got us all killed. What in the blazes was in that potion? I swear I’ve never dealt with such a-”

Vail pauses his rant as he feels a liquid drip onto his left arm. His eyes dart down to spy blood seeping from the fellblood’s torso causing a shift in the ash lander’s demeanor that is almost as rapid as their escape. With a sigh, Vail lowers Morrigan down to the floor wagon but still holds his collar tight. He leans in close, speaking in a cold, calm whisper. “Hold still, and don't you dare speak a word of this to anyone, or a couple of thorn pricks will be the least of your worries.”
His free hand latches onto the fellblood’s arm, allowing a warm glow to emanate from the ash lander which quickly moves to Morrigan, sealing their wounds as it passes through them^[1].

With the fellblood taken off, at least for now, Vail moves to the front of the wagon and climbs next to Mariposa, taking in the chaos escalating around them. The panic had extended out of the stage crowd and into the market streets, and the wagon threatening to barrel through them certainly wasn’t helping things. Their window of escape was growing tighter by the moment, and the city guard would no doubt be locking down the entire district until the situation was dealt with. “With any luck, the guards will see this uniform and won’t immediately seal the gates. I would prefer to not have to crack any more skulls today, zombified or not.”

As the getaway crew catches sight of the main gate, it’s clear that their luck hasn’t quite run out yet. The gate guard seems to be just as complacent as the city folk they serve, with many of them seemingly just as panicked. This leaves only a few capable bodies left to operate the heavy doors, leading to a considerable delay in their closure.

The rumbling of the wagon wheels is quick to draw the guards’ attention, and they seemingly stop their struggle as they notice Vail clad in their uniform. Their confusion is only momentary, however, as an eagle-eyed guard suddenly points to the ash lander, barking out orders to his comrades. Their timing couldn’t be worse, as a few more seconds would have all but guaranteed the crew’s swift escape. Swearing under his breath, Vail rises to his feet and takes hold of the wagon roof with one hand. Steadying himself against the heavy wind brought about by their speed, the ash lander aims his free hand towards the narrowing gap in the doors.

Just imagine it splitting open, and then release.

A bolt of light shoots out from the ash lander’s hand^[2], growing in size as it soars over the heads of the still dispersing crowd. By the time the bolt had reached the gate, its head had widened to the size of a spear, just barely wide enough to fill the gap and collide with both sides. The impact is enough to slide the doors partially back open, jostling the guards off it and knocking several of them off balance. The wagon reaches its destination before the guards can compose themselves, just barely being able to pass through as the doors scrape along the back end of the wagon’s sides. The doors slam shut immediately after their departure, sealing away any chance of the city guard giving chase.

The wagon finally slows as their view of the city disappears behind the dense brush of the jungle road, freeing Vail from his tension. The ash lander crashes back into the seat with a heavy sigh, tilting his head towards Mariposa with an exhausted expression. “Nice driving back there, I’d wager this kind of thing has become commonplace to you.”

After taking a moment to catch his breath, Vail climbs into the back of the wagon, taking a seat a crate high enough that he won’t have to deal with any of the loose geonids climbing scurrying about below. His instincts tell him to continue chewing out Morrigan, but the fact that this scam was his idea in the first place causes him to stay his tongue. His eyes look to the fellblood with a questioning expression, wondering if the charlatan’s act was as successful as the schemes they had boasted about. “So, what are our earnings?”

---

[1] Major Healing
[2] Purity Bolt

It was a curious thing, Morrigan’s sense of bravado even when the world was burning around them. They’d probably just had their name blacklisted by the Eclipse City Guard, burned down an entertainment center, and almost lost their life to an angry mob in the process. And yet, they still yet drew breath - and their bag was laden with solars from a successful sale. All in all, that was worth calling today a success.

Any further musings were cut off by a fist grabbing them by the collar, hoisting them up into the air. Morrigan merely grinned - a crooked, extremely punchable smirk - while Vail chewed them out.

“Hey, it did its job! A little too well, but it just means I have to tweak my next batch. That’s not my recipe, so there’s bound to be a few hang-ups. Sure, there might’ve been an angry mob after us, but it kept the guards off our operation, no?” They honestly expected a fist to the face; it would not be the first time that Morrigan was subject to someone’s anger after a con, though it was usually the person they were scamming, and not their own partner in crime. Something new every day, eh?

Yet, Vail seemed to notice something… odd; the injury Morrigan had already forgotten about. It was not a deep wound. The only casualty would be their shirt, considering these blood stains would be a nightmare to clean from the fine silk. Morrigan would normally combat such maladies by pouring a potion into their evening wine and calling it a day, but Vail had other ideas. Morrigan, smartly, kept their mouth shut at Vail’s threat. They were already on thin ice as it was.

Still, the fact that the brawler held some capacity for healing magic came as a surprise.
Morrigan wrinkled their nose, failing poorly to suppress the streak of envy which dashed through their veins. What, was everyone blessed with magic these days?

They fashioned yet another careless smirk on their face, tail flicking behind them thoughtfully. Of course it was in their best interest to keep this a secret. Vail had proven a capable ally, and they’d be a fool to burn this bridge before it had even completed its construction.

So instead of making a jape or a careless joke, they mimicked the motion of locking up their lips and throwing away the key with a flick of deft fingers. It was silent promise enough. Already beyond exasperated of their antics, Vail merely left for the front of the wagon, leaving Morrigan to their own devices.

Despite the danger of the chase, Mariposa looked right in her element. The minstrel was adept with no weapons but this was hardly her first rodeo. She snapped at the reins and pulled the wagon in a sharp turn, avoiding a blockade which had been set in place at a bridge.

“I am not as familiar with these streets but I can get us to the gate before they have everything locked down. The uniform might grant us a split second of hesitation, so you just keep yourself seated right there, Darling, and we’ll make it through just fine.”

And she was right. Their forces were well and proper scattered, and perhaps the sight of familiar Moonglade militia colors would be enough to shake away any suspicion. But it only lasted a moment. A single precious moment for Mariposa to snap on the reigns, fleeing for freedom like a bat out of hell. At the same time, Vail split open the gates, granting them safe passage through the exit. And from the back, Morrigan lobbed a final parting gift from the tent flaps - the box hit the ground amongst the ranks of the remaining militia… and as the doors shut behind them, Morrigan heard the BOOM as the glitter bomb went off.^[1]

And just like that… sweet freedom.

Mariposa wore an equally tired expression on her face, though she looked rather relieved to be out of the city proper. She turned to Vail and shrugged. “When you work for this idiot, you learn to roll with the punches. Still. They are far kinder a boss than anyone I’ve ever worked for, so… you learn to live with the stupidity.” There was almost an undertone of bitterness in her words; though she quickly dropped that line of thinking. There was no point living in the past, especially when Morrigan was an okay enough employer… even in situations like this. “You’re not so bad yourself when it comes to a getaway. Perhaps I should consider dumping this idiot and coming to work for you instead.”

”Hey! I heard that!” 

The fellblood had already, inexplicably, changed out of their blood-stained outfit by the time Vail turned his attention back to them. They were leaned against their potion table-slash drink table, counting coins from their bag, eyes alight with avarice.

“Well, we didn’t sell everything, but given how much I was able to charge the geonids for, and how many costumes I sold… two thousand solars total.” They glanced up at Vail. “One thousand each, if we split fifty-fifty.”

To Morrigan, that was money well worth it.

With a bout of gleeful laughter as the cart made its way to one of the outlying villages outside of Eclipse City’s border, Morrigan approached the front of the wagon and threw one arm around Vail’s shoulder, the other around Mariposa’s - and pulled them close until the three were pressed cheek to cheek.

“See? Now that’s what I’d consider successful! Mariposa, take us to Moonveil Village. We’ve got a heist to celebrate, and drinks are on me!”

---

1. Goblin Slag Bomb