[Darkveil City]
It’s been a while since Astrid has heard anything from Zarius, and after the destruction of the volcano, that factoid is concerning to say the absolute least. Now that it’s been at least a couple of weeks, she figures that’s enough time to check in. Besides, she needs to tease Zarius about meeting his boyfriend! (She’s pretty sure that Caedes guy didn’t go out in a blaze of glory during the fight with Vulcadreaus.) But also she and Blue really need some advice on what to do about the bounty hunter sent after them by a mob they upset in Sol City, and what better person to ask than someone who is also probably a criminal in some capacity. (Not that she cares if he is.)

After a quick stop by the Rookery’s spot to see if any rebuilding has happened (it hasn’t really), she pulls out her notebook and taps the notes she wrote after her last visit. There is a detailed list of instructions to get to the place that Shale led her, which involves going through dark alleys and secret tunnels, navigating around specifically placed traps, and finally arriving at the large warehouse doors guarded by a couple of goons that may or may not have seen her before. It isn’t that Astrid was allowed to take these specific notes during her last visit, it’s that she did it secretly with her magical parchment and then wrote it all in her notebook later. As she packs the notebook away, she makes it very clear to Blue that Zarius can’t find out about these notes, though she does realize that the fellblood probably won’t believe that her memory is that perfect.

When she sees the guards, Astrid waves in a friendly manner. “Hiya, fellas, remember me? This is me friend, Wolfe. We’re lookin’ fer Zarius! I dunno how ta get ta the house from the streets, so I figured I'd come the back way.”

---

Quest details:

SPOILER: Click to show

Quest Name: Words are mightier than the sword
Participants: Two or more
Location: Sol City, (The Sun's Keep)
Post Requirements: 8 post per person, 250 words per post
Reward: +50 security to your home region
Description: As a prominent member of Charon's nobility, your opinion is valued by those in positions of power. Dozens of different court sessions have been organized in response to the events taking place in the Ash Lands, with nobles from across Charon flocking to the capitol to express their opinions. Sit in, watch or be a part of one of these court sessions, discussing any manner of issues currently plaguing the continent.

Darkveil is certainly in a state after the whole mess with the giant ass god dragon elemental thing of rebirth and destruction making a grand old mess of things. Many folks have cut their losses, deciding to abandon Darkveil as they see no path to recovery for the criminal-built settlement given that the volcano was part of the reason why they have been left alone to their own devices for all these years. Rumors of the Legion of the Black Sun did well to scare off many of the fairer-hearted merchants and residents of the city, leaving only those who would be arrested or killed on sight to remain out of sheer stubbornness.

Honestly, it’s not hard to see why lots of people have packed up and left. Many of the buildings were reduced to rubble during the earthquakes and it doesn’t look like many supplies or resources have been circulated to aid in rebuilding. Things could have easily been way worse had adventurers not intervened in Vulcadreaus’ return to the world, but some level of destruction was unavoidable.

The Rookery remains a pile of rubble, though there are some signs that there have been some attempts to at least clean up some of the debris and clear the area a bit. It’s still a shadow of its former self, and now it’s starting to become a question of whether it’s even worth rebuilding given the severity of the structural damage.

Even some of the alleyways and tunnels Astrid leads Blue through have suffered some severe damage. Some areas are near impassable, but no amount of rubble can deter a determined half-dwarf and her ooze knight friend.

Arriving at the underground entrance to the hidden warehouse, security is tighter than last time, with double the number of armed and armored mercenaries present. They're a thuggish-looking lot with dark cloaks barely concealing the blades that hang from their belts. They keep their hoods up and wear fabric pulled up over their noses to obscure most of their faces. A few stand to the side with heavy crossbows nestled in the crooks of their arms.

There’s a ripple of tension that goes through them as Astrid and Wolfe approach. It’s not commonplace for folks to be wandering around down in the area, especially fully armored folks armed to the teeth with weapons and magic. One of the goons pulls back the string on their crossbow only for the figure next to them to hold up their hand and give them pause.

“Keep your distance and state your business,” one of them says, hand resting on the hilt of their sword.

The center pair of goons side-eye one another when Astrid replies. None of the thugs drop their guard, and while there seems to be some acknowledgment that Astrid and Wolfe are not likely threats to them, the tension amongst the group remains.

"They're not seeing anyone. Sorry, kid. Best if you just turn back."

Blue was sad to see the state the Rookery was in as they accompanied Astrid through Darkveil to see Mister Zarius. They'd never visited the bar before it had been destroyed like Astrid had, so they had no attachment to it, but they felt like they'd missed out on something. They enjoyed visiting new places and it was disappointing to see a place they'd never get to visit, and the home of someone they considered a friend at that.

At least Zarius and his boufriend that Astrid told Blue about had gotten out safely. Now Blue and Astrid could ask him for advice about mob stuff. Astrid told Blue that Zarius was perfect for helping them with this, though Blue had no idea why. Blue never suspected the Fellblood of any criminal activities at all, just as Zarius never suspected the knight of being anything other than a completely normal human. Probably.

Blue nodded and gave a thumbs up to Astrid, guaranteeing they for sure won't tell anyone about her notes (on purpose). Astrid and Blue definitely stood out quite a bit as they walked down alleyways and tunnels, following the path Astrid had written down. An armored child with horns and a large knight in a full suit of intricate looking plate. They weren't exactly the most subtle in a crowd. And nowhere near as quiet. It was no surprise they got a few odd looks here and there until they made their way to the hidden underground entrance flanked by a lot more guards than Astrid had said there would be.

There was a bit of worry as the guards said for Blue and Astrid to state their business. Blue didn't own a business, and as far as they knew, neither did Astrid. The ooze's fears were dispelled though as Astrid just said they were here to see Zarius and the guards accepted that as a business. But then they were told to just turn back.

"Astrid, what do we do? Do we just beat them up? I think we could take them." Blue whispered, leaning down toward Astrid.

It isn’t too much of a surprise that the guards are being cautious. Here are two people they either don’t or barely recognize that walked through a bunch of secret tunnels to get to a secret entrance to a probably secret warehouse to take a secret back passage to Zarius’ family’s house. Still, how dare they not let them in.

She looks at Blue over her shoulder and shakes her head. “Nah, we ain’t gotta do that probably,” she says in a hushed tone. But she can appear like slightly less of a thread by putting her armor away, so she touches the pendant that stores it and it slurps the armor up into a pocket dimension in a shower of sparks. Then she looks back at the guards.

“What d’ya mean they ain’t seein’ anyone?” Astrid asks, crossing her arms. “We came all this way ta see Zarius. He’s the only one that’s gonna be able ta help us with a problem we’ve got with a criminal group outta town. Ya really think I would’ve come this way if he, one, didn’t trust me ta know this route an’ keep it mostly a secret, an’ two, if they weren’t expectin’ me ta come this way? Nah, see, that don't make no sense. Besides, Zarius is basically like me uncle, so...” All of this comes up even though it’s not Zarius’ fault that Astrid doesn’t know where the manor is in Darkveil, and he definitely probably did not expect her to “remember” how to take this route. She’s the one who left through a magic door with a magic key. This is entirely on her, but they don’t need to know that.

“Look, we didn’t even fall inta no traps,” she says, opening her arms to reveal that she is completely unscathed. Really, the likelihood of tripping a trap is the only reason she clomped through here in armor in the first place. “Heck, I’ll even take talkin’ ta Eameia if Zarius ain’t around. So, ya can let ‘em know we’re here, or direct us ta the front door, or I’ll just go through the door an’ won’t be nothin’ ya can do ta stop me or Wolfe. We ain’t gotta beat ya up ta get inside by force.”

---

She probably Smooth Talkinged at some point.

The guard sighs a bit. "Listen, kid, things are a mess right now. They've said to turn everyone away. It isn't a matter of trust or anything, don't take it personally."

At the comment about them just going through anyway, the guards shift uncomfortably. If it was just Wolfe, they wouldn't be second-guessing anything, but Astrid is just a kid and that throws them off. 

"We can pass on a message that you're looking to talk to someone," the one guard offers. "But that's the best we can do."

Despite it being a reasonable offer, the others are pretty sure Astrid and Wolfe won't just accept it and leave. They subtly start preparing to drive the two off with more force when one of them pulls a round sphere out of their pocket.^[1] They quietly speak into it before pocketing it again as they walk slip behind the other guard. Tapping the other guard on the shoulder, they lean in and whisper something into his ear. 

The guard listens and nods. "Alright, kid. Head on in."

Sounds of the lock being shifted and the door opening follow as the guards step aside to let Astrid and Wolfe pass. 

The inside of the warehouse is significantly less busy than the last time Astrid visited. Lots of what was there before had been moved out, and it doesn't look like new goods have made their way in yet. Shael and her drake are nowhere to be seen, neither are any of the fellbloods. There's only a handful of workers and a few more guards in addition to one familiar catfolk. 

Snow notices Astrid and Wolfe arrive, a perplexed expression crossing their face before they approach the pair. "Oh, Miss Astrid…what are you doing here?" The catfolk asks with a nervous twitch of their tail and a brief nod of acknowledgment towards Wolfe. 

---

[1] Talking Heads

"Yeah, what she said." Blue nodded, standing next to Astrid with their arms crossed and just doing their best to support her despite not knowing what the heck they were doing. To be fair, they barely knew why they'd even come here. To see Mister Zarius. Why? Uhhhh. Something about a mop? It didn't matter, Astrid and Zarius know stuff. Knowing stuff is best left to anyone but Blue.

Blue's definitely flawless hype man act was interrupted as they looked at Astrid and whispered. "There were traps?"

As they were finally allowed to pass, Blue gave the guards a gesture, pointing two fingers into the eye slit of their helmet and then pointing them at the guard that seemed to be in charge as they walked by him. They didn't really know what it meant, but they'd seen other people do it and decided to give it a go. These guards were lucky they didn't try to fight them. Of course, Blue would have been careful not to hurt any of them too badly. They work for Mister Zarius, after all. Zarius would probably get pretty mad if Blue ate any of his friends.

The two of them walked into the warehouse and Blue looked around curiously. Unlike Astrid, they'd never been here before so it was their first time seeing what they assumed was Zarius's house. It looked a lot different from what they'd expected. A lot less like a home and more... storagey. Well, whatever. If this was where Zarius liked living, they didn't judge. When they noticed Snow approaching, Blue gave them a friendly wave as they gave the ooze a simple nod of acknowledgement. Subtle greetings weren't Blue's style.

"Hey, I remember you! You're that cat person from that cave that Mister Zarius knocked out! Nice to see you again!"

Astrid actually finds it quite entertaining to have Blue, a big, hulking warrior type, standing beside her like a bodyguard and reaffirming everything she says. They’re a dynamic duo, and there’s no one else she’d rather intimidate guards with (regardless of its actual effectiveness).

Whispering back to them, she says, “A’ course there were traps. We just didn’t run into none of ‘em ‘cause we’re smart an’ careful.” This is an over exaggeration, of course, given that she made herself a map and all, but she’ll take any opportunity to hype them up too.

Lucky for the guards and their well-being, they relent and let the duo inside. Astrid’s smug expression reflects Blue’s “I’m watching you” gesture well. They’re two smug doofuses, that’s for sure. It doesn’t matter if someone else gave the guards the go ahead to let them in, as far as Blue and Astrid are concerned, they got in all on their own merit, which isn’t inherently untrue because they do know Zarius and some of the people that work for him. "Thank ya, gentlemens," she says poshly as she walks past.

To Astrid’s surprise, Snow is the one that greets them, and before she can get a hello out, Blue blurts out their greeting, and Astrid immediately loses it. Her hands come up to her mouth to stifle her snickering to the best of her ability, but it’s hard to stop. Admittedly, their first encounter with Snow told them very little of the catfolk’s abilities.

“S-Sorry,” she giggles. Finally collecting herself with a deep breath, she says, “We’re ah… We’re here ta see Zarius. Ain’t seen or heard a lick a’ him since the volcano exploded. Wanted ta make sure he’s doin’ alright an’ also ask fer some advice dealin’ with a uh… Well, we got a situation with a criminal group in Sol City, an’ he’s the best person ta ask fer advice on dealin’ with ‘em… in a pseudo legal way I think. Though I s’pose if he’s busy, we’d be happy ta talk ta anyone else on the business side a’ his family. If that’s okay.”

Snow offers Wolfe an awkward smile. "Yeah...I'm sorry I wasn't much help during that mission..." Being remembered just as someone that got knocked out during an important operation definitely doesn't make the catfolk feel all that great, but they seem even more downtrodden than what seems reasonable in resposne to Wolfe's innocent statement. 

Their ear twitches and their tail lowers ever so slightly as Astrid explains why they're here. "I see...uhm." Snow glances back over to where some guards are watching the interaction like a gang of jackals on the hunt. One outfitted in nicer ringmail leather armor than all the others, shakes their head slightly. 

"Zarius is-" They stop themselves and averts their eyes. As much as they wanted to confide in the pair, they just couldn't. "He's not here right now. You know him, always busy."

It would be a reasonable explanation, if the catfolk wasn't acting so strangely. Before Astrid can interrogate them though, they step away. 

"I'm sorry, I don't think I can be of any help," the catfolk says quietly. They turn away and hurry off past the group of guards, disappearing behind a stack of crates. 

Once they've left, the one guard in the ringmail armor starts to approach. Surprisingly, the woman is a sun elf, and an old one at that. The wizened elven woman has seen much in her centuries of life, each bit of experience leaving a crease in the skin around her eyes as age catches up with her. Her sun-elf skin and long golden hair have long since lost vibrancy from years of living under the clouded Ash Land skies. Her gaze is stern and her hand rests on the hilt of her longsword, ever at the ready even as she steps up to the pair. 

"You have a lot of nerve waltzing right in here without an invitation. I can respect a certain level of boldness, but arrogance is another matter," the woman says as she looks down on Astrid. "This better not be a waste of their time. Follow me, and do not touch anything."

She turns on her heel and leads Astrid and Wolfe towards that same heavy, reinforced metal door Zarius had led the young half-dwarf through on her previous visit.

After passing through the doorway, the woman escorts the pair through dizzying corridors protected by wards meant to disorient and deter anyone who is not welcome from finding their way. After passing through a couple additional metal doorways and ascending a staircase, Astrid and Wolfe step out into a long, dimly lit hallway lined with a deep red carpet. Vases that previously held bouquets of vibrant flowers stand empty on ornate side tables along the hall's walls. Floor length curtains obscure where Astrid remembers seeing painting hung between the numerous closed doorways leading to rooms unexplored from her last visit. It's eerily quiet in the corridor, and the air feels heavy somehow. Like a gloom or oppressive shadow that hangs overhead.

The old elf continues to lead them down the hall, until opening one of the doors to a sitting room familiar only to Astrid. "Wait here," the woman instructs, allowing the two unannounced visitors to enter the room before she closes the door behind them.

Looking around, the room hasn't changed much aside from the fireplace being unlit. A few plush chairs and couches surround an ornate wooden coffee table. It's clear the space is supposed to be comfortable, yet, left alone in the room with no idea of who they should be expecting to speak to, it feels anything but that.

Just like being subtle, Blue wasn't the best at picking up the subtle movements of others. Small signs that something was off or that they were uncomfortable. Or big, super obvious signs in someone's behavior, like Snow was showing now. The ooze didn't pick up on it at all as they just nodded. Yup, that Mister Zarius, always busy! Probably. Actually, Blue didn't know that much about Zarius other than he was Astrid's friends, he knew how to fight, and he had enough money to buy Blue and Astrid a meal, which was a lot. Anything Snow told them about Zarius right now, Blue would almost definitely believe, and they'd believe anything Astrid told them without a doubt.

"Nerve?" Blue repeats quietly to themself, tilting their head slightly. They had no idea who this Elven lady was, but she was suddenly accusing them of having a whole bunch of stuff Blue didn't remember eating. What the heck is a nerve, and why does this lady think they have a bunch of them? If they remembered right, which honestly was questionable, getting here just took some notes from Astrid and a lot of walking. Well whatever, at least she was bringing them... where was she bringing them?

They arrived in some room which was a lot nicer than the warehouse they'd entered through. The fancy halls with big vases and curtains, now this was more of what Blue had been expecting. A house that looked really similar to Cantio's parents' house. This house was just as quiet as that one had been in the middle of the night while they were robbing it. Were rich people's houses always this quiet? Astrid's house was never this quiet when all of them were home.

Blue sat in a chair and waited, looking around at all the things they were told not to touch. Wait, were they not supposed to touch the chairs either? Did sitting in it count as touching it? Blue stood back up.

"Hey Astrid, do you know that lady that just brought us here?"

To Astrid, it seems completely reasonable that Zarius would be busy. After all, Darkveil has been an absolute mess since the whole thing with Vulcadreas. Her timing might not be great for Zarius but it’s the right time for her and Blue who have been actively hunted by lackeys and a particularly persistent bounty hunter for some time now.

“That’s too bad,” she says with a shrug. “Hope he’s doin’ alright. I met his–” Astrid stops mid-sentence, remembering that Caedes specifically asked her not to mention him to anyone. But Snow would know about Caedes, wouldn’t they? She decides what can only be described as an attempt to be subtle. “...His partner in crime, so ta say.” Theoretically, Snow would understand that. Theoretically.

When the sun elf woman storms over, Astrid turns and looks at her with an expression that questions who the heck she is and who she thinks she is. Sure, the guards are particularly antsy today, but unexpected visitors after a messy situation in the city would put most people on edge. Astrid looks the woman up and down, having absolutely no clue who she is and having no recollection of seeing her previously.

“Like I said, if Zarius wanted us ta use the front door, he woulda made sure I knew where the front door is,” Astrid reiterates, trying to contain the pre-teen snark that really wants to creep up in her voice. Nevertheless, the sun elf leads them through corridors familiar to Astrid (but also very confusing and somehow also unfamiliar), so she makes sure that Blue stays close while they follow her. Despite the lady’s rudeness, at least she’s taking them somewhere they can talk to someone.

It’s odd though, walking through the halls inside the house once they get there. Things seem different, almost abandoned. Maybe the curtains and covers are meant to protect the place from the sun that hasn’t shined here for centuries. Odd that there is less decor, but Astrid reasons that maybe it’s just harder to get things or things had to be sold to help pay for repairs. The financials of Zarius’ family aren’t any of her business.

When they enter the sitting room, Astrid looks around for anything else odd, and deems the unlit fireplace inconsequential. The sun elf leaves them, and she looks at Blue who seems kind of confused. They sit then stand, and Astrid can’t help a little smile, stifling a giggle. “I think ya can sit,” she says then looks at the door the elf exited. “I’ve never seen her before. She was kinda rude.” A ponderous expression crosses Astrid’s face. “Somethin’ feels off. Folks are actin’ antsy. Wonder if thin’s are alright.”

It's a few minutes before either Wolfe or Astrid hears the sound of boots clicking against the wooden floor of the hallway as someone approaches the door. As the door opens with a soft creak, the woman from before re-enters the room followed by an unfamiliar figure. This new individual steps into the room before the elven woman closes the door behind him.

The man is somewhat imposing, standing over 6' tall in height. He is a fellblood with curled ram-like horns which frame his strong jawline and sharp facial features. He has charcoal grey skin and jet black hair with piercing solid gold eyes. The family resemblance is impossible to not pick up on, even for someone like Wolfe. Judging by the age lines on his face, this man had to be older than Zarius by quite a bit. Likely his father, possibly an uncle or other older relative.

The man smiles at the pair, but the sharp look in her eye never softens. Without turning his head, he speaks to the elven woman standing by the door.

"You may leave us."

The woman frowns, looking a bit put out. "Sir, I do not think that is wise."

This time, he does turn his head just enough to meet her gaze over his shoulder as he folds his hands behind his back.

“Miss Aubrey, how many previously impoverished orphans do you know who have earned themselves a noble title and faced down two deified beings and survived? I think it is quite clear from her impressive achievements that Miss Astrid is no ordinary child and whatever circumstances have brought her and her companion here must be of great importance. Please do show her respect.”

The woman frowns a bit but turns to Astrid and Wolfe, bowing forward. “My apologies.”

The fellblood seems satisfied enough with that. “You are dismissed.”

Rising from the bow, the woman steps out of the room even though her reluctance to do so is pretty clear from her expression.

His gaze turns back to them. It’s clear from his words that he has a pretty good idea of who they are, despite never having met before. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Astrid, Mister Wolfe. My name is Anselm and it is my understanding that you are allies of my son’s.” That clears up the family resemblance at least.

He continues. “You will have to forgive my staff's caution. Recent events have put many of them on edge and we were not expecting any visitors.” He gestures to the couches. "Please, make yourselves comfortable.” He then crosses the room and takes a seat in one of the chairs, folding his hands in front of him in his lap. “Now, what can I assist you with?”

For a moment, Blue just thought Zarius had gotten a bit taller and more wrinkly since the last time they'd seen him, but that wasn't the case. Astrid had once told Blue that most people didn't get taller when they were already an adult. It was the reason Blue had kept themself constricted to their current size most of the time. Their human disguise wouldn't exactly hold up if they were to suddenly become larger without the excuse of using some kind of temporary magic. But that was unrelated to the current situation.

This guy wassn't Zarius. He just looked a lot like him, which even the ooze-minded Blue Raspberry was able to pick up on before he introduced himself and clarified his and Zarius's family relation. Who the Elven woman was would be left a mystery as Astrid didn't know her and she was told to leave the room just after Anselm had arrive.

Blue sat down on the couch, the heavy armor and dense ooze making a deep impression in the formerly pristine cushion that might not fully disappear once Blue got back up. It was comfortable though, and Anselm had just told them to make themselves comfortable.

Blue looked to Astrid, waiting for her to speak about their situation. Speaking about stuff like this was better left to someone with a bit more skill in subtlety and actually explaining the small details. Trying to explain that they'd destroyed an underground mob den in the sewers of Sol City or that some crazy lady kept attacking them and trying to make the ooze eat Astrid against their will might not go over well if Blue tried to explain it.

The few minutes waiting around feels a little awkward as the unsettling silence of the room without the crackling of a fire leaves plenty of opportunity to be distracted by thoughts. What could be going on? Why is everyone acting cagey? Now that she thinks about it, Caedes seemed upset about something, and she’s pretty sure it wasn’t actually the big lava dragon. Still, Astrid thinks better than to ask whoever comes in as much as she wants to.

And to her surprise, it isn’t either of Zarius’ siblings, whom she has previously met, it is an older Fellblood that looks very similar to Zarius, and he knows quite a lot about her. Makes sense that Zarius would keep tabs on her. “Me companion is Lorde Geoffrey Wolfe,” Astrid says, piping up to make it clear that Blue deserves all the respect they earned with their title too.

She resists sticking her tongue out at the snooty elven woman as she leaves.

When Anslem turns back to them, Astrid straightens up. “Nice ta meet ya, Mister Anslem,” Astrid says, offering a hand to shake. “Aye, we’re friends a’ Zarius’. He helped me off the streets, an’ we’re guild mates, all a’ us.” She motions back to Blue as she speaks, referring to the three of them being members of the WEF together.

“I’d say we didn’t mean ta show up unannounced, buuut… We did,” Astrid says with a shrug then takes a seat by Blue. There’s a long pause while she considers how she’s going to put this, but she came here prepared to speak to Zarius, not his father, so she’s not exactly sure the best way. Hmm…

“Ah, well, we’re in a bit of a pickle with a group in Sol City,” she says. “Basically, some a’ the work we did fer the Mage’s Guild got ‘em mad at us, an’ they’ve been sendin’ folks after us. Most of ‘em ain’t been anythin’ more than a nuisance, but the last one was uh… Well, she’s this real mean lady who’s tried ta kill us at least twice. We need ta do somethin’ about ‘em, like somethin’ that’ll keep ‘em from messin’ with us anymore.”

She looks at Blue. “What was the group called? Frost somethin’?”

Anselm smiles at Astrid's correction and nods as he looks at Wolfe. "My apologies Lorde Wolfe, I meant no disrespect."

Whether either Astrid or Wolfe notices it or not, Anselm subtly studies them both. While he's caught up on most of his son's notes from his travels, he still has not met most of Zarius' allies in person himself. It's also curious that some of the details on both Astrid and Wolfe were left...vague. He has no doubts that was intentional, as his son is not one to skimp on his work. But knowing that has made him wonder what information his son was trying to keep secret even from his own family. 

He doesn't believe either Astrid or Wolfe are threats to them in any capacity given what he does know about them. Still, he can't help but wonder what it is about the pair that would motivate Zarius to take such actions. 

"I am aware." He reaches forward and accepts Astrid's handshake. His grip is firm, but not crushing, and there's a bit of roughness to his skin from old callouses. He sits back after letting go of Astrid's hand. "You have had quite a few adventures with my son. He holds you both in high regard."

He holds a pleasant smile on his face as Astrid explains why they have graced him with their presence. Though there are a few details that make the man's eyes narrow.

"Is the Mage's Guild not willing to assist you?"

He's never thought highly of the guilds as they are more than happy to sit comfortably under the thumb of the monarchy. The Fighter's Guild he could at least tolerate since his son went through the effort of joining and maintaining his membership with them, but in his opinion the guilds simply exist as a way for the government to keep tabs on adventurers who may inadvertently or intentionally uncover criminal activity. 

Seeing as Astrid and Wolfe have resorted to coming to his son instead of going to the authorities only speaks to how incompetent the guards and guilds are at protecting their own volunteer lap dogs. 

"Hm." He leans back a bit in his chair as he goes over the information he has been presented thus far. "And you have been unable to capture or kill this woman who is harassing you?"

Astrid and Wolfe's skills are nothing to scoff at. Though he's never seen them fight himself, their skills are detailed in Zarius' dossiers on them, which means he considers them noteworthy. Honestly, reading their entries made him incredibly skeptical of just how outlandish their capabilities are. But his son is not one to exaggerate, so he can only trust that even the strangest observations about the pair must be true. 

He crosses his legs and he lounges back in the chair. Resting one elbow on the back of the chair, he props his hand under his chin. 

"I am afraid much of my own influence does not extend outside of the Ash Lands. My son, however, has established a more robust network across Charon. I could leverage what connections we have to possibly do something that will assist you with your situation."

His head tilts to the side ever so slightly as he watches them closely, noting any changes in their body language and expression. It's an eerily familiar look. Like father, like son. 

"What kind of resolution to this conflict are you interested in, and are there any means to an end you have in mind? I can make suggestions, however, I do not want to suggest anything that would make you uncomfortable."

"It's okay, you can just call me Wolfe." Blue told Anselm with a dismissive wave. They didn't mind not using their noble title. Even after having it for some time now, they still felt a little awkward making people use it. They never saw themself as some fancy noble anyways, but it was a title they'd earned, so it was nice to know they were respected. They gave Astrid a thumbs up.

Blue didn't know exactly how to answer the question of the Mage's Guild assisting them. Quite frankly, the Mage's Guild considered this to not directly involve them, and therefore wasn't their problem to solve. They're devoted to studying magic, not rooting out underground mobs. Recovering the mage's corpses had ended up being a snafus and they weren't pleased. Dismantling this mob and stopping this assassin should be the work of the guards, not the Mage's Guild. That mob had definitely stolen from a lot more than the Mage's Guild. Along with the mage's corpses, Blue had absorbed quite the number of tables loaded with stolen goods as they'd rampaged around the mob's underground auction hall. Some of them, they still had inside them, unsure what to do with them.

"She's really good at running away." Blue said in a bit of a huff, crossing their arms in front of them. It was really annoying how that assassin always got away. She only attacked when she had some advantage, like surprise or some weird poison, or both. And as soon as Blue and Astrid survived her sneak attack and poison and started to kick her ass, she fled. It was frustrating! The next time they saw her, Blue was going to do their best to finish eating the rest of her. A jerk that big deserved it.

Leverage connections... Resolution to the conflict... Means to an end...? Blue's head titled to the side as they tried to piece together all the stuff Anselm was talking about. Words are hard. What did all that mean? He was asking what they wanted to do, right? Why did nobles always use such fancy words? Wait, they're a noble. Are they supposed to speak like this too? Yeah, that wasn't going to happen.

"I wanna kill her." Blue said simply.