Bob sat down at a table and waved to one of the servers who was wiping down a table nearby.

She nodded and held up a finger to indicate she'd be back in a moment before giving the table a final swipe and heading towards the bar.

He took the opportunity to ease Monroe out of his inventory and onto the table.

Monroe raised his head gave him a chuff before curling into a purrball, his gentle rumbling serving to soothe Bob's nerves.

Bob rolled his shoulders and grimaced at the tension.

Having to worry about tier six people was too reminiscent of Earth.

The server returned and smiled at the sight and sound of Monroe.

"I was told we'd have a handsome kitty that would need feeding," she said happily as she reached down to rub Monroe's ruff, "but the description didn't do him justice," she cooed as Monroe shifted and used a paw to pull her hand down to rub his cheeks.

"He is the most handsome kitty in the world," Bob agreed as he reached out to stroke Monroe's head.

"And I bet you'll just love some freshly caught cod won't you?" the server said to Monroe, who carefully batted at her hands as if to indicate that yes, he would, in fact, love some nice fresh cod.

"I'm Shelly, by the way," the server introduced herself, "And who is this gorgeous boy?"

"That," Bob replied, "is my feline overlord, Monroe," he paused and then added, "and I'm Bob."

Shelly laughed as Monroe caught her hand in his paws and pulled it down to the table, where he rubbed his chin on the back of it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," she said, "I know just what to bring Monroe out, but how about you?"

"Mug of water and whatever is in the cauldron," Bob replied, "the cold and wind have me a bit chilled."

"Coming right out," Shelly said with a merry laugh as she disentangled her hand from Monroe's grip and headed towards the bar and the kitchen beyond.

Bob looked down at Monroe, who looked back at him innocently.

He sighed and buried his hands in Monroe's ruff, giving deep scritches that caused Monroe to turn up his purr motor and press his neck into Bob's hands, trying to make sure that no itchy spot was missed.

"You're a very handsome boy, yes you are," Bob murmured as he gave in to the desire to give Monroe a good, thorough petting.

Shelly returned a few minutes later with a mug of water and a bowl of stew for Bob, and a serving bowl filled with diced cod for Monroe, who graciously allowed her to deliver a few strokes as he daintily ate his meal.

"Just call if you need anything," Shelly said and headed over to another table where a group of Adventurers were laughing and joking their way through their own meals.

Bob turned his attention to his meal.

He was nearly finished a few minutes later when the girl from outside the Adventurers Guild approached his table and said, "Excuse me, may I join you?"

Bob looked at Monroe, who had already finished his meal and was sprawled across the table.

This, he decided, was entirely Monroe's fault.

With a small sigh, Bob nodded and gestured towards both a seat and towards Monroe, "This is Monroe, and yes, you may pet him," he said quietly.

"Thank you," she said primly as she took a seat, "my name is Nora, may I have yours?"

"Bob," he replied between bites of stew.

"You said that you have recently arrived in Harbordeep?" Nora asked.

Bob nodded as he continued to eat his meal.

"Might I assume that you've come here to push into tier six then?" Nora continued.

Bob nodded again, finishing his bowl and then draining his mug.

"Would you perhaps be interested in earning some crystals in exchange for Shepherding?" Nora asked.

Bob paused and looked at Nora, who hadn't yet offered any worship to Monroe.

"You want me to shepherd you?" Bob asked incredulously.

"Yes," Nora replied, "I don't have a path yet, and the Guild doesn't allow you to join until you do, and they won't allow me to delve into the Dungeon without a Guild member to Shepherd me."

"So you see," she continued, "I'm rather caught in a circle unless I can find an Adventurer to Shepherd me."

"You live here in Harbordeep, don't you?" Bob asked.

"I do," Nora said and was about to say more when Bob interrupted.

"Then why would you ask a complete stranger for assistance?" Bob asked irritably, "Surely you've friends, family, or even friends of the family who would be willing to assist you."

Nora flushed and replied, "Well, I've rather had a falling out with my family due to irreconcilable differences in morality," she took a deep breath and continued, "as a result, I find myself needing to make my own way in the world, although I'm fortunate enough to have a few crystals set aside."

Bob looked at Nora.

He wasn't much of a judge of clothing, but her dress looked expensive, as did her cloak.

Bob considered the situation. He was biding his time, waiting for a solo slot to open up on the twenty-sixth floor. He'd take the group as well, crystals were crystals after all, and he'd be able to level up a few spells at the same time, but it was the solo slot that would see him earning the Elemental Fire Affinity Crystal he needed.

While he waited, he had little to do and certainly nothing that would pay him crystals.

"Well, I do have a shield spell and a healing spell," Bob said slowly, "so I suppose that from a purely theoretical viewpoint, I could shepherd you."

"I do have some personal time that I could devote towards that end," Bob continued, "although you would need to pay me for my time."

Nora nodded and replied, "You'd just need to register with the Guild as a Shepherd, and we'd need to agree on how much you'll earn."

"Register?" Bob asked.

He was quite certain that he hadn't registered to help Bailli get the crystals she needed to regenerate her arm.

Then again, they were really just grouping together, despite his efforts to ensure she wasn't injured again.

"Yes," Nora said in a rush, "Zoey, the woman at the desk, said that if I could find someone who would Shepherd me, I'd need to have them registered as a Shepherd."

"Well," Bob said, "Jakob is my agent, I suppose I can ask him."

Bob stood up and looked at Monroe.

"You can stay here, buddy," Bob said, "I'm just going to pop around to the front and talk to Jakob for a second."

Monroe curled up slightly and flopped his tail in front of his eyes.

Bob reached down ruffled his fur before heading towards the foyer, Nora trailing behind.

~ ~ ~ ~

"You want to register as a Shepherd?" Jakob said, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Yep, the kid," Bob jerked a thumb over his shoulder towards Nora, who was standing back against the wall, "is stuck at zero and wants someone to Shepherd her through level five."

He shrugged and said, "Between my Eldritch Shield and Anima Blast, I figured I could watch over someone on the first five floors of the Dungeon easily enough, and" Bob lowered his voice, "you'd mentioned I'd be idle for a few days while you worked me into the schedule anyways."

Jakob shook his head and replied, "Bob, if you register as a Shepherd, the Guild can task you to Shepherd people."

"Can they force the schedule on me, or is it simply a matter of doing it when I have the time, but make it snappy if you please?" Bob asked.

"The latter," Jakob said, "and it only applies to the first five floors; once someone has a path, they can have a higher level Guild member watch over them, but it's not considered official Shepherding."

"Are there any benefits to being a Shepherd," Bob asked, "besides the few crystals she is going to pay me?"

"There are," Jakob acknowledged, "particularly in your case. Someone who is actively Shepherding is given a priority for the Dungeon schedule for the day before, the day of, and the day after, Shepherding. This would certainly get you down to the twenty-sixth floor more quickly."

"What do I need to do to register as a Shepherd then?" Bob asked.

"Besides a hundred mana crystals?" Jakob asked with a snort.

Bob turned towards Nora and said, "A hundred mana crystals which you'll be paying," he said cooly.

Nora nodded and reached into a pocket in her cloak.

Bob held up his hand and said, "Just so you have them," he nodded at her, "I'll take them off of you later."

"Bear with me," Jakob said as he pulled out a large tome and started leafing through it, "I remember the basics of the thing, but I'll need to look up the specifics."

Bob waited patiently as Jakob referred back to the index a few times.

Earning a few crystals from the kid would likely pay for his housing and meals for the day, an expense that was significantly greater than what he'd anticipated.

Getting into the Dungeon more quickly was the real benefit. Being asked to Shepherd kids from one to five while he was here wasn't going to be an issue - he expected that most folks would give their kids the crystals and have them take a path, keeping them from being eligible.

A few minutes later, Jakob had pulled out a form and started filling it out.

"Robert Whitman, can you confirm that you have a method of mitigating one hundred points of damage?" Jakob asked formally.

"I can," Bob replied.

"Robert Whitman, can you confirm that you have a method of healing a living creature of one hundred points of damage?" Jakob asked.

"I can," Bob replied seriously.

Jakob nodded and signed the form with a flourish before turning it towards Bob.

"Just sign at the bottom below my signature," Jakob said.

Bob read the document first.

It outlined a Shepherd's duties, which were simply to keep their charges whole while they delved the Dungeon.

He was able to negotiate his own rates but was forbidden from charging more than ten crystals per person, per hour. It was further stipulated that he was required to pay the guild five mana crystals per hour for each delve.

A Shepherd could be tasked by the Guild to Shepherd a group of no more than six, and a Shepherd was permitted a delay of up to one month before beginning the task.

If a Shepherd relocated to another city, they would need to inform the Guild a full day before doing so.

A Shepherd could choose to become inactive; however, they would need to give a one month notice of their intent to do so.

An agent would stand witness that the Shepherd had the capacity to keep their charges whole.

Bob reviewed the document again and, finding nothing nefarious, signed it.

Jakob rolled up the form and laid his hands over it, and it flashed a muted blue.

Tucking it away under his desk, Jakob retrieved a small pin from another drawer and handed it over to Bob.

It was Shepherd's crook overlaying a kite shield.

"You'll want to wear that for as long as your acting as a Shepherd," Jakob advised.

Bob shrugged and attached the pin to his cloak.

"Now that we've gotten that sorted out, when would you like to start Shepherding the anxious-looking young lady behind you?" Jakob asked with a smile.

Nora rushed up to the desk and said, "As soon as possible, if Bob doesn't mind."

"I've already eaten, as has the feline of mass consumption," Bob said wryly, "I don't have a problem with starting now, although I have to ask if you really intend to delve the Dungeon in that dress."

Nora blushed and replied, "I've only the clothes I'm wearing at the moment."

Bob winced, "You're going to want some armor, even if it is just basic leather," he said, "it'll not only save your skin, but it'll also keep that dress from being shredded."

Nora grimaced as she looked down at her dress.

"I saw no less than two armorers on my way up the boulevard," Bob said, "although I'm not sure how much a basic suit of armor will be, I can assure you the benefits will outweigh the costs."

Nora sighed, "I imagine they're closed at this point, or will be by the time I would arrive," she shook her head, "I'll have to go in the morning."

"Shall we meet here for breakfast?" Nora asked Bob.

"Sure," Bob said agreeably, "although short experience has taught me to look to Jakob when it comes to delving the Dungeon."

Jakob smiled and said, "Thank you, I don't believe we have anyone scheduled for the first floor tomorrow morning; give me a moment to check."

Pulling out yet another ledger, Jakob scanned the second page for a moment before looking up.

"You're clear from eight until noon if you'd like," Jakob said happily.

Bob looked to Nora, who nodded rapidly.

"We'll take it then," Bob said and pulled one hundred and twenty mana crystals out of his satchel.

"I'll expect those five mana crystals an hour, as well as the one hundred crystal fee," he warned Nora, "as I've just had to pay five an hour to the guild."

Nora nodded and smiled as she said, "Tomorrow morning then," and headed out the doors of the Adventurers Guild.

"That's very kind of you," Jakob said, "helping her like that."

Bob shrugged uneasily and replied, "It isn't like I'm not being paid, and I've little else to do anyway."

Jakob nodded, then paused as the door to the Tavern swung open, and Monroe padded out.

Monroe landed on Bob's shoulders with a leap, causing him to stagger as the big cat carefully maneuvered into place as the Makres clicked.

Bob braced himself on the counter and then reached up to rub Monroe's chin.

"I guess you got tired of waiting, eh?" Bob muttered to his buddy.

He felt a pair of eyes on him and looked over to see Zoey looking at Monroe hopefully.

With a sigh, Bob headed over to deliver his feline overlord to yet another penitent wishing to adore him.

A cat's servant's work is never done, he thought.