Edited by Solyom

Meanwhile, as the evil Zariel was butchering the pure, innocent greenskins, who, until he appeared, were slaughtering and plundering dwarven cities peacefully and minding their own green businesses, the Chairman of the Magic Senate was, as always, buried in paperwork. But hey! He is the big boss here! So even if he couldn’t skip his duties completely, he had a small legion of willing slaves… I mean, assistants.

These foolish, miserable creatures were working like machines, rereading important texts twice, then telling him in a few short words what were these about, and then the wise archmage would eventually sign it. That really speeded up the process. Who knows – maybe he would be able to finish his work for this week earlier? That would allow him to visit his granddaughter and…

Someone dared to knock at his door! Bah! Someone dared to walk in without waiting for his approval! Who have such a balls to…

Ah. Of course.

- “Senator Mirana! How many months ago did I have the pleasure to host you in my humble office?...” oh, the main chairman’s office could be called in many ways, but humble was not one of these “… I am sorry that I can’t welcome you in the way you deserve it, but as you can see, we have lots of work to be done!... Still, can I help you? I assure you that I would do everything, that needs to be done as soon as I could find some spare time…”

That was a polite way of telling someone that he or she came in the wrong moment, is disturbing him and… that he have no time right now and SOMEONE should leave.

- “Drop the act, Polimus, I came just to inform you about the actions that I am about to take, just so you could prepare the paperwork…”

After hearing the word “paperwork”, the archmage grimaced.

- “Feel free to continue… I hope you would not cause problems for the Senate, you are too smart for that, aren’t you?”

- “I have told you that on the black market, someone started to sell crappy potions. I think that we have located their factory in the slums, we will say hello to them. This evening…”

- “If they are selling crappy potions, as you called it, why do you even bother? If these have no real value, then they wouldn’t last long!”

- “Think about the people that are drinking those poisons!”

- “Really? People? Since when do you care about people?... Wait! You would just send some mercenaries if that wasn’t serious… Their potions aren’t that bad, aren’t they?”

- “… they are offering prices below the cost of production.”

- “HAHAHAHA!”

- “This is not funny! Do you think we want to set such high prices for our goods?! Paying for the building, paying for the tools and vessels, paying for the ingredients, and paying the alchemists for their job and educations!”

- “Ok. Ok. We will try to convince the king that it was nothing serious AND inside the business of mages. Still, try not messing around.”

- “I will deal with that matter in the way I would find the best!” The Alchemist Guild’s owner acted rather aggressively to the archamge’s remark.

The woman left the room as she entered it – waiting for no one’s permission, in a prideful manner.

- “That woman is driving me nuts… Ruby? Are you going somewhere?”

- “Ah, yes, I am sorry chairman, I am afraid that I forgot to inform you that I would have to leave earlier today.” The redhead bowed slightly.

- “Ah, think nothing of it, dear! You have already done plenty! Have fun!”

- “I am afraid, I am not going to the private party!” she smiled politely.

- “Hard worker, aren’t you? Remember to rest! Otherwise I would have to look for a new assistant, and that’s quite tiresome!”

That was supposed to be a joke, but the young ice mage knew that the old man, despite his smile, was dead serious.

About half an hour later, Daralon raised from his bed with a hangover, that was about to split his head in half.

- “For fuck sake, Morgan… Morgan? MORGAN!? Where are you?! Are you all right, mate? Yesterday’s night was crazy, are you alive?” he yelled, looking for his skull-companion. He eventually find it, laying under a piece of female’s lingerie.

- “Here you are, you old perv! Nice spot you found yourself to rest for the night! Fear not, friend, I will make some nice herbal drink for us to deal with this hangover, and then we will call the hookers!...” someone knocked at his door “… He? Hookers already came? That’s what I call right customer service! I am coming my beautiful ladies!”

He eventually answered the door. He looked at the woman. His gaze went down from her head to her legs, just to slowly return back to her face.

- “Are you my hooker? Damn, I think I know you from somewhere… And I don’t usually call the same girl twice… except Amgara, but damn, that exotic chick was…”

- “With all due respect, I am most definitely NOT a hooker.”

- “No? You sure? But I know you from somew… Wait? Ruby? That lil bitch, that Zari-kun pulverized into dirt in front of the whole Senate? Hehe…hehehe…”

- “Yes, you can laugh, or hear me out… I am not supposed to be here. Look, Zari is running an illegal alchemist guild in the slums, isn’t he?”

His gaze turned sharp for a moment.

- “Where did you hear that?” there was no point in lying.

- “Who do you think I am? After Zari, who is quite a decent alchemist, came into the city, a new underground organization emerges. The only thing that doesn’t sound right is that the potion they make are… bad quality goods. And Zari is a perfectionist so…”

- “He is not making them. Not in person.”

- “What? Then how and why?”

- “You tell me. You just claimed to be intelligent.”

Rubi shut her mouth for a moment or two. Then she answered.

- “He is an adventurer. It means that if he would make them himself, he could only cook them while he is in the city, so about… five days in a month? The Senate would quickly discover that the potions are made in same time as Zari stays in the city…”

- “Clever little girl…” the dark mage nodded. “…But, to the point. Why did you come here?”

- “I am working at archmage Polimus’s office as assistant…”

- “Oh! Carrier-girl! Who could have guessed…” he rolled his eyes with a mocking smile.

- “If…If you could not disturb me… again…”

- “Oh, I beg your pardon. Continue.”

- “The alchemist guild’s leader came today. She said that she will send few people to the factory this evening. The Senate will try covering this up before the king but…” Ruby had no idea how to continue.

- “So? What do you want me to do?”

- “I don’t know.”

- “What?”

- “I DON’T KNOW? OK?! If I knew what could be done, I would do that personally! And you are the only friend of Zariel that can somehow help him!”

- “Why are you doing that? Why are you helping him?”

- “… that’s not concern of yours.”

- “Ya have a crush on him?”

- “WHAT?! NO!... I screwed up once. Because I was afraid. And stupid.”

- “You want to repay your debts? Looking for redemption?”

- “No.”

- “What?”

- “I am just doing what needs to be done. I am a mage. Mages are people with a gift, that should be used to help people. The cheap potions, that Zari makes, help those who cannot afford the cures from the guild….”

- “Boring.”

- “P… pardon me?!”

- “I was hoping for some love triangle. It would be funny to look as Gisele is crushing your skull. But NOOOO! You must be a fucking ideologist! Doing something because it’s logical! Because it’s right! Where are the emotions? Where is the place for being spontaneous? Where is the place for madness? Shesh. Is Zariel the only person who understands me in this bloody town!?”

- “… Speaking about Zari…”

- “Ah, yeah, yeah. Fear not. I know who to talk to. Zari is not alone in this shit, he has friends. Just find a comfortable place and enjoy the show.”

Rubi wanted to say something more, but Daralon shut the door before her nose. Once again, he turned to the skull, which somehow changed its location. Instead of laying on ground, like before, it was sitting on the desk – in the opposite side of the room.

- “Morgan! I am sorry, the hookers will have to wait!” the skull angrily started raising and dropping its jaw, letting out angry clinging sounds.

- “Oh! Come on, you little bastard! You know me! Bros before hoes! Zari is bro!”

Click-click-click!

- “What! No! You are my bro too!”

Angry click-click-click!

- “Now! Do you hear yourself!? You sound like a spoiled lady!”

The skull turned to the side and let out one final click.

- “Oh, sure! That’s what you want to do now? Throwing temper tantrum! Whatever. I will be back in an hour or so. You want something from the shop?”

Click-click-click

- “Yeah, hookers. I could have guessed. I will see what can be done. Be nice, and don’t open the door to strangers! These times, there are a lot of sick perverts, walking from house to house, targeting such pretty, naïve skulls like yourself!”

Daralon gathered his things and left his room.

Factory in the slums

- “Pay attention, lads, they are coming!”

One of the thugs said to his companions. Indeed, via the main valley, quite a large group was marching towards the factory. Lots of these peoples were mages.

- “We are here on behalf of the Council of Mages! We know that you are running an illegal operation here! Open the gates and surrender!” Senator Mirana yelled from the middle of the group.

- “Easy boys, leave talking to me…” the same thug as before said “… DO YOU HAVE THE CITY GUARDS PERMISSION? IF YES, SLIP THE PAPER UNDER THE GATE! WE ALSO WANT TO TALK WITH ONE OF CITY GUARDS, THAT NEEDS TO BE PRESENT DURING THE REVISION!”

- “Jesse! You will get us killed!” another thug hissed angrily.

- “Calm your tits! I know what I am doing!”

- “ARE YOU CRAZY? You trash? This is the matter of the mages! No guards! Open up, or we will burn you down!”

- “This is my own private domicile and I will not be harassed!...” he waited a second before adding “… BITCH!”

Oh, if you could see the face of the Senator!

- “Burn it down.” She said quietly.

- “Wait for the first spell boys…” the thug called Jesse said.

The first fireball flew across the air, and hit the solid frame of the gates, shaking it a bit.

- “NOW!”

The gate opened and two rows of thugs with crossbows appeared from behind it. The same thing happened with all the houses around the factory.

- “TURN THAT BITCH INTO A HEDGEHOG!”

No more commands were needed. Few dozen of men fired at same time. The mages tried to quickly raise a shield. They managed to block most of the projectiles, but still, a couple of them managed to wound a few casters.

And then, as in a badly scripted movie, city guards appeared.

- “THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?” the captain of city guards – Edon, asked.

- “It’s not of your concern, soldier, turn back and…” the Senator started.

- “Sir! We wish to report that we have been attacked by that Bitch! All we did was defending our home!” Jesse said.

- “… You all are living here?” Edon asked, looking at the few dozen of men.

- “Sir, yes, sir! We are family!”

- “All of you? What about him?” the guard asked, looking at the thug on the left.

- “That’s my brother, sir, we just have different mothers!”

- “I can bet that fathers too…”

- “Sir, I like to believe that family is not restricted by blood!”

- “Whatever, what do you have to say in your defense, Senator? Did you attack first?”

- “Once again, this is the matter of mages…”

- “The people you attacked are not mages. These are just citizens of Neira. Citizens you attacked.”

- “They are nothing more than thieves and cutthroats!”

- “Then there should be no problem. I am sure that you have an allowance from the king to perform this operation, don’t you?”

- “Tsh…”

- “Oh? You don’t? Pardon me, but can you tell me who is the thief and the bandit now?”

- “How dare you?! In the name of what? Of protecting some prisoners? Scums from the slums?”

- “… You should watch your mouth, Senator, they are not the only ones that were raised here. You and your people are under arrest.”

- “WHAT? How dare you?!”

- “If you would resist, your actions would be viewed as crime against the crown. Take them, boys.”

In the end, the Senator followed the guards.

- “Thanks Edon! We knew we can count on you!”

- “I wouldn’t even spit for you, Jesse, Rogue is paying me, that’s the only reason I came. Still, you got lucky only because that whore is arrogant, and thought you wouldn’t resist. I got you day or two. Even the king can’t keep them in prison forever, in the end they are the only potions makers in the kingdom. She will get out, she would prepare and come again. We will try to slow them down, but…”

- “Just wait till the boss is back! He will do something about it.”

- “You better pray he will. That cunt is stubborn. He would better be returning with something to bribe the king. Or you are dead.”

The captain of the guards turned around and walked away.

- “SURE THING! SEE YOU LATER, EDON!”

- “Fuck off, Jesse!”