Roxie charges out of the hospital, barely noticing the lone S'tance who joins her trek across the city and into Glass nails forge.

S’tance only makes himself know once they enter by gasping and rushing off to one of the displays as they entered.

“Ah, the beasty returns. I've got y'r gear ‘ere” the large dwarf at the back of the shop starts shoving aside various boxes to push out a small crate across the sand floor.

Roxie rubs her hands together and dives into the box to pull out the pieces of her new leather armour “Fucking brilliant”

“Aye it is, only the best for a friend of the Ox” he then looks up to Luke and scrutinised him for a moment, only to brush him off and look at S'tance “He's y' mate ‘ey”

“Uh?” Roxie freezes for a second before realising what he said “Yeah, teammate”

“Oi kid!” The blacksmith shouts at S'tance who startles and drops the display sword he's holding before standing upright “Got any armour?”

S'tance looks around “Uhhhh, my carapace has been hardened by training” he raises his bandaged arms and glances to his master who stands innocently to the side.

“That ‘aint gonna do shit against a hammer to y' head” the dwarf then disappears back into the pile of boxes before tossing a metal helmet and a suit of gambeson at S'tance “Take this, it's all second hand but it'll do”

By this point Roxie has gotten most of her armour on and is fiddling with the brass fittings “Thanks for doing these”

“No problem beasty, as far as customer requests go it was pretty tame” The dwarf waves her off.

“Looking good” Luke gives a nod of approval.

“Here's the test” Roxie places a hand on her Vambrace and focuses, drawing the nodes of her chi out and into the leather to anchor them to it, causing sparks of purple to arc off it between them, she then pulls their connections taught and reinforces the armour which pulls the arcs flush with the leather. Roxie grins wide before pulling the chi back and taking deep breaths.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it too much beasty, the leather and wire mesh will protect y'” He then turns to S'tance and his master who are looking at display swords “Alright y' lot get out” The dwarf then stomps over to the disturbed sword display and starts furiously reorganising the swords as everyone leaves.

Roxie gets a few looks as she leads the group through the city, but they become Less and less as they get closer to the guild building whilst more people in armour are seen.

She barges through the back door and up to the counter where the male clerk sits at attention “Right, first, Luke here is leaving the guild”

“Oh, you were one of the taster recruits, that's fine. It's a shame but I wish you luck” He nods to him and Luke nods back.

Roxie shrugs “That was easy, anyways, how long will it be to get someone else in the team?”

“Depends greatly, however if replacing a teammate takes too long some higher solo adventurers are willing to take teams with them” The man explains before perking up and looking behind them.

“You're coming with me then” Wolf speaks up behind the group, spooking most of them.

Roxie spins around “What?”

“I have a job, if Luke isn’t going with you then I’ll take you with me” He says this as he brings out a folded paper from his back pocket and hands it to Roxie.

Roxie quickly reads it over before handing it to S'tance “This seems a bit convenient”

“Your situation is uncommon but still happens so me and Kizzy—” he turns around and points to Kizkrala sitting at the cafe who waves “Pick a job and wait for a while in case”

Roxie nods.

“Umm, what's the 'Golden cord'?” S'tance looks up from the paper and looks around to the group.

His master answers “They're a bunch of money pinching assholes who—”

“They're traders” Wolf gives him an unimpressed look before continuing on “They trade with most of the realms and control those they don’t. Other than us”

“Right” he looks between Wolf and his master for a bit “So, uh, you really think we can handle mutants?”

“They're often no stronger than a normal person, I'll handle any stronger” Wolf shrugs.

“So, when do we start?” Roxie perks up.

“Today seeing as you have your gear, find me at the statue in one hour” Wolf then walks off

“Wait—” Roxie turns around and leans into the clerk “Where's Jeshka?”

“She's on a boat home to the Delver islands” The clerk leans away from her.

“Crap” Roxie sighs before turning away “Let’s go”

S'tance and his master share a look before following Roxie with Luke in tow. When they return to the Salted nest, they get a meal and gather their few belongings before making way to the statue where Wolf is nowhere to be seen.

“How long till he's here?” Roxie asks as she shields her eyes to look around the square.

Luke pulls out a pockets watch “About half an hour”

“Crap” Roxie sighs before pulling her helmet off and fiddling with the mask section currently pulled over the top.

S'tance's master looks around before addressing him “Well, I think this is a good a time as any to say goodbye”

S'tance jerks around “Where are you going?”

“I don’t know—” he turns to ask Luke “Where are you off too?”

“I’m heading to Spidra village, see my family” He gives Roxie smile which she reciprocates.

“I'll be there then, might find a new, stupider, student to replace you” he pauses, before bringing S'tance into a hug “visit me when you're done”

S'tance freezes for a moment, then firmly hugs him back “Of course”

Luke watches them for a bit before turning to Roxie who surprises him with a hug “Bye”

Roxie chuckles a bit “I would have thought you'd be a bit reluctant to this sibling thing”

Luke buries his hands into his pockets “I'm use to new family turning up, besides, I always wanted an older sister”

“Hey” she lightly punches his shoulder “Only by a few days”

They laugh together until S'tance's master slaps Luke's shoulder “Lets go, I assume you know the way”

Luke spins around and pulls out a thick notebook “Yeah, gonna be a few bridges but” he shrugs to finish.

They head off, waving to Roxie and S'tance as they go who wave back until they're just blurs. They sit in silence for a while, content to watch the people pass by with the time for a while.

S'tance turns to ask Roxie “So, uh, have you fought...” but trails off because of Roxie currently sitting upright, asleep and roughly snoring. Feeling a little awkward, he goes back to idly watching people pass until Wolf arrives.

“Hey” he wafts a paper cup of coffee under Roxie's nose, rousing her.

Roxie quickly snaps awake and nearly bats the cup away before recognising the smell and tentatively taking the cup as he hands it off.

Wolf then offers another, sweet smelling, drink to S'tance who nearly snatches it from his hand “Come, we've got a long walk ahead”

“No cart?” Roxie drearily asks as she slings her bag over her shoulder.

Wolf starts walking away as he checks a thick notebook “It was Kizkrala and Joe's”

Both Roxie and S'tance grumble about the long walk ahead of them as they follow wolf down the road and up the tower.

They travel for three days, the travel being more pleasant than they thought as they get to eat and sleep in various inns built either just inside the realms on the way or on the bridges themselves. The group take a final rest at an inn in the golden cord city itself before meeting with the client.

Roxie wakes with a grumble to the sound of Wolf knocking the door “You have ten minutes or no breakfast” and pulls herself out of her bed to start dressing whilst looking at the city out her window.

The buildings are rows upon rows of conjoined brick houses all setup in a grid with a clock tower always in view and stores on every corner. Despite the time being late morning, the sun is setting behind her and leaving a steadily darkening city before her which take to torches, lampposts and candles for their light as the day starts. She eventually looks to the dressing mirror to the side, looking at herself in her new armour before looking at her face; over the course of the month, she’s developed a tan and has bulked up considerably. Roxie stumbles up to the door, then turns back to get dressed before heading out of her room where she's hit by the general din and smells of the inn, forcing her to wince and hold the handrail on her way down where a cup of coffee awaits her.

“Morning guys” Roxie takes a contented sip from the large mug.

“Morning, order and eat breakfast quickly, we’re meeting our client in an hour” Wolf calmly flicks through his newspaper as Roxie rolls her eyes and orders at the bar.

“Need some coin!” Roxie calls to Wolf who throws his coin box to her and she pays for the meal before handing it back and sitting down.

“You should have your own” Wolf peeks over the pages at Roxie.

“Oh, I’m sorry, next time I’m on a time limit, I'll remember to grab some metal disks I didn’t even know the names of” Roxie finishes with a huff.

“You done” Wolf doesn’t glance above the paper to look at her.

“Are you done being an asshole, every time I ask questions you answer with ‘you should know this' or ‘you will learn” Roxie stops to take a few breaths and calm down “Fuck sake I never thought I’d be walking on two legs and swinging a sword let alone practically living in Maladom. I don’t know what an abacus is, but the bartender pulled one out to work out currency conversion so throw me a fucking bone here” she throws a hand at the bar then to Wolf.

Wolf looks her over for a moment before disinterestedly returning to his paper “You won’t learn if I hold your hand”

“That's dick speaks for tough shit” she puts her elbows on the table and perches her head in her hands as she waits for her food.

The wait is eventually interrupted by S'tance “Are you feeling alright?”

Roxie glances at him and sighs “Just. Things have been crazy since I first drank that potion and I—” she moves to rubbing her ears “I just don’t have a grip on it”

“It is—” Wolf speaks up to add his wisdom but is silenced by a glare from Roxie and S'tance.

“You say that a lot” S'tance adds, ending the conversation.

Roxie's breakfast, a traditional full Chordian, eventually arrives which Roxie takes her time eating before she and S'tance dons their armour and meet Wolf back at the table who's still reading his newspaper but with his light plate metal armour on. He folds the paper and leads them out of the inn and down the smooth stone roads until they're stopped by a pair of guards.

“Halt, what's your business. Carrying swords is fine, but the armour is another thing” he looks over the group before settling on Roxie and the bumps on her helmet for her ears.

“Were here to assist counsellor Maxus Guiles in culling mutants” Wolf then presents the job sheet, a metal plaque and two slips of paper.

They look over the presented documents, one speaking quietly to the other who nods as they go over it.

“Alright, looks good but we’re gonna follow you to his manor to make sure” they hand the documents back and indicate for Wolf to lead the way.

They walk on for nearly an hour until they reach a massive manor made from stone and metal surrounded by a combination of iron fences and luminous hedges. The group walks up to the gate where the guard on duty looks over their papers and let them through before chatting with the two that followed them.

The three pay them little mind as they walk through the glowing garden and into the well-lit house to where a butler quickly guides them into the dining hall to meet a massive man currently slowly eating a slab cut from the roasted pig in the centre of the small table as a beautiful woman meticulously files and paints her nails besides him.

“AAA, so good for you to join me, please help yourselves” He hauls himself up and hands out simple, plain plates for everyone before sliding back into his chair.

Everyone sits and whilst Wolf and S'tance refuse, Roxie stares at the pig as she takes her helmet and gauntlets off before carving herself a leg.

“So, first and foremost, identification please” Maxus sits up and looks at Wolf who hands them over “Saints I swear they write these smaller and smaller every time. Silla, Silla darling can please get my glasses” he sits and waits for the woman who ignores him and instead focuses on her nails “I forgot your new necklace on my desk—”

Before he says anymore, the woman is up and out of the room and a short while later, returns with his glasses that she hands over.

Maxus smiles at her and holds her by the hand “Give me a kiss” he then puckers up as she rolls her eyes and kisses him before sitting down and returning to her nails with a slight smile. He reads over what's been presented, only looking up as Roxie starts chewing into the bone halfway through “looks all clear—” he then takes off his glasses “I'll pay you for as long as you stay here, standard working weeks, twice pay for weekends and a bonus for every hundred you kill”

Roxie and S'tance look up to Wolf who thinks for a moment “We accept, we'll start today”

“Excellent, Gregory! Get the maps!” he calls to the butler in the hallway who returns in a short moment with a collection of scrolls that he unfurls on the table after moving the pig.

Maxus points to the largest map of the cities organised sewers “These marks are the locations of mutant reports. There was over two hundred mutant sightings dispersed over the east side” he points to a map labelled ‘eastern blocks' “however, after we started containing this outbreak they had started showing up across the sewers in different locations” he pulls across several other maps, each showing how they're spread out.

Wolf leans across the table and points to the smallest group “They’ll deal with this one and work their way through to the larger groups whilst I start with the eastern group”

“Excellent. Gregory!” Maxus calls for his butler.

Gregory steps forwards from the side of the room “Right here lord”

“Inform your brother” he waves his hand and Gregory leaves the room.

Wolf stands up and addresses S’tance and Roxie “You two go and do what you can, don’t take risks because I won’t be near”

S’tance nods and Roxie shrugs before grabbing the map of their section and heading out of the mansion.

“Hey, you two, how’d it go” one of the guards from before spots them and waves.

“Hey, mind showing us to a manhole in the western block, somewhere here” Roxie shows him the maps, pointing to where they want to go.

He scratches his head for a second “Sure”

“Excuse me, Sir and Madame?” Gregory speaks up from behind them, holding a wooden box “Equipment, items you may need for traversing the sewers”

Roxie is the first to take the gear, looking over the mask with a can hanging off the front and a metal and glass box.

“A filtered mask for the gasses of rot with a mark that allows us to track and recover you, if needed, and a mana lantern for sight and to not ignite said fumes” Gregory offers the box to S’tance who also takes his “Now, if you need aid and a location for rest, any of my Lord’s guard barracks are available to you. also, if you require a bath simply request it and I shall prepare one with scented oils”

“Thank you” S’tance nods as starts fiddling with the mask straps.

“Greg” the guard nods.

“Guard” Gregory nods back.

“Right, let’s go” he suddenly becomes chipper and nearly skips off.

It takes about an hour of walking to reach the western block and after a few turns down back alleys, they stop above a manhole which the guard lifts off with a tool.

“Right, good luck. Remember, don’t fall into the water and if you need to open one of these—” he taps the tool against the open manhole “Push and twist clockwise”

“Thanks” Roxie nods and steps to the manhole before flinching back “What fucking dark fate did this smell come from”

The guard chuckles as he says “That's what the mask is for”

Roxie pulls off the mask section of her helmet and faces S'tance “Mind helping me here?”

It takes about a minute of fiddling to get the filtered mask on under the helmet, but they get ready and dive down but, despite wearing the mask, Roxie could swear she was still smelling that awful odour.

“Good luck, the guard outpost is marked with two swords and a shield, not the crossed swords that's the inn, the vertical ones” before getting a response, the guard slides the cover and twists it in place, sealing the pair underground.