The Whispers guild leader was an unremarkable figure, not overly tall and with a slightly sour expression. His black hair was swept back from his face in an unfashionable style, accentuating his long nose and high cheekbones. He wore simple clothes; a dull, dark gray tunic over dark trousers, but it was the eyes that gave him away - two deep pools of inky black that seemed to have seen far more than they should. He had the look of someone who was used to getting what he wanted, and I knew, looking into those eyes, that I was dealing with a highly intelligent individual.

There was something about Van that made me feel uneasy, and yet he seemed oddly gentle too - like a predator waiting patiently in the shadows without making any sudden movements. In spite of myself, I couldn't help but respect him even as I felt wary of his intentions. It was clear that we were both playing our own game here, and only time would tell who would come out on top.

All I knew for certain was that Van had the Whispers guild behind him, and that alone gave him an advantage. He may not have been what I expected for the leader of a powerful guild, but he was certainly formidable.

"So," he said, his voice low and measured. "Do we have an agreement?"

"I'm not convinced of your sincerity, Van," I said, my own voice just as level.

He nodded, an amused glint in his dark eyes. "I understand your skepticism," he said. "But I can assure you that the Whispers are sincere in this matter.”

I sighed, pondering the offer for a few moments. What Van was offering was an interesting proposition. A formal alliance between the temple and the Whispers guild would bring a wealth of not only gold, but knowledge and power to both parties - not to mention security.

"I do not see how the Whispers truly benefit from this," I said finally. “My patron’s domains do not align with the nature of your guild."

Van smiled, the corners of his mouth curling up ever so slightly. "One must always look beyond what is visible to the eye," he said. "However I believe the answer you seek is neutrality. The Whispers prefer to remain neutral in any dispute or conflict that may arise between the light and dark pantheons. Trismegistus is a neutral god, and a powerful one. He gives us the means to remain outside of any religious conflicts that should occur."

"There are other neutral deities, why are you so sure Trismegistus is the best choice?"

"It was the conclusion we came to after much thought and discussion," Van said. "We believe that an alliance with your patron is the best choice. He is the patron god of alchemy, which gives us buffs to things like poisons, healing potions and other alchemical items. In addition, he is the god of transmutation and by extension elemental magic, which will give us access to a variety of powerful magics."

"He is also the god of astrology," I reminded him. “That domain also has its benefits.”

"Indeed," Van nodded. "We are confident that by forming a connection with Trismegistus we will benefit more than if we had chosen to follow the Silver Arrows' choice in naming Nyxi as patron."

"Nyxi is a goddess of deception, murder, trickery and ill gotten gains," I said thoughtfully. "Not exactly a great choice for a neutral guild."

"It is also my understanding that Nyxi and Trismegistus are on good terms with one another. Thus, our choice will not cause any issues with the alliance we have with the Silver Arrows."

"I see," I said, mulling it over in my mind. Gaining the Whispers would certainly benefit my position and strengthen the temple.

My gaze drifted over to Noctus, who was silently lounging against a bookcase. "What is Eternia's opinion on this matter?" I asked.

Noctus's lips curved into a slight, knowing smile. "Eternia believes that the temple will benefit greatly from this alliance," he said. "However, we will not speak for either party. We have our own alliance with the Whispers, just as we have one with the temple."

I sighed, knowing he was right. This was my decision and I had to make it alone. "I cannot agree without discussion with my patron," I said, meeting Van's gaze. "I shall convey your intent and determine what offering is required for you to be accepted as vassals."

Van nodded, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Then I shall return to my temporary abode and await your answer," he said.

I watched as he left the room and when he was gone, I let out a sigh. "That was not what I expected." I said, with a slight shake of my head.

Noctus stepped away from the bookshelf and approached me. "He is not wrong, it will benefit both his guild and the temple," he said. "Trismegistus is the best choice that a neutral guild can make. He asks for little, but provides a great deal in return. The Whispers will not be the only guild who seek you out for Trismegistus’s patronage."

I looked at Noctus, studying his face for a moment. "Noctus, he asked for little from Eternia because it is the guild I am a member of, that cannot be said for the Whispers."

"True," Noctus said, his voice soft. "But regardless of the price, it will not exceed the benefit of being under the banner of Trismegistus. The shield of neutrality that he provides is invaluable to the Whispers guild."

I nodded, understanding where he was coming from. "I will discuss it with Trismegistus and come to a decision soon," I said.

"Very well," Noctus said. He gave me a small smile before turning and walking away, leaving me alone in the room with my thoughts.

I leaned back in my chair and gazed up at the ceiling. "Tris, I know you're listening."

As the last word left my lips, a warm light filled the room and suddenly Trismegistus was standing in front of me. He was in his kitsune form, his golden hair flowing around him like a halo and his nine tails waving gracefully behind him.

I was slowly getting used to seeing him like this, though I still preferred his older form. "What do you think?" I asked him.

"It is beneficial," Trismegistus said, his voice deep and melodic. "The need for resources and security makes this an ideal choice of alliance. The guild is pre-inclined towards fulfilling the role of the temple's scholars, with connections that will aid you."

"You have no issues with accepting them? Even if their reasoning is more mercenary than altruistic?"

Trismegistus's gaze shifted to me, "We can always use allies, regardless of the motive behind it," he said. "The Whisper's will benefit from our neutrality and will be a valuable asset in return. We will accept them as vassals."

"And what of the cost? They need to make an offering right?" I asked.

Trismegistus nodded, his face taking on a serious expression. "They will pay an offering of gold and knowledge," he said. "The gold is to pay for the services they will receive under our banner, and the knowledge will aid in strengthening the temple's resources. You may determine when the offering is satisfactory; at that time, call upon me and I shall guide the process of bringing the guild into the fold to prevent any unfortunate accidents."

I nodded. I didn't particularly wish for a repeat of what happened when Eternia was accepted as vassals, so his words were reassuring.

"I'll inform Van then," I said, bowing my head in respect. Trismegistus returned the gesture before turning, a swirl of golden light marking his departure.

I stayed in my office for some time, mulling over my conversation with both Van and Trismegistus. I had to consider what was best for the temple and its growth, as well as ensure that I was making the right choices.

My biggest concern was placing myself in a position where I might be giving up too much power. Eternia and the Whispers were larger than the temple in both strength and resources. If I was not careful, it could lead to an unbalanced power dynamic which would eventually result in the temple's downfall.

"I need to maintain the temple's power and authority," I said, determinedly standing up from my desk.

No matter what happened next in terms of my relationship with the guilds, I would ensure that I never lost control. They would remain our vassals, and nothing more. I would not cede control over the temple or my disciples. I was in charge, and that would never change.

With a renewed sense of purpose, I stepped out of my office and went in search of Van.

-

Leaving the temple, I made my way to the building I had allocated for the Whispers use. I found both Noctus and Van sitting at a table in the corner of the main room, with glasses of what I hoped to be wine in hand. It looked a little too red for my tastes.

"Speak of the vixen," Noctus murmured softly, causing me to shoot a glare in his direction.

Van looked up as well, his face unreadable. "High priestess," he said, moving to stand.

I waved for him to stay seated as I made my way to their table. "You may as well call me Kadia," I said, my tone cool yet not unkind. "If you are to be a vassal of this temple, then we should be on friendly terms."

I paused for a moment before continuing. "I have spoken with Trismegistus and he has outlined what it will take for your guild to gain our protection."

He nodded, his face serious. "What must we do?" he asked.

"You will provide an offering of gold and knowledge," I said simply. "The gold is to pay for the services you will receive from us, and the knowledge will aid in strengthening our resources."

He nodded again, his gaze thoughtful. I could see that he was already formulating a plan of action in his mind. "How much gold and knowledge would be sufficient?"

"That will be up to you to decide," I replied. "This is your show of sincerity to the temple, so you must decide how much Trismegistus's patronage is worth to you."

Van tilted his head, mulling over my words. "Is there a time frame?"

"There is not, however I am not a very patient fox." I said, giving him a small smile. "Let me know when you have decided what your offering will be and we can move forward from there."

Noctus chuckled. "She's not lying," he said to Van. "Kads is easily distracted, keep her waiting too long and she'll forget you even exist."

I sent a glare his way, but he only grinned in response. I sighed and turned back to Van. "The offering you provide will be an important part of your relationship with the temple, so take as much time as you need to make a decision."

Van nodded and I could almost see the wheels in his head turning. With that, I bid them both farewell and made my way back to the temple.

As I entered the hall of origin, I caught a glimpse of Meissa leaving the hall which led to the tower of astrology. Her disciples surrounded her in a respectful silence as she spoke to them with a voice filled with gentle authority.

“Blessed be they, disciples of Astrology. May you look upon the stars, finding magic and wisdom among them.” I said in greeting to the group.

The disciples gave me a respectful bow as did the priestess, who responded to my greeting. “It is a pleasure to see you here tonight, your eminence,” she said, her lips curving into a tiny smile when I wrinkled my nose in response to her using that form of address. "Will you be joining us?"

"Not tonight," I said, shaking my head. "I have other matters to attend to."

Meissa nodded before gesturing for her disciples. "Come," she said, her voice low and measured as they followed her into the courtyard she favored for her lessons.

Instead of ascending to the second level where my office and private quarters were situated, I walked towards the hall leading to the tower of transmutation where a handful of disciples were milling around a table.

Brodel stood in the middle, his hands clasped behind his back as he studied the table covered with a replica of the mountain range.

"Good evening," I said, my voice soft yet authoritative. The disciples bowed automatically at my presence and stepped aside to give me a more unobstructed view of the model.

The transmutation priest's face held a look of intense concentration as his gaze roved over the model village the disciples had been working on. The layout was a bit unorthodox, but each building and path had been meticulously planned by Brodel himself.

"It is coming along nicely," I said, with admiration in my voice.

Brodel nodded in agreement, a pleased expression on his face. "Yes, it is, isn't it?" he said, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Indeed," I replied and motioned for the disciples to resume their work. I watched silently as they went back to placing buildings and roads around the mountain, filling out the landscape with replicas of the nearby temples and towns.

“The Eternia guild members have arrived in Bovia and will ascend the mountain in the morning. Once they arrive, the new guild hall will be their initial focus before they move on to the village,” I said as my gaze fell on a plateau below the one my temple occupied. It was small, only encompassing twelve hundred square meters, but it was enough for the guild.

“The array is prepared; they need only to supply the materials required,” Brodel murmured, reaching out to touch a plateau on the eastern face of the mountain. “Here is where I believe we should build the livestock yards; it is far enough not to disturb, while being close enough to allow for easy travel.”

“I agree,” I nodded, my gaze roaming over the mountain. “Let's add an inn at that location too. There has already been an increase in people visiting the mountain to hunt the Pyrthirío.”

Brodel's fingers twitched, and in response to his motion a building appeared on the eastern plateau. The image of a bed and a beer mug appeared on its roof, indicating it would be an inn.

We spoke for another half an hour, discussing both the village and the priest's disciples. Very few who visited the temple came to join the transmutation or astrology halls, in part due to a lack of knowledge about the two disciplines; something I would need to change.

The easiest way to achieve this would be through literature, which would come in the form of advertisements in the newspaper run by the Whispers guild, or through word of mouth.

But, for now I needed to focus on the matter at hand; preparing for the arrival of Eternia's guildsmen. The temple was about to get a lot more crowded with their arrival, which meant the guildhall was our number one priority.

The rest of the evening was spent in deep conversation as we discussed our plans for the upcoming days and what would be required of the guildsmen once they arrived. It was important we were all on the same page and understood what was expected of each party in order to get the guildhall completed in a timely manner.

By the time I retired to my quarters, the sun had already begun its ascent. In a few hours time, the mountain would be bustling with life and, soon after, Pyros mountain would have its first official guild hall. And perhaps in the near future, it would have a second one as well.