Death's End

Chapter 9 - Administration Branch

 The walls of the spiral staircases were carved with illustrious scenes from the life of the Guild's founder, as Jerius followed Mirayoung up to the second highest floor of the tower. One showed him standing atop a cliff summoning spells that shaped the storm and sea. Another saw him overseeing the construction of the Guild's concentric walls as he was surrounded by other figures whom Jerius guessed to be mages who followed him.

Before the final flight of stairs, Mirayoung made an abrupt turn to the right through a door into the working room of the administration branch. Jerius always had the impression that in every other nation, city, hamlet and village, there would be a group of invisible and hardworking crews toiling in a compact, cluttered workspace to run the operations. And the people in the room Jerius walked into fit the mold to a tee.

Jerius counted ten people. Within they were speaking to each other in raised, hurried voices as one or two scrambled about, parchments in hand. In the middle was a long ebony table where more parchments and scrolls were placed, and enchanted stamps and pens danced over. From the magical scents on them, Jerius could make up more than two manipulators among the ten.

He could also pick up bits and pieces of the conversations.

"Has Eqia paid for the assignment we did for them? Aleria, the Master of Curse, is hounding us for her share of the gold for helping to break the difficult Curse of the Northern Ice. Six months' wait is six months too long."

"I will put in the chaser mail that it's impertinent that they learn how close Princess Lilea was to death from the curse."

"Send Ecia down. We can also threaten to stop work on Northern Shield if the promised gold doesn't reach us by the week's end. "

"Clever. Their fear of the Northern Barbarians will make them cough out the requisite gold by sundown. They did want the defences to be ready before the barbarians choose a new Alpha to lead the pack."

"For Elaria's sake, can someone manage that bratty lord of Tahoa‒damn it‒what was his name again? He's waiting again at the western gate and Gallyn is asking if we should send him to the inner sanctum as per the usual dictation."

"That buffoon is here to propose. Propose, of all things? Can you believe that?"

"Who's the luckless one this time? By Fermand's order, no lady-mages are to take up that assignment."

"He's persistent about the wrong things."

"We had another Treaty of Sefa's violation. A rogue mage among some brigands self-destructed with a fourth-rank spell, killing everyone in his group."

"Well, at least he would no longer pose any trouble to us like the last incident."

"Shush!" The red-haired man from Mirayoung's scrying silenced them as he saw Mirayoung and Jerius by the door looking in; the archmagus had a slight smile on her face, amused by how far the conversations went without realising their presence. They both did keep their magical presence low and hard to notice.

Mirayoung said, "Kas, good to meet you again. I see you've a problem with the lordling of Tahoa. Rainme Ulatoris, grandson of Martar Ulatoris, the uncle to King Lamdil of Tahoa. Am I right?"

"Yes indeed. Your sharp memory never fails you, Lady White Rose," he said. "Are you well acquainted with King Lamdil or Lord Martar?"

"Lord Martar," Mirayoung said. "He owes me a particular favour that I can evoke at will. Never had a use of it, but I see reining in his grandson may just cut it."

"How incredibly fortunate we are," Kas said. "He's a difficult man to deal with, and Tahoa is an important customer of the Guild. Fermand repeatedly reminds us to be prudent. Pardon my curiosity. How did you become so well acquainted with him? Was it from the days you did assignments for Tahoa?"