Guild Of Zeroes

Chapter 27

We brought Vulture into the central pavilion tent and sat down at the table with Mouse. It took than we thought to bring her up to speed on recent events but she listened to our whole tale and took notes as she went.

"And that," I said. "Pretty much takes us to now. Wraith is still out there somewhere and we could use any help we can get."

Vulture nodded and pulled a pipe carved from bone from inside her robes. She stuff the bowl full of dried leaves and lit it with a spell. "Right. And in this whole convoluted tale, I fail to see what the Phoenix Roost can do for you."

The three of us shared a look, waiting for her to laugh or let us in on the joke. Silence settled over the table like the first snow of winter and stayed there until we were frozen.

"You're serious?" I asked.

"Parsnip, if you really are the last full Guildswoman of Tower Four, then it is up to you to lead your Guild Hall. It is up to you to lead. Did your master not tell you that?"

I frowned. "No... She didn't have time to tell me much of anything about leading a Guild Hall."

"Why am I not surprised," said Vulture. "It is a true miracle that the Tower stood as long as it did. It may well end up for the best that those fools were culled from the order. If the wounded and sick can't keep up with the herd, they die. It is the way of things. I don't see why we should be any different."

"You take that back," I said through gritted teeth.

Vulture laughed in my face. "No. You're a full member of the Guild. Stand on your own damned feet. Don't expect me to coddle you."

"So you can't help us?" asked Mouse, bringing us back on topic.

"Even if I could," said Vulture. "I'm not sure I want to. As I said, this is not a problem for the Phoenix Roost. Wraith is not threatening any of the lands under our protection. There is no one paying us to get rid of him, if he exists at all."

"If he exists?" I snapped. "What proof do you need? There are legions of corpses in his wake. Entire villages burned."

"And I have seen none of them for myself," said Vulture. "Furthermore, if this Wraith is the same one that I know, the same Wraith that trained Hawk, then I have no reason at all to help you."

"Why not?" asked Quin.

"Because I will not help avenge a murderer and a traitor. I was there at Hawk's trial and she deserved everything that happened to her."

Rage hammered through me like a shot from a trebuchet smashing a fortress wall. I shout to me feet and Quin leapt up to meet me, holding me back and gently pushing me back into my seat.

Mouse was the only one of us who was keeping their cool. "Could you explain that for us?" he asked. "I feel like we're missing some important context."

"Full Guild member don't get sent to the Tower without reason," said Vulture. "Wraith was Hawk's master, and she murdered him."

"That's not possible," I said.

"Delude yourself if you wish," said Vulture. "I was there doing some additional training at the Blackstone and Hawk, along with some failing wizard, pulled a bad Quest. It's happened to all of us. You get a card, and things don't go to plan, civilian casualties. I'm sure you've been there and you know the Guild isn't pleased when a job goes sour. And rightly so, failed jobs don't fill the coffers with gold."

I leaned back in my chair and folded my arms across my chest. "Not to mention the deaths."

Vulture waved a dismissive hand towards me. "Yes, yes, very sad, but peasants die all the time. It's not like it's something to dwell on."