Ortai Legacy

11 - Communications Guild (L)

After I put on my stained clothes, we went down to the hotel's stable to get Eura. Mar'kost saddled her and helped me up before sitting behind the saddle. He reached around me to take the reins. His arms rested against my sides. We'd been this close a million times in dreams, and I'd never thought twice about it, but now it was different.

I was acutely aware of his touch as Eura started moving. Every step jostled Mar'kost's arms and legs against mine. It wasn't painful, just unnerving and difficult to ignore. So difficult, in fact, that I barely noticed the passing storefronts until we stopped without warning.

Chirping angrily, Eura reared back at the sudden yank on her reins.

"Are we there already?"

Before Mar'kost could answer, I noticed a purple scalewing with a kinda handsome dad bod standing in our path. He--at least, I assumed it was a he, as I wasn't entirely sure scalewing women would have breasts--raised his hands in a calming gesture.

"Pardon, sir, but is this girl the telepath who tamed a wild drykon yesterday?"

"She's not for sale," Mar'kost snapped. He urged Eura around the scalewing.

That was rude. Why'd he assumed the guy wanted to buy me?

The scalewing moved to block us again. "But you haven't heard my offer."

"Not for sale, Falek." He kicked Eura's sides, and she charged, nearly trampling the scalewing before he dove out of the way.

We wove through carriages, horses, and drykons for several streets before stopping outside the "Communications Guild." Mar'kost jumped down and tied Eura to a hitching post.

I dismounted. "Uh, who was that guy? How'd you know he wanted to buy me?"

He made a face like he'd found fresh crap on his shoe. "Falek is a Sellsguardian; he pays guardians to take in their wards if he thinks they can earn him crystal. He tried to buy Raeve a while back, and he'd pay a shiny chip for a telepath."

I shuddered. "You don't think he'd try to kidnap me or something?"

"Rumors say he's done it before. No idea if they're true." He shook his head. "As long as you don't go anywhere without me or Cadmus, you should be fine."

That wasn't as comforting as he probably meant it to be, but I tried to put it out of my mind for the moment.

We went inside to a small lobby with a receptionist's desk on the left and a wall of bounty posters on the right. Opposite the entrance stood double doors that were emitting the thunderous sounds of machinery, maybe a printing press or a chorus of typewriters.

"How may I help you, sir and ma'am?" the receptionist--a brown scalewing with no horns and a distinctly feminine voice--asked us.

That confirmed my theory that scalewing women didn't have visible breasts. Though, I guessed this one could've been a teenager who hadn't fully matured yet.

"I'd like to post a bounty on information about nine specific humans." He paused as she retrieved a notepad and pen. "They arrived within the last two days without warning. They're likely to seem confused and out of place. Their names are Grace Taroth, James Keta-"

The receptionist's eyes narrowed. "Pardon me, sir, but if you seek to waste this esteemed Guild's time with a joke, I would ask that you leave."

He sighed. "I'm aware of the absurdity of their names, but I assure you that this is no joke. They're part of a group with unique naming conventions, and a poorly done teleportation spell sent them to unknown locations. They don't have any money or artifacts on them, so they'll be in a great deal of danger if they aren't recovered soon. Now, did you write down the names I gave you?"