Feeling her hand start to cramp from writing too much, Brandy laid her pen down on the desk and stretched out her arms. After having run a brothel for little over a week, she found it had come with a surprising amount of paperwork. She had initially assumed the paperwork would settle down after she had finished setting up the brothel and the contractors she had hired left, but she had been horribly wrong. The stacks of papers that had to be done almost everyday seemed endless.

Brandy was thankful then that the brothel had become a roaring success, so when she saw the paperwork start to pile up she hired several people just to help her take care of it. Even with all of the help she got from them, she still had to spend a few hours everyday at her desk just going over the pages that needed her signature. At least the business kept increasing because she was informed that she would have to hire some legal counsel just to deal with some legal issues.

Ever since the day the castle collapsed the business at her brothel had started to really increase. From the time the brothel opened up in the morning and closed late at night numerous clients visited throughout the day. So far it has seemed that the brothel was a smashing success. She attributed it to several reasons. The initial reason being that most of the brothels in the city had been closed due to issues that came up immediately after the castle fell. As most of the brothels at the time had been under the protection of the deceased queen, the owners saw the writing on the wall for them and they decided to flee and closed up shop for good.

As one of the few open brothels this led to a massive increase in business for her. For the ones who had nothing to do with the queen she could see why they fled as well. Who wanted to be in a city where a monstrosity caused the downfall of the castle. Not to mention the loss of the kingdom's god Alacanar. Sure Eramis herself had pledged to watch over the city, but so much chaos really scared people to leave the city. Of course, this also caused others to look upon the situation as advantage in the face of adversity. Which brought in a flood of new people to the city, not to mention all the nobles coming into the city to greet the arrival of the first queen.

From talking with her girls who got the details from certain clients Brandy knew the First Queen was set to arrive sometime next week. Duke Adam was currently planning a party for her taking over the throne from her late husband. Which was another reason so many nobles were coming. They hoped that by offering her their loyalty the first queen may choose to take them as her new husband. Whether that would work, Brandy did not know, she didn't know much about the first queen as she had been sent away when Brandy was very young. Still all this excitement was sure to drive up her business as sex always sells no matter what may be occurring.

Another big reason was the decree Duke Adam had put forth to clear out the slums. Most of the worst scum that didn't flee were taken into custody and the worn down shacks were being torn down. The Brothel was in a good location as it was one of the first areas to be cleared and not too far from the road. However, because the city was locked down for a bit after the castle fell most of the earliest visitors to her brothel were actually people looking for a room for the night. Though after they opened the gates some of these visitors decided to extend their stay due to the 'services' the brothel provided them.

Which perhaps leads to the biggest reason why this brothel was starting to pull in gold coins so fast. The quality of the girls in the brothel were astronomically high compared to other brothels in the area, and probably the whole country if not the continent. Only those in the Empire actually surpassed them. But it was hard to compare to the Empire's brothels which spent years training an escort. Not to mention the less restrictive use of enhancing them with magic. But thanks to signing on with Jack they quickly rose to prominence within the region.

With the class assistance they quickly gained numerous advantages over the competition. While at first they weren't able to level up without defeating monsters, they could still increase the skill levels they had. Even in such a sort time, they managed to rock the sex scene at Keston and now that Jack had allowed experience to be gained from working they really began to stand out ahead of the pack. Each of the escorts so far has had at least one proposal, some from nobility even. Brandy smiled at that, she had told her girls they were free to leave anytime this wished, but they all decided to keep on. Though she did note that one of them did accept a marriage proposal from a local wine merchant. She did it with the condition that she be allowed to continue working at the brothel.

Even the girls that did not take up the Escort class were in high demand. Midise her second and Yulana, the girl who became a mage, had been signed on for guards for a local caravan that had set out yesterday. They should be back in a few weeks. The owner had chosen them because they were heads above what was available in the mission guild at the time. Plus as a bonus the owner did pay for the package allowing him to ask for their more intimate services while on the trip. Erin, the other girl who had not become an escort, still helped out the brothel on the down low. With some help from the goddess Nyx servants Erin was able to spy upon the nobles in the city. With the information she provided Brandy was able to navigate the emerging power landscape of Keston.

Brandy herself was busy for the most part just running the brothel. Still she saw the occasional client who wanted her for her skills. As her level increased so did her skill in becoming anyone the client wanted. When she had gained enough skill points she had purchased a minor shapeshifting skill to broaden her prowess. The skill was limited in what it could do, and the effect did not last very long at best half a day. Though to be fair neither did most of her clients last very long. It allowed her to change her appearance and a little bit of her height and some of her physical traits. She was eyeing the next version of the skill, but that would be a while before she could afford it.

Yet it was her other skill purchase that really excited her customers. It was under the buff section, so she almost missed it when she was looking for new skills. It was meant to provide bonuses to companions which would aid them in battle, yet it also had the effect of enhancing one's senses and virility during sensual activities. Of course it was not a lust potion. It would not work on those who were uninterested but for the ones it did, it made them more or less stallions for the moment. Whilst was still relatively unknown some have even come around wanting to purchase her fluids for either personal use or to give those that needed it a little extra help. She was thankful the effect also boosted the users constitution or she feared the strain would have killed some of her older clients.

Sadly as much as she would have liked making some easy coin off of the skill, after some testing of it she found the effect only lasted a few hours before the fluids lost the magical effect. Perhaps she could increase the duration at higher levels of the skill, even with the limitations it pushed her into even high demand. To the point that she had to be particularly choosy about who she accepted. This only seemed to increase interest in her brothel, if they didn't get to sleep with her, at least they had a shot at an equally talented escort. To meet the increasing demand on the brothel, she had made the call to hire more girls, of whom she grouped into three categories.

The first was just basic entertainers and servants. With all the girls busy Brandy needed some extra help keeping the place clean and helping customers around the mansion. The girls hired this way basically took it as a part time job, though some were looking to get higher in the rankings. Other than cleaning the place, a few of them did put on shows mainly dancing in the main hall. However, these girls did not get a room assigned to them and if they get a client looking for more they had to find an inconspicuous corner, though one girl was willing to put on a show for everyone right in the middle of the main hall.

The next category was the pros which came from the closed brothels. As so many closed up shops the woman and the occasional man were either forced to work the street or make a deal with Brandy. She allowed them to pick up shifts by renting out rooms to them. She felt she had set a reasonable price of one-third their going rate per client. While not as good as the classed girls, these pros still managed to bring in customers and help relieve the burden. Plus while they weren't signed up with Jack they weren't no slouches and managed to pick up some tricks from her girls.

The last group, however, were the ones she was really interested in. She only has had ten candidates so far, but she was planning to ask Jack to make them his Users. Brandy saw great potential in them and more importantly for Jack they were good people who deserved a chance. Her eventual plan was to create a new brothel in another city and run multiple brothels at once. After she had finished the paperwork for the day, she began to write a message to Jack describing the woman and the one man and imploring him to consider them as candidates for his Users. Even if they weren't accepted Brandy would still hire them on. She had just finished the message and sent it out when there was a knock on her door.

Looking up Brandy called "You may come in."

Stendara, one of the assistants she had hired a few days ago, poked her head in through the open door. "A Viscount Edwards is asking to meet you. I told him he needed to make an appointment to do so, but he is insisting on meeting with you today. He says his business is extremely time sensitive. He also told me to tell you it involves the cat in the dark?"

Brandy frowned. That was a codename for Erin in her nightly activities around the city. "What was his name again?"

"Viscount Edwards, I don't recognize his name, he doesn't appear to come often to the capital. Do you wish me to have the guards show him the way out?"

Brandy shook her head. "No, please send him in. Have a guard stand by just outside just in case. Oh and once you do that, you can call it a day and go home. I'm pretty much finished here for the day." She wasn't sure what this Viscount knew but she had to find out just to be safe. Duke Adams protection could only go so far, and if this Viscount posed a threat to the brothel it needed to be taken care of.

Stendara nodded and said "Thank you Miss Brandy, I will see you tomorrow."

A few minutes later her door opened up again and the Viscount Edward was shown in by the guard Sam. Sam nodded towards Brandy and said "Let me know if you need anything Miss Brandy."

She nodded and took a look at this Viscount Edward, and found she had only two words about him average and forgettable. If he went into a crowd, he would easily fade into the background. If he left right now, she would be completely certain that a few minutes later she would have trouble describing his features to another person. Having seen a great number of people in her life, she had realized that most had something unique or something notable about them. Yet by looking at this man all she got was the feeling he was a blank slate. Even his clothes were starkly average, neither poorly made or too wealthy. It would fit in a nobles gathering and just as well in a tavern.

Viscount Edward smiled at her and held out his hand "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Miss Brandy. I've been hearing a lot about your brothel since I came to this city a few days ago."

Brandy stood up and leaned over the desk to shake his hand. "Yes, well, I hope you only heard good things about us. Now Stendara told me that you have some time sensitive business with me. Specifically about a cat in the dark? If this is about a specific girl, I assure you that Rita at the front desk is fully capable of helping you choose."

"I'm sure you have a great selection, but what I need is very specific. In fact what I need are your assistance and some help from that cat of yours. But before we move ahead with this talk, I have heard you have a guarantee of complete discretion. Even from those who might take an interest in our discussion with magic sight?" Viscount Edwards said.

Brandy narrowed her eyes at him and said "We do offer that specific service yes. But it does come with an upfront cost to it." She was getting more unsettled at how much this man already seemed to know.

"Of course, such a service is worth every coin." The Viscount said as he pulled out a bag of coins and slid it across the desk to her. She glanced in and saw it was filled with big gold coins.

"Very well, then I will ensure our conversation does not leave this room." Brandy said.

"Thank you." The Viscount nodded, and she stood and went to the side wall and pulled down on the secret lever she had found in the room. When she did so she felt a magical barrier spring up around the room. Not only did it cover the windows but also block all sound from leaving the room. It also acted as an anti-scrying field. The original owner had it secretly installed, most likely for whatever he was planning to do with the door in the basement. Still it ran off a very expensive magic crystal that would have to be replaced after a few more uses of it. She only offered its services to a very limited number of people, three in fact. It was a secret she held tight to her chest so it was alarming to find that this Viscount seemed fully aware of it, yet she knew nothing of him.

"Now that the field is active, Viscount Edward, I must say I have many questions. Starting with how exactly did you come to know I possess this anti-scrying field? Especially since the people that know would have told me if they had mentioned it to you." Brandy glared at Viscount Edwards with open suspicion.

"Ah yes, do not worry I mean no ill intent to you or your establishment. Rather I believe you can help me and am quite willing to pay for that help. As to how I learned of this particular aspect of your business... let's just say that Lady Menisa mentioned it to me after her tea party three days ago. I told her I would be calling on you soon, so asked her to kindly refrain from mentioning it to you." Viscount Edwards said looking Brandy directly in her eye.

Brandy could only frown in response. Lady Menisa was indeed one of the few who knew, but there was no way she would have told anyone given the secrets that she had shared with Brandy. She had been married to a buffoon of a husband who had taken numerous lovers on the side and worse started to actively harm her. She had come to Brandy not for their pleasure services but wanted them to help convince her husband to divorce her with most of his property going to her. With some help from Erin, this was easily accomplished, and her husband was sent packing. "I find that hard to believe she would speak with you about us. Is she also where you heard about the cat?"

Viscount Edwards said "Don't blame Lady Menise, I'm quite persuasive when I need to be. But no, she didn't talk about the cat to me. While the cat has gone mostly unnoticed, I did find a few sources able to tell me about it. Though you need not fear them talking as they won't be speaking to another soul about the cat."

"Did you kill them?" Brandy asked, narrowing her eyes.

Viscount Edwards cocked his head and said "I dealt with them as I saw fit. The cat is good but not perfect. Some were taking interest in the cat which would have brought their attention to you. So I stepped in for you. No doubt you would have done the same to protect your friends."

"I can hardly believe you took care of a problem for me out of the goodness of your heart." Brandy said icily. "Whatever you managed to find out, I ask you don't speak of it to anyone else. Now what business brought you here?" Brandy bluntly said, wanting to get this man out of her office.

"Do not worry, I will keep your secrets and even tell you some of mine so we're even." Viscount Edwards smiled and said "Now are you familiar with Earl Lamant? He is one of the lesser known Earls of the kingdom. Most of his territory is not very productive making him also one of the poorest as well. That being said he is having a gala tonight and I managed to secure an invitation to it. I will need you and the cat to accompany me tonight to it."

"I'm guessing you will need us for more than just eye candy for this gala." Brandy said.

"While your company is a gift in itself, alas I do require your help with something else." Viscount Edwards said smiling at her then his face turned serious. "My territory borders the Kingdom of the Elves, for the most part I have little to do with the capital. Inside of my land lies a tomb, my family tomb. Beneath of which is an ancient tomb which my family has cared for since we have been in control of my lands. A few months back it was robbed by a group of grave robbers. I tracked them down and recovered most of what was stolen except for a particular artifact. This was sold to Earl Lamant. He is keeping it inside his home here in Keston."

"You are suggesting you want us to help you reclaim it from the Earl Lamant at the gala tonight?" Brandy asked, raising her eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yes, that is correct. I truly need your help to do this, as I fear this will be my last chance to get it back as it appears that Earl Lamant is planning to head south to the Empire and deliver the artifacts to them for a princely sum. That cannot be allowed to come to pass as it would mean disaster for this world."

"If this is so important why come to us and not say the thieves guild? Surely they would be better equipped to sneak into the Earls estate and get back your artifact?" Brandy asked.

"I did consider them briefly but decided against them for two main reasons. First I cannot trust them to keep secret about the artifact. Especially when a few of the top members of the thieves guild are actually in league with the Empire. Second they do not come close to the specific abilities you can provide. Not to mention the cat is no slouch when it comes to the thieving skills." Viscount Edwards said.

Brandy narrowed her eyes and said "The cat doesn't like to play with others. I hope you haven't drawn interest from the thieves guild as that will hamper the kitty on her nightly prowls through the city."

"You have nothing to fear. The thieves guild knows nothing about the cat. They have yet to realize that a master thief is in the city much less residing in the rising popular brothel. They also haven't realized that Earl Lamant has a vault beneath his mansion hiding precious antiquities and valuables. Of which I only need one, the rest of which would be yours to split with the cat." Viscount Edwards said smiling at her.

"Well I'm thankful for your consideration towards our brothel Lord Edwards." Brandy said, adding a little coldness to her voice.

"I have done my best Miss Brandy. I have no desire to harm your business as I see us having a future working relationship. Be assured that your secrets will be as safe as you keep mine." Viscount Edwards said.

"Be that as it may, you are coming to us on the day you wish to conduct this little heist of yours. That leaves the cat and me very little time to prepare. Whether it can even be done, I am unsure, but if it can it will cost you a substantial sum of coin."

He chuckled and nodded "If I had the choice of the matter I would have sought out your company sooner as your beauty makes the day shine brighter and your voice soothes the soul. Due to several factors the team I had originally assembled fell apart. Now you are my last hope Miss Brandy. You can name whatever price you want. I will pay it. All that I ask is you aid me with this plan."

Brandy sat back in her chair and thought about this. She did not like how much he seemed to know, plus she felt threatened by him as she was certain he was incredibly dangerous. Behind his average looking eyes seem to lurk a snake in the grass waiting to strike. If he did not have so much knowledge about her secrets, she would turn him away. While she was no thief, jumping directly into a heist on this with little planning sounded incredibly dangerous. She gritted her teeth and said "Six thousand big gold coins for our services and another ten thousand big gold coins if we manage to recover this artifact of yours."

"That is fair. As I said before as a bonus you can take whatever else we find in the Vault." Viscount said.

"Very well, before I commit to this I need to hear exactly what you are planning. I will not agree to go with a half-assed plan. Now I can guess why you would need the cat's services, but why exactly do you need me to go along with you?" Brandy asked.

"Besides your charming personality? For your special abilities that I've heard about." Viscount Edward said, reaching into his pockets and pulled out what appeared to be a golden locket. He handed it to her, and she looked at it. On the front of the gold case was a symbol of a crying woman, not exactly something that someone would want to wear. Opening it, she could see inside was a drawn portrait of a woman with two little boys. She had a stern look to her face as if she was telling someone off at the time this was painted. Her clothes indicated she was some sort of nobility.

"Who is this?" Brandy said looking at the Viscount.

"That would be Earl Lamant's late mother, the two boys are Earl Lamant and his brother. With your abilities I want you to take on her appearance tonight and act as my fiance tonight at the gala. The cat will come along acting as your Lady's maid."

Brandy looked up at him with a questioning look. "So you want me to look like the dead mother of the Earl while you steal from him? That hardly seems like a good idea if you're trying to keep a low profile."

"Sometimes if you want to reel in a big fish, you need really shiny bait. Earl Lamant's brother Mark acts as a manager of the Earls estate, he is your target for this plan. He has on his person two things that we will need to get into the vault. A key ring and a pendant which is the key to the vault underneath the estate. I am absolutely confident that he will take an interest in you. All you need to do then is convince him to follow you outside into the gardens."

"Wait are you suggesting I seduce Mark while looking like his mother?" Brandy said with disgust.

"While they kept it under wraps Mark suffered severe abuse from his mother including sexual assault. After she passed he has sought out women who resemble her and under certain pretenses he abuses them in every way his mother did to him. Since you will resemble her, you will most likely trigger him into approaching you and he will certainly make his move on you. All you need to do then is convince him to follow you to the garden. Since you will be acting as my fiance, just pretend as if I'm not satisfying you and dallying with Mark would be a delight."

"Are you suggesting that I allow myself to be assaulted by him? If so this partnership is not going anywhere." Brandy said cooly. She had no desire to ever be abused again.

"No, it should not come to that. Nor would he risk doing it so close to the mansion. He may however ask to have sex with you, which should only be a last resort. Before that I need you to get him to drink this." Edwards reached again into his pockets and withdrew a small bottle that was filled with a deep purple liquid that sparkled in the light. "This is a potent sleeping potion that I acquired for this job. Once he consumes this, Mark will be out for the night and most of tomorrow as well. Once he is out and incapacitated all you need to do then is to hide him somewhere in the garden."

"You make it sound so easy." Brandy said scoffing, taking the bottle from him and examining it.

 

 

Brandy made a deliberate effort to keep the surprise from her face. She had no desire to let more secrets slip to this man in front of her. To be honest while she appreciated the gift from the goddess, she did not have much use for sleeping potions in her line of work. Even the cost of them were so high that she could not reasonably make a profit off of selling them. Maybe as a side benefit to those who wanted a restful sleep? It was also good to have a backup in hand. Not to mention having a connection with a god, albeit a small one would be beneficial, even if one she didn't worship.

Putting the bottle down on the desk she asked "You want me to slip him this when I get him outside? I can think of ways I could, but once he goes down then what? I'm strong, but I don't think I can drag a knocked out guy far."

"I am sure you will have no trouble giving it to him without him catching on. Though as its effects will be almost immediate, it will be best to do so when he is outside. As for moving him, the cat should slip outside and help you move the body. I would offer my services of course, but I will be engaged with other parts of the plan at that time."

"And why exactly do you want me to get him outside in the garden? I think convincing him to take me to a side room might be easier to pull off." Brandy said.

"While that may be, I'm afraid the risk is too great for him to be discovered in the mansion. The garden will be unattended at least until dawn, thus the perfect place to hide him. If Earl Lamant raises the alarm, there is no way we will be able to get the artifact. In such a scenario it would make our escape harder if not impossible. In addition the path you must take to the vault actually lies outside hidden in a small shack in the middle of the hedge maze."

"Wait a sec, my path?" Brandy asked.

"Yes. There are two paths that lead to where the vault is housed. In order for the door to the vault to open, both must be traversed. In each of the paths are switches that must be activated in order for the door to open. These switches are obvious large levers. With the help of the cat, you should be able to do this without any trouble. With the key obtained from Mark, you will go down the outside path, and I will take the path inside the mansion. We will then meet up at the entrance to the vault, where I will need the assistance of the cat to get us through and to the artifact."

"I see." Brandy nodded and then asked "If this artifact was stolen from you, why have you not asked help from the royalty?"

Viscount Edwards sighed and said "As you well know until very recently the true power behind the throne was that corrupt Queen. I fear if word of that artifact had come to her ears there would have no chance for me to have reclaimed it. I did consider approaching Duke Adam when she passed away, yet with so many factions appearing in the court I fear that Earl Lamant would hear of my intentions and hide away the artifact. Which cannot be allowed to happen."

"Alright then. Before we go any further in discussing this I need to bring in the cat. So far I have been willing to listen to your plan and consider doing it. But if she says your plan is dangerous or suicidal, you will have to find another way to get your artifact. Threat or no threat." Brandy said.

"Then go right ahead. I assure you that I have gone over this plan numerous times. As long as it is followed to the letter, we will have no trouble and you will walk away richer."

"We will see." Brandy said and went to the door and asked Sam to watch over Viscount Edwards while she went to get Erin. She wasn't a fool to leave the man alone in her office even though there wasn't much besides budget papers. Going up to the fourth floor to get Erin she entered the girls private rooms. This floor was restricted, no customers were allowed on these floors for the protection and privacy of the girls and men of the brothel. The attic above held Brandy's own rooms.

Each of the rooms she passed had a nameplate on the door indicating who's room it was. Each girl made her own nameplate and Erin's was just of a black cat winking and licking it's paw. Brandy knocked on her door a few times and a short while later Erin opened the door with a groggy expression to it and her ears twitching annoyedly. Erin had only been a prostitute for less then a week when she had signed up with Brandy to set up this brothel. This girl was in fact hiding a rather large secret, that she was actually a beastkin folk. Specifically a Catkin though only a quarter.

The only cat parts of her were her ears, her extendable claws and the short nub of her tail. It looked like she once had a longer tail, but for some reason it had been cut off. Erin didn't tell Brandy why, nor would Brandy ask her. She could feel it was likely the reason the girl had come to the slums and become a prostitute. With her skills able to hide what she was plus the fact she was so good at slipping into places made it obvious that this girl must have had a hard life. It was good that she could hide those dark colored ears of hers, or one of the gang lords would have made her their personal pet.

"Ugh is it the afternoon? Brandy did you need something right now?" Erin said, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"Yes I need your advice in regards for a job for the cat." Brandy said and Erin's ears twitched. "I got a job offer from a man who's in my office. What's worrisome is he is aware of the cat and asked for it specifically."

Erin's eyes sharpened to the point of a dagger and she said in a stone voice "Is that so? Who is it?"

"A man by the name of Viscount Edwards. Having never heard of him, I can't verify if that is his true name."

Brandy saw Erin visibly relax, and she said "I've never met him, but I have heard of him in passing on some of my nightly adventures. Even then he's only really brought up because of the fact his land is bordering the Kingdom of the Elves. Since the Elves have declared war on the Empire, more nobles are looking to secure our borders against them lest the Empire think we are aiding the Elves against them. So he has a job for us?"

"Yes, he seems to have a plan, but I need your expertise to tell if this is even a good idea to do. He low-key threatened me about leaking our secrets but if it's too dangerous I will find another way to deal with him. So far what he has told me sounds doable for me and you."

"He wants your help too?" Erin asked.

Brandy nodded and said "Yes, in a shapeshifting manner."

Erin frowned and said "Alright give me a second to get dressed." Erin closed the door and few minutes later came out wearing brown pants, a white shirt and a brown vest. On Top of her head was a brown cap and no sign of her cat ears could be seen. As Erin did not possess much in the way of breasts, it appeared that she was in fact a young lad. In fact she spoke with a rougher voice and said "Let's go meet this Viscount."

"What's with the outfit?" Brandy asked.

"Just go along with it." Erin said. "I want to see how he reacts."

"Alright." Brandy shrugged.

When they got back to her office, she asked Sam to step out and leave the three of them. "Viscount Edwards, may I present the cat. This is..."

Before Brandy could introduce Erin the catgirl stepped forward with her hand out and said "Eric. You can call me Eric."

Viscount Edwards looked briefly surprised and then stood and shook Erin's hand and said "It's good to finally meet you Eric. I've been impressed with your handiwork."

Erin nodded and said "I hear you have need of my services." Then walked to the side of the desk and sat on it. While she did so she glanced at Brandy giving her a look to just go with it.

"Yes, I'm afraid only the cat can help me." Viscount Edwards said and went over the plan to the point that he stopped with Brandy.

Erin nodded and said "Well this will be tricky indeed. Especially since you are coming to us at the last minute with this plan of yours."

"I know. However the group I originally intended to aid me to get the artifact suffered some setbacks. Now I have no choice but to come to you and ask you for your help."

"I see." Erin said. "So exactly what is this artifact that you want us to risk ourselves for?"

Viscount Edwards leaned back into the chair and said "Earl Lamant is fascinated with the Well of Purification, or obsessed you could say. He has a strong desire to obtain the power it has for his own use. As such he has gone to lengths to acquire numerous artifacts related to the well. Which eventually brought him to the tomb of my forebears. To be exact to the tomb beneath that tomb. My ancestors thought it would be a brilliant move to hide the old tomb by placing their own tomb above it."

"Now the well of Purification is ancient. It dates back to at least to the Kingdom that spanned the entire continent and might even be older than that. However, most of the information regarding it and its creation were lost during the goblin wars. The people who made that tomb were either part of the group who made the well or raided the area around the well. This I know as it contained several artifacts within it that relate to the well itself. However, the artifact that I am most concerned about is a large crystal that produces flames."

"Wait are you saying that this crystal has the ability to produce the same flames that are inside of the well?" Brandy said astonished. That would be immensely valuable, the kind of thing that kings would pay fortunes for.

"Ah no. Not quite, there appears to be something else needed for it to change the power within the crystal into purifying energy. What it does do is release an extremely intense flame. It can even melt stone if left on. Which is also partly the reason it was abandoned is because there is a fracture within the crystal which has destabilized the crystal. As long as the crystal is not overheated, it will be fine, but once it goes past a certain state, the crystal will explode releasing all of its energy into the surrounding. If it should go off in a city; it will completely raze the city to the ground."

"How would you know this?" Erin said looking at the Viscount.

"According to my notes my ancestors left my family there were in fact three damaged crystals in the tomb at one time. My ancestors used two of them to help destroy two goblin breeding centers. The scars of the explosions can still be seen on my land, so I know that what they said is true."

"If that is the case, then are you fearing that someone will accidently set off the crystal?" Brandy asked. The thought of someone messing around with it and causing a massive explosion unnerved her.

"While that would be a fear, my ancestors carefully carved out several warnings on the control mechanism of the crystal. Rather what I truly fear is that it being set off intentionally to destroy a city killing thousands of innocent lives. As you know we are in the crisis of several powers at war, such a weapon could radically shift the scales. Which is why I fear the empire getting their hands on it. As the most magically advanced nation, they have the highest chance of replicating the crystal which would be a nightmare. The only reason the Empire hasn't come for the crystal is that they are unaware just how powerful it is."

Brandy felt a cold pit in her stomach. Such a weapon in the hands of the Empire would be horrific. "That is truly bad."

"Though that is not the worst the thing that can happen. If it were to be dropped down the Well of Purification, it would be a disaster on a scale that is unthinkable. All the crystals in the well would overload creating an explosion the likes of which has never been seen on this world. It might even have enough power to split this world into pieces."

"That is disturbing. If this crystal is so dangerous why didn't you or your ancestors destroy it?" Erin asked.

"For that worst event as well. There are perhaps tens of thousands of these crystals within the well. As long as they are active, they pose a huge safety hazard to this world. Even if they provide benefits, at the moment the danger is too much. In time I fully believe that we can make different crystals that provide the same purpose, but far safer to use. Which requires this crystal to study." Viscount Edwards said his face was completely serious.

"Then are you suggesting that they make an effort to completely shut down the well?" Brandy said incredulously.

"Well maybe. I know it sounds absurd and even unlikely to even get the support of the gods. It is right now one of the very few means of cleansing corruption so people are not likely to want to shut it down. Yet from what I have studied of the well, I do not believe purification was the original intent of the well. If that is the case then it would be better to recreate the purifying effect that can be shared across the world while shutting down the dangerous well."

"Wait, what exactly do you think the original intent of the well was?" Brandy asked.

"That is hard question to answer given how little information remains." Viscount Edwards said. "But from what I have seen I suspect that the Well is actually meant to imprison something and eventually kill the prisoner."

"If something is imprisoned there does that not mean it would not be a good idea to shut it down."

"Before we shut it down I would want to determine if something is truly trapped down there and if it is still alive. While the information is vague and hard to decipher I am confident that whoever built it was not friendly. There are indications that it was built using massive amounts of slave labor. Even if the thing in the well is evil, the builders of the well certainly didn't do it out of altruism."

"All this is a little heavy for a job. Still as long as we get paid I'm willing to take the risk to get this artifact." Erin said. "Now your plan to get to the vault seems okay, though we will have to rely on you being able to make it through the interior of the mansion to the vault without any help. Which is fine with me as you will be taking the largest risk. Now do you have a map of this vault? Is it a large one or a small one?"

"That is the challenge of this job. I honestly know very little about the interior of the vault. What I do know is that the vault itself is actually an artifact that Earl Lamant had acquired from somewhere. He has kept tight wraps on its capabilities, but what I do know is that it can create a door to a private vault that is located elsewhere. Well multiple doors to many vaults depending on the key used. Which is where the pendant from Mark comes in. That will open the door to the correct vault which is why it is imperative that you get it from him."

"If that's the case, you don't know if there are additional security measures within the vault?" Erin asked.

"No I don't. But I do know that there will be no one in the vault as the door cannot be closed with someone inside. That is why I will need to rely on your expertise in this matter Eric."

"This sounds risky but if what you said is true we must act. I have no desire to see the Empire grow ever more powerful." Erin said. "So say we manage to get the artifact, what then? How do we escape?"

"We have three options, the two paths and a sewer exit. If we don't alert anyone it will be easy to take the outside entrance and leave the estate without anyone the wiser. As long as no one finds Mark, no one will realize the vault was raided until Mark wakes up. If we have to, we could fight our way out through the inside path which is not one I recommend. The last is there is a sewer grate in the basement. It's barred but in an emergency we could go through that way."

Brandy looked at Erin and said "So what do you think Eric, is his plan doable?"

"If it all goes according to plan then yes. Though I have yet to have a plan that goes completely to plan. So will the Earl not be suspicious of you? Or find it odd that a woman that looks suspiciously like his mother is attending his party?" Erin asked.

"No, I will be going under an assumed name of Mr. Readds a businessman who is looking for connections in the city. As to him finding Miss Brandy suspicious for looking like his mother, fear not as the Earl Lamant has extremely bad eyesight. His vanity prevents him from wearing the glasses he desperately needs at public affairs and thus he wouldn't be able to recognize you if you were standing a foot from him."

"His brother wouldn't mention it to him?" Erin asked.

"Very unlikely. Despite their appearances of being loving brothers in actuality both despise one another. The mother never abused the Earl, and Mark would hardly want to bring up the fact that he sleeps and assaults women that look like his mother. As long as you catch his attention, they will not have time to speak to one another before we go through with the plan."

"Okay. I've heard enough." Erin said. "Brandy I'm okay with accepting this mission, but it is up to you."

Brandy nodded and then looked at the Viscount. "We will accept this mission on the agreed amount of payment. I will write up a contract for you to sign. What time will we be heading to this gala?"

"I will be sending a carriage here to pick you up in a few hours. Bring the contract along then and I will sign it." Viscount Edwards said. "Thank you for helping me, Miss Brandy and Mr. Eric." He pulled out another bag of coins and said "Consider this an upfront payment for your services." With that he left.

When he left and Brandy sat down to begin writing out the contract. "So Eric?" She glanced up at Erin.
"When you told me he was aware of the cat, I wanted to see how much he knew. Based on his reaction he likely thought I was a female. Seeing me presenting as a man threw him for a loop, yet he didn't mention it showing he can adapt quickly." Erin said.
Brandy nodded and said "Or he could tell you were a woman presenting as a man. Even so, I don't think that's the real reason you did this, is it Erin?"

Erin looked at her and nodded "I could spout some story about wanting to hide my identity from him which is partially true. That man is dangerous, and I don't like giving him any secrets he could use against me. But I will be honest with you, I've never truly felt like I was a woman. Every time I look in a mirror something screams in me that something is wrong. The only times it quiets down is when I wear men's clothing and act like a guy. Though it's never truly gone."

"Oh I see." Brandy said stunned. "Then do you want me to address you as Eric from now on?" Brandy asked.

"For you either is fine, though, while I'm dressed like this I do prefer Eric." Eric said.

"I can do that. Though I must admit it is hard for my mind to wrap around such. I don't mean to pry, but if you wish to be a man, why did you choose to become a prostitute when you came to Keston? You could have dressed as a boy and gotten labor work."

Eric sighed and said "Unfortunately when I came to this city I had nothing only the clothes on my back, which were feminine. That's when Stephen picked me up. I was able to hide that I was a catkin from him, but I fell into the trap he laid out and began to sell my body for coin. If it wasn't for you, I would have likely been destroyed like some of the other girls I saw in the slums."

Brandy said "Don't worry about it Eric. I saw the potential in you and should be thanking you for what you have done for me."

Eric nodded and said "Alright. So since I will be acting as your Lady's maid, do you have a dress in mind for this gala?"

"I do. Once I finish this contract we will get dressed." Brandy said, feeling an excitement building up. This would be her first time truly acting outside of the bedroom, even if it wasn't for an audience she was still giddy about this opportunity.