The street was much better lit and more like what Elania had seen in the Artisan District. The scruffy, dirty undertone the Merc Dist’ had was absent, which was noticeable simply because the contrast happened suddenly. That meant the Artificers not only paid for the extra Mercenary protection but also to have things cleaned.

Then again, if they were going to be able to pay her several small golds for the round bauble in her pack, then they probably could afford it. She still wasn’t sure what real use the thing would have in regard to ‘Artificing,’ but she had noted the Guards' little tidbit about it already being ‘purified’ by Tanyan. If that increased its value, she would try to ply that to her favor, or at least keep from getting ripped off too badly.

Lucas, the poor ‘New Guy’ mercenary was slowly moping along behind her and Tina. The first half dozen houses weren’t shops but residences, and it seemed like a good chance for Elania to engage him for some information without so many other inputs.

“Lucas?” Her prompt had him look at her suddenly in surprise like she was violating some unwritten rule about surveillance as if the more senior mercenary hadn’t thrown that book out already.

“Uhh, yes?”

“How many shops are there? Are there any that would already be open this early?”

Elania glanced at her Hud, and the clock read a disappointing ‘6:47’, which meant it hadn’t even been an hour since she last checked. The wistful wish it would be possible to make the red counter go faster was quickly dismissed as she noticed Tina looking around. She probably hadn’t been into the row before.

‘Hopefully, we can sell it quickly, and then get her something to eat while finding a place to stay.’

“Uhh, I’m not sure, and I don’t think so.”

“Ok. Do you know about any of the Artificers? Is there one that might give us a better price for the Monster Core?”

“You’re selling a Monster Core?”

“Yes, that’s the plan. Why?”

“Oh, nothing, the two of you just didn’t seem like Delvers.”

“Well, we have one. What about the Artificers?”

“Well, uhh, I only met Artificer Ranolf. He runs the biggest shop, and coordinates the row so he’s the one who pays us. I don’t really know much else.”

“Maybe he’d be the most willing to buy it for the best price then?”

“Maybe. Sorry, I just signed up as a member of Steelfist, so I’m really still learning the ropes… I actually just joined yesterday. My brother is one of the sergeants and got me in.”

Elania tried to hide her disappointment about Lucas’s lack of knowledge, but it wasn’t going to deter her.

“Steelfist, that’s the name of the mercenary company? Is it really big? Are there a lot of mercenary companies in the city?”

“Yes, that’s the name, it isn’t really larger than any other company, but It has a lot of high-rankers so it is a bit prestigious.”

Elania thought Lucas was almost puffing out his chest, or at least trying to stand up straighter as he started relaying a torrent of names of members and clients the company had worked for, which told her exactly nothing other than most names seemed to translate to English pretty well, or whatever magical hocus-pocus was going on in her brain to translate things.

His enthusiasm had her smiling, though, and she almost wanted to poke fun at him and remind him that he had only been in the outfit, by his own admission, for a day. She did not quite feel safe or comfortable enough to interrupt, though, so she quietly listened as they continued to move toward the first two shops on the row.

Elania sighed; one had a sign stamped with the name Lucas had mentioned, ‘Ranolf’s Artifice,’ while the other had a more visual display of a hanging crystal that glittered and cast a small bit of light around.

Elania felt her hopes for someone being open early fade though, as both were clearly shut and locked up without any lights on inside though. Idling wasn’t going to be easy.

 

---

 

At some point, Lucas's patrol turned into an escort as Elania continued to pry for information on the environs. It turned out he was from the Artisan district, so his useful information on the Merc Dist’ was lacking and mostly amounted to 'Don’t go anywhere without another senior Merc.'

After they reached the end of the row and returned, Elania decided to just wait with the Mercenaries. They didn’t seem to mind her or Tina’s presence and even gave her a chair. Well, Lucas’s chair. That might have been because they were still in the process of hazing their newest recruit.

Elania ended up closing her eyes and drifting off, reaching a blank state of mind that she hadn’t had in a while.

“Do you have any food?”

Elania opened her eyes, and an apology almost left her lips before she realized Tina wasn’t asking her, but Lucas.

[Clock: 7:55]

Elania felt herself come to alertness as she realized she’d been sitting for almost an hour. Sure enough, the city's lighting had changed, reverting to the brighter version that acting au lieu of daylight on the surface. At least she hoped the surface had daylight.

Chiding herself for adding extra worry again, she refocused on the others.

Tina was well on her way to shaking down Lucas, who had produced some kind of brown cereal bar that resembled granola. He broke off the top part of it, but Tina ended up with the larger piece leaving the recruit to shake his head with a smile and finish off the bit he had broken off himself. Elania realized she wasn’t the only one watching the exchange as several others burst out into laughter.

A cough nearby drew Elania’s attention from that; it was from one of the gate guards who’d let her in earlier and had apparently been relieved while she was out of it. As soon as she looked at him, he spoke.

“After ya sell that core, you should find a place and get some rest. I’ve seen men exhausted on the battlefield before, most of the men here have. Ye resemble someone on their last leg, regardless of if yer a demon or not.”

“Believe me that is the plan. It has been the plan for a while, but it hasn’t been easy at all.”

The mercenary glanced over to Tina, then back to Elania before continuing, “I don’t know your story, and I’ve no wish to pry. I know a place nearby ye can stay at after your business is done. Large Inn only a street away, that the company uses to house us here. Room and Board is a large silver per night, which is expensive, but for the price the Innkeeper is honest, and the locks are good and you don’t have to worry about your things being ruffled through while out. Keeper’ won’t pry either.”

Elania had to fight to control her elation as he continued to explain. After everything so far, a nagging voice in the back of her head kept telling her it could be a trick or trap. Even if she kept yelling at herself ‘cautious optimism’ was the best path, she couldn’t help but smile at the mercenary. The single large silver Tessa had given her in her inside pocket suddenly felt like its weight redoubled against her side. Even if the worst happened with the Monster Core she would be able to book at least one ‘safe’ night.

She realized she didn’t even know his name.

“What’s your name?”

“Harlock.”

“You aren’t the captain by any chance are you?”

Harlock chuckled and shook his head, “Nothing so grand, I’m just a lowly Sergeant.”

“Ok. If you were, I would have asked if you had a spaceship and if I could join your crew for a ride home.”

Harlock’s brow furrowed in confusion, and Elania realized she’d rambled a bit. She felt that familiar social awkward feeling she got in her chest started to appear when luckily something in the interaction between Tina and Lucas drew his attention and he dropped it.

“I imagine most of the shopkeeps have opened by now. We can keep hold of the girl while you go sell the core. That’d probably be easiest, and safest for everyone.”

Elania blinked before following his gaze over to the orphan girl, who had managed to excise another food object from the recruit. What the recruit didn’t see, but was visible from Elania and Harlock’s seats was that she was stashing away half of it in a back pocket.

“That might be best,” Elania agreed.

 

---

 

Rather than look around more, Elania chose to try the first and ‘biggest’ shop, Ranolf’s Artifice. She didn’t really have any expectations when she pulled open the heavy wooden door. A bell attached to the top chimed her entry.

The lack of expectation was a good thing because the inside was wholly different from the ‘Artificer’ shop in the Artisan District. Shelves upon shelves were piled with miscellaneous tidbits and gears, metal scraps and all kinds of pipes and other odds and ends. There didn’t seem to be any order to the mess, either.

A man and a woman were sitting at a large table with a similar pile of random things and didn’t even turn to look at her as they each seemed absorbed in their tinkering. Elania immediately wanted to gravitate over to them and watch because whatever it was, there were lights and maybe magic involved.

“Can I help you?” The deeper, older voice pulled Elania’s attention away from the two younger workers. She’d forgot to use [Identify] on them, but seeing the gray speckled beard, she started firing off the skill really quick.

[Master Artificer – 272 – Human]

[Artificer – 72 – Human]

[Artificer – 69 – Human]

That was hopeful; she’d found the real artificers instead of a salesperson. She offered the man a smile, “Hello. I’m looking to sell a Monster Core, and was looking to see if the shop’s owner was interested.”

Elania hated how everyone looked at and appraised her at first, but it was something she was quickly getting used to anyway. The man finally tilted his head affirmatively, then motioned for her to follow.

“I’m Ranolf. Let’s see what you have then--- this way.”

Elania followed quietly after taking a last peek at the two working artificers. The table somehow reminded her of the back room of a computer shop that did repairs. Except instead of computers they were doing things with all kinds of gadgets and… Mana shards! The belated realization as to the source of the light almost had her jerk to a halt to look more.

‘I need one of those shards to replace my shattered one!’

---