“It is a lot.” Cynthia nodded forlornly. “I did my best, but I am not Gammer Buckley. I suppose if that partnership between Guild Medical and Esoteric goes through it may alleviate some of the burden of me sending people to others.”
“Eh.” Jade rolled her eyes. “HuanJen’s been talking about that. I mean, I think it’s clear. Lets let Guild Medical manufacture some of the common herbal remedies and stuff and we all get a cut. It affects some peoples business, but hell, they’ll adapt. Besides, it keeps tabs on things like that.”
“I know. Sadly, to some our profession is just a business. You and HuanJen, you’re all ready if it goes through?”
“We’ll be fine.” Jade checked her daytimer for her next destination, never missing a pace. “He picked up some more freelancing when I came on board, he had the time, and it brings in more money. Hey, I’m more wondering about you.”
“I’ve been in the church for fifteen years. I’ll adapt.”
“Funny, Huan told me I’d be doing a lot of that here …”
“You still will be fifteen years from now, dear.”
Crush. Blend. Sniff. Check. Stir …
Jade worked through HuanJen’s directions slowly and deliberately. She’d always been methodical back home, working with father, but this was different. A lot was in her hands or was going to be, because she asked for it, she wanted it. She felt both burdened by the future and freer.
Tuesday, she’d hoped to forget about it for awhile, but she couldn’t.
Richard Nax had thought, those many years ago when he acquired the bar that bore his last name, that celebrating birthdays would be a fun thing. A little song with the employees joining in, perhaps a free meal for the recipient, and so forth. Of course as his bar had become the best known secret place for Esotericists, adventurers, University personnel and the like, he got little celebrating done since most of his clients wanted peace in economy-sized quantities.
He tried, however, when he could. For instance, HuanJen’s apprentice was apparently celebrating, so he’d informed the mystic her meal was on the house. It wasn’t particularly spectacular, but it was something. Still, it just wasn’t the same, but at least the recipient had seemed happy …
Jade looked at the usual Tuesday night crowd; Lorne, Brandon, Clairice, HuanJen, Rake. Slate and Garnet had even shown up, hopefully as much due to her request for Slate to actually be more civil as to celebrate. Slate seemed a bit uncomfortable, but everyone was making an effort to be polite to the newcomer in their midst.
“I’m … I really appreciate this,” Jade said, feeling like she was smiling like an idiot. “Hell, it’s not even until Sunday.”
“Well, why not?” Brandon’s brown eyes twinkled beneath his Technologist’s diadem. “Besides, better early than late I figure.”
“Yeah.” Jade looked down at the pile of presents she’d placed in an empty chair next to the gang’s usual table. Unthinkingly, she touched the yin-yang pendant HuanJen had given her earlier. Things definitely changed.
“We rarely celebrated them so socially at Colony,” Slate spoke for Jade. She felt a moment of annoyance before she reminded herself he was being helpful. She had made an effort after their last blow-up to remind herself Slate was not some monster intent on dragging down. Her recent reconciliation with her brother had reminded her all too much that she could set him off easily.
“I, ah, understand,” Rake commented. “I’m glad, you, ah, spent it here.”
“Thanks. Again. Everyone.”
She really wasn’t sure what to say. She usually didn’t mind being the center of attention, but this was different. Jade was happy, but felt a bit like she was expected to be happy.
Hell, she was making too much of it.
Lorne raised a glass, leaning his huge frame back in his chair. “You’re family, so to speak.”
“Moreso now, I supposed.” HuanJen patted Jade’s hand under the table.
“True. Look, I haven’t said this since I came here, but everyone … thanks. All of you. I feel at home. Hell, I have the best part of my family here.” Slate cocked an eyebrow at the statement, then smiled. “Thanks again everyone.”
It was just a party, a minor celebration. Clairice even lightened up a bit. It was a change. But it wasn’t the only change, she realized. Was Rake a bit friendlier? Did HuanJen treat her a bit different? Was the conversation just a bit different. Why didn’t Slate say anything about her apprenticeship.
She was changing, and she couldn’t get away from that change any more than she could outrun her shadow.
Blending, stirring, mixing. Odd herbs and substances, all changing into something else, she hoped.
Like her.
Jade wished for a wild moment that HuanJen was a praying kind of holy man, so she knew exactly who or what to invoke for guidance. He believed in gods and spirits and the like, but took a laid-back attitude towards them. All things had their place in the scheme of things, gods included, and he dealt with life as necessary. She envied him that, though at times he was so calm she wanted to check for a pulse.
Feeling distinctly uncleical, Jade made a quick prayer to the gods of Xai under her breath, and forged ahead. The tricky part was coming up, and she needed to focus.
However this had not been a week that gave her time to focus. Event after event kept coming. She told herself she’d relax, but …
Metris had always been a part of Xai no matter the time, no matter the name. It had grown over the aeons, changing constantly, more a living thing than a simple city. Beneath it all, the Maze grew with it.
Tunnels and sewers and cellars and more had accumulated beneath the city, the chaff of architectural ages. They connected by will and by accident, by design and by stupidity, he result being a second Metris below the first, the Maze. It was a way to move goods and avoid the streets, a way for businesses and individuals to communicate and meet in private, a way to get around traffic or make a needed appearance.
Underneath the Guildhall of Guild Esoteric, it was where the apprentices met.
Jade felt it was less impressive than it sounded. In the end, the Maze was really a bunch of sewers, tunnels, cellars, and highly unusual odors that someone had stuck a name on because “underground mass of stuff” didn’t sound that interesting. Still, impressive or not, some long-forgotten shaman-to-be had figured it was the perfect place for apprentices to meet and talk business while maintaining something of an air of mysteriousness.
The meeting wasn’t anything required - an informal thing held every other Wednesday so the various apprentices could keep in touch and discuss issues. Not all of them showed up, some never attended, but it let the future mystics and clerics maintain contact and bear burdens. Jade hadn’t been sure what to expect, but had hoped it would be relaxing.
Having Kevin Anderson escort her was very unexpected, and not very relaxing.
“Still attending?” Jade had asked as Kevin escorted her into the depths of the Guildhall. Kevin was a lanky, introverted mystery to her many times, hard to get information out of. He kept to himself, moreso since Green had died, which irritated Jade, who was quite sure he wasn’t over his mentor’s death.
“Well, yes.” Kevin sniffed. “I’m still working things out, deciding. When I take Green’s place and his Zone. You understand.”
Jade actually didn’t understand, but she nodded. Kevin would, hopefully be more forthcoming in time. You couldn’t force anything out of him, even if she wanted to try.
The two made their way into the Guildhall’s depths, down several stairs and into the Maze without further conversation. They emerged into a large, high-ceilinged chamber that had once, perhaps been a temple or similar chamber. A few apprentices had already gathered, there was food set out on a central table, and an air of rather pleasant informality hung around the place.
Kevin was definitely not his normal self when he introduced her to the others. Jade felt comparisons sliding into her mind - he was more distant, more nervous. It was
hard not to like Kevin, but the others seemed to keep a distance, and she doubted it was just because he was stuck between Xaian shaman and apprentice.
There was more. As more apprentices drifted in, he developed a nosebleed - and he did seem paler come to think of it. His blond hair seemed to be a little dingier, and one or two of the Xaian talismans he usually wove into it weren’t there. She looked at him, feeling a bit like HuanJen; letting her mind unfurl, barriers falling away, until she knew without knowing …
“Jade?”
The Vulpine blinked and found herself looking up at Loreli, Crone Harkness’ latest apprentice. She was plump, dark-haired comet of friendliness with a tendency to streak onto the scene when you least expected it.
“Sorry.” Jade smiled up at her fellow apprentice. “Thinking. Keeping track of things. You know how it goes.”
“Sure.”
Jade let herself get involved in smalltalk, trying to keep an eye on Kevin. Relax at the apprentice meeting, sure …
The process of brewing sleep powder seemed to get easier as it went on. She’d separated everything out, mixed what she needed. HuanJen had said it was finding the basic elements, the basic principles, introducing them to each other and watching the results.
The basic elements …
… Thursday, she had gone back to the basic elements. She figured she didn’t have much choice.
“It was a great dinner, Verrigent.”
Jade was in unfamiliar territory - the Shard Overlook. An actual restaurant in Shard tower, in the heart of Metris’ sort-of-government building. Shard Tower wasn’t exactly unknown territory to her, but the high-ceiling restaurant with its ornate windows and exotic cuisine was.
It was, she supposed, a “date.” She wasn’t exactly comfortable with the idea, or with the prospect of explaining her feelings to her companion; Verrigent.
Verrigent, the Outrider, an explorer of Earths, one of HuanJen’s seemingly infinite acquaintances.
It wasn’t his looks that made her uncomfortable - when you were covered in fur and had a tail, an ethereally thin blue man with bat wings and red eyes was pretty normal. Verrigent was polite, he was even charming and funny, so it wasn’t his personality. It wasn’t him, it was her, and she’d been trying to find a way to explain it to him since she’d dressed for dinner.
“Jade, is something wrong?” Verrigent asked politely. He had a nice smile.
“What are we doing?” she found herself asking aloud.
“I’m not sure what you mean, Jade.”
“Is this a date or anything, a courtship?” Jade spat out, surprised at the intensity of her reaction.
Verrigent raised an eyebrow and fiddled with his tie. He usually wore little due to his habit of flying, but had dressed up for the occasion in a dark, burgundy suit that went perfectly with his azure skin.
“I wanted your company,” the bat-man finally found his voice. “I said to myself ‘HuanJen has a rather attractive assistant, she seems quite intelligent, it would be nice to spend time with her.’ That’s all.”
Jade nodded. “Thanks. I wanted to be careful, I have a lot of things going on in my life. I’m not looking for anything in depth. I have enough of that and then some. But I do like you.”
Verrigent’s eyes turned lighter. “I understand. I admit to some disappointment, but I understand completely.”
“This was an expensive dinner, I can …”
“No.” The explorer raised a long-fingered hand. “No guilt, Jade. I genuinely like your company. Let us enjoy some time together. I get so little …”
“Verrigent?”
Jade found herself looking up - though not far up - at a smiling oriental man dressed in a stylish gray survival suit. Survival suits were normally valued for their protection from hostile environments or atmospheres, but the visitor had someone managed to get one that flattered his stocky frame well. It was probably an off-Xaian import Jade reflected distantly.
“Xianfu.” Verrigent appeared forlorn. “Jade, this is one of my partners. What brings you here, or should I assume the worst? Has Dorian …”
“Please.” Xianfu smiled. “Nothing bad, but the expedition for the Travelers is leaving a day early, and it’s been moved to Portal Aleph. You didn’t take your phone. Like I asked. So I came here.”
“I was relaxing, enjoying the lady’s company. I didn’t expect to be needed.”
The visitor bowed slightly to Jade. “Sorry Jade, but I’m afraid Verrigent and I find ourselves rather committed. I apologize for interrupting.”
Jade grinned at the man’s off-kilter politeness. “No problem. Look, Verrigent, I’ll get the bill, OK? I mean, it’s the least I can do since you’ve got to head out.”
“I …”
“Let her.” Xianfu gestured dismissively. “She had to spend a few hours in your life-enhancing presence, she’s just trying to reimburse you.” The stout Outrider winked broadly.
“You missed your true calling as a jester, Xianfu.” Verrigent wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood gracefully, wings twitching. “Jade, I …”
“I’ll see you when you come back,” Jade said, a bit unsure, a bit relieved. She felt like she should feel something definite, and didn’t.
Verrigent.
It had been flattering to have a man ask her out. Colony wasn’t like that; men didn’t do that, or do so in such a polite way. She almost felt guilty about her concerns, but something romantic happening in her life wasn’t what she’d needed. It didn’t seem to be the right time, and she and HuanJen had a lot to do. She had a partner, that was enough in her life now. Besides, her partner rubbed her feet and cooked as well, you couldn’t beat a deal like that.
Verrigent had been nice though. He hadn’t tried anything, suggested anything, hinted at anything. Still there wasn’t anything there, wasn’t any reason to let him get his hopes up. In the end, like her past lovers, he didn’t really fire off her emotions - though in this case at least he fired off friendship.
Jade looked at her progress. She was almost there. Finally, boil and coagulate her concoction into a syrup, let it dry, and pound it to powder. That would be stress-relieving because Friday had involved restraining her natural pounding instincts.
Friday had been just about the last straw.
“Solomon Dell is coming. Here.”
It wasn’t quite a question, and Jade hadn’t been in a questioning mood. Actually she was in the mood to pick HuanJen out of his seat at their kitchen table and throttle some sense into him. Sadly, she knew oxygen deprivation wasn’t conducive to rational thought.
“He is ‘in the area’ as he puts it.” HuanJen as calm and pleasant as always, but the edge of his voice was honed a bit sharper. “Jade, ever since Green died he’s paid attention to this area of town. Remember how he was able to find out about those smugglers. If we meet with him he can go on his way and leave us alone.”
“Bah.” Jade paced around the couch nervously. The Lakkom, resting in its holster on her back, seemed to stir, a black-and-emerald snake. “He’s just hoping to recruit some Esotericists. I haven’t met anyone in the Guild that trusts him. Hell with the way shit is going for the Travelers I’m not even sure he’s competent for the job.”
” Jade, there is one thing to consider.”
“What? He’s a manipulative asshole. You said it yourself, he’s got this thing that the ‘Rancelmen protect Travel, the lifeblood of Xai’ and somehow everything else is secondary. He’s trying to get some Esoterics on his side probably so the Guilds doesn’t totally hate him. So what am I not considering?”
HuanJen steepeled his fingers, a sure sign he had a trump in a conversation. “If we talk to him, we’ll know if he’s up to anything.”
A lopsided smile crossed Jade’s dark-furred face. “You’re right. You know, I hate it when you’re right like this.”
“Jade, I …” HuanJen shook his head, walked over to Jade, and put an arm around her shoulders. “Dell is a man, not some ogre. We talk, w
e see what he wants, he leaves. Trust me.”
“You I trust. Everyone else gets less benefit of a doubt.”
HuanJen had smiled at her, and then busied himself about the apartment, cleaning, putting things away. Jade helped, saying little. He was calm in a spontaneously deliberate way, avoiding becoming upset, and she didn’t want to mess it up. She felt she’d never truly annoyed him in their time together, and didn’t want to find out what happened when she did.
The Rancelmen. The Travelers Guilds’ own security force, though Jade tended to think of them as a bunch of arrogant pseudo-Gendarmes. Their charter, carefully designed after the Guildwar, gave them a lot of leeway to protect the Guild, the Portals, and any technology or individuals that could threaten them. In Jades eyes, it had seemed too much of a concession, as small as the Rancelmen were, and as many times as they’d been disbanded and reformed.
The knock at the door came too soon. HuanJen, of course, got it himself, for which Jade was thankful.
“Mr. Dell, good evening.” The standard HuanJen politeness manifested instantly.
Solomon Dell was a hard figure to for most describe. He was a short, lean man with blond hair, some of it in two native-style blue-beaded braids framing a pointed face. His personality seemed to be more though, as if his body was just a lightning rod to attract something else. The standard Rancelman’s outfit, a kind of partially-armored brownish suit, fit him like his skin.
Jade hated to admit it, but he actually looked quite attractive and heroic. She was probably still coping with Verrigent; It made her want to kick Dell or herself - either would do.
“I’m glad you could finally see me.” Dell smiled at the cleric and his assistant as he walked into the living room. “I won’t take long, don’t worry, I understand how busy you get, believe me.”
“Take the time you need,” HuanJen said, “it’s the evening, our work is largely done for the day, barring emergencies.”
“Good, good. May I sit?” Jade wanted to disbelieve the head Rancelman’s politeness desperately. When she’d first met him, rain-drenched and underneath he clouds of a cross-storm, she’d instantly disliked him.
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