AETHER BEASTS

The high city of Bullrock was a lot more organized than Orton had been. Crowds of people still moved about here and there, but it didn't have the same messy feeling as Orton. It helped that they seemed to have pathways and a system in place, which helped traffic along, and caused fewer problems. They were separate paths for wagons and carriages and together it made movement through this city a lot easier.

"Where do we go?" I asked Misty. If anyone would know where to go in this city it would be her, because I had no clue.

"It's near the center," Misty replied. "We just need to keep moving and we'll get there eventually."

"If we don't get stopped," Sandra interjected.

I hadn't seen the guard or anybody who looked to be watching us since we'd left the gate, although that wasn't counting the normal folk who would take glances at us, and I heard plenty of whispers of 'second core.' Perhaps Misty had been right and Zirani should have masked us so we weren't drawing this much attention.

We followed Misty's lead as she led us through different parts of the city. It was set up in the same way as Orton with different districts for different things. We passed a market district, a residential district, before finally coming out into a large open square that held a tall and large building at its center with people going in and out, though not as quickly as had been at the gate. The people waiting in line spoke to robed figures wearing stone masks who would then lead them off into the building.

"Stone revenants," Misty explained. "They lead people through the underground paths to the lower city. We just need to wait in line and pay a few. Normally there's a ticket system, but we have enough money that it won't matter."

We were just about to head towards one of the lines when a voice caught our attention.

"Excuse me!"

I turned to see a finely dressed older-looking man walking towards us, accompanied by four guards who were all at the first core. He stopped a few feet away and bowed. "I'm glad I made it here before you ventured into the lower city. If you would be so kind as to lend me but a moment of your time to speak."

"Depends," I replied, moving my gaze over the four guards who glanced away when my eyes tried to meet theirs. It was clear they were nervous, and one actually had aether half puled from his core, though it fell from his mental grasp when I raised an eyebrow in his direction. "What do want to speak about we've done nothing wrong."

"Of course not." The man gestured to the guard and muttered something which caused them to take a few steps away. "I am merely here on behalf of the higher city mayor. I am Porter, his secretary, and if you wish you may ignore me and walk away. I will not force you. I am merely asking for but a moment of your time and in return, I will make sure you get to the lower city as fast as possible."

I nodded and made a face as though I was thinking his words over as I sent a questioning thought through my three bonds. I got back suspicion but acquiescence from Sandra and the equivalent of a mental shrug from Misty while Zirani left it up to my choice.

"A bit of lost time won't hurt us," Zirani said in my mind. "Besides it's not like we've agreed to anything yet."

With the decision made, I nodded at porter. "We'll listen."

"Wonderful." He clapped his hands together. "I promise you will not regret this."

"Can you please get on with it," Sandra said.

"Of course, of course," The man replied. "As I said earlier I am here on behalf of the mayor who wishes to ask if the three of you would be up for doing a job for him."

I raised an eyebrow. That had not been what I was expecting. I was expecting some sort o pitch or perhaps some questions, but not this. "What sort of job?"

Porter's face took on a sad expression. "His daughter is a free spirit and a few days ago she entered the labyrinth without his permission. She did not attune herself to the escape pillar and she hasn't been seen since."

"A rescue mission?" I questioned. "I'm not sure if you're aware, but if she's lost in a labyrinth then how exactly do you expect anyone to be able to find her?"

It was a maze inside a maze, and the entire reason for the escape pillar was so that things like this didn't happen. The mayor's daughter must have been a fool if she'd gone in without attuning to one, and there was also the fact that the labyrinths were guarded, and I had no doubt the stone revenants were guarding this one so hadn't they checked her before letting her in or had she used her father's authority.

I glanced over to Misty who looked sympathetic and to Sandra who had a faraway look in her eyes.

"She has a tacker on her," Porter explained in a hurry. "It is an expensive device and lets her father know if she is still alive and her general location. We would give it to you as a tool to help find her."

"Why not the stone revenants?" I questioned. "They probably know it better than any of us."

He sighed. "They have deemed it too big of a risk. They don't have powerful arcanists to spend on such an endeavor, and their elders certainly won't risk it out of fear of destabilizing their current power. We've tired pursuing mercenaries, but none have taken the job, not even for an outrageous sum. They all agree that it's a lost cause."

I frowned in confusion. Why was he telling me all this when it would just make me more likely to refuse. Of course, it did sound interesting and we were already going heading to the labyrinth, but I didn't want to take a mission that had a high chance of failure.

"We can manage," Zirani said. "We have the escape pillars if things go wrong and I have my own methods if we find the girl."

Speaking of escape pillars. "Surely a mercenary could attune to a pillar and the find her and get her out?"

"Escape pillars don't work that way," Misty said. "It's a one-person thing. If we found her we'd have to retrace all our steps within the labyrinth, which is near impossible."

"Zirani I trust you, do you think we could pull this off?" I asked mentally.

"I do and were heading in anyways," Zirani replied. "Ask him if we can get essence cores as a reward instead of coin or crystals."

"We'll take the job," I said and raised a hand to stop Porter from speaking. "But we want your highest level essence cores as a reward, and I mean the best you have or can get your hands on."

"If you can bring her back then the mayor will grant you nearly anything," Porter said with a smile. He looked utterly relieved and he actually seemed to deflate. "You have no idea how thankful he will be. Now, if you could please follow me."

"The labyrinths that way," I said, pointing at the large building.

"Yes, but we need to pick up the tracker and get you anything else you think you might need," Porter replied, waving over his guards. "Don't worry it's not far from here."

Porter led us away from the square and down a road before turning onto a street lined with a few tall buildings. The tallest stood at the end and looked similar to the official building in Orton though not as tall. The guards split off when we approached the front door, two waiting outside while the other two left.

The receptionist greeted Porter with a wide smile that grew wider when she spotted us. Porter simply nodded as if in answer to her silent question before leading us through another door and up a few sets of stairs.

"Anything we should know beforehand?" I asked.

"Mayor Jerchio isn't as… formal as most expect," Porter replied. "Apart from that as long as you are respectful then he will offer the same courtesy to you."

After walking down a long hallway we finally came to a door with a plaque that read 'Higher City Mayor, Jericho Lin.'

Porter knocked three times before a gruff voice shouted, "Enter!"

Sandra nudged me and I received a blurry mental image of our meeting with the Orton mayor. I smiled. It did feel very reminiscent of that time, although we weren't being chased by twin horn arcanists, though I guess we were still sort of risking our lives with this rescue mission.

Porter led the way in, the rest of following him into the room.