Freelance Heroics (2 page)

Mazik took another drink and scowled. “This sucks. We paid our dues. We should be in a damn guild.”

“No we didn’t,” said Raedren. “We tried to skip to the front of the line.”

“So we paid them all at once. Can’t fault us for being smart about it.”

“Apparently they can.” Gavi sat to rest her feet; it was still early, so there weren’t many customers. “So, what do you want to do about it?”

Mazik ran his hands through his hair. “I’m not sure. We need to do something different though. We’re never going to get into a guild doing these piddly little quests. We need to shake things up.”

“Then why have we been doing these quests?” asked Raedren.

Mazik slumped against the bar, covering his head with his arms. “Because some of us quit our jobs instead of waiting to make sure this would work out and now I’m freaking out about money and I don’t want to get a real job again and this suuuucks!”

Raedren patted Mazik on the shoulder. Gavi ruffled his hair.

“Are we going to keep focusing on the mid-tiers?” asked Raedren.

Mazik raised his head. “Maybe. We probably have a better shot with them.”

Raedren and Gavi nodded. As with everything to do with adventuring in Houk, the Big Six called the shots, and it was the Big Six that had blacklisted the trio. Some of the mid-tier guilds would have loved to have them, and had privately admitted as much—since the Big Six always took the best recruits, they were hurting for people. But their hands were tied. If they recruited someone who had been blacklisted by the Guildmaster’s Council
³
, they would lose their seat
⁴
and get shut out of the juicy quests the council distributed. For guilds that were already on the ropes, being shunned was something they couldn’t afford.

Mazik rapped his fingers on the bar. “The problem is, they have a better negotiating position. Since we can’t make our own guild without giving them the legal right to hunt us down and kill us, if we don’t get into one of their guilds we can’t become real adventurers, and we’ll have to go back and get real jobs. But even for the mid-tiers who seem to want us, they’ll just keep doing what they’ve been doing. They won’t get three new recruits to bolster their ranks, but they also won’t get booted off the council.” Mazik glowered. “They have a better negotiating position, so it’s hard to know what to do.”

The three of them were still brainstorming when the corner of the bar exploded into action. Chairs, tables, and people were shoved aside as two drunk men faced off. One knocked aside a chair and raised his fists, bellowing something faintly racist. The other offered up several impolite hand gestures and swung at the air.

“Hold that thought,” said Gavi as she switched over to her bouncer role. She held out her hand, and Tielyr placed a wooden club in it. “Rae, barriers please,” she said, pointing at Mazik’s head.

“Sure.”

“What’s happening right now?” asked Mazik as layers of green mana appeared around his skull.

Gavi cracked Mazik across the head, spilling him onto the floor and sending his glass hurtling toward the back wall. It smashed, and all eyes turned to Gavi.

She waved her club at the brawlers, her brown eyes simmering. “If you two don’t stop this shit
right now
I’m going to do the same thing to every one of you! Do you understand?” She rose to her full 170cm of fury. “Don’t think I won’t! I’ve fought people stronger than you, and they were trying to
kill
me! Now sit the fuck back down or I will
break
you!”

The brawlers quickly reassessed the situation. Within a minute they had straightened everything, sat back down, and were chatting like nothing had happened. One of their number rose and shuffled over to Gavi. He placed a 20Mc bill on the bar and retreated.

“Better.” Gavi extended a hand and helped Mazik up.

“I see new colors,” said Mazik after he sat down on the third try.

Further down the bar, The Joker’s regulars exploded into laughter. Mazik looked at them, trying to remember their names. He needn’t have bothered—Mazik wasn’t good with names unless he was trying to sell something, and he had long since forgotten theirs. To him they were Scraggly, Silky Hair, the Professor, and Glacier. Right now Scraggly and Silky Hair were slapping their legs as they merrily guffawed, while the Professor smirked into his wine and Glacier chuckled like a volcano about to erupt.

“That was great!” said Scraggly between laughs. “I don’t know why yer bothering talking ta those guilds. This kind of thing is way more your style!”

“Thanks, but it’s not really a problem we can violence our way past,” said Gavi.

“That’s not entirely true,” said Mazik. He sighed as Raedren’s magick numbed the pain in his skull.

“What do you mean?” asked Gavi, frowning.

“There is one plan I’ve been working on, sort of as a last resort. I wasn’t going to mention it yet, but since I can’t seem to think that well anymore”—Mazik shot Gavi a glare—“I guess we might as well give it a shot.”

A familiar feeling crawled up Gavi’s spine. It was dread. “Would it help if I said you could have a beer?”

“Nope, but I’ll take it,” said Mazik as a beer slid in front of him. “I say we go with the crazy plan. I think you’re gonna like it.”

“Somehow, I doubt that,” said Gavi. Raedren nodded.

Mazik, Gavi, and Raedren were in a bar. They were relaxing after a long week, and had been there for some time. A third beer had turned into a fifth as they discussed how they became casters, and the sixth beer had just arrived.

“What did you major in again?” asked Gavi.

“Me?” said Mazik.

“No, Rae. I know what you majored in, you maniac.”

“I resemble that remark!” Mazik grinned.

“I majored in protection,” said Raedren.

“Really? I always thought you did enhancement, because of the regeneration clinic job.”

“I thought about it, but decided against it. I think it was near the end of our first year. . . .”

Mazik flopped onto his cheap dorm room bed. “So, what are you going to major in?”

Raedren set aside his textbook. “Not sure. I’m still trying to decide between enhancement and protection.”

“Really? Enhancement surprises me.” Mazik sat up. “I know you’re good at it, but I don’t see you getting much use out of it. Now, if it was possible to enhance
mental
traits, I could see that. I know you’ve always wished for a real brain.”

“That was terrible,” said Raedren.

“I know. I wasn’t really trying. What’s your conundrum?”

“I’m probably better at protection magick, especially hard barriers
⁵
, and I can get a job using those. Mostly it would be defense work, though, and I’m not sure that’s what I want to do.”

“You could specialize in binds
⁶
,” said Mazik.

“That would lead to what, city guard work? I’m not sure about that either,” said Raedren. “I think I want something a little more quiet.”

“How is enhancement going to help with that? It’s the most common major. Even if you’re better than everyone else, you’ll have lots of competition.”

“But I could minor in rejuvenation or healing,” said Raedren. “Rejuvenation would be cool, but there aren’t many good jobs for helping people boost energy back temporarily.”

“I like it for last-minute studying,” said Mazik, grinning.

“Healing would be good, though. There are a lot of good jobs at hospitals and regeneration clinics, and I think helping people regrow limbs and stuff like that would be really rewarding.”

“It probably doesn’t matter what you major in, to be honest,” said Mazik. “You’re pretty powerful. You could do either one and probably get the job you want, or get a general casting job, or something else entirely. Or you could double major.”

“Maybe,” said Raedren. “How about you?”

“Evocation!” said Mazik.

“Somehow, I’m not surprised.”

“I want to make things explode!”

“What are you going to do with an evocation major?”

“Er—I’m not sure, actually,” admitted Mazik.

“What about alteration? You could get some good jobs using that,” said Raedren.

“Hmmm, I suppose.” Mazik leaned back in his chair. “Moving things without having to stand up or touch them is cool, but I don’t have the control for delicate stuff. Best I can do is push, pull, and accidentally break things. Maybe the occasional force bind
⁷
, but that’s it.”

“Pretty typical,” said Raedren. “But isn’t that what majors are for? Getting better, I mean.”

“Not this late in the game.”

“But if you do evocation, you’ll have specialized in burning or exploding things. Aside from working in a hospital cauterizing wounds, or maybe construction, what work can you get doing that? Work that you’d want to do,” added Raedren.

“It might help me survive my military service, for one.”

“Well, there’s that.”

Paragon. Malediction. Vector. Bloodfist. The Tryrindar Knights. The Brotherhood of the Steel.

Those were the names of the six largest adventuring guilds in Houk, the so-called Big Six. Like a cartel fixing prices, they used their government-approved oligopoly to set average rates, distribute lucrative quests, and censure members who stepped out of line. Within Houk their control over the adventuring trade was nearly absolute, with only the Tyrant standing as a check to their power. But she was busy, and rarely bothered.

This month the Guildmaster’s Council was meeting at Paragon’s guildhall. It was a utilitarian building, more in common with a military barracks than the raucous beer halls of most guilds. Raucous it was now, though, and it made Mazik smile. The crowd behind him heckled and jeered as Mazik climbed onto a milk crate.

Mazik cupped his hands around his mouth. “Hellooo! Are the big bad guildmasters in today? We’d like to have a woooord with yooou!”

On either side of the crate, Gavi and Raedren shook their heads.

“Do you have to antagonize them?” asked Gavi.

“We’re going to be doing that enough already,” said Raedren.

“Eh, fuck ’em,” said Mazik. “Besides, what’s the point in gathering this crowd if we don’t
give them a show, right?
” he said, raising his voice.

The mob responded with a cheer. Like all Houkians, they were looking forward to some good old-fashioned street theatre. What was unusual was that they had gathered ahead of time. This was by design—walking ten blocks with Mazik shouting “We’re going to challenge the guilds!” was probably overkill, but he loved a good audience. Likewise with the reporter from the Houk Times. Mazik didn’t believe in taking chances, unless taking chances looked like more fun.

Mazik watched as the curtains behind the second-story balcony twitched aside.

“Ooo, there they are. Everyone wave!” said Mazik. The crowd laughed.

The curtains opened and the windows swung wide, revealing themselves to be doors. The nine members of the Guildmaster’s Council stepped onto the balcony.

Warmaster Evii’Katünche of Paragon stepped forward. A proud woman who famously expected much from her guild—and even more from herself—she wore dusty cream robes that stopped just below her knees, revealing khaki pants, and her hair was restrained with a clasp that pulled it tight at her forehead and temples.

“What can we do for you?” asked Warmaster Evii.

“Good afternoon! We just wanted to discuss a few things with you,” said Mazik.

Warmaster Evii glanced at the crowd. “Of course. If the three of you would like to step inside, we’ll sit down and chat.”

“No, that’s okay,” said Mazik, holding up a hand. “Here is fine. I think everyone would like to hear this.”

Warmaster Evii’s expression didn’t change. “All right. What would you like to discuss?”

“You’ve been stonewalling us from joining a guild for a month now. That’s petty, but within your rights. That’s not what we want to talk about.” Mazik cleared his throat.

“Your actions led to the deaths of good Houkians,” he said. “There are soldiers, guards, and even civilians who are dead right now because you would rather play petty games when lives are on the line.”

A ripple went through the crowd, and the crowd nearest Mazik edged away. Several of the guild leaders looked like they wanted to jump down and tear Mazik’s head off.

Mazik ignored them. His attention was focused entirely on Warmaster Evii, who hadn’t moved a muscle. Mazik grinned and continued.

“Of course, I’m talking about the kidnapper quest you so badly bungled last month. Because you were unable to find the kidnappers for so long, and because you sent so few people to help when they were finally cornered, innocent people are now dead who didn’t need to die. You didn’t cut them down, but you helped ensure their deaths, and that makes you partially responsible.”

“You’re not innocent in this,” said Warmaster Evii. “If you hadn’t botched the handoff we—”

“Or we could still be saddled with the cult today,” snapped Mazik. “We don’t know what could have happened. What I do know is that you let the kidnappers terrorize the city for
three months
, and when it came time to put an end to them, you sent so little help we were barely able to finish off their god before it got loose. We made mistakes, but at least we acted, and brought every ounce of our power to bear on the problem. You didn’t. You offered a pittance of your power, and it almost led to a god ruling from the Tyrant’s Palace.”

“Their deaths are regrettable, but I disagree with your version of events. We used all available information to decide who to send, and though we underestimated their numbers we—”

Mazik waggled his fingers, pantomiming a flapping mouth. “Blah, blah, blah. What about all of you?” he asked, turning to the crowd. “How do you feel? Just those nine up there would have been enough to put that god down with ease. How do you feel about the Big Six? Do you like how they walk around acting like they know everything and are better than everyone else?”

The crowd grumbled. Most citizens tried to stay out of the guilds’ ways, but the Big Six’s reputation was rocky at the best of times. People don’t like bullies, even if they won’t say it to their faces.