I pulled Pa's legendary forging hammer from my spatial storage and set it on the table before the guild officials. The hammer landed with a solid, resonant thunk, the sound echoing through the office.

  For the first time since I'd entered, Mara stirred. She leaned forward, the muscles in her thick arms shifting beneath her sleeveless tunic as she rested her chin on the haft of her axe. Her eyes narrowed with a hint of real interest, but that was about it. I felt as if she could see right through me and the hammer alike.

  Vos arched a skeptical eyebrow, his voice edged with disbelief.

  "This is what you're fighting with?" he asked, his gaze flicking from the hammer to my face as if searching for any sign of a joke.

  I caught Harold's eye. The guild leader's expression remained carefully neutral, his lips pressed into a thin line. I'd half-expected him to blurt something about how this looked different from the hammer he’d seen before, but he blessedly held back, letting me steer the conversation in my own way. At least he wasn’t causing any damage.

  "This is indeed the legendary hammer I forged,” I replied, forcing my voice to sound more confident than I should, even as my heart thudded against my ribs at the deception.

  "May I?" Mara asked. Her voice was unexpectedly soft, almost gentle.

  I hesitated, making a show of reluctance.

  "I do not share my weapon with anyone, but if you must, sure. Please treat it carefully," I said, hoping to come off as a country bumpkin afraid someone might break their favorite toy.

  She reached out and gripped the hammer.

  I watched, hoping desperately my ruse would hold. The hammer was a masterpiece, it was Pa's legendary smithing hammer, Platemaw's Fury, after all. But it wasn't Roq.

  Please, let them see a bumbling adventurer with a weird weapon, and not ask any questions. Or not too many, at least.

  Mara turned the hammer over in her hands, her thick fingers tracing the Platemaw’s skull and its filling. She weighed it, tested the balance, and nodded with a warrior’s respect.

  “Ain’t never seen a better hammer," she said, her voice low and even. "For forging, that is. You really hunt monsters with this?"

  Vos scribbled a few notes.

  I cleared my throat, trying to dodge the question.

  "Would you like to see my stats? I'm sure that would be more informative."

  Vos looked up.

  "It is we who ask the questions, Mr. Aldrich." He gestured at Mara. “Now answer her question if you please.”

  "You can ask anyone," I said, shrugging, careful not to say anything that could be called an outright lie in case any of them had an ability that could catch me in that lie. "Everyone knows I hunt monsters with a blacksmith’s hammer. I know it's weird, but that's just how it is."

  Mara hummed, a sound halfway between amusement and skepticism, before handing the hammer back. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest, and closing her eyes. For all the world, she seemed to check out of the conversation entirely.

  Vos waved at Corwin, who produced a soul tablet from his satchel and set it on the desk between us.

  "Your stats, if you don't mind," Vos said, gesturing to the tablet with a flick of his fingers.

  "Before I do," I said, keeping my tone respectful but firm, "What exactly am I here for? Have I done anything wrong?"

  "We'll get to that, young man," Vos replied, waving a hand dismissively toward the tablet. "Your hand if you will."

  "Did you really travel all this way just to talk to me? A level thirteen scavenger?" I pressed, letting a note of incredulity color my voice. Sometimes it paid to be a little bit annoying, and a bit cocky at the same time.

  "Level thirteen, you say?" Vos replied, making another scribble.

  "Congratulations on the level up, Ash," Harold said, offering me a supportive smile.

  Vos shot Harold a look, one eyebrow arched as if to tell him to be quiet but without so many words.

  "Thanks," I said, nodding to Harold before turning back to Vos.

  "Our reason for visiting Dawnwatch is none of your business, and—"

  "Can I leave then?" I interrupted, unable to help but turn up the stupidity factor.

  A slow, thin smile crept across Vos's face.

  "Yes, of course you can."

  "Great." But the word rang hollow in my ears. It didn't feel like freedom. It felt like I'd just put my hand inside a Shardfang's mouth and was waiting for it to bite me.

  Vos's smile sharpened.

  “But until we have our questions answered satisfactorily," he added, "You will not be permitted to head Riftside."

  I stared at him in disbelief.

  "You’d ban me from going Riftside just for not answering some questions? Are you mad?"

  Corwin chuckled while Vos answered with an infuriating calm.

  "On the contrary. I am the most sane person in the room—as usual—and it is a heavy burden to bear. But again, we will come to that. Now, if you will?"

  "Do you have any idea how many monsters I've slain?" I demanded, my voice rising. "How hard I've worked to become an adventurer, to help defend Noros? You’d be helping the monsters by keeping me out of Riftside.”

  Vos leaned his elbows on the table and eyed me with a hint of anger

  "This is where we disagree. I've met hundreds like you, Mr. Aldrich. The seemingly skilled hunters, strong warriors, who do not understand the bigger picture."

  "What bigger picture?" I shot back, my left hand clenched around my new shield’s grip.

  Vos’s voice was almost paternal when he replied.

  "You think too highly of yourself, thinking you are better than the average adventurer. You believe the rules and processes don't apply to you." He gestured vaguely, as if sweeping aside my objections. "Your rapid rise in strength and stats, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but one that tends to get to people’s heads cause them to act rashly. All against the common good."

  I frowned, mock-struggling to keep my anger in check.

  "What are you even talking about?"

  “To speak plainly, you put others in danger because you think you know best,” he said.

  "Wait, what? You couldn't be more wrong!" I protested, though knew he was very right, but I had to play it up a bit.

  "Did you, or did you not hire an adventurer to take you hunting while you were still a scavenger?" Vos pressed. "Not only that, but you brought along a second scavenger, who is also your girlfriend if I am not mistaken.”

  "I…did? I mean, we did pretty well and even completed several scouting missions—"

  Vos cut me off with a raised hand.

  "You nearly died—or rather, the adventurer nearly died—while you and Eryn came back unscathed, did you not?”

  I opened my mouth to object, but Vos continued relentlessly.

  "I have the reports from Dr. Ridley, listing Knut Coinshield Steelwall as requiring extensive healing." Vos paused, eyes boring into mine. "Would you like me to read back the details of his injuries?”

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  Memories of the Ironroot Golem fight flashed through my mind. Knut had been battered and bloodied, hard, while Roq had healed me before we even returned. With Eryn and me changing into backup clothes before heading back, only Knut had to get patched up by Ridley.

  "No," I said quietly. “You are…correct.”

  “Indeed. Knut returned to Sentinel Station nearly broken,” Vos said. "And this happened several times across your missions, an adventurer nearly dying for two scavengers to play at being hunters.”

  He pointed at me, accusation clear.

  “And you've barely shared any carcasses with the Guild it seems, prioritizing instead the local blacksmith."

  I grabbed Pa’s hammer, swiping it back into my storage, just to give my hand something to do.

  "Is there any rule against forging gear with my own carcasses?”"No," Vos replied, "But it goes to our understanding of your character."

  I scoffed.

  “Pa’s smithy is equipping half the adventurers in Dawnwatch, using what my party and I bring back from hunts. Just ask any adventurer who bought gear from us."

  Vos nodded, conceding the point.

  "Yes, you and your… party." He shifted the topic. "You became an adventurer in record time."

  "Hard work," I said, shrugging. "Killing monsters. Also, Pa dissecting the carcasses for the gems helped.”

  “Have you ever received any gems from Mr. Coinshield? Did he spend your gold at the Guild to buy gems—thus taking resources from other adventurers?" Vos asked.

  I kept my body loose. There was no way Vos could know about Knut buying gems for us unless Knut had told him himself.

  "I hired Knut and paid for his services in mind gems," I said clearly. "Not the other way around."

  Vos raised a skeptical brow.

  “I must say I find that hard to believe. You have since become an adventurer, and as such you should understand why the Guild does not simply lift scavengers up by feeding them mind gems. We let them build themselves up step by step to separate the wheat from the chaff.”

  "Doesn't change the facts and how things went down," I repeated. "Knut helped us hunt, and I paid him in mind gems and also in items."

  "You paid him in items? Or did Thomas Tharen do so?”

  “Sure, you could say Pa is the one who paid him in items--no, that’s not right. I forged the gear alongside my Pa, so it is not just him paying Knut in gear” I said curtly. "Since when are we forbidden to forge items and sell them?”

  Vos shrugged.

  "I don't have a problem in theory. It is simply my personal view that it should not be allowed for nobles and others to pay in order to boost their offspring, even though I understand the desire to do so."

  "You're comparing me to nobles who buy mind gems?" I asked. “Pa and me who forge adventuring gear from monster carcasses that I killed and looted myself, and have built his forge up brick by brick?”

  "Not a one-to-one comparison," Vos conceded, "But the end result is the same. You have soared in levels, while the scavengers around you are clawing their way up at a normal pace.”

  "And thanks to my swift rise, Dawnwatch now has a level thirteen adventurer to help defend it," I replied. “Which I have done well enough to be commended, twice, for my efforts in the war against the monsters."

  “Yes, but you are an adventurer who has not gone through the standard leveling process," Vos said. "I do not blame you. You didn’t know better. This is your first and only time leveling, but if you had leveled slower, scavenging with parties for months or years, you'd better understand Guild processes and why they're important."

  “Guild…processes? You think that matter’s more than saving people? Would the wall have done better during the last attack if I had just been a scavenger? Or would a few dozen guards have died because someone wants us to stay scavengers and slave on for years, while the nobles are allowed to do what they want, and are even commended for it.”

  Vos glared at me.

  “As I said, this is not your fault. This blame lies with the local Guild Master Harold, and Commander Edwin."

  I clenched my jaw, barely keeping my temper in check as I glared back at Vos, but forced myself to remain silent.

  Vos let the silence stretch, before smiling.

  “Good. There may be hope for you after all if you can control your emotions." He tapped his notebook. "I have one more thing to say."

  "What,” I said, the words clipped.

  "You cannot bring a single scavenger Riftside again."

  "What do you mean?"

  Vos consulted his notes.

  "Your hunting party consists of Nabeeh Sayani and Knut Steelwall, but also frequently includes Eryn Whitcroft, your girlfriend I perceive, who is still a scavenger."

  “Yeah, and? Other parties take out scavengers all the time. I have gone out myself many times while I was still a scavenger.”

  "If you are unable to find a fourth or fifth party member willing to join you, I will not fault you for hunting just the three of you. I understand it is hard when your tank is a known mercenary, whose nickname speaks to his love of coin and his greed. A mercenary who once abandoned his party leader, and while it's bad form to bring it up, that same mercenary is also a deserter from the army."

  “You have no idea what you are—”

  Harold tapped his fingers against the table, and I held myself back, though I wanted nothing more than to punch the man’s monocle off his face.

  Vos frowned.

  “The frost mage Benedict told us several interesting things after joining the caravan."

  "Don't talk to me about that cowardly traitor," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "You can talk about procedures all you want, mister, but when it comes to that worm, you have no idea what you're talking about."

  "I've read the reports,” Vos said. “I know all about what happened."

  I glared at him and took a slow breath, forcing myself to think for a moment. Things weren’t going the way I had envisioned them to. Get in, play dumb, and get the hell out.

  What would Ma do?

  If Benedict had poisoned the guild official’s minds, I couldn’t simply tell the truth. But could I play their own game?

  “This report, was it about the mission where Marcus the scavenger died?” I asked.

  “It was indeed.”

  “And who was it that got charged and brought before a tribunal?" I asked. "Was it me? Knut? Or was it Benedict?"

  "Fair point,” Vos conceded.

  I pressed on.

  “And who was convicted in that tribunal?”

  Vos chuckled, licking his finger and holding it up as if tallying a score.

  “Score another point for Mr. Aldrich. According to the reports, neither Knut nor you were accused, while Benedict was, and he was convicted."

  “And that should tell you Benedict is full of crap, sir,” I said.

  Vos smiled wryly.

  “You talk of me having leveled so fast I haven’t learned the rules and processes. Benedict did, right? And he still got accused. So maybe you could ask yourself just how much a piece of dung he really is? I didn’t abandon a comrade, but instead risked my own life to help the others. I wasn’t the one who ran off so quickly that a cloud of dust rose up behind me just to save myself, sir.”Vos inclined his head.

  "Another point taken. I withdraw my comments about that mission."

  I nodded at him.

  Bastard.

  "This brings us to your other party member, Nabeeh, who is wanted in Azbara for instigating a rebellion against the crown."

  I sighed, not bothering to even argue.

  "You have a problem with her too?"

  Vos shook his head.

  “No. Her situation has nothing to do with Guild politics. I am merely bringing it up to highlight why you may be having difficulties filling your party, considering the reputations of your current members.”

  “I am sorry, but why would that matter? Should I pick someone like Benedict who will abandon us out there? We have no problem filling the party,” I said. “No, we’re choosing carefully, and in all honesty, I couldn’t care less what other people think of us. We bring results, we protect the people of Dawnwatch not because we are paid to do so, no, but because we believe it is our duty, sir. When we find someone who has the same mindset, then we will fill up that last slot, sir.”

  “And therein lies the problem, Mr. Aldrich,” he said, slapping a hand on the desk, making Harold jump. “You are counting a scavenger as a fully fledged member of an adventuring party! I have to insist you stop bringing scavengers Riftside until you have a full party of adventurers. You will not be allowed to fill gaps in your party composition by using scavengers, trying to shore up your lack of power as a group.” He held up a finger. “This is not up for debate, because in doing so you are risking her life, your own lives, and the lives of adventurers we would have to send to save you if things go wrong. Do you understand and agree to change your behavior on this?”

  I just stared at him.

  "I need a straight answer. Will you comply?”

  I couldn't help but chuckle, thinking of how much stronger than most adventurers Eryn now was thanks to Arclight. And how she already had her class gem ready for breakthrough.

  “Yeah,” I said, nodding. “I think we’ll be fine with not taking any scavengers Riftside before we have a full party of adventurers.”

  Vos visibly relaxed.

  "Thank you,” he said.

  "For what?" I asked, caught off guard by his response.

  “For being willing and able to listen. These types of conversations are never easy. Especially not when you're a new adventurer and everything seems to go your way. Then some old fart like me comes to tell you how to hunt and puts guardrails in place." He smiled and readjusted his monocle. “But that is our responsibility. To use the knowledge and experience of the thousands of adventurers who have come before to guide you as needed.”

  For a moment, I saw not a bureaucrat, but a veteran who had seen too many young adventurers die, or so I thought. The man was an asshole, one who already seemed to have made up his mind, but at least he didn’t seem rotten or sold to house Domitius.

  "My wish is that one day, you become a level sixty warrior, young Ash, and that you will be the one telling me what to do. Nothing would make me happier.”

  "I genuinely hope to get there, too,." I said, letting out a breath. The tension in my shoulders eased as his tone changed. "Are we done here, then?”

  Vos chuckled, shaking his head.

  "Not by a long stretch. That was just the introduction."

  “What?” I said. “Don’t we all have better things to do? You know, you could have just asked me not to bring a scavenger Riftside to begin with and saved us all a lot of time. Sir.”

  “Maybe,” Vos said. “Would it surprise you to hear I have tried that many times, and adventurers tend to dig their heels in and refuse to listen? No, trust me. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast, as they say.”

  I sighed.

  Bureaucrats. Rift rotten bureaucrats. They were one of the main reasons why the guilds barely functioned, yet they spouted nonsense about guiding everyone. Guiding my ass.

  Corwin held out the soul tablet.

  "Now, if we may see your stats?”

  "What will you do with them?" I asked.

  "They will be added to the Guild records,” Corwin said. “Over time, we hope to understand what makes some adventurers stronger than others, how to impact and improve on breakthroughs, whether the length of a scavenger’s rise has an impact on stats, and so on."

  "We all want the same thing,” Vos said.

  “And what exactly is that?” I asked.

  "To defeat the monsters and save the world, of course. What else?”

  I sighed.

  “At least we can agree on that, sir.”

  Vos chuckled.

  "Was that ever in question?"

  I shrugged, then placed my hand on the soul tablet.

  Corwin cursed under his breath as he watched the numbers.

  Mara opened one eye and leaned forward, her interest finally piqued.

  “Ain’t never heard of no Hammerlord before," she muttered.

  Vos's smile vanished, and he stared at me, wide-eyed, as if seeing me for the first time.

  I couldn’t help myself but grin.

  "Is something wrong?" I asked, acting all innocent.

  "Your stats, they are magnificent,” Vos said, his voice almost reverent. “Now it makes sense why you think too highly of yourself, young man.”

  "Thank you?" I replied almost questioningly, amping up the innocent act. "Many years of hard work in the forge, some luck, and one hell of a breakthrough."