To Rebuild a Mageocracy

Twelve

^^ Bone Devils ^^

— Arcata, Dungeon Guild Hall, Anitra —

"So: Notes, anyone?" I glanced around at Aric's family, specifically Aron and Aric, looking for feedback on the situation while my armor removed itself and stood to one side of my desk, in my office above the Tavern that I'd returned to after leaving the Board Room.

"We're all going to die." Aric's wife stated calmly, sitting in one of the chairs in front of my desk.

"Okay, a bit maudlin, but noted. Anyone else?"

"The Thieves' Guild is going to skin us alive as a message to anyone else who thinks they can challenge them. They'll send Tier Seven Rogues to destroy this whole building, if they can't sneak in and kill us all in our sleep." The graceful daughter shrugged, sitting next to her mother and leaning against her shoulder; she looked around my age, only a bit younger than Aron, and identical to her sister, which interested me.

'Twins would likely be rare in a world where magic can cure most forms of birth defects, and in scientific terms, a twin would be considered a Parasite, so any healing would remove them, right? Or perhaps the magic could differentiate between types of parasites? Interesting, either way.' I nodded again, looking at Aric. "Anything else?"

"No, that about covers it. I mean, the fact that you defeated five Tier Six Rogues gives me a bit of hope, but all that means is that two Tier Sevens would wipe us out in five minutes, instead of a Heartbeat."

"Hey, progress! A little Optimism, that's what I like to hear! Anywho, I need to gain some levels, and that can only happen with a Dungeon or Protecting the Ideals of Muradin; that requires me to teach magic to people, so I need more dungeons. Let's work on that, okay? My plan is to travel around and capture Dungeons, adding them to the Guild's Collection and Muradin's Control, one by one. To do so, I will need this thing with the Thieves' Guild to be simmering at an acceptable level, or I need to destroy them. I'd prefer not to, because Organized Crime causes a lot of problems to minimize themselves, but if they give me no choice, I will have to take more violent steps."

Aric shook his head. "I can't go out into the city while the Thieves' Guild is after us, that would be Suicide!"

"Have you forgotten the concept of disguises, Aric? Must I do everything for you?" I turned to his wife, sighing heavily. "Is he always this dense?"

"Usually, yes."

"Figures. Luckily his son got your brains and came out a useful individual, because woof, otherwise you'd be fucked! Now, Aron, I'll be traveling into my dungeon to level up and gain some experience, and then we'll be exiting the city and headed towards the nearest Tier Two or One Dungeon. Aric will obviously remain here and do his best to Manage the Dungeon Merchant's Guild, but hopefully the Tier Sixes from the Thieves' Guild will choose to work for me, and any one of them will have more management experience, I imagine. Any questions?"

Aron shook his head. "None from me. I'm already dressed for combat, so shall we go now? No time like the present."

"Correct, and yes, we will go now. Aric, if you could get a message to one Inquisitor Avesta of the Temple of Stone and Ore, tell him Anitra the Dungeon Master would like a word from him; if he or anyone else from the Temple shows up, let me know immediately. That should do it." I nodded and commanded my armor to follow me, walking with Aron down into the tavern below and towards the silver door with its black placard.

Aric's wife followed us from the office like a duckling, sticking herself to his heels as we stopped in front of the Gate. "I'll be going with you, just in case. I'm no use here, so I have nothing better to do."