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Pitter patter, the shingles and storm drains sounded above at the increasing tap of rainfall. The drops came down from the clouds and rolled off corners of the rooftops to plop down against her hood and drip off the edge of the cloth where it ran. The weather was miserable but hardly uncomfortable in a comparison to the conditions back home on the mountain. Plus, Famine was with good company on this task. “Here,” she said shielding a photograph with her hand and placing it in Ahote’s grip before tugging up his hood off his shoulders so to keep the rain from falling on his head before walking onwards down the strip of sidewalk to their location
Famine tried to ignore how her stomach grumbled when she walked past a bakery with Ahote. Things were difficult on the mountain. The villagers were becoming increasingly more difficult, and there was less food available to tax from them than ever. She swallowed, refusing to salivate at the scent of sweet bread.
Back on Mt. Hakobe, the guild was ironically enduring a time of famine. Along with their chronic financial struggle came the loss of members. A drop in incoming funds followed. Fewer members meant fewer jobs would be done after all. Basilisk Fang was her home, albeit a cold one with an almost always heavy mood. Everyone seemed to house themselves in that could fortress and along with shelter Famine made sure they had medicine, food, water available for them. Now, keeping true to this was harder than ever. They could always result back to petty thievery… but that was something Famine would save for after this particular mission.
“You see that man in that picture, Ahote?” Famine muttered up his shoulder, marveling a moment how he stood subtly taller than herself now. “His name is Aemon Trahaear. They are an unaffiliated mage.” Famine began. “And I’m going to find them and convince them their work is better done with us.” She explained. They were down on numbers. Famine needed to gather more pieces on the chess table of she hoped to endure the consequences of losing such a handful. Loose lips sink ships after all and she had little faith that the secrecy of the guild was any of their concern now. Just like Kanix Laspor. Everyone to abandon the crest or commit any form of treason towards Basilisk Fang would be killed on sight
So to lure out her target Famine had left an anonymous job in Talonia, which requested Aemon by name-- only his name. There was no other description held. Maybe curiosity would take the particular mage to their location despite how ominous the paper was. Famine stopped and shouldered the door of a pub open, gesturing Ahote to step ahead of her before walking inside
The job didn’t say much, just that Aemon would have to come to the pub to meet the client, and in this case Ahote as well who she’d brought along for the experience and because she feared to leave him at the guild without as many eyes to look out for him-- Even though he was capable at his age to take care of himself.