Blood in the Snow [Sanguine]

Under normal circumstances Xiaomin would never visit the settlements at the base of Mt. Hakobe. They were dreadfully small little villages that had little going for them. Not exactly prime locations for criminal or even legal enterprises. If not for a promising lead that had come from The Family’s intelligence in Fiore, she certainly would not be here today. That lead had been promising enough that the young crime boss had decided it was worth coming here herself. If she was to follow her directives from back home to form a mage guild in this country, then she needed mages.

Weak mages were a dime a dozen in the magic rich Fiore, but while they could be useful as throwaway pawns they held little potential beyond that. So when a report that a dark mage formerly of the dark guild Errings Rising had been discovered working in an orphanage, well… honestly Xiaomin had been skeptical at best. It was only after a scouting mission had been carried out at her request that she decided there might be merit to the report. The scout had said their appearance was a dead ringer for the image they had managed to find, so unless this dark mage had a twin it was probably her.

Beyond that, Xiaomin knew almost nothing. Just a sketch, some names, a small note from the Rune Knight’s files about a potentially dangerous mage, and that was it. Even with the amount of money at the Family’s disposal, their intelligence in a foreign country was far from omniscient. She did not even know if this woman would be amenable to joining her operation. Or that she was not a psychopath for that matter, as dark mages so often were (like those miscreants living in Lavanitir). While the fact that this woman was apparently running an orphanage implied she was not, in fact, a psychopath, Xiaomin had brought along some of her guards anyway. Just in case.

The drive from Hosenka had taken some time, so by the time the Pergrande imported car approached the small village, the sun was already high in the sky. The car pulled up to the small orphanage slowly, careful not to hit anyone. It would probably upset their target if they were to run over one of the children on their first visit. Snow had begun to fall slowly, covering the ground with the lightest coating of white fluff. From the driver seat stepped a large, well built man wearing a suit. He stepped to the back seat, easy enough given his long stride, and then opened the door.

Stepping from the car was the young Family Head of Fiore. Without having to say a word, the driver opened up an umbrella to keep even the light dusting of snow from falling onto her suit jacket. Another pair of suited henchmen, one male and one female, emerged from the car and fell inline with their boss. The group of gangsters approached the orphanage, and then Xiaomin called out. “I am looking for Madison Richter. Or would it be better if I asked for Sanguine?”

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The woman that opened the door of the renovated church did indeed match the sketch she had been given perfectly, and her response confirmed that the report had been accurate. It had never been guaranteed that she would find the person she wanted here, so Xiaomin was relieved she had not made the long trip for nothing. She was fairly certain Madison was thinking something rude of her, but she ignored that for the moment.

Of course she still had to convince the woman to work for her. Given how little she knew of this woman and her motives, all the crime boss could do was play it by ear. It would be a test of how well she could read people, something her lack of trust had forced her to become quite skilled at. That same lack of trust was why she frowned when told she could only bring one guard with her. By far an ideal situation, she recognized she would have to compromise if she did not want to make Madison reject the offer of employment out of hand.

“Very well,” she said cutely before gesturing to the female guard to follow her. The women turned and flanked the door, to make sure no one else entered who could pose a threat to their boss. All three had small lacrima tuned to allow them to speak with each other sitting in their ears, so they could quickly be called inside should their involvement be required.

Once inside, Xiaomin took the proffered seat, though she did not immediately pick up the tea that was offered. Instead the guard picked it up and removed a silver spoon from inside her jacket. She swirled the spoon inside the tea, inspected the spoon for any sign of tarnish, and then took a small sip of the tea from the spoon. Having confirmed the tea was not obviously poisoned, she set the cup back down before her mistress who took a slow sip.

“Thank you for seeing me in,” Xiaomin said once she had swallowed the tea. “I am known as Lady Liu. As you have figured out, I am somewhat aware of your past. So I will not beat around the proverbial bush. I represent an organization that wishes to establish a guild here in Fiore, and I am looking for mages for it. Someone of your prowess would prove a valuable asset to the organization. In return, I am offering lucrative employment terms. I am sure you would find the income… beneficial.”

As if to underscore her point, she looked around at the church turned orphanage. Not that the place was in bad shape per say, but there were obvious limits a person could do with a limited income. The Family, on the other hand, had significant financial resources and were more than willing to poor it into an investment they thought would benefit them in the end. Xiaomin was still not sure how this woman would fit into the organization, but even just having a strong mage on hand would be a powerful deterrent to rival gangs. That kind of security was worth quite a lot of jewels.

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It was unexpected when Madison began to speak in Xiaomin’s native tongue, though she kept it from her face. While it was rare to hear someone speak the language here in Fiore, there were enough immigrants in Hosenka for it to not be as shocking as it might have been when the crime lord first arrived in the country. The woman commented on the testing of poison, but Xiaomin was not about to leave herself open to attack. Anyone could try and kill you at anytime, she only even trusted the guards she had brought with her because they had already risked their lives to save her.

“One does not live long in my line of work without taking the necessary precautions,” she returned in Dongxian before switching back Ishgar. It being pointed out that she was being overly cautious did not bother her, it was the words that came after that brought a slight frown to her face. This woman not being a psychopath was good, but being completely unwilling to listen was another matter entirely. Money had been the simple answer, if that would not work then a change in tactics would be required.

“Regardless of what the magical council might say, I assure you we are nothing more than business men and women,” she replied keeping her tone calm. “We are not interested in things such things such as killing for no reason or bringing down the government. Rather, we would wish to prevent such an occurrence. It would be bad for business.”

She then took another sip of tea, before continuing. “I had not expected you to be fine leaving this children living in squalor rather than comfort, but I respect your intentions. However, you seem to be missing an important factor. The safety of these children.”

Here she held up a hand to forestall any reaction from Madison. “Not from me or the organization I represent. We have no desire to bring harm to you or anyone else within this building, there is no profit in it. Consider though that we know who you are and were able to track you down. How long then until the Rune Knights do the same? What do you think will happen to these children without you here to protect them? At best they would become homeless, at worst they would get caught in the crossfire. I wish to prevent that. With our resources keeping your identity hidden from the Rune Knights will easy enough, and by protecting yourself you would be protecting your orphans.”

Once she had given this explanation she paused for a moment to let the information sink it. She really did hope that the woman would understand that Xiaomin did not intend to harm the children for no reason, and that it was in their best interest that Madison joined underneath of the Family. “I am willing to negotiate terms that are most beneficial to you, such as the terms of your employment. I would even be willing to fund a new orphanage near our headquarters so you can keep an eye on your wards. You will find I am much more willing to negotiate than the Rune Knights are. If you do not trust me, we can sign it in a magical contract. ”

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It seemed the greatest hurtle, even getting Madison to the negotiating table, had been passed. She said she did not need any kind of magic contract, but Xiaomin could not help but to think of her second in command and her more… let us call them dominant personality traits. That was a conversation the diminutive mage had no desire to deal with at the moment, she would let her subordinate handle that. Instead of a contract, it was faith that Madison seemed to most care about. Faith personally meant nothing to Xiaomin, as with the exception of a few like this woman here, most people would easily abandon their faith for a few jewels. Jewels, then, were the true religion of the world.

“I understand that I have no way of proving it at this time,” she replied, keeping her thoughts from her face, “but I have no desire to betray your trust. My only goal is to make our organization successful, and to earn lots and lots of jewels. Anything that would potentially prevent that from happening is something I cannot allow to happen. Breaking your trust I consider to be one of those things that cannot be allowed. I stand to benefit far more from keeping your trust than by losing it.”

All that she said was the unvarnished truth. She had been sent to Fiore to make the Family lots of money, and failure would mean her death. That was what it meant to be an executive to the Family directly, when operating at such a high level there was simply no space for failure. An executive that did something that brought harm to the organization could threaten everyone. Xiaomin had long accepted that her life was always in the balance when making decisions. Instead of worrying about it, she could only continue to move forward and hope her decisions were the correct ones. In the end, it was still entirely possible she could make all the best decisions and still end up dead. That was the life of a crime boss.

“If you are amenable to it,” Xiaomin continued, “I think all parties would benefit from you serving as the Estate Manager for our guild headquarters. You would answer directly to me, but otherwise have free reign to carry out your duties as see fit. Since you already seem to have plenty of experience in the field, you would be in charge of the servants that keep the guildhall in order. This would mostly be a cover though, as your real job would be to keep the compound and other guild assets in town safe. There is no end to the small time gangs and other fools who wish to muscle into our operation. Having someone I can trust to keep them at bay would allow me to focus on other work. Should these terms sound reasonable, I can have my Head of Finances come in to hash out the details. She handles all the employee contracts like these, and would also make sure you get your payment.”

Behind Xiaomin, her single female guard stood ready to use the lacrima in her ear to call for the financial executive. That would depend on whether Madison felt that what Xiaomin was saying was acceptable to her. Something she admittedly was not sure of, as the older woman clearly thought in very different ways from her. All she could do was hope her words were enough.

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“A leader who is willing to get their hands dirty, literally in this case I suppose, is not a weakness, I think,” Xiaomin said in response to the maid’s comment about not being a passive manager. She too was more than willing to handle business on her own when it was the best option, such as her being here rather than sending someone else. “As long as the work gets done properly, I leave the details of running your employees entirely to you.”

Yes, she was willing to take action when it was the best option, but Xiaomin simply could not be everywhere at once. That was why she required competent people underneath her to keep all the plates spinning. Between their activities in Hosenka and in the capital, not to mention their smuggling operations that crossed country boundaries, it was more than any one person could manage. Well, unless they had the ability to clone themselves. That would actually be quite handy, now that she thought about it. Perhaps she would look into if such magic existed.

“You need not worry about any debtors being in your service,” she said when that was brought up. “We do not use their services within the main house, they are not trustworthy enough. Their talents are best used elsewhere.”

Debt was, after all, the best way to tie someone to a guild owned brothel. Most of the prostitutes came either from trafficking them from other countries with the promise of a new life in a new country, or they were sold to the guild by family members who owed substantial sums to them. Strictly speaking it was not legal, but it was not like there was anyone for them to turn to when the guild ran the entire town. On the other hand, as long as they did their job they were treated well and could theoretically pay off their debt and earn their freedom. That few ever did was entirely besides the point. None of this was relevant to Madison though, who would have limited interaction with Hospitality.

It was then that she felt the hair wrapped around her leg, and Xiaomin was glad she had not prepared any defensive spells before entering. It was clear this was just a warning, but her magic would have only seen it as a threat and attacked. If that had happened, the results would have certainly been catastrophic. Instead she was able to simply nod her head in understanding, her face showing no concern for the threat. A leader that showed fear of their subordinates did not survive long in the criminal  underworld. Instead she simply held a hand up to her guard, forestalling any action. Understanding what her boss wanted, the guard instead called for the last woman who had been left behind in the car. Once that woman arrived, Xiaomin gave a brief overview of the decision.

“Miss Richter here will be joining Management underneath me,” she started. “Draw up an employee contract, standard manager rate along with a bonus that is to be paid to this institution. Terms are standard loyalty from both sides, with the addition of me doing my best to prevent the Rune Knights from going after Miss Richter or this institution. Job duties are the management of household personnel for the guild house and upkeep of the estate, and the protection of guild owned assets in Hosenka.”

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Watching Kaede come in and interact with Madison, Xiaomin was glad she had brought the woman here instead of asking Madison to come to Hosenka. Without the need to act strong constantly, Kaede could be much more personable with others. The crime lord could do the same, just her station here in Fiore expected her to never show weakness around others. Even kindness could be considered a weakness in certain situations, which left her often acting colder to others than necessary. Someone who tended to wear their heart on their sleeves yet was also capable of acting calm and professional when required was the perfect bridge in situations like this. That her presence was required because of her magic just made things easier.

This was no more apparent than how well Madison took to Kaede’s presence and gift. Such a gift was something that Midi culture often expected visitors to bring when acting as a guest, but Xiaomin’s position made it so she could only do so with someone of equal or greater status. There was no such person outside of Midi, and acting like someone was could undermine her authority with the rougher elements of their organization. She already had the stigmas of her inexperience and size, there was always the possibility that someone with more ambition than brains would see it as a weakness and try and take the Family Head seat from her. Of course the risk of that was pretty small, especially at this stage. That did not change the fact that Xiaomin’s lack of trust in others prevented her from acting in any way other than as the perfect crime boss.

After Kaede went over the terms that the two had come up with ahead of time, Madison asked about the sealing of magic. It was Xiaomin who responded to the question. “The magic is surprisingly flexible, so in theory yes the magic being sealed can be specified. Ultimately the price is intended to be harsh, because ideally neither side should ever break the contract. I am willing to offer up my life as my side of the contract because I have no intention of breaking it. As for resignation, betrayal is obviously not something we tolerate. Leaving the Family with permission is another matter, and a new contract can be negotiated if such a thing is required.”

Generally when one joined the Family, they were expected to be part of the Family for the rest of their life. There were always exceptions to such rules though, especially if it was more profitable to let someone go than to force them to remain. Profit would always trump other considerations, even if it meant throwing aside traditions. That was the reason that she was organizing a mage guild to run this branch of the Family rather than the traditional organizations, and why members were not required to get the elaborate tattoos most Family members back in Midi sported. She lacked the tattoos herself, as she was too young until recently to receive her sujibori, or tattoo outline.

“Do you have any additional questions?” she asked, her thoughts getting back on topic.

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It seemed that all three of them were on the same page now, which pleased Xiaomin. Fundamentally she believed in making business deals that benefitted her more than the other party, but in this case a fundamental failure in the negotiations would only lead to more problems in the future. While the contract would limit her ability to cause harm to the guild, Madison was still a powerful mage. She was not a naive gambling addict they could easily force into crippling debt. As long as she was satisfied with the terms after signing them though, both sides should stand to benefit and so the crime boss was satisfied.

The comments on losing her memory were curious, though not of particular importance for the moment. Xiaomin was already quite aware that Fiore was full of dark mages of questionable sanity, she actually expected them to be as much a potential roadblock in the future as the Magic Council and their Rune Knights. That was why she needed powerful forces like Madison on her side, should such outside interference become a problem.

“I am glad we could come to an agreement today,” Xiaomin said as she waited for Kaede to update the contract. Once it was ready, she leaned forward, having to stretch to reach, and added her signature to the document. Madison made it out that death did not particularly bother her as a punishment for breaking the contract, but it was more than satisfactory for Xiaomin. Unless the woman could somehow come back from the dead, there was no more fitting punishment than death. It would very neatly prevent any future issues should Madison in fact attempt to betray the guild.

After all parties had sign the contract and it was in effect, the small crime boss stood up from her seat and readjusted her suit coat. “Now that you have joined our organization, I would like to bring you back to our headquarters where you will be based. We will, of course, drive you back here to tie up any business and pack any belongings you need. Consider this as just an introduction to the guild. But let us hurry, it is a bit of a drive back to Hosenka and I would like to arrive before the sun begins to dip.”

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It was only after the contract was signed and the magic in place that Xiaomin allowed herself to relax ever so slightly. It was much easier for her to trust others when they were bound by magic not to betray her. That was not to say they still could not betray her, and she always kept that possibility in the back of her mind, it was just that most people had a natural desire to avoid punishment. Madison could say she was loyal to a fault all she wanted, it was the contract that Xiaomin truly believed in.

With their business here done, the crime boss led the group back toward the car where one of her guards opened the door for her. With so many guards and people the limousine was on the full side, but it was more than luxurious enough that such a thing was not a problem for the occupants. Organizations like theirs thrived as much on perceived wealth as actual wealth, so they had spared no expenses when kitting out the modified Pergrande import. Even having a non-magic vehicle during times of war was a sign of money in and of itself.

Once the car began to make its way across the snowy ground, sake cups were offered to the three senior occupants of the car. It was a high class rice wine, with a higher alcohol content than normal. As such the sake cup was on the smaller side, to provide balance when drinking.

“If you will Madison,” Xiaomin said holding up the cup. “It is tradition in Midi to drink sake when swearing loyalty to each other. Usually there is much more ceremony involved, but as we are in Fiore a simple Fiorean toast seems more appropriate. Cheers”

Holding up the sake cup to the others, she then down the liquid and let the slight burn pass down her throat. Personally she preferred fruit wines over rice wine, so the single cup was enough for her before a glass of sparkling water was handed to her to replace the alcohol. There was still a significant amount of work awaiting her back in Hosenka so getting drunk was not in the cards even as a way to pass the time. Instead she decided it would be a good opportunity to learn more about their newest guild member. “From the sounds of it, you have certainly had an eventful past."

Besides their conversation the rest of the trip was completely uneventful. Eventually the snow of the mountains faded into the more temperate climate of the rest of the country, something Xiaomin appreciated. She was still not entirely used to how much colder the northern winters were compared to Dongxia and Midi. Not to mention that she much preferred the greens and browns of a mild day to the white of the snow that covered the mountain region.

The distance between Mt. Hakobe and Hosenka was great enough that even with the advantage of a motor vehicle the sun had begun to set when the arrived in the spa town. This was perhaps for the best as it would give Madison a view of the city when it was most active. Sure there were still plenty of places open to tourists during daylight, but it was the nightlife that had become the biggest draw to bring in people. Naturally most of the nighttime attractions were of questionable legality, the only place in the country where such vices could be enjoyed with such openness.

As they entered the town they passed the restaurants, shops, and hot spring inns that had created the town, they saw very few people out on the street. That is until they turned down a street that was so brightly lit it appeared to be day outside. This was the Lantern District, and was in the middle of significant reconstruction as Xiaomin and her people took more and more control over the area. The first building they passed did not have a sign to advertise what it was, but the beautiful and scantily clad women sitting behind windows and waving to passersby left little question as to their vocation.

“Under the name Golden Dragon Real Estate we are in the process of buying up as many of the businesses in this district as possible, and then renting them out to tenants to use how they see fit, these tenants usually being out own people of course. Acting as the landlord rather than the business owner gives us plausible deniability should law enforcement become involved; we cannot be held responsible for what tenants do without our knowledge after all. These are the guild assets besides the Dragons Den that will be part of your duties to protect should it come to that. Enforcement will handle the day to day stuff, we only expect you to become involved when they cannot handle it.”

As if to underscore her point they passed by a pair of men in suits that screamed mafia. They were well built and oozed competence, but most importantly discipline. One was actually helping up a woman who had tripped and fallen, lending to the narrative the guild propagated that they were really friends to the people. Xiaomin had no love for the people personally, still if it kept people happy and spending money, and prevented them from trying to get the rune knights involved, she was more than happy to keep playing the part of a benevolent benefactor.

On their path they passed many more brothels, some illegal gambling dens, and countless other establishments that did not take more than a glance to determine were probably not entirely legal within Fiore. Yet the people on the street all seemed bright and happy, well aside from those drowning their gambling sorrows in drink at the many pubs. Near the end of the main street was a massive building still under construction, far fancier looking than anything they had passed on the way. A sign in front stated “Grand Hosenka Casino Coming Soon!”

The district went on for several more streets, with the shadiest businesses being relegated to the furthest and darkest streets. These they passed by completely, and soon enough pulled in front of a large single story building in the tradition of Midi. A small creek fed pond to the side contained a water wheel, making the whole area quite lovely. Once the car stopped, the guards filed out of the car.

“This is the Dragon’s Den,” Xiaomin said as she stepped from the car. “It is where you will live and work while under contract. I think you will find it quite comfortable, if you do not mind tatami mat floors. We have our own hot spring in the back that is open to all guild members.”

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