Page 74 of Heroes & Handcrafts
“I do apologize for taking you away from the festivities,” Orora said, “but this won’t take very long.”
“We did invite you, Grandmother,” Augustin said. “Perhaps we could have had this conversation there instead.”
“It’s a small matter of business. I understand that you’ve successfully accompanied Elder Bahul down and back again.”
“That’s right,” Braiden said, “which, respectfully, of course means that all our debts and fees are absolved. Just as you promised.”
“Yes. Just as I promised.”
Orora waved her hand, as if sweeping all those invisible bills off the table. Nothing had actually happened yet, but Braiden still felt his muscles relaxing.
“And Elder Bahul tells me that this new deepest level of the dungeon has led to a discovery of demons. Is that correct?”
“It is,” Braiden said. “In fact, Elder Bahul is right now in discussion with the demon leaders to work out the details. Something about enticing adventurers with places beyond even the dungeon to discover.”
Elder Orora’s eyes glimmered as she envisioned a shower of gold coins. Braiden smirked. As if he didn’t already know that this was how all the elders operated.
“Before we go to my last order of business, I must ask you something that I’ve been wondering from the very beginning. Where do things stand with the two of you, now that you’ve had a taste of both enterprise and adventure? What do you choose, gentlemen? Business or battle? Commerce or the call of the open road?”
Braiden and Augustin glanced at each other, smiling at the same time, recognizing the light in each other’s eyes. Braiden answered for them both.
“Why not both?” he said, answering her question with a question.
“Excellent. That’s very good news. Now, on to this last thing I wanted to discuss.”
Elder Orora grinned as she steepled her fingers.
“I don’t like where this is going,” Augustin whispered in Braiden’s ear. “Er, Grandmother? We should be going. We’ll see you at Beadle’s Needles shortly. I believe there’s cake. You love cake.”
“You see, with all these new attractions in Weathervale,” Orora said, ignoring him, “the council foresees even more growth and potential in our sizable new population of adventurers. The encampment, the questing boards, the Noose — it would all work better tidied up. We need to organize all that.”
“Uh-oh,” Braiden muttered. “Augustin — I see what you mean.”
Orora leaned over the table, her shadow seeming to lengthen across the room.
“We need to open a guild of adventurers right here in Weathervale. A way to keep all the business of adventuring centralized — to be sustained, of course, by a nominal fee collected from all its members. And who better to lead such a prestigious and ambitious operation than two of Weathervale’s greatest heroes? Imagine it, the two of you at the helm, side by side as guild masters of our town’s very first — ”
Augustin grabbed Braiden’s hand. “Run.”
“What?”
But run he did, sprinting side by side with Augustin toward the nearest window.
“Wait!” Orora cried. “You’ll be paid a salary! And you’ll earn in commissions!”
“Don’t listen to her,” Augustin said, his voice brittle with the panic of a man being threatened with unwanted responsibility. “Jump!”
And jump Braiden did, trusting Augustin with all his heart. His stomach dipped as they fell through the air, but Augustin’s spell took hold within seconds, buoying them up and away from the tower.
Orora’s voice echoed over the rooftops. “Augustin Cumulus Arcosa! You fly back here, right this instant.”
“Never,” Augustin shouted, laughing into the clouds.
Braiden snuck looks back at the tower between his own fits of nervous laughter, half expecting to find Orora flying after them in pursuit. She only stood at the edge of the tower, shaking her fist.
“Cumulus?” Braiden asked. “Really?”
Augustin scoffed. “Don’t be so cocky about that, Reginald. That’s right. I know. You’ve asked me for help with the shop ledger. I’ve seen all the documents.”
“I’ll keep your middle name a secret if you do the same for mine.”
Augustin kissed him softly on the lips. “It’s a deal. Where do we go now, weaver? The sky’s the limit. Quite literally, in fact. Il-venesse, Old Gwerena, the Summerlands — anywhere you wish.”
Braiden chuckled. “How about Beadle’s Needles? We still have a party to attend. And someone mentioned something about cake, too.”
“Ah, of course,” Augustin said, the smile clear in his voice. “Perhaps we’ll adventure some other time. For now: cake.”
Braiden and Augustin embraced tight, for safety, for warmth, for affection. The wizard and weaver flew all the way home.
END
