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The Thieves Guild,

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by Jake Kerr.

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Episode 138.

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The Cursed Office.

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It was after killing Cerris that Karch settled on
a plan.

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As he approached the guild master's office, Karch
had to stop to catch his

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breath.

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Breathing heavily hurt.

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He was still badly bruised and most likely had
several broken ribs from the

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sadistic blade vesper, but he was not so bruised
that he couldn't take care

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of Orion's pathetic nephew.

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Still, feeling stabs of pain while he breathed was
not a

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distraction he wanted.

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He flashed the guild master seal at the guard, a
young man he had known since he had

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first been put on tower duty the previous year.

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"Do not disturb us."

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The guard turned away.

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Karch knocked on Cerris' door and entered without
an invitation.

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Cerris was on the sofa holding a half-naked woman
with her head buried in his

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neck. "By the gods, Karch, get out! I'll have your
head for this."

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Karch walked over to the woman, grabbed her
roughly by the arm, and pulled her to

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her feet. "Get out. I have urgent business to
discuss with the guild master." The

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woman stumbled and then stood up, arranging her
blouse to cover herself.

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"Now." "Guard, come in here this instant!" Before

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Karch could literally kick her out with his boot,
the woman rushed to the door and

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out of the room.

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Cerris stood up and made a fist. "Unless you are
here to tell me that my

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uncle urgently needs me, you may not survive my
beating, Karch." "Your

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uncle is dead."

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The news stunned the young man, who dropped his
arms to his side.

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"What? How?" Karch walked toward Cerris and put
his

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left arm around Cerris' shoulder in a sympathetic
manner, as if to comfort him.

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Cerris had taken one step when Karch moved his
other arm up and slid

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his jeweled dagger between Cerris' ribs and into
his heart, pulling him

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close with the arm he had around his shoulder as
the blade slipped in deeper.

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"Oh, I'm sorry, my mistake. It isn't your uncle
who is dead,

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it is you."

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Cerris' body slumped to the floor and Karch threw
the knife on top of it.

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After one last glance at Orion's nephew, Karch
walked out.

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The guard watched as Karch approached, wiping his
bloody hand on his cloak.

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"When I informed the guild master that the
Outlanders were attacking, he cried out in

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despair and killed himself. Please tell Dervish to
take care of the body.

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We can have an official funeral when things have
calmed down." "That office appears

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cursed."

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The guard gave away the hint of a smile.

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Karch patted the guard on the shoulder. "Yes.

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In fact, block the door and leave the body inside.

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I believe one of the reasons Cerris killed himself
is that he was haunted by the ghost of Larsen.

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It is better not to disturb such spirits."

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The guard nodded. "Consider it done, guild
master." "Guild

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master."

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It was the first time in his life Karch had been
called that.

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He planned on it happening many, many more times
into the future.

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He started toward his office. There were many
reasons that Karch got rid of

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Orion's nephew, but the main one was that he was
Orion's

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nephew.

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Karch had no doubt that with Larsen dead, Polo's
rage would be aimed at

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Sax and Orion, and having Orion's nephew as guild
master

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pulled the Merchant Guild into the circle of
Polo's rage.

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The future was clear to Karch. The Rangers and
Harvest Guild would defeat

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the Knight and Craft Guilds. It was a foregone
conclusion in his mind.

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And with Trader's Bridge destroyed, a slash and
burn assault on the upper quarter

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like Larsen did in the lower quarter was now
impossible.

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The only question was, how could he join the
Harvest Guild while they still

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had little trust of him and his guild?

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And to make matters worse, he was surrounded by
Knight and Craft Guild

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members who would immediately punish him for
betrayal.

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That may all have been moot, as the city was under
attack by the

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Outlanders. "The Outlanders! Of course."

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They were the solution to everything.

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Karch almost laughed out loud. His original plan
was to have them

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assassinate or be blamed for assassinating Polo.

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That would have rallied the city to the Merchant
Guild as the city protectors.

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Now, he could do the same thing. It was almost
comically appropriate.

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The vile and dirty Outlanders who massacred his
men outside their small

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city in the plains and almost killed him were
going to be the ones that

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restored the city's faith in the Merchant Guild,
and save his

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life.

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Karch turned from the staircase to his office and
headed toward the garrison on the first

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level and Dervish's office. Before they attacked
the Outlanders, they

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had to betray the Knight and Craft Guild, and
Karch had just the idea for

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how to do that and do it without risk.

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It wasn't until they had climbed to the third
floor that Mela met someone she

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knew. It was a guard she had trained with when she
was younger.

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"James, where is everyone?" The guard's eyes went
wide when he

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took in Mela. "Mela, by the gods, we thought you
were dead." He ran over and the

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two hugged tightly.As they parted, Maela waved her
arm toward

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Dala.

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I would be dead if it wasn't for this mighty
Harvest Guild guard who saved me.

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'Tis an honor."

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James bowed his head.

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The honor is mine, noble guard.

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James looked over and noticed Prosper, who stood
cold and dour in his

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red.

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"Someone who wears red? Who is this, and of what
guild?"

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I am Prosper. I was a senior wizard of the Magic
Guild.

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My home is Ness."

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Prosper shrugged.

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"Not this ness, of course."

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"Magic Guild?"

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Maela grabbed James' arm.

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Never mind that. We can explain it later. Where is
Allard? Raylen?

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How come Felos isn't prowling about the lower
floors?

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I was expecting him to skewer me before I could
get out. It was me.

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"We don't know where Raylen is.

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He left for a mission with the Outlanders, but
then they invaded, so we're worried about his
fate.

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Felos is leading the guild in an attack against
the Outlanders across the foothills."

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James paused and lowered his head.

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"Allard went on a mission to the lower quarter,
and is missing."

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By the gods, James, who is in charge?

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"Assistant Guildmaster Raif is leading us."

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Raif? Raylen's idiot friend?

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James looked shocked.

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"You should hold your tongue. Even Felos says that
Raif has a brilliance we haven't seen in many

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years."

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Are we talking about the same Raif, the one whose
expertise is taking the blame for Raylen's
mischief?

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With Maela still holding his arm, he started
toward the wide

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staircase up the tower.

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"There is much you have missed. Raif can fill you
in.

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I am not privy to the conversations, but I heard
Deputy Allard whispering to Felos about some of

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Raif's mysteries. The deputy seemed impressed, so
you should do well to pay attention."

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Maela didn't like being lectured by James, but she
admitted that there was much she

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had missed out on.

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If nothing else, watching Raif's shock when
confronted with a member of a magic

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guild he had never heard of would be worth a
smile.

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Then take us to him.

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She would humor Raif while she awaited Allard's

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return.

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(dramatic music)

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A Podcast Alchemy production.