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(dramatic music plays) The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Kerr.

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Season 4.

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The Order of the Dragon.

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Episode 5.

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The Boulder and the Order.

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Maylor was more interested in cleaning and
organizing their new quarters in the

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Thieves Tower than traveling into the mountain
again.

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So when Prosper asked them about investigating the
blocked Dragon Road, Maylor

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demurred, while Darla was excited.

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You go. Report back, and I'll make sure to have a
nice warm bed ready.

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Darla laughed at the sincere delivery of what was
certainly intended to be a

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provocative remark.

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Yes, please do.

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The scale of Ness continued to surprise Darla.

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She had spent her entire life in and around the
mines, so hearing that she and

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Prosper should take horses to cross the ash fields
to the mountain seemed both

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excessive and yet reasonable.

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She was glad they did, for the trip was indeed
long.

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Rather than a direct path along the mountain,
which took them many hours on foot

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after they escaped the mountain, the two of them
had to travel along a small

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road through the ash fields.

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I don't understand why there isn't a road along
the mountain.

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Darla thought back to that journey. There was no
road at all,

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nothing but broken stones, ruts, and large rocks.

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Even walking along the mountain was challenging.

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Perhaps there was a road, and it was destroyed at
the same time as these fields.

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Prosper waved an arm across the dirt and scrub
that extended far

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into the distance.

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Nothing is growing despite their efforts.

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Darla watched as to the left of the small road
they traveled,

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farmers in black tilled the dirt, which simply
slid off their iron

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tools.

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The Dragon's Breath will do that.

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Darla turned to Prosper, who seemed uninterested
in anything

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other than getting to the mountain.

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The what?

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It's a spell. A horrible, horrible spell.

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It stops anything from growing or thriving. I was
told it was permanent and...

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He waved his arms around the dead fields.

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It appears that is the case.

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Before Darla could inquire further, Prosper shook
his head, but Darla couldn't

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tell if it was in wonder or sadness.

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Whoever cast it upon these fields must have
harbored great hatred for the city.

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This damage is so vast, it must have been many
wizards.

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Could it have been a final curse before the
wizards traveled through the mountain?

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That is what I'm thinking.

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Perhaps it was not done in anger. Perhaps it was a
terrible warning or a way to stop people from
entering the

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mountain.

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Prosper shrugged.

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Who knows? It was long ago.

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They continued in silence, but Darla couldn't help
but peer at

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everything, the small wall along the river that
they approached, the plateau

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that rose beyond the river, the mines beyond that.

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To her left, the remains of old Ness,

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the old quarter.

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They reached the river, which was blocked by a
stone wall.

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Darla examined it from horseback as she and
Prosper turned and walked

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toward the mountain. It was taller than a man on
horseback, but not by

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much. It hid the ash fields from the river in the
lower and upper quarter,

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which she assumed was the extent of its function.

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This is Dragon Road.

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Darla glanced at the paved road under their horses
and extending to a

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dark cavernous opening into the mountain far in
the distance.

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The same road that goes through the mountain?

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Yes. It extends to Drak beyond the forest.

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There are stories of those that walked its entire
length, but I find that

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impossible to believe.

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It would take you months just to walk from Ness to
Drak along the road, let alone to Kalisto.

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Well, with the mountain blocking the road now,
such a journey is indeed impossible.

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We shall see.

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Prosper spurred his horse and didn't say anymore
as they increased their pace

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toward the mountain.

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Darla, Maylor, and Prosper had not spent much time
looking at the road into

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the mountain. They rushed to the Thieves Tower
after the death of Katrina,

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and their magical descent from the waterfall.

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Now, however, as she approached, Darla took in its
glorious majesty.

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It was enormous, more than double the width of the
road, and higher than

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even the great wall. It appeared to have been
carved directly out of the side of the

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mountain, but it seemed completely smooth, as if
artisans had

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spent many years carving the entrance and tunnel
into a plain but decorative

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welcome to travelers.

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Prosper didn't pause to take in the work, but
rather rode his horse directly

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into the mountain. The sun was still high, so they
could see well enough

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inside to know that the blockage was near the
entrance, perhaps 40 or

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50 yards inside.

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Dismounting, Prosper walked toward the rubble
directly in front of them.

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Darla quickly dismounted and followed, taking note
of any details.

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There were no guard rooms or buildings.

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It was simply the road continuing into the
mountain.

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The only decoration were two enormous sconces that
were made of stone.

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As Prosper continued forward, Darla walked closer
to a sconce.

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She at first thought it was empty and was meant to
hold a torch the size of a

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tree. But as she got closer, she could see that
the lattice that was to hold the tree

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was actually closed at the top.

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See the latticework?

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Darla nearly jumped as Prosper spoke from directly
next to her.

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She hadn't noticed him approach.

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Yes.

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"It is not stone. It is a material that is
extremely rare.

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It contains magic."

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"What do you mean?"

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"Any spell that is cast within that frame is
captured and will remain active until the caster

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dies or another spell is cast to replace it."

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Prosper waved a hand toward the sconce, and a
bright light shot from his hand

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toward it. The moment it reached the sconce, it
flared into a brilliant

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light. He turned and did the same thing with the
other sconce.

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When he finished, the entire entrance of the
tunnel was brightly lit.

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"Now when those go out, you'll know I'm dead."
Prosper smiled at Darla

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with a grim sincerity. "Come, let me show you
something." He walked toward the

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boulders. "See this?" Prosper pointed to an
enormous boulder in

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what was an enormous pile. He looked up and to the
left and right.

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"We should probably step back."

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Darla wasn't entirely sure what was happening, but
she followed Prosper as

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he backed up nearly to the entrance.

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Without looking at Darla, he spoke as he raised
his hand.

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"Did I mention that I'm a powerful magician?"

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Darla remembered Catrina calling him a senior
magician, and she had herself

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witnessed his amazing magic.

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"You did, but you also said you cleared manure on
the road."

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Prosper turned to Darla with a big smile.

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"You have a wonderful memory.

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You would make a great magician."

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Seemingly forgetting about the boulder, he
continued.

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"Clearing the road to Drak was a punishment and
intended to teach me humility."

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He leaned closer to Darla. "Do you know why I was
to be taught humility?"

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Darla shook her head. "It was because I can do
this."

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Prosper raised his hand and aimed it toward the
gigantic boulder.

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Without even making a movement, it disappeared.

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One moment it was there, and the next, it was
completely gone.

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In response, an avalanche of rocks and stones slid
forward from behind and

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beside it, rolling to a stop near Darla's feet.

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Dust billowed up, but Darla could still see that a
large portion of the road

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was made clearer. It was still blocked, but by
rubble, not a huge

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boulder. She turned to Prosper.

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"You can clear the road?"

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Prosper nodded his head. "I can, and I will." He

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closed his eyes. "It is gone. I don't know which
one it is, but it is

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gone."

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Turning back to Darla, Prosper opened his eyes,
his face

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serious but not sad. "We have a saying that magic
is a curse and a

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blessing.

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It is a curse because you forget what you love.

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Do you know why it is a blessing?"

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Darla couldn't bring herself to answer, even as
she knew the horrible answer.

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"It is a blessing because you forget what you have
lost."

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And without another word, Prosper raised his arm
and strode

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forward.

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Karch sat at his desk staring at the young man,
who seemed terrified.

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Karch didn't want terrified, but he had an
enormous leadership vacuum to fill.

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Pattis was dead. Dervish was dead. Both his upper
and lower

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quarter captains had abandoned their duties.

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All he had was the new fellow, Rogers, and he was
already working to restore order

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in the lower quarter, which is why the young man
currently sat in front of him.

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"You fought alongside Captain Rogers?"

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"Yes, sir. He wasn't brave, but he was wise."

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"It appears bravery without wisdom leaves you
dead."

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The young man nodded his head vigorously.

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"Yes, sir. You are absolutely correct, sir."

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Karch sighed. The young man was brought to his
attention as having the respect of the

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Guild guards, but he seemed like a cowardly
simpleton.

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Clearly, he was missing something. "Jasper."

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"Yes, sir."

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"I have need of a captain of the guard.

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I asked for someone who could lead people, who
understood the ebb and flow of not just

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battle, but the challenge of managing citizens who
are quarreling.

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It is a job that requires wisdom, calm, and

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yes,

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bravery."

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Karch waved toward Jasper. "And I would send you.

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Do you feel you can do all those things?"

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The young man took a moment, as if considering
whether this was a job he wanted

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to take, not whether it was a job he was qualified
for.

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"I can, sir."

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"I'm afraid I don't believe you."

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Karch made to stand up and dismiss the young man,
but he raised a hand.

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"If I may, sir."

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Karch slid back down into his chair and nodded.

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"The men respect me because when I lead them into
danger, I'm the one in the lead.

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I understand the politics, sir. Guild Master
Quinto and the Knights will be reorganizing

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themselves. I doubt they'll have time to patrol
the streets, let alone pick sides in a war between
the

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Craft and Merchant Guild."

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The last sentence surprised Karch. The young,
terrified

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man at least knew the stakes.

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"I will follow your orders, sir, and your guards
will follow me."

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"And why do you think there will be war between
the Craft and Merchant Guild?"

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Jasper smiled.

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"Because someone has to bear the brunt of Polo's
anger, and it won't be us."

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Karch finally smiled. This young man wasn't
terrified.

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He was devious.

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Karch liked that.

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"Your orders are to march on the Craft Tower and
bring Orion to me, alive or

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dead. Can you do that?"

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"His forces are spread along the North Fork,
terrified that Polo will come via boats.

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I recommend we send a force at night through the
Warehouse District to distract them with a feint.

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As his forces are distracted, we will have time
for a sustained attack on Craft Tower.

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Orion

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will be dropped here."

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Jasper pointed to the floor next to Karch's desk.

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"Alive or dead."

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"Captain of the Guards Jasper,

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those are indeed your orders."

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Karch stood, and Jasper quickly followed to his
feet.

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"Thank you, sir."

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Karch circled around his desk.

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"And sir, don't mistake respect for fear, and a
brave death may sometimes achieve more

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than wisdom."

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Karch hid his smile. This young man is exactly
what he needed.

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Now, if he could only find more like him to
replace the rest of his leadership

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vacuum.

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(dramatic music)

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A Podcast Alchemy

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production.