System Break

The old man had wisps of grey hair that looked like they were stuck on his head. His back was never straight, and his shoulders hunched over his portly staunch. But despite his decrepit looks there was a sharp mind filled with knowledge hidden inside the haze of drunkenness. 

He was sipping a hot liquid and I smelled coffee. Loctris was surely the centre of this world, it had coffee. 

I sat opposite him. "How old is Loctris?"

He sipped and then gulped the short black down his gullet. "We've got a lot to do tonight. Do you want to sit here and ask questions or go?"

We weren't alone in the common room; it was for everyone after all. "Maybe there's somewhere else we can sit and chat before we do whatever you have planned for this evening."

"It's free here," he said. "And we're just two losers in a corner."

"Do you know a discreet money changer?"

A low chuckle escaped his lips. "Sure, but the more discreet the worse the exchange rate."

"We should be very discreet it's better than complications later."

He stood. "That shall be our first stop and we can kill two birds with one stone."

"You go first, I'll follow at a distance."

He nodded. "I'll head north."

The person watching the campus across the street was still there. They never left; maybe they lived in that room above the cheese shop. I looked up and the room was dark, but they were there either standing or sitting on a tall chair. This time they did not budge, secure in the knowledge that I could not see them. Remembering Alejo, I added another question to the list I wanted to ask Leonell.

He wound his way to the edge of the merchants district and entered a smoke filled café. He waited for me at the door and nodded when I entered.

We walked through the café which was filled with patrons smoking long pipes and sipping from small glass chalices filled with dark liquid. He then went up a spiral staircase with a little difficulty, it was steep and narrow. 

A woman sat behind a desk at the entrance to another lounge. "Business or pleasure?" she asked. She wore a black cloak, the colour which Leonell had told me not to wear.

"My lady, it is both tonight, but business will come first. Can we get a walk-in with the money changer?"

She pursed her lips. "Name?"

"Leonell the grey and a new friend." His hand indicated me.

She peered at us. "Take a seat in the lounge and someone will fetch you if he accepts. Next time make an appointment though one of the urchins."

Leonell bowed. "I will lady, my apologies." He was awfully polite to a door woman, there was more here than met the eye.

She escorted us to a semicircular seat near the centre of the lounge. The lighting was dim and familiar smells filled the air. Tobacco and marijuana amongst other things met my nostrils. Both had distinctive smells, but the third was unknown to me.

I looked at the long pipes stretching up from the ornate bottle on the floor. "Hashish?" I asked.

Leonell shrugged. "I don't know what hashish is. You can smoke tobacco, cannabis, or lotus from the Argila. I do not recommend black lotus, but you can partake in the red or white. Can you pay?"

"After the money changer I can."

He nodded. "Then consume nothing unless we get a meeting."

There were four doors other than the entrance with two on each side. There was a bar and behind it was a partition to another area. One which seemed invite only, in fact the whole building other than the ground floor appeared to be invite only.

On the odd occasion I saw a person wearing a black cloak and they always had adept sized cores.

"What's with the black cloaks?"

Leonell brought a finger to his lips. "Although it's an open secret it's not polite to discuss – especially here."

"Leonell the grey?"

"I am neither black nor white. I walk between the worlds."

"So it's not a title?"

He chuckled. "Nothing special and rarely mentioned."

A short man dressed in grey robes approached us. "The money changer will see you now. Thank you for waiting."

We followed him through to one of the side rooms. A tall pale skinned man was standing in the corner and when we entered he put down the vial he was holding and turned to face us.

"Welcome," he said. "Long time Leonell. What brings you here?"

Leonell bowed shallowly. "Thank you for seeing us Lafe. I would like to introduce a gifted student of mine."

Lafe raised an eyebrow at the word gifted and he considered me. I didn't look like much, Gunt was an adventurer after all. Non-descript in size, strength with somewhat good looks. I mimicked the shallow bow Leonell gave.

I was embarrassed to say my name. "Gunt Sir."

He indicated a couple of chairs in front of his desk. "What can I do you for?"

I reached into my pouch, extracted the Bullfrog's core and rolled it across the table. He picked it up and stared at the swirling blue liquid inside.

"Interesting, it has good concentration for its size. What is it from if you don't mind me asking?"

I peered. "I'm not sure what they're called. I had never seen one before. It was the size of two oxen and resembled a frog with an ugly face and hooves. It spat qi from its mouth."

He nodded. "I see. How many with you to take it down?"

"I was alone sir."

He raised his eyebrow and looked at Leonell who shrugged.

"Gifted indeed," he said. "I see why Leonell favours you." He peered at Leonell for a long time. "Are you drinking less these days?"

Leonell shrugged and Lafe chuckled. "I think you are. Very well I hope things are looking up for you old friend."

Leonell leaned forward and gave him a yellow toothed smile. "Don't call me old friend unless you are offering old friend rates."

Lafe chuckled. "Welcome back to the land of the living. And in honour of your return I will give you slightly better rates than normal." He placed the core on a fancy brass scale and checked the weight. He opened a silk pouch and began adding silver coins.

He paused. "Do you want to open an account?"

I looked at Leonell who nodded to me.

"What's an account do?"

"Each time we make an exchange I take twenty five percent and add it to your account. We keep a ledger of your investment and loan it out to others, businessmen and the like. It is one of the things a money changer does, and you get fifty percent of the return."

He nodded towards the scale. "This is a small amount, but you have to start somewhere and if you can kill a Thrackan alone then you have great earning potential."

I wasn't planning on being here long, but the black cloaked money changer may be a handy contact. "Agreed. I am happy to join the scheme."

He smiled and nodded. "Good, good." And then he finished filled the silk pouch with silver and a couple of gold coins.

He pushed it across and watched my face as I picked it up and slid it into the inside pocket of my cloak.

He spied the knives when the cloak was open. "Can you use those?" And I knew what he meant.

I closed my cloak and met his gaze with tight lips.

He turned to Leonell. "Where did you find him?"

Leonell chuckled. "You would never believe me."

"Try me."

"He is one of the adventurers the Chancellor brought to the city."

His mouth opened and snapped shut. "I thought there were a joke?"

Leonell nodded. "They are. He is the exception which proves the rule."

"Teacher," I said in warning.

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter my boy; they will find out soon enough whether I tell them or not."

It was my turn to look surprised. "The one across the street who watches us come and go? She is a black cloak?"

Lafe laughed. "Someone will have to inform her – her stakeout is blown." He turned back to Leonell. "Is he open for recruitment?"

Leonell shrugged. He did that a lot.

Lafe turned back to me and asked, "Well?"

"Let me think on it," I said. 

Lafe smiled. "Very well. We can discuss it next time. Please make an appointment with one of the urchins. Just tell them which day, weight and whether its morning, afternoon or night."

"How can I recognize them?"

"Thy wear a black patch on their clothing near or on their shoulder. No other clothing they were is black. Ensure you mention my name because there is more than one money changer in the guild."

There was another faction in Loctris one which had talented qi adepts the same as the red and green cloaks. I wasn't sure how many of them were noble or if the black cloaks were entirely made up of outliers, but they had my attention as I did theirs.