Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Victory

The door opened as several cloaked figures stood outside. Rain came down in sheets as water dripped off water-logged bodies. Tired, but excited eyes looked in to a warm living room. A crackling hearth warmed the main room, the heat floating out from the door.

Sitting on the center couch, a woman with black hair and a white lock trailing out from one of her temples, smiled at the cloaked shadows beyond the doorframe. Serafina was in her black dress, one leg over the other and bare foot out.

“Come in, my little ravens,” she said with a welcoming smile.

One by one, the dripping ravens came in. Tied sacks hung over shoulders. Water dripped on the rug. Mud-caked boots dripped as five ravens stood at the entrance with relief in their eyes.

Serafina slipped her leg down and stood up. She moved to a single seat chair and picked up a stack of towels. She stepped over to everyone as they shed their cloaks and hung them on pegs by the doorframe. She handed everyone a towel and they began to dry off.

“Take off your shoes. Don’t want mud tracking through the house,” she ordered.

The tired ravens complied. Feet slipped out of boots and toes wiggled in the warm room.

Symon smiled as Serafina took hold of the sacks tied to each other on his shoulders. He bowed his head as she lifted them up. Once cleared from his shoulders, she brought them over to the low middle table before the couches and seating. She put them down and went back for the others as everyone tried off.

“How did it go with the horses and carriage?” Serafina asked Cedric.

“Well,” he smiled as he dried his hair. “Returned them with no issues and paid a little extra to keep him quiet if anyone came around, asking questions.”

The elder raven nodded before turning her attention to the two kobolds and Olivia. “And how did all three of you fare in the sewers?”

“I’ll never forget the stench, but we’re fine,” Qin said as he dried his scales.

“The rain washed away most of the unpleasantness,” Nyana added.

Olivia was silent as she wrapped her hair into a bun.

Serafina turned her gaze to Symon. He stood with wet, disheveled clothes and a look of deep relief in his eyes.

“No towel is going to get you dry now. Go upstairs and change. I’ll have some warm spirits waiting for you,” she said with a kind tone.

Symon nodded and made for the corridor with the stairs. He climbed the wood stairs and reached his room. He walked in and closed the door behind him. A sigh touched the air as he walked to a chest and opened it for a new set of clothes. He smiled to himself, his mind wondering how much they made it out with.

***

The living room was filled with edgy excitement. Cedric was first to move to the six sacks on the table. He picked one up and spilled the contents out. He grinned to himself as he saw a pile of silvery white and gold coins clatter into one pile. He grabbed another one and began to pour them out.

Olivia, Nyana, and Qin looked at the coins with wide eyes and happy smiles. They moved closer, and began to help pour out the rest. All of them could not believe how many kings and queens piled up, more coin than any of them have seen in their lifetimes.

“I’ll get us all something to warm the bones and celebrate your victory,” Serafina said as she left the main room and stepped into the kitchen.

Cedric held up his hand with a pile of coins on it. “I thought I was well off when I had over a hundred queens to my name. But this, is so much more than I ever imagined, and I can imagine quiet a lot,” he laughed.

“It’s something most of us never realize, just how much coin there is out there for the taking,” Olivia said with reflection of the piles of coins in her eyes.

“Think of all the magical enchantments, books, and spell ink we can buy,” Nyana said with delight.

Qin nodded and smiled at his cousin.

When all the coins were spilled out into several mounds, the group sat down and began organizing them into piles of platinum kings and gold queens.

A short time later, Serafina came out with a tray. On it was a large bottle of spirits and two stacks of glasses. She swept in as Symon appeared from the corridor. The two locked eyes and smiled. The young raven moved to her and helped by taking the tray. Serafina lifted the glasses and began setting them down by each raven. When everyone had a glass, she lifted up the bottle, uncorked it, and began pouring amber liquid into each one.

The mood was near delirious as everyone sat around the table and helped organized the loot. Symon and Serafina joined the group, hands stabbing and helping to move coins. After a few long moments and plenty of sip, several piles stood. One pile was a heap of kings. The other was a larger mound of queens. The last pile was the smallest, with a mixture of rooks and knights.

“There will be a lot to discuss, but let’s divvy out the haul. I must also remind you, to improve your rank, most of your cut should reside in the treasure room downstairs,” Serafina explained.

Everyone nodded in unison.

“I counted about four thousand-eight hundred coins, give or take,” Cedric said as he sipped his drink.

“Seven hundred kings, three thousand two hundred queens, four hundred and forty knights, and three hundred and sixty rooks, give or take,” Nyana said with a wide smile.

Everyone turned their attention to the small kobold and blinked.

“I couldn’t wait and had to count as we organized it. I tend to always look at the details,” the kobold said and looked away with uncomfortable eyes.

“We need someone as detailed oriented as you,” Symon said with a genuine kind tone to the kobold.

Nyana’s scales along her snout glowed with heat as she kept her shy gaze averted.

“All of you did very well,” Serafina smiled at the small group of ravens. “For your first time, you were all exceptional. I’m very proud.”

“We are all pretty amazing,” Cedric said seriously before he winked at everyone.

The mood took them as they started to laugh.

When the laughter died down, the elder raven took charge.

“This is a very good haul, very good. But now, we must split it up six ways. There is enough here to raise all of your ranks within the guild and get us a step closer to legitimizing our return to business here in Gray Gate,” Serafina said.

Heads nodded in agreement.

Nyana spoke up, “I think each cut will be about a hundred and sixteen kings, five hundred and thirty-three queens, seventy-three knights, and sixty rooks apiece.”

“I can retire,” Cedric let out a hearty laugh.

Serafina was about to speak up when Symon stood up and addressed everyone gathered.

“This was a great haul, but we can’t become too comfortable with our victory. In the scheme of things, and our future as a guild, this is a pittance. We all heard the conversation with Lord Chambers and the leader of the demon guild. There is enough coin in Gray Gate to change many fortunes a hundred, or even a thousand times over.

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“We were lucky. It could have gone so many different ways, but we managed to make it out by the skin of our teeth. Lord Chambers will not forget this insult, and he will use every drop of his influence and status to discover who robbed him of some of his fortune. We must stay vigilant and grow our skills if we wish to succeed here.”

Eyes looked down as the weight of Symon’s words pressed on their spirits.

Symon glanced to Serafina, and she gave him a small, almost imperceptible nod.

Symon’s serious expression relaxed into a smile as he continued, “But I do have to say, everyone here contributed to changing our lives for the better. Thank you.”

Warm smiles bloomed as everyone looked up to the young man in black.

Serafina stood up with hands on hips. “We need food for the celebration. Symon, will you join me in the kitchen and help me prepare a few plates?”

Symon smiled and nodded.

“The rest of you, separate everything into everyone’s cut before we bring the food out,” Serafina ordered.

The ravens reached to the table and began separating the coins and amounts for each member.

Serafina and Symon left the group and stepped into the kitchen. The elder raven began grabbing food from ice chests while Symon moved to a cabinet and began pulling out plates.

“It was a brave thing you did, distracting the lord and his butler,” the elder raven said as she moved to the kitchen island and put down meat, cheese, and bread.

Symon walked over with some plates and set them down. He looked at Serafina with endearing eyes as rain continued to fall beyond the kitchen windows.

“It wasn’t even a thought, but something I knew I had to do,” he said as he tried to shrug away her compliment.

Serafina began slicing away pieces of meat and placing them neatly on a plate. “The lord could have stopped you, but it would have only compounded our troubles.”

“Would you have gone in to rescue us?” Symon grinned.

Serafina continued to cut as she spoke. “I would, and I would have killed the lord and his butler to ensure he couldn’t speak of what happened.”

Symon’s smile faded a little, understanding her meaning all too well.

She continued, “There is still a problem, he did know you were different, even in your fox form. What we took was an insult to Lord Chambers and he will use everything he can to seek you out, and us by association. To protect our guild, I recommend you don’t use your fox form for a time, long enough for his rage to quell, and perhaps, forget.”

Symon nodded. “I thought of that as well, while we traveled back here.”

Serafina stopped cutting and looked at the young man with soulful eyes. “Symon, you and the others did better than I ever hoped. We do have a chance to bring the guild back into full operation. But the stakes will only grow from here.

“I didn’t want to speak of this in front of the others, but we are not out of the woods yet. Kylana’s meeting with Lord Chambers is only a peek at what is happening behind the scenes. Some of the guilds are motivated to prevent our ascension back into the city.

“Our guild stone is a bauble for the elite to bid upon and brag about to each other, but the elite are not idiots. They have power. Some are just as powerful as the mages who rule this city. Any attempt to take back what is ours will be very dangerous.”

“Not dangerous enough for us to stop,” Symon said with conviction.

“Nay, not enough for us to stop, but dangerous enough to take one, or many lives. A rogue’s life can be fast and bright, but it can end just as quickly. When I was younger, much of the older members talked of friends and family they lost over the years. I have a book, with the names of every guild member who died in service for the pursuit of wealth. It has more names that I ever thought possible, and it still has plenty of empty pages left.”

Serafina looked away with sad eyes. “I don’t dare let the excitement of our victory blind me to what may happen in the future. It is clear, we must come up with a plan to retrieve our guild stone. At this time, we are at our weakest.”

The elder raven’s eyes took on a firmness as she lifted her head and looked at Symon with a gleam of dedication.

“There are many skills left to learn, and mages who we must ensure they are enrolled into the Necromancy Academy. We will celebrate tonight, but beginning tomorrow, I will teach you, and the others, skills that can used to aid our guild and our future plans.”

“I’m ready,” Symon said with conviction.

“I know you are,” Serafina smiled. “I can dissect a person with simply a glance, and when I saw you, I saw a hungry spirit. What happened to you was a tragedy, but there is something I will swear to you from this moment on, I will help you find your parents and help reunite your family.”

Symon’s heart leapt in his chest from Serafina’s declaration.

“Serafina, words cannot express my appreciation, but you don’t have to do that. My family left me to shield me. Bella protected me with her own life. You took me in, and helped me start a new life, but you don’t have to do this. I believe, with time, my parents will find me again. When they do, I will have enough wealth and status to protect them for the rest of our lives.”

Symon’s eyes gleamed warmly as he looked at Serafina. “Enough to protect you, and our family in the living room.”

The elder raven looked down with heartfelt sadness. “Thank you, Symon, for the sentiment. I have been alone for a long time, and it is soothing to my soul to hear it.”

Symon looked into her eyes from across the island. “It’s not just a sentiment, I speak the truth. To prove what I am saying is true, you may have all my kings, repayment for everything you’ve done to help me and the guild.”

 

“No, you earned them,” she said with mild shock in her tone.

“We earned them. When I had nothing, you helped me. I want us to succeed by rebuilding the guild and helping you achieve your rightful place as leader of it. That is how much I believe in our future.”

A calm silence bloomed between them, the truth beating in their hearts.

Serafina looked away as heat glowed along her pale cheeks. “Let’s get this out to the others before the drink loosens them too much,” she said with a soft voice.

Symon nodded.

The two cut up bread, cheese, and meat. They placed it on the plates, and when they were full, they picked them up and brought them out of the kitchen.

The moment they came into the main room, all eyes turned to them and happy cheers boomed.

Symon put a plate down and barely pulled his hand back as hands grabbed at bits of food and devoured them. Glasses with spirits were lifted and the mood glowed brighter.

Symon stared at everyone as they counted out coins, drank, and talked. His heart lifted in his chest as rain continued to fall beyond the comfy warmth of the guild home.

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