Tirren waited impatiently in the line to the counter, behind a couple other Seidren. A stiff unsmiling woman was seated behind the desk. As Tirren neared her desk, he recognized her voice from the speaker at the arena. He couldn’t help but feel like he was approaching a celebrity.

  When his turn arrived. Tirren marched up. “Hello, I’m Tirren Stjern. I would like to fight in ranked fights.”

  The woman looked him up and down quickly. “Tirren of the Sunflower Cult? Yes I know.”

  “I’m ready to fight. I advanced to Sand Seidren. I would like to fight in the Iron Circuit now. I was fighting in the Red Sand Circuit, and that should easily show that, now that I've progressed, I’m ready to fight against better opponents.”

  The woman took in his statement with a face which betrayed nothing. She was good.

  “I’ve seen you fight. You are a force-aspect Seidren, surely. Force aspect Seidren are a dime a dozen meatheads whose only solution is to swing their sword harder. If you remember your fight with Smasher. They’re all the same. Force artists are always beaten by other Seidren with style and nuance.”

  “I want to fight Shadowblade, or the new Storm Seidren.” Tirren said hurriedly. “I can beat them.”

  “It costs twenty five gold for a challenge gauntlet. These can be thrown into the arena after a ranked duel. If you want to buy one, you can throw it at whatever Seidren you want. However, I’ll let you know that once thrown, you don’t get it back. The Seidren have no duty to acknowledge your challenge. What are your aspects so I can note them?”

  “Force aspect and the gold aspect.” Tirren said proudly.

  This last sentence elicited a response from the woman, where all others hadn’t. Her eyes flashed with a quick glance of fear, and she looked around, as if to ensure that there were no listening ears close by. She beckoned him forward and whispered.

  “Are you a secret member of the Fidelus family, or fighting with their blessing?”

  Tirren was confused. “The bankers? What would I need the blessing of a bunch of paper pushers for?”

  The woman stared at Tirren for a long second then slowly said. “I’m entering you as a bronze/force Siedren. Good luck. You’re going to need it.”

  Brant Fidelus sat in a well-lit space, behind his large cherry desk, reading a report. It detailed ledgers, expenses, and accounts receivable. He had been working here for around eight hours, and it was wearing on him. He glanced over the newest report, sent to him from the branch in Caires, Nirethos. The new city lord was trying to impose a tax on the Fidelus bank. This had happened several times in the long life of the Fidelus International bank. It had never worked.

  Almost every major city in the world hosted a Fidelus bank. Even Riino, the capital of Serventis had one, although Brant had heard that they staffed mostly earth-arc Seidren there. It sounded like a strange land and Brant had no desire to go there.

  As he continued working, he glanced up at the clock on the wall, and noticed the time was running late. He stood quickly, shuffling papers into stacks, and shoving several in his bag, in case he felt like doing them when he reached home.

  As he was stuffing the papers into his bag, there was a single page report on the top, which caught his eye from a glance, and he stood, reading it quickly.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  There had been a break-in. That wasn’t the news that had made this report cross his desk. Apparently, the thief had the gold aspect.

  This was big news to the Fidelus Family.

  Certain regions of the country would tend to gather different types of Seidren. For instance, the Ice Spires had lots and lots of frost aspect Seidren. In Direthos, they had fire, and lots of storm Seidren in Castellanic.

  Nobody used the aspect of gold, aside from the Fidelus family.

  It was well known in every corner of the world that the aspect of gold was off limits.

  Brant left his office, and first stopped at the lower level of the bank. He found and talked to Sergio, the active kingmetal Seidren who was stationed in Najer.

  Sergio told him that he was unaware of any visiting golden Seidren from the family who had come through.

  A rogue gold Seidren. These were especially problematic for the Fidelus family, who helped regulate and maintain the international economy. Because of the long-standing monopoly on the aspect, perfectly realized gold aspect mana was used interchangeably with gold coins. A rogue Seidren could very quickly cause big problems. To the whole economy and world, but especially to the Fidelus family.

  Brant finished speaking with Sergio, and hurriedly left the bank. He would require a detour before he returned home. His steps brought him down the face of Najer, towards the seedier parts of the city. He walked along an abnormally long alley, coming to a dark door that was painted black, except for a red stripe of paint, which was only visible in Brant’s manasight. Brant glanced around a couple times to make sure he was not being followed, before he knocked according to the pattern he had been taught.

  The door opened quickly and an absurdly large man wearing a vest made of fur, of all things, stood behind the door. He grunted and smiled, then reached an arm out and pulled Brant in through the door and shut it behind him.

  The room was dark and faintly lit by some glowing red mana lights. Brant was sure they could have chosen brighter lights. The large man led him deeper into the home, silently. Brant watched him duck underneath the frame of a door which led into a hallway deeper into the house. This was Brant’s second time in this home, and the first time, he had been accompanied by his mentor and predecessor.

  He passed dark rooms that gave off chilling impressions to his mana sense, and Brant closed his manasight, unwilling to experience whatever he might see in this place. The fear wormed away at him, and by the time he was standing in front of a dark door at the end of the hall, with a simple knob, he was trying his hardest, but failing to keep his knees from shaking.

  The door opened and Brant shuffled in, but as he slowly walked in, his guide shoved him with a laugh, and then slammed the door behind him.

  There were two lights on either side of the door, but they didn’t penetrate the gloom enough into the room. It was sparsely furnished, with nice chairs, and a wooden floor, but Brant hardly noticed those things, he was focused on the other side of the room, where his mind was expecting horrors.

  “What can I do for our esteemed clients, the Fidelus family?” A voice asked in a near whisper.

  Brant had begun regretting coming here the moment he stepped into the final alley, but in a shaking voice he called out.

  “We ne… We need your assistance in taking care of a rogue Seidren. It seems there is a gold Seidren, he attacked the home in the Temple District of Najer, and beat a Seidren Artisan who attempted to stop him.

  The voice laughed long and breathily. “One of your nephews, perhaps? Too much to drink, and took it out on a passing worker?”

  “Not one of ours. They broke into a home, and stole a couple of trinkets. No member of the Fidelus family would need to resort to such simple tactics for paltry goods. I need you to find the burglar, and either bring him in, or bring in proof of his elimination.”

  “I’ll put my best man on it. Take no heed for this matter further. We will, of course, send word once it is completed.”

  Brant nodded. “I thank you on behalf of my family. Glory to the Alarcon clan.”

  The shadowy voice responded back as Brant grasped at the door handle hurriedly.

  “Glory to the Alarcon Clan.”