The consensus was ‘somewhere south’ and the objective was ‘visit the Silver Moon Recruiting Office’. With those things in mind, the motley crew of amnesiac kids set off after polishing off the thin soup, descending down the many flights of stairs that they had climbed the night before. Though the ascent had been torture on their thighs and calves, the descent now caused their knees to throb and ache, only Muu unaffected by the long journey. But there were no accidents outside of Matteo stumbling occasionally, and soon, they found themselves amongst regular, homely buildings of wood and brick once more, the tang of saltwater stinging their noses. Though much of the district had been silent during the night, morning rituals were now at hand, people firing up their ovens or carting out their preserves or marching off to trades or adventures. And despite how vague Ash’s instructions were, the central plaza where the Recruiting Office had been was easy enough to find, just by going down the slope onto what felt like the ‘main road’.

Reaching the central plaza, Ash, Muu, Matteo, and Hannah found themselves in an area filled with armed individuals, all of them sporting the necklaces and tags of the Silver Moon. Some were in full plate, while others sported colorful cloths. One group was composed entirely of mannish women, while another squadron had two macho men with thick beards, naked from waist up. Off in a shadowy, southern corner, one particular individual slit the throat of a cute, white rabbit before smearing the fresh blood under his eyes. That man caught Ash’s eyes for a moment, held her dark gaze with a petrifying thrill, and then broke off, discarding the corpse and heading off to his comrades; individuals far more normal than himself. As the dead rabbit dropped, a wolf pup slipped out from a lovely huntress’s cloak and pounced on it, tearing flesh from bone with instinctual efficiency.

Despite the congregations, however, rarely did anyone enter the office itself. Instead, their attention was focused on the bounties pinned on the wall, as well as other job postings or requests. With that, it was relatively easy for the four to slip into the Recruiting Office, where stacks of paper and unlit candles remained the dominating objects within. Daylight lit up the dust motes that floated in the air, and the surly man who sat at the desk held a glowing cigar in one hand and a mug in the other, taking sips as he reclined.

The grandfather clock clanged seven times, and he blew out a circle of smoke.

[b]“You’re back,”[/b] Mathers said drily, his clothing now of black robes hemmed with scarlet. [b]“Make it quick."[/b]

It seemed like he wasn't a morning person either.
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