“So if I look away,” asks Ameronis, “then look back in 4 seconds, will you have a black eye, three missing teeth, a scar across your chest, and be on Derna’s Most Wanted list?”

You’re not entirely able to dismiss Ameronis’ suggestion.

“Honestly,” she continues, “I can’t leave you alone for 5 minutes without you running into some sort of trouble!”

It’s not intentional! You’re just minding your own business and looking around.

“And yet,” she says, “somehow, I managed to avoid trouble whilst exploring. Except when I was with you. Twice. Three times if you count the whole Silas thing…”

What?! She’s the one who immediately volunteered to get involved with Silas! You shake your head and dismiss that claim, but have to concede that she has had a much less troublesome time sightseeing so far. While you were fighting for your life in the slums of Chinminton and Reddbarrow, she was having a pleasant afternoon in the refined and spacious Eastmere, taking time to explore the area further after your little taster during your cab tour the other day.

Speaking of Silas, you see him up ahead, already waiting in line outside Stardust. Even though he’s in the VIP line, the VIPs have to wait a while as well. Unsurprising; tonight is the last night the ‘legendary artists’ are playing, so who’d want to miss that?

You and Ameronis join the queue and soon meet up with Silas, who greets you politely as he leads the way upstairs, but looks at you curiously, no doubt noticing the scuffs and bruises on your face.

“A pleasure to see you both,” he says.

“The pleasure is all ours,” says Ameronis, with a somewhat exaggerated curtsy. Silas is amused, while you respond with a much more measured greeting. Upstairs, you settle into a booth next to the balcony. Within moments, a steward has materialised to take your drink orders, and with a brightly coloured drink in hand, Silas proposes a toast.

“To a job well done!”

“Well done, indeed!” says Ameronis.

You toast and sip your drink, then brace yourself for the inevitable question from Silas; you relay your account of your day to Silas. Somewhat surprisingly, he has little experience in the Eastern part of the city, so can’t offer any new insight into the goings on in that place. He wryly notes the specific troubles they’re facing there, and wonders if the same thing will happen in Whenley and Steelhaven; the number of homeless is increasing, and work is getting more scarce.

“And what about you, Silas?” asks Ameronis, “What will you and your friends do if the factory work dries up? I don’t suppose you have any other skills outside of manual labour?”

Silas seems a little hesitant. “Well, there’s a… high bar. It’s not as easy to move up the ranks when you’re at the bottom in Derna.”

“What did you do before you fell on hard times?” asks Ameronis. You glance over the rim of your glass, wondering how much she intends to ask; you did pass on Finnegan’s warning about prying too much into Silas’ past. Silas chuckles.

“Finance, ironically.”

“Ah, I can see how it might be difficult to get back into it, considering your… situation. That is, assuming you’re even interested in that sector anymore?”

“Ergh…” Silas exhales, unsure, then takes a breath as if to begin a big spiel about his predicament, but then pauses, and nods courteously at someone across the way. You glance over just in time to see an explosion of pink fill your view. It’s Rizha again, this time wearing a spectacular royal pink evening gown with matching pink accessories.

“Silas! It’s good to see you!” she says.

“Good evening, Rizha…”

Rizha politely greets Ameronis, then turns to do the same to you, before pausing.

“Valine! Oh, what a surprise! I’m glad to see you again. Wait…” She glances between you and Silas. “You two know each other? How fortuitous!” She turns her gaze back to Ameronis and Silas speaks up.

“This is Ameronis; Valine’s travelling companion; they came to Derna together.”

“Another adventurer? How interesting! And I thought it rare to encounter one. Have you been travelling long? Oh, you simply must tell me about your journey..!”

She settles down next to Ameronis, who obliges, briefly telling the young lady about her adventures. In the meantime, you turn your attention back to Silas, who speaks quietly.

“I didn’t know you met Rizha already. Though, if you’ve been here more than once, it’s inevitable I suppose.” He finishes his drink.

This is the third time in a row that you’ve encountered her; does she come here every night?

“She’s a frequent visitor. It’s a popular spot, and it won’t do to miss out on the evening session of drinking and elbow-rubbing.”

You casually glance about at the other folks in the area. A much more… well-to-do version of an evening down at the pub. Do Rizha and all these other rich folk live in this area? Or are they coming from afar? Either their manors and estates are hidden around some corner nearby that you haven’t discovered yet, or Stardust is even more popular than you thought, if people are willing to make a pilgrimage into this area. It’s certainly no Reddbarrow, so it’s not all that bad…

As Silas confirms that a good handful is coming from the neighbouring areas, amidst the throng of fashionable and varied outfits, a red-haired man in an immaculate white suit catches your eye. He gazes about as he marches forward until he notices you. He smiles and redirects himself towards your table.

“Valine!”

Omon? Oh, of course; he works here. Speaking of which…

You return the greeting as he beams at your group.

“I’m glad to see you! Thank you again for your help, and so sorry I couldn’t be there in person the other day; this place gets pretty busy, and Lomack runs a tight ship! I see you’re making use of the VIP card; I hope our service is to your liking!”

You don’t deny it; you could get used to this. He laughs and turns his attention to the others, greeting Silas and Ameronis, and Miss Rizha by name, and asking them all if everything is OK or if they need anything.

“Omon, how do you know Valine?” Rizha asks.

“Well!” says Omon, sitting sideways on a seat as he recalls how you saved the day and his life by attacking the would-be mugger. He manages to make it sound much more action-packed and heroic than it really was. You try to downplay your actions and ground things a little more firmly in reality, but he and Ameronis reject and counter your attempts. You frown at Ameronis; she grins back at you.

“You really should get into law enforcement, you know. Did you think about what Lomack said?”

About that. You have been considering it, yes. You’ve been wondering what it’s like to work here, and for Lomack.

Omon nods solemnly. “It’s a good job, and Lomack is a good man. Stern but fair, responsible, and reliable. He looks out for us, knows everyone by name, and gives everyone the chance to prove themselves and move up in the world. He hires people from the local community and does what he can to give back to the area. And you can ask the other workers; no one will have a bad thing to say about him. Except that maybe he works too hard.”

You think about it, considering Lomack’s concerns about the rising thefts in the area, their effect on the community, and the lack of anyone else trying to solve the problem. At least he seems proactive.

“Come, join us!” Omon continues, “you won’t regret it and he pays well, and if you change your mind, you can always stop. Even if you only stick around for a few more days, it’d be nice to have you around, and another helping hand is always welcome.”

You assure him you’ll think about it harder.

Omon looks at his pocket watch and then stands.

“Right; I’ve got to get back to work, but I’ll see you around. Eat, drink, and enjoy the show; the next round’s on me!”

Your group delights at the prospect of a free drink and says goodbye to Omon, and with a courteous bow, he resumes his march across the room, disappearing into one of the side doors. When you turn back to the table, Rizha is staring at you with a smile.

“You are even more intriguing than I thought, Valine! Adventuring and fighting thieves and saving lives! Making friends with Omon and Mr Lomack… And you’ve only been here for a few days!”

You refrain from trying to convince her to stop describing you as some sort of crime-fighting superhero.

“So, how did you and Silas meet?”

Oh, well…

Considering how well he blends in, it’s probably best to… omit… certain details. Just in case.

You mention that you were helping an old beggar in the park and encountered Silas in the process; you spoke about your concern for the homeless in the area and your desire to help. Silas shared your concerns, and the two of you got to talking; you told him you were visiting from out of town, and eventually, the two of you came to Stardust to have a drink.

Ignoring the massive skips in the timeline, that will do.

Rizha looks at you for a moment, then at Silas, then smiles. “I see. That’s our Silas; always concerned about the welfare of the less fortunate. It’s a shame that the situation is as it is. It’s not something we can be proud of, and it gives such a terrible impression to visitors.”

You mention that you thought that the tent city was bad, but having spent the day wandering through the endless slums in the East and Northern areas of the city, you’re having to rethink your ranking system. The beggars had mentioned that Marion Drexler is trying to help, but now you wonder if anyone is doing the same for Reddbarrow; that place is in dire need.

“Oh, yes; Councillor Hornes certainly has ambitions for the area,” says Rizha, “but progress is slow, even more so thanks to all of the bureaucratic hurdles in the way. Marion often speaks of the troubles she faces. But with the eyes of the world on us thanks to The Treasures of Jight exhibition, now is certainly the time to focus on the real issues, lest the sight of the dark underbelly of the city turn away the foreign investors…” She closes her fan, tapping it on the table a few times as she thinks. “I shall have to raise the issue again with father. But, I hope that, despite the destitution you’ve seen so far, you’ve encountered something good about the city. The slums in Reddbarrow are large, yes, but the city is far larger; we wouldn’t want you to get the impression that areas like that are in the majority.”

You and Ameronis recall your experiences so far. Eastmere stood out, and Ameronis mentions that, while you were getting involved in scuffles in Reddbarrow, she went back to explore the area and is curious to learn more.

At the mention of the scuffle, Rizha gasps and covers her mouth with her fan.

“Oh, is that why your face is injured again? Oh dear; I had hoped that no one else would strike you. How unfortunate. I am very sorry about that, by the way.”

Oh, it’s fine… You’re not sure what she’s talking about, but it’s fine either way. You’ll be good as new in no time.

When asked what she’s curious about relating to Eastmere, Ameronis mentions that she discovered a new training club there, and wondered what it’s like; after testing a few classes at The Warrior’s Edge, she’d like to know how it compares. For the price, she’d like to think the training on offer there is of a significantly higher calibre. She asks Rizha and Silas if either of them know anything about “The Forest of Virtue”. Silas has heard of the place and visited a few times, but has never taken the classes. Rizha is a little more familiar, but would not be able to tell you much herself.

“Victor could give you a much better review; he goes there often. Now where is he..?”

She glances about at the other tables then wanders off, returning a few moments later with a young man with fair skin and dark hair; he looks familiar. Was he the one who spoke to Rizha briefly before she left yesterday?

“This is my brother; Victor. Victor, this is Valine and Ameronis. And Silas, of course.”

Victor greets you all elegantly; he is well-spoken, with a calm demeanour. After continuing her introductions, Rizha settles back down, while Victor briefly answers Ameronis’ questions about The Forest of Virtue and Eastmere. In the meantime, Rizha resumes asking you about your experiences in the city, and you, in turn, ask about her views on the general level of safety in the area and the reliability of the law enforcers. You’ve encountered thieves and are concerned about muggings; you haven’t seen any law enforcers engaging in this; what would happen if you were to call for help? Are they trustworthy, reliable and competent?

Rizha thinks for a moment. As far as she’s experienced, they’re perfectly fine; promptly dealing with issues and allocating time and resources to deal with them. However, is that true across the whole city, or just in the area where she lives? Rizha concedes that it might not be true everywhere, but she couldn’t say; once again, she suggests Victor would be better placed to answer.

When you ask him what sort of response you might receive if you went to report a crime or ask for help, Victor is pragmatic. He chuckles.

“It depends on where you are, and who you talk to. They are decent, I suppose. Speed and completion are important when dealing with cases. Accuracy? It depends. But, unsurprisingly, some are starting to take things into their own hands; vigilantes and neighbourhood watches in some places. But, I would be careful, and stay out of trouble, if I were you.”

You consider their words. After politely bidding you all good evening, Victor excuses himself and returns to his table. This seems to jog Rizha’s memory; she had been distracted by seeing Silas; now her companions are probably wondering where she is. She says her goodbyes much more exuberantly, hoping that she’ll see you and Ameronis again soon, then sweeps away from the table towards another where a group of young women are sitting; you recognise Kyla and Winola among them. When Rizha joins them, they all greet her warmly, with one lady being… particularly excitable. Ameronis stifles a chuckle.

With your table less crowded now, you idly talk with Ameronis and Silas, laughing and getting to know them a little better, all while enjoying the performances as they continue below and the drinks and fancy finger foods that find their way to your table. A much more pleasant experience than how you spent your afternoon, and vastly different to your camping out in the wilderness this time last week; things have certainly changed in that time.

You stay late into the night, watching all the headliners as they give their last performances, and you have to agree that they’ve earned their ‘legendary’ statuses, and even after the prime acts are done, you stay and enjoy the atmosphere and remaining artists as things slowly wind down for the night. By midnight, most of the VIPS have made their way home, with more locals having filled the space downstairs instead. Despite how late it’s getting, the late-night acts produce a sudden spike in energy again, with the singing and drinking downstairs seeming a lot more like a regular tavern than a high-end establishment. Ameronis remarks on how cute it is, but notes that with the sentinels and bouncers in the vicinity, there’ll be no bar-room brawls happening any time soon.

Though the hall will remain open for another hour or so, the three of you decide to call it a night. You’re already tired, so glad that you don’t have ‘drunk’ added on top of that. A little tipsy is fine.

The three of you head down the main road where you part ways with Silas outside Slaryn House and bid Ameronis goodnight inside it. After getting ready for bed, you check the stolen items hidden under the floorboard; they’re still there. You lie back in bed as you idly rotate the jewelled dagger, watching the light glint off its surfaces.

A decision still needs to be made.