Chapter 81 - 80: Meeting with the Raven Guild
Fantasy world.
Kael stirred with a sharp inhale, his senses returning.
He blinked the blur from his eyes and slowly sat up.
He was seated comfortably on a cushioned chair in a spacious room framed by carved oak beams. Warm lanterns glowed from crystal sconces, their soft light flickering over scroll racks, hanging maps, and a large polished desk.
And sitting behind that desk was a rotund man dressed in robes far too expensive for someone trying to look humble. Gold embroidery wrapped around the cuffs like serpents, and thick rings weighed down each of his fingers.
"Merchant Kael," the man said, spreading his arms in a show of welcome that felt more like a performance than a greeting. "I must offer my deepest apologies. Truly, truly sorry for the rough method of your arrival."
Kael narrowed his eyes. The headache hadn’t fully cleared, but his instincts were already screaming.
The fat man turned toward the door and barked, "Did I not say to bring him respectfully? This wasn’t a kidnapping—it was a meeting!"
A muffled voice answered from the hallway, uncertain. "He... resisted."
The man sighed theatrically, swatting the air with a pudgy hand. "Of course he resisted! He’s not a bloody cow. You bow. You offer terms. Gods above, are we barbarians?"
He turned back to Kael, grinning like they were old friends. "Forgive them. Their manners are blunt, but their loyalty is... useful. And the world is dangerous these days. Precautions, you understand."