Inside the guild, Bartlett was worried of what they got themselves into. There was one cockatrice job posted in the Sondheimer guild, but it was hardly visible owing to the newer job postings that obscured it. It took him quite some time scanning through the board postings just to find it. When he noted the job’s assigned number and informed the counter nearby that he would take the job, she looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

  “I suggest you don’t take this unless you know what you’re doing,” said the receptionist. "An unprepared party was killed by the same cockatrice. This isn't a young monster we're posting."

  “I am not that short-sighted,” replied Bartlett. "I know when not to take a job. Unfortunately, this is part of another job."

  "But still...."

  "Come now, Laurie," said a gruff voice behind Bartlett. "Give this man a chance. One look at him, and you know he has hunted worse."

  Bartlett turned around, coming face to face with the most unusual individual this part of the world.

  The individual was, simply described, a lion person, one of the many beast people that comprised the Jubari Nation in the desert. His body left nothing to imagination, being that of a strong, muscled beast person with a leonine head, complete with mane, yellow, sharp eyes, and fur covering his whole body. He stood a head taller than Bartlett, once again intimidating him by how big these beast people were.

  The lion man caught Bartlett staring at him. His expression was calm, but also calculating, as if he was studying the human.

  “Everyone gave me that look when I approached them,” said the lion man. “They never thought a lion man could be a Clydethian guildmaster. They would sooner believe a bear man as a guildmaster than me."

  “I...uh...." Bartlett shook his head, recomposing himself. "Sorry. I am just surprised someone hailing from the Nation came this far inland."

  The lion man chuckled in amusement.

  “You’re the first person I met in this land to have said that. And to think a light-skinned human calling Jubari the 'Nation'. You must have a close relationship with our people."

  “Something like that,” said Bartlett with a sheepish grin before he offered his hand. “I’m Bartlett Evans. Pleased to meet you.”

  “Kouri Banel,” said the leonine guildmaster. “I am pleased to be your acquaintance, Bartlett Evans. Shall we talk business? Preferably somewhere less crowded?"

  Kouri directed Bartlett towards a nearby table, which was at a corner and was not crowded. They sat across each other. The lion man offered Bartlett a drink, to which he simply asked for a gin and tonic while Kouri ordered a beer. As they waited for their drinks, they talked about the cockatrice job.

  “My job as a guildmaster is to make sure nobody is grievously harmed when taking a job,” said Kouri. “Every now and then, new bloods hunt beyond their capabilities, resulting in deaths, or worse, a scar that could not be healed. You, on the other hands, has clearly seen things that the average adventurers in this guild has never seen. You have survived longer than most, and for me that is the sign of an old hunter."

  Bartlett, though, wished that wasn't the case. He simply grunted, his expression troubled. Kouri caught onto this.

  "Not something to be proud of?" he asked.

  "I prefer not to talk about it," said Bartlett. "Yes, I have my fair share of adventures. But I made mistakes, too. Some I regret the most."

  Kouri's observation was sharp. He could immediately identify Bartlett's clothing style and the fact that he was a dragon rider. All pointed towards him being a Manarithian, and a Manarithian with a close relationship to the desert would have to be involved in 'that'.

  "Rogaria?" asked Kouri short, but with a sympathetic tone.

  Bartlett replied with a grunt.

  "I'm sorry," said the sympathetic Kouri.

  Bartlett did not reply. He simply drank half of the served gin and tonic. He did not want people to sympathize with him. Kouri understood him and quickly changed the topic of conversation.

  “If I may ask, why are you hunting a cockatrice down? I doubt it has anything to do with chivalry, considering that you don’t have any obligation to Clydeth. Do you have a death wish?”

  “Of course not,” said Bartlett. “I have a good reason.”

  “May I ask why?”

  “I have an alchemist friend who needs to procure a cockatrice’s venom sac for a project. It's either this or a hydra from faraway lands.”

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  “Have you considered the fact that this is not a one-man job? Even if you have a dragon supporting you, it does not guarantee success.”

  "Which is why I'm here. I know my limits, guildmaster."

  Kouri nodded. "A good hunter knows his limits. Who are you trying to find?"

  “I was hoping to find someone like a wizard who knows barrier, or maybe a cleric belonging to the Order of the Rose.”

  “I can certainly say that I do not know anyone from the Order of the Rose, or any cleric who is a member of this guild. As for the wizard, though…I doubt you’ll find anyone who can help. A lot of the more magick-tuned adventurers were drafted to deal with a situation up north to help the soldiers. Sondheimer doesn't have a lot of combat-capable mages to begin with, so we're left with the new bloods."

  “Come on. Surely someone is still available.”

  “Even if they are available, I doubt they even want to deal with a cockatrice. Chimeras are beasts. Beasts are smart. You get the point.”

  Bartlett sighed. That was certainly not a good sign.

  “Although,” said Kouri. “There is someone who might be able to help. He’s not part of the guild, so you certainly need to negotiate a little bit to get his help. He's a veteran, and he has a mage partner."

  “Do you know where they are now?”

  “As luck would have it, they are there, by the front desk.”

  Kouri glanced at the front desk where two men, a brunette, and a blonde, conversing with each other by the front desk. The blonde did not dress like a mage usually would, but a tome slung across his chest was a dead giveaway. The brunette man had a darker skin, most of it hidden under clothes made out of what looks like snakeskin, giving him a garish look. He had no weapons on him, unlike his blonde companion, who carried a short knife.

  “Hey, Rory! Thomas! This gentleman here’s asking for help,” exclaimed Kouri.

  The two walked to them. Rory looked rather uninterested while Thomas was eager.

  “Hey, Kouri,” said Rory, then turn towards Bartlett and said, “Help for what?”

  “For the cockatrice,” said Bartlett. “And in case you’re wondering, yes, I got the coins. This is a one-time job deal, no commitments.”

  Rory stared at Bartlett for a while as the man smiled. It did not take long for Rory to smile back and said, “Heh. Sounds like this isn’t the first time you ever hire someone. But I’m not cheap. How does two thousand gold coins sounds, eh?”

  “Rory!” reprimanded Thomas. “That’s too much!”

  “Too much? In case you don’t know, Thomas, he’s asking us to hunt a cockatrice. I am not going to risk my life for something less than two thousand. Or do you have a better price, old man?”

  Bartlett was prepared to pay a lot of money, but he never thought the man he just met drove a hard bargain on the get go. He started to doubt the man’s veracity, thinking that he was a scam artist.

  Bartlett had a choice between using his newfound wealth to pay a one-time job until he noticed the blonde man’s attempt to convince Rory to lower the price. He seemed like a good-natured man and was rather easy to talk to. He got an idea.

  “I can’t pay you that much, my friend,” said Bartlett, his attention fixed towards Thomas. “But I can relegate my share. It’s a lot more than the price you named. How much is the price for the cockatrice hunt, guildmaster?"

  "Around eight thousand gold coins, if I recall."

  "See? We can split the price. You two get two thousand each."

  “That’s rather generous, good sir,” said Thomas. “But we can’t accept that kind of generosity. Rory’s just acting tough because he doesn’t want me to get hurt.”

  “Thomas, what the hell?!” said Rory angrily. His reaction clearly indicated that he was going to take that offer. As expected, Thomas’s good nature ruined his plan. “Okay, mister. That prize money is far more than my offer, so take it or leave it, okay?”

  “Well, I suppose,” said Bartlett. “But you see, I have a dragon, and you know how much maintenance they require—”

  “A dragon?! Wait, are you telling me that you’re the pink dragon’s rider?!” said an excited Thomas.

  “Really? You think it’s funny, painting your dragon pinkish grey like some dress-up doll?” said a clearly offended Rory.

  “Look at me. Do you really think I’m the kind of guy who would dress up a dragon? That’s her natural scale color. Try and rub her scales if you like. See if she allows it.”

  “Oh my god…a real, pink-scaled dragon?! You know what, mister, I'm in! We'll agree on your terms, but I'd like to ride on that dragon of yours!"

  Rory slapped his head. All negotiations broke down simply due to the young mage’s rather childish fascination to dragons. When he looked at the man's expression, however, he realized that it was his plan all along.

  Instead of being angry, however, Rory just smiled, acknowledging Bartlett's shrewd bargaining. Perhaps this would make a good training opportunity for Thomas.

  "Well played, old man," said Rory. "Since Tommy's here a little too eager for his own good, I'll come with him. On one condition."

  “Don't let him get hurt or the deal's off. Right?"

  “Thomas is not a full-fledged mage yet. Cockatrices are beyond his capabilities.”

  “Can he cast barrier, though?”

  “I can,” said an eavesdropping Thomas. “It’s the first spell I learned. I have also stocked other more combat-oriented spells if you need to, mister.”

  "The barrier's enough for me," said Bartlett, though he had his doubts. Thomas was very young. He must have been a recent graduate from a wizard academy, judging by his looks. There was no way he could cast a barrier strong enough to hold against a cockatrice's corrosive venom.

  But as his companion, Rory, said, he would not be in danger. Both Rory and Bartlett would prevent that from happening. Otherwise, Bartlett would not gain a friend, but an enemy, instead.

  “It’s set, then. Give me a day to prepare,” said Bartlett. "Will the cockatrice migrate?"

  "It has been around for a month now," confirmed Kouri. "Some of the guards kept it within a forest not far from here, but it's still a menace for some of the villages near the forest, forcing them to move to safety. I'll contact the guards to let the three of you through when you're ready to go."

  "Better prepared than sorry," said Rory with a sigh. "You do your own preparation. I, on the other hand, need to talk with Mr. Alonquin over here."

  "For what?" asked Thomas.

  "You know what I mean soon enough."

  His tone was ominous enough to make Thomas gasp. Rory could be scary when he was angry.

  "What's your name, old man?" asked Rory.

  "Bartlett."

  "Rory Tellian," said Rory short. "See you by the gates tomorrow, Bartlett."

  The two quickly scurried away, with Thomas managing to smile at Bartlett before Rory turned his head away, clearly annoyed by what he just did. The young man was so easily convinced, and it was all thanks to Henrietta for being such a rare sight.

  Although, Bartlett was a bit worried about his over eagerness. He was worried that Henrietta might got too annoyed to the point where she reprimanded the young man with her own voice.

  It would make an amusing sight, though.