They both knew the dirt on the beast raids.
Southwest wilds? Beast-boss heavy-hitter: dragon dame Twilight Queen. Fresh wound: her lone spawn snuffed.
Killer? [Royal Arcane Guild] head's golden boy.
Mundane gut-punch: skirt drama. Guild pup and dragon heir? Same mortal crush. Jealous freak-out: pup traps heir, pins peasant-slash on him—Sacred Boundary Pact smash—and boom, on-site shank.
Sacred Boundary Pact? Old-school truce, war-kill ender between meat-bag hordes and smart-fang wilds.
Rulebook: fifty-mile bubble 'round any burg, hamlet, or road-strip? Beast-no-fly. Trespass? Open-season hack, harm or nah. Flip: human wilds-dip beyond buffer? Own-risk roulette.
Buffer-out? Wild Abyss—fang turf.
Buffer-in? Kingdom Realms—meat domain.
Simple fence: space-out, live-and-let-bite. Perks? Pass-papers for crossovers, birthing gigs like Fisk's slay-trade.
Beast Alchemist? Fang-whisper pro, brew harm-heal juice.
Dragon heir? Permit-snap easy for realm-roam. Pup? Yanked it with fake-frame.
Mom-rage? Nuke-fuel. Twilight Queen bounty-bark: Guild cough killer.
Guild boss? No suit. King's Earth Mother dub—Demi-god monster, legend-tier rare-bird world-few.
Demi hand over fave pup for dragon-shred? Face-melt for her and squad.
Guild double-down: heir Pact-bust real.
Peon-patsies swallow; beast-boss? Laugh-stock. Queen horde-unleash: strong-arm play.
Bounty-drop: ten knight-hope heads swap one Awakening Essence vial.
Awakening Essence? No corner-drug. King-ransom sip. Top-shelf Beast Alchemist brew-only—Fisk leagues shy. Gig? One-shot smarts to dumb-beast, cult-path kickoff.
Fang-fam? Offspring intelli-lottery? Dream-trove priceless.
Ten noggins, one vial.
Hope-head? Fortune-fodder now. Crown-Guild muzzle-mad. Leak? Fang-tempt only?
Sides play coy: Queen pin-prick, no civ-slaughter. Guild wrong-foot? Defense-dog.
Fisk-Darian? No-drama dip. "M'lord," Fisk cautious-probe, "escort-jump no?"
Lucius belly-rumble. "Nah, masters. Borrow-vibe only. Your glow? Chill the kid-nerves."
"Raids leak?" Darian Q.
"Noble spawn, not gutter-scrap," Lucius wry-lip. "Hide-fail. Shire gag-order? Pipe dream."
Darian nod-sync.
Fisk crease. "Fresh Shadow Corner Bazaar haul, m'lord. Prep-brace."
"Spill," Lucius grave-lock.
"Shadow Cliff fresh bounty," Fisk drop. "Three Flame Crickets hunt."
Shadow Cliff? Black-market enigma-boss, rule-iron order-keep. Bounty-blitz rare-grab, bazaar-merch open-call. Pay? No coin—Cliff favor-chip, sane-ask bazaar-bound.
"Flame Crickets?" Lucius head-scratch.
Fisk unpack: "Lava-crawl cricket-minis, melt-depth dwellers. Rare-as-hen's teeth. Tome-dig: last-spot ping." Pause-beat. "Lord Gov, spot-check?"
Lucius grin. "Fisk, admin-brain tax. Tone says shire-adj?"
"Nah—in," Fisk tweak. "Ancient Tomb Wastes flank."
Room-chill spike.
Ancient Tomb Wastes? Shire-near dust-bowl mega. Lore: Celestial-servant giant-grave mega.
"Lava-livers..." Darian muse-murm. "Wastes dig-rush post-find, Celestial-clue chase. Tunnel-riddled whole. Prime cricket-den."
Lucius cord-yank. Kingdom-mega-map wall-unfurl. Trio huddle.
Lucius grey-wash stab. "Three spine-roads cross. This," finger-trace SW-NE, "shire-cap straight-shot."
Clear as day.
"M'lord," Darian grim-pipe, "bazaar hunters eye hopefuls too?"
"Risk real," Lucius flat.
Fisk sigh-drag. "Spot-why freak. Hopefuls roll. Hunters Wastes-sync. Queen vial-tempt? Head-snag side-hustle likely. M'lord, kid-safe? Detour-mandate."