Chapter 9: Deadline

Chapter 9: Deadline

It occupied nearly an entire side of the street, flanked by two smaller buildings—a blacksmith’s workshop to the left and what looked like a small stable to the right. Smoke drifted from the smithy’s chimney, the rhythmic sound of hammer on metal echoing down the street. From the stable came the snorting of horses and the clank of reins being checked.

The Guild itself looked formidable. Two stories tall, built with solid blocks of gray stone, and fronted by wide wooden doors large enough to roll a wagon through. A wooden sign hung overhead, burned with a crest: a crossed sword and quill. Even someone new to this world could understand the meaning—strength and knowledge, war and contracts.

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