Talking with a friend, Gossiping with aquaintance.

"Is that? From the Redhammer girl?" 

As he hears the question Schalt's eyes go wide.

"Who told you about Lyara?"

He asks, all but confirming the rumors Zatu heard were indeed correct.

To that Zatu shot him a smile.

"Don't worry about it buddy, I have my ways."

Seeing his smug friend Schalt raises an eyebrow.

Though quite a few people had a suspicion and a few rumors were starting to spread, Zatu just didn't know that many of his employees.

So it didn't take him more than a few thoughts to narrow it down to one main suspect. 

"It was Maira wasn't it?"

Zatu's smile only grew wider, Schalt was indeed correct, but if he didn't admit it how could he even confirm it? 

Would Maira admit it?

Maybe, but it costs nothing to bluff.

"I cannot confirm or deny your guesses, just know my contacts are very secretive and very professional."

Seeing his friend's response Schalt was pretty sure it was Maira, but also knew prodding further would result in nothing. 

" Never mind." Schalt scoffs, turning to the letter and reading it over. 

As his eyes glide over the page a warm smile blooms on his lips.

Without even looking his hand reaches for paper to write her a response.

As Zatu sees his friend's action a little worry stirs in his heart.

He wasn't quite sure how long Schalt and this new girl had been seeing each other.

But hopefully it was still early enough to stop his friend from making the same mistake again.

A frustrating cycle Zatu had seen so much he could summarize it in a few phrases.

Schalt starts some casual thing with a girl.

The two fall madly in love.

A few very happy weeks go by for the two.

The girl tries to make the relationship more concrete and serious.

Schalt gets spooked and runs away.

She is hurt.

He feels like a piece of shit.

Both still want each other.

They end up going back and forth for a while.

Everyone gets more and more hurt.

One decides to put an end to the shit show.

Tears flow like rivers.

Shit is fucked.

The end.

The first time Zatu saw this it was really confusing.

The second felt like a flashback and by now t it just made him feel sad.

Seeing his friend locked in this weird fucking loop and knowing there was nothing much he could do was just so frustrating. 

So even though it probably wouldn't work, Zatu had to try to stop this early.

"Not wanting to ruin your thing, but are you sure this is a good idea Schalt? It's been just three months since you ended things with the last one."

Schalt stops his hand and lets out a defeated sigh.

Settling down the letter he looks at Zatu.

"I know I fumbled with Amanda, I know at some point I'll be tempted to run away again…. But I truly feel a connection with Lyara and I will do my best to make it work this time."

If he wasn't sure before, now Zatu knows with no mistake that his friend is already doing the cycle again.

Zatu sighs.

"I get worried when I hear that Schalt, I really dislike seeing you hurt and hurting someone else, it's so..." 

He pauses, stroking his chin as he tries to find the right words.

Only for seconds to pass and no right words to appear in his mind.

"Look I'll be blunt with you and maybe I'm wrong, but I heard you're trying to keep things on the low and that makes me think you're starting the same weird situationship thing you had with the last one… and the one before that… and the ones before those two."

Hearing his past actions brought forth so nakedly Schalt cringes a bit. 

This was not something he was proud of.

"I see how this looks."

"This time it was not my idea to keep things quiet, but her family would never approve of me, in fact they would hardly approve of anyone…"

"I know I shouldn't do it., but she is such an open, kind and attentive soul it just melts my heart." 

"I can't not do this!"

Zatu nods, knowing that at this point nothing he said would stop his friend from nose diving into this relationship.

"I said what I had to say and I hope I'm wrong here."

"Just know that if you start spiraling again I'm always ready to listen" 

Zatu smiles and taps Schalt's shoulder, before going on to change the topic.

"Now I'm dying to know. how the fuck you two even start this thing?"

Schalt's lips bloom into a warm smile once more.

"A few weeks ago I was helping an associate review his store's monthly performance when a report came to our desk."

"It said a woman from the Inner city stumbling around the night markets."

"She was alone, lost in the streets and dropping silver coins to beggars like kids drop grains to pigeons." 

"She clearly never really been to the outer districts and it showed, she was quickly gathering a lot of attention and not the good kind."

"Before things got ugly me and a few of my guys approached her to see what was going on and brought her to one of my stores.

"I gave her some food and we started talking."

"We talked about life, the city, our plans, our dreams."

"Before we even noticed we were watching the sunrise together."

Seeing his friend like this a small happiness floats in |atu's heart, at least for now, Schalt seems happy.

At the same time confusion appears in his mind. 

Though he too never really been to the night markets, Schalt had warned him to always go with someone who knows the area.

So Zatu was quite curious about what led her to go there alone.

"What was she doing in the night markets?"

Schalt sighs, as he starts to write a letter back to Lyara.

"She fought with her father, she needed space and sneaked out to the outer city to go to a friend's house."

"Only she got lost midway and ended up in night markets and from there you know the rest."

After saying that, Schalt focuses on the letter back, remembering not only to answer her words, but also ask about the guide for Zatu.

Zatu stretches a bit and turns to the door.

"Well I have some more training to do, see ya later tonight Schalt. Oh and what's the name of the outer district guide?"

Schalt answers without looking back, his hands gliding across the paper as the stupid smile is plastered across his lips.

"I don't know her actual name, but she goes by the moniker Night Fang. See ya later Zatu!" 

Walking downstairs Zatu stops at the reception before going out.

"Hey Maira, I'd like to reserve a VIP table for later tonight." 

"It's done Mister.

Zatu thanks her, before adding. 

"Also, if it isn't too much, I'd like your help with something."

She nods promptly.

Feeling both conscious of the platinum she received earlier the day and curious about what could Zatu possibly need from her.

"I'll do my best Mister Zatu. What can I help you with?"

Zatu smiles at her response, Schalt was great at hiring employees.

"I'd like to know more about two people, the first being Lyara Redhammer, a daughter from the Redhammers…" Zatu says, shooting a knowing look at Maira. "and someone called the Night Fang, a guide from the outer districts."

Maira giggles with the confirmation, but after a few seconds she shakes her head lightly.

"I'm sorry Sir, but I don't know much about any of the two..." She says in a defeated tone.

He gives her a friendly smile, pushing a platinum coin across the balcony.

"It's okay, I'm just asking casually, just tell me about it if you hear any rumors or get any info."

He winks. 

"Oh and don't let others catch you ok, I'd be embarrassed if Zatu knew I'm snooping around, hahaha." 

Maira's eyes glue to the coin, a mixture of hesitation and desire colors her irises.

"Sir Zatu I didn't even tell you anything yet, and this... you are paying me too much."

She says with a coy voice, her hands trembling under the table as she resists snatching the coin away.

Zatu waves his hand casually.

"Just take it, even if you find nothing, consider this compensation for the time you'll put in."

Satisfied Zatu turns around and starts walking out of Blue Dream Inn. 

"Anyway, see you around Maira." 

===

Seeing him walk out Maira takes the coin and clutches it in her hand.

Although Schalt pays her really well for a classless young woman, half a gold coin a month.

Even then she would still take more than a decade of work to acquire a single platinum.

And that is counting she didn't have to buy food, clothes or help her parents with rent.

Now the man that gifted platinums for simple gossip had personally asked for her help.

And she might be unawakened, but she was not blind.

She knew an opportunity like this one might only come once in a lifetime.

All that to say, this small coin in her hand, felt very heavy in her heart.

In this way his casual ask, became an important mission in her mind.

A mission she vowed to herself to do the best she possibly could.