Chapter eighteen: Whispers of Home, Roar of Hope
Tina's plea was a raw, frayed whisper, catching in the dust motes that danced in the stale air of the Whispering Seagulls Guild.
Kneeling on the grimy floorboards, her fox ears—usually so perky—drooped like a forgotten, sodden dishcloth, heavy with defeat.
Each breath she took was a shallow gasp, a desperate prayer against the tightening noose of debt.
> "I just need a little more time," she managed, her voice cracking like dry wood. "I should have it by next month."
Egay Valerius, the lending merchant, stood like an iron gate. Arms crossed. Face like hardened pan de sal. The scent of old parchment and cold coin clung to him—merciless and sterile.
> "Next month," Egay repeated. His voice was a frigid blade, slicing through the stale air. "I've been waiting a year now for your guild to pay back the 15 Ginto coins you owe me. I'm not leaving until I get what I'm owed."
> "The guild's in a bit of a tight spot right now—" Tina's voice splintered, fragile and fading.
> "That doesn't concern me." He flicked his hand dismissively. "Where is your Guild Master? Fetch him."
Tina's face went pale. Her voice dropped to a ghost of itself.
> "He passed… and Vice-Guild is missing."
Egay's jaw slackened.
> "What?! GM passed away last month and the Vice—?"
> "Stuffed his pockets with every coin in the vault and disappeared," she mumbled, eyes locked on the scuffed floorboards.
The silence that followed was sharp and suffocating.
> "So you don't have any money. Not even a copper?" he asked.
> "Not even a copper," Tina whispered, her shoulders sinking under the weight of those words.
> "Fine. No money. But surely you've got monster part."
> "Actually… we're out of monster part too."
She looked like she was about to fall apart—like even gravity was giving up on her.
I couldn't help myself.
> "She's telling the truth," I said, before my brain could catch up.
Egay turned, eyes sharp as obsidian.
> "And who might you be?"
> "A client," I said, trying to sound cooler than I felt.
> "Everyone in town knows," Tak cut in with a shrug. "Whispering Seagulls is bankrupt. They stopped paying with coin and started handing out monster part instead."
Egay blinked, stunned.
> "Name's Pepito," I added, offering a handshake. "Merchant. Like yourself."
The word softened him like butter on hot rice. His tone shifted as he launched into explanation.
The old Guild Master had borrowed 15 Ginto using the Guild Hall as collateral. A binding contract. If the guild defaulted, the deed was his.
> "The deadline was a year ago," Egay said. "No money, no monster part… I should just take the title deed now."
He produced a parchment, its folds crisp with finality.
> "Fetch the deed, Miss Tina. Now."
> "Please," she begged, her voice cracking again.
> "You don't get to refuse," Egay snapped. "Since the Guild Master's deceased, this contract is in full effect."
Tina's fists clenched. Her voice rasped, low and shaking.
> "It's because… I've made too many memories here."
> "Memories?" he scoffed.
She didn't shrink.
> "…But even a fox girl like me found a home here."
"When I joined this guild… it was the first time I felt like I belonged."
"Those few good moments? They made it worth it."
"I like this guild. That's why I won't let it go."
It wasn't flashy.
It was real.
And I got it. The fight for Lola's house. The scent of her cooking. That feeling of belonging tied to four walls and a memory.
I understood.
But Egay didn't flinch.
> "Touching story," he said dryly. "Now hand me the deeds."
Tina's shoulders sagged. Hope—extinguished.
> "All right," she whispered.
She left. Came back. Papers in hand. Trembling.
Gone.
The word sucker-punched me. I acted before I could second-guess.
> "I can't take this," I blurted. "Tina—don't hand those over just yet!"
I yanked out my phone, opened the inventory, and dumped the goods.
Gleaming Umbral Maw Orc fur. Razor claws. Slabs of crimson meat, still warm. The raw scent filled the room like defiance.
> "I've got monster meat and parts here! All fresh! All Umbral Maw Orc!"
> "Tina, can I sell this to the guild?"
Egay gasped. He leaned in like a predator catching scent.
> "Is that… Orc Meat?! This isn't your average orc! It's a premium kill!"
> "I'll buy it off you! Name your price, Mr. Pepito!"
I shook my head.
> "Appreciate the offer… but I'd like to sell it to Whispering Seagulls."
I turned to Tina.
Her ears perked. Her lip trembled. Eyes wide like she was witnessing a miracle.
> "So? Will you take it?"
> "But… the guild has no funds."
> "I know," I said. "Which is why you don't need to pay me now. I trust you."
That broke her.
Tears spilled. Shoulders lifted. A breath escaped her lips like she'd been underwater for weeks.
> "No!" Egay barked. "Miss Tina—please! I'll buy it. 30 Ginto coins!"
He slapped a pouch on the counter.
Tina wiped her face. Met his gaze head-on.
> "35 Ginto," she said. Calm. Clear. Unshakable.
Egay flinched, then growled. More coins hit the counter.
> "Fine."
> "You are deducting the 15 you owe me from that, of course?" she asked.
> "I have."
> "Of course," Tina said.
She took the remaining 20 Ginto with a poise she hadn't had minutes ago.
Tak stepped in with his usual charm.
> "Hey, uh… we also happen to have some Umbral Maw Orc. Wanna buy it?"
Tina blinked, looked at Egay. He nodded like his life depended on it.
> "Of course!" she beamed.
> "Just so we're clear, Tina—you're paying up front," Tak added.
His cut—38 Ginto, thanks to some questionable loot items (including the infamous scrotal sacks).
Egay took it all with greedy delight. And then he was gone.
Tina did a discreet little fist-pump behind the counter.
> "Our next transaction…" she whispered, eyes gleaming with hope, "I hope it means we're still alive by then."