The Slayer

Chapter 7 - Things to Pants again

Chapter Seven

Things go Pants Again

They travelled back to the village to collect their reward, and then onwards from there to the bureau, where every wizard, mage, witch, sorcerer, magician and necromancer (or anyone else of magical preference, human or otherwise) went to form their own guild. Only after a guild was formed would a group of magical beings be allowed to accept contracts for missions, and at the end of every mission, the guild master had to report back to the bureau. In short it was a big – fancy building that managed all the guilds in the kingdom, and they did all sorts of important stuff involving lots of paperwork.

To form a new guild several requirements had to be met, the most important being that there had to be at least six members to form a guild and be officially recognised and allowed by law to accept contracts. Unless the guild was already formed and some of the members died, which did happen sometimes, there were never allowed to be less than six. The strongest guild recognised by the bureau in this kingdom had just three members. But together, they had almost god-like powers, and were practically indestructible and invincible and immortal all at the same time.

Every guild strived to be like them, but many died in the process.

The bureau was a large white building, and shone like a jewel on a sunny day, visible for miles around in the field of green on which it sat on. It was a grand building, the grandest many would see in their lives.

Leroy led the way up the wide marble steps, the rest of the guild following behind him.

'How much do you think we'll get for them?' Barry asked him, eyeing up the eggs Leroy carried in a sack.

'I don't know' Leroy mumbled. 'That all depends.'

'On what?'

Leroy grimaced, shooting him a look of annoyance.

'On whether or not they're still alive.'

'Right...'

'If they're dead they are worth nothing. If they are alive...'

'Who would want a living griffin egg?' Waltz butted in, running forwards to prance alongside Leroy.

'Griffin eggs are rare' Leroy told him, 'and believe it or not, but griffins can be tamed. If they are still alive...' he paused to glance down at the eggs, 'they could be worth a lot of money if we can find a buyer rich enough to seriously want one.'

'And if they're not?' Waltz asked tentatively.

Leroy grimaced again.

'If they are dead' Leroy sighed, 'then they can be preserved and sold as pretty ornaments, for a mere fraction of the price they would sell if the eggs were living.'

'How much would that be then?'

Leroy considered Waltz, giving him a stoic expression.

'Ever bought a single chicken egg?'

Waltz faltered then, his eyes growing wide.

'Is that all?! After all that work?! What do you think the odds are of the eggs being alive?'

Leroy grimaced for the third time, glancing down at the eggs.

'Slim if I'm honest' he said. 'The female griffin left her nest all too easily. And if the eggs were alive, then it would have been unlikely that there was a male ready to breed nearby...think about it.'

'Oh great' Waltz huffed, sulking now and shoving his hands in his pockets. 'I was nearly killed for those eggs.'

'So where the rest of us' Leroy glowered.