"Some call them, 'Little Birds.' Most of them are normal kids but there's a few with unique talents like the girl who used a telekinetic version of Slight of Hand. One of the boys is one of those who can use telepathy and read surface thoughts. I've watched this group for the last few years. Trustworthy not really but they are good at what they do with the right kind of motivation." The sergeant said quietly.

"That's good to know," Irzen replied, "It's always good to know what we are going up against."

When the Human bartender strode up, Willow ordered two ales before he turned to The Sergeant, "What will you have, Talos, or does your being on duty prevent you from imbibing alcohol?"

"Ale," Talos said flatly. "Those who are on duty are allowed to have one hearty beverage to help ease with stress."

The bartender deposited three ales while Willow paid him in kind.

The Sergeant waited for Neven to rejoin the party, "Well, what sort of 'Up-to-no-good-job,' are you required to do in exchange for information, kid?"

"Not much," Neven quipped, "The good news is that I can have an audience with The Guild Master and all I have to do is pull off a heist. The bad news is that my heist has to be a small job worth about fifty gold no more no less from the merchant district. If I am successful, then I will turn my ill-gotten gains over to a fence named Calish who has a shop there. Another bit of bad news is that I only have twelve hours to do the job. Nothing I can't handle, with a little help from my friends."

Sergeant Talos rubbed his chin, "Well, there's a few places in the Merchant District that would be ideal places to scope out, lay low, and--," he coughed under his breath, "burgle what you need."

Willow and Irzen both raised their tankards to Neven while Serna just smiles at him.

Talos took his stein of ale and drank half of it. This was one of those assignments where he might need more than just one. He had a feeling there was more to the relic than the Bronze Man let on but the less he knew about the details of such holy items, the easier his job was.

"Does this mean that you are going to help us--heavens forbid--commit a crime?" Serna giggled under her breath yet loud enough for Talos to hear.

The sergeant nearly choked on his drink but managed to swallow the ale as it burned slowly down his throat. "ACK! Mind your tongue, girlie! Could you just...I don't maybe keep your mouth shut for once? Remember you're the one who got yourself into trouble in the first place. You want to help? Let the kid do his job!"

Serna held her hands up and backed off, "Okay! Okay! There's no need to be mean about it. I was just asking a simple question. That's all! And while I'm the one that got us into trouble, I'm NOT the one using kids to hunt down other kids. YOU are doing that, Seargent Talos, not I."

"Serna does have a point," Willow admitted as he drank his ale.

Irzen gave Talos a knowing glance.

Seeing that he was out-numbered four to one, he finished his drink and set it down back on the bar. "Done with your drinks? Yes? No? Merchants District is this way. Come on." Sergeant Talos hated having to play escort for this assignment. Some people compared him to being a dwarf in a human's body from another life. Still it was his duty to see this through to the end.

"Lead on, good sir!" Neven followed Talos.

Willow and Irzen finished their ales and followed the sergeant as well. While Serna made a note of the place before she joined the others.

"Talos, I have a question, where is the Thieves Guild?" Irzen asked, "In some cities, I have noticed that some of them have operated out of the Merchants Guild using it as a front for their illegal operations. In other cities, the Thieves Guild has served as front for the Assassin's Guild. Still in others, the Thieves Guild operates independently. Which is the case here in Asylum?"

Leading the party out of the Gallows Pub back onto the main street heading to the western part of Asylum where the Merchants District lay. "The Thieves is said to be under the city proper. As for the Assassins Guild, that's up to the far eastern side near air ship docks where you and friends came in, I'm guessing. There's only a few air ship captains I know of. One is the half orc, Bruno."

"We know Bruno too!" Serna chirped.

"Bruno is--or was--an airship captain?" Neven asked no one in particular.

"One of the best air ship captains of Asylum." Talos replied.

"I guess everyone has to have a hobby," Irzen quipped, "Personally, I thought his main job was being a professional jerk but I'm glad to know that I am wrong."

"Bruno owes the Bronze Man a great debt. That fact that you and your friends found him is incredible. The half orc has a talent of vanishing which unfortunately caused a lot of problems elsewhere in the Realm." The sergeant remarked glancing in the swordsman direction, "Some could say the same thing about you, Irzen. You are far from being infallible. No one is perfect."

"I never claimed to be perfect, Sergeant Talos," Irzen nodded in agreement, "But I am loyal--loyal to my friends and loyal to my cause. And for the time being that has to be enough."

Serna and Neven snickered.

"The half-orc is the least of our problems," Willow added bringing them back to the task at hand, "We still need to rob a merchant, make sure what we have taken is equal to the value needed and deliver it to a fence in under twelve hours."

"Or we need to rob a merchant's shoppe," Neven corrected Willow, "We do have options, Master Willow, just not very many of them."

"I'm curious, Talos," Irzen asked, "Where are you from? You seem to be more of a transplant to these parts than a native of Asylum."

"Born and raised here. An orphan. No parents. Studied under the tudorship of the Bronze Man at the Temple of Bahamut but alas it was not my path. I admit devoting myself to a powerful deity is a bit much. I prefer solving crimes through a more normal approach using science and alchemy as my tools. I've been in the militia for more than ten years now. I have met people from your world and others since the location of this city is set in a juxtaposition within the cosmos." The Sergeant said as they approached the Merchant District.

"So who holds sway here?" Irzen continued, "Who are the real powers that make Asylum run? The City Guard? The Temples? The Guilds? Who are the powers that sit upon the throne and the powers behind the throne?"