Off to the Wizard's Guild

It took me a couple of hours before I finished my rounds. I inspected every nook of the ship, delegating the tasks among the crew members, and checking the ship's magical power source. I kept a mental note of all the things I saw, from the leaking pipes beneath the mess hall to the dwindling food supply in the pantry.

Apparently Coreen was right. We need to get a job soon or this ship will fall apart.

"That's what I've been telling you since last week," Coreen said as she followed me into my room. "Our budget has been stretched real thin."

I shook my head and reprimanded the bookkeeper for prying into my thoughts. Coreen has been with the company of wizards far longer than I have. She has to learn some basic courtesy in reading the minds of others.

"I'll be visiting the wizard's guild in an hour," I answered as I walked to the window. "Hopefully the old geezers there would give us some work."

Coreen gently shook her head. "Are you sure about that? Remember the last time they sent us to deliver one of their packages?"

"It wasn't that bad," I answered, smiling.

"Not bad?" Coreen repeated with a mocking tone. She drew out a small notebook and started flipping through the pages. "That two headed demon injured a couple of sailors and obliterated our canon. We spent almost two thousand fixing the damages, not to mention the five hundred silver we used for spell components to bind the demon back to its box."

"But we still got paid in the end," I replied and saw the young bookkeeper's face flushing red as she recalled the gruesome incident.

"Barely enough to cover our damages," Corren checked her notes.

"That's why I have to go visit the wizards," I pulled out out my coat and cape from the nearby closet. "They're the only ones who can afford us."

"That's because we've been blacklisted everywhere else," Coreen muttered to herself.

"The wizards won't turn their back on one of their own," I answered while putting on my coat. It was a fancy white suit with a couple of dangling medals pinned in front of the chest pockets. "And you've worked for a few of them before, right."

Coreen rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me."

"We're the best in what we do," I continued. "Those guild masters know that we're the fastest and most reliable ship to deliver their spell components and research materials."

"Well at least let me try to ask the other guilds," Coreen muttered as she stuffed her notebook back on her pocket. "I still know a couple of smugglers working in the docks."

I drew out the Staff of Gorlband from the closet and started polishing the oaken wood with my cape. "Okay, you can go check on your friends," I said. "But I want you back before sunset."

"Okay," Coreen smiled as she helped me fix my cape. "But who will be left here?"

"Let Gian watch over the ship," I replied as I fixed his hair. Then I turned to the young girl and asked, "do I look like a dashing skyship captain?"

Coreen shook her head. "It's not me you are trying to convince. Good luck with the wizards."