One of the rose petals slid back, revealing an imposing set of steel gray eyes that stared into his own. This stalemate lasted for about thirty seconds before a deep, bass-filled voice spoke.

  “Password?”

  Jaeger narrowed his eyes before answering.

  “There ain’t no password.”

  The rose petal slid back into place, and the door slid open.

  “Welcome to the Black Rose.”

  Walking in, Jaeger found himself in a small room lit by black candles emitting purple flames. A soft hiss came from behind him as the door closed, and seeing no immediate exit, he spun around, fists tightening. Facing the door, he sees the doorman is some kind of golem; unlike what he’s used to, this one is made of stone and wood, its eyes shards of metal. It shows no indication of hostility, simply standing and watching him.

  “No need for that, ssstranger.” From behind him came a voice more feminine and sibilant than the one that spoke to him a moment ago. This time he slowly turns and moves, making sure he can keep an eye on the golem while also spying the new arrival.

  “Well, well, well. A cccertain sssomeone told me about you, and I find myssself agreeing with their asssesssment.” Speaking to him was a lamia.

  Her humanoid upper half was a dusky-skinned woman with green snake eyes, long black hair cascading down her shoulders, the tips of her sharp ears peeked out, and an even sharper smile rested on her face. Her lower half was a long serpentine body, hidden in the shadows, and her scales' colors were hard to pick out. She wore a soft, almost silken garment. It was long and rectangular with the top edge folded down about halfway, so that the top draped below the waist, and the bottom of the rectangle covered her waist, hiding where her human side met her serpentine.

  She was also large, just shy of being a giant. It brought to mind the stories of snakes getting larger with age. To Jaeger, she was inhumanly beautiful and deadly; he found himself willing to believe the old tales about them.

  He decided not to speak and simply stood as she examined him, top to bottom. When she finished checking him over, her smile widened and she laughed, a husky and smoky sound, reminding him of the warm caress of a lost lover.

  “The ssstrong sssilent type. Very good. I ssshan’t keep you a moment longer.” The wall behind the lamia creaked and opened to reveal the club proper. “Your elf is waiting at the booth towards the end of the bar. Enjoy your stay.”

  Jaeger moved towards the open doorway but was stopped by her tail tip resting on his shoulder. He stilled himself and waited.

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  “Nothing? You are quite interesting. I never got your name.” Her voice had lost the noticeable hiss she’d had when speaking.

  “Jaeger.”

  “Hunter, hmm. It suits you well, my name is Lemuria Lybie. Depending on how the night goes, I imagine we will be seeing more of each other.”

  She lifted her tail, and this time, he was able to walk away unbothered, save for a momentary comment.

  “I would do something about your look, though.”

  The area he walked into had more of the purple-flamed black candles that lit the open shared areas and darkened the enclosed private spaces of the expansive room in found himself in. The décor he could see was black and red, gothic and a touch sinister. He spotted a few patrons and realized that the lamia was right about his look. The patrons wore black leather, heavy metals, and dark outfits; he saw armored figures alongside more erotic figures. Everyone here looked like night walkers, both kinds.

  Standing just inside the doorway way he took off his tricorn, putting it away, and focused on what he wanted his coat to look like. A shudder ran along him as his jacket changed into a highwayman’s jacket, an armored, more rugged take on a tailcoat. All black, it had a shoulder-length leather cape with brass buttons on the front to hold it in place. The sleeves were rounded and long, and a larger collar, better to hide his face when popped.

  He reached into his coat and pulled out something he hadn’t touched in all the time he’d been in Ragaea: a tin of gun grease. He hadn’t needed it since his guns turned magical, so he’d simply packed it away. Now, though he took a small amount, rubbed it between his hands, and then slicked his hair down. His short, cut brown hair was now slicked back and out of his way; it also served to give him a roguish look that matched his new highwayman's outfit well.

  Confident in blending in, Jaeger moved forward, walking towards the bar and checking the booths. He finds Kaeleth three booths down from the bar, huddled into the back corner of her booth and nursing a glass. As he neared her, her head snapped towards him with a scowl, and she glared. Her look grew in intensity as he moved closer.

  “Leave before I kill you.”

  Jaeger hooked his thumbs into his coat pockets and raised an eyebrow.

  “You asked me to meet you.”

  At the sound of his voice, her expression changed, and her eyes narrowed. Leaning forward, she beckoned him closer, and as he drew up to the booth, she took a deep breath. As she breathed in and then out, a smile replaced her scowl.

  “You have changed your look, almost significantly. How?”

  “I only changed my jacket and took off my hat.”

  “No, you also smell different. Predatory and harsh. Like a freshly made blade in the hands of a tiger.”

  Jaeger moved into the seat opposite hers.

  “I haven’t changed much since we last saw each other. You saw me after my most recent rank-up.”

  She sipped her drink.

  “Fine, do not say, I’ll figure it out.” She slammed her drink back and then put the glass down. “First, reaching the club was the first part of the job. My client made that a requirement when she heard I was bringing in a partner. Now that you’re here, she should be joining us in a moment. Do not accept anything without my say so, she will try to get something extra or pay us less.”

  “Who’s the client?”

  “She’s the madam and proprietress of this club; she’s also an important member of the FRC.”

  Jaeger sighed deeply at this new revelation.

  “Kaeleth, you made this sound like a personal job, not a job for the local bandit guild.”

  She laughed harshly at that.

  “They aren’t a bandit guild, they’re a full-fledged criminal empire, and don’t worry, this job isn’t anything too illegal.”

  “Yes, do calm down, my dear Hunter. If it makes you feel any better, this can count as one of your agreed upon jobs.”