Chapter 78: Paperwork

Chapter 78: Paperwork

No luck? the guard asked with a wry smile as Chance and Bella stepped out from the streets after having retraced their steps.

No, we got all of them as far as we could tell, Chance replied. I hope we werent supposed to collect the bodies or anything, though. There were a few too many to carry.

The guards eyebrows twitched upward in mild surprise. Seriously? That was pretty fast. Youre sure you got them all? The job wont pay out if you missed any, and you might be fined for reporting a job finished when it isnt.

Were certain, Bella said firmly. No more Windchuckers were in the area when we were finished fighting, and we killed the one you mentioned with the red feathers.

Well, Ill be damned, the guard said, shaking his head slowly. In that case, good job. Well send someone in to make sure the area is cleared out properly, and Ill report that youve completed the job. The contribution points will be assigned to your name, and you can use them as you see fit. If the job is found to be incomplete, they will be removed from your account or you will be put into debt if you have already spent them.

Sounds good, Chance said. He held the thin wood token that the guard had given him up. Thanks for the tips. We can just break this, then?

You can. I have to ask, how old are you two? You look young enough to be my kids, but if you managed to handle the birds that easily, youve got to be at least Rank Two.

Around twenty, Chance replied with a grin. And weve just been practicing for a while, you know?

The guard grunted. Making me feel like Im slacking off. Best of luck to you both.

Chance and Bella thanked him again, then broke their badges. As soon as the wood snapped, energy swirled around the two and they vanished, sucked through space by the Essence stored within the badges.

They both reappeared outside the guard house with a pair of subtle pops. Chance blinked, as a small wave of disorientation washed over him. A man stepped out of the guardhouse and strode past them, shaking Chance out of his momentary trance.

Thats a bit weird, Chance said. Still better than flying around on a giant sewer grate with Joe, though. That was terrifying.

I kind of liked it, Bella admitted with a sheepish grin. It was fun to fly around that fast. Im looking forward to being able to do it myself.

Chance wrinkled his nose in distaste. I hope you fly better than Joe does. He was a psychopath.

No promises. Bella laughed. A man stepped past them and entered the guard house, giving them a small frown as he passed.The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñòv€l-B1n.

I think were a little bit in the way of traffic, Chance said. He and Bella stepped away from the center of the road and walked over to an empty bench alongside it.

They are, Barbara said, shuffling through some papers on her desk in search of something. Ill just have to reference your names and confirm that you have the funds you claim, and then youll be all set after a little paperwork.

A minute of uncomfortable silence passed as she continued ruffling through her desk before she finally let out a satisfied grunt, finally pulling out a wooden hexagon the size of a plate from what Chance strongly suspected was a trash can. She pushed the pile of paper out of the way and set the plate down with a small thud.

There we go. What are your names?

Chance.

Bella.

She muttered something under her breath, then pushed the plate toward them. Please place your hands on the wood.

They both obliged. A faint trickle of Essence tickled Chances palm before several runes lit up along its edges. They took their hands off and Bertha took the plate back. She gave it a quick glance, then tossed it back into the pile of papers sticking out of the trash can.

Youre confirmed. You have 5 contribution points between the two of you, although they job theyre from hasnt been verified yet. Would you like to utilize them to purchase housing for one month?

Chance and Bella nodded.

Very well, Barbara said. She rooted around her papers for a few more minutes, gathering several sheets and sweeping the rest off her desk and onto the ground by her feet. She reached into her dress and pulled out a small, rune covered quill.

Barbara pushed several papers across the table toward them and handed Bella the quill. Just sign a few forms and youll be all set.

Bella read through the papers, then took the quill and started to sign. While she worked, Barbara ducked under her desk. A few minutes later, Bella pushed the papers back over to Chance and gave him the quill.

He scanned through them. Even though he didnt have much to reference, they seemed standard enough. There were far too many clauses to count about taking care of the property and not damaging anything as well as a multitude of common sense requirements and rules. There wasnt anything that set off any alarms, so he signed his name next to Bellas on all the blank lines.

Were finished, Bella said once Chance put the quill down.

Oh, just a few more, Barbara said, straightening back up with a one foot tall stack of papers in her arms. She slammed it to the desk with a grunt on top of the ones theyd just signed and pushed it back over to them.

Chance and Bella stared at them in disbelief. Barbara yawned and sat back in her chair, closing her eyes. Wake me up when youve finished or if you need anything explained. Actually, just wake me up when youre done. Forget the explaining part, I dont know whats in them either. Have fun.