Nikolai shook his head as he bent down to rub his throbbing ankle.

"Sorry," Lana said sheepishly. "I thought you were... flirting."

"Yeah, I was gonna ask if she can hunt and cook," Nikolai said, standing to his feet. Lana scowled. "But anyhow, let's get this over with..."

As "advised", Nikolai went ahead to push one of the big doors without knocking -- and they were both greeted with a blast of blinding sunlight.

Unlike the hallways outside, this room had curtains. Thick ones at that. Only issue was that they were drawn back all the way, which made Nikolai wonder if it was the mayor's intention to blind everyone who walked in before meetings even began. Perhaps it was one of his political strategies: to get the upper hand before anything had even started.

"You two must be from the village," said the familiar voice of Nikolai's most hated person in Silraphia. "Welcome."

It took some time before proper vision returned to their squinting eyes. And when they could finally see again, it became evident where the people's money was going to.

Long tables draped with expensive red silk sat along the walls, displaying artifacts of all sorts. Large paintings of Brymlight's sceneries (and other places Nikolai didn't know about) hung over them in neat alignment but made the room feel busy. One painting in particular stood out so much that Nikolai couldn't help staring at it. He looked at Lana, and saw her gazing at it as well. It was a scene of a waterfall -- the very same one they had spent their evening at previously.

Nikolai had reserved his feelings about talking to Oswald, but now that he was standing in the man's office, he regretted ever agreeing to this. The ridiculous trophies only confirmed to him what kind of man the mayor was.

Even his security looked like mercenaries borderlining thugs. The two guards in the usual leather and iron uniform stood at the far corners of the room behind the mayor. How were they not dying from the heat in their getup was bewildering. They had sheathed short swords tied to their belts, which made sense. Spears would have been a nightmare to wield in a room such as this. Unlike the other soldiers that patrolled the city, they weren't wearing helmets. One of them had faded scars all over his face while the other man had tattoos marking every inch of his exposed skin. If he wasn't carrying a weapon, Nikolai would have likely passed him off as one of Oswald's collections.

The guards' eyes trained onto Nikolai and Lana as they approached the mayor's (yet again) unnecessarily large oakwood desk. It was empty save for a stack of parchment and some bottled ink and quill. Rocks of varying sizes and color sat Behind it, sat Oswald in his cushioned chair that resembled something like a throne; perhaps it was imported from somewhere.

Oswald had on his defaulted fake smile. The flat line with dimples on either side of his cheeks. The condescending gaze from those prying eyes. Nikolai's eye twitched. And that nonsensical moustache...

"So, to whom do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?" the man asked, spreading his hands towards them, though his eyes rested completely on Lana. "What can I help you with?"

Nikolai exchanged glances with Lana. He shrugged, gesturing for her to speak. He almost wished he had brought his machete along, though he doubted they would've let him into the building with it...

"My name's Lana, and this is Nikolai," Lana said. "The cure is too expensive." Not exactly how Nikolai would have started, but this had been her idea. It was best to let her steer. "The villagers can't afford such a fee."

Oswald blinked, nodding slowly as though he agreed with what she'd said. Then, he shrugged. "And you've come because..." he left his sentence hanging on a questioning tone. To Nikolai, it sounded like a challenge. Lana seemed to have noticed this as well since she turned slightly to him for help.

"We're here to request for a lowering of the price," Nikolai said flatly.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Oswald replied calmly. He spotted the green rock on his table and adjusted it ever so slightly. "We've lost people crossing the blockade. I ask you this question," he added. "Is it fair to have them risk their lives for your... 'reasonable' price?"

This was going to go south really quickly, Nikolai thought quietly to himself. He had to come up with a counter attack in time, and he hoped Lana was doing the same.

"I know you two..." the mayor said, frowning. He paused, thinking. Nikolai and Lana exchanged confused glances. "You come to the city real often. You --" Oswald raised a fat finger, pointing directly at Nikolai. He gave a smile that closely resembled a smirk. "You can afford it."

Nikolai frowned, not understanding what he meant. As though he had read his mind, Oswald continued, "Made from gold that was mined from the Cavern of Avarice. Only five of them were ever made, held by the hunter families of the Freydon line. Yes, I'm talking about that thing in your pocket," the mayor added.