Delivered the documents this morning. The same plain-cloaked man met me at the usual tavern, but this time he didn’t take the papers himself. Instead he gave me new instructions: bring them to a certain tower in the Old Town district.
When I arrived and looked up at the building, something felt… wrong. It looked too ordinary on the outside, but the guards had that particular stillness about them. I stood there for a long minute, weighing the satchel in my hand. It would be easy to burn the papers, take the coin I already had, and disappear back into Elwynn. No one would miss me.
Before I could make up my mind, a man stepped out from the shadows beside me.
“They’ve been expecting you,” he said politely. “If you’ll follow me.”
I followed him inside.
The corridors were narrower than expected. Efficient. Down a flight of stairs and through a heavy door, and suddenly I was standing in a dimly lit room filled with maps, reports, and quiet voices. Behind the desk sat a man with sharp eyes and a presence that filled the room without effort. Mathias Shaw.
He looked me over carefully before speaking.
“You’ve done good work,” he said. “Better than we expected from the initial reports. Most men either get themselves killed or run off with the papers. You did neither.”
I shrugged, trying to appear more relaxed than I felt. “Just did what I was paid for.”
Shaw leaned back slightly. “And that’s exactly why we’re having this conversation.” He slid a well-balanced dagger across the desk. Sharp, practical, with a subtle engraving along the blade. “Consider it payment. And perhaps the beginning of something more.”
I picked up the dagger, testing its weight. It was excellent.
“So… what’s the next step?” I asked. “Another job?”
Shaw’s expression remained calm. “We’ll be in touch.”
I hesitated. “Alright… but I don’t exactly live here in Stormwind.”
A faint smile touched the corner of his mouth — not particularly warm.
“We’ll find you when we need you.”
That was the end of the conversation. I was politely escorted out.
I’m not sure what I just walked into. But it feels bigger than I bargained for. And that silver emblem is still sitting heavy in my pocket, like it’s waiting for me to ask the wrong questions.