It took most of a day, but eventually, Archivuald found what he was looking for. The place wasn't in the slums at all, instead it was in the much nicer districts.
The golden goose was one of the nicest eating establishments Archivuald had ever been to, with an ornate facade and well-dressed staff. It was the kind of place that would cost ten silvers a plate at least, twenty times the price of a meal at the tavern he was staying at.
Just seeing the restaurant from the street made him pause. Was he in the wrong place? Surely this couldn't be where he was going to meet that guy from the other night. The people who owned this place would turn their noses up at his measly forty silvers. The greeter at the door might not even let him inside with his lackluster attire.
All of a sudden, his windfall of forty-six silvers felt like chump change.
"Well, this was a waste of time," he muttered.
Two days of anxiously waiting around, only to be led by the nose.
As if on cue, a gaggle of well dressed teenagers sauntered down the street, approaching the lacquered double doors of the restaurant. Dressed in only the finest silks cut in the latest fashion, they didn't even spare Archivauld more than a dirty glance as they passed.
"Since when did the rif raf start frequenting the promenade? Beggars should stay where they belong," one of them said, their voice loud enough to hear.
"Vagabonds the lot of them, the guards should throw them out of the city, let the monsters deal with them," another said.
The others laughed, the group walking up the stairs and entering the building like they owned the place.
Archivuald just kept walking, circling the block to see if there was a rear entrance. He didn't give a whit what those spoiled brats thought about him. Archivuald had more important things on his mind as he planned his for a rapid escape.
He was a few hours early, wanting to scope it out before the actual meeting tonight. Showing up was perhaps not the smartest thing he had ever done, but he was short on options.
Acquiring a fake identity was the linchpin to all of his long term, and even short term goals.
It would be extremely difficult to hunt rifts, travel freely, and of course find Parcival without it. Just entering the city had almost got him killed, both from nearly falling to his death multiple times, and nearly getting charred to a twitching crisp by that beautiful woman.
Archivauld had absolutely no desire to climb back up that cliff to get back out of the city. One death defying climb was enough for him, thank you very much.
That being said, getting his fake identification was paramount to his future survival. Over the next couple hours, he roamed the city. After a suitable amount of time, he made one more pass by the restaurant, finding little aside from potential escape routes.
Archivuald was planning for the worst, and hoping for the best. Eventually, the time he had been waiting for arrived. Without any specific instructions, Archivauld entered the back alley after night fell.
He lingered in a shadowy alcove, on hand on his axe which was hidden under his cloak. Friendly invitation or not, there was no way he would come unarmed. Not that he needed his ax to turn them all into a withered husk with the eye of the dark god.
The thought gave him some confidence, though he was still anxious. What kind of people would invite him over after he killed two of their own? It was very likely a trap.
Even so, what could he do?
He was plum out of options, needing to take risks if he wanted to succeed. His internal thoughts were cut off as the nearby back door of the restaurant opened.
The light of a lantern bathed the alley, as a familiar unassuming man stepped out. Dressed in much finer clothes than the night they met, the man slowly turned, his gaze scanning the alley until his eyes rested on Archivauld hiding in the shadows.
"You actually showed up," the man said.
"Thought i might have been in the wrong place at first. What's a thief doing in a place like this?" Archivauld asked, warily stepping forward.
The man's unreadable expression cracked for a moment, a slight smile tugging at his lips.
"Not all thieves are equal. Now, come with me. The boss is waiting," he replied.
Archivauld hesitated for only a moment, before warily following.
They entered the well lit foyer, taking several flights of carpeted stairs up to the top floor. He saw none of the staff, nor any of the patrons, most likely by design.
Without preamble, they reached the top floor, and his escort knocked on the first door on the right.
"Come in," said a distinctly feminine voice.
The man, whose name he still didn't know, twisted the knob, and the door swung open. Taking a nervous breath, Archivuald entered. The interior was as lavish as could be expected for such a high end establishment, and the woman behind the desk no less so. She wasn't what you might call pretty, with chubby cheeks, generous proportions, and makeup caked on so thick it had over a dozen layers.
Even so, she held herself with regal posture, her delicate poise demanding attention as she turned. Glimmering like a star at night, her dress sparkled in the bright glow of the fractal engraved essence stones on the walls.
The woman's calculative eyes took him in, no doubt assessing him just as he had her.
"So, you are the man who killed my men?" She stated, her tone casual, more curious than angry.
Archivauld hesitated, uncertain what to say. Denying her claim would get them nowhere. Perhaps it was best to tell the truth and see what happened. They already knew he did it, so what was the point in denying it.
If they tried to kill him, he could always resort to drastic measures.
Hoping he wasn't making a huge mistake, Archivuald let out an audible sigh.
"The death of your men was unfortunate, but they didn't give me much choice. They attacked, and I defended myself," Archivauld said.
The woman bobbed her head slowly, as if in agreement to his statement.
"That is actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Turner, my associate over there, witnessed the whole thing. The way he tells it, the power you used could be a divine emblem," the woman said.
Archivauld grimaced internally at the surprisingly lucky guess. His expression must have given away something, as her eyes glimmered with excitement.
"He was right? You really are a Holder?" She asked.
His mind whirred as he considered the pros and cons of saying yes. The proverbial beans were already spilled, and she did seem excited at the prospect. Revealing that he had one could bring some benefits.
"Yes, I have a divine curse," Archivuald said, deciding to keep the fact he had six to himself.
The woman's stony expression quickly faded, replaced by a greedy grin.
"Excellent! You said you are looking for a fence, what for?" she asked, her tone completely changed.
Archivuald was more than a bit thrown off by the rapid change in tone.
"You are not upset that I killed your people?" Archivauld asked.
"Of course not! They were just bottom of the barrel thugs, without an emblem between them. Their deaths actually were a service. They allowed me to meet you," She said, waving a hand dismissively.
Well, that was convenient. He still wasn't convinced she would just forgive his faux pas, but things seemed to be going surprisingly well.
"I am looking for someone who can discreetly forge some official documents for me," Archivuald admitted.
"What kind of documents?" She asked curiously.
"A new, air tight identity that can pass inspection even by the inquisition," Archivauld said.
Her calculative eyes gleamed with interest at his words, clearly running over multiple options, no doubt on how she could use the information to get what she wanted. The look gave him no small amount of anxiety.
"I take it you are at odds with the Order?" She asked casually.
"You could say that," Archivuald admitted.
Tapping her chin, the woman nodded slowly. "An air tight identity will be quite difficult to procure. I might know a person who can provide what you are asking for, but their services do not come cheap," she said.
"How much?" Archivauld asked, reaching towards his pouch.
"Three gold crowns for a rudimentary setup. Ten gold for a complete identity," she said her words like salt water on a wound.
"Ten gold? Why is it so expensive?" Archivauld asked, disbelief and shock in his voice.
She shrugged. "You pay for what you get. I would recommend you buy the deluxe package. It comes with an established background, facial reconstruction, bank accounts, relatives who know you and a place you grew up. It even comes with estranged parents," she said.
"Facial reconstruction, is that even a thing?"Archivuald asked, uncertainly.
She smiled.
"If you know the right people, and are willing to pay the fee, they can turn you into a completely new person," she said.
Archivuald's heart skipped a beat at the prospect. A new chance at life, without being forced to constantly look over his shoulder.
The issue was that ten gold was a ridiculous fee.
"I can't afford that price. Ten gold is far outside my budget," Archivuald admitted.
She didn't seem surprised at all, in fact, she seemed delighted by his words. The fact was more than a bit concerning.
He could practically see the scheming behind her eyes as her lips tugged upward. "I think we can come to some sort of arrangement. How about this. I pay the ten gold fee, and you work for me until it is paid off. You see, I am in need of people like you for certain tasks. Let's call it an investment," she said.
Archivauld hesitated, seeing the trap, but knowing he would likely have to jump in anyway.
"What kind of tasks?" Archivuald asked.
Her smile turned to a wide smile. "There are plenty of things that are difficult to buy with gold. I have the wealth, but even so, it is extremely difficult to get my hands on a holder with the top guilds, and the churches having a monopoly. I am looking to start my own organization, to clear rifts, and gain influence. With a holder in our roster, even someone at only knight tier, that will be much easier," she said.
Archivuald couldn't help the excitement that flooded him at her words. That sounded much better than he was expecting. In fact, that was very close to what he already wanted to do, to delve into the inner expanse. With her backing, even if it was a newly forming guild, this was an opportunity to grow his power to new heights. All he had to do was trust the words of this clearly self serving woman, and hope for the best.
What could go wrong?