<div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/dCSJbmk.jpg)</div><br/><br/>Miyuki had sensed no deception nor danger from these people yet, so she walked down the stone stairs, feeling the temperature drop to a nice cool and pleasant air.  It wasn't cold, just cool, the way you'd expect a basement to feel in the summer.  The stone walls around her, the darkness, the cool air that felt both alive and still at the same time.  Certainly more comfortable and pleasant then the hot air in the tavern above.  In that moment it started to make more sense and seem less odd that someone would choose to have their office in a basement under the ground.  In any regard, at the bottom of the stairs she found a metal gate, unlocked but closed, and off to her right an archway with a wooden door that bore a name plaque that read "Flint" rather simply.  She knocked on the door at the bottom of the stairs, finding that it was already open about two inches.<strong> "YAH?"</strong>a gruff sounding voice from beyond the door called out, giving her the courage to push the door open further and enter.<br/><br/>There, by the light of a single candle sat a dwarven man, long black  beard wearing a robe and a medallion, possibly a holy symbol, about his neck.  He had a quill in his hands and a journal in front of him as if he were busy writing something, however Miyuki noticed that the quill was dry of ink and the journal was actually upside down.  No doubt this was Flint.<strong> "Ahhhh come in, come in,"</strong>he said in a voice that was a bit gruff and if she wasn't mistaken, was laced with the traces of sleep.<strong> "Yer not one of me regulars, an I ain't seen yer face before.  So I can only guess that yer here fer either a job or t'join the guild."</strong>He gestured at the wooden chairs in front of his desks, which were piled with books, maps, charts, notes, and more than one beer stein.<strong>"Either that er ye got pretty lost lookin fer the privy,"</strong>sniffing the air with a large nose he chuckled, letting Miyuki know that was meant as a joke.<br/><br/>He licked his lips and rubbed at the corner of one eye with a thick finger, again leading Miyuki to suspect that the dwarf had been napping down here in his nice cool office.  So she decided that she should introduce herself.<em>"Good evening Master Dwarf."</em>Miyuki said while bowing low.<em> "My name is Konayama Miyuki. I'm new to Laelith, and I seek employment in the Explorer'a Guild."</em><br/><br/>Then traces of any sleep vanished as the dwarf sat up and looked at her, appraising her in a very critical eye.  It might be very dim in the office, but dwarves needed very little light to see clearly and could even see in the ark, so she was under no illusion that this dwarf was able to appraise her by the light of a single candle.<strong>"Ye are are ye?  I'm a dwarf known fer directness, so I'mma come out and ask this straight away.  Ye got the look of a true beauty, an one what knows she's a beaut as well.  Be ye lookin fer work in as a professional girl o'comfort?  Or maybe as an adventuring 'companion' that can handle herself passably an warm a soul's bed at night at the same time, or were ye thinkin a standard membership in the guild, with none o' that extra buisness of spreadin yer legs?  Shame if it's the last one, haven't had a pretty girl like ye come through in a few weeks."</strong><br/><br/>