^^ Aia Farman ^^

— Gina —

"So, answer me this, my dear, and I hope the answer isn't that you're all just total nerds; why not use Guns and Mass drivers inside the Dungeons? Why use Swords and Hammers like the savages from a hundred years ago?"

Zawahili looked up at me from her spot next to my desk, where I was currently drawing the runic pattern for a magic shield she'd brought me, so I could copy it. "Well, firstly, because no technology works within the Dungeons, or even close to a Gate. The stronger the Gate is, the bigger the radius of anti-technology is, so some of them are so strong that there are entire towns within their range with no technology. Some of those you know of as the Amish, here in America, because that's where the most powerful Dungeons are, leading the settlers of the place to believe that it was a holy land where the Devil's trickery, -in the form of technology,- could not penetrate."

"Ahh, and no one explained to them that it's the exact opposite of that that's causing it?"

"We didn't feel it was our place to burst their bubbles."

I laughed softly, handing her back the shield with surprisingly little effort; one of the Runes on the shield was the 'Lightening' Rune, which at first I'd thought was 'Lightning', but turned out to literally be 'To Lessen Weight', not 'To Fulminate'. "Can you have Vera call Lady Erica and inform her that I've learned the Runes for 'Lightening', and I can enchant two shields today if she wants, or something else entirely? Also, have Vera inform her that I meant 'Lightning' in my previous request?"

"Yes, ma'am." She nodded and carried the shield out into the second office outside of mine, where my new secretary was waiting patiently; she didn't have much in the way of work yet besides calling Lady Erica, as my business wasn't technically open yet, and I'd been wary about telling anyone the secrets we'd just recently agreed to keep, but Lady Erica trusted her implicitly, so she got the job.

We currently sat on the top floor of the Tower, where Erica's Architect had retrofitted the northern tower's top floor for the two offices, as he was slowly making his way up the building with his magical building; everywhere he went, the structure around him slowly but surely shifted until it matched almost perfectly to my artistic vision from the blueprints, but it wasn't visible, at first. The first four or five days, he's simply stood in the lobby or the basement calmly, meditating, and only after that had I realized that he was fixing the foundation and internal structure of the building to handle the changes being made. Today was day Seven, and the Fourth Floor was emerging into fruition, though the Glass was empty for now and did not yet contain either water or fish.

Zawahili returned and sat next to my desk again in the comfy armchair she'd set up in the corner so she could see the entire room as well as the window behind me. "Lady Erica says she'll look for something with Lightning, but that's a very rare enchantment, so don't hold your breath. Also, you've got a call on line one, from a Miss Farman."

I nodded and clicked the button to answer the phone, curious for the situation. "Desiree, why didn't you call my cell?"

A significantly younger voice answered, clearing up much of my confusion. "Ah, uhm, actually it's Aia? Gramma said I worked for both of you now? I think? I'm confused?"

"So she chose you for the Branch Office we're opening in my Building? The Spa?"

"Ah! Yes, I think that's right; she told me to take a few of the new girls with me, because they were crowding her salon anyway? So uh... where are we going?"

"You know the park where we walk the dogs for the Service Dog Program? The Private Area with the Electric Fence over there? Go there, and I'll have someone come guide you in. You'll love the setup here, I assure you; it's a little lacking in tools and customers as of yet, but the decor is close to finished, and it'll be gorgeous! I'll see you when you get in!!!"

"Oh! Okay! Just a short walk to the park, then, that's better than I'd hoped! Let's go, ladies, I've got our location!"

I nodded as the line disconnected and looked at Zawahili. "You can guide them in or send someone else, if you like? Their workplace is the Third Floor for now, so they should get set up as quickly as possible before our first Guests begin arriving in a few days and the girls will need the help."

"I'll send one of the guards to show them in and catalogue their ID's, Madame; going forward we'll make sure we know the schedule for who's on duty what days and what hours, and work them into our security briefings." She stepped over to the wall and it's intercom, speaking quietly to one of the guards on the other end and directing them towards the gate.

"You have security briefings? I've never seen those, though?"

"That would be because they happen while you are sleeping, Madame." She smirked a little at me before reclaiming her place in her chair with an air of elegance.

"Well, I hope you aren't depriving yourself of sleep for me, dear; if we need to introduce shifts to your work, or have you and Agnus only be required to protect me and John when we leave this soon to be ultra-secure compound, we will do so, yes?"

It took her a moment to respond, but she nodded slowly. "Once the Compound is Secured, yes, we will likely be relaxing the second layer of personal security slightly. For now, a few weeks of little to no sleep is nothing, Madame; I swore upon my very soul to serve the Tomoi's, and through protecting you I help to empower them and protect them in a very tangible way. I hope you believe me when I say that I appreciate this assignment more than you know."

"Hmm... my charming personality and Johnathon's adorability aren't bad perks though, huh?"

"Johnathon is definitely a joy to be around and a treasure upon this earth worthy of all my praise for his magnanimity, selflessness, calmness, and his deep love and affection for all beings. You are... hmm... at the very least, I don't dislike working with you, Madame. I have had many charges who were much more difficult to deal with, and at the very least you are fervently punctual, which I value deeply in any charge I must protect due to the ease by which it allows me to do my job effectively and efficiently."

"... eh, I'll take it. Maybe once we've gotten everything settled you'd like to be the head of security here, like Avid is at the home office? I've been told that Agnus is usually the Head Trainer for our new Warriors, and this dungeon is almost certainly the best suited for such things, no?"

She tilted her head a bit, confused. "Well, yes... but, I don't follow?"

"You two could work near each other, and thus see each other more? And as this is a more permanent posting, as well as such an important one, not only your pay would increase, but also your level of contribution to the Tomoi Clan; this building will become the center of a potent and very powerful auction service, gambling center, and pleasure and relaxation location for the Waking World, pulling money, prestige, and combat power to the Tomoi Clan like a Funnel. As head of security, much like Mr. Avid Tellurium, you would protect that, ensuring nothing interferes with its smooth operation and the safety of its employees, who are one and all under the protection of the Tomoi Clan by virtue of the Contracts they sign when they join. Also, as a stable job, you'd be in a better position to, say, marry a certain person, if that was your intent?"

Her confused expression cleared, replaced by a rapidly building excitement and determination before it culminated into a blazing fire of fervency in her eyes as she leapt to her feet with a grin. "Oui!!! S'il vous plait lassez-moi comme chef de sécurité, Madame!!!"

I blinked slowly up at her as she leaned over me, and hummed under my breath. "I believe Lassez means 'relinquish'? I'm confused?"

She swiftly nodded and translated for me, -or so I assumed-. "My apologies; Please allow me to become your Chief of Security, Lady Chamberlain!!!"

"Yes, that was the offer I was making; if Lady Erica allows the change of your professional title and the subsequent pay increase, it will begin in one week's time, when the Tower of Glass Opens for business with the Waking World. The only time you'll need to be away from your post will be when I leave the Compound, which won't be very often for a while given how busy I am going to be for a few months, and by then you'll likely have vetted some security teams to take care of me and John in your stead while you protect this building and it's occupants. I trust you'll familiarize yourself with the blueprints of the compound in the meantime, determine weak points and instruct our resident Magic Architect to strengthen them without outwardly changing their appearance wherever possible."

She nodded seriously, pressing her fist to her chest in a way I supposed was formal or traditional, perhaps as a salute. "I will begin immediately, Madame."

"Sir Zawahili, several persons have arrived at the back gate; they number 14, led by one 'Aia Farman', as prior reporting suggested. Requesting Confirmation of Course of Action?"

Zawahili pressed the response button on the intercom immediately, speaking crisply at the small microphone. "Note ID, then lead them respectfully into the Tower; the Third Floor will be their destination, all but Miss Aia Farman, who will come up through the elevator to meet privately with Madame Chamberlain. They are, henceforth, employees of the Tomoi Clan, and thus they are now under the protections that such employment allows."

"Understood, Sir."

Some ten minutes later, Aia was buzzed into my office by Vera, and she sat down in front of my desk with a huff of effort, fanning herself tiredly. "Honey... we need... an elevator... for this building..."

"We... have one? Did you climb the stairs? Those are mostly decorative, dear, the elevator is in the southern tower." I raised an eyebrow and looked for the guard who'd brought her in, only to find empty air. "Where is your escort, he should've kept you in his sights the whole time and led you to the elevator?"

"I'll handle it, Madame Chamberlain." Zawahili grumbled, muttering angrily under her breath and stepping outside swiftly.

"Hmph... anyway, yes, there is an elevator, it was the first thing we added. But, how did you like the Salon, just with what you saw on the third floor?"

She brightened immediately, grinning and nodding her head as she regained her breath. "Oh it's beautiful!!! All the glass everywhere and the old-fashioned silver mirrors, I love it all!!! Are you sure it's all really mine, babe?!?"

"You are in charge of it, yes. You still work for Desiree and Myself, but the girls that come in here for their makeovers and touch-ups are your responsibility. Within the next week, we will be opening to the public, and I need to be ready to have our girls meet customers on opening day. Sir Zawahili who just left is head of security, she's in charge of making sure everyone is safe, including and especially our girls. Downstairs in the basements are an assortment of rooms for the girls to invite clients to, which are private and only available by appointment. The ladies in the Clubs will hand out business cards to their High-Rolling Clients or Repeat Clients who are well-behaved, and they'll call and make appointments here, providing a safe and semi-neutral place to meet with all the equipment and wardrobe they'll need. Also, the area below that is an ultra-exclusive casino, with an attached Opera Theater wherein some of the girls will put on 'shows' for crowds of adoring fans. The tower, however, is a private area only for employees. No customer is even aware of the existence of the tower, and none will be told, for safety reasons. As such, the entire tower and everything in it is for the pleasure of your girls, the Ladies, and the Guards, who are not customers and should not be treated as such. Any questions, darling?"

She hummed softly for a moment, digesting the information, then nodded. "So the girls should come in through the way the customers come in, to avoid any of them knowing where the Tower is?"

"Yes, and I'll have a car sent to pick them up every morning, to facilitate that. All good?"

"Yes, I think that's everything except one thing: Pay. I was paid 800 a day working at Gramma D's Salon. What do I get here, as the head of a branch?"

"Ah, yes; according to my understanding of our budget, I can afford to pay you 2,400 a day, plus bonuses every three months that will likely include vacation opportunities. Working in a Spa does not necessarily preclude relaxation, after all. The others will get half that, 1,200 a day. I'll sign your checks from my own funds for now, until we start getting customers and the bills start paying themselves. Sound good?"

She stared at me for a moment, blinking slowly as she examined what I had said, then flinched when Zawahili arrived suddenly next to her and handed her a phone. "Uhm... thanks? I have a phone already..."

"I am aware. This is not a phone, but rather a key-card for the Gate. You are the only person who has one other than myself, two of the guards, Lady Agnus, and Madame Chamberlain. If it goes missing, alert me immediately, and I will deactivate it so that no harm can come of it."

"Oh... okay, that's smart, I'll do that. But yes, Gina, that sounds wonderful. I'll go let the girls know the good news! Hopefully via the elevator this time?"

"Yes, that would be wise; the stairs are good exercise, though, and I'm happy the Madame kept them in for our health, just like the Gym and pool on the lower floors. Very important to health, cardio is, no?" Zawahili cracked a smile and led her out to the elevator off at an angle from my office, across the rooftop terrace to the southern tower.

"Mm... that's finished, make sure we cut those checks properly, annnd... let's get about a dozen other cars for the girls and ladies to come in through the garage in groups of four... they're self-driving, but I'm sure we can get some of the younger people who need jobs to 'guard' the cars while they're driving themselves, good work opportunity... maybe the kids of the girls from the salon or the Clan's Employees, if they're over 18? For 100 an hour, that'll be a good bit of pocket money for them, and maybe supplement their parents' incomes as well, if they need it." The note I'd made on my tablet spell-checked itself and then reformatted into an email, sending itself off to Vera to be sectioned out to whomever needed it in order to get these requests accomplished in a timely manner.

"Anything else for the day?" I questioned Zawahili as she returned to the room, leaning back in my comfy office chair.

"No, Madame. With this, you have finished your duties for the day. What would you like to do next?"

As I considered it, I felt that same pull in my gut, that same warmth that pointed me towards the Gate, that I'd felt the entire time I was here. "I think, Zawahili, that I will be going into that Gate. Something within is... important. I'd like to see what it is. I'm also curious to see if I can use the Monsters within as Blood Sacrifices, as using humans is... distasteful, to say the least."

"I would agree, Madame, but you have no combat experience... or skills, if you'll pardon my saying so."

"I'm aware, however you do have skills, as do the guards, and I only intend to capture one of them and use it for a Ritual; I probably don't even need to go inside."

She frowned, but nodded slowly as she considered it. "If you wait until Agnus Returns... then I will consider it more readily."

"She returns in two hours, so let's get everything set up in the meantime, yes?" I grinned mischievously, standing and rushing out of the room towards the elevator; sitting on my ass for a week had me really needing some excitement, after all. "I wonder what I need for a good ol' fashioned blood sacrifice... probably a knife and some chalk, huh? Hey, you, uh... Dan, right? Nice, Dan: I need a Knife and some Chalk, out by the Dungeon Gate, as swiftly as possible. Go."

The random guard I'd pointed out, to his professional credit, showed no reaction to the odd request, instead handing me a long military knife from the side of his belt before jogging off to retrieve some Chalk from... somewhere.

"Huh... didn't expect him to have a knife on his person so easily accessible. I hope he can find chalk just as easily." The elevator opened, allowing Zawahili and myself inside before it closed, sending us swiftly down to the bottom floor; the best elevator money could buy or Magic could make was pretty damned quick, which I enjoyed immensely. John, less so, as he got motion sickness pretty easily, so Agnus had to carry him up the stairs daily, instead. She said (or, wrote,) that she didn't mind the extra workout for her legs, but I did wonder if she was just being polite, as always.

The Gate House (named such because it Housed the Gate, and because I enjoyed puns,) looming in front of me broke that train of thought, and Dan arriving with a small box of chalk right after was a welcome surprise. "Oh! Thank you, Dan! Stick around, and let's see if we can summon me a Familiar, huh?"