(an oral account by Susurra, a freelance guide in the Grand City-State of Altonzera)
In a city that doesn’t allow maps, being a guide can be a lucrative business — if you know how to promote yourself. It’s not enough to stand in the street and call out, and joining a Guides’ Guild means most of your money goes to the Guildmaster. No, you have to get creative. It also helps if you got some of the Blood.
I dunno who in my past was full-Blood — probably best not to — but enough got passed down to me that I don’t exactly blend in. Most folk see a tail, they already know the story; it catches their eye. Plus if I wear something cut a little low in the front, well…
Why can’t you have a map in Altonzera? Nobody really knows, except for the High Council. All maps of the city, even partial ones, are strictly forbidden. Even a quick sketch on a scrap of paper can get you fined and jailed, and if you do it more than once, you get banished or executed. That’s where people like me come in.
As a guide, you have to know the city like you know your own body. Not just where to go and how fast you can get there, but when the streets might be packed and which spots are dangerous. If you can fight a little, you can charge more. Like me. I’m no soldier, but I can hold my own against a couple street toughs if I need to. Clients appreciate that.
How’d I get started? I was maybe twelve when I ran away from home. Mama did laundry and sewing, Papa worked down at the docks, and when they were together, they drank and fought like it was a second job. I couldn’t stand the constant screaming, so I scraped up a few coins and walked out one afternoon. Problem was, a few coins only last so long. I found work as a courier at first, running parcels and messages from place to place. I slept where I could find a space, which was often an alley or rooftop. One day, months after I’d been running, I managed to collide with a city patroller — really slammed into him, which he got the worse end of. After helping him up and apologizing, I braced myself for a tirade, maybe even a fine, but all he did was tell me running was no way to make a living. Yeah, well, how much do you make a week, I said. When he told me, I asked him where I could sign up.
City patrol was much better. There was a dorm where you could sleep, if you had nowhere else. The pay was much better, meaning I ate a lot more meat. They also taught us how to defend ourselves, first with a truncheon, then with a short blade. My instructors always pushed me harder on account of me being a girl, and a Blooded one at that, but no matter how many times my sparring partners knocked me down, I picked myself back up and was ready for the next exercise. Some of them were extra surprised when they’d get pulled off balance by a tail ’round their ankle!
After a few years working patrol, though, I decided to strike out on my own. Between running and patrolling, I’d gotten pretty good at navigating the city, plus now I could look after myself. As for how you become a guide, well, you just start doing it. You scan the crowd for somebody that looks lost and ask them if they need a guide. If they seem interested, you negotiate a price, and go from there. Once you get the hang of it, you can adjust your fee — more if it’s a longer run, less if you wanna be competitive with everyone else. You also learn how to spot the ones who’ll try to renegotiate for a lower rate at the end, or stiff you altogether. (That’s another good thing about being armed: clients are less likely to run off without pay when they see that blade at your hip.) It works from the other side, too; for instance, regular visitors will know that over-eager guides might not charge as much, but might not get you to where you’re going, either.
I’ve been working as a guide for a while, now, and it’s served me well. Got a roof over my head, fine clothes that don’t tear easy in a scrap, and every night is either beef or pork, sometimes both. Do I have a man? I knew you’d get around to asking sometime. No, because I don’t have time for one. I’m no cloistered lady, but work keeps me busy and I’m not looking to settle down just yet.
So are you really serious about wanting to be a guide? ‘Cause if not, you’re wasting my time. Otherwise, watch and learn.
The World of Vlaar 