For the days following the attempted heist, Saul's new associates didn't have much to do. In the aftermath of the failed tournament, the Gold Goblin only had a few employees left: floor manager Larur Feldin, bouncers Hans and Beyar, Lixie Parmenter, who ran the ghoulette game, and Saul's bodyguard, Bojask. Since the gambling hall was short-staffed, it was closed for a few days to hire new employees. Larur was in charge of hiring others and Saul suggested that they keep to themselves since word was spreading of their heroic exploits.

Tess was glad for the break and wasn't sure what to make of the rumors going around Riddleport. She still was adjusting to life in the city and was unnerved by the idea that there were strangers that knew about her. The druid didn't think that she was much of a hero and only did what anyone else in her position would have done. She was fortunate enough to have listened to Sarek's warning and knew how to fight with her quarterstaff against the brutes that tried to rob the Gold Goblin.

At the very least, Cassiel was now in the city. When Tess agreed to come to Riddleport to study the blot, Sarek suggested that she leave her panther outside the city since the beast may frighten the people of the city. Tess did her best to check in on her companion during her stay in Riddleport and was glad to have an opportunity to bring him within the city. Saul insisted that Cassiel and Marlowe needed to stay in the kennels beneath the gambling hall but the druid took comfort that he was close by and that she could see him whenever she felt nervous.

Tess knew how to hide her feelings but couldn't deny the feeling of not belonging that she felt within her. The only reason that she agreed to work at the Gold Goblin was because Sarek was interested in Saul's offer. The elf didn't feel like she fitted in working at the Gold Goblin. The others found their roles for their day jobs with ease. Keya volunteered to be a dealer, Belar was a natural brawler, and Madia was enthusiastic about advertising for the Gold Goblin. Even Ryland seemed to have found a way to fit in as a spotter for cheaters. Tess volunteered to be a greeter but only did so because Sarek decided to be a greeter first, and she knew that he would do a better job at the job than her.

The blot's presence didn't help at all. While it still remained in the sky, Tess couldn't help but notice the small ways it started to affect Riddleport. She heard Belar mention a particularly large tidal wave that struck the harbor and the druid noticed the seagull's flight patterns were flying in an unnatural spiral to crash against the Cyphergate. When the ground shook without warning, Tess talked to Sarek about getting back into their research but was disappointed by his answer.

"I promise that I'll get back to our research once the Gold Goblin can operate without our help," Sarek had told Tess. "Saul trusts us and I'd hate to disappoint him."

"While I understand, I can't help but shake the feeling that something terrible may happen soon."

"There's nothing stopping you from investigating the shadow on your own. If you want, you could even try asking our new friend if you don't want to do it alone."

Sarek's suggestion was a good idea but Tess found that it wasn't as simple in practice. While the druid had gotten to know the others that Saul hired, she came to understand that they had their own priorities. Keya was more focused in trying to learn Saul's background without him finding out about her attempts, and while she had little to show for her work, still kept at her own investigations. Belar shrugged at the mention of the blot and felt it was best to leave it to the Order of Cyphers, and while Madia did show interest in wanting to help Tess, the halfling had already promised to help Keya and couldn't dedicate her time to look into the blot.

That only less Ryland left. Of the group, Ryland was the most distant of the group, and even though the Gold Goblin wasn't open, he patrolled the security catwalks over the casino floor. Tess was surprised that the ceiling overlooking the gambling games was actually a gauze curtain, allowing for spotters to keep an eye out for cheaters while the gamblers were unaware. When Tess stepped onto the metal catwalk held up by chains attached to the real ceiling, Ryland stepped out of the shadows. He nodded toward the elf and kept his patrol without saying a word.

"Ryland, I hope I'm not bothering you," Tess started, and after a few seconds of silence, continued. "I wanted to talk to you about the blot."

At the mention of the blot, Ryland turned his head toward Tess. "What of it?"

"I was hoping that you would be able to help with my research," Tess said, relieved that Ryland was interested in hearing her out. "I have good reason to believe that if the blot is not dealt with, something terrible will happen to Riddleport."

"The shadow is an ill omen," Ryland nodded in agreement. "How do we stop it?"

Tess blinked in surprise. "I… I haven't thought that far ahead."

"Do you have any magic that could do something about the blot?" Ryland asked

"I'm afraid my magic isn't that powerful," Tess admitted.

"Then what would you have me do to help?"

Once again, Tess was caught off by Ryland's questioning, and after some thought, sighed in defeat. "I don't know. Whatever's happening isn't written in any book that Sarek could find. That doesn't stop me from worrying."

"Worrying does not help. If you cannot stop the shadow as of now, all you can do is wait for your magic to grow stronger or for something to happen."

And with that said, Ryland turned away from Tess and resumed his patrol. Although the elf was disappointed, she realized that he did more to help her than anyone else. She was worried about the blot but knew that she couldn't do anything about it. Tess realized that the same could be said of most of her companions. They were reliable but likely wouldn't be able to help. Even tracking down whoever is responsible for the blot wasn't possible without powerful magic or the right lead.

Ryland was helping in his own way. Tess would still worry over the blot still but she had a plan. If she could grow her powers as a druid, she would have better options for dealing with the threat. And, at the very least, when something did happen, she knew that she could rely on Ryland. She bowed her head in thanks to her new friend and made her way out of the catwalk.

"We open in ten minutes!" Larur called out, striding his way through the casino floor. "Let's get into places, everyone!"

Although Saul owned the Gold Goblin and was responsible for making big decisions for the gambling hall, Larur was in charge of the employees and the daily operations of the Gold Goblin. Keya never enjoyed working for a typical business but had to admit that Larur wasn't a terrible boss. The dwarf handled hiring additional employees to have the Gold Goblin fully staffed and checked in on any new hires, including Keya and the rest of Saul's junior partners. He was friendly in a professional sense and wasn't smug about being in charge. Saul was good at putting on a show but Larur knew how to run a business and Keya respected that.

Keya stood behind a table and shuffled the deck of cards she had out of boredom. She was assigned as the new golem dealer, and with her expertise on different gambling games and their variations, she could fill in to deal for other games as needed. With the deck shuffled, Keya set it down on the table and looked throughout the room. Sarek and Tess stood by the entrance, talking with one another while waiting to fulfill their roles as greeters. In addition to their roles as greeters, they'd help out around the Gold Goblin when Larur needed them. Keya expected that Sarek would do great in his position but wasn't too certain about Tess, who wasn't as confident as the sorcerer was.

The others were working but out of Keya's sight. She knew that Belar was by the front entrance to the Gold Goblin to work as a bouncer. If there was any trouble during the night, he'd come and sort it out, but she didn't expect to see too much of him. Keya also knew that Ryland was walking somewhere above her. It was a little strange to think that there was someone watching her but she knew that it was the best spot for Ryland. She didn't know where Madia was specifically. The halfling was traveling around Riddleport, convincing potential customers to visit the Gold Goblin. Keya missed her friend but knew that Madia could look out for herself if she ran into trouble.

Keya wasn't too worried about how opening night would go. Saul was worried that once the Gold Goblin was open again, the crime lords of Riddleport would make their move. However, Keya tried her best to find out what she could about her new boss, and when she couldn't find out anything, she figured that he exaggerated the influence he had in his past. Still, she knew that Riddleport wasn't completely safe and kept her dagger hidden up her sleeve. She had a new shortsword hidden away in the group's suite upstairs for Saul's special tasks but so far he was quiet about the more dangerous jobs.

The minutes passed by with Larur reminding his staff how many minutes they had left. Keya caught some of the new hires that were slacking off getting into position when the floor manager turned his scrutinizing gaze toward them. Finally, the doors to the Gold Goblin opened and opportunistic gamblers flowed in, looking to win some gold. Keya smiled warmly as a group of men approached and started to deal out cards.

For her part as a golem dealer, there wasn't a lot that she could do to influence the win. Her role was to react with the cards that were given to her when discarded for the golem's hand. Keya knew that there were gamblers who knew how to count cards but she never really thought much about that. She believed that her luck would be enough to win any game, and sure enough, the golem's hand proved to be lucky and won several times throughout the night. While the chips would go back to the house, it meant less gold given to winners and more gold given to her at the end of the week.

Keya knew she was lucky to have been at the Gold Goblin the night of the tournament. She looked forward to seeing how much she earned working.

"We want our money back!" a masculine voice yelled from outside the building.

"What money?" Belar shouted out just as loud."You haven't even entered the building tonight, and at this rate, you're not going to!"

Tess looked at Sarek, her eyes showing her worry. "That can't be good."

Sarek nodded. "Stay here, Tess."

Tess didn't protest at Sarek's idea and watched the sorcerer leave toward the front door. Four men, who have clearly been drinking with one even holding onto a flask, towered over Belar. The dwarf had his arms crossed in front of him and stood against the group.

"We were here during the tournament!" one man, larger than the other three, shouted down at Belar. "We already lost some of our chips before the heist! We want a FULL refund!"

"It's tough luck that you lost those chips but it happened before the heist so they weren't your chips," Belar snapped back. "Get lost before I break your knees!"

Belar had the looks to pass as a bouncer but Sarek knew that his friend didn't have the mindset for the role. He kept his thoughts quiet when he knew that the dwarf, while intimidating, was rather aggressive. Sarek knew that there would be a need to throw people out of the Gold Goblin at times, but if an angry dwarf beat up gamblers before throwing them out, they weren't likely to come back, and that wouldn't be good for business.

With a fight about to break out, Sarek only had a few moments to try to smooth the concerns of the group. He hoped that he didn't get punched doing so.

Sarek stepped forward, standing alongside Belar with a charming smile. "Gentlemen, please, don't do this."

"I've got this, Sarek," Belar grunted.

The lead drunk chuckled at Belar's words and looked over Sarek. "And what are you gonna do if we do something? Smile and wave?"

Sarek didn't break his smile and continued. "I just thought that I would give you a friendly warning. The gendarmes are keeping an eye on the Gold Goblin. They don't want a repeat of what happened during the tournament. If you start a fight, you may end up in a cell."

The leader snorted at Sarek's words but the sorcerer could see the fight fade away from his eyes. Even when drunk, they knew that they didn't want to spend their night in the gendarmes' custody. With a dismissive shake of his head, the man backed down and was followed by his friends. Sarek sighed in relief now that he didn't have to worry about the drunks.

Belar was another concern.

"I haven't seen any patrols," Belar tilted his head upward with a glare. "I could have handled them."

"Like you handled the heist group by yourself?" Sarek pointed out.

Belar shrugged. "There was a woman casting spells then. You think any of those drunks were going to shoot a fireball out of his hands?"

"I'd rather not find out," Sarek chuckled.

"For what it's worth, I'm glad that the situation was resolved peacefully," both Sarek and Belar nearly jumped in surprise and turned to see Tess looking out the door. "Sarek, Saul's at the casino floor. I think he's about to make an announcement."

"You two go check that out for me," Belar said, turning to face the streets. "I need a minute to myself."

Sarek knew better than to try to change Belar's mind and joined Tess inside of the Gold Goblin. It didn't take the pair too long to spot Saul at the central podium. Sarek figured by now that with Larur overseeing the casino floor, Saul only came out when he had something important to do. The room grew quiet when the owner of the Gold Goblin coughed loudly into his arm to get everyone's attention.

"I'd like to thank everyone for coming to the Gold Goblin after what happened a few nights ago," Saul said with a wide smile. "In fact, I am pleased to announce that I've accepted the heroes of the night as new business partners. In fact, they're working tonight! Three of them are in this very room now while the others work elsewhere!"

The crowd on the casino floor clapped. Tess stepped back, letting Sarek cover her from anyone looking in their direction. The sorcerer grinned and waved, not having any issue with being recognized. He glanced over to the golem table to see Keya bowing to the gamblers by her, taking in the praise as well.

"And because I have new business partners, there will be some changes," Saul announced, the cheer from his voice slowly fading away. "I will not tolerate the criminal lawlessness on my premises anymore. Some of you are here on the orders of your employers, my rivals, to spy on me. Go ahead and tell your bosses that any acts of hostility will be met with force. To help ensure the safety of the Gold Goblin, I am implementing a no-weapons policy for anyone who doesn't work for me, effective immediately. If you have any weapons now, you can turn them in at the cashier's cage until you're ready to depart. If you'd rather keep your weapons, then you'll have another meeting with the dwarf standing outside. That's all I have to say on the matter."

Although there was some grumbling from a few patrons that had daggers and clubs on them, the announcement was met with applause. Sarek couldn't help but grin at Sarek's theatrics. He knew that some of his friends weren't sure what to make of their employer but Sarek couldn't help but be impressed with how he managed the Gold Goblin. Even when operating a struggling casino, Saul had the charm to win the crowd back and the cunning to ensure that any past mistakes won't happen again.

After his speech, Saul left the podium and made his way toward Sarek and Tess. The sorcerer clapped when his boss grew closer to them.

"Quite the show you've put on," Sarek said with a grin. "It makes our job of keeping the Gold Goblin safe a lot more easy."

"That it does," Saul nodded. "I just wanted to take a moment to thank the two of you for everything you've done. You've finally given me the courage to stand up to Riddleport's crime lords. I'll be sure to pass my thanks along to the rest of the group."

"It's no problem at all," Sarek said. "Any of your old enemies that still want to ruin you are about to make a huge mistake."

"I'm glad to see that you are turning a new leaf," Tess added quietly. "It means a lot that our presence was able to do so."

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll have to inform Belar of our new arrangement," Saul said. "Keep up the good work!"

Once Saul walked past the pair, Sarek leaned in and whispered to Tess. "Do you see what I was talking about during the night of the tournament?"

"I might be warming up to him," Tess admitted but shook her head. "Still, change takes time. If Saul is genuine, I'm sure that I'll be convinced that he is a good man."

"He's offered us a good job and wants to change Riddleport for the better," Sarek said and grinned. "Saul will meet your high expectations."

Although Tess opened her mouth to speak, she closed it and looked away from him. Sarek wondered what was on her mind but decided that it would be best for her to open up to him when she was ready. Sarek turned back to the entrance, ready to continue greeting new arrivals to the Gold Goblin.

A/N: It was nice to have a chance to show the group's dynamics working at the Gold Goblin. I think this might be the first time I spent time going in depth about characters' day jobs in a fanfiction but the plot called for it.

Until next time.