Chapter 10 - For Hire
Taomerle10. For HireBy Assilsastao()xxxx[{::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::><::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::}]xxxx()oThe foliv sat at the table with the pint of mead in his paw as he looked around the crowded room. His eyes came to rest on the didelph slumped, asleep in the chair at his side. A smile slowly crossed his muzzle as he watched her small chest move with each breath. "Sleep well big sister," he said as he watched her sleep, "we're not going anywhere soon." Their small band had been trapped in the city for the past two days as the new group took power from the ancient bloodline that had ruled the city-state from the time of it's founding. A single family had held the power in the wealthy micronation for more generations than he could count. They had only planned to stop for one night as they looked for another job to survive. As Clasto watched the young didelph sleep Xiou quietly took a seat across from them at the table. The glama leaned against the table as he spoke, "The gates are still closed. They say that the search for those still loyal to the old regime continues. This is not a good thing, not a good thing at all.""Well" said Clasto, "These kinds of things happen. The family held the power here for a long time." His words came slow and steady as he spoke, "And with all such things they must clean out the..."He stopped talking as the didelph child stirred in her seat. With a groggy voice she said, "I don't care about all..." she yawned mid sentence, "the fighting stuff. I can't sleep in this city, there are not good trees to hang from." She stood in the chair with her paws on the table between them, "We need to find a way out of this place and back into the woods where we belong." She dropped to the floor and started to walk toward the job board on the wall.As the small girl headed to the listings of jobs as she tried to get her back to the table, "There was nothing in there that would get us out of the city, big sister.""If they are looking for someone, " she started, "maybe we can at least make a few coins helping them. And the sooner they find them the sooner we can leave this place."The older two looked at one another as her comments made sense, even with her self serving motives. Xiou looked at the girl as she looked up at the board that hung well above her eye level. "Perhaps it would be easier to ask the city guid if they have formed a militia to hunt them down." She turned to them, paws on her hips as she said, in a nearly commanding voice, "Then get up so we can find out." As she spoke the two shrugged and stood,.The foliv took hold of the large shield and sword that leaned against it chair, the old crest and paint all but scraped clean of the surface, his old life all be left behind. He looked over to the monk as he strapped the gear to his back. "Why do we do these things again," he asked his fellow good natured companion, the slow steady words seeming to take forever to be spoken. Xiou rubbed his paws as he looked up at the disgraced paladin he had joined while the demonic fire threatened to burn through his flesh. "We do this, we follow her because our souls are already damned, and our hearts can not let the child walk into such things alone.""Fair enough my friend," Clasto said with a smile, "Shall we then?" the two turned to follow their young ward out of the pub, determined to keep her safe, even from herself."o()xxxx[{::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::><::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::}]xxxx()oMetkatha rode into the camp as shouted, "Ready yourselves, they approach." Cassidy look up at the reptilian on the horse as she gave a nod, and started to move to her vardo to prep it and her horse for departure. Methkatha smiled as she rode to the gyas's vardo and pounded on the side. "Get ready, Marco, and get that crazy shadow witch moving as well. Leoric will want to leave as soon as he has all the dealing finished." As the sound of movement came from within the wagon she moved on to the real important dealing. She needed to be sure Leoric was ready to receive the caravan leaders. The twins had
managed to gather a group of traders that were bound for the distant northern city before their hired swords were trapped in Lementhra. She had news of greater importance to give him as well. She tied the horse by their wagon, well aware that Metkatho hated to let her deal with setting the stubborn beasts to the wagon, before she started her way to their bosses smaller separate camp. She glanced toward the one vardo that was left with them by its last owner as she left the group. Leoric had given it to the new trio he brought in the night before. The small group was an odd combination, and the giant vilk scared her, even if it seemed well trained and obedient to it's master. It was a full three heads taller than any other wolf kin she had seen, and had attacked Marco. She truthfully had no love or kinship for the gyas magician or his shadowmancer pet, but if it would attack him unprovoked, what stopped it from attacking her or her brother. She would let Metkatho deal with the trio when he arrived. The vilk beast the girl had call Noroscuriel laid against the wagon like a feral dog and she did not want to approach it if she did not have to.As the agmina girl neared the waggon she halted as the door opened, he always seemed to know when any of them came close. the fact that she had never set hand or foot on the vardo concerned her. He had something he intended to keep secret from them all, and secrets like that were worth money. Many cold nights the twins had thought and speculated of the mysteries of the old malin. He was someone of importance at one time, the quality of his autorifle told them that much. A leader or general in some nation's army perhaps. Her imaginings were cut short as he spoke."What news do you bring?" he asked as his bare paws hit the soft dirt of the ground."We have a caravan," she answered, "wealthy merchants looking to travel all the way to Featherfall. They are a bit desperate to move as their original guard force was trapped in the city, and you may be able to overcharge for the convenience of leaving now."He looked at her sideways as he asked, "And the other news you want to tell me? More profiteering?""The rumor is that the Ussesa family has fallen," She looked back at the vardo as she thought of the young kitzen's name and mane of hair, "And the city
is..." she looked back as she trailed off only to say, "She is really the young queen we came to entertain. You've doomed us all if they find out. The armies of Lementhra are feared above all others."He turned back to his vardo as he replied to her, "It is not their army that is feared, it is a single weapon, only able to be used by those of Ussessan blood." He looked over his shoulder as he added, "And if you know what is good for you and your brother, youwill say nothing of your [i]mistake[/i] to the others."o()xxxx[{::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::><::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::}]xxxx()oXiou looked around uncomfortably as they were led into the stronghold palace. Close behind him was the foliv and the didelph which clung to his back as the young nocturnal girl slept. "This is wrong," he said quietly, "We ask if there is a militia or mercenary searchgroup, and they take us to the palace. This will be more trouble than it is worth.""The new regimemay be using this as their point of operation as they organize," Clasto replied as he leaned in close to the glama as to keep from being overheard. "And you know well that big sister will be furious if we do not at least look into the possibility of profit. And to be honest, I would like to eat.""Why do you call her that?" Xiou asked, "You have never given me a good answer." the pair fell silent as they were ushered into the throne hall. Sitting on the throne was a tall black furred kitzen with long black hair. She stood quickly as they entered. As he walked to them at a quick pace he spoke in a worried voice, "Are you the ones they say have come to help find our lost queen?"The two looked at one another as the words hit their ears. Xiou looked back and said, 'We have come to help as we can." The didelph stirred on Clasto's back as the voices echoed in the empty hall. She Rubbed her sleepy eyes as she asked, "Have we found work yet? or a way out of this atrocious place?""Quiet Lilly," the
glama said as he looked backto the kitzen and offered, "Tell us what has happened and we will do what we can to aid you.""A coup was attempted," the kitzen said, "our forces were able to fend them off, but not before our king was slain. His daughter has gone missing, and some believe that the infidels may have taken her. " He reached forward to the monk, pleading with tears in his eyes, "I beg you, help us find our Queen and return her home safely and you will be rewarded greatly."Lilly percked up, eyes widened as the word reward from the desperate kitzen's maw. "Rewarded? Where was she taken?" The young girl asked as she took over the conversation. The demeanor of the kitzen shifted for a moment before it returned to the concern, the subtle change caught my Xiou for the moment. The kitzen spoke to the monk as if he was the leader. "It is believed they escaped the city through the sewers before the gate were locked."The Didelph dropped from Clasto's back, "We would get to leave the city?" she asked as she walked boldly toward the much larger feline man, "What is the up front? we need supplies." She looked up at Xiou without a word to him."We will need at least a full weeks rations for four," he paused for a moment, before adding, "and three horses.""Done, " the Kitzen said as he looked to the guard, Xiou noted a strange look in his eye as he did. "And they amy have lied to her saying they have taken her for her own safty. The group had soldiers on the inside that may have been the ones to take her. Bring her back to me, and you will be wealthy."Lilly looked up at her two companions, a glimmer in her eye, "We'll take it."o()xxxx[{::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::><::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::}]xxxx()oGhkat slumped back into the throne as the trio left his presence. The fools had bought his ploy and seemed to be more for the money than he had envisioned when soldiers spoke of a paladin and monk. They would surely bring her back unharmed.
But he would still need to find the missing weapon and how it is that she is to use it. The overthrow of his cousin had not gone as planned and the incompetence of his troops shined through to him now that they had let a child slip past them, with a demon in tow. Time was growing short, soon other nations would hear of the coup and start the onslaught, He was close to his goal of uniting the nations under him, but he needed at least the threat of the fabled weapon of Lementhra, and without the girl, he had nothing.