Branch 3: Almede
"Boss? Are? Are you sure about this?"
The nervous half-dwarf man would have looked at the woman he's been calling boss for the last five years, but he couldn't. His eyes were trapped by something passed the gate at the far end of the gatehouse's 'murder alley.'
The something was coming up the steps beyond that far gate.
Something scary.
For well over the hundredth time, he wished he had voted against taking the commission. The boss was demanding, but fair. Everyone had a vote whenever a possible quest was found.
If there was a tie? Boss's choice was considered the tie breaker. If their wasn't a tie? Majority rules. Even if boss was on the losing side.
This mission had been a tie and boss chose to take it. If the half-dwarf had changed his vote to 'no?' It wouldn't have become a tie and they wouldn't be here.
The mage hated dealing with nobles and this one stunk to the high throne of politics. But the money was really good. If they managed the full payout? The bronze ranked adventurer could finally buy that staff he'd been eyeing for months.
However.
Nothing had gone right with this job since they accepted it in Crownfair. From missed ships to that freak storm that lost half their luggage. They had even been attacked by pirates on the finale leg to Raelera.
No one could recall the last time pirates had been seen on that well patrolled route. Years at least.
And what was up with that goblin attack on the road between Raelera and Pearlden? It was like the goblins had lost their minds. As if they were running away from something infinitely scarier than the fully armed party of veteran adventurers in their way.
More gear and time lost.
Everyone's patience was shot and on their last nerve by the time they finally pulled into Pearlden.
Apparently the world had to get one last kick in. Some maniac noble had killed the gate captain and customs official. So it was taking ten times as long to get unusual entries approved.
Like a party of heavily armed, and majorly pissed, adventurers.
The whole party almost ended up in the stockade when Tebabia's guild tag identifying her as a 'thief' was read. Thieves who want to stay out of trouble? Make sure their plate says something like 'scout.'
Of course he couldn't recall a time when Tebabia cared about staying out of trouble.
At least they were able to find cheap housing in Pearlden. When he saw how rich the town clearly was? The half-dwarf clutched his coin bag tight. Sure the rents would be thru the roof.
But they got lucky.
Turns out some other local lord had pissed off a bigger local lord and gotten himself executed. Gruesomely. So his three bedroom house was available and still furnished.
From the 'toys' and 'special' furniture they found in one room? It was clear the guy was a perv, supposedly even a pimp, but adventurers learn not to be choosy.
The pervert had just died that same day too and the landlord's wife was, they say, 'involved.' A couple of student girls, nobles no less, had even killed themselves already.
So, yeah, the family who were renting a house to him? Are leaving town in a big hurry. Guilt by association. More than that if the wife really was helping. Letting Mularur negotiate a rock bottom price.
No local would touch the place because they were afraid of pissing off that bigger local lord. Chezot's turd, how bloodthirsty are the local blue bloods?
Two months in a wealthy school town with public baths and private brothels teaching a lordling how to wipe himself, had certainly sounded easy enough. Sounded at least.
Checking the local pub chatter was when it dropped into the pit again. The lordling was actually a 'northern savage,' had taken over the castle, and killed several lords. Including a Granyan Royal Sentinel.
An elf sentinel. Wow. Does this idiot have a death wish?
However, since the lordling was the adopted son of a Marquis? And the Rector of Stormgarde had bended knee? The takeover was already a done deal.
This barbarian marauder is even a necromancer if the bar talk can be believed. Killing, raising, and then killing again some poor bastard who pissed him off. We're supposed to train this butcher?
Knowing all of this, as we rode up to the castle in the early morning hours. Boss said something insane.
"We should test him."
Shouldn't we be more worried about, you know, not dying?
Now Duridegit Kurfoud is a fighter known across the continent. Boss is famous for even killing a dragon rampaging in a kingdom to the far east. A demon lord during the last Aquecian Crusade. And earning her freedom before that as a gladiator in the imperial arena.
An adventurer for decades she has reached the pinnacle of the guild. Gold rank.
So a murderous northern marauder necromancer lordling? For her? No problem.
But for a Bronze ranked half-dwarf mage? Just trying not to shit himself.
That's not to say boss is happy right now.
"What the pit is Tebabia doing?!"
The halfling thief was supposed to test how sensitive the lordling was to auras. Shake him up a little. Instead? Right after signaling she was starting? The always 'looking for trouble' thief took off running like a pack of hellhounds are on her tail.
Sprinting, at top speed, on top of the wall. Honestly? The mage never thought she could run that fast with those short legs.
Nevisa, the barbarian woman on the northern side of the gate, signaled that a barrier had been cast. And something else that didn't make sense. Dead angels? So the part where she fired an arrow, the lordling's way, was also a bust.
The rest of the plan was for Duridegit to spar with the lordling while the war priest Mularur and sort of mighty mage, Almede, supported her.
Pub chatter said the lordling had magic swords. But the shield and sword used by Duridegit were magic too. Covered in dwarven plate from head to toe, she was very imposing.
They were supposed to teach this lordling everything an adventurer needed to survive. From fighting to sewing.
Unfortunately it seemed this necromancer was already pretty good at the fighting part. And Almede didn't know how to sew.
This half-dwarf was getting really nervous. Which explained why he jumped when Nevisa landed next to him.
"We need to leave Cavebraid. Now!" The barbarian only used Duridegit's clan name when she was serious. "I can't tell what's chasing Tebabia but it reeks of death and there's a lot more than one."
Ever since they got near Pearlden, it felt like they were being watched. Like their own shadows were, staring at them.
As something finally appeared at the far gate the half-dwarf heard himself say.
"Too late."
Almede (male, dwarf-human, tourinese)
Gurulogg, Mularur Cinderbelt (male, dwarf, thuriborn)
Kurfoud, Duridegit Cavebraid (female, dwarf, thuriborn)
Nevisa (female, human, barbarian)
Steiatius, Tebabia (female, halfling, aquecian)