Summer 4999, 29 Guromoth
"God's damn, if this isn't depressing."
Shon rolled his eyes where Ebonwing couldn't see as she spun on the team, snapping her fingers at Oswall and demanding, "Give me one positive thing about this mission, go!"
Oswall blinked at the Druid's pointing finger, but Alena piqued up, "If there really is a death knight, then we're on the path to destroying it." she looked around the group, though her smile seemed strained, "That's good, right? Shon?"
Shon nodded his agreement -ready to move on before it started- but Ebonwing was already shaking her head and waving Alena's attempt aside, "No no, I mean something completely separate from the death knight. Or the Warlocks!" she added quickly, pointing an accusing finger at Tristen.
The Paladin didn't hide his eye roll, and rather than address her challenge, said, "Why must we always obstruct the only exit? You are more than capable of walking and talking." The village was calculated as being closest to one of the possible death knight lairs, but was barely large enough for a Temple, and its Mages Guild was no more than a single storefront for their cheapest magical goods.
"Yeah, but it's hot as balls out there, Tris." Oswall complained, adding, "Seriously, they couldn't go undead hunting in the wintertime? It's the damn jungle!"
"They probably prepared accordingly, Staff Sergeant. Now go." Tristen snapped.
But Ebonwing held her arms wide to block the door, "Nope, you want out, give me something positive about this mission. You are all far too glum and I want to start this on the right foot."
Tristen growled, but Ranito lifted his pencil and said, "Coffee."
"There," Oswall said, gesturing with an unlit smoke at the Archmage, "Talkar means fresh coffee and no export fees when we go home. If that's not good enough, then as soon as you let us out, I can light this. So, out of the way."
Tristen pinched the bridge of his nose and couldn't resist reminding Os, "Do not try to count Ryuuko as a seventh person this time, Staff Sergeant. Limits are placed on private export for a reason."
Oswall shrugged, and Ebonwing snickered but opened the door. It was as if she'd taken the lid off a boiling pot. From the door, they looked out over the vast sea of treetops that made up the dense canopy of Talkar province, the sky hanging low with thick clouds, a nearly constant mist covering the rocky peaks. The moisture did nothing to cool the air, instead making even Shon's straight hair frizz.
Shon could feel his magic exerting itself to keep him comfortably cool, but he had it easier than the others, who were visibly sweating already. Not that Shon didn't show signs as well...
"Are you steaming, soldier boy?" Oswall asked, lighting his fag despite the air being hot enough without breathing in literal smoke.
Ryuuko, the only one completely unbothered by the temperature, twittered in amusement, hanging onto Shon's sword and flapping its wings to send the cool radiating off of its human towards the others. Shon ran a hand over his hair but didn't answer, debating putting his cloak on now.
This was why it was enchanted with cooling. The longer he stayed in such heat, the more it would drain his magic -and thus his energy- until he was nothing but a lethargic lump of tiredness. Same as everyone else forced to exist at such temperatures.
Ranito attempted to educate them, "It's vapor, from the humidity. Steam holds latent-" but Tristen interrupted to give the usual orders,
"Ebonwing, see what the local wildlife knows. Shon, go with her and mark what you can on the map. Alena and Oswall will question the locals and get our rooms. Ranito and I will check in with the authorities. We leave in the morning. Dismissed."
Shon was the only one who saluted with any semblance of professionalism. Oswall -the only other one who really should have- gave a lazy two-finger salute, Ebonwing just waved, Alena smiled and nodded, and Ranito didn't respond at all, retreating right away towards the magically cooled Temple.
Nothing had changed. Not after facing Lily, nor confirming she and her siblings would be their new focus. Not after news of a thousands-year-old death knight nor that it was located in a particularly dangerous wilderness.
Though technically Horsa-controlled, Talkar's kingdom settlements were confined to the most hospitable mountains jutting from the ocean of tower-tall trees like sharp stone fangs from green gums. The forbidding jungle was one of the most likely places for a lair to go undiscovered, and -according to Lily- the Warlocks had even "misplaced" one of their towers here. An entire magical tower, lost beneath the unbroken shade.
Shon settled himself on a rock at the edge of the jungle, preparing the map and his pencils while the Druid called for any particularly chatty birds. She spoke with the plants while she waited, though expectedly, their sphere of influence was limited and they didn't have much to input before the animals approached.
Even the most clever of the animals weren't as intelligent as Ryuuko, and they would have no concept of what a death knight or Warlocks would be, let alone if they had been seen. What animals could tell them, was where they didn't like to go. It was generally good practice to avoid the same places as the local wildlife. Unless one was hunting the kind of thing that would scare them off.
Everything was as consistently normal as always, Ebonwing casually translating what the wildlife had to say and Shon taking notes on the map. But as Shon added the last touches, and Ebonwing finished thanking their informants, normal fell away.
"Soooooo... a fire sorcerer. I don't think you realize how disappointed I am for not figuring it out sooner."
Shon avoided Ebonwing's lear by adding unnecessary flourishes to the map. Ebonwing and her lover had always enjoyed teasing him, though before now, only Yua could make things personal and get the deepest blushes from him. She'd warned him that Eb would be worse, and from their first meeting Shon didn't doubt it. All he could do now was pray that the sympathy shown before would tame her tongue.
What never worked, was ignoring Ebonwing. So Shon grunted, "Now you know."
"True... true. But I don't know nearly enough," Ebonwing sauntered over, cocking her head down at his map and saying, "Like how much do you really steam when-, oh gods... oh Cathbad's endless blessings! This is amazing!"
Shon could feel the cold pressure rise in his cheeks against his will, and considering Ebonwing was now laughing and pointing, he didn't bother to resist hiding his face in his hands.
"You're as red as her scales! Gods this is even better than that first time in the bath!" Ebonwing continued, "Holy... this is awesome. Oh shit. Does she know about the brothels?"
Shon ran both hands over his hair staring blankly at Ebonwing and even managing to arch an eyebrow while he attempted to subdue the blush.
"Oh damn, you weren't kidding, were you? She really doesn't care?"
Shon stood, running his hand over his hair again. Now that the initial mental image inspired by Ebonwing's question had subsided, so did his blush. His voice was steady as he reminded her, "I don't lie." Packing up the map he added, "And I don't kiss and tell."
"And you're no fun." Ebonwing complained, crossing her arms and cocking a slim hip, "I bet she'd give me all the juicy details."
Despite all the lingering pain and regret, Shon couldn't help but smile, imagining that too. He could see it, Lily sitting at their kitchen table with the rest of the team, speaking animatedly and lighting up the room with her vibrancy.
Ryuuko whistled, and Ebonwing narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, as if she couldn't quite make out the subtle expression. He turned away but added, "You're right."
He started off and Ebonwing rushed to keep up. Before she could say anything further, Shon got them back on mission, "The closest area has a settled tribe a few days out." Settled, meaning non-nomadic, were the most likely to have alliances in place with the local government.
"Yeah, yeah, back to work," Ebonwing complained, but continued, "If nothing else it could knock that area off our list. Standard horror stories are one thing, but living that close to an actual monster would leave a mark on the local legends and psyche."
Though ostensibly governed by the Temple of Horsa, the true powers in this land were the Barbarians. Nearly as inhospitable as the jungle itself, these particular tribes didn't hesitate to raid any kingdom settlement thought to be taking more from the wilds than what their contracts allowed. And though all Kingdom cities were connected by well-patrolled and maintained roads, wandering outside the designated paths practically guaranteed one would be taken and held ransom.
Or, rather, that was what the Temple of Hengist had taught Shon. Considering Hengist's disdain for Horsa, and the kingdom's overall disdain for barbarians, the layers of possible bias were deep. Shon's personal experiences, though limited, spoke of further depth to the people of this unique province. In his opinion, there was a good chance the team would get their most useful help from the Barbarians.
The village inn was built in the exotic Talkar fashion, with the circular rented rooms suspended on stilts and the pub portion no more than a series of tables set up beneath them. Rotating fans of broad fronds hung from each floor, belted together across the ceiling then down to a crank attached to a magical device keeping it spinning at a steady enough pace to move air over the tables.
Tristen politely evicted a small party to take over the largest table, and Ebonwing reported their limited findings.
"That's something at least," Oswall said. He leaned over the table -pre-rolling a series of smokes- and continued without looking up, "We might have found an interpreter, apparently there's a freelance Ranger that speaks Talkari around here this time of year-"
"She's an air sorcerer-" Alena interjected, Oswall picking back up,
"-and will have an in with most of the tribes."
Ryuuko chittered in Shon's ear, but none of the others would recommend he leverage being a sorcerer. They already knew his answer, and that only a direct order from Tristen would change it.
Instead, Tristen nodded, "Good job. I'd rather not need to expend the Archmage's magic to translate and an ambassador is always appreciated."
Even the most helpful tribes treated common as the trade language it had started as, using their ancient provincial tongue day-to-day as a way to hold on to their history and culture. But many tribes also liked to pretend they didn't speak common at all. For some it was a sign of rebellion -though the kingdom had stopped trying to assimilate them centuries ago- for others, it was a way to keep any kingdom visitors on their heels.
The kingdom provinces hadn't completely abandoned their old languages though. Children were taught the basic foundations, and many merchants used theirs to keep conversations private when visiting other provinces. The same way the tribes did.
Tristen continued, "We'll send Ryuuko with a message to the Ranger and head towards the tribe. What do you estimate for the time on foot?" he addressed Shon, who shrugged, then estimated,
"A week."
"So a week and a half to two weeks for the rest of us." Oswall announced, continuing to bitch, "No horses in the underbrush, seriously-"
"Since when do you prefer horses?" Ebonwing demanded.
Ranito rolled his eyes, using his pencil to point at the Druid and reminding her, "If we had horses he would be complaining about that, don't encourage him."
"Just because I don't like saddle sores doesn't mean I'm not happy to get this shit over with." Oswall scoffed.
"I'm not convinced you know how to be happy," Tristen grumbled, and Shon ran a hand over his hair. Now they'd get on a roll...
Ebonwing cooed, "Awe, poor Os, I'd let you ride me, but your tits aren't big enough."
Ranito flipped open his book and enquired, "I was under the impression that Druids found being a mount to be beneath them? An insult to the gifts of Cathbad?"
Alena was pulled in too, addressing Ranito, "It probably sets a bad precedent for them. I know plenty of Clerics who refuse to heal hangovers."
"That's just a dick move," Oswall complained.
Tristen pinched the bridge of his nose -possibly cursing his role in this aside- but the Paladin didn't bother to stop them. Instead, he used his other hand to wave a server over, ordering a pitcher of chilled juice for the table. The banter continued, and Shon only listened with half an ear, watching Tristen out of the corner of his eye, waiting...
The Paladin nodded, and Shon stated, "Fall in."
Silence fell over the table at once, everyone looking to Tristen, putting their conversation off to resume later.
Sir Tristen nodded to Shon again, this time in thanks, before bringing them back on topic, "Considering the terrain, we will assume a two-week walk to the tribe." His lips twitched in a suppressed smirk, and Os and Eb both snickered, Alena grinning as she poured them all drinks.
Ryuuko twittered in shared amusement with the others, while Shon shrugged in acknowledgment. This was why he preferred to walk at the back of the party. Let the slowest of them set the pace at the front when possible. He looked at the table, imagining Lily's teasing face, 'very barbarian of you...' He smiled through the pain. No one noticed.
"Anything else?" Tristen asked the table at large, nodding to Os when the man raised a finger.
"We've got some new tents," Os said, gesturing to Alena who picked up excitedly,
"They hang from the canopy, keeping us off the ground, but they'll only hold one each."
Tristen choked on his drink, spluttering before glaring at Os and confirming, "You've already purchased these?" with kingdom funds. Funds that required a lot of paperwork...
Oswall finished rolling his last smoke, answering, "You're welcome."
"And, how much-" Tristen started only to be interrupted by Ranito,
"Undoubtedly, significantly cheaper than if he'd tried to procure them in the capital."
Os grinned, leaning all the way back to rest his chair on an outer stilt before lighting the smoke. Speaking between pursed lips he assured Tristen, "Got you guys some new over cloaks too."
"For the rain," Alena picked up, not nearly as excited as she'd been the first time, only now realizing that Tristen might be more annoyed than pleased at their purchases.
"Ya see, Tris, the best way to 'prepare accordingly' for a place like Talkar, is to buy what the locals use," Os explained, blowing a line of smoke out away from the tables.
Tristen narrowed his eyes at the fag, then opened his mouth, only to stop when Oswall pointed with it at another table, where three patrons were smoking pipes together. Tristen's demeanor shifted in an instant and he coughed, "Thank you, Staff Sergeant, for blowing the smoke away from the table. I do wish you would've cleared the purchases with me first." If Tristen had been present he could've signed the writs and cut his future paperwork in half. Which was probably why Oswall hadn't bothered to wait.
"No problem," Os answered the thanks and ignored the admonishment, "I'll be heading out anyway. Assuming we're done here?"
Tristen sighed, giving in to resting his elbows on the table and leaning his head on his hands to rub the headache away, "report your findings on the road. Dismissed."
Os saluted with his smoke, let the chair fall forward, downed his entire glass, then walked away. He only had one night to let his real strength shine. Not quite a master of disguise, Oswall, as a stranger, didn't have to be a master to at least appear to be a different stranger. Someone not associated with anyone as intimidating as a noble Paladin of Saint Giorgos. Someone it was safe to share rumors and hearsay with.
Nothing had changed...
Shon glanced at Ebonwing, but the Druid was talking to Alena, who still didn't know. Beside her, Ranito was taking notes on who-knew-what. Did he know that Eb now knew? More of them did than didn't. Shon glanced at Tristen. He hadn't been told the standing order for silence had been dropped.
Shon followed orders...
Nothing had changed...
Nothing ever did.
***
