Chapter 3 - Fateful Encounters

  It was midday and they had a long road ahead of them. According to Sam, the trek to the capital would take around half a day on foot. And on most days, a line would form at the gates.

  Right after heading out of camp, Sam encouraged the new additions to get acquainted with the group. Aside from the recruits, there were five members coming along for the job. Including Ren and Harriette, four recruits passed the training and were assigned here, totalling nine people.

  Sam started with the introductions as he took point on his horse.

  "Everyone here probably knows my name already. But just to start us off, I'm Sam Felwind, leader of squad number four. A pleasure to meet you all." He said in a loud enough voice for the recruits in the back to hear.

  "Rory, second in command." A bearded man riding beside Sam nodded at them.

  "Next is me! You can call me Dahlia. And this-" She said as she hugged the man she was riding with. "-is my husband Luke. I'm pretty handy with a bow, and him with a knife. Hope we all get along!" The couple gave them a thumbs up.

  "And I'm Stewart. The mage and navigator of the group. Pleased to meet you all." The robed man walking alongside them bowed briefly.

  Stewart was leading two pack horses with him. And the other three were hitched to the wagons.

  "I'm Gregory, and this here's Pete." As he pointed to his friend beside him. "I've been a merc for a few years now and thought about joining a more permanent group. Brought Pete with me and now here we are."

  "I'm Peter. Greg and I are from a small village to the east called Stirweed. I was a soldier there, once." He recalled. "Seeing as how mercenaries were making a killing out there, I made up my mind and came with."

  Ren didn't know how to put this lightly, but they looked like a couple of thugs from a bandit camp. He was almost sure they were about to rob them blind any moment now. But of course they weren't. From what he can tell, the captain was an outstanding person. They wouldn't just let anyone join their company, right?

  He shook off his prejudice and guessed that it was time for his turn.

  "I'm Ren. And I'm from Inari. A friend offered me a chance to join, and so I did. I'll try my best not to get in anyone's way." He said, worried that he sounded a little too distant.

  "Hey, good work handling Miller back there. You did great!" Dahlia acknowledged. "That guy's a monster when he's fully geared and serious, you know. Pretty funny seeing him slip like that."

  "I got lucky when I used my runestone. I probably would have lost."

  "That much power from a grease spell was incredible though." Stewart chimed in. "Have you ever considered being a mage?"

  "He said he'd been to the sorting already." Sam answered for him. "You should see him lighting up a sol stone. I'm thinking his talents lie in runes, maybe. But who can tell, I'm just speculating."

  "Since we're headed there anyway, maybe you could meet Princess Alice and ask her what thinks, huh? I'm sure she'd have an answer, being the sage and all." Stewart joked.

  "Now that would be something! I'd probably faint if I ever get to talk to her." Dahlia entertained the thought. "Ohh, I bet she looks like a dream in her wedding dress. Hey Sam, do you know where we'll be posted at the event? I wish we at least get a good view of the stage."

  "Calm down, will you? I'll tell you after we're finished with introductions." He prompted the last person to speak up.

  Everyone then turned their attention to her.

  "Harriette Mistkin. It's nice to meet you all. My father was the baron of a border city to the north." She looked like she had more to say but was hesitating. She took a deep breath to compose herself. "Unfortunately, a few years ago, we lost our home to the war… and my family along with it. I'm not trying to garner pity. I just wanted to tell you all before you ask of my name."

  She was met with a heavy silence from the group. In the Kargafellian continent, family names were only for those of noble birth or knights granted land by their liege. It was normal to assume that people would be curious if you had a last name. And now that she was here, doing work as a mercenary, it was easy to assume that she'd been through the rough of it.

  It was Sam who spoke first to ease up the tension.

  "I'm sorry for your loss, Harriette. I pray you find your peace."

  Some of them gave her their condolences. Some said a few words of encouragement. And some stayed silent.

  Nowadays, most people can say that they've lost a loved one to this ceaseless war. Ren himself was an orphan, not even knowing who his parents were. The priest at the church he used to stay in said that he was found as a crying babe in a village that was being razed to the ground. He had to guess that it was because of the war.

  They let the somber mood pass as they travelled in silence.

  After a while, they took their first break in a clearing on the roadside. Sam took this opportunity to explain a few things to the recruits. He said that the squad he leads, was more often than not, in charge of reconnaissance and intel. In combat, they served as a mobile support unit, hence, they were assigned recruits who were proficient in speed.

  He also mentioned what it was like working as a mercenary. And much like any other profession, it had its drawbacks. Mercenaries weren't really respected in most places.

  "If this is your first ever job as a mercenary, best be prepared." Sam warned them. "To the commonfolk, we're no better than bandits for hire. Soldiers despise us for taking up their jobs. And the nobles use us like disposable tools."

  It wasn't the best working conditions. He said it was due to the countless mercenary groups who would pillage and plunder after a victorious campaign. This gave them a bad reputation amongst the common people. But the demand for skilled fighters and bodyguards was as high as ever, and so was the pay. War had been everpresent in the continent. And unfortunately, this was where sellswords thrive.

  "How come they'd go out of their way to hire then, if this job was so important." Harriette asked as she took a bite out of her stale bread.

  "I don't know if you've heard of this before, but when it mattered, a promise of coin is more compelling than a knights oath." Sam conveyed with a conflicted expression. "And I've slowly come to accept this truth, from what I've seen."

  Harriette pondered on it for a while as she finished up her bread.

  "How jaded." She remarked, seemingly satisfied with his answer.

  Sam decided that was enough resting for now and rounded up his team once more.

  Their march continued at a steady pace. Those on foot would take turns riding the wagons, while the horses took turns pulling. They'd switch them out every time they took a break. Occasionally, Dahlia or Stewart would strike up a conversation along the way to stave off boredom.

  "If any of you ever want to travel through this road again," Stewart shared. "keep track of where the edge of the Migal Forest is. If you follow this road with the forest to your right, then you'll eventually end up in the capital. It's obvious enough to identify, I'd presume. Only there will you find black trees sprouting red leaves all-year round."

  "Are we talking about the trees again, Stu?" Dahlia asked.

  "Well, there's nothing else around, is there? I haven't even started with why they're that color yet."

  "Ugh, spare meee." She pleaded, covering her ears. "I've heard this a hundred times by now."

  "You're in luck then. Because I've learned recently that it's not solely a product of the lack of light caused by the dense foliage. It's actually due to the trees being in a constant state of lux deficiency. This means that the strands of… would take up…" He kept trailing on and on.

  Ren had lost track of what he was talking about at some point and had given up on trying to follow along. It took a solid few minutes of rambling for him to get to his conclusion.

  "-and THAT, my friends, is why they are black with red leaves!" He exclaimed with unmatched enthusiasm.

  "…" Dahlia's eyes were glazed over and were staring into nothingness. "So that's why, huh?"

  Stewart looked around and saw that nobody except Gregory was listening to him. Wether he understood or not was a different story.

  Dahlia perked up again, though, as she noticed something in the distance.

  "Ohh, Look honey, we're coming up on my favorite hill!" She beamed, tapping Luke's shoulder while pointing at an ordinary hill.

  "A hill?" Harriette mumbled to herself.

  Dahlia turned to the recruits. "There's this immaculate view of the whole city from up there. You'll see."

  They got to the top of it in no time and had settled to take a break there. Dahlia wasn't lying. Ren had never seen a city of this scale with his own eyes. It was breathtaking. The capital spanned a vast plain that bordered the great forest. Atop the highest hill, stood the Imperial Castle, large enough to cast a shadow over half of the city. And a thick stone wall surrounded the whole place.

  The city was split into multiple districts, each one distinct from all others. The wedding was going to take place at the noble's plaza. But tomorrow, their task was to meet up with a well known trading company to purchase supplies. They also had to secure the main group's lodgings.

  It was getting dark out so they made their way to the city, not too far now. The line at the front gate wasn't too long, thankfully. City guards were dilligently inspecting every wagon and carriage carrying any sort of goods. All weapons and contraband were promptly confiscated. Used to their work, the guards were fast and efficient. And the line was progressing in a timely pace.

  "Identify yourselves." One of the guards said.

  Sam handed over a badge with the company's insignia on it. The guard looked it over and gave it to a man wearing fancy robes, sat behind a desk. He appeared to be a mage. The man placed the badge down on a sheet of paper with what looked like a rune on it. The spell activated as the paper, along with the badge, began glowing. Shortly after, and the spell was done. The mage handed the badge back to the guard and nodded.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "That's the Gildas Company badge." The mage informed him.

  "Mercs. Here for a job?" The guard asked.

  "We're here to secure lodgings and purchase supplies. The Captain will be arriving tomorrow with the rest of us. We were hired as guards for the grand wedding." Sam reported straight.

  While Sam was answering questions, the rest of the guards were thoroughly rifling through everyone's bags, the cargo on the wagons, and the pack horses. It was mostly rations for the short trip.

  "Normally, weapons are not allowed inside the city. But I'm assuming you'll be needing those." The guard observed. "You're allowed passage, but you are to stay unarmed at all times up until the event. Or else, we'll be forced to confiscate them. Understood?"

  "As clear as day." Sam replied. He turned to his squad and saw them already disarming themselves. He unstrapped his sword as well, and placed it on the one of the wagons.

  After getting confirmation from the rest of the guards, the squad was let through.

  First thing that greeted them were the bustling streets of the city's entertainment district. Nighttime had already set in, but the city was still alive and busy. The shops, the streets, and even the patrolling guard's lamps, were making use of runic devices that Ren was unfamiliar with, not a single flickering torch in sight. The light they emitted we're of different hues, which made the whole scene in front of him more vibrant than anything he had ever seen. Various shops, food stalls, taverns, and bathhouses lined the side of the road. Ren could see a theatre in the distance and even passed by a brothel or two.

  The squad followed the main road until they reached what looked like the district's public square. There they found the tavern they were headed to, a place called The Grand Lounge. Greg and Pete stayed outside to look after the horses.

  As soon as they entered, they were hit with the smell of food and ale, accompanied by the rambunctious laughter of the patrons. The tavern lived up to its name. The lounge was spacious enough to seat half a hundred families and still have some space left over. Runic lamps, similar to what they saw outside, hung from way up high in the ceiling. Ren was trying to figure out how they were lit up from all the way here. At the very center was the kitchen. People were lined up at the bar attached to it, ordering drinks from the barmaid, enjoying their merriments. Meanwhile, the busy staff were tirelessly going back and forth, trays in hand, serving the tables. It seems the place wasn't meant for commoners. Ren felt a little out-of-place as he noticed that almost all of the diners were clean and well-dressed.

  Sam had spotted the person he was looking for, when all of a sudden, a chair came flying towards him. Faster than anyone could react, he had caught the chair effortlessly before it could harm anyone and gently placed it back down. They looked around for the perpetrator, and found a furious customer dressed in fancy clothes, yelling at a waitress, clearly drunk out of his mind.

  "USELESS WENCH! I told you several times now, the food you served us was already cold when it got here!" The man yelled, spittle coming out of his mouth.

  "I'm terribly sorry, my lord. Please forgive me. Here, I'll take them back to the cook at once." The poor girl hurried, bowing profusely.

  The geezers at the table were snickering, somehow finding the situation funny. As the waitress held out her hand to take the plates back, the drunken man raised his fist, intent on hitting her. She flinched, bracing herself.

  But the blow never came. His arm had been held back.

  "My lord, hitting a servant in public would be unwise, don't you think?" Sam calmly interjected. Ren didn't even see him approaching. He had no idea how he got there so fast.

  "Huh, whuzat? You trying to tell me what to do!?" The arrogant man didn't back down, and instead redirected his outrage at Sam.

  He thrashed around aimlessly but achieved little. Sam twisted the man's arm around his back and forcefully pressed his head down on the table.

  "Oofh! What is this? I'm the one who was wronged here! Do you even know who I am!?" He complained, struggling to move.

  "By the looks of it, an unruly noble, unaware of his surroundings." Sam frankly stated.

  "AAAGHH!! I AM WINFRED, SON OF COUNT DOCANRY!" The spoiled noble proclaimed. "You will let go of me this instant! Guards! Anyone of you, help me!"

  "Hey! What's goin' on over there?" The barmaid shouted.

  Stewart quickly went over to explain the situation. And Rory was now walking towards Sam.

  "Need any help?" Rory offered.

  "Calm the girl down." Sam gestured towards the waitress. "The guards will be coming soon. They're going to want her to recount what happened here."

  As he expected, a couple of guards rushed in from outside. They probably heard the commotion and came to see what was happening.

  "Guards, help me!" Winfred demanded. "This man assaulted me out of nowhere!"

  It seems one of the guards had recognized who the noble was and grabbed Sam by the shoulder. "Sir, kindly let go of him."

  Sam considered what to do for a second but ultimately complied and stepped away. Winfred clicked his tongue and readjusted his clothes.

  "Heh. Well, what are you waiting for? Arrest this hooligan!" The noble barked out.

  "That won't be necessary." An imposing man resembling Captain Gildas interrupted him. "These men are mercenaries hired by the princess. I can vouch for them personally."

  The guards, and even Rory, were wide-eyed and saluted immediately.

  "I witnessed what had transpired here tonight. Take the young waitress with you and make sure she's fine. Hear the story from her if you wish. I'll take it from here." He instructed.

  "Yes, sir!" Both guards stood to attention and carried out his orders.

  Ren wondered who he could be, that he had authority over the city guards. Even the nobles were flustered for a moment. Dahlia slid over to Ren and Harriette and told them she had something to say.

  "That's the captain's son, Van Cilsworth. He's a royal guard." She whispered.

  "A-ah! What brings you here Lord Cilsworth?" Winfred asked. His demeanor had drastically changed and this whole situation seemed to have sobered him right up.

  "I was having dinner while I waited for an old friend of mine." He eyed Sam as he said this.

  "I see… I suppose it was just a 'coincidence' then, that you know of these mercenaries. To be hired by Her Highness must truly be an honor." Winfred replied, furrowing his brow. The nobles at the table were casting doubtful gazes at Van for his convenient reasoning.

  But as if to stomp on their arrogance, a young girl appeared from behind him. She was wearing a dress befitting royalty, and did a well practiced curtsy as a greeting. When the nobles saw her, it looked like they'd been splashed with a bucket of freezing cold water.

  "Ohh! And that's Dame Claire." Dahlia quickly keyed them in with a hushed voice. She and Harriette looked starstruck. "She's the lady-in-waiting of Princess Alice herself."

  "Good evening, gentlemen." The dame greeted. "Is everything alright here?"

  "Quite so." Van replied with the tiniest smirk on his lips "Now if you'll excuse us, I'd like to greet my guests properly, elsewhere."

  That concluded the situation at the tavern, leaving the pompous nobles in a daze, too stunned to speak, wondering what just happened.

  Van and the dame led the squad outside and told them to follow their carriage a short ways up the main road. The group was escorted by a few soldiers. It didn't take long when they stopped at a massive dormitory, close to the gates of the noble's district. They went inside and gathered around in the central courtyard. It was a wide open area that looked similar to the training yard back at camp.

  "This used to be the knights' dormitory, back when there was a regimental camp stationed nearby. Now, it's left unused." Van explained. "Oh, but where are my manners."

  He faced the squad and placed a fist to his chest.

  "Van Cilsworth, at your service. With me is the lovely Dame Claire Alwit. She's here to represent your employer, the princess."

  "Pleased to meet you all." Another curtsy from the dame. "The maids and I have done our best to tidy up this place today. I hope you have a comfortable stay until the event. Starting now, I'll be serving as an intermediary between your group and Her Highness."

  "Not to sound ungrateful, my lady-" Sam cut in. "But all of this—might be too excessive for a mercenary group. I wasn't informed that we would be provided a place to stay."

  "Oh, come now, Sam. Still a stick in the mud?" Van switched to a more casual tone and wrapped an arm over him. "You know full well how disrespectful it is to deny generosity like this. I'm sure the princess has her reasons."

  "But-" He stammered.

  "I would have to agree with him, Sir Sam." Claire added. "Her Highness would tell me stories of the Rogue Knights from time to time. And you appear to be just like how she described you."

  Sam scratched his cheek. Ren hadn't seen him this embarrassed before. Meanwhile, Van was scanning the group and he recognized everyone except for the recruits.

  "It's good to see that most of your squad is still together." He commented.

  "Mm. The rest are on a different job right now."

  "Is that right?"

  *

  The rest of the evening went by fast. Sam, Van and Claire talked business for a while longer, but by the end of it, they sounded like friends, catching up after not seeing each other for a long time. The rest of the squad set up their rooms and prepped a few things for tomorrow's supplies. The rooms were quite spacious and had multiple beds lined up in each of them. The place could handily accommodate their numbers, including the main squads.

  Ren slept like a log that night. He was dead tired. And the beds were leagues better than the cots back in the barracks. He could never have imagined how his day was going to be when he woke up that morning. He sparred with a knight, found out he had a knack for runes, journeyed to the capital, and met such high ranking people, all in the span of a day. It had him thinking how his luck was finally turning around.

  Morning came and their leader had another set of tasks ready to be assigned. The squad had been split up into two groups. One was headed to the plaza where the wedding will be held. They were told to draw up a map and scout the surrounding area. The other group took the horses and wagons with them to the commerce district. They were off to buy supplies, enough to last them for the rest of their stay here. Rory was in charge of the scouting. He took Dahlia and Harriette with him, while the rest of the men was with Sam to help haul the goods back to base.

  The commerce district was where most of the city's shops were located. From common goods to the most exotic products, you were likely to find someone selling them here. At the heart of the district was a marketplace, a bazaar of sorts. From the outside, it looked like a convoluted maze of stalls and vendors.

  Sam had a different place in mind though. They were headed to a shop owned by the Vestral Merchant Group, one of the most influential trading groups in the continent. Apparently, this was the better option when buying in bulk like they were about to. More so, the Gildas Company had already made several dealings with Vestral in the past and had formed a long-standing contract. They provided supplies for the company, and were compensated with a portion of the payment for the current job, a benificial deal for both parties. Of course, these types of deals were uncommon, and were reserved only for large groups of this scale. Ren had heard when he joined this company that they numbered in the thousands, spread out across different jobs around the land.

  They finally arrived and led their horses to the hitching post. The shop wasn't much of a shop really, as it was more like a warehouse with a small storefront attatched to it. Sam entered the store and showed their badge to the shopkeep. They had a similar device to confirm the legitimacy of it, like the one they saw at the city gate. After which, Sam listed what they required and they'd begun hauling out the goods.

  The shopkeep mentioned in passing that the merchant group's founder was arriving with his daughter in the city today, said they were attending the wedding. Sounds like a lot of notable individuals will be present for tomorrow. It was shaping up to be one hell of an event, Ren thought.

  It took a number of trips from the shop and back to the dormitory before they completed their task. But other than that, everything went smoothly. It was noontime by the time they were done. The other group had already finished their work a while ago and even had time to prepare a meal for everyone. The main group wasn't here yet and there was not much left to do, so Sam decided that everyone can have the rest of the day off. He said it'd be a good idea to explore the city if it was their first time here.

  Most everyone gladly took him up on his offer and had gone their separate ways for the day. Ren, too, had split off from the group, excited to see what the city had in store for him. It had been a while since the last time he'd saunter off on his own.

  The sights of Mithiin were a breath of fresh air for Ren. Unlike in Inari, the roads were constantly busy, and the people were out and about. The hustle and bustle made him feel like there were an infinite amount of possibilities, just waiting around the corner. But sadly, this included both the good and the bad.

  A scheme he had been a part of many times before was playing out right in front of him. He could easily tell that the kid trailing behind this hooded woman had ill intentions. The scrawny little boy was biding his time, waiting for his cue. When his partner 'accidentally' bumps into the target, he snatched the woman's purse and walked the opposite direction, blending in with the crowd. It wasn't their first time doing this. Unfortunately for them, Ren was feeling generous today and chose to help out the poor lady. He sneakily jutted his foot out, tripping the boy. He grabbed him by the arm and covered his mouth before dragging him into a nearby alley.

  "Shh. Don't panic. I won't hurt you." Ren whispered.

  He took his hand off the boy's mouth, worried he would bite him if he tried escaping. The kid was understandably scared and on edge. He was probably thinking he had messed up and was about to get turned in.

  "Hey, I know it's tough out there but hear me out." Ren took out a silver coin and showed it to the boy. "I'll trade you this coin if you hand over that purse. If you do, I won't tell the guards what you guys did back there."

  The kid's eyes grew wide, clearly not expecting a sudden trade offer. He nodded after weighing his options and gave up the bag. He took the coin and dashed out of there as fast as he could.

  "Heh, smart kid." Ren thought out loud.

  He went to look for the hooded lady and found her anxiously searching for her purse.

  "Miss, I think you dropped this." He grabbed her attention and showed her the bag.

  "Oh, thank goodness!" She exclaimed in relief. "You've-…"

  The woman stopped herself and tilted her head to the side. She pulled down her hood and revealed a face he would not have easily forgetten.

  "Pardon me if I'm mistaken—Ren, was it?" Dame Claire asked, smiling.