The moon is shining brightly in the sky, illuminating the group who has just arrived in Faihte, a small village where the person the sellswords are hired to protect is staying momentarily. The village is quiet. Not a single person can be seen around and on the street.

  “Oh no! Donttellmethatthisisatraptoo, Lionnel!” slurring her speech, Laquidra chuckles.

  “When you refer to my father you say ‘Lord Lionnel’!” the young Liontari raises her voice.

  “Oh? You’re a big girl now? You don’t get to demand jackshit, you murderer!”

  Areti recoils at Laquidra’s statement. She hides behind her father, betraying her athletic and trained figure.

  “Hahah! So it is true! That was your first kill!” Laquidra is holding her belly, laughing her heart out.

  “Enough of this! My contacts are in that church, go on inside and wait. I’ll get your coins,” Lionnel interjects.

  “Areti’s coming with us, I hope. As insurance.” Annurath fastens his chains while glaring at Areti.

  “Like I said, my contacts are inside. You’ll meet Iberia Losandra and Tarie Frulai. Just say ‘bread stocks’ when they ask for your name. Got it?”

  “Huh…” Targarina pinches his left ear.

  Lionnel separates himself from the group while the group is going to the church. The church itself is made of stones, adopting the style of architecture from the capital of Phrotnexis. Annurath knocks on the big wooden door. The group can hear the knocking reverberating throughout the building itself until a footstep is approaching from the other side.

  “Greetings… What is your name?” A young woman’s voice can be heard from the other side of the big wooden door.

  The sellswords look at each other.

  “Bread stocks,” Targarina replies to the girl on the other side.

  “Come in.”

  The big wooden door opens inward. The group sees a girl inside. She is wearing what seems to be a form-fitting mesh armor adorned with symbols of a minor House, an oxpecker bird. On each of her arms is a small round steel shield. The shields’ round edges are sharpened like a blade. The group follows the girl’s direction into the church where they wait for Liontari.

  “So… who are you?” Laquidra is sitting on the backrest of a pew, facing the girl who is sitting down on the floor near the pulpit.

  “Oh? Areti didn’t introduce me?” the girl replies.

  “No, she’s too busy being cryptic.”

  “Cryptic? Anyway, I am Tarie Frulai of House Frulai.” Her big right orange eye and big left purple eye gleam with friendliness.

  “House Frulai? Never heard of that House before.”

  “Haha, well, it’s just a minor House compared to the others.” Her finger curls her wavy light lavender hair.

  “Is your House oathsworn in service to House Liontari?” Annurath joins in and sits down on one of the pew.

  “In a way, yeah.”

  “You seem a little too young to be in this… You look about my daughter’s age.”

  “You have a daughter Annurath? Didn’t peg you for the family type!” Laquidra laughs, her laughing reverberates throughout the church.

  Annurath becomes silent.

  “How old are you?” Targarina leans on an altar.

  “I’m 18 years old.”

  “You sure? You look younger than that.”

  “Haha, I get that a lot.”

  “Speaking of… We were told that there is another person here.”

  “Oh, yes. She’s in the basement. She said she was looking over some books.”

  “Hmm. Books.”

  “Anyway… Are you guys actual sellswords?” She claps her hands together.

  “Huh? Yeah? What about it?”

  “Wow! I’ve never seen any sellswords before! Is it true that you are only loyal to those who give the most coins? I’ve heard it from my dad!” Tarie jumps upright.

  The sellswords look at each other for a moment, except Annurath who is still silent.

  “Depends on the job,” Targarina replies. “However, it’s always on the table.”

  “Nah, for me it’s always the money!” Laquidra makes a circle with her fingers.

  Annurath is silent.

  Suddenly a door creaks open and a woman carrying a stack of books steps out of it.

  “Oh, wow! When did all these people come in? I didn’t hear them at all.”

  “It’s because you are too absorbed in those books!” Tarie laughs sheepishly at the woman.

  “Iberia. Let me help you with that.” Areti takes some of the books the woman is carrying. “Where to?”

  “Oh, thank you! Anywhere is fine really. On one of the pews maybe.”

  Both of them stack the books on one of the pews and Iberia is counting them one by one while all the sellswords are watching her intently. The woman, Iberia, is wearing a mitre on her head, a yellow long-sleeved tunic and scapular with white accents.

  “Alright! That should be all.” After counting her books, she looks at each of the sellswords and clasps her hands together. “May they all be brought to the light, Amen.”

  “The fuck that’s supposed to mean?!” Laquidra swiftly raises her voice.

  “For your souls. I am praying for your souls’ salvation.” Iberia tenses up, surprised by Laquidra's voice.

  “Fuck the fuck off! Nobody asked you to!”

  “You take one look at us and decide that we are damned?” joins Targarina, in protest of Iberia’s prayer. In spite of that, he is smiling.

  “Oh, dear…” Areti holds her face.

  “You don’t even know our names you fucking priest!” Laquidra kicks a pew over.

  “Oh, um… I’m sure… Iberia didn’t mean it in that way…” Tarie tries to calm Laquidra.

  “I.. uh…” Iberia seems to just realize what she had done. “It is a simple greeting within the Church of the Pantheon. I didn’t mean to offend you all.” She bows her head at the angry mercenaries, her exceptionally long blond hair touching the floor of the church.

  “Simple greeting? Such arrogance!” Targarina laughs.

  “Arrogance, indeed!” Laquidra agrees.

  “Areti,” Annurath finally breaks his silence. “Who among these two is our job? One seems capable of fighting.”

  “Well, I suppose telling you at this time would not hurt,” Areti mumbles to herself. “All of you will be in charge of protecting Iberia Losandra during our trip.”

  “Oh, great…..” Laquidra slumps.

  “What? A priest looking for the God Stone? The very mention of it would put you at odds with the entire church, no?” Targarina crosses his arm, looking inquisitively at the priestess.

  “Oh, um… yes, but-”

  “Anyway!” Areti cuts Iberia off. “My father will be here soon.”

  As if cued by Areti, a loud creaking of the church’s door can be heard by the group, and Lionnel walks into the church carrying three big sacks.

  “Ah, I trust you’ve all met?”

  “Yes, Father.”

  “You three, I’ve brought your share for this month and the letters of contract, as promised.” He sets down the sacks and pulls out three crumpled letters from his pocket.

  “Really? The letters are all crumpled here.” Laquidra takes one of the letters.”

  “They bear my seal. They will be and still are valid.”

  “Ok? Why are they crumpled?”

  “I was carrying three big bags. How else am I supposed to carry them?”

  “You could’ve just folded them.” Targarina flicks his fingers.

  “True, but I was in a hurry. On that note, I have no idea how you people are going to carry these sacks of coins while doing your duty.” He hands over the sacks of coins and the letters of contract to the mercenaries.

  “You let us worry about that,” Targarina says.

  “Hmm. You can procure large amounts of gryd in such a short time. Is there a bank here?” Annurath questions Lionnel while signing the crumpled letter of contract.

  “Yes, after all, this village is within my fief.”

  “Special privilege, would you look at that...” Laquidra scoffs.

  “We rest here tonight?” asks Annurath.

  “Yes. I have an inn ready for tonight. We will embark tomorrow.”

  “Where to?”

  “Ibis.”

  “The capital? That’s quite far.”

  “Yes, but not far if we use a carriage.”

  “We are going to use a carriage? No ambush this time?”

  “No. Hopefully not.”

  “Very well, I have signed my contract, I do however have one condition I need to make clear,” declares the black-and-blue-haired man. “Although I’m not expecting to know how many hairs under your ass, I expect you to be transparent from here on. Meaning, when you think or know there is a danger lurking around, you tell us, especially if the danger is to that priestess. You hire us for protection, therefore, point us the danger, yeah?”

  “You’ve made yourself clear. For now, let us retire for the day.”

  The group makes their way out of the church and into an inn. A big but quiet inn in the middle of the village.

  “I’m going to turn in,” says Lionnel to his daughter.

  “You’re not having dinner?”

  “I’m tired. You go on ahead if you want to, dear.”

  “What about them?” Areti gestures to the sellswords.

  “They are carrying 12,000, aren’t they? They can pay for their own food.”

  “Oh, I mean, will they be in a room together?”

  “They each got their own room. However, now that you mention it. I want you to be in the room with Iberia and Tarie.”

  “Alright.”

  “Very good. Sleep well, dear.” He goes upstairs where his room is.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Areti turns toward the mercenaries. “Are you having dinner? Sausage and cheese here are the best!”

  “Hmm. I’ll take a look,” Laquidra replies.

  “Get some for me, eh?” Targarina says to Laquidra while approaching two servants cleaning the tables.

  “What? Get your own! No work no food!”

  Annurath, Iberia, and Tarie sit down at a round table. Tarie is eyeing Annurath from head to toes.

  “What?” grumbles Annurath at the attention.

  “Oh! Um… Sorry! I've never seen black on someone’s hair before!”

  “Hmph.” He crosses his arms.

  “By the way… Mister Annurath? Do you know the other sellswords?” Iberia asks the quiet man.

  “No. I’ve only met them today.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  “Oh! I’ve questions! If you would indulge me, Sir Annurath!” Tarie claps her hands together excitedly.

  “.........What? And I’m not a sir.”

  “Oh! Oh! Oh! Is it true that mercenaries can just leave a job?”

  “Depends…”

  “Oh! And! Do you accept non-monetary compensation?! Like! Resources, information, or favors and the like?!”

  “..........No. What’s with these questions?”

  “Oh! Just… I cannot wrap my head around how people can just fight for money and such without loyalty!”

  “...What’s the difference between a sellsword being hired to fight and a lumberjack being hired by the town’s noble to cut some trees?”

  “...Oh! When you put it that way!”

  “Are you a knight, kid?”

  “Oh! In training, yes. I’m a knight-in-training!”

  “Huh… Must be all that conditioning of loyalty. Where do you train?”

  “In Spartesia! Areti also trained in Spartesia. Also! It is not conditioning but teaching.” Tarie raises her index finger, imitating how a teacher lecturing children looks.

  Annurath looks at Areti who is waiting on the inn’s cooking by the kitchen. “So… She’s a knight. Yet… I wonder…”

  “What do you mean, Mister Annurath?” Iberia looks at him with her pink eyes.

  “This group has a knight and a knight-in-training… I just wonder where the rest of Lord Lionnel’s knights and guards are.”

  “Lord Lionnel said that this is a secret quest. He can ill afford to bring too many people around.”

  “But just his daughter, a knight-in-training, and a priestess? Moreover… He announced that he is looking for the God Stone in the mercenary network… Of course it would…” Annurath holds his hand over his mouth, thinking deeply.

  “That’s why he hired you three, right?”

  Annurath falls silent, he is staring at the table in front of him.

  “Don’t think too much about it, worry-boy!” Laquidra comes to the table and lets herself fall on a chair, making loud noises which snaps Annurath out of thinking.

  “Have some decorum!” Annurath scolds Laquidra.

  “Ran out of it.”

  “Wow! I’ve been thinking… For being mercenaries you are all quite well spoken. I’m fascinated!” Iberia says, nonchalantly.

  Laquidra's smiles fade away quickly and Annurath gives Iberia a questioning look.

  “You ever think about what you’re going to say before saying it, you prissy girl?” Laquidra snorts at Iberia.

  “That’s quite the irony,” Annurath mumbles.

  While the table the group is at is full of noise, a quiet servant carrying a plate of sausages and cheeses approaches them.

  “Here’s your order! Please enjoy!” She sets the plate down on the table in front of Laquidra.

  “Speaking of…” Annurath beckons the servant. “May I have an ale?”

  “Sure thing! Anything for the young women?”

  “Oh! I’ll have what she’s having, please.” Iberia gestures at Laquidra’s plate.

  “I will as well.” Tarie nods in agreement.

  “You hussies copying me?” Laquidra says as she devours her food with a worrying lack of concern for manners and the few people in the tavern are looking at her because of it.

  “Very well! I’ll have yours ready. Please wait a moment.” The servant leaves their table.

  “That reminds me, where is Targarina?” asks Annurath.

  “Probably burying his face in some tits, hahah!” Laquidra laughs rather loudly.

  “I’m asking seriously.”

  “And I answered seriously! I saw him go upstairs with some servants!”

  “What about Areti?”

  “What about me?” Areti stands beside him, on her hands are two plates of food and she sets them down in front of an empty chair at the table and proceeds to sit down.

  “Oh? The noble daughter carrying her own food? And is about to dine with us lowly subjects?” Laquidra laughs again, much louder this time.

  “You seem to be in a good mood,” Areti looks at the laughing woman sitting beside her.

  “‘Course I am! Got twelve-fucking-thousand right here!”

  “Hope you don’t run away with it while we’re all sleeping.”

  “And miss my chance to run away with another twelve-fucking-thousand next month?! No way in hell!”

  “Oh, um… Please don’t use hell lightly…” Iberia tries to chime in.

  “Shut the fuck up!” Laquidra bangs the table.

  “Oh, bother… Looks like Targarina and Lionnel made the right choice to skip dinner.” Annurath shakes his head disapprovingly.

  Despite being annoyed by the raucous noise, a servant with a disapproving expression is coming to deliver Tarie’s and Iberia’s food, then the two young women proceed to eat their meal. Their table manner is a testament of how well their upbringing was. They delicately pick up their utensils, gently cutting the sausages, and put a spoonful of melted cheese on top of the cut they are about to eat. They move in near perfect unison and are making almost no noise in their eating.

  “What good little sheeps,” Laquidra mumbles, looking at the two young women. After mumbling, she looks over to Areti who eats in a similar fashion as the two young women.

  “Is she the shepherd then?” she whispers to Annurath.

  “What?”

  “I said, is that red-headed elaborate hair the shepherd to the two sheeps?”

  “Hmm?” Annurath looks at them questioningly. “What do you think?” he asks Laquidra back.

  “I asked you!”

  “What are you guys whispering about?” Tarie asks the two whispering mercenaries at the table.

  “None of your damn business!” Laquidra claps at her.

  “We’re just wondering where my ale is.” Annurath taps Laquidra’s shoulder and gets up from his seat. “I’m going to ask the servant.” He walks away from the table.

  “Woah! You’re leaving me alone with these well-breds? Nu-uh!” Laquidra makes a praying gesture.

  “Is that a problem?” Areti looks at Laquidra, meeting her in her eyes.

  “Hahah! That reminds me… Is today your first kill?” Laquidra asks her in an irritating tone.

  Areti flinches at the question. Her calm demeanor cracks for a moment but she quickly regains it and replies to Laquidra’s question, “Yes. It is.”

  “Feh! Pathetic!”

  “Why are you so rude?!” Iberia suddenly bangs the table and jumps up.

  “Rude? Isn’t that what you expect from a mercenary? What was it? ‘You’re quite well spoken, I’m fascinated’?” Laquidra snorts.

  “I-I didn’t mean to insult you!” Iberia seems to just understand what she had said. “I apologize for that. But… But I-It does not give you the right to insult lady Areti!”

  “You’re trying to lecture me about rights now? You?” Laquidra reaches for the crossbow on her back.

  “That’s enough!” Areti firmly but gently raises her voice. “It’s alright Iberia. Do sit down.”

  Iberia reclines to her seat with a heavy expression while Tarie seems at a loss on what to do.

  “That’s right. That’s how you blue-bloods are. Once it gets inconvenient you back out. Fucking cunts!” Laquidra stands up and leaves the table.

  “Wha- How dare!” Iberia stands up to chase Laquidra but Areti stops her with a gesture.

  “There is no need to pursue this any further,” Areti says, with the same firm tone but gentle voice.

  “Why is she so rude?!” Iberia sits down on her chair. “And just after Lord Lionnel changed the contract to better suit them! I honestly have no idea why she thinks it is too much to give respect to your paymaster!” Iberia complains. “I guess it is true what they say, that sellswords are a bunch of boorish people!”

  “Well, at least Sir Annu- I mean Annurath seems more appropriate than the others.” Tarie joins Iberia. “Well… What do you think, Lady Areti?” She looks at the young Liontari.

  Areti is silent. She is continuing to eat her meal. The two young women look at each other and follow suit.

  “What happened?” Annurath is by the table again, with an ale in hand.

  “Nothing of note,” Areti replies dryly.

  “Hmm.” Annurath looks at Areti for a moment then sits down on his chair. He opens his ale and pours some in a wooden cup. When he is about to drink it, Iberia says something.

  “Oh my! And here I thought you were going to drink it straight from the bottle! Haha, how silly of me,” she says in a remarkably sweet voice, her hand over her mouth.

  Annurath stays still, holding the cup near his lip while giving Iberia an emotionless look, then he proceeds to drink it.

  “We should turn in,” Areti says while tidying her plate and utensils.

  “Oh, yes! I’m quite drowsy.” Tarie yawns.

  “I quite agree!” Iberia holds her cheeks.

  “You guys go on ahead. I’ll finish up.” Annurath pours some ale in the same cup again.

  “I’ll take you up on your offer!” Tarie chuckles.

  Iberia and Tarie stand up and bow curtly at Areti and leave the table for their room while Annurath and Areti stay.

  “You are not coming?” Annurath drinks his ale.

  “If I may, could you share your ale?” Areti says in a rather weak voice.

  “Hmm. Sure. However, I have only one cup.”

  “That’s alright.” She points at the bottle of ale.

  Annurath nods slightly and hands the bottle of ale over to Areti. Areti shakes the bottle gently for a moment and then she downs the bottle.

  ***

  The sun is peeking over the horizon. Lionnel is the first to get out of his room. He goes downstairs where the servants are cleaning up the tables and floors of the inn’s dining room. The cook of the inn greets him.

  “Anything for breakfast, my Lord?”

  “Yes.”

  “May I ask, is there any particular menu you prefer, Lord?”

  “Hmm. Anything is fine. So long there’s a lot of meat.”

  “As you wish, my Lord.” The cook bows curtly at him.

  “Anyway. What was that commotion last night down here?”

  “Oh.. It seems that some of your retinue argued with each other.”

  “...I see. Carry on.”

  The cook bows again and goes into the kitchen.

  Lionnel looks for a seat but is a little surprised when he sees Targarina already at a table. He approaches him.

  “Didn’t think you were an early riser,” Lionnel strikes up a conversation.

  “Really?” Targarina smiles at Lionnel.

  “Really.” Lionnel looks at the empty table before Targarina and takes a seat. “You’re not having breakfast?”

  “I did.”

  “You did? Oh, and… that reminds me. Targarina, I don't really care what you do outside of missions, but last night you and some servants, I assume, were so loud. If this is going to be a recurring thing… Can you keep it down next time?” Lionnel says to Targarina.

  “Huh? I was just cleaning myself.” Targarina smiles and shrugs his shoulders but his eyes are not in harmony with them.

  “Keep it in mind what I said. You are hired to protect Iberia. Don’t treat this like some sort of picnic.”

  “Oh, I don’t. You should say this to those two girls.”

  “Meaning?” Lionnel deepens his already deep voice.

  “What you said.” Targarina gets up from his chair. “When and where are we going today? You said to Ibis yesterday, right?”

  “I’ll brief you all once we have breakfast. Why don’t you see if the others are awake or not.”

  “Very well.” Targarina smiles and he goes upstairs.

  Lionnel calls a servant to get closer and she promptly answers Lionnel’s call.

  “Did anyone have breakfast already?” Lionnel sets his arms on the table.

  “Oh, I believe no one has asked for any yet besides you, my good Lord.”

  “Not even that deep purple-haired man?”

  “No, my Lord,” the servant answers with a precise tone.

  “Hmm. So what did he do here?”

  “The gorgeous man was just sitting there polishing his dagger, Lord. Or, rather, daggers.”

  “Since before morning?”

  “Since early morning, Lord.”

  “I see. You may return to your duties.”

  “Yes, Lord.” The servant bows and goes back to cleaning.

  Lionnel gets up from his chair and makes his way into the kitchen which surprises the cook.

  “M-My Lord? I-Is there a problem?”

  “No problem. Just a question. What were you doing this early morning?”

  “This early morning? Oh, I was cleaning the kitchen, Lord.”

  “Did you go around the dining area?”

  “Yes, Lord, if briefly.”

  “Did you see a man, a purple-haired man sitting at a table?”

  “A purple-haired man..?” The inn’s cook holds his chin, deeply thinking. “Oh! I did pass by him when I came into the inn!”

  “You passed him by?”

  “Yes, Lord. But it’s more like I saw him. He was going into the inn when I was coming back carrying fresh water.”

  “I see. Very well.”

  “Is that all, Lord?”

  “Yes… And add some more spice to the meat.”

  “Yes, Lord!”

  Lionnel goes out of the kitchen with a scowl on his face. Meanwhile, upstairs, Targarina is knocking on Annurath’s room door.

  “Anybody there? Wake up! The missus is in a hurry!”

  Annurath opens the door and opens his mouth, “What are you talking about?”

  “Good, it seems you’re up already.”

  “What is it?”

  “The missus wants you all to eat and then brief you all,” Targarina says nonchalantly while he is walking away from Annurath. “Oh, and the missus said to wake up the others.”

  Annurath goes in front of Laquidra’s room and is about to knock when Laquidra opens the door violently.

  “I heard ya!”

  “Hmm.”

  “Let’s wake up the pretty-little-girls-pretty-princess-girls!” Laquidra rhymes to herself while grinning from ear to ear.

  The mercenary woman runs toward where Areti, Iberia, and Tarie are staying and kicks the door open, breaking the door’s lock and creating a very loud noise in a quiet morning. Iberia jolts up from her bed and Tarie falls off her bed.

  “Hahah! Did you see that?!” Laquidra is laughing loudly.

  “W-W-What is it?!” Iberia frantically tries to fix her messy exceptionally long hair.

  “A-Are we being attacked?!” Tarie tries to get up from the floor but slips back down.

  Laquidra laughs even harder seeing the scene before her, but something stops her joyous laugh. She sees Areti gently getting off her bed.

  “Good morning,” Areti says to Laquidra in a gentle tone.

  Laquidra squints. Her face scrunches and she goes downstairs without a word or noise.

  “W-What was that loud noise?!” Now that she fixes her hair, Iberia looks around the room.

  “A-An attack, surely?!” Tarie finally is able to get up from the floor.

  “Calm yourselves. Now get dressed and be ready for the day.” Areti comes over to the panicking young women.

  “R-Right!” Tarie quickly puts on her battle armor.

  “Not… Not that.” Areti chuckles quietly.