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âYeah! Take that, you stupid, jerk faced bandits! Eat dirt for attacking our leader!â She pumped her fist in the air triumphantly, her previous âscaredy-catâ attitude having suddenly vanished, like a leaf blowing away in a strong breeze. Oddly enough, a leaf did blow by in that moment as a few folks stared at her in silence and a little disbelief. She slowly lowered her fist, looking around and blushing a bit, embarrassed.
âErm...that is why we beat those bad guys up, right?â She said aloud, laughing nervously. â...Iâll just shut up now...â She slung her rod behind her back and sat cross legged on the ground, waiting for everyone to finish their conversations. She listened in, of course...
âI mean, look at them!â Bianca heard the other little girl shout at one point. She looked to her to see just what the ruckus was, only to find the spear user pointing at her. âTheyâve even got a baby on their team!â
Bianca had been half listening to the conversation, but obviously an insult like this could not go unnoticed. She stood up, grabbing her rod and pointing it at her aggressor.
âLook whoâs talking, you little pipsqueak!â Bianca shouted back, not caring than the taller woman already gave her a bit of punishment. She had to say something, after all. In her ârageâ, she tried to look as indignant as possible in the ânoblestâ of fashions. âHow dare a commoner such as you even think to speak about me in such a way. Iâll have you know that Iâm a perfectly capable magical girl, much more so than a poor, pathetic, untalented peon such as yourself. You should be happy to be graced by my incredibly cute and adorable presence. Hmph!â She turned her nose up in disgust.
She listened to the rest of the taller woman's reply, then replied in kind, walking right up to Artur and the two women, the smaller of the two probably being held back from attacking Bianca by her partner.
âIf weâre going with you, make sure to keep that peasant girl as far away from me as possible. I canât have her ruining my perfect reputation and impeccable appearance with her terrible insults and her unsightly manner of dress.â She crossed her arms and tapped her foot.
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He turned back to his own squad for a second, particularly Bianca. He looked her straight in the eye. "Bianca," he began, "you can be as talented as you want, but that attitude is not what I want to see. I don't care if you were a queen before you joined the Red Wolves, but act civilly. I know you are capable of it. Alright?" He had a kindly look on his eyes, although he had a stern look on his face. He wasn't trying to be mean, but it was most effective to make his point right after the wrongdoing. She was young and inexperienced, but by no means was she dumb. She would learn fast, or she would give up and go back home. Either way, it was a good ending for her. He turned back to the Blade Wings. He told them, "Well, I suppose that we could join you all for a night. We aren't going to Bree, though. We are heading out to get some bandits holed up in a group of mountains down there. I will go back to town and get the rest of my squad then. We will meet you back by the gates. Is that alright?"
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âWhat was that you little brat?! Say it once more.â Glaring evilly as she attempted to get in Biancaâs face, Arturâs arm stopped her, while a quick yank of her ponytail from Lin was enough to stop the boisterous lancer, Ferma crying out in pain again and holding her neck, rubbing it. Geez, Lin was always so rough⊠Still, as she listened in to Arturâs scolding, she couldnât help but grin, stepping to the forefront again and leaning around Artur to get in the mini-mageâs line of sight.
âHeh-heh, Baby Bianca just got scolded! Ha ha ha - Ow!ââ Ferma winced as Lin bashed her over the head once more. To add to that, the archer stomped on her foot, causing another cry of pain that quickly changed to alarm as Lindell gave the Piker an arm to the chest, sending her careening backwards off balance and into the dust.
A little dazed, it seemed Ferma finally got the hint, Linâs expression and her actions more than indicative of the discipline and disapproval she was giving. Grumbling as she got back up and dusted herself down, Clerven found herself flushed with embarrassment, and remained silent, looking away from the group with her head held high. Lindell knew just how to hurt Ferma where it would sting the most, as such a display in front of their guests was a real blow to her pride.
With the âproblemâ taken care of, Lin turned her attention back to Artur to answer his question. âOf course, thatâs fine. Iâll have to head back and let them know that youâre coming, but Ferma here will be your guide.â Lindell gestured with a grin, Ferma wheeling around at once.
âWhat?! Youâve got to be kidding me!â Ferma shouted in alarm as the archer continued to grin, quite satisfied with the reaction to her punishment.
âNow now, youâve offended these people enough for one day. This is your opportunity to show how sorry you are.â Lindell would forever cherish the memory of Fermaâs expression - the torturous look was priceless. Giving a wave as she headed down the road, she gave a quick salute as she went on her way.
âBe sure to do everything you can to help them and listen to what they say â Oh, and be nice too!â Walking off down the road, Ferma took a few steps to chase after Lin.
âH-Hey! Wait up! You canât be serious!â As Lin showed no signs of stopping, Ferma sighed. Great⊠Just great⊠Tromping back towards the Red Wolves, she frowned, scratching her head. âWell, letâs get going to get your friends thenâŠâ Kicking a stone in frustration, despite her annoyance, she would be surprisingly helpful and loyal to the Red Wolves for the time. There was the matter of little Bianca though, the lancer taking a moment to bend over her, intimidating and meeting her eyes when she found the opportunity to get her alone.
âAnd you. Youâd better watch your back little princess. Never know what might be behind youâŠâ Grinning with evil intent as she muttered a spell to herself, a small bit of earth would raise up behind Biancaâs left heel, likely tripping her if she did attempt to back away. A contented Ferma would laugh to herself before catching up with Artur.
Of course, Lin hadnât left the Pikeman alone with stranger â Friendly as they may be. Juke continued to tail the group, having spoken with the archer just out of earshot of the Red Wolves. It was just a precaution though, and the Tengu wouldnât be so foolish as to disclose his location unnecessarily.
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She listened quietly as he spoke, still trying to avoid his gaze. His words reminded her so much of her parents that she so despised, but his expression seemed to convey something entirely different from what her parentsâ expressions usually did. While there was a necessary sternness to it, Artur seemed to have a kinder, gentler look in his eye, while her mum and dad always had an odd sort of tenacity to their stare, with no parental care in it at all. It was as if her success as a medical practitioner was more important to them than how she felt or what she really wanted to do...
As Artur finished, Bianca had an odd feeling creep through her body, causing her to shudder slightly, as if she was cold, and cross her arms. Her face betrayed her for a very brief moment, displaying another emotion before she played it all off as another act of indignation, turning her face away from Artur entirely and pouting.
â...Fine. But itâs not my fault. She started it by insulting not just me, but all of us,â Bianca finally replied. She turned to face her aggressor, Ferma, only to find sheâd already stepped to the forefront to make another jeer at her.
âHeh-heh, Baby Bianca just got scolded! Ha ha ha - Ow!â Bianca was about to reply with something a bit wittier than her previous insults as to slip it by her new âcensorâ of being civil, but found she didnât have to. The taller woman, apparently named Lindell, had already taken it upon herself to dole out the punishment for her. She snickered as her formidable opponent was roughly smacked around until she finally got the picture, ceasing any and all her incessant teasing.
âServes you right, you whelp...â Bianca muttered inaudibly under her breath.
Of course, Biancaâs increasing hostile feelings towards Ferma wouldnât help, considering Lin decided to take it upon herself to appoint Ferma as their guide for the rest of the day. A shocked expression crossed Biancaâs face, and she turned to face Lin and protest on probably the only thing Ferma and her would agree on all day.
âNo, no, she doesnât have to show us how sorry she is. Please, donât make us take her. Just give us a map or something and we can get their on our own and stuff!â It seemed her protests fell on deaf ears, as did Fermaâs, as Lin continued to walk away, smirking. Bianca sighed heavily, eventually walking along with the group once they headed back to town. But not before at least one little incident.
âAnd you. Youâd better watch your back little princess. Never know what might be behind youâŠâ Bianca slowly tried to back away from the now a little more evil looking Ferma, tripping over the small piece of earth she so expertly placed behind her foot, falling hard onto her bum. She glared angrily at the laughing pikeman, rising to her feet and rubbing her rump gingerly as she picked up her pace to catch up, moving in line right next to Ferma.
âHey! Whatâs your deal? Look, just because thereâs someone cuter than you around now doesnât mean you have to go torture them. Weâre on the same team now, yâknow? We should work together instead of bickering. What, do you want me to apologize to make you stop? Well, then Iâll be the first to say Iâm sorry I called you an untalented peon. There, I said it. Are we fine, now?â
Sheâd continue following along with the rest of the group, waiting for Fermaâs response. For the moment, Bianca was fairly annoyed that the one person she could talk to that was even somewhat close to her age already had it out for her, in a sense. How absurd...but typical.
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As Nicholas watched the two walk away, he said to Artur "Should I try to keep them in line so they don't get into too much trouble? I can be persuasive without using threats, you know."
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Niel smiled again and joined Artea over on the grass, laying down looking back at the sky. What could he say, it looked comfortable when she did it... and it reminded him of home. He speared the ground as he lay down to keep the lance standing up and at the ready and went back to looking at the clouds.
"You're lucky though. Artur good head on his shoulders. He isn't too damn headstrong. There was one time I was with another mercenary group... The Silver Moon or something to do with the stars and whatnot. Anyway, the captain hears of some bandit problems in a nearby town, they're practically sieging the town.. can't remember the name of the town for the life of me. Somewhere in western Remington. Anyway, the bandits on all the roads out and burned the bridges they couldn't man. This town got a messenger out and the cap'n got word of it. Fool charges straight in while half the company was sleeping, only rousing a few of us and never waiting for us to catch up. You know how it is, he was young and had delusions of being a hero. So the rest of us group up 'nd head out after the damned fool."
"By the time we got there, the fool had his head on a spike. He apparently made a frontal assault with the men he had. Just a handfull of tired men taking on a well fed, well rested force with flanks. Anyway, the time we get there, they want to parley with us, thinking we have some connection to them. The bandit mistakes me for the leader and gives terms of surrender. They thought the cap'n's unit was a scouting party, and our size must be enormous based on that, and they wanted to get the hell out of there before we kicked their arses. Well, ends up we... 'politely decline' the invitation and take the rest of the bandits on, eventually getting the town in order again." Niel sighed "That cap'n went and died a hero's death like he wanted, got himself a grave in that town. But tell you what, ask me, a hero's death means less than a cheat's life."
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âHaha, what? Seriously - Iâd say your ignorance was cute, but itâs really just sad more than anything else. Letâs get a few things straight, Bibi.â Bringing her hand around in front of her, Ferma begin listing off her reasons, raising a finger on each point. âFor one, you are NOT cuter then me and for two, I may be your âguideâ but we are NOT on the same team.â Ferma moved her hands on her hips, looking condescendingly down on âBibiâ. Even though she was bent to accommodate Biancaâs height (despite not being too much taller herself), there was no doubt she was asserting what she believed to be her superiority. 'Bibi' was just another excuse to practically be calling her 'baby' with an accent.
"It's a dog eat dog world, I honestly don't think you have the stuff to make it in this business if you're trying to get all cute and apologise." Correcting her stoop, Ferma straightened up, smirking.
âAlthough I do appreciate your apology. It's accepted, so Iâm to-tal-ly fiiineâŠâ She paused, closing her eyes as if settling to say no more before slyly grinning and peeking at Bianca with one eye. âBut I canât say the same about you. You've got some growing to do, washboard.â Ferma giggled, but covered her mouth, mocking that it was an accidental slip up.
âOops, so sorry Bibi, I didnât mean that.â She chuckled some more, thinking to herself. âBy which I mean, you won't be growing anything, because youâre a totally wussy little baby. No doubt youâll go crying back home soon enough.â Continuing to think insults to herself, it seemed Ferma was capable of behaving⊠Somewhat. It was kinda hard to tell if you could call it that, but at least she didn't say everything out loud.
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- "You're lucky though..."
The female thief raised an eyebrow, lucky? How so? Though Artea had little time to ask a question, as Neil somehow felt the need to rant on a little back-story of his time before he joined 'The Red Wolves'. She'd interrupt him, but didn't. It couldn't hurt to learn a little about Neil's past. Even if that supposed past was just him telling a story which he only remembered vaguely...
Artea kept herself silent for a few moments. Did Neil attempt at teaching her something? Or was this his usual, bragging story telling? It didn't feel that way though...
Finally after some time, the Vice Captain spoke, and turned her head to see Neil staring at the clouds. "So, you telling me that a hero's death is worth less then a cheat's life. Does that mean you wouldn't want to die a hero?" The thief gave a soft, silent sigh before turning her head back to face the blue sky.
"You can't really blame someone wanting to do good, even if that means dying in the process." Artea reached for one of her throwing knives on her belt, and started to spin it around in her right hand. "But, I suppose we all have some expectation of ourselves, don't we?" The female thief carefully slid her left index finger around the sharp edges of the knife. She didn't know why she just said that, it just rolled from her lips.
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They reached the gates not long after he thought this. Luckily, everyone was already there. He said to Artea and Neil, "Guys, I hope you are ready. We are going to be spending a night out of the city to meet with another mercenary group. They are going to Bree, but their camp is not too far from the mountains we need to get to. Have any of you seen Will?" From very close by, a voice answered, "Yes, I am right here. I was waiting for you." Will stood up off the ground, closing a book as he stood. Of course, he had been reading. That wasn't really a surprise, was it? He motioned for the others to follow him back out the gates, then thought of something. He said, "You all wait here for a sec, I need to interrogate a prisoner."
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âHmph. I see that you a neâer-do-well simpleton like you knows nothing but throwing around petty insults and rude remarks. How disgusting.â She turned up her nose and crossed her arms. âI rescind my apology. Clearly a barbaric, boorish, and uncouth girl such as yourself doesnât deserve one. And plus, you didnât say no takesies-backsies.â She turned and stuck out her tongue mockingly just before she ran back behind their guide and over to Artur and company. Though, not before turning and saying, âAnd I can already tell you that no matter what you say, the cuter one is still me!â
Surprisingly, for the rest of the trip to town, Bianca remained surprisingly silent, keeping to herself mostly. While it mightâve been a little difficult to tell, a few of Fermaâs insults really got to her. The washboard comment was one, but in particular, in her mind, one sentence continued to play over and over...
"It's a dog eat dog world, I honestly don't think you have the stuff to make it in this business if you're trying to get all cute and apologise."
She knew the phrase somewhat, since sheâd heard it a few times in her life, but she barely knew what it meant. However, she easily insinuated itâs meaning from the rest of the statement. Not going to make it? But she had great healing abilities, her supreme cuteness, and all these talented folks around her to protect her. What made Ferma so confident that Bianca was destined to fail in her quest for adventure? She barely even knew her. The little magical girl pondered this thought for the majority of the trip...
Once in town, the group met up with the rest of the mercenaries in their group, which consisted of Neil, that Will guy, and some other woman Bianca didnât know. She gave the woman a hard look as Artur doled out his orders, and an even harder look after Artur left to interrogate whoever that prisoner was. She wasnât quite sure why that was important, but there were more pressing matters to attend to. Bianca walked right up to the woman and tugged on her short skirt to get her attention.
âHeeeeey. I know that guy, and that guy, and that guy over there...â Each time she pointed to Neil, Nick, and Will, â...But Iâve never seen you before. Who are you? Are you a part of this group? Everyone seems to be looking at you like they know you, so Iâd guess yes, but I dunno you. But itâd be nice to have another girl on the team. Well, one that doesnât hate me, like that mean one over there.â She leaned in close whispered that last sentence, subtly pointing at Ferma.
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"About bein' a hero... Not fer me. Someday, I'll just get old and retire and be able to tell my war stories, tell jokes. But no, dying a hero's death, or even being a hero, lost it's glamour long ago to me."
Niel stopped and continued thinking. He knew this was rather out of character for him, but he was sober right now and, had to say, was kinda nice laying here talking to Artea. Soon though, he looked down as a rather large group came in... led by Artur. So they were back, or had arrived, where in bloody seven hells had they gone anyway? Niel stood up as Bianca made her way over, apparently eager to break away from the group. He listened in on a few words she said to Artea and then yanked his lance out of the ground and walked up to the group. "Hey there commander. Where where ya, I was just thinking about going back to go to the inn to see if you had gotten... sidetracked let's say."
Then Niel looked over the group and raised an eyebrow noticing three new people. "What, did you put signs out on the road too?" he joked "We seem to be three stronger than we were at the tavern..." then he added smiling, reverting right back to his old self "And two women too, which is always nice."
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They reached the city gates with no-one even mentioning him or giving him a second thought. But perhaps that was for the best. Hell, he hadn't expected half the group to jump out of nowhere to save "Artur"'s life. At the time he was just protecting a possible investment. But now he was stuck here in the open (albeit unnoticed) and could not back out if he wanted.
After several exchanges between members of the two parties, one of the Wolves brought up "three" new members: We seem to be three stronger than we were at the tavern.... Ejin was suddenly struck by a feeling of nervousness. He wasn't good with talking to or with large groups of people, even in the desert, and he knew he was going to have to at some point. Until he was addressed directly, though, he shut his mouth tight.
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As they made their way to meet the last of the Red Wolves, Fermaâs attempt at an introduction was interrupted by the little Bianca shoving her way past towards the only other female of the group. Ferma mumbled a little incoherently to herself in annoyance, remaining quiet until the opportunity for her to speak arose, stepping forward.
âWell, I AM as valuable as two women, but itâs just me. Ferma Clerven of the Blade Wings - Iâll be your temporary travel guide.â Rapping her lance on her shoulder twice, Ferma stretched and moved over to the wall, going into a lean as she waited for Arturâs return. She contemplated making conversation with one of the strangers, looking over each of them, but for the most part everyone seemed to be keeping to them and hard to approach. Breathing a puff of air that flipped her fringe from her eyes, she decided not to let it rile her too much. She didnât need to be proving herself to these guys.
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Korin unfolded his arms at the sight of a figure approaching down the road, and after taking a moment to confirm it was Lindell, made his approach to meet her half way. Though his initial concern was for her, the lack of Ferma was slightly worrying â Had that girl gotten herself into trouble again?
Lindell gave a slight wave as she approached, chuckling nervously as she rubbed the back of her head. Itâd probably take a bit of explaining to Korin for this one. He wasnât the kind to like these social events, but she was certain he would agree considering what the Red Wolves had done.
âNow, before you ask, Iâm fine, and so is Ferma. Juke is with her back in town.â Lin started with reassurance as Korin stopped up next to her before matching her pace, continuing with her back to the encampment.
âYou had me worried. It shouldnât have taken that long to get supplies.â Korin took the time to look over Linâs slightly messy hair and dusty clothes. Something had happened at some point, and Linâs expression wasnât exactly the best for keeping secrets.
âWell, youâre right about that. We kind of stopped for some fun⊠And, well⊠Got involved in an ambush on the way backâŠâ Lin chuckled some more, before Korinâs stern expression indicated she was to continue.
âDonât give me that look. You know we can handle ourselves.â Lin poked out her tongue, but it didnât provoke a cheery response from Korin. Instead, she decided to just continue her tale.
âAnyway, we were making our escape when another Mercenary group came to our aid: The Red Wolves. Turns out theyâre pretty nice people, and, after their help I invited them back to stay the night with us. Fermaâs with them now so she can show them the way back.â Lindell smirked at the end from Korinâs surprised expression, giggling a bit. It was funny seeing him put out of his comfort zone.
âAnd you did all this without my permission?â Korin sighed, holding his head a moment. âI donât suppose we can turn them back, can we?â
Another giggle from Lin. âNo, not really. Besides, you want to thank them too, donât you?â
Korin nodded. âI am grateful youâre both okay. Very well, speak to Barryn about preparing enough food. Iâll see to it we set up some tents for our guests.â
Lindell smiled as they entered the base, giving Korin a quick kiss on the cheek as she darted inside. âThanks so much, Commander!â Giving a wink, she went off to find Barryn, while Korin simply shook his head, a slight smile on his face.
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- "Guys, I hope you are ready..."
After exchanging some last words with Neil, the Vice Captain rose up from her relaxing position. "Artea reporting for duty, sir!" The thief saluted her captain, instead of using her hand, she used the knife that was still in her hand to salute. Surprisingly enough, Artur didn't even mention a word about her not showing up for the mission report. Artea expected, at the very least, a long question about her whereabouts.
After sliding the knife back in its place, the Vice Captain glared at the group of sheep that was following the Red Wolves leader. Attempting to figure out who was who in her mind. Looks like she had some introducing to do, but first things first...
- "You all wait here for a sec, I need to interrogate a prisoner."
The Vice Captain was about to follow Artur to see who this supposed prisoner was. Though a tucking at her skirt stopped her from even attempting the following. Artea turned her eyes to the girl who was wanting her attention. She was a bit shorter then Artea, almost like the girl was still a little kid. Little kid...
The female thief give a soft smile as she attempted to take on an equal eye level with the pink haired girl. "You must be Bianca." Artea said as she simply poked the child mage on her forehead. "Neil told me 'bout you, I suppose I'd welcome you to our mercenary guild." The Vice Captain paused for a bit, giving a quick stare at the others in the group. Even the Pyro mage was here, along with some new faces as well. She assumed the strangers were part of the mercenary group who they'd be spending the night with...
"Well, my name is Artea. I'm a member of the Red Wolves as well." The thief turned her attention back to Bianca, she still wasn't able to believe the girl in front of her was still a child. But Artea wouldn't want to question Artur's decision, the leader of the Red Wolves probably had some good reasons for recruiting Bianca.
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He walked to the bar, ordering a few drinks, and sat himself across from the man. He waited in silence, staring at the man. The drinks came, and along with them, a roll of cheap cloth, as requested on the side. Hallik looked to the man's wound and to his staff, with the exposed edge. The man could wait. He wrapped the blade.
"Drink." It was an order. The man refused, but well enough. More for Hallik. He scooped the mug into his hand and took a deep pull. "Get your story straight, I won't harm you. They will."
The man was stoic, he wasn't fazed. Good for him. Nothing to do but wait.
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â...Youâre giving me that look as you talk to me. The same look everyone has been giving me when I talk to them and tell them Iâm in this group. You probably think the same thing, donât you? That Iâm too young, too little, and too weak to be in this group.â She looked down for a moment, pondering the thought, then sighing. âWell, I apologize, but...this is what I wanna do. I wanna go on this adventure and do something exciting. Iâm sick of being cooped up with my parents in Lor. Iâm grateful for this opportunity that Arturâs given me, and no matter what you guys think, Iâm coming along. And trust me, itâll be worth it. I promise.â She put her hand over her heart to indicate such a promise. And performing the gesture reminded her of something.
â...By the way, Iâve got a bit of a, uh, personal question for you. Do you mind if we talk over there for a short moment?â She pointed over to a spot nearby, but one that was out of earshot of the rest of the group. Bianca managed to drag the poor thief all the way over there before she turned and faced her.
âSorry, but this bit is a little embarrassing, and I wanted to make sure that no one else heard this.â She stopped to take a deep breath, then continued. âI wanted to ask you this since youâre the only other girl in the group.â She paused for a moment, contemplating how to formulate her question. Once she thought of a good way to put it, she blurted it out. âThat girl that just joined us, Ferma, was making fun of me and mocking me, and called me a âwashboardâ. So, I wanted to know...â She pointed to Arteaâs chest. â...how do I grow ones like yours? I know yours arenât that big, but they at least stick out more than mine...â She prodded her own chest momentarily before looking back up at Artea with sad puppy eyes. âPleeeease tell me how I can grow them so mean old Ferma stops making fun of me. Youâre the only other girl, so youâre the only one who can help me...â Bianca tried to look as dejected and as sad as possible as she continued to give the thief her sad puppy eyes.
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He ran into the place they had been gathered before. While he had expected Hallik to wait by the gate, he wasn't that wrong in going here. After all, Artur's words had been a little vague, and he had only himself to blame for that. He walked up to Hallik and said, "Alright, join everyone back at the gate, I will be there in a second. I will just take this guy out back." Artur grabbed the guy and pulled him to his feet before escorting him out the back. After about ten minutes, he escorted the man back in, the man looking considerably worse for wear. He said to himself, "Now I just have to turn him in to the authorities and we can get out of here."
Lucky for him, the authorities were only a hop, skip, and a jump away. In only a few minutes he had turned the guy in and was heading to meet up with his group, some extra cash in his pocket. To his relief, he saw that they had yet to leave, so he ran up to them and said, "Alright, we are done here now, we can go."
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- â...Youâre giving me that look as you talk to me...â
That look? What look? The female thief was fairly sure that she did not intend on making funny faces to amuse Bianca. The mage wasn't that young, was she? Wait, too young? Yes. Though I still think Artur has good reasons for recruiting someone like you Bianca. The young mage did not seem to respond to Artea's words, of course not, unless mages can read thoughts as well.
After a few seconds of silence, the Vice Captain gave a soft, but warm smile. "So, you joined us for some good ol' adventuring? How cute." Artea once more poked Bianca on her forehead, as if she was some kind of object that needed re-winding every five seconds. "I joined for similar, if not the same, reasons. Plus, I wouldn't doubt Artur's decision, he's a good leader. And I trust him on recruiting you into our Mercenary group, Bianca." The female thief chuckled in her thoughts as the young, pink haired mage made some kind of royal gesture.
- â...By the way, Iâve got a bit of a, uh, personal question for you. Do you mind if we talk over there for a short moment?â
Well, Artea wouldn't mind. But she wouldn't have the time to respond to Bianca's question in any form. Without obstructing, the Vice Captain let the young mage pull her towards a more distant area, away from the others. "Easy there, sweety. I'm not some kind of doll y'can drag all over the place!" Artea acted as if she was out of breath, which wasn't true, obviously. But she just wanted to let Bianca know that she wasn't quite pleased with the sudden pulling. The female thief was dragged fairly far, she could only hear some faint mumbling from the rest of the group from her position.
- âI wanted to ask you this since youâre the only other girl in the group.â
My, that's gotta be quite the question she has on her mind then. Come on little mage, speak up. Artea motioned for Bianca to speak her mind, although she doesn't mind being asked for advice, there is no need to stall. Just spit it out already! She could vaguely make out that it was about her 'washboard', whatever that would've been. But the pointing at Artea's chest, and the prodding of her own made it crystal clear this wasn't about doing the laundry in your spare time.
Slightly astonished by the sudden question, and the
The Vice Captain gave the mage a warming smile, before raising herself to her normal height. "You're a mage, maybe there is a spell that will allow them to grow." The female thief gave Bianca a simple wink, and made her way back to the group. Artur had already made it back, seemed Artea wouldn't get the chance to interrogate someone after all, bummer. "Say boss, can we finally get'a move on? I can wait, but our Lancer over here insisted that you were too slow and that he was about to go do that mission on his own. Should I punish him for disrespecting you?" With a soft grin, the thief leaned with her left arm on Neil's right shoulder. Giving the Lancer a simple prod in his side with her other hand.
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Of course, as their little conversation went on and on, even though Artea tried to tell Bianca that she was justified in joining, and about her trust in Arturâs decision, all Bianca could really think about was how much she was still treating her like a child. If she really believed Artur made the right decision, why was she treating her like this! It was so unfair. She hated being belittled like this. She felt she had every right to be here, just like everyone else. Of course, the magical girl kept these thoughts to herself, keeping her fuming anger under control as they spoke.
The entire conversation went to shambles for Bianca when she was told to have patience. Patience? She didnât have time for patience. Was patience going to keep Ferma from teasing her about her lack of cleavage? Heck no! That girl was going to go to town on her for the duration of their trip, and there was nothing she could do about it. She sighed, looking down at the ground. It seemed her conversation with Artea had only served to make her momentarily unhappy.
âYouâre a mage, maybe there is a spell that will allow them to grow.â Artea gave Bianca a wink, but the girl put on her best pouty face, crossing her arms and looking away.
âJust because everyone thinks Iâm a toddler doesnât mean I was actually born yesterday,â she said snidely. It seemed the treatment she had been getting from both Ferma and Artea was starting to get to her, even if Artea only meant well. âI know well and good that thereâs no such spell, especially not for Lux. Maybe under one of the other elements, but not mine." She looked down, grabbing what little chest she had. "I guess Iâm just stuck this way, having to...listen...to...â Before she could finish, she noticed that the thief had already started to walk away, as if she didnât hear a word Bianca said.
âHmph. Figures...â She stated, giving the group a cold stare momentarily at her spot away from the group. Deciding she was done with conversation with anyone for the moment, considering how incredibly well her talks had gone lately, she slowly sauntered over closer to the group, plopping herself down somewhat nearby. While waiting for the word to head out, she took her staff and started carving little figures and shapes into the dirt, her boredom clearly outweighing anything else in her mind. She sighed as she drew another one of the runes from her old textbook in the clay beneath their feet.
âI hope things get better...and more interesting...â She muttered to herself.
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But instead, when he turned, he caught Artur stalking off muttering something about Haliik hijacking the prisoner. Niel grimaced to himself thinking of what Artur was going to be doing, perhaps he should offer his services in this, he'd done that more than once. However, on second thought, Haliik was there and he wouldn't ignore a direct command from Artur now, would he?
So, defeated Niel turned to the other man that had come in the company of their commander. A desertman by the look of him, or a decendant of one, but he carried himself well, and carried the partisan well in his hands. With that Niel deduced he must be a traveller, someone who left the desert for one reason or another and had been wandering for a while, seeing the world. The desert had no need for a heavier weapon like the partisan, and it would just be more burden for less effect while traversing great distances over the sands, while on the same token, the spear traditionally used in the desert would be too flimsy to pierce decent armor. So this man must have had at least one run in with bandits in his time, who knows, maybe he was looking for a mercenary group.
But this was all conjecture. Niel approached the man and took his waterskin off his belt and held it out to the other man. "A drink?" he asked.
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He slowly wandered around, lost in thought and muttering to himself a little, not noticing the little healer until he was standing right next to her, and even she seemed a little irked about something.
âI hope things get better...and more interesting...â
"Still thinking about those adventures of yours?" Nicholas asked her with an air of genuine curiosity rather than his usual mood. "If it helps, you could ask me a question and watch me puzzle over it. Not much, but it passes the time. Somehow."
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âNo, itâs not that,â She said after a time, sighing afterwards. âItâs just that the more I stick around, the more these people make me feel like I donât belong here. That Iâm too young and too naĂŻve. I mean, just look at the way Ferma treated me, not to mention most everyone else. Even Artea treated me that way. I thought of anyone, she would understand.â She stopped her tirade for a moment, remembering that Artea did understand. After all, she said she could relate to wanting to run away like Bianca did. She began to backpedal. âEr, I-I mean, she did understand where I was coming from, but she still treated me like I was a step below her, a little kid...â
The little girl took another deep, heavy breath. âI left my parentsâ house and the city of Lor hoping for a grand adventure and excitement, thinking I would easily be able to fit in with all the rest of the intrepid adventurers out here. I read all the books about big adventures, and I thought I was acting with that same confident air that they all did. But...I guess Iâm just going to have to accept that Iâm still just a little kid, and will always be treated as such.â She paused for a moment, then added, âWell, at least until these grow.â She prodded her chest rather comically. âStupid patience and time...â
It took the magical girl a while before she actually responded to the second part of Nickâs talk to her, choosing to ponder over her thoughts for a moment instead. She shook her head vigourously before answering fully.
âMy apologies. You didnât come here to
âUmm...well, I guess I can reciprocate the same question to you. You just joined this group, so how do you feel about all these people? Right now, I think theyâre all being spooty spoot heads. Especially that Ferma girl. Sheâs so mean to me...â Such a simple question, but in truth, Nick had already answered most of her questions before. That, being, why he liked to burn people, why he joined the Red Wolves, how he learned all of what he learned, and what he used to do before he came here. She was tempted to ask a few other questions, but felt it was best saved for later. Or just rather rude to ask at all. She mightâve been a little pretty princess, but she at least had some manners. Somewhat.
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âItâs not too far really, and itâs kind of impossible to get lost. Just need to follow along the dirt path to Bree, and you canât miss it on the side.â
Gesturing as she moved to lead the group, assumedly, everyone would follow suit after her as she proudly made her way out of town. She had to admit, this felt pretty cool â Being in charge of her own little band, telling them where to go, what to do. I mean, TECHNICALLY they were under Arturâs control, but for the moment heâd be following her, so she was in charge.
The trip was filled with much flaunting of authority, taunting gestures, laughs and a small amount of apologies that shanât be detailed. Things only truly started getting interesting as they approached the walls of the Blade Wings campâŠ
âCommander Korin! It appears the members from the Red Wolves are making their arrival!â
Korin looked up from his position addressing the soldiers, nodding and saluting to the lookout guard as he made his way over to the front gate. It seemed it was time to meet this mercenary group heâd heard so much about. Preparations had gone smoothly, Barryn having started on more than enough food for everyone, while Lindell handled the sleeping arrangements for the guests. Perhaps most important of all, Korin himself had seen to the security arrangements for the evening, assigning guards around the compound to insure that any disturbances would quickly be discovered â Both internal or external.
After all, there was no harm in being too careful.
The base of operations for the Blade Wings was actually relatively well furnished. A square compound surrounded by wooden walls and sectioned into four separate areas, there was designated areas for eating and cooking, tents for rest, training and sparring fields backed by a weapons tent, and a general common area. In the centre of the camp was the command tent, where Korin and the others would convene on missions and work, along with storing the majority of the earnings. Central paths that convened in a cross shape at the command tent were worn into the grass and marked with dirt, and it was this main pathway that Korin was taking to the front entrance.
Midway down the path, Lindell ran over to accompany him, letting the remaining soldiers finish up setting the spare tents for Artur and company. All of the tents were relatively large, with plenty of standing room â Though it seemed each of the Red Wolves would be required to share a room.
âEverythingâs all set Korin, Barryn said dinner would be ready momentarily, so theyâre right on time.â
Korin nodded, closing his eyes in contemplation. He wasnât particularly good with social meetings like this, he much preferred to be interpreted and judged through his actions rather than talk. As Lindell continued to eye his face, she grinned, giving him a soft squeezing hug.
âHey, ease up a bit, will you? Thereâs nothing to worry about, youâre not going for a job or something, weâre doing them a favour. Just be yourself.â As Lindell hugged into his chest, Korin sighed, slowly removing her arms, ending up in a bit of a fidgety war with the archer.
âIâm not worried-â
âYes you are!â
âNo, Iâm not. Iâm just not certain whether this sort of meeting is appropriate in our line of work. As Mercenaries we could very well end up on opposite sides.â Korin went serious as he finally managed to get Lin off of him, sternly watching the approaching group. His gaze faltered for only a moment as he looked to Lindell, her hand over her heart and her eyes downcast as she sighed, downtrodden by Korinâs hardline approach to things.
âI just⊠Everything doesnât have to always be so bleak, does it? They could end up being good friendsâŠâ Korin watched Lindell meet his eyes, trying to derive some sort of support from her leader. It was some time before he decided to respond, placing a hand on her shoulder.
âI understand things are hard, but I just donât like mixing business and pleasure.â Korin attempted a smile, but his face turned to surprise as Lin turned away, letting Korinâs arm fall to his side.
âI guess that explains a lot about you thenâŠâ Lindell murmured, keeping her back to Korin. He wondered what she meant by that, but had no time to ask as he turned his attention to Ferma, who was now running up and well within earshot.
âCommander Korin! Ugh, finally weâre here, I donât think I couldâve put up with them another secondâŠâ Ferma was of course exaggerating, but even Korin couldnât help but smile at her pouty little face, ruffling her hair a moment, much to the girlâs annoyance.
âGood job Ferma. Go and let Barryn know weâll be inside shortly for our meal. You can tell me all about your adventure later.â
Ferma made an annoyed âOoooooh!â before storming off, annoyed at the childish treatment she was relegated back to now she was back at the bottom of the pecking order. She wouldâve maybe protested, but the prospect of getting some delicious food from Barryn, and the way Lin seemed a little off was enough to make her leave without much of another word.
As Ferma made her leave, Korin turned to face the group, eying over each of them before making his address.
âMy name is Korin Hartnell, and I am commander of the Blade Wings and leader of this encampment. I trust you all know Lindell, my second in command.â Gesturing to her for but a moment, Korin continued after allowing a response from Artur.
âI understand you dealt with some bandits harassing my companions, and for that, I thank each of you. Youâre welcome to stay the night, as weâve prepared food and lodging for each of you.â
Turning his back to them and heading inside, he beckoned them to follow, Lindell waiting for each of them to pass before trailing at the back of the group. Leading them each over to large wooden banquet table, there seemed to be quite the feast prepared, a few soldiers already tucking in, Ferma herself included. Barryn stood at the head of the table, happily watching everyone eat over their meal.
âPlease, be seated, and take what you wish. Thereâs plenty to go around. If you have any questions, donât hesitate to ask myself, Lindell, or anyone around really. Weâll do what we can to assist you with what you need.â
Korin pulled aside a seat, moving into position to sit as he poured himself a drink. He didnât intend to stay too long at the social gathering, since it wasnât his forte â However, heâd remain for some time out of courtesy to the guests.
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Eventually the group was led over to what seemed like a banquet hall. Well, more like a banquet table, but that didnât matter too much to Bianca. At least, not unless any bugs showed up. Or any sort of âwildernessâ in any sense, for that matter. Still, finally, someone was treating her like the princess she was, giving her a plethora of food on arrival. She steeled herself to not being treated this way, but that didnât stop it from feeling incredibly awesome when someone actually did. This was the way it was supposed to be, or at least, so she thought.
For a fair while, Bianca sat at her spot, not really talking to anyone. How could she? Her face was absolutely stuffed with food. Several of the members around the table were probably surprised at how much food was ravished by the young mage, pile after pile of helpings devoured, each in a matter of minutes. It would certainly be obvious to the rest of the crew that either this girl had absolutely no manners, or she was just really, really missing good food.
âWhew. Iâm stuffed...â Bianca finally said after a lengthy amount of time stuffing her face, sitting back and patting her full belly. â...It was nice to finally get to eat like a princess again. Itâs been so long...â Though in reality, itâd really only been a couple of days. Didnât seem like she had a very good perception of time.
However, as stuffed as she was, Biancaâs next issue that needed satisfying other than her hunger was her curiosity. She somehow managed to skillfully jump out of her seat and take a small stroll over to the head of the table, where the âbig boss manâ Korin sat for the moment.
âHey, mister. Mister, Korin, right?â She asked, looking up at him, managing to act as perky as ever. From his angle, Korin would most certainly have to look slightly downward in order to meet the gaze of the magical pretty princess.
âMister Korin. Your spear using girl over there, Ferma...sheâs been mean to me this whole trip.â She put her hands behind her back, trying to give Korin the cutest face possible. Which she succeeded at doing, of course. âShe compared my âtalentsâ to a washboard and tripped me and did all kinds of things. She was really, really mean. Now, I know youâre probably thinking Iâm gonna ask you to make her stop.â She paused for a moment to giggle as she thought up this next part. âBut I can already tell you donât have any kind hold on her behaviour. So Iâll at least ask, whyâs Ferma so mean? Does she have a chip on her shoulder because of something, or is she just naturally super petulant? Or maybe she just has issues that Iâd rather not know about.â She paused as if to ponder this comment. âWell? Do you know?â
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Aside from trying to explore every corner of the encampment, Artea attempted to absorb all the information that was being given. So, that was what Artur has been up to... The female thief knew nothing 'bout having saved some of this.. Korin's fighters. Though she just simply nodded in agreement and left her mind to wonder the encampment once more. At least they had one. The Red Wolves just had that, dull, lifeless tavern as a base of operations. Though, judging from the size of this camp, this Mercenary band would have quite a few more men. Compared to Artur's group anyway.
When the Commander beckoned for all of them to follow, Artea stared at the large, wooden table filled with a banquet worth of food. And the female thief did not hesitate to quickly take up a seat, and fill her plate with a large heap of various kinds of food. Though, she wasn't the only one who had an appetite. Artea spotted the young mage, Bianca, eating as if her life depended on it as well. Speaking of which, the Vice Captain hadn't been exactly polite towards the female mage. Not on an equal level at least. She'd try and have a decent conversation with Bianca some time later.
Having finished most of her meal, Artea turned her head slightly up to examine everyone seated at the large table. Some were still busy devouring their stack of food, some were attempting to start a conversation of some sort. Which wasn't such a bad idea, it'd be nice to get acquainted with at least one of these members. âSo, my minions saved you from a group of bandits, huh?â The female thief looked at wherever Lindell was seated, trying to get a conversation rolling. âHow many members do y'have exactly? This camp is quite large...â Artea spoke with a slight flavour of jealousy in her tone. Not that she was really jealous. But it was a rather intimidating sight, entering the camp. And it made her wonder when The Red Wolves would be able to afford something this big...