A Deceptively Difficult Task

[grim137]

((Closed.))

“You the one they call Tarry Whealer?”

“Depends, why?”

“Because if you are I have a proposition for you.”

“Go on.”

“Have you heard of the Grander’s Order?”

“Sounds familiar, weren’t their leaders in the famed LCC?"

“Yeah they were.”

“An ice wielding prick and his little energy throwing man servant?”

“You mean Prince Raelyse Salidan VIII and Canen Darkflight. Yeah, and you’d do well to watch who you insult blood…”

“Just get to the point.”

“Well for some reason it seems they’ve taken an interest and would like you to join The Grander’s Order.”

“I’d rather castrate myself with a rusty knife.”

“You sure, they seem to think you’re quite skilled in battle.”

“Then they’re not as stupid as I first thought, but the answer is still no.”

“Why not? Somebody with your kind of infamy must surely know how to appreciate a deal where they can get fame, fortune and power.”

“Well I don’t really give a shit about the fame but you should have mentioned the fortune and power sooner. What do I have to do?”

“Just sit here for now, I’ve got some other initiates in to the Order that should be joining us shortly. I’ll tell you everything once they arrive.”

Tarry was sitting in a dank pub known as The Pine Mug on the outskirts of Concordia. The man who he was talking to was one of the captains of The Grander’s Order by the name of Edmund Silvanus, a stout man with blue eyes, brown hair and a thin beard. He had a wooden composite bow on his back along with a quiver that granted him an infinite supply of arrows plus finely crafted steel short sword at his side. Together with the blind vampire Tarry Whealer, a dangerous individual whom he had just recruited he was waiting for three others. Once that happened the initiation process would begin and hopefully in the end The Grander’s Order would be four members larger.

[Khalxaen]

Pine Mug… look for Edmund Silvanus. Khalxaen read the little piece of paper, over and over again. She had no idea why a group like the Grander’s Order would be interested in recruiting her, but she thought it might just be worth the time. They only offered two things that caught her attention: money and adventure.

They didn’t really mention the adventure part, but it was something Khalxaen had assumed on her own. Being given the chance to join such a group would mean adventure too, right? Khalxaen still wasn’t used to Corone, but it couldn’t be that difficult to find a pub right outside a forest called Concordia.

Her face shot up as she saw it at the end of the dirt road she was walking. The pub was quaint and dim as she entered the doors, stepping inside the place. She looked around, finding that it was only filled with a few people. She barely remembered what Edmund Silvanus, the man who came to her a few days before, looked. It wasn’t much of a problem; all she remembered of him was his queer stoutness, and there was only one person in there who fit that description.

She walked up to him and noticed he was already speaking to another man. The said man had bandages wrapped around his eyes, and Khalxaen curiously tilted her head, wondering if he was blind or injured, or maybe another reason.

“Uh… I’m here.” Khalxaen gingerly muttered at Silvanus.

[Striker]

Information has a strange way of getting around, but the best types of information come to you in a dark alley with a knife pressed firmly against your back. You know, to make sure you're listening. After informing him that the safest place to sleep tonight was The Pine Mug the shadow had gone, taking his blade with him.

Eyes darting with suspicion, Striker breezed through the front door. He wasn't exactly the type that could hide if he wanted to, so he simply chose a seat and waited. Trying to remember where he recognized the short, elf looking demon (Something about hands? Out in the desert?), Striker was far more concerned with the table which housed the blind man and archer. Khalxaen looked just as confused as he did. The other two, however, just seemed to be waiting for one more...

Oh well. If things turned violent, Striker would be ready. Until then, he would wait and see how this all played out. Leaning back into his chair, he crossed his arms and kept alert.

[Telum]

Never a fan of sea journeys, Telum was grateful when The Sick Fish, a trading ship he had found passage on, finally docked in what he believed to be the city of Radasanth. He breathed a sigh of relief and stepped from the ship onto the wharf.

“Happy tah be on land, eh?” asked an old sailor he stepped off the ship behind him.

“Yes, I’m looking forward to seeing what Radasanth has to offer before I leave this city and explore the countryside,” replied Telum as he appreciatively gazed at the hustle and bustle of the docks around him.

“Leave what city?” asked the old man. “Oh, heh, heh, heh!” he let out a dry cackle. Telum looked at him curiously. “Boy,” laughed the old man, “You’re not even in Radasanth yet. This here is still just the dock district. Heh, heh, heh!”

“Wait, what do y-”

“Radasanth is still a good half a day’s hike down the river!” the old man slapped Telum on the back and said “But don’t worry, lad, I’m sure you’ll find something to occupy your interests for the time being.”

Before Telum could ask the old sailor what he meant, the man disappeared into the crowed, leaving Telum scratching his head. Telum’s whole purpose for this trip to Corone was so to pay homage to his deity, Draconus. Growing up he had heard stories from his adopted father about the fortress of Draconus located on Corone. Try as he might, his father could never remember the way he found the fortress, only that it was truly awe inspiring and a symbol of Draconus’s power. So Telum had decided to undertake a pilgrimage to find this fortress for himself and to show his respects to the Wyrm-god.

And every journey starts with putting one foot in front of the other, he thought.

He had arrived in the morning while the first mists were still being cleaned away by the sun, and by the time he had made his way from the docks to a pleasant road leading in the direction of the main city of Radasanth, the sun was already directly overhead. The road he was on lay next to a stretch in the Niema river where the structures of the docks have recently died off and the main buildings of Radasanth have yet to appear. Few people were on the road then, but Telum hardly noticed, his mind preoccupied with the idea of finding the fortress of his Thayne.

And Telum hardly noticed when the entire road became deserted as far as his eye could see. He hardly noticed as a lone figure approached him from behind, carrying a bow and a quiver.

“Are you the one they call Telum?” the man asked as he drew up alongside the human warrior.

“They?” asked Telum, “Who, exactly, are ‘they’?”

“Believe it or not there are those who know about you and your interest in the Thayne… particularly your interest in the Thayne that give you… strengths in battle.”

“Wait, what?” Telum turned to examine the man walking next to him. Clearly a warrior of some skill, he carried himself well and while a bit shorter than Telum he was built similarly. “How do you know anything about me?”

“The people I work for know quite a bit about many people, you just happen to be in the right place at the right time, my friend.”

“Right place and time for what exactly?”

“Soon there will be a meeting in a tavern called The Pine Mug, located on the outskirts of the forest of Concordia. A few of our… prospects will be there. You’ll find out more when you arrive.”

Telum stopped walking and looked directly at the man, “And why should I even go? What can your employers offer me?” As if on cue the people who should normally populate the street they were on reappeared.

“Well, they may be able to point you in the direction of a certain fortress. They would most definitely be able to finance more of these pilgrimages for you, as long as you do a little something for them.” The people began to press in around the two men, the talking of the crowd making it difficult for Telum to hear the last few words. Before Telum could ask what it was he had to do for them, the man slipped a small map into his hand and disappeared into the conveniently recent crowd.

But that was two days ago.

Now Telum was walking into The Pine Mug and could see the fellow he had had such a nice conversation with merely two days ago. That man was at a table with two others: a small girl and a man with bandages around his eyes. Besides that, the only other person of interest was a cat-like creature with a halberd sitting by himself. Telum walked up to the three at the table together and simply nodded.

[grim137]

By now the sun was setting on the lands of Corone and most of the travelers that passed through The Pine Mug either left to continue on whatever journey had brought them to Corone in the first place or they had just come in tired from the previous days adventures and went upstairs to one of the numerous cheap rooms. All in all it was a perfect time and place to discuss business because it was unlikely that anybody of any importance would be eavesdropping on the conversation.

Returning Telum’s nod Edmund Silvanus wasted no time in starting his mission briefing as soon as the other three initiates had arrived at the table.

“Well I’m sure your wondering why your all here,” said Silvanus as he did his best to sound official. “My name is Edmund Silvanus and I am a captain of The Grander’s Order. You four have been chosen as initiates of The Order for you skills and your potential to become great. All you have to do is complete a task for me and you will all be accepted into the ranks of The Grander’s Order. Now the task is simple. You see our informants have told us that there is a garden somewhere in Concordia. While this normally wouldn’t qualify as news given the fact there are numerous camps of people as well as wood elf settlements in the forest, but this one has sparked particular interest. You see this particular garden grows a flower The Grader’s Order needs called soema flowers. I can’t give you the details of what the flowers do but I can tell you that it is vital that we take control of the garden. I have also been instructed by Prince Raelyse himself that it is of up most importance that we bring back at least one kilograms worth of seeds back to the Erebus. Numerous creatures and ancient traps of an unknown nature guard the garden itself unfortunately the Grander’s Order was unable to obtain more information regarding the details of these creatures and traps so be ready for anything. The garden is about one and a half days worth of travel by foot from here. Also keep in mind that this is dangerous and there is a high chance that some of you will be killed. There is no room for weakness or cowards in the Order so you may leave now if you feel you are not up to the challenge. We will be departing for the garden first thing tomorrow morning to reduce the risk of encountering bandits that hide in the forest. Now are there any questions?"

Tarry Whealer didn’t respond, instead the blind vampire decided to see how the other three would react. The captain’s speech may have been overly regal sounding and a little overblown but beneath all the crap and useless information there was some stuff that Tarry found interesting, or more specifically how the other three would react to said stuff. So instead the blind vampire continued to do what he had been doing since the speech began; leaning back in his with his feet propped up on the table and waited for the Captain and the other three to say whatever it was they had to say.

[Striker]

Striker snorted with laughter. Flowers again? Last time he had gone hunting for flowers he ended up in the middle of a near-failed and near-unpaid jail break plan. As logic stood, he'd be just as wise to stay the hell away. Flowers were trouble. Afterwards, he'd have to ask Silas just how much trouble he was lookin' to get into.

Still, just based on the way he was talking Striker could tell that there was money involved here. Or at least, something this Edmund fella considered valuable. We'll see if this order was worth a tinker's damn, but if stickin' it to a few bandits was all he had to do, he'd find a way to make things work his way.

"Well, Edmund, if this business is worth as much to me as you're making it sound, I'll see you in the morning." Departing from the table, he made his way to the bar for a nightcap of ale before turning in for the night.

[Khalxaen]

Khalxaen blinked as Striker went on ahead. She was sure she had seen him before, and she was correct—it was the creature she had given the nickname “Fur ball”, after she couldn’t get his real name. He might’ve told her afterwards, but Khalxaen being the tactless and apathetic girl she was, stuck to the nickname.

“Okay then!” Khalxaen said with a bright smile, standing up quickly. That was a lot of information for her careless mind to decipher, and she just hoped she could remember most to get by the next day. It didn’t matter—just play it by ear, that’s how she went by. “I’m heading off, too! Please just call me when we’re leaving tomorrow.”

With a quick wave, she made her way to check in for a room of her own. She had been roughing it for quite a few nights now, and a bed might actually do her good. When she was done, she quickly ran off to her designated room, ready for a good night’s sleep.

[Telum]

Ah yes, thought Telum, the ubiquitous “It’s out there somewhere; go find it; good luck” mission.

But still, this was a chance for Telum to explore Corone with at least some direction. If he was lucky perhaps he would find information on the whereabouts of the Fortress of Draconus. This “Order” that Silvanus spoke of may or may not be useful in helping Telum with spreading the word of the Thayne, but for right now it was a useful tool in helping him learn his way around Corone. The ambiguity of the mission didn’t bother him any more than he didn’t know how long it would take, considering that the specific garden they were looking for was “somewhere” in Concordia. Regardless, this was as good a chance as any to look for the Fortress of Draconus and possibly make some connections that could prove useful in the future.

Telum watched the cat-man walk off, soon followed by the girl and then he turned his full attention to the two men before him to ask a couple of questions that had been scratching in the back of his head since Silvanus revealed the details for this mission.

“I don’t intend to sound rude, but I’m going to,” he began. “How exactly will this… this… flower picking assignment determine our potential worth to the Order? Shouldn’t there be, oh I don’t know, some sort of test or trials that will show our stuff to the higher ups? I don’t doubt that this will be dangerous and whatever, but we’re essentially playing hide-and-seek with a garden.” Telum waited a heartbeat before directing his next question to the bandaged man and continuing, “And really, again I don’t mean to be rude, but might this be a little much for you, sir?”

Telum decided that he would wait for satisfactory answers and then immediately find a room to sleep in before the journey began the next day.

[grim137]

“Weren’t you listening?” responded Edmund scornfully to Telum’s question “I said that the garden is guarded by traps and monsters of an unknown nature.”

“I have a question,” said Tarry to Edmund completely ignoring Telum’s ignorant question about the situation being too much for him “why do we have to wait till morning? The sooner we leave the sooner we’re done with this degrading task. Surely you don’t think a group of people obviously worthy enough of being in the great Grander’s Order can’t handle some pathetic bandits?” asked the blind vampire not bothering hide the sarcasm that was ever present during a few parts of his statement.

“Because The Order doesn’t know if any of you are worthy or not. That’s why you’re doing this test. Besides not all of us thrive in the darkness like you bloodsuckers,” responded Edmund clearly annoyed by Tarry’s lack of respect for either him or The Order.

To Edmund’s remark of the bloodsuckers Tarry actually had a lot of biting insults begging to be launched off the tip of his sharp tongue at the Captain, but instead held back. The vampire was smart enough to realize that if he wanted a chance at the power and fortune that was promised for serving the group he would have to avoid pissing off higher ranked members at least until he became officially initiated. So instead of saying anything the vampire simply got up and left, no formal goodbyes or goodnights and no formal explanation, he simply left. He would be with the group come sun up to get initiated and that was all that mattered to him.

“Well now,” said Edmund to Telum this time in a much more polite manner “I think we should take a cue from the other three and be on our way, the sun will be up in a few hours and we’ll be leaving the as soon as its light out, good night,” and with that Edmund to got up and left the table to go to his room for some sleep, leaving Telum to his own devices.

****

About six and a half hours later found Edmund standing outside of the in as the sun rose above the horizon, waiting for the initiates to meet up with him. He wouldn’t wait long a few minutes at the most. If they didn’t make it then they failed there initiation, it was as simple as that.

The first initiate to arrive had been the blind vampire, the one Prince Raeylse himself had told the captain to recruit. In fact the vampire had arrived a little before Edmund himself, obviously preferring to wake up early. Then again the subtle smell of blood on the deadly predator’s breathe suggested that sleeping was the only thing he had done after the meeting the night before.

Still what members of the The Order, especially initiates did on their own time was of no concern to the captain or really any other ranking member of the group. All that mattered was that members and initiates full fill their duties. So now all that was left was to wait for the other three to arrive so the mission could officially begin.

[Striker]

Disturbed by the shafts of dawn's first light, Striker rolled out of a bed so hard it could deflect small-arms fire, and hit his head on the bedside table on the way down. Obscenities followed. The Spartan room came to something resembling a focus as Striker got himself dressed. Workin’ today. Flowers. Right. Another round of stupid nonsense that would pay. Life goes on. Shaking himself awake, he stumbled over creaking floorboards back to the ground floor of the inn.

Striker counted two others, and while his arithmetic wasn’t exactly fantastic, he could figure out they were a few short. After a fantastic yawn during which his jaw almost came neatly unhinged, he set down his halberd.

“You want I should wake ‘em up?”

[Khalxaen]

“I’m awake!” Khalxaen called out as she stepped out of her door. Her hair was tied up into a neater ponytail as it was just the start of the day and nothing rowdy had caused it to go into its usual messiness yet. She blinked as she looked out and saw everyone but one missing.

The demon looked around quickly and saw that there were only a few other rooms, and only one had the ‘occupied’ sign on it. Assuming that it was the one accompanying them, she quickly walked over to the door and knocked on it. “Rise and shine!” She said cheerfully. Khalxaen was obviously a morning person.

After she did her uncalled for greeting, she walked over to the other people quickly. With a smile, she waved to them brightly. “Well, let’s get going!”

[Letho]

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