[935] – Y04.035 – The Road to Home I

[935] – Y04.035 – The Road to Home I

Adam returned back to the inn, The Black House Inn, built of stone painted black, and in the City of a Thousand Colours, such an inn stood out like a mole upon clear skin. The building was warm, and the soft scent of the noon’s meal filled the air. Though certain meals could be bought, the main meal was always whatever the house decided one should eat, not that Adam seemed to mind, the fluffy flat bread sprinkled with cheese and herbs was a delight.

“Much better than porridge, isn’t it?” Adam teased Elsie, who smiled shyly, before going back to chewing her bread. ‘We’re spending a lot of money moving about. Thankfully we sold off a bunch of weapons on the way, but maybe I should sell more to the Duchess before we go? I’d love to meet Yellow Turban before we go, too, but I probably shouldn’t be doing too much, in case I accidentally cock something up.’

Jurot remained silent as he ate his food, glancing aside to Kitool and Vonda, exchanging a look with the Iyrman. ‘I should call for Iyrmen to assist us.’

The doors of the inn opened, with a particular Iyrman, adorned in only a breastplate, stepped in the inn. She carried a basket full of bottles, and upon her lips she carried the wide smirk of mischief.

“What are you planning n-,” Adam said, before pausing, noting the heavily armoured figures behind her. “Well, well, well!”

The half dragon’s brass scales shimmered under the noonval sun. She snarled as she entered the inn. It was also obvious she was from the east, since most half dragons and drakkens from the north had white or silver scales.

“I heard you needed help,” Vasera said, approaching the group, noting the gazes upon her and her group of Oathsworn. Her brass scales continued to shimmer even as she stepped into the inn, her horns covered with bits of chain and scales made of steel. She reached out to shake Adam’s forearm, glancing aside towards Vonda, the woman nodding her head. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Vonda replied, a gentle smile on her face.

“Are you guys free for business?”

“We’re open for business, but we’re too expensive to be free.”

“What is it? A hundred gold upfront, a hundred gold monthly?”

“Can you afford it?”

“If you’re willing to receive the payment a little later, once the business has cashed in it’s...” Adam paused, furrowing his brow. ‘Didn’t I make... isn’t there a bunch of fire swords being auctioned off?’ “If you’re willing to be paid once we’re at the business, we can deal with whatever other payments you need until then.”

Vasera groaned quietly, falling into thought. “Can you pay the seven hundred gold upfront?”

Adam glanced towards Kitool, who nodded. “Seems we can. I haven’t been keeping track of the gold recently, so I’m not sure how much we have, but we should be able to do that much. If nothing else, we can speak with the Duchess and figure something out.”

“If you can pay the upfront fee, we’ll allow you to delay the rest of the payment for a short while,” Vasera said, dropping herself with the group, glancing across the large group. She nodded towards Morkarai, narrowing her eyes towards the fire giant. ‘Is he...’

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Golden Savage.”

“You too,” Vasera replied, a wild grin appearing across her face, before her eyes darted to the half dragon beside the Prince. “Whose half spawn are you?”

“I’m not a half breed,” Karza replied, grinning wider.

“You’re not a Gryn, so are you a Drunda?” Vasera asked as if she didn’t know.

Karza’s smile faded a touch, but she bowed her head. “You’re an awful way from home, aren’t you?”

“Home is where the gold is.”

The pair cackled lightly at the phrase, a joke between those of dragon blood.

“How have you guys been?” Adam asked, glancing aside towards Rook.

“We’ve been living as we have,” Rook replied, shaking his head, sighing lightly.

“That bad?”

“Vasera’s been causing trouble when she’s not hired so we’ve been taking work swiftly. We haven’t worked this month, though, since we’ve been working so hard.”

“I’m sorry to cut your holiday short.”

“We were running out of coin anyway.”

“Running out of money? You?”

The guards at the front were a pair of young men, one in his early twenties, the other in his early thirties. They both wielded a staff in hand, while carrying smaller clubs at their side, the pair wearing scale tunics which were slightly too large for them. Their cloaks were pinned together by a token the size of one’s palm, the engraved rose within the token providing more protection than even their scale.

“Hah! Now that’s a large caravan!” The younger guard’s eyes beamed brightly. “What is it that you trade?”

“Magical weapons,” Adam replied, nodding his head towards the guard.

“That purple armour...” The older guard glanced between Adam and the rest. ‘Why do I recognise the armour?’

“I’d love to chat, but we’ve some business with the Order of Life’s Rose,” Adam said, reaching down for the gate fee. It was one gold per adult, a silver per child, and a gold per animal and cart, from what he recalled.

“Is this your first time in Life River?” The older guard eyed up the entire caravan, before his eyes returned back to the young man in purple armour who was dealing with his coins. “We’ve no gate fee.”

“I know, but I like paying anyway, it’s the least I could do,” Adam said, handing over a flat twenty gold. “It’s not enough, but hopefully it’ll be enough.”

“What business do you have with Life’s Rose?”

“The Ray wishes to return.”

“What?”

“Ray Vonda,” Adam said, motioning his hand to the carriage. “She wished to return to Life’s Rose.”

The guard narrowed his eyes, glancing towards the carriage. “There’s a Ray in the carriage.”

Adam hopped off the carriage, before knocking on the door. It opened, with Mara peeking out towards the half elf, before she pulled away to allow Vonda to step out. She wore her full habit, covering her almost head to toe, and the pair of holy symbols rested against her chest.

“Ray Vonda,” the guard said, tipping his helmet, the other quickly doing the same upon seeing Vonda’s face. “We didn’t know you were coming.”

“I apologise, I should have sent word ahead.”

“It’s no bother at all. I’ll send along word, shall I?”

“There is no need, the Order is expecting me,” Vonda assured.

The guard wasn’t sure if this was proper protocol, but even if Vonda wasn’t who she said she was, this was far above his station. “As you say, Ray.”

As the carriage passed through, the guards glanced between one another, and they informed their higher ups of the situation.

“It’s most likely the real Ray,” the Captain replied, glancing over towards the caravan. “The man in puthral is her husband.”

“Her husband?”

“The Seventh Hope came back from the wedding earlier this year.”

“I didn’t know he was her husband,” the guard admitted, hoping he hadn’t offended the fellow.

“I’ll follow them to make sure they’ve made it just fine.” The Captain, a woman in her thirties, donned her cloak of white, and stepped out, carrying her wooden blade at her side as she trekked through the town, following behind. She caught Rook’s eyes, the mercenary bowing his head, and the Captain bowed her head in return.

“I should have asked the Ray to pray for me.”

“She looked a little sick,” the younger guard replied.

“Don’t be silly, Ray’s don’t get sick.”

“Suppose you’re right. Musta been the light.”

“Yeah,” the older guard replied, glad he wasn’t the only one who had realised the Ray had looked a little off. ‘Musta been the light...’

Progress? This quickly?