Chapter 188: On the Road Again

Chapter 188: On the Road Again

“Is everything packed?”

“At this point, if something isn’t packed it deserves to be left behind.”

“Jadis...”

“Yes, yes, everything that was marked to be loaded onto the wagon has been packed on.”

“Alright, good,” Aila said with her fists on her hips. Tapping her foot for a few seconds, she abruptly turned and stalked back into the guild hall.

“Where are you—”

“I’m just checking I didn’t forget to mark anything; it’ll be just a moment.”

Jadis sighed through all three of her bodies. Aila was being something of a worrywart, though she couldn't really blame her. They were finally departing on their first ever expedition as a mercenary company and it was clear that the arcanist wanted everything to go as smoothly as possible. There was only so much she could control, but making sure they had packed everything they could possibly need was something she could act on, so Jadis didn’t complain. If it made Aila feel better to double and triple check, then she’d let her.

But if they didn’t get rolling down the road in the next five minutes Jadis was fairly certain she was going to start pulling out her own hair.

“D—don’t worry, I’ll go help her check,” Thea told Dys with a hesitant smile.

The shieldsworn hurried into the building after Aila. Jadis appreciated her intervention. Thea’s extensive history and training in the military meant she was more than competent when it came to making preparations for an expedition. She’d been just as active in helping the group make sure they had everything they needed as Aila, though in a more matter of fact way rather than a mother hen way. Jadis hoped she’d be able to wrangle the arcanist back outside so they could get moving.

Everyone else was packed, ready, and waiting. Kerr and Eir had helped with much of the packing and everything they needed had been loaded up first thing that morning. Bridget had shown up with a modest pack of what she’d referred to as essentials which she’d promptly and efficiently stowed in one of the wagon cubbies. Sabina had brought the most extra equipment, as she’d used her pay to buy a small anvil and a few extra crafting tools. It wasn’t exactly a mobile forge, but they would be enough to help her perform any spot repairs that might be needed for armor, weapons, or the wagon itself.

Even the tiny demonling was ready to get moving. The little tentacle monster was curled up inside a new version of the glass and metal container that Sabina had once crafted for it. This time it was a round, disc-like container that was about a foot in diameter and six inches deep. Jadis planned on hanging it onto the front of the wagon so the demonling could see while they were travelling, though she had refrained from doing so until they were outside the city walls. She didn’t want to have to explain her reasons to any strangers or city guards who might question the oddity.

“Still not gone?”

Jay turned to see Noll standing near the front of the wagon, a mug of something steaming hot in one clawed hand. Hans was with him, the silent guild employee. He, too, had a steaming mug and was sipping it gingerly.

As they made their way to the main gates of the city, the people who were out and about that morning stopped to stare at them. And also to get out of the way. The mobile fortress of a wagon took up most of the road, forcing anyone else driving a cart or riding a horse to wait on the side, whether they liked it or not. Jadis couldn’t hear what any of the people who gaped at them were saying to each other due to the sound of both their clanking armor and the rumble of the wagon wheels, but she hoped that they were talking about how strong the three of them had to be to pull the huge weight, rather than how silly the three heavily armored knights looked while doing so.

Eh. Probably both.

When Fortune’s Favored finally reached the gates, Jadis saw that the expected crew of guards Vraekae had warned her about was waiting for them. There were a dozen of them, six riding on horseback while the other six rode on a wagon of their own, one that was a more traditional size and pulled by a couple of work horses. Their captain, a human woman dressed in the same kind of armor that Thea used to wear, rode up to meet them.

“Good morning,” she greeted them politely. “I’m captain Willa, assigned to be your escort by Magistrate Vraekae. We’ll follow along behind. Set whatever pace you need, we’ll match it.”

“Fine,” Jay grunted. “Holler if you need something.”

Jadis tried not to be short with the captain but seeing her and the guard escort had dropped her mood low. Not because of them in particular, she was fine with them tagging along since they were just soldiers on a mission of their own and wouldn’t be interfering with hers. No, the reason why her thoughts had turned dark was how they reminded her of the discussion she’d had with Vraekae two nights ago. More specifically, what the Magistrate had told them about General Egilhard petitioning for their company to disband.

She had known that the general was interested in recruiting her into the military, specifically under his command, for political purposes but she hadn’t thought he’d be such a sleazy bastard about it. From what details Vraekae had been able to divulge, the general had submitted a multitude of complaints against nearly every single mercenary company present in the city, calling them out on various infractions via legal petitions. They were all legitimate violations, documented and above the board, but also entirely unnecessary and frankly not his business to enforce. He had, of course, claimed that he was just doing his duty as a military officer in making sure that the paramilitary elements of the region conformed to the operational standards of the empire. Not an unreasonable argument for a man in his position to make.

Jadis didn’t buy that excuse for a second, nor did the Magistrate. Vraekae suspected the general had written up the dozens of petitions as a smokescreen to make it seem as though he wasn’t specifically picking on Fortune’s Favored, just catching them in a general clean-up. How he could think that she’d ever be inclined to join him for anything after pulling such a scummy stunt she had no idea, unless he thought she wouldn’t find out, which was plausible. Dumb, since one of her known guildmates happened to be Magistrate Vraekae’s cousin, but still plausible.

Whatever the man’s reasoning and regardless of his political machinations, he’d still brought to light a valid point. Jadis had to get one more member to join her company for it to be an official guild. Leaving it in a provisional status wasn’t going to work, especially if assholes like Egilhard were going to poke their noses into her business and screw around with legal loopholes to try and control and influence her. She already had one manipulative blue elf bitch she’d come to be reasonably comfortable with. She didn’t have room for more politicians in her life.

Jadis wasn’t sure where she was going to find her tenth member, but once she got back from the expedition, she was going to go on a concerted recruitment campaign to find the right person. They didn’t have to take part in her lewd rituals, nor did they have to be a woman for that matter. She just wanted to make sure that the tenth person was someone she could trust.

Jadis’ thoughts about her mercenary company problems faded to the back of her mind as she crossed the threshold of the city gates. Fortunately, with the portcullis up and both doors wide open, the wagon did squeeze through, though Kerr and Bridget had to hop off of the roof to do so. Outside, the cobblestone road that led to the north lay before them, winding its way through the strange split hills of the region. The sky was blue and cloudless and the air was cold and crisp. It was a fine day for travel and that sight alone was enough to brighten Jadis’ outlook on the world.

“Oh, shit,” Kerr called out as the wagon reached the first valley the road led them through.

“What is it?” Aila called up to the archer who was sitting with her legs dangling over the front edge of the wagon roof.

“I think I left my extra pair of boots back at the hall. Can we turn around?”

“No!” All three of Jadis, Aila, Thea, and Eir called out at the same time.

“Can’t blame a girl for asking...”