“This seems too good to be true,” Rase said, setting down the piece of paper. His tone was as mild as ever, but his brow was furrowed in consternation. “Even putting aside the obvious danger of the request itself.”

“That’s one of the reasons I wanted to get your approval first,” Suli responded with a nod. “Normally when he has a commission for us, it’s something more… normal.” She was in Rase, Naru, and Tasha’s shared home.

Though it had only two bedrooms, she had spent many nights under their roof. On those nights, the other three simply shared the same bedroom, seemingly enjoying the close proximity to one another.

“And the other reason?”

“My brother asked us not to accept.”

“Hmm.” Rase leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. “Do you have an opinion? Naru, Tasha?” The bearlike mercenary shook his head wordlessly.

“No,” their adoptive daughter answered. “So long as we’re paid, I don’t care. I’m just here so I don’t get taken away.”

“And what of you, Suli?”

The mage took a moment to organize her thoughts before responding. “I think there’s every reason to take it, and no reason not to. It solves a lot of our issues,” she admitted. “And keeping the three of you together would mean a lot to me, too.”

Rase smiled at that. “But your brother’s warning worries you.”

Suli nodded. “It… it does.” She took a deep breath. “Despite how he appears and how he presents himself, he’s never lied to me. And he’s always… tried to look out for me, in spite of everything.”

“Be that as it may– and I’m glad to see siblings with a good relationship– it doesn’t answer my question,” he said gently. “What do you think we should do?”

“I think we should accept it,” Suli said after another pause. “And just… be careful about it. There’s… a lot of benefits. A royal commission is a good thing for anyone to have, even if this one is strange in nature. Just in case any of you ever decide to work again. For whatever reason.” That last bit was really meant for Tasha, who she was sure would grow bored with a sedentary lifestyle.

She bit her lip. “And I know the three of you must be close to your goal after Lorel’s passing.” The late mercenary had no other friends or family, so his earnings had been left to them. He’d even left a small amount to Suli; and she was sure whatever Rase, Naru, and Tasha received was far greater.

Not that she bore any ill will over it. She’d grown close to Lorel before his passing– enough to call him a friend, at the very least. But now matter how she felt, he was closer to the other three. There was no questioning that, and no bitterness in accepting it. That was simply the way the world worked.

“I think it would be a shame for you to keep risking your lives after achieving your goal,” she finished. “This alleviates that. Hell, it might be the only way to alleviate that. For that alone, I think we should take it.”

“So you say, but this will undoubtedly be the greatest risk any of us have ever taken.”

“I know,” Suli said softly. “But it’s just one mission compared to dozens more.” She took a breath. “Every time we go out, we’re risking our lives. It’s just a matter of time until something goes wrong, somehow. Isn’t it better to risk it all at once, just like this?”

“I think we should do it,” Tasha suddenly interjected.

“Are you sure?” The surprise was clear on Rase’s face.

She nodded. “I don’t want to be separated. That’s the most important thing to me. But that doesn’t mean I want to put you and Naru in danger. I think we should take it.”

Though Tasha’s magical talent was a source of envy for many, it placed her in a precarious position. Law required such individuals to hone their skills in the military; and becoming a mercenary or an apprentice were the only other alternatives.

She and Suli shared that reason for joining But while Suli had completed her time, Tasha still had a year left. But if this mysterious commissioner could follow through on his promise…

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Rase asked gently.

“Yes. And even if I wasn’t, I’d make myself be okay.” Tasha scowled. “Don’t you dare think about turning it down because of that.”

He laughed. “Alright. I trust you have no complaints, Naru?”

The other mercenary shook his head again.

“Then it seems it’s decided.” Rase turned back to Suli. “Although I must admit, I’m still feeling some trepidation.” He paused. “Does this have something to do with our new member?”

Suli hesitated, unsure how to answer that question. “It seems like it,” she finally said. “But how or why he has something to do with this… I have no clue.”

“You said he denied being an elf, no? But that seems the most likely answer.”

She shook her head. “According to my brother, he’s not. But then, perhaps he has nothing to do with this after all. Maybe it’s just a coincidence.”

“It’s possible,” Rase said thoughtfully. “Coincidence is a powerful thing.”

“Whatever it is, I’m going to speak with Ember before formally accepting. I’ll let you know how it goes.” Suli sighed. “I don’t think he lied to us, but you’re a better judge of character than I.”

He shook his head. “I also though him rather sincere– although I’ve been wrong many times before, of course. But… take care. You may be a mage, but there are many things in this world other than magic that defy common sense.

“I will be,” Suli responded. “And I meant it when I said talk. There’s no reason to do anything more than that… especially if we both found him sincere. And whether his words were lies or not, he fought beside us, however briefly. That means something.”

“So it does,” Rase agreed. “But be careful all the same.”

“I will.” She hesitated. “And if this is part of something bigger? What if we’re getting wrapped up in something?”

“Your brother vouches for this man, does he not?”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“Yes.”

“But he still asked you not to take this?”

“It’s a bit contrarian, I know.”

“I’m still inclined to take the risk.” He smiled wryly. “What you said is true. This is likely the only way to alleviate our most pressing concerns. Although I think that we should meet the man to be Tasha’s mentor first.”

“I’ll try to arrange that.”

image [https://i.imgur.com/T7fdvjj.png]

Gwyn could tell her brother was distracted. Not that it really mattered; he still defeated her handily every single time. Which, of course, only made her even more frustrated.

His reactions were a touch slower than usual, his guard just slightly weaker– and yet she was still unable to land a clean hit.

Sliding her grip down on the staff, she struck with its very end. The motion came more easily, now, after so much practice. Instead of blocking like normal, Selerim ducked under it and swept his weapon in a wide arc. The force of his strike combined with hers, throwing Gwyn off balance.

She stumbled, recovered after two steps, and then turned back to face her brother. He stood there silently, patiently waiting for her to resume. This was part of how he taught; mixing in new techniques and forcing her to adapt.

Holding the metal rod in front of her like a lance, Gwyn rushed forward. Selerim reacted much like before, stepping away from her blow and swinging his own in response. Instead of stumbling away, this time, she used his own strength to spin around, holding her weapon out for a second strike.

The sound of metal meeting rang out.

It was an odd sound, perfectly clear and oddly hollow, as if made by a bell rather than weapons. Gwyn’s fingers trembled at the force of their clash; she stiffened, preparing for it to run up her and and into her shoulders, but it never came.

Worry clouded Selerim’s eyes. “That didn’t sound right,” he said, stepping away and inspecting his staff. “Or feel right.” He still insisted on using it for their sessions, citing the chain and dagger’s durability as a concern. It was rather hard to fault him for that, considering they’d destroyed every other weapon they’d used. The dwarven staffs, at least, seemed considerably sturdier.

Gwyn inspected the surface of her own. Even at first glance, it was obvious that they weren’t normal, plain as they seemed. Their silvery surface glowed with a pale metallic hue, and they seemed too… perfect.

That was an odd way to think of it, but to her, they seemed to embody the idea of metal. Smooth, flawless, durable, and light. Almost too light. Despite their length, they weighed hardly anything. It had taken her two days to adjust; even Selerim had some difficulty at first.

And they were cold.

Terribly cold.

No matter how long she held her hands in the same spot, no matter how much she exerted herself, it remained cold to the touch. It felt at times as if it were stealing her warmth, mad as it sounded. The innkeeper said the dwarves hammered magic into their creations. That was easy enough to believe.

But they were ideal for training. And so far, they were the only ones to last more than a single day.

“They seem fine.”

Both were still unmarred despite the recent abuse.

“We should still stop here,” Selerim said. “I want to check them before we use them any further.”

“And how are you going to check them?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I just don’t trust them.”

“They’ve held up so far,” Gwyn responded. “I doubt they’ll just suddenly break.”

“Even so…”

“Are you sure you don’t want to keep going?” These bouts were just as much for his benefit as they were for hers.

Selerim nodded. “Yeah.”

“Fine by me.” She dramatically fell to the ground, holding the cool staff against her forehead. “What are you worried about?”

“I’m meeting Suli later today.” Selerim shifted so that he was leaning on his staff. “I don’t want to lie to her. But I think I’ll have to.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m pretty sure I know who made this commission.”

“Veile?”

“Yeah.”

“Why does that matter?”

He hesitated before answering. “She has large goals. I don’t know if I’m getting them wrapped up in something bigger. Something they’d rather not be a part of.”

“So what are you going to tell her?”

“I don’t know.”

“There’s another reason you’re going, isn’t there? If you want to go, go. But it feels like you’re trying to hide your real reason for going.”

“I guess… I wasn’t trying to hide it. Or maybe I was. I don’t know.”

“What is it?”

“I need answers.

“About what?”

“About the people who destroyed Cress.”

“Ah.” Gwyn nodded. “Why were you trying to hide that?”

“Because they’re all dead. You’re alive. I should be– I am grateful for that. I…” He scowled. “I should want to stay here. With you. And just live in peace. But I don’t. I want answers. But it feels like I’m prioritizing the dead over you.”

“You’re not the only one who lost their home.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know,” she cut him off. “Use your common sense. I’m saying that of course mom and I also want answers.”

“... You don’t seem too broken up about it.”

“I’m not,” Gwyn admitted. “It’s a different feeling for me. You were there, and mom saw the wreckage. I haven’t seen it yet… so it hasn’t really set in. I feel like I could still go back and find everyone there, even if I truly know otherwise.” She paused. “Will you take me to see it someday?”

“Why?”

“Because I want to mourn the loss of what we once had.”

“When you’re older.”

“It’s a promise.”

“Alright. I promise.”

“Do you really think this Veile person will have the answers you want?”

“I think so. She proved some things, even if I don’t trust her.”

“You don’t think you could find out otherwise?”

He shrugged. “Not really. What do I have to go off of? Nothing was left. No bodies, no weapons, nothing. If I want answers, this is all I really have. But I’m worried about getting you and mom wrapped up in something.”

“You weren’t the only one who lot your home,” she repeated. “Whatever you’re wrapped up in, we’re wrapped up in anyways.”

Selerim sighed. “Fair enough.”

Gwyn rose to her feet. “You know that mom wants to find somewhere to live, right? She feels ready now. And we can’t stay here forever.”

“I’ll have time to do that before I leave.”

“Good. Are you sure you don’t want to continue?”

“Yeah. We’ll do more tomorrow.”

“Fine by me.” Her muscles ached anyways. “Now go to your meeting.”