[Godsmarked] are a disparate group. If you look hard enough, you can find a ‘marked of any race. They are present in every country, though not every town. What is the commonality that all [Godsmarked] share? Well, we aren’t sure. It’s certainly not race, nor does it seem that a particular kind of personality or skillset is a requirement. While there are famed warriors, sorcerers, and scholars amongst the ranks of the [Godsmarked], so too are there bakers and tavern owners. My own personal theory is that they are a source of entertainment for the gods. For a being that experiences reality so differently as to be incomprehensible to us, could not the trials of a shoemaker be as entertaining as those of a gladiator?
-Quivicus Grahl, On the Subject of [Godsmarked]
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The next morning, Xander was lying next to Valteria, her body lightly pressed against his as she continued to sleep. As sunlight crept through the window in the bedroom and splashed across Valteria’s face, she began to stir. Slowly awakening fully, she tried to stretch, but one of her arms bumped into Xander, startling her to full awareness, accompanied by a small jolt of her head and an exhalation of air.
“Not used to waking up next to someone, I take it?” Xander asked, unoffended.
“Mmf,” Valteria grunted as she went for another, more successful stretch. “You know I’m not!” She huffed.
“Sorry, I can’t help but tease sometimes,” Xander replied. “I hope I didn’t startle you too badly,” he said, a little more abashedly than his previous comments.
“No, it was just… different, that’s all. I think,” she said, sidling a little more firmly against Xander, “that it’s something I could get used to fairly quickly. You are very comfortably warm.”
Xander wrapped an arm around Valteria and gave her a slight squeeze. “I’m glad you think so,” he said, happily. Keeping his arm wrapped around her shoulders, he asked, “What’s the plan for today?”
Valteria shrugged lazily. “I suppose I should work on that clock. Other than that? Nothing, really. Just the daily drudgery of running a shop. Sweep the floors, make sure my accounting books are up to date. Maybe make a few more water purifiers since I’m running low on stock.” She sighed. “Just the usual.”
“Is it really that bad?” Xander asked.
“No, I suppose not,” Valteria mused. “I think all the stories of adventure from you and your team just have me a little bit… what’s the opposite of homesick? Adventure-sick?”
“Wanderlust?” Xander suggested.
“Mm, yeah, I think I like that phrase. Wanderlust. All that talk of adventure and seeing how well you all get along as friends has given me some wanderlust. Made me wish I had a group of friends to go on adventures with. You know? That sort of thing.”
“I get that.” Xander said, holding Valteria tight again. “If it makes you feel any better, I think they liked you a lot, and you’re definitely invited on the next contract we go on.”
“I think it does,” she replied, giving Xander’s arm a comfortable squeeze. “Oh! I forgot something for the plan for today.”
“Oh yeah? What was it?” Xander asked curiously, bringing his head up higher to look at Valteria more closely.
“Breakfast!” She enthused, rolling out of Xander’s arm and out of the bed.
“That’s definitely important. Lunch and dinner, too, can’t forget those!” Xander added.
“Mmhmm, very important parts of any plan for the day,” Valteria agreed as she busied herself with dressing and then making breakfast.
Sitting at the table with Valteria as she at her breakfast, they both heard the faint sound of the door to the shop downstairs being firmly knocked on.
“Ugh,” Valteria groaned. “Early customers. I guess I ought to go let them in.”
“I’ll come with,” Xander offered, following Valteria as she stood up and headed downstairs.
Valteria unlocked and opened the door, revealing what appeared to be a well-dressed courier with a leather bag.
“Hello! Welcome to Valteria’s Mechanics and Sundries! What can I help you with?” Valteria greeted the man.
“Ah, actually, I’m looking for a Xander Jones. I was told that I might find him here when I inquired about him at the inn he was supposed to be rooming at.”
Valteria looked back at Xander, standing a few feet back, as if asking for permission to tell the courier that he was indeed here.
“That would be me,” Xander confirmed, stepping forward.
“Excellent, I was worried you would be a difficult one to track down once one of your teammates told me you weren’t at the inn. I’d have left the letter with them, but I’ve been instructed to hand it over only to the recipient, and to verify their identity with a status check, too. Could you please verify your identity for me?” The courier asked politely.
“Oh, yeah, sure.” Xander pulled up his status sheet and flipped it around to face the courier.
“Thank you,” the courier said as he handed over the wax sealed envelope. “Have a good rest of your morning.”
“You too,” Xander said absently to the courier as he watched the man walk away. He was more focused on the letter. There, embossed in red wax, was the symbol of the kingdom of Dardin.
“What is it?” Valteria asked, pulling him from his thoughts. He realized he’d been standing in the doorway still just looking at the envelope curiously.
“It’s a letter… from Dardin?” He said, confused.
“Huh. That is strange. Are you going to open it and find out what’s in it?” Valteria asked, interestedly.
“I guess I should. This whole thing makes me a little anxious…” Xander said, trailing off as he popped the seal on the envelope. Inside was a short note on what he could tell was very fine paper.
Xander Jones,
As a member of the Dardian military conscripted forces, in recognition of your service at Ilbek, as well as your recent victory in the Rock’s Bay tournament, the Dardian royal family wish to extend the offer of a contract to you. Please note that this invitation does not extend to any team members you may have. This invitation is for you alone. A team has already been assembled for this contract. Should you wish to inquire further about the nature of this contract, you may find me at the governor’s estate.
I strongly urge you to consider this opportunity for three reasons. One being the loyalty to the country and military you served with. Second being the payment and opportunities that come with the patronage of the Dardian royal family. Third, this mission may be critical to stymying Thraskian efforts to destabilize the border region of Sempta. We ask that you keep this information close – should Thrask become aware of our efforts, they may step up their efforts against what remains of the Dardian government in exile in Sempta.
Regards,
Brinn Grefelt, Representative of Kind Nartan, Rightful Ruler of Dardin
“What is it?” Valteria asked, as she watched Xander read the note.
“It’s… a job offer of sorts. I think.” Xander replied slowly.
“Okay… I mean getting one by courier maybe isn’t the most common occurrence, but what’s with the hesitation? Also, I thought Dardin had dissolved as a country?”
“They did, as far as I know. But this letter is from the Dardian royal family. Err, a representative of the family. And it says the invitation is just for me. I’m not sure I like that. I’d be working with some team I’ve never met.”
“Mm, that is a bit odd. But for a patron like a royal family, even one in exile, the payout means they can often make some odd demands and get away with it.” Valteria said, thoughtfully.
“I… need to talk it over with the team first,” Xander said more resolutely this time.
Valteria nodded understandingly. “Of course, I’d recommend the same thing. You should go find them, before they go about their day and you have to track them down individually.”
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Xander sighed, steeling himself. The whole thing made him uncomfortable and he wanted to just ignore the invitation. But doing so seemed like a poor idea. Not only would it not do to anger what could potentially be a powerful patron, but if there was a risk to Sempta now, too, he should do whatever he could to help. After all, his teammates and Valteria were all in Sempta, and Rock’s Bay, being such an important trade center, would be a likely target for any kind of Thraskian efforts.
“I’ll, uh, I’ll see you later I suppose. Sorry to have to leave in such a hurry,” Xander said apologetically.
“I’ll be okay,” Valteria assured him. “I think this counts as extenuating circumstances.”
Xander gave Valteria a quick hug and a kiss before heading out the door. He surveyed the area only briefly to ensure he didn’t hit someone with a wing and launched himself into the air with his mechanical wings, hurrying himself to the inn. With any luck, the rest of the team would still be getting ready for the day or eating breakfast.
Xander was fortunate enough to spot his team having a communal breakfast at one of the tables on the ground floor of The Ruby Chair. Frazay waved at him, noticing his entrance to the inn. Xander hurried over, quickly seating himself with the team.
“What’s got you in such a rush?” Frazay asked, cocking her head questioningly at Xander.
“Uhm, well, I got a letter, and I want to talk to you all about it...” Xander started.
“What’s the letter about?” Graffus asked.
“It’s complicated. And it’s from Dardin. Here, I think it might be better if you just read it.” Xander pulled the note out and set it on the table. It was quickly passed around by his teammates, who read it one after another. There was silence for a time as they all thought it over. It was broken by Xander, who was anxious to hear his team’s opinions.
“Do you think I should take the contract?” He asked the group.
“Mm... I’m not sure it’s an opportunity that you can pass up,” Graffus began. “And I don’t mean just for the potential rewards. Offending royalty – even displaced royalty – can have hefty negative consequences for one’s career.”
Frazay and Atrax nodded in agreement.
Gabrelle spoke up, adding, “It also sounds like there is the potential to stop some kind of effort to strike out at Sempta, too. It seems like the right thing to do, if that’s the case.”
Xander sighed and nodded. “You’re both right. I just don’t like how secretive it feels, and I especially don’t like that it’s a request only for me. I suppose this means I might miss the drakes hatching,” he grumbled. “I wanted to see what they looked like as babies.”
Frazay chuckled. “I’m sure it’ll still be small by the time you make it back.”
“How long do you think you might be gone?” Gabrelle asked.
Xander shrugged. “No idea. Letter didn’t mention any kind of time frame, but I can’t imagine it will be short. This seems like an involved contract that could become lengthy.”
“Politics make everything take longer,” Atrax said with disdain.
“You four don’t mind taking care of Freyja again for a while, right?”
“Of course not!” Gabrelle said, almost offended. “She’s part of the team!”
Xander held his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I was just checking. Didn’t want to just drop her on you all, is all.”
“So you’re all agreed that I should take the contract?” Xander asked, looking around at his gathered teammates.
He was met with agreement from each of them.
“Royalty isn’t known for their patience,” Atrax added. “They’re probably expecting you today. They might already be wondering where you are. I doubt the thought that you’d actually want to think their offer over occurred to them. You should probably go meet this liaison as soon as you can get to them.”
Xander frowned. He’d never liked feeling rushed or having people waiting on him. “I suppose you’re right. Hopefully they can give me some more information about the job... I don’t like working with so little information.”
“Just be careful, whatever you do,” Graffus suggested. “You’re running the possibility of offending some very powerful people, on either side. It sounds like you might be working against Thrask again, and your reputation with them is... not good, all things considered.”
Xander nodded. “Yeah. Risk offending royalty if I don’t take the job, and risk offending royalty if I do. Ugh. At least the royalty I'll be risking offense to by taking the job have already tried to have me killed once. Not sure how much more I can really offend them.”
“Well, they could publicly blacklist you from all Thraskian held territory,” Atrax added, helpfully. “They haven’t done that, yet.”
Xander huffed. “That would probably be inconvenient.” He scooted his chair back and stood up. “I guess I’ll let you all finish breakfast,” he told the team. “I’d better go see this liaison sooner rather than later if ya’ll are right.”
After a quick farewell, Xander went upstairs to his room to quickly change clothes, manifesting his more formal outfit into position on his body. It was the first time he’d had an opportunity to wear the outfit. He looked over himself in the mirror. The green jacket with black trim went well with the black pants, while the white shirt with onyx black buttons added some nice contrast. The polished brass buttons on both the jacket and pants provided a little extra pop. The boots, too, were nicely polished, ending a few inches below the knee. Overall, he felt dressed well enough to have an official meeting with someone of importance.
He made his way down the stairs again, passing a quick wave again to his friends, and then headed out the door. Once outside, he paused, looking around. Where exactly was the governor’s estate? He had no idea. He assumed it was either on the outskirts of the town, where it could sprawl into a large estate, or was in one of the nicest neighborhoods. He look around for someone to ask. Finally, he spotted a pair of city guard who were meandering down the street.
“Excuse me,” Xander said, trotting up to the pair of guards.
“What is it?” The closest of the two asked, both of them stopping and turning to face Xander.
“Ahm,” Xander started off, a little flustered to have to stop the two of them just to ask for directions. “I have an appointment at the governor’s estate, but I don’t actually know where it is.”
The one speaking gave an understanding nod. “I see. I can help you. I the governor’s estate is on the edge of town, that way.” The woman pointed roughly Northward. “You can’t miss the gate off the main road. It’s got two giant, marble statues holding spears that cross above the gate.”
“Thanks,” Xander said with an appreciative bob of his head. “I’d better get going now that I know where to go. You two have a good rest of you day,” he offered to the two city watch members.
“Stay out of trouble and be safe,” the one who hadn’t provided instructions replied. The two guards resumed their ambling pace down the street.
Heading North, Xander quickly found himself on what he presumed was the main road heading through town in the right direction. Traffic was beginning to pick up as people began their days, heading to work or running errands. Carts were clogging the artery of trade, people flowing in between them as the slower driven carts trundled along in both directions. Xander was feeling impatient, wanting to get to the liaison as soon as possible, so he opted to slip one of the wider side streets where traffic was lighter so that he could take wing. Swiftly launching himself into the air as soon as he had the space to do so, he glided over the traffic, following the road as it left the density of the city center.
On the outskirts of the city, Xander spotted the two marble statues guarding the gate of the governor’s estate, along with a contingent of living, non-stone guards. There was even a small outbuilding halfway between where the road branched off from the main street and where it met the gate. One would likely stop at that building to be vetted before passing through the gate. Deciding he would be best served by going through all the official processes and not just landing inside the estate, Xander touched down a short distance from the checkpoint, drawing looks and a few pointed fingers as his wings dematerialized into his inventory. He walked up to the guard shack – though shack felt like a poor word for it, as it was quite well constructed – and found himself looking slightly upwards at a man in the armor of the city guard. The building seemed to have a risen floor, so that it would be easier to deal with carriages. It left the height difference between someone standing on the ground and the attendant at the opening on the side of the building a little awkward. People probably didn’t come to the governor’s estate without a carriage often, Xander realized.
“Ah, uh, hi.” Xander said.
“Can I help you? Do you have an appointment with someone at the governor’s mansion?”
“I don’t know if it’s a specific appointment, but I’m supposed to meet someone here. Uhmm, shoot. What was their name…” He trailed off as he pulled out the note he’d received, rereading it quickly. “Right. Brinn Grefelt was their name. I got a letter from them,” He added, lamely.
The guard stiffened slightly at the utterance of the name Brinn Grefelt. Clearly this was a name he recognized. The man gave a short, stern nod of understanding to Xander. “Of course. I’ve been instructed to be on the lookout for someone bearing a letter from Lady Grefelt. Right this way, sir,” the guard said deferentially, indicating towards the gate. “One of the other guards at the gate can show you the way.”
“Uh, okay. Thanks,” Xander said. He hadn’t expected to be let in so easily. But the fact that the guard had been instructed to be on the lookout for him confirmed that his hirers were already expecting him. He walked towards the gate until he was close enough to the group of guards on duty to be heard. “I’ve got a meeting with Lady Grefelt?” He half stated, half asked the group. “I, uh, don’t know where to go,” he explained.
“Ah, of course,” said a woman, stepping up from the group. “I can take you to her office in the mansion.”
“Thanks,” Xander said.
“Come, this way, sir…?” The woman trailed off as she did not know his name.
“Xander,” he told the guardswoman, “Just Xander. I don’t think I quite warrant a ‘sir’ in front of it.”
The woman bobbed her head in understanding. “This way, then, Xander.”
She led Xander through well maintained paths of greenery, workers and gardeners coming into view here and there as they busied themselves keeping the estate in pristine condition and preparing for spring. It reminded him of being led onto the Huraven estate for the first time. There was a single, massive mansion in the center of the estate that Xander could see rising above the manicured gardens. Around it were a variety of outbuildings, some looking like storerooms, while others appeared to be guest villas and servants’ quarters.
Xander was led directly to the mansion. It appeared even bigger up close, as he stared straight up at it briefly before entering. The foyer was bigger than most houses he’d been in on this world. Deep red velvet, gold, polished brass, and dark hardwood adorned the entire area. It managed to keep from being garish, the darker colors of the velvet and wood instead giving it a sense of opulence that felt grounded in tradition. Columns dotted the space, keeping the ceiling of the huge room from caving in. He slowed, looking around and taking the sights in. The guard leading him slowed to match his pace, likely used to such a reaction.
“Lady Grefelt’s office is on the third floor,” the guard said politely, shaking Xander from his distraction.
“Right, sorry. I’m just not used to such…” he trailed off, unsure of a good word, instead just gesturing to the room around him. “Grandness?”
“It is a sight,” the guardswoman agreed. “But most of the mansion features smaller, more intimate rooms, with the exception of areas like the ballroom and dining hall,” she said, beginning to sound like a tour guide.
Xander nodded in response, and followed his guide through corridors that were just as opulent, though less massive, as the foyer, and up two flights of stairs. Once on the third floor, he was taken to a doorway, on which the guard knocked. There was a slight delay before a female voice called out through the door.
“Yes? What is it?” The voice queried.
“There’s a man here who received a message from you, Lady Grefelt,” the guardswoman explained.
“Ah. Send him in, then,” was the reply.