Josie landed in the guild hall. She walked around and didn’t find anybody she knew

except for Sally. The pro tem manager had the night ledgers out, and the tills in order

to be counted. They exchanged a few words before the watchbearer decided to hunt

elsewhere.

She visited Thad Budd’s little place next. The adventurer still lived in the same tiny

apartment he had secured when he had first started in Hawk Ridge. He came to the

door with sword in hand after the knocking she gave the door.

“Got a job,” said Josie. “Get ready to go.”

“You’re not mad about the show, are you?,” said Budd. He swept his hand back

through the mess on the top of his head.

“Quests came in,” said Josie. “I need a security element.”

“I’m the only one you thought of?,” said Budd.

“I’m going to round up some more people,” said Josie. “I’m going to need you to

keep the peace while I negotiate.”

“All right,” said Budd. “Let me get ready.”

“I’ll be back with Case, then we’ll go over to the hospital and grab two randoms,”

said Josie. “I already tried the hall, but I didn’t see anyone I recognized.”

“Probably too early in the morning for that,” said Budd. He closed the door in her

face.

Josie went to her next stop and hammered the door of a small house in the middle of

a few blocks of small houses. She put aside Mellencamp as she waited. She knocked

again when the owner didn’t come to the door quick enough for her.

“Madam Witch?,” said Case. He quickly put the club he was holding in a basket by

the door. “It’s early. Something wrong with Caroline?”

“No,” said Josie. “I need a detail for some guests. Get dressed and let’s go. I already

talked to Budd. We’re going to grab up two more men and get this done.”

“In a hurry?,” asked Case. He walked back to his bedroom.

“There is a potential war that needs to be stamped out,” said Josie. She stayed on the

threshold. “We’re hoping to solve this before sundown.”

“Who else do you have beside Thad and me?,” asked Case from the bedroom.

“No one yet,” said Josie. “I had planned to grab two more men from the hospital.”

“What kind of problems are we looking at?,” asked Case.

“We’re having a conference,” said Josie. “Some of the participants might be

unfriendly to each other.”

“Not something totally unexpected,” said Case.

He emerged from his bedroom, dressed in his armor with a tunic over it. He belted on

his sword and dagger.

“We have some kind of mystery going on,” said Josie. “I hope to figure it out and get

back here before dinner.”

“When can I stop by?,” asked Case.

“When we’re sure Caroline’s dad won’t stab you when you are supposed to be

protecting him,” said Josie. “Let’s pick up Budd and see who we can grab from the

hospital.”

She transformed and yanked them across the city. She knocked on Budd’s door again

to let him know they were ready. She had to get moving.

Budd walked out of his apartment. He clapped his hands together.

“Let’s go,” said Josie. “We still have to grab our extra guys and head north.”

She sent her birds out ahead of them to pull them across the city. They landed in the

center of the hall. She paused to gather her thoughts.

“Let’s head down to the offices and see if Jane and Madam Harp have someone we

can grab up for this,” said Josie, letting her persona slip.

They started pass the cafeteria, but Josie saw a pair of familiar figures arguing over

cups of tea. She entered and walked up behind them. She paused to listen before

announcing her presence.

“If you like her, and she likes you, I don’t see what the problem is,” said Vin. “Ask

her out again and see where that takes you.”

“I don’t think she really likes me,” said Markus. “Besides she’s probably got plenty

of men chasing her.”

“And why shouldn’t you be one of them,” said Vin. “I’m telling you. Just ask. If she

doesn’t want you around, she’ll tell you.”

“And what if she doesn’t want me around?,” asked Markus.

“Then at least you tried,” said Vin.

“Just like that?,” said Markus.

“Just like that,” said Vin. He leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his drink. He

paused when he saw whom was standing at their table.

“Why are you two always sitting around?,” asked Josie. “I don’t pay you for that.”

Markus exhaled his tea across the table. Vin slid out of the way on the legs of his

chair.

“Morning, Madam Witch,” said Vin. “To what do we owe the pleasure of your

company this fine day?”

“I need two guys that I don’t mind getting hurt to be meat shields,” said Josie. “And

here the two of you are sipping tea in the hospital cafeteria.”

“We were going to patrol in a few minutes,” said Vin. “Maybe find an old lady to

hit Markus in the face again.”

“Then you won’t mind giving me a hand,” said Josie. “Let’s go. I have some things

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

to do and I need that overwatch before I can do the rest.”

“As long as I can get home for dinner,” said Vin. “The wife is making brisket

tonight.”

“It will take however long it takes,” said Josie. “Shall we go? I have left Jack on his

own for too long.”

Sure,” said Vin.

Josie grabbed all five of them in the embrace of their birds. She aimed for the

Enterprise, and they crossed the intervening space in the blink of an eye. They

appeared in the lounge.

“You’re back,” said Mister Warner. “Kyle is still working on his enemies list.”

“Jack?,” said Josie.

“I left him getting King Rickard onboard with the plan,” said Mister Warner.

“Enterprise,” said Josie. “Position?”

“In route to Shemmarian capitol,” said the machine.

Josie nodded. The Enterprise could cover planetary distances so fast that by the time

it gave a position, it would have already been miles away from it.

“Enterprise, where is Jack?,” asked Josie.

“The main conference room,” said the machine.

“All right,” said Josie. “Let’s go down and talk to Jack and see if we gather up our

guests from Shemmaria.”

“Come along, Kyle,” said Mister Warner. “We’ll keep you secure while everything

is going on.”

“What is going on with him?,” asked Vin.

“Someone wants to kill him and we’re not supposed to allow it,” said Josie. “I don’t

know why yet.”

“Why someone wants to kill him, or why you have to protect him?,” asked Vin.

“Both,” said Josie. “Let’s go down to the conference room, and we’ll see how the

rest of this goes. Hopefully it will just be some talk with very little doing on our end.”

“If it isn’t?,” said Vin.

“Then we might have exterminate some monsters before the day is done,” said Josie.

“That’s usually how this goes.”

The group walked down to the conference room, and the door opened for Josie. She

led the way inside and found Jack and Rickard inspecting a table and some chairs.

They both nodded to Josie as she entered.

“Had to make us a conference table and some chairs,” said Jack. “New faces?”

“This is Vin and Markus,” said Josie. “They usually work at the hospital.”

“All right,” said Jack. He grinned at the new arrivals. “Whatever you do, don’t look

out the windows. The Shemmarians are probably going to want their own security,

but what we want is for their head of warfare, or whatever, to sit down with us and

brainstorm. There should be no violence, but if there is, do not get in front of Mister

Warner if he gets mad. Any questions?”

“If there is violence?,” asked Vin. He had the skeptical look of someone who had

been to many peace talks where swords were drawn.

“Your job is to move King Rickard, and King Kyle out of the way, and let Josie and

Mister Warner work,” said Jack. “Nothing can happen to either one of them. Kyle,

because we still haven’t figured out what makes him important, and Rickard because

he’s Case’s future father-in-law.”

“Congratulations,” said Vin. “You couldn’t ask for a better future son-in-law. You

see, Markus, if Case can get a girl to marry him, so can you.”

“Not now,” said Markus. “You can harangue me when we’re not working.”

“So you’re the guy taking my little sister out?,” said Jack, making the connection

that Josie hadn’t wanted him to make. “Do you want to get married to her, and have

a thousand kids?”

“Not yet,” said Markus. He winced at the words.

“Not now, Jack,” said Josie. “Saving the world comes first. And it’s not any of your

business who I date.”

“I don’t think he will pass the Duckling standard,” said Jack. He grinned at her.

“He’s met Beatrice,” said Josie. “She thinks he’s fine.”

“In position,” reported the Enterprise, cutting through the brewing storm.

“Four Russ?,” asked Jack.

“Located,” said the machine.

“Someone else on board?,” asked Vin, indicating the extra voice.

“It’s the ship,” said Budd. He looked over the room. “Your Majesties, I think the both

of you should sit at this end of the conference table, next to the door, and away from

where we can put the Shemmarians so they don’t try to seize control of the ship.”

“I think that is a good idea,” said Rickard. “How are you doing, Kyle?”

“This has been like a bad dream,” said Kyle.

“I imagine so,” said Rickard. “My dealings with the champions of order have

included things I wish I hadn’t learned. But they will protect you to the best of their

ability, and maybe show you a thing or two.”

“All right,” said Jack. “We have to get our people in order. I guess I will go down

to do that.”

“I’ll do it,” said Josie. “Leave Markus alone. The quests first, then I will work on my

private life alone.”

“Are you sure?,” said Jack. “I think you need a whole lot of help on that end.”

Vin made a gesture to his partner that said that’s what I am talking about. Markus

shook his head in irritation.

“I will work on it,” said Josie. “Alone.”

She pulled on Zatanna and teleported to Boim Russ’s office. The captain sipped some

tea and read some papers on her desk as Josie let the persona go.

“You’re here,” said Russ. She didn’t look happy about the interruption. “Your letter

said there was a problem.”

“The Society sent out a quest there was a war breaking out between Shemmaria and

Grecious,” said Josie. “They want it stopped. Who would be in charge of something

like that?”

“The Ministry of Warfare which includes the Minister, the command structure for the

Army, and the Intelligence Arm,” said Russ. “I don’t have any logistical demands

for something like that.”

“So it won’t be an official war?,” said Josie.

“It may be sparked off like the invaders in Fort Hern,” said Russ. “A false flag

drawing both sides.”

“No one would know,” said Josie. “All they would see is the uniforms depending on

which side of the border it happens on.”

“And they can use either uniform to pretend to be friendly until they do whatever they

plan to do,” said Russ.

“All right,” said Josie. “Do you know where Hax and Haslett are? I think we’re going

to have to bring them onboard as well as the minister of warfare so we can all be on

the same page.”

“They should be in their offices,” said Russ. “I don’t know if that is where the

General and Major are, but they should be easily found. They might be getting ready

for you to give them bad news.”

“All right,” said Josie. She transformed and sent out birds to locate the other two.

“Let’s get them together and then we’ll call on the minister to see what we can do to

fix this.”

“The minister will have to bow to the council,” said Russ. “They might not believe

someone in command of a giant silver bird dragon.”

“Good point,” said Josie. “Let’s go. I have a lot of work to do before I am done.”

“Jack?,” asked Russ.

“Trying to fix me up with a boyfriend, and generally being annoying,” said Josie.

“A boyfriend?,” said Russ.

“A courter,” said Josie. “He’s found Elaine and wants everyone to be happy like

him.”

“And you don’t,” said Russ.

“I’m happy enough with what I have,” said Josie. “Not everyone needs someone

despite what the Blues Brothers said.”

“I suppose that is true,” said Russ.

Josie gathered her three minions together in a whirl of magic. Hax suggested she

might want to include the head of the Intelligence arm in the discussion. His staff

would be tasked with gathering any proof Shemmaria might need.

Josie agreed and after some wrangling got the five Shemmarians on the Enterprise.

She trusted Russ and Haslet up to a point to generally try to be helpful, and Hax to

do his job. She didn’t have a read on the older Shemmarians yet, but hoped that

simple teleportation was enough to get them to believe a little in what she could do,

and would do.

The Society wanted her to keep the peace. It didn’t care how she kept it.

“How’s it going, Russ?,” asked Jack when they appeared with a bursting of firebirds.

“Haslet? Don’t be so down, Hax. I have some chocolate ice cream if you want it.”

“You are nothing but trouble,” said Hax.

“Jack, this is Minister Worldy, and Chief Officer Glunt,” said Josie. “They are here

to talk to us on my reputation so let’s get started and get done early. We still have to

figure out Kyle’s problem and stop the undead pirates from making land.”

“Please sit,” said Jack. He indicated chairs at the conference table. “Obviously you

guys know Rick and Kyle. The angry guy in the bow tie is Mister Warner, and the

other four guys are adventurers who will be helping us with Kyle when we figure

out what we want to do.”

“There is a potential war in the offing?,” said Glunt.

“Yeah,” said Jack. “But the Society doesn’t want that, and they have asked us to stop

it no matter what. So with your help, we are going to. Enterprise, show us the

continent please.”

“Affirmative,” said the machine. The table came to life with a topographical picture

of the countries involved. Everyone but Jack paused. He grinned at them as he

gestured for them to sit.

“How are you doing that?,” asked Worldy.

“The capture of light,” said Jack. “So how do we get started sorting things out?”