“Ugh, my mouth tastes like cotton wool.”
“Your own fault for drinking so much last night,” Sophie said as Shadow downed a glass of water.
“Hey, at least we don’t get hangovers,” Andy chuckled as they ate a quick breakfast, the sun not having risen outside yet, “But come on, we only have an hour before we need to be at the gates of Dusk Keep.”
“Hold your horses,” Shadow groaned, “I want to finish eating first! Not all of us can suck it down like you can, Goldy.”
“Well, hurry up,” the Defender laughed.
The party quickly finished their light meal, waving to Heinrich as they left, the bartender and owner of the tavern giving them a gap-toothed grin. They made their way to the Teleport Pad, all stepping onto it as Andy nodded to each of them. Ready, they all teleported back to Dusk Keep.
Their arrival in the starter town didn’t go unnoticed as they appeared in a flash of light, a large crowd suddenly forming around them throwing questions and begging, before they seemed to recognise the party. Then the shouts became insults and jeers, accusing them of stealing all the levels.
“ENOUGH!” Jake yelled out when people started to throw food at them, startling the crowd as he swept his cloak aside, activating the Ability of his armour, making more than a dozen people step back in terror, “Stop being so pathetic! If you want levels so badly, earn them! Now let us pass before I cut each and every one of your down!”
“What’s going on here?” the voice shouted, the crowd parting to reveal a group of guards, the apparent leader marching up to Jake and glaring at him, “That’s quite the threat, even for you, your lordship. While I don’t care much what happens to you Travellers, you’ll still face the consequences if you go about slaughtering folks.”
“Ah, I see,” Jake nodded, “I apologise to you for my outburst. It’s just that these people were throwing insults and food at us.”
“Were they now?” the guard huffed, looking down at the dirty street, various food items lying around them, “Well, can’t have that. I thank you for your understanding, your lordship, but I must ask how you want the perpetrators dealt with? Assaulting a noble comes with a hefty fine and possible time in the gaol.”
“It is fine,” Jake said as the crowd fell silent, staring at the guards in shock, “They were just being unreasonable, not malicious. Just have them clean up their mess, and we’ll call it even.”
“Can do, your lordship,” the guard nodded, before spinning on his heel and growling at the crowd, “Alright, you miserable lot! This square is going to be spotless before any of you get to set a foot outside the gates today! So get to it unless you want to be five silvers poorer and have a week in the gaol!”
The party hurried through the crowd, which parted for them as they grumbled and muttered a few more insults. They made a short detour to fetch Miri, who had also managed to reach level ten and acquire her own City Pass from the Crafters’ Guild, the tall woman nodding to them as she left the alleyway, her entire crafting set up apparently stored in her inventory. When Jake had asked how she managed it, she had shown him the numerous small bags she’d made for herself, expanding the size of her inventory to thirty slots. It didn’t take them long after that to reach the gates, the sun just cresting the horizon as they arrived.
“Ah, you’re here,” the Guild Master said, “And just on time. Good, we can make introductions then.”
He stepped aside, revealing a young woman in a frilly yet elegant travelling dress, a calm smile on her face. She had long slightly curly black hair and a pretty face with a sharp nose, her eyes a deep crimson colour as she nodded to each of them in turn.
“This is Lady Esmeralda Dusk, eldest daughter of the Governor of Dusk Keep, Duke Erwin Dusk,” the towering man explained, “You are to ensure her safety at all costs on her journey to Eversun.”
“A pleasure to meet you all,” the woman said politely, giving a shallow curtsy as she stared at Jake, “I had been told that some of my guards were to be Travellers, but not realised that one of you would be a fellow noble. May I ask your name, your lordship?”
“Jake Grey,” Jake said as he bowed to her, “A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
“Likewise,” the girl smiled, turning to the simple carriage behind her, “Would you like to join me in my carriage? I understand the journey will be long and hard, and it would be best that you are well rested if we encounter any troubles.”
“That will not be necessary, Lady Dusk,” Jake shook his head, “I would prefer to travel on foot with my friends, if that is alright.”
“Very well,” the girl sighed, looking slightly disappointed, “But I do hope you will have some interesting stories to tell me when we rest this evening.”
“Of course,” Jake nodded as she stepped into the carriage, the door being closed behind her.
“Watch yourselves,” the Guild Master hummed as he walked past the party, “Lady Dusk is quite the clever one, and she might try to make trouble for you. Just ensure that she gets to Eversun safe and in one piece, or none of us will hear the end of it.”
“You got it,” Andy nodded to the man as the carriage started to move forwards out of the gates, the Travellers and several other guards following behind.
------
“How drole,” the young woman sighed as she sat opposite her maidservant in the carriage, “I had hoped that he would join us for a conversation. Make this long trip go a little faster.”
“It would be improper for a lady of your standing to share a carriage with a lesser noble, Miss,” the other woman said flatly, “Especially a man, and a Traveller.”
“Still, I do hope he has some interesting tales to tell, his…friends, as he called them, seem rather well put together, but I still find it interesting that a Traveller was able to acquire a noble Title,” Esmeralda hummed, a smirk crossing her face as she whispered under her breath, “I wonder how willing he would be to entertain my…interests?”
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“You handled that pretty well,” Andy said quietly to Jake as they followed the carriage through the fields, heading east towards the forest, “I know I would have messed something up and pissed off everyone here if I’d had to talk to her.”
“I…grew up in a similar sort of environment,” Jake muttered in reply, “I was taught how to properly speak to those above and below me.”
“Well, I gotta say, it’s a good thing you were,” Shadow piped up, “Wouldn’t do us any good getting on the bad side of our client.”
“Speaking of, did everyone get the Quest?” Andy asked the party, everyone nodding as Jake opened his Quest Screen to check.
Quest: Escort Duty
You have been charged with protecting Lady Esmeralda Dusk, eldest daughter of Duke Erwin Dusk, on her journey to the city of Eversun.
Objectives:
Progress: 1%
Esmeralda Dusk Health: 100%
Rewards:
Variable
“Seems simple enough,” Sophie nodded, also checking the Quest, “We just have to keep up and make sure she doesn’t get hurt.”
“Easier said than done,” one of the guards chuckled beside them, making the party look at him in confusion, “Lady Dusk is known to be…quite free spirited. If we do face any trouble, it’ll be hard enough just keeping her out of it.”
“Oh?” Andy hummed, stepping up beside the guard and hooking an arm around his shoulders, “Do tell?”
“Enough,” the captain of the guards barked, glaring back at the man and Andy, “If you have the energy to talk, save it for walking.”
“Yes sir,” the guard saluted, falling silent as he shook Andy’s arm off.
“Damn,” the Defender sighed as he rejoined his party, “Was hoping for some juicy gossip there.”
“What good would that do us?” Sophie sighed, “I mean, it’s not like she’s about to sneak off to fight monsters or bandits, is it?”
“Watch what you say, Soph,” Shadow chuckled, “Maybe that’s exactly what she’s going to do!”
------
The first day had gone peacefully, the party and the guards walking through the forest alongside the carriage. They had arrived at a roadside inn just before nightfall, Lady Dusk and her maidservant quickly occupying one of the rooms as the guards set about tending to the horses, leaving the Travellers to their own devices. Andy and Shadow had quickly set up at a table, playing cards, while Sophie and Holi sat near the fire reading books. Miri had also vanished off somewhere, but Jake wasn’t particularly worried about the tall and muscular woman. Jake just fidgeted in the corner, scowling at the inn keeper.
The man had refused to allow Eta to stay indoors, stating that the Shadow Wolf was too large and would have to sleep in the stables with the horses. This had annoyed Jake to no end, but he had kept quiet so as not to cause any problems for the party or their client. Night had fallen by the time he had had enough, getting up from his seat and heading towards the door.
“Where you off to, Jakey?” Andy called as he passed the two men, “Need a piss?”
“No,” Jake muttered, “Just going to check on Eta quickly.”
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Shadow laughed, waving Jake away, “But go ahead, we won’t stop you.”
Jake nodded back at them as he left through the front door, walking around behind the Inn and to the stables. He was about to step into the dark building when he heard the squeak of wood, stepping to the side and letting his cloak merge him with the shadows. He looked around for the source of the noise, quickly spotting an open window on the second floor of the two-story building, a dim light coming from within the room. A shadowy figure suddenly blocked the light, sliding smoothly out of the window and dropping to the ground outside near silently. Thinking on it, Jake was pretty sure that that window was to the room Lady Dusk and her maidservant were in.
Panicking slightly, Jake quickly checked his Quest Screen, sighing in relief as he saw that Esmeralda was still at full Health. Scowling slightly, he cast Shadow Mantle, wreathing himself in shadows and vanishing entirely before walking carefully up to the figure as they seemed to be checking their equipment.
Moving as quickly as he dared, Jake drew up alongside the figure, blinking as she looked up, a smile under her sharp nose and red eyes, making him end the Spell almost on reflex. Esmeralda Dusk gasped as he appeared in front of her, jerking her head back in surprise, making her hood fall off to reveal her long black hair tied up in a tight bun.
“Ah, lord Grey!” she gasped, “I, uhm…What are you doing out so late this eve?”
“I could ask you the same thing, my lady,” Jake said flatly, “Why are you out of your room? Do you not realise how dangerous it is outside at night?”
“I know fully well the dangers of the dark, lord Grey,” the young woman huffed, “I was…simply out on an evening stroll.”
“In full adventuring gear? With a sword at your hip?” Jake asked, looking down at the light leather armour the woman was wearing, a simple, yet elegant, longsword at her side, “If you were to ask me, I would think you were going out to hunt monsters.”
“Oh, perish the thought,” the girl laughed softly, before her expression became more serious, “I apologise if I startled you, lord Grey. I shall be returning to my room now. Do not share our meeting with anyone, it would be improper for others to know we spoke alone like this.”
Jake watched as the young woman turned, crouching down slightly before jumping up the side of the building, scaling the wall with practiced ease. He saw her slide back in through the window just as easily before it was shut behind her. Shaking his head, he walked into the stables, quickly finding Eta already asleep on a pile of hay, chuckling to himself as he headed back inside.
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“She seriously tried to sneak out?” Andy sighed as the party followed after the carriage the next day, “That just seems so…typical, I guess?”
“What do you mean?” Jake asked as he tossed Eta a piece of dried meat, the wolf catching it in the air.
“A young noble lady trying to sneak out at night to hunt monsters?” Sophie laughed quietly, “It’s like something from a story book.”
“Except it is very much real,” Jake said, “And it puts our Quest in danger. What if she managed to sneak out and got hurt? We would be held liable for it.”
“Jakey’s right,” Andy nodded, the others all looking at him as he spoke, “So, let’s work together to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn’t do anything more to potentially hurt herself.”
“You got it, boss,” Shadow grinned, Holi and Sophie both nodding as well, “She won’t be getting away from us that easy!”
------
Jake watched the window of the room from the shadows.
They were at a new roadside inn that night, Jake making sure to have memorised where Esmeralda’s room was before she’d vanished into it for the evening. Now he stood outside, Eta hidden beside him, watching, and waiting with a small stone in his hand. It didn’t take long after nightfall for the window to creak open, Jake immediately using [Aim] as he pulled back his arm.
The figure was halfway out the window when the rock hit the windowsill, making it freeze, looking around frantically before it spotted Jake emerging from the shadows. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, before the figure in the window seemed to sigh, its shoulders dropping slight before slipping back into the room, closing the window after them. Shaking his head, Jake looked down at Eta.
“Howl if she tries to sneak out again, okay boy?” he said, the Shadow Wolf nodding as he sat down to take guard.
------
“Again?” Holi sighed as Jake informed them of the previous night the next morning, “And she’s almost certainly going to try again tonight. Unfortunately, you’ll need to get some sleep, Jake, so you won’t be able to keep watch for her.”
“Hey, all we have to do is make sure she doesn’t get out, right?” Shadow hummed, “How about slipping some sleeping agent into her food? Knock her out before she can even think about sneaking away.”
“And if anyone finds out one of us did that?” Sophie sighed, “We’d be locked up for sure, not to mention probably fail the Quest. And do you even have anything like that?”
“No,” the Rogue muttered, looking away sheepishly, “It was just an idea.”
“Eta can watch for her,” Jake muttered as the party walked after the carriage, “He’ll howl if she tries to sneak out, and you guys can go running.”
“Hopefully she doesn’t try tonight, all the same,” Holi hummed, “My, such a rambunctious child.”