6 Revelation - The Mercenaries Set Off

"Okay, okay, okay, I'll talk!" Conceded Naliam unable to bear the thought of what was to come.

"Stop, Leah!" At Ichabod's command, she froze. "Go ahead, Nal. And be quick about it. Otherwise Leah will suddenly suffer an acute case of deafness and nothing you or I can say will stop her."

"Okay, okay, okay. Alastor wasn't lying when he told you about the heretics and the beasts thing."

"But that's not the whole story, is it?"

"No, you're right, it isn't!" Naliam's voice was filled with urgency and he was struggling to come up with the words he needed to save himself. "We sent a team of four there two weeks ago for reconnaissance because a survivor claimed that there were signs of a great treasure appearing. When they returned, the information they brought revealed that it was a treasure of untold power and the oracular service prophetised that it was something coming from the Abyss!"

"So why send only seven men?"

"The Duke is in a crisis because of an ongoing conflict with another noble of the Kingdom. He couldn't afford to send the regular army. It's too complicated to mobilise an entire force through the Groam pass. So he hired us instead!"

"What else?"

"There's nothing else."

"Leah, if you'd please."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Cried out Naliam upon seeing the knife get closer to his privates. "The Duke and the Church want us to defeat the heretics and retrieve the treasure. Both of them want to reap these benefits and ascend to a higher level of power; the oracle said that the level of this treasure was so immense that both organisations would be able to profit greatly. Alastor is coming along with us to ensure that we don't leave with it after we get it. That's all that I know, I swear it!"

"I believe you." Replied Ichabod after a few tense seconds of mental rumination. "The Duke wouldn't want this information publicly known. Any enemy of his would engage in all-out war if it became known that he got his hands on such an unbelievable treasure. On the other hand, if he maintained it a secret, he could strike at his opponents when he successfully broke through. That's either exceptionally smart, or incredibly stupid. Which of both, I don't know. Whatever the case, you've complied with your end of the bargain. Gentlemen, please release good mister Leyes."

The pressure holding him down let him loose and Naliam was helped back up his feet. He took a few steps and stretched his sore limbs trying to get the blood to flow back into them. A quick look around the office showed him that one of the bookshelves had moved forwards like door to reveal a secret corridor. That must have been where Ichabod's security forces had emerged from.

"Is that it? You're letting me go?" Naliam was stupefied. Ichabod nodded nonchalantly. "If you think you're going to get away with this…"

"Nal, don't threaten me. As a matter of fact, don't ever threaten the guy who just very nearly had you castrated, disfigured, maimed, and enslaved. Take that as a life lesson, free of charge."

"Shut the hells up or Divines as my witness, I'll tear you in two. Now give me the antidote!"

"What antidote?"

"The antidote to the poison you've given me!" Naliam was frustrated at Ichabod's sudden loss of memory.

"I didn't poison you." He said with a playful smile on his face.

"Yes you did! You said so!"

"No, I was speaking in hypotheticals."

Naliam realised that he'd been tricked by Ichabod. He'd been made a fool of. Anger filled him and he flared his nostrils in defiance. There was no way he was going to allow someone to treat him like that. There would be consequences to Ichabod's actions.

"I'm an envoy of the Duke and the Church! You cannot treat me like this!"

"Quite right, we can't let you leave empty-handed. Could someone please have Jadelere come up? Thank you. Nal, be so kind as to wait for a few moments while Jadelere makes his way up."

Naliam wanted to leave and join his men, but Ichabod surely wouldn't allow him to exit the office so easily. He didn't have time to try, however. A few minutes passed, during which Naliam refused continuous invitations to have a drink of his choosing, when a strange creature made its way into the room.

"Jadelere, meet Naliam. Naliam, I'd like to introduce you to Jadelere, my accountant." The man who had been referred to as an accountant looked more like a monster than a man. He was short and stumpy; and his hair had all but gone. His left leg was significantly smaller than his right, thin and fragile as a stick, forcing Jadelere to walk aided by a crutch. The face was malformed in a few places and his left eye bulged out uncontrollably. Naliam had to stifle a shocked gasp. "Don't be beguiled by his appearance, Jadelere is a genius when it comes to numerical matters."

"I am much obliged by your high praise." Said Jadelere. His voice was deep and captivating, completely at odds with his physical image.

"It's well deserved, I assure you. Anyway, I require a bag with one hundred silver coins for mister Leyes here. Take it from the reserves meant for outsourcing." Naliam held his breath. That particular sum of money was as large a payment as he had ever received for one job. Even the Duke wasn't paying him that much.

"It will be done. Any other tasks I may be of use for?"

"Aye, as a matter of fact, there is. I want to donate three thousand silver coins to the Church of Naosh. Set the amount aside and have it delivered to their facilities in Trumba over the course of consistent fortnightly payments during the next two years."

"But sir! That's half a year's profits!" Exclaimed Jadelere. "Where would we get such funds?"

"Always so lackadaisical. That's your job as my accountant to find the way to do it. But don't touch the salaries of those under my employment. Take it from my own personal reserve if you must. Just make sure that the quantity won't affect our taxing situation. You'll figure it out."

With that, Jadelere left the room after performing a quick, clumsy, bow. He was escorted by the two men that had held Naliam pinned against the floor. Only the mercenary leader, Ichabod, and Leah remained behind. Naliam still couldn't believe it, he was about to receive one hundred silver coins. All he could do was wonder what Ichabod would ask in return.

"Good, good." Said the innkeeper as he folded his arms behind his back and inspected the view from his window with unseeing eyes. The way he stood and held himself, Naliam couldn't help but think that he looked like a high-ranking noble standing over his domain. The comparison sent shivers down his spine. "Now, Nal, there's the matter of your discretion to discuss."

"What?"

"I don't want the events that have transpired between these walls to escape their boundaries. Here's my hoping that the silver I'm giving you will suffice to buy your silence. However, I know how scum like you think, and you're probably considering blackmailing me in order to increase the amount even though what I'm giving you is more than you'd usually make in a single year." Naliam felt a knot forming in his throat, that had been exactly his intention. "Make no mistake, this is a one-off payment. If you then seek to breach our terms of agreement… Well, in that case Leah here will pay you a visit and finish what she started. Rest assured, she will succeed. Not to mention the fact that you've divulged extremely sensitive information that would undoubtedly cause you severe problems if word reached the Duke of your betrayal."

Naliam's throat dried up. Ichabod had read through him as if he were an open book. He was right in assuming that the Duke would punish Naliam if he ever got wind that the mercenary leader had disobeyed him, even if such disobedience had stemmed from the threat of torture. Afraid of the possible repercussions and aware of the predicament he found himself in, Naliam nodded emphatically and explained that he had no desire to betray Ichabod.

"That's good. Very good." Mumbled the innkeeper. "Right then! That concludes our business for this evening. Surely you want to join your men and partake in their merriment, I see no reason why you shouldn't take your leave. Remember my words, though: your group better leave on the morrow, at first light, and you would be wise to avoid Groamburk in the future. Besides that, inform Alastor that you will be receiving an ample supply of victuals and beer for the journey. Much to my own regret, I cannot supply you with any weapons or horses."

The mercenary leader bowed in acknowledgement. He was happy to be able to conceal his face which showed the unequivocal signs of distress he was feeling. Upon noticing that Ichabod had turned silent, and displaying remarkable obedience for a man that had just threatened to tear his would-be torturer in half, Naliam sprinted to the door. A sharp command forced him to stop just as he was about to turn the handle.

"Wait!" Exclaimed Ichabod. "Your knife." He said in his playful demeanour.

Leah approached Naliam with her arm fully extended and his knife griped by the blade. It wasn't a threatening way of handling the dagger. Yet as his fingers were about to wrap around the hilt, the skilled Leah rotated the weapon elegantly through her fingers and his hand only touched empty air. At the same time, and with breath-taking speed, Leah twisted her entire arm in an arc. She ended the movement by gripping the dagger in a combat position and menacingly aiming its point at his armpit. A single stab there would perforate his lungs and he would die a slow, painful, death drowning in his own blood.

Naliam jumped back as quickly as his reflexes allowed, but if that had been a real encounter he would have been done for. Leah had spared his life. What made matters worse for the mercenary leader was the fact that her expression remained as cold and unflinching as it had from the beginning. The look on her face was one of not even recognising him as an annoying insect that needed to be squashed. He had never felt so humiliated in his life.

Instead of politely handing him his precious knife, she dropped it on the floor and turned to walk back to Ichabod's side. The innkeeper was observing their exchange with evident amusement. Without saying his farewells or taking his leave, Naliam grabbed his knife, left the office, and descended the stairs to find his men.

They hadn't moved from the main dining hall when he walked in. Nor did they notice his appearance. They were too busy trying to contend with Alastor as the old cleric shook and waved his arms in defiance; screaming something about a blasphemy that needed to be redressed. Naliam couldn't pay attention. His mind was still fuming about the meeting with Ichabod. Not even the deliciously cold beer that a beautiful waitress served him managed to extinguish the wrath burning inside him. Especially considering that whenever he lifted his eyes towards the corner opposite where they were seated, a pair of ice-cold green eyes under a blonde ponytail stared right back at him.

--

Ichabod sighed with relief when Naliam finally left the office. His bluff had paid off. There was literally nothing that the innkeeper could do to the man without committing himself to a full-fledged war. Part of the reason for his inquiring about the Duke's objectives had been to establish how valuable Naliam was to the presumptuous noble. And it turned out that he was valuable enough to prove to be a little too expensive for Ichabod.

"Leah, you shouldn't have played with him like that." Chastised Ichabod.

"He had it coming." She replied in her soft melodious voice.

"Aye, he did. But he's a proud man, and that stunt we just pulled on him might prove a bit too costly for us."

"I can deal with him."

"No, Nal and his men must not be harmed." Retorted Ichabod sternly and making sure that her eyes were on his so that there was no room for discussion. "As it stands, he doesn't have any means of proving anything that just happened in this office. Also, I'm about to become the biggest donor the Church has in the region. Any unbacked claim of his will only get him into trouble. That would change if he had so much as a scratch on his persona before he leaves tomorrow morning. There's something else that's troubling me about this whole affair." He explained. "Let me ask you something, Leah."

"What is it?"

"Why do you think the Duke, with his infinite paranoia, chose to only send a body foundation real martial artist like Naliam instead of one or two Nascent ones for this important mission?"

"I don't know."

"See, I think he did. Alastor, that mad cleric, there's something about him that just doesn't seem right. He carries himself like one who is well versed in all martial matters. My guess is he's a skilled martial artist of the Church. And if that's the case, then at least one or two of those mercenaries under Naliam's command must have some degree of martial prowess. How much, I don't know. But we shouldn't underestimate them nonetheless. In addition, I wouldn't think it beyond the Duke's capabilities to hire an expert in a higher realm for this mission, but they simply haven't revealed themselves yet."

"What are my orders?" Asked Leah cutting straight to the point, as was her wont.

"Go keep an eye on him. Make sure he can see you, too. That way he won't even think about talking. At least not tonight. Divines know what he'll do once he sobers up a little. If we can avoid it, I'd rather the cleric not get involved. Don't like the smell of that Alastor; something tells me that his reaction isn't one I can easily predict." Ichabod spoke more to himself than to Leah, a demeanour she had long grown used to witnessing. It meant that he trusted her. "Oh, and there's a man down there that I want you to send up."

"Whom?"

"His name isn't important right now. I doubt you'd know it, either, even if I told you. He's probably sitting at the far side of the room, alone, and trying to hide next to the fire. You'll recognise him by the big sword he carries around with him. Knowing the bastard, he'll probably try to tell you to go away, and rather rudely at that, but it is imperative that I speak to him tonight."

"What should I do if he refuses?"

"Tell him… Tell him this is for a contract."

"Do you intend to have him go forth and compete for the treasure?"

"I don't know yet." Replied Ichabod quizzically. "I want to have him tail the group and decide what the best course of action is after he has ascertained the true nature of the situation."

"Sir, you should send someone who is completely trustworthy if that's the case; maybe someone from your entourage." Replied Leah, hinting to the fact that Ichabod should send her. In fact, Ichabod could tell that behind her cold visage was hidden a small ounce of annoyance for not being charged with this mission.

"No offense, Leah, as you know that I would trust you with my life, but if there are multiple Nascent realm martial artists in this affair then I can only trust him to fulfil this job."

"Understood."

With that final statement of compliance, Leah set off to accomplish what she had been ordered to, albeit with a small sense of dissatisfaction in her heart.

--

The following morning Naliam and his men departed from Groamburk at the first crack of dawn. Just as Ichabod had promised, they had been gifted a vast quantity of food and beer for the journey. Alastor had been overjoyed at the offering and took the time to bless the Wishful Hare with some petty religious incantations meant to provide the inn with the Divine's protection.

Just as the Morning Bell tolled to sign the beginning of a new day, so did Naliam's fellowship begin a new stage of their journey. They marched at an intense pace down the Groam pass. The road travelled through the Groam forest and none of the men had any desire to be amongst its trees come nightfall. They had just enough time to cover the distance between Groamburk and Riam, the next village. After that, it was merely a one-day journey until they reached Yrsogam.

At first they advanced without any incident, besides the few signs of the terrors of the forest left-over from their passing. Some trees they walked by had their trunks destroyed from an immense impact, others were uprooted completely. From time to time they would hear roaring in the distance, but nothing that indicated a stray group of demonic beasts near them. On one occasion they heard a strong shriek coming from the direction of the mountains. All of these facts encouraged the group to press on at a greater speed.

They were halted by a strange spectacle come noon. A couple of shouted orders reached their ears and they immediately took up defensive positions, expecting an attack from a group of bandits. Using the cover of the trees to conceal their presence, they neared the source of the racket one hundred yards away from them. A wagon was stuck in the dirt, blocking the entire road with its size. It had lost one of its wheels and the owner, a strong-looking fellow, was struggling to keep his mares under control.

Naliam watched as the female minstrel from the Hare from the previous evening appeared from inside of the wagon and gave the other man a drink from a small ewer. They hadn't noticed the mercenaries yet.

From his position, Naliam could see that the girl was quite comely indeed. What he had initially thought of as a hood turned out to be her hair, which was dark as a raven's wing and was trimmed in order to cover her forehead. Her features were smooth and balanced, but her dark eyes were too big. Naliam concluded that she wasn't astonishingly beautiful, yet still pleasant to look upon. Just what he needed.

He jumped out from behind the trees and startled the pair. The man even went so far as reach for a sword he had concealed in the wagon. Naliam laughed it off and introduced himself as a traveller that was willing to help them out of their predicament. He was surprised to see that they believed him, he'd been sure that the evil smile plastered on his face would've betrayed his true intentions.