An Edge Lost

"What, you gon' end the fightin' just like that!?"

Relana's temper scorched hotter than the sun, doused only when she had buried these adventurers into the sand.

Even the trained Zerden now calmed, harboring so resentment from being blasted with a fireball and sent reeling back from an uppercut. You know Rellana's in dire need of some anger management when Miryam wished she was as well behaved as Miryam's beast.

"Stay your hand, Rellana. The Gorgon promised to pay us handsomely for the simple task of leading them through Arhu." Miryam said.

"I say we continue! Why settle for that bracelet when we can wring them dry of all their gold!?" Rellana's grin bordered on the mad, gripping tight her rifle as she glanced at the adventurers all gathered behind Miryam.

Of course, such maddened gaze was something Maessha had witnessed countless of times, causing her to don her shadow armor in the blink of an eye. An ominous grin that manifested for the thrill of the moment, thinking not of who she might hurt...or murder. A grin similar to Zorrla's. But unlike Zorrla's, Rellana's madness has not seeped in deep, she still had someone to keep her in line.

The Naga's slit iris came boring down Rellana, giving way to foreboding tension between the two. They are outlaws, there are only two ways to resolve Rellana's doubt over Miryam's leadership.

"And I said we will take on their request." An insistence with an ironclad demeanor, one needed for Miryam's position as the leader of the Vipers. "If you take offense in following my orders, then you are free to leave. Better yet...you're free to challenge me to draw."

Clicking her tongue to hide her frustration, Rellana slung her flintlock rifle behind her.

"I will do as you wish, Miryam."

"Good." Miryam's attention now onto the two desert elves next to Rellana. "Narran, Morrgen, any objections?"

"You'll hear nothing from me, boss madam." Holding the top of his hat, Morrgen nodded.

"No objections here." Narran, the non-combatant elf said.

All now in accord, Miryam turned her attention towards the Yazmin and her party. The necklace they wore made easy for Miryam to pintpoint their guild origin. They all travaeled far from home, their quarry is not with the Sand Elves, highly wanted at Havardin as they are. It should be safe to bring them back to their hideout camp.

"Gather your belongings, we will ride Clint and head back to camp."

Balling her fist, Rellana wanted to interject the dangers of letting them in on the location of their camp, although she feared another objection would truly form a rift between them. To be this careless, has their leader been losing her touch?

+++

From the wrecked carriage, the Elarians retrieved their belongings, camp supplies and a tent. They will not depend on a bandit's hospitality, after passing Arhu, the Elarians hoped they would never entangle again with these unsavory lot.

Both atop the Zerden, Miryam's beast traversed the drylands, such was the monster's weight that each step of its run would send tremors.

With plenty if space on the beast's back, both bandits and adventurers made themselves comfortable by sitting.

Alara's snuck a snide glancre at the visibly upset Rellana.

"Maessha, look at how she broods, her temper reminds me of your sister." Alara grinned at her suggestion, needless to say that she enjoyed witnessing Rellana cowering. Kind of like how her little sister had a hold on the troublesome Dark-elf.

"Not my sister, but my mother and her instability, albeit a more sane version. Without Miryam, I am sure we would gleefully engage us in a duel to the death."

"Is your mother truly as mad as they say?"

"You have no idea. When bored, she would make slaves engage in a bloodsport with the promise of escape, only for them to have her as their final opponent, crushing their hope of escape and the slave with it."

Such sadism was hardly fit for a Queen! Alara shuddered at the thought, Queen Ysbeil would never even think of engaging in such barbarity!

Grabbing Maessha's hand, Alara planted a kiss on top of it.

"Then it is a good thing you did not take after your crazed mother."

Soon the party had arrived at camp. Being the nomads are, this camp was only a small group of Desert Elves.

21 in total, 10 of them to support the camp by their neverdowell ways, the other half on camp duty and other important stuff, like keeping a low profile so they could pawn for gold their haul or buy supplies in the nearest settlement.

"What have we here? Kinda plenty for newbloods. More mouths to feed but I will welcome them with open arms if they pull their weight. Been eyeing a bank lately, that centaur lookin' dandy to haul all those bags of gold!" An orc with dreads approached the incoming Zerden beast. Differing from his greenskinned kin, orcs found at Havardin and Warija had this complexion of darkish dirt. His physique, rippling as you would expect. The Viper's muscles, the one who does the heavy lifting when Clint is unavailable, Garuk.

"They're not here to become part of our gang. They are...clients." Miryam paused before coming up with the appropriate word to describe these adventurers crazy enough to proposition outlaws.

"Clients!? Well shit, don't tell me you're gonna start orderin' us to turn a new leaf!? I ain't ready to let go this life just yet!"

"Certainly, as a matter of fact, Rellana and I are going to start applyin' as farm hands tomorrow! Come with us, I bet you'd make a killing using that strength of yours to milk them cow teats!" Morrgen chimed in, his tone ripe with sarcasm.

The easy gold, the exhiliration of a bank robbery, the rush of superiority from their extortion and stick ups. Most of all, the fear that the name their group inspires.

It is not easy for infamous outlaws like them to let go of their wicked glory.

As the passengers a jumped down from the gigantic beast, the panicked Garuk turned to Rellana.

"Rellana, is that true!?"

"Of course not, you stupid oaf! Morrgen is fucking with you!"

Miryam mediated, "Everyone, that's enough. This is a one time thing. The payment this Gorgon offered was too juicy to pass up, could be regarded as a treasure in and off itself. It will keep the camp fed for at least a couple of weeks."

Yazmin observed the surroundings, their tents lined up neatly to form a mini community of 21 inhabitants. With night about to fall it is time they set up some tents of their own.

The Gorgon slithered towards her fellow snake woman.

"Miryam, let us set up our own tents. We planned to stock up on the nearest town but...our paths crossed. If you can spare food for dinner, we will gladly toss a few more coins together with the bracelet."

"Dinner's on the camp, just because we're outlaws doesn't mean we don't know how to treat guests. After setting up your tent, come and meet me by mine, we'll discuss tomorrow's plan on how to pass Arhu safely."

+++

Miryam's lavish tent was filled with all kinds of trinkets and baubles. Necklaces, bracelets, strange decors like the toy of a monkey with cymbals, nabbed from a travelling craftsman. Such was the fruit of their robbery that Miryam barely had any space to put temporarily display the payment maid by the Gorgon before pawning it off.

Such a tiring day, Miryam shed all her clothes to reveal her ever so slender body of a Naga. Located at the back of the palatial tent, Miryam made ber way towards the bathing area. A circular tub made from wood, the Naga coiled inside like a water snake, sighing with relief at how the herbs relaxed her senses with their strong flowery aroma, cleansing both her scales and skin in the process.

After the refreshing dip, Miryam slithered out of the bathing area and into her clothes rack with only a towel around her bossom that extendes the way down to her groin. Her hands rummaging for the proper attire, they halted as a pistol cocked from behind Miryam.

"Botching a score, letting these dubious adventurers into our camp. You've lost your edge, Miryam."