"Is she still here?" Caelric, the duke of Oliase City asked the hotelier to which he was greeted with a light nod. His knocks light as he was surrounded by his men. There was no answer at first before the door finally opened.
Guinevere looked at her guests, unfazed by their noble looks as she finally eyes Caelric. "You must be the duke huh? I'm not interested in any deal that you might have for me." Her words short and curt, clear that she wasn't open to any negotiation. "It's not that Guinevere that has brought us here but something else, do you mind if we come in?"
Guinevere leaned on the door frame, her eyes playful as she glanced at the men surrounding him. "No. We can have it out here." Caelric though offended ignored it as he cleared his throat, his men however portrayed ugly looks at her disrespect.
"Yesterday's incident, firstly we are in full awe and gratitude of your efforts that you did to Oliase however there were complications. Nearly half if not more of the adventurers went blind and that will no doubt cripple the ecosystem of Oliase." His start was calm as he made sure not to agitate her.
Even he was in awe the moment he heard that she the rank of a Hollow Saint. "Tasks may not be completed, those who managed to retain their vision are now too weak to complete any missions. Thus we're asking you that you stay here for a couple of days to help out. When new adventurers from the capital are sent, then you can leave."
Those around him noted that he hadn't bothered issuing any form of punishment on her. In the clause that she agreed to when becoming an adventurer was that she wouldn't actively harm other adventurers and what she was getting away with was more.
Most had their lives ruined, others still burdened with trauma from yesterday's incident and a cause for it was getting a slap on her wrist. "If I chose to leave right now, tell me Caelric, what would you do?" Caelric face stiffened. He didn't need to fight her to know her capability, yesterday was a testament of what she had.
"Nothing. I'd let you walk through the gates." His voice soft and low, inwardly cursing at his own strength. "If so then that is what I'll do so don't bother stopping me." With a thud, she shut the door in his face, making him grit his teeth. "Should we go in?" One of his men asked, unwilling to see the duke take such disrespect.
"What use would we gain from that if not ending Oliase with a finger. Or have you forgotten what she did on the battlefield yesterday?" The man let out a sharp sigh, making an apologetic bow. "If she wants to leave then let her, I don't plan on invoking the wrath of a Hollow Saint to my city."
And with that Caelric took his leave from the hotel she resided in. He sighed at his fruitless endeavor but glad that it had not descended into something he would regret later on. "What about the guild? With the lack of adventurers, the numbers of beasts roaming the city will increase."
A personal surbodinate posed, curious with Caelric's response. "Activate the defensive glyphs and hire any mercenaries or assassins. Just long enough for to last us a week." His order sharp and concise. "... What about Guinevere? Will she simply walk away with no repercussion?"
Another statement that made him detest his weakness. "I'm not sure how the kingdom will deal with her presence let alone the others. As for consequences, it's a price that we can only endure, after all she's much more capable than just wiping those damned beasts." It wasn't just Caelric but the rest came to fear what Guinevere was.
She was someone above the game of law and politics, if she chose to end the kingdom of Redfall then what really was stopping her. Caelric knew that the kingdom would come up with a way to curb her or at the very least appease her. As for those she killed or blinded, they were people swept under the rug.
***
Guinevere prepared herself, ready to leave Oliase. Mounting on her horse, she didn't leave the city but first stopped at the adventurers guild. The registrar was more than shocked to see her again. "Guinevere! It's a surprise to see you here!" Her voice losing all composure. "I was wondering whether there was an escort mission to the capital."
The registrar quickly skimmed through her records to find a mission. "Yes actually there is. A merchant wants to move to a town not far from the capital due to the frequent attacks. It's pay should be 5,000 blue shards." Guinevere smiled inwardly, a result that collided with her goals.
With most of the adventurers unable to be deployed in the field, the options left available were her and low rankers still fresh as adventurers. She instantly drew looks of fear and wariness from those present as they quietly took their leave.
"I'll take it." Her emblem flickered to life.
[{Take escort mission for the price of 5,000 blue malcore shards?}]
She accepted the mission without much thought before taking her leave.
***
"Urgh!" Callista groaned, looking around to be met with Jarren serving her breakfast. "Good morning darling, how did you sleep?" His taunt making her wish to punch the smile off his face. Yesterday the two had remained in their hotel, indulging in the pleasures of flesh till they couldn't any more.
"I'm fine though I'm hungry for something else." Launching onto his chest, the two shared a deep passionate kiss. Her stark body coming into view, her porcelain skin glistening in the morning light. "Well you'll have to postpone that for another day. A horde has been sighted to the west so get off your ass."
He landed a slap to her ass, making her moan in glee as her eyes bore into his, playfully. "Why can't these people just fuck off already! I want you all to myself." Her fingers slowly undid his shirt, pressing firm onto his robust chest. "We'll have all he time in the world for that but we still have a game to finish."
Her face pressed onto his chest, his heartbeat echoing in her ear. "Right. I still can't believe that there's a month to go. I'm already bored." Getting out of bed, she dug into her meal before freshening up. "Well I'm sure that things should get interesting." His words malicious followed with a serpentine smirk.
The two made their way to the main hall of the hotel where Neil was waiting. "There has been sighting of a swarm near the west. They should make it to us by mid day." His words crisp and sharp, his eyes however landed on the two. Not out of fear or hesitation but with bewilderment.
The two had their arms linked, showing their relationship. Something he had guessed but hadn't expected them to be so open about it. "What about the mines?" Jarren asked, his tone light as he could already picture it in his mind. "So far there hasn't been any strange activities. However security has been sharper than ever."
The two started making their way to the carriage parked outside. "However I have some grin news." The three now Neil divulged. "Ulrich has met his end and not just him but several others. It would seem that the attack happened at night." Callista was the first to ask. "How many?" Her tone filled with curiosity.
"About twenty three others." Neil mused, his tone heavy however Callista wasn't thrilled. 'You can't be cheating like that. How am I supposed to catch up now?!' She cried inwardly directing the statement at
Jarren. 'Well that my darling us for you to figure out.' He chuckled making her increase her grip around his arm.
Rather than a look of worry, it was disappointment that was Callista's face. Jarren kept on donning his smile unnerving Neil. His ash wraith had already claimed the lives while the two were busy with their lovemaking. 'You distracted me!' She feigned however he smiled it off.
'You're quite easy to distract darling. But to even the scale, the traitor upon death should be double the points, the demon triple if you can get to him.' Her eyes burned with a new resolve as the carriage finally came to it's destination. Neil was the first to alight, followed by the pair.
The two thanks to Callista hovered to the top of the wall with a crystal platform where the alleged swarm could be seen. The swarm constituted Brandmarks and Dreadhorns making the army's will falter. Some of the demons were bathed with flames, others green water, their fangs coming into view.
"Alright we already have a formation, first the archers will target the Dreadhorns and then the-" Neil was cut off by Callista, her voice calm. "There's no need to underestimate my sentries. Or do you not have any faith with them?" Two golems made their way to their position, facing the horde with no trace of fear.
*Whoosh*
The arena was coated with black-water obsidian crystals, the sentries instantly ending the lives of Brandmarks and Dreadhorns alike. Neither managed to survive before the fight came to an end. Not a single glyph was activated, not a soul lost at the hands of a swarm that would promise losses and suffering.
She didn't gloat, merely sinking deeper into his chest like a lovely couple. 'Since there are no active threats, can I start killing the army to help me catch up to you?' Her eyes locked with his, cute and pleading as if she wasn't asking for permission to commit mass murder.
'You don't have to ask to get what you want. As a cat it's expected of you to be drawn to beautiful things so don't hold yourself back.' His tone affirming her wish. 'You're the best owner a cat could ask for.' A smile flashed on her face before she turned to face Neil who was still baffled with the events if the battle.
"Neil, I have a bet with Jarren on killing your men though my darling cheated so I'll be indulging with the death of your men. You already had calculated the death of those you would lose so think of that as what happened." Neil's eyes narrowed with suspicion before widening in shock.
"Argh!" A nearby soldier met their end at a glance, their head impaled by an obsidian crystal spear. Those around him looked at Callista with shock others faces. "What are you doing?!" Neil asked as he saw Callista ready herself for another attack. "I'll make sure that it's quick. About..." Her eyes shifted to the soldiers beneath her.
"Fifty should do it." Neil couldn't stop her, shards threatening to end his life flanked him from all sides. What followed was the cries of men meeting their end not at the hands of demons but fellow humans. Callista killed without a second thought before she met her quota.
"That should do it. Thanks for your cooperation Neil." Callista smiled innocently as the air was filled with the stench of metal and blood. With a snap of her fingers the crystals ceased to be, returning back into her world. "You- how could you kill so many innocent people?"
Neil wore a look of betrayal as he still had to process what had happened. "It wasn't that many, fifty in my mind is actually pretty small. However if you want huge numbers then I could show you by ending this town in a single attack." Her words though light and dismissive of what she had done carried a truth Neil dreaded.
"Wait? Are you responsible for Ulrich's death then?" A dark premonition lingered on his chest wishing to be false. "That was Jarren though he cheated. As much as I love him he's still a bastard." Her claims were met with a kiss to her forehead. "I could say the same, you feral kitty."
The way the two dismissed human life and coiled with each other felt wrong, unholy to an extent. "I'm not feral, I'm well composed and organized." She cried only be met with a kiss shutting her up. Not only those beneath but Neil as well could only watch as the two indulged. "You two are definitely not human! You're monsters with no sense of justice or morality."
Callista broke into a chuckle as Jarren shot his calm smile too comfortable for his face. "You're lucky that I'm on a leash or you all would be dead." Her chuckle more of a threat than a joke.