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Vexx
I hid my feathered wings and tiny fins under the tight leather armour, and a few smuggled tiny invisibility potions, within my belt pouch.
Look, I wasn't the one illegally making those power-filled bottles. I merely had links and sources like always.
And now you could say I was stepping out of my comfort zone, walking with Unity troops within the sewers of their enemy base I worked for. The Chronicle Order. Who to be fair, killed quite a lot from their divine quests.
Contrary to popular belief, I believe they're both bad anyway.
Which is why it wasn't wrong of me to exist in both sides. In many ways more than one.
Even other typical extravagent winged individuals, and sea-traveling fish people, couldn't learn what an orphan hybrid has to do, in order to survive.
In other words, a mix of Flivian and Marine kind makes a confused male seventeen year old, such as I. With my pale skin instead of pearly, and white hair with blue water-like streaks. I can't belong to either image.
I mean, so what? Hybrids aren't supposed to live in the world with their heightened powers, in the first place. I had to live the undercover life like this.
But hey, at least now it pays well.
Case in point: instead of another average bounty mission, I continued running through abandoned underground waters with the other armed, diverse, sooted rebels of the Unity. My given objective for money was to help wipe out members or soldiers of the new quest. Or reveal their plans as a spy. Or all of the above.
At least, that's what the higher-ups of the contract I signed told me I could do. But my other target was here. I was ranked second-in-command for it from experience.
In front of our quiet group of dozens, the helmeted Commander Quade held out a sign with his fist upward. We all stopped in front of a side ladder to a manhole already blasted open.
"Stay silently below." He whispered clear enough for each one of us to hear. "I'll peek out to see if the village is still empty."
We complied, even if our leather boots stayed soaked in the water that was left after the battle. While waiting, I loaded my tranquilizer darts into my flintlock pistol to prepare.
After silence for a few moments, the commander climbed back down after peeking above. I studied the weapons on him. He had a simple steel sword, and a musket tied to his back. No shield or magic, luckily.
"We're all clear, people. Their base is right next to village Thaussin." He said through his gruff voice, taking off his typical-looking helmet of iron, revealing a soiled bearded face to take a breath or two. It was pretty hard to do that in the underground. Good thing I can stand breathing underwater.
Anyway, he took no hesitation in speaking again. "Let's continue. Follow my lead without making a sound. And Vexx."
He looked skeptically towards my helmeted face.
"I know." I simply said before he could tell me anything more. "I'll stay close, commander."
I've worked with Commander Quade before. Sure, I have a habit of straying quietly a bit. But why would the guy think something else of me?
We both briefly exchanged a curious look, then he carried his helmet beside, and the rest of us followed him up the ladder as the task continued. I stayed next to him.
Our quick, weaponized division of dozens ran out to the surface, with no witnesses to see. We passed by the hills of trees and shaded forests, once home to creatures of all kinds.
The ruins of the village below to the side was hard not to notice. Thaussin, from what I remember, was a peaceful settlement full of townsfolk before the attacks happened. Also was a great place for dark market trading. Such a waste.
Luckily, I wasn't there to see it all that chaos go down.
As we continued travelling by foot, hidden by the natural terrain, we met the other divisions with magic golden rings and firearms of their own. Actual Flivians using their flight and whatnot. They were headed towards the same direction and stuck by us. Our squad continued quietly running through, with Commander Quade and I leading in the forefront.
My legs started to ache by how lengthy the half-hour trip took.
Maybe I should've used my wings. I thought to myself. I've been giving them rest for so long, I could carry a whole person at this point.
And then, as we peeked over the bushes and trees of the hill, there it was in the near distance. A fancily-displayed base of questers, with gates of brick surrounding various buildings. And a flag of a shining book above the walls being hoisted up high.
All of us troops sort of cramped together to hide, still hidden from their view.
"We have a spy inside that'll open one of the side-gates." Commander Quade explained to us again. Everyone had their eyes on him. Including me. I was to the left, with a bush blocking my lower half.
He continued. "When the order is given from the other divisions,"
Then I opened the belt pouch to my invisibility potions with a flick.
"We will barge into barely guarded area while the others fire from afar,"
My hand hovered over to the hilt of my loaded gun, within the holster.
"And together as one, finish what we were always here for-"
I shattered two bottles to the dirt the crowd and I stood upon. We all disappeared visibly from thin air. I raised my pistol in an instant to where my target's exposed neck was, and pulled the silent trigger.
I heard the commander fall fast asleep onto the ground. Everyone was shouting in panic as they suddenly couldn't see their hands, and the rest of their body. I swept off my sooted leather armour, threw it off the hill, sheathed the flintlock back in its holster, and grabbed the body in the place where he fell unconscious. All while struggling at first to carry the heaviness with two arms.
Then I spread my wide, feathery white wings, still unseen, and boosted myself to soar away from the chaos. Towards the Chronicle Order base itself.
"Come on, asinine Flivian genes." I muttered to myself while gliding above the surfaces, counting how long the invisibility would last. "Give me the strength to deliver this man."
I glanced down below. We were approaching the gates, finally, after about a minute or two. Within the walls, the base seemed like a holy city made for townspeople, with cleanly monasteries and statues existing beside streets of villagers.
There were no Drownei guarding the place anymore. People from the Unity told me, that since yesterday or something, the Chronicle Order cut off all ties to Kyronia. That both would threaten war, if they piss each other off enough. And the Drownei who've controlled for almost a century were bound to incite something bigger.
But not all Kyronians are Drownei, factually.
I flapped my wings downward, towards the inner corner of the gate border, where crates of supplies laid dormant behind barracks and a tavern nearby. Which probably didn't have any good drinks, sadly.
But I was probably running late.
While I reminded myself of that, I opened some of the crates with nobody else around to see me rummaging through them. Luckily, there were some used Chronicle Order armour lined with the usual gold-like colour.
I rushed to put on the slightly rusty chestplate, greaves, helmet, and all.
Just in time, as our invisibility finally wore off, and I didn't look like floating pieces of metal resembling a person.
I headed away from the back of the barracks, dragging the unconscious body further into the hidden dark alleyways. At least the sight of a 'quester' hauling the arms of a man laying on the floor is much more approved compared to otherwise. And besides, I knew I was nearing the man offering the bounty.
At last, I made it to the largest wooden building, situated behind the rest of the soldiers' quarters. Out from the house-like room, came just the man I was looking for, who treaded down the entrance stairs. His other unhelmeted troops gathered towards him for their commands.
Then the bounty offerer in charge noticed the rusty-armoured figure, who happened to be me, pulling a seemingly lifeless person nearer to where he stood. I took off my helmet for a moment.
"Ah, Vexx!" The young adult, tall against the odds, pointy-eared Dwellven greeted me with his spiky short hair and enthusiastic half-smile."Just the quester I wanted to see, and early as per usual. Quite impressive!"
I admit that I didn't care much for his sudden excited-ness, and moved on. "Why of course, Toros. I got the bounty right here. Meet Commander Quade."
I slid the body of the Unity member towards the Dwellven. Toros' pointy face lit up even more, as he ordered his men to take the tranquilized enemy over to the dungeons. And the others to continue their duties.
Then he took out a bag of gold coins the size of my full palm. I couldn't help but glance.
"Your service to Niytri and fate is never forgotten, Vexx." He continued to tell me. "So skilled at such a young age."
Toros noticed how I was staring at the money, then tossed the coin pouch over to my hands like it was nothing.
"What we're trying to say is; you're a very important member to us."
Hah. If only he knew I was an important member on the other side, too.
Wait, he didn't, did he?
"Well, thanks, then. Very. . . nice." I started, slightly narrowing my eyes to figure out what else he's going to say. "Suppose I should get going now."
"I'm getting there, Vexx. The headmaster calls for you for a quest."
I blinked.
A quest? Me? I didn't know I could be that useful. I didn't mean to be, anyway.
"A qu-" I stopped myself to honestly laugh at the notion a bit. "Hah. Sorry, but did I hear that right?"
"Headmaster Chronisius sees your potential." Toros explained with his half-smile, allowing my reaction. "How quickly you're climbing up the ranks when you've just started with us. Your swift skill in completing bounties and missions."
I mean, yeah. When you've done all the other bounty missions possible, I guess there's no other choice than to work in the richest organizations.
"You should at least see him." The Dwellven said once more. "He sees something in you. A youthful hero waiting to be unveiled, like many others before."
Well, I don't. Is what I wanted to say.
Also, most of their quests end up in world chaos, with a strong chance of dying horribly. But then again, there's also a strong chance dying as a Unity member while killing others too.
"Well." I said back to Toros, as it seemed to be only us in the barracks face-to-face. "If I might as well die, do I get a reward for living?"
"Oh, I'm sure you'll get plenty rewards that will change your life." He gestured his head towards the bag of gold, that I clutched with my palm.
"All questers do, after all."
You could say I had the chance to fly away. Like a coward. But really, there was nothing else for me to lose. But possibly everything to gain. It only took one more second of thinking, and I looked at Toros above his pointed nose again, eye-to-eye.
"I'm charmed enough. Take me to your leader." I kept close watch at the pouch of money, pocketing it inside of my belt.
"And as another note, you might want to keep track of some hidden attackers."