Keeping an eye out for rooftop archers or other threats, running between ornamental trees, toppled statues and garden tables for cover, the pair of hunters slowly made their way towards the library. They were lucky to have attracted minimal attention on their way here, only a few times having to defend against wayward attackers and once escaping a gang of nasty warriors down some side streets.
The question now was how would they get inside? The place was heavily guarded by devious looking rouges, all camped outside the perimeter, “guarded” being a term used very loosely. They were drinking, fighting and singing old pub songs like they were having a wild party, neither Crom nor Rubin wanted to approach, but at least these guys seemed less bloodthirsty than the average cutthroat they’d see so far.
Crom tucked his sword into his belt and held his arms up, palms open to show he was no thread as he hailed them. “Hey! Hallo! I need too, ehn… I need to speak to whoever is in charge here!” he yelled, grabbing everyone’s attention. The festive attitude instantly dissipated as angry bandits glared at the intruders with hate and weariness. Rubin counted at least three crossbows pointed at him, he could feel a nervous sweat on his brow.
A monolithic tiger man stood up, arm clutching a spiked club and heavy shield, wearing nothing but battlescars over his muscular chest, “What inspires two runts like you to approach the fearsome Basalt Brigand Gang, do you have a death wish?” He finished with a menacing growl that sent shivers up Crom’s spine, “I-I… have a delivery! Oh I was sent by Porice... Pearlice?… Perralace!”
As soon as Crom spit out her name the great tiger man’s expression softened, then he burst out with raucous laughter! “HAHAHA-Hahaha, surely another soppy love letter for Herc no doubt, well let me see it and you may come in brothers, and stop shaking in your boots you’re in good company here.”
Crom fumbled for the letter and presented it to the grinning tiger; he inspected a sign on it and waved to his men to open the large oak library doors. Rubin let out an audible sigh of relief, now they just had to give this “Herc” guy his letter, thank him for not cutting them up, and say goodbye before they could get far away from here and end this story. Should be easy enough he thought!
The large tiger escorted them through the total mess that was once a library, a large bonfire of books burned in the main hall, lighting everything with a sinister glow. As they climbed a passage of ruined stairs to a special tower room Rubin tried to strike up some conversation, “Soo eh, the lady who sent up, who mistook us for thieves –“
“mistook?” the Tiger interrupted, “looks like thieves to me”
“I…? Well sorry we aren’t, we’re actually fine upstanding citizens man, great hunters and traders”
“Perra doesn’t bother normal citizens, mate.”
“Yes well she did”
“Are those your swords? They don’t look like your size”
“Uhh, well no but-“
“Knew it”
“Hey that no fair, we-“
“Save it rabbit, we’re almost there”
“I’m not a stinkin rabbit! See this great tail, its full blown kanga- oof!” Crom punched Rubin for being an idiot and insulting his kind.
“Hahaha” the tiger spoke, “you guys are alright, my names Bart, friends call me Crusher, you can call me Bart.”
Rubin and Crom exchanged a sly glance. They were heading down a long hallway now; they had to be heading to the very back of the library. “Soo Bart...” Crom spoke, “why are you here? I mean, why does it seem like every criminal and mercenary in the country has descended on this place, the lady who sent us here seemed to know”
“And you don’t?” Bart spoke with surprise, “The darn Eye of Sarcous is here, you damn fool, its worth a kings fortune to the right people, stupid magic folk who think a spell is better than a weapon you can hold…”
“And this would cause everyone to descend at once on this town?” Crom inquired in disbelief, trying to divert the fact he was totally ignorant of what an “Aii of Sacouus” as Bart pronounced it actually was.
“Argh, there be darker forces at play here, we came cause we were commissioned... I’ll not say by who, but Herc suspects most of the other big factions were payed off too. Long standing rival feuds boiled over and suddenly a simple raid escalates into all out war! And then the opportunists like you two joined the fray.
It’s a damn disgrace, we lost a lot of good men last night in an attack *sniff*” Suddenly sounding sentimental.
“Well if you have the uh.. I of Sadus… why don’t you just leave?”
“What? And lead everyone back to our base to ruin? We wouldn’t even make it back alive, fucking Cobalt Gang... And besides the boss says we still have stuff to do here.”
“And why is it, dear Crusher, that you are telling these strange strangers our plans?” A cool but authoritative voice spoke out. They had arrived to finally see Herc, the bandit leader.
Herc was a white wolf, with piercing amber eyes, lounging lazily on a plush leather armchair with his large metal tipped boots resting on some expensive looking desk. Dressed loosely like a bandit, but wearing lots of gold and jewels, incredibly gaudy. The most prominent gold piece he wore was a large and highly decorative pendant.
“Uhh, sorry boss, I didn’t tell them anything important sir, honest! They have a message from Perralace!”
“What? Give it to me, now!” Herc sat up intently and held out his hand demanding. Crom quickly handed the letter over, “Well uh, you got what you wanted so I guess we’ll be going now? Nice to see you, bye-bye” he grabbed Rubin by the arm and tried to walk out but Bart stood in the doorway and wouldn’t let him pass. Crom’s ears drooped as his spirits lower; of course it wouldn’t be that easy.
As Herc finished reading the letter, a sly grin slowly grew over his face (and a slight blush, there must have been something dirty written in that letter…), “Keh heh heh heh, she found it! She found the door! Crusher, tell our men to pack up, we’re heading out” Bart nodded intently and ran off.
“Hmm, as for you two, you know too much…” Herc lifted a frighteningly large cutlass up from under the table with on arm, the two hunter’s hearts skipped a beat, and both were seconds away from pulling out their own comparatively crappy swords, though they were clearly outmatched.
“You’ve got two options, I kill you, or… you work for me!” He declared and plunged the cutlass into the desk. Rubin and Crom shot each other a surprised and confused glance.
“You’re lucky, if I wasn’t currently so low on men the choice would be clearly to kill you, but dire circumstance dictate otherwise.
I just need you for this one job, then I’ll let you go, heh, I’ll even give you a great reward if you don’t fuck up.
But if you even think of betraying me I’ll make sure you’ll WISH you picked death right hear and now!”
The hunters were speechless, after a moment of processing what was asked of them Crom nodded furiously, then nudged Rubin to start nodding too.
“Good, take these and get out of my sight” he threw them each a token from his pocket, it bore the gangs insignia, a sign of membership, “talk to Crusher for orders, maybe he’ll even have some spare weapons to replace your sorry excuse for butterknives.”
Crom and Rubin left Herc with a heavy feeling of dread hanging over them; they were in way over their heads.
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