A Knight's Lilies

“The Third Palymir Expedition was considered by many at the time to be a failure, a foolish endeavor at best following the disasters that had been the last two. But now, we see them as heroes and a success for one simple fact. Most of them came back. Furthermore, limited but nonetheless noteworthy contributions to the scientific literature of the Praemoni Deadlands are what’s also important to note. Though at the time, it was mostly obscured by the fact that their return also heralded the arrival of another Dark Tide. Perhaps the demons were incensed that humanity had penetrated so deeply into their realm. Or perhaps it was mere coincidence that allowed both things to happen simultaneously.”

- Lord Angrov Payton, Pathfinder’s Guild, “From Beyond The First Age: Palymir”

The guildhall was lively tonight, a liveliness that stopped the moment the duo stepped through the main doors.

“Congratulations!” Aralyn tried to feign a smile as she pinched her nose, “With this commission done, you’re now proper adventurers.” She called out from her post.

A soft cheer echoed across the guildhall. Soft, because the scent of kewjie fruit did not leave their bodies and now everyone from commoners to adventurers tried to stand at least half a room away.

“You’ve earned your tags, but first. Please go shower and scrub thoroughly, you smell atrocious.”

Sophie and Mila both winced but nodded. They were more than aware.

“End of the left hallway, far side past the first door on the right. Go.” Aralyn commanded.

The two scurried away, panicked adventurers and staffers clearing the way before they could be enveloped in the stench.

Neither knew how long they spent in the guildhall’s baths. Minutes spent scrubbing one self, then minutes more scrubbing each other as their displeasure of the kewjie fruit was more than evident on each other’s faces. Even after soaking in two tubs of soaped water, the residual scent could not escape their nostrils.

Sophie’s face contorted something fierce when she tried to take a deep breath. The sulphuric bittery smell of oxen feces had not been completely eradicated, but it had abated somewhat, at least. She despaired greatly, her thoughts teetering on the edge of sorrow. Her week had been long and she was looking forward to Ary’s company when she went back to the Academy. At this rate, sleeping in the same bed would be more than impossible.

Truth hurt, but was thankfully also just as gentle on the occasions when it is allowed to be. When the duo finally reached an acceptable level of scent, they returned to the main hall. There, they found the elven clerk daintly clapping while a few more rambunctious adventurers hollered at the duo’s approach. Sophie was initially mortified, still reeling from the senses she finally recovered after the shower. But Mila grabbed her hand and dragged her forward, a certain pep in her step that Sophie hadn’t expected.

“Congratulations, officially this time. Just one last thing to do.” Aralyn greeted them with a half smile, her nose twitching a little.

“Thank you.” The duo replied.

“As we prepare to register you as fully fledged adventurers, you now need to choose a name for your group.” The elf’s eyes darted between Sophie and Mila.

Mila nudged Sophie.

“Err…” She stammered a little, her eyes desperately looking at Mila who only stoically stared back with a scowl.

“Something jokey or perhaps something more meaningful, it’s up to you.” Aralyn tried to suggest.

Sophie paused, her lips pursing up as she gave the idea more thought. Something meaningful, huh? Her mind drifted to one intended audience member in particular. Would Ary find ‘flower power’ funny? Heh. Sophie smiled and shook her head, she would, but she’ll tell me to be more serious, I think. Her lips upturned a little, I am her guardian after all, so maybe something related to that?

The world seemed to slow as she looked around her. Mila’s scowl, the elven clerk waiting patiently, the rowdy adventurers welcoming new blood. She mused the different sensations within her, the feeling of things coming together never more pertinent than before. After all her suffering, she had reached a milestone when Lady Lillian knighted her. Now, she was to become an adventurer too.

Mila tapped her side and looked expectantly at her, the inquisitor’s prying eyes never letting any little moment slip. Sophie just smiled back.

“Is ‘The Lily Knights’ taken?” Sophie turned to the clerk.

Aralyn shrugged, “Repeat names are fine as long as we have your tags and know who you are. So I take it, that's your choice?”

Sophie looked to Mila, the girl cocking her head sideways, her eyes narrowing before she straightened herself and clicked her tongue.

“Tis fine with me.” Mila scowled.

Sophie beamed and hugged the girl, eliciting a small squawk of surprise from the weary inquisitor.

“Sophie!” Mila growled.

“Heh. We’re a team now, a proper team.” Sophie released the inquisitor.

“Gah. Good for us.” Mila put on a more friendly scowl.

“I’ll have your tags and registration done in a minute.” Aralyn informed them, “In the meantime,” she turned to the gathered adventurers, “say welcome to your new colleagues, ‘The Lily Knights’.”

Another cheer came from the crowd and the duo found themselves being praised by mostly younger adventurers. It seemed that alongside her academic cohort, she now had one in the guild as well, and that pleased her. Mila remained relatively aloof, looking borderline uncomfortable with the overly joyous atmosphere.

Remembering the girl’s brief tale of her time in Gratia, Sophie could understand her pain. She reached over and gently collapsed the girl’s hand. Mila practically hissed at her before she paused. Their eyes met and after trading a somber but understanding look, the girl relaxed a little. Neither reaffirming the gesture nor denying it.

Aralyn tapped both their shoulders and presented to them two necklaces with a thin sheet of metal inscribed with words. Their names and their group name was written upon it, but perhaps anticipating the question, the elf merely pointed to the foundation of the necklace. Though it was metallic like most other chains, it was dyed a dull copper colour.

“On behalf of the Cyndralian Adventurers Guild and here at the Arterian branch. Welcome to the team.” The elf smirked, “Based on testimony and your prior experiences, the guildmaster has also authorized your immediate promotion to copper. Congratulations for that too.” The elf then clapped her hands to get the crowd to settle down. “Looking forward to working with you, adventurer. May your journey be graced with fortune.”

The rest of the night passed with a surprising lack of fanfare. Sophie returned late to the Academy and wasn’t able to find the others to share the news of her new adventurer status with them. To her delight, Ary was still awake and celebrated with a night of passion that left Sophie almost too sore to wake up. Roused by Yana who had already awakened, the fae simply snickered as she pointed to a clock, panicking Sophie as she now had to rush for the next ferry to the mainland.

She was groggy and still quite sore by the time she met with Mila to get their next commission as a party. This job was handed down to them by Aralyn, the guild clerk explaining that this one would mostly be a solo job, though they would be working alongside a man from the pathfinder’s guild. Evidently, he accidentally unearthed a cave underneath one of the houses in the northeastern Starcross district that unfortunately was also home to giant rats. A squad of redcloaks would help maintain the outer perimeter while the duo would join with the pathfinder to clear and chart the cave before surveyors went in to assess the structural integrity.

With a pat on the back and a cheap complimentary curative in case the rats had a disease, they were sent off.

The city was tense. The ongoing trial continued to inflame tensions as long as a verdict was still being decided upon. Yet, on life went, the power of trade and economics had meant that porters continued moving things around just as merchants set up stalls or headed out on caravans. It simply meant that while life continued, everyone just also kept one ear to the ground. Waiting for the moment when things would reach another boiling point once more.

Starcross district was thankfully close enough to Saint Konrad square and the guild, making their journey a pleasant walk as they headed to their commission. It only occurred to Sophie now that aside from the time she sulked about the port district to the Mermaid’s Rest tavern, she had precious little opportunity to explore the more residential districts of Arteria. Not that she ever had a real reason to, but it did make her feel like she had been missing out. Especially now that she was getting a proper glimpse of the life and architecture of the place.

An eclectic mix of buildings greeted the duo. Colorful townhouses, drab cookie cutter houses, to gated manors and even low lying apartments lined the streets. The plots too were organized in an uneven way, the streets all windy and crooked, a remnant of an Arteria long ago. The buildings however, were mostly new, though a little more dated than their counterparts in other districts.

What was immediately obvious however, was where their next job would take place. ‘A squad of redcloaks’ turned out to be a minor understatement. There was indeed a squad of redcloaks. But augmenting them was a squad of Clover legionaries and a small gathering of green cloaked

Pathfinders, all set up within the fenced off courtyard of a manor hours. A few of the soldiers looked up at her approach.

They reminded her of when she had first arrived, suspicion and disdain for a half elf with the hair of a Traxian. But something else was present that hadn't been here before. Most were unconcerned, but a few, a few seemed to almost regard her with a degree of respect. Recent events, especially amongst the soldiers of Arteria, had not gone unnoticed. In a twisted way, it warmed her heart a little. The briefest acknowledgement that everything that had happened, did in fact occur.

“Adventuring party ‘The Lily Knights’?” A redcloak officer at the gates greeted them curtly.

“That’s us.” Mila replied for the duo, flashing their newly acquired guild tags at the man.

“Legion Captain Ferrick is in charge of the security operations here, you’ll find him in the left most tent if you need something. Pathfinder Harlan should be inside the manor. Stars guide you.” The trooper saluted by tapping his halberd against the ground.

“Stars guide you.” The duo replied as the gates creaked open and they headed inside.

A few more soldiers gave them approving nods, the pathfinders mostly just glancing at them curiously as they passed by.

Unsure of proper actions in this situation, Sophie decided that they should follow the protocol according to the adventurers exam. To find the commissioner or quest givers and speak to them.

To her surprise, no one really tried to stop her. A redcloak looked questioningly at them when they walked up to the door, but after Mila showed him her tags as well, he just let them through just like the gate guard. Wow. Being an adventurer has its upsides, huh?

The manor wasn’t a mansion, but for an Arterian house, it was massive. Three separate halls leading to different rooms, two sets of stairs going upwards, countless ancient looking trinkets and artifacts. A collector’s place, and it looks so nice. What caught her off guard however, was banners, specifically pathfinder banners, and a portrait that made her blood run cold.

Sophie froze and stood stock still, staring up at it. It was the size of a church window and dominated the left wall besides the stairs. It was of a wisened old man, his features marking him more Carradorian with a hint of possible Meltonian in him. But more than that, she recognised his face in an instant.

Where the rain poured down, the lights shone brightly with accursed hues. When the dead clawed to life and the innocents perished. There was that face. One of the few she committed to memory. Besides a lizardfolk that had been dragging her that fateful night, there had been a spellcaster, the very same man in the portrait. The same one that Annalise had told her was a traitor, the one that led the expedition to its tragic end.

“Adventurers.” A legion trooper nodded at them before pointing down the hall, his soft voice snapping Sophie out of her stupor.

“Thank you.” Mila bowed for the duo before dragging Sophie along.

Rounding the hallway and standing in front of the door, the inquisitor looked like she was about to knock before rounding on Sophie. “What was that about?” She hissed.

“H-huh?” Sophie stammered.

“You froze. What’s up?” Mila scowled at her, an understanding one this time around.

“That picture.” Sophie whispered, “It was by the stairs.”

“Eh? There was? And?”

“I know that face. That man. He was one of the traitors back in Eichafen. Anna’s expedition.”

“Anna’s expedition in…” Mila also froze as she slowly connected the dots. Sophie could see the exact moment everything clicked in the inquisitor’s head. “Stars…”

“Yeah.”

“Sir Taurox and Lord Von Krantz told me a little of it. How there had been a betrayal that took down Eichafen too. Could they be related?”

Sophie hesitated, but she nodded, “Most likely.”

“Damned hells, then this house…”

A click interrupted Mila’s next words as two pathfinders walked out of the room they were in front of. They gave the duo a curt nod before motioning to someone inside. With their conversation now broken, they turned their attention towards the figure within. Unlike the other pathfinders who mostly wore leather uniforms alongside their tunics, this one retained the green and white strips of his attire whilst also having donned a set of half plate. A short sword hung loosely on his belt on one side whilst a dagger was strapped to his leg on the other. Atop his head was a pointed bycocket hat with a feather atop it, one more meant for explorers or hunters, but they supposed this meant he was their commissioner, the one who would clear the cave out with them.

Pathfinder Harlan’s expression looked almost relieved when he caught sight of them, motioning for them to follow as he walked past.

“You two the adventurers?” He asked, “I”m this operation’s expedition master, Senior Pathfinder Harlan Stammer at your service.”

“Adventurer Mila.”

“Adventurer Sophie.”

“Excellent. Now I’ll get right to the point. As you can see, we’ve got a veritable task force assembled here. This ‘dig’ of ours was originally a house of a veteran member who departed under unfortunate circumstances. It is by happenstance that I accidentally broke past a secret wall and opened up a cave. This way.” He beckoned for to the duo as he led them back into the mainhall, giving a few nods to other pathfinders.

He led them down the main and past the staircases, pushing opening a side room to reveal a dusty but ornate looking study filled from the top to bottom with artifacts, maps, and countless tomes. Where there had once been a wall on the far side however, there was now a collapsed bookshelf and several makeshift wooden spikes blocking the opening and two legionaries standing guard, focused on the opening.

“The previous occupant of the place was a… mysterious fellow, let’s say. Had plenty of secrets and hidden compartments. Thought I found a vault or something and well…” He gestured to the breach, “Overdid it a tad.”

“Sir. Ma'am.” One of the legionaries acknowledged the arrivals.

“Protocol states that we simply wait for an extermination force to be properly composed by city guard and legion units. However, as is often the case with city related things, bureaucracy takes time.” Harlan explained.

One of the soldiers snorted. Harlan ignored the man and continued.

“And being that I’m not allowed to requisition pathfinders for combat, figured I’d turn to the guild.”

“Makes sense.” Mila hummed.

“I got a decent way into the place before opening a wrong door. Ton of giant rats were just… festering in the place. Saw me and got hungry I guess.” He paused.

The room stopped and listened, the sound of feet and skittering just barely audible from deeper in the breach.

“Hells.” One of the soldiers cursed.

“Whatever this place is hiding, the guild intends to find it. While I haven’t got much other options the higher ups did approve me contracting out to the adventurers guild. You two think you up for it?”

Sophie looked to Mila, who just shrugged. Sophie therefore, also shrugged.

“Fair enough.” Harlan grumbled.

He whistled at the soldiers and they grunted. The two then started shifting the bookcase and barricades away, the noise provoking reactions from deeper down the cave tunnel.

“Stars. I hear ‘em.” The first legionnaire spoke up, “Get the others.” He ordered his comrade.

With one man rushing out to gather help, the rest of them drew their weapons. Screeches echoed down the tunnel, the ever growing sound of skittering feet only getting louder. A few makeshift stakes were still pointed at the entrance, stopping them from being able to properly block it off. But, they had removed all that they could. All they could do now was make a stand while the others outside armed themselves. For within the darkness where the edges of the expanse where light from the room still shown, vicious and malnourished red eyes shined greedily in the darkness. Then came the squeaks and gnashing teeth, the starving horde pushing ever forward.

The remaining legionary grabbed a shield from the side of the room and planted himself between two stakes. Harlan moved over to his side before crouching down and arming himself with a spare wooden plank. He signed for the duo to take positions behind them. Mila and Sophie flanked them, their own weapons at the ready.

There was a brief lull, a moment of quietness as the horde stumbled onto itself. The four of them glanced uneasily at each other, all having expected the rat tide to crash against them. From what they could hear, the rats were certainly crashing against each other, their screeches and angry clawing indicating as much.

Ah. Sophie clicked her tongue, a little amused by her aura on unintentional display. Her amusement faded just as quickly when she heard the horde advancing, the sheer momentum forcing them forward. The unbearable cacophony of chaos now reaching its zenith.

“Steady.” Harlan grunted.

An ear piercing screech was the only thing they heard when the first of the rats lunged forward from the opening of the cave.

It was an ugly thing, a disgusting oblong little creature with large crooked teeth, hooked claws and shaggy grey almost blackened fur. Filthy teeth shot forth and the giant rat’s pale red eyes focused squarely upon Sophie’s own. Fear, hatred, hunger. That was all she could see. Then a bone and a stump as Harlan’s forceful blow decapitated the rat in one blow, sending flecks of blood splattering across the defenders.

Another quickly filled the void, then another, and more as the hungry horde surged forth, each the size of a harvest weevil. Mila’s blade cut down opposite of her, the attack splitting a rat skull open, it’s brains flowing out. The legionary thrusted with his own weapon, spearing a rat and staggering a little as its body smashed onto his shield. Sophie’s own weapon found purchase when she swung wildly forward, cutting into one from the side and making its half rotted cheek flow out.

Some fearful rats aimed for a quick meal, consuming the now broken and bloody flesh of their own. The momentum however, thrown them forward and their bodies were flung against the defenders. Sophie continued hacking into the crowd, not bothering to aim at any specific rat. As the two shieldbearers began buckling under the weight, the reinforcements arrived.

The door to the room was practically launched off its hinges as legionaries and pathfinders poured in. Spears, swords, and halberds filled in what gaps there were as someone else grabbed a shield like object to help box the rats in.

Thrust after thrust, stab after stab. The ground grew slick with rat blood and flesh as the combined force now turned the tunnel entrance into a slaughter house. Eventually, the tide slackened, the force of the rat wave lessening as the sheer stench of their dead finally took some psychological toll on the ones still within the tunnel. Sensing the shift, Sophie tried to visualize her aura doubling, trying to pretend she was bigger than she was.

Whether it worked or not, the remaining rats retreated, their mournful screeches at being denied their sustenance cursing the defenders.

A brief lull fell upon the group as they speared more of the corpses from the safety of the shield wall. One or two still dying rats had their journey hastened, whilst most had already perished in the brief but violent exchange. A few soldiers let out relieved sighs, others keeping their eyes attentively on the tunnel.

The four original defenders found themselves covered in bits of viscera, the initial burst of violence too sudden to have better protected themselves. Still, it was over, and for the moment, it sounded like they had a few minutes to take a breath.

She could see the relief on Harlan’s face and the four exchanged knowing looks with each other. A small victory was a victory nonetheless.

A few other legionnaires moved to the entry way, their shields now interlocked to create a more cohesive shieldwall while everyone sorted things out.

The first legionnaire sighed and rested against the fallen bookshelf, the man looking exhausted as his adrenaline began fading. Harlan meanwhile, acted more annoyed than tired, the pathfinder clearly maintaining the vigor to continue but was frowning at the entryway. Mila was stoic as ever, the ever present scowl only making her blood covered person even more intimidating. But then again, Sophie suspected the inquisitor saw little issue with that. As for herself, she felt gross and disgusted once more. Perks of the job, I suppose.

“Adventurers.” Harlan called out as the room slowly burst into commotion. Ahh, here we go.

Mila snapped to attention immediately, the inquisitor turning to look at Sophie who just nodded. She too, had heard the call.

“What do you need?” Sophie spoke up first.

Harlan pointed to the tunnel with his sword, “You two did well, but I want us to go in within the hour.”

“Within the hour? After all this?” An eavesdropping legionnaire exclaimed.

“We don’t know where their burrows are." Harlan shot the man an icy glare, "They’ve retreated which means we can follow their trails back. If we go in later, their hunger might’ve meant any blood or bits get cleaned up, making our job harder.”

It made sense, in a way. If there was any chance to strike the rats before they hid themselves back into their burrows, it would be now. Though no one seemed to like the idea much, if the dour looks around the room were any indicator.

"Sounds doable." Sophie chimed in. Mila's expression was, at first, a mixture of confusion and suspicion. But whatever her thoughts were, she nodded in support of her partner.

Harlan looked relieved, the man clearly feeling a little guilty at having to pressure the adventurers, particularly one's as young as them to boot. But Sophie was ready, for besides feeling a little grossed out, she was fine. Besides, if this is that traitor's manor... Sophie hid a snarl. Then having this little 'cave' under it seems too suspicious to be a coincidence.