The Honor Guard

[Xavier Akafur]

The panther looked at each of them individually, Wyren seeming to be far more on edge than usual, his fur nearly bristling just trying to stand still in the audience chamber. The ruler's eyes landed on Rick briefly, wondering why the lion had yet to comment, but likewise kept his thoughts to himself.


"The date is certainly regrettable, and likely on purpose. It's well known that our great city is lax on this day in particular, something an unscrupulous thief would certainly be prone to taking advantage of." The panther responded to Vex. Certainly the local petty criminals generally had more respect than that.


"I have a few suspects as to who was responsible, and I have guards combing the city for the gem. I doubt their search will turn up anything." The king continued, to which Wyren simply nodded. Keeping the Smaragdus inside the city was suicidal. "Your job is going to be looking in the more likely places. I suspect two of our rival nations, and I do not know which would be more likely. I can't send the palace guard there, they are too high profile. You four, though..." He paused, and smiled with a genuine warmth. "Well, you deserve a vacation."


As he spoke a scribe came bustling from a nearby doorway, carrying a heavy sack that jingled with each step. As the young shephard stopped in front of the group, he presented the sack to them. The king spoke then. "This is to cover your expenses and travel. If you uncover information, I will double it. If you can recover the emerald... well, that would be a considerable service, and befitting a considerable reward." He glanced at Wyren. "The nations I suspect to be responsible are Trill, south of the Shimmering Run dessert to the west, and Havarjin, on the southern edge of Al'Phanzor to the North."


Wyren's jaw clenched slightly. He knew of the locations if not of the nations themselves. This expedition could certainly take months if they were unlucky and had to visit both of those kingdoms, they were considerable distances from each other. However, he knew from the man's tone that they were not being given a choice. It was either do this job, or leave the city for good. That's how kings were, after all. He took the offered sack of coins, opening it briefly to inspect the gold coins within, before handing it back to Vex at his side.


"Who are we to be asking after?" He inquired, knowing that the feline had them trapped into this, and knowing that he knew this as certainly as the sun would rise and set. The king just smiled pleasantly. "I'll have documents sent to your tavern by tonight, names will be included."


With that the hare simply nodded, looked around at his group as if to silently impart to them not to fight this, and turned to leave. "We have a ship to charter, then." He grumbled over his shoulder.

[tangletail]

Somewhere, in the king’s estate, there was a large female Sergal under “processing” before she entered the audience chamber of the king’s fine estate. Which was to say that the Sergal was simply being cleaned up before being allowed to enter the king’s chambers. She was normally not a messy woman… but the state she had returned to town in after a job… was an abysmal one for a warrior.

 
 So here Reeva sat, possibly the Honor Guard’s “least” abrasive – most “tolerable” member, humming a musical town inside a tub filled with hot perfumed water. There were multiple servants inside and outside of the tub scrubbing at her body vigorously. There work had been cut out for them… and if it wasn’t for the first pass, the tub would have turned black with dirt, ash, blood, and grime.
 
It was possible that some of the Honor Guard wouldn’t be caught dead letting anyone scrub them, even in more personal areas. But for the sergal, a luxerous bath was a good way to celebrate her life goal finally being realized and completed. And when she was informed about the required audience, and the hint of such a treat… she rushed her beast’s head back home somehow managing to slip it past the sleepy member’s notice, and made her way up to the castle. They also patched her up too, which resulted in the bandages that now wrapped around her chest.
 
Once her bath was finished… she began to stalk out of the bath-room stark naked. Much against the protests and bewilderment of the servants, a reaction born mostly out of culture than sight. She walked past several nobles, guards, and more servants till she found the room they were cleaning her equipment in. She recollected it once they were finished, then shoved off to the throne room.
 
It wasn’t long before she had reached the doors now dressed in what remained of her armor and clothes after having the torso portion destroyed on her recent job. “Ah… meeting done,” She chirped with a tone of curiosity. “Very well! Reeva has happy news!”
 
She opened up her arms, and chimed out in a victorious hiss. Her tail flicked up into the air, showing off the dragon scales that lined her tail armor decoratively. “Reeva has completed childhood dream! During Caravan job, Reeva  slay dragon! DRAGON! Hah! Mighty serpent sleeps forever like holiday says! Reeva has taken the head to trophy maker, and mount to tavern wall! Also dropped off jobs pay and more.”

[Jacob Hail]

Vex reached out and took the sack if coins from Wyren, a small smile apprearing on her lips as she felt hiw much was inside. She gave it a few small tosses in her paw before strapping the coin purse to a belt underneath her robes. She didnt have much opinion about the nobles, but damn did they sure pay well, and with all the traveling they had to do she could make up the list hours of sleep she missed today. She had no opinions of the other kingdoms, not really caring to pay either any mind, but her thought did head back to Wryen and hus feverish ramblings. Could these be one of the places where he came from? The vixen never asked about his past, never wanted to intrude on something the rabbit was obviously secretive about. But it had always made her slightly curious, so perhaps she would talk to him later.

Her thoughts we cut off though as she heard the foor open behind her, and the voice of Reeva reaching her ears. The foxs smile grew larger as she turned to greet the sergal, looking over her new outfit. "Good ta see ya made it back with all your limbs and fur, I thought for sure I'was gonna have to put ointment on a few burn spots." Vex said with a laugh.

[Xavier Akafur]

Wyren paused outside the door to the throne room, rubbing a paw over his face in exasperation. The arrival of Reeva did little to lessen his burden, though he did spare her a small smile. It wasn't that he was not not impressed with the apparent feat of dragon-slaying, but he could tell Rickard was on the end of his very short rope already. A fact that was soon made doubly clear by the finger that was leveled his way.


"You know as well as I do that I can only ignore him so many times." Wyren replied, half listening to the exchange between Vex and Reeva. "That squad of palace guards was as much a threat as it was an invitation. He made sure the entire neighborhood knew we were being summoned, so that if we turned up dead in the next few days it would make a show of strength." The hare shrugged helplessly. "Benevolent or not, a king is a king, and modesty is not their strong points. This one is particularly shrewd, and thus that much more dangerous."


His ears dropped slightly and he leaned in towards Rick, voice dropping. "As for rubies and diamonds, I'm sure we can have that arranged. That emerald is worth more than this whole castle, or so I've heard. I'm sure we can haggle on the reward money a bit."


Hoping that was enough to satisfy the feline's temper for the moment, Wyren nodded and turned to the females. "Let's get out of here."


-----


It was several days later when the ship that they had chartered to take them across the southern sea was readying to leave the port. Wyren was already up on deck, leaning against a railing and enjoying the warm sunlight. It was a simple comfort against the coming onslaught of troubles doubtless to pile on their heads, but it was all he had at the moment.

Ship hands were loading crates of supplies and valuables for trading into the cargo hold, working with a deliberate efficiency that always amused the hare. He had always been fond of the sea, but never enough to make a living out of it. It was simply too wild for his liking. You were as likely to die of the weather than to any kind of battle. A bell rang somewhere nearby, signaling that the time of departure was nearing.

[tangletail]

Reeva blinked when the Lion had practically roared in her face. Her head tilted in confusion as the lion began to insult her… than the others in the party. Only to storm off. Her gaze followed the lion briefly with a soft look, and a thin smile. She shook her head briefly, “Ah… big cat is a troubled troubled boy.”
Her gaze then turned to Vex, then grinned almost immediately at her words. “ It takes hotter fire for Reeva to get cooked. Dragon will have to wait for it’s meal in hell.” She then looked the woman up and down, then frowned with a harrumph.
 
 “You’ve  not been kind to body. You’re thinner than Reeva remembers,” She then leans in close till her maw neared the other’s ear. Her voice dieing down into a soft hiss. “Reeva believes bunny man likes women with meat on their bones,” She then pulled back with a mischievous grin on her muzzle.
 
 She then clasps her claws together, and chirps out with a small lilt, “Good thing for you! Reeva brought back plenty tasty dragon meat and spices! Excellent meal for Serpents Slumber! Come now, Reeva’s cooking tonight!”
 
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Lying in the bed with the lion, was the large Sergal known as Reeva. Though she was sleeping peacefully, an eyelid immediately shot open when she felt an arm moving off of her body. The eye was glazed over, though its pupil quickly dilated from a large disk to a thin slit. It stared into space for only a brief moment, then darted to look behind herself at the next sign of movement. There was little intelligence behind that gaze. Only instinct and conditioning drove its motion. Just an automated machine searching for any possible threat.
 
 Still… it did cause the sergal to stir lightly, then blink. Her eye’s pupil returned to normal as she lifted her head and yawned softly. The sheets rolled off of her shoulders and down her back revealing multiple bites and deep scratches on her body. Though she does not seem to mind their existence.
 
 “Don’t give Reeva that,” She hissed softly as she slithered out of the bed on all fours than back to her feet in one single motion. She gave a long stretch, before dropping her arms. Her eyes looked sternly to the Lion. “Reeva would not be late if cuddle cat snuggle her.”
 
There was truth in those words. Reeva has hardly ever been known for being late. In fact… she was always early… by at minimum an hour. Just an old habit she never grew out of.

 The sergal shook her head softly as she collected her things and began to move off to go clean herself up before they shoved off. “Bag of coins is cuddle cat’s. That’s your cut of pay plus hazard fee for dragon.”
 
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It was not long after till Reeva had been fully cleaned up, dressed and arriving at the docks. The sergal wore a fresh set of bandages to cover her previous, and still healing wound. Her arms and claws had been outfitted with gauntlets, just as she wore the leggings and the armoring for her tail. But there was a new addition, she wore a hard leather covering that ran down her back. Each leather section was shaped into scales, and had a stud inside its binding for extra protection. Yet, even when slightly covered, she still bore the obvious signs of bruises, claws, and bites that had not existed till last night’s friendly bedtime exchange with Rickard.

She also brought along an extra weapon. Outside of her main arm, her greatsword which had been wrapped up in a heavy cloth and bound to a shoulder strap - she also carried a practical arming sword which was hitched to her sash's belt at her hip.

Her eyes soon spotted Wryen waiting for them at the dock. She smiled and gave the rabbit a light tap on shoulder.
 
 “Rickard may be less angry cat today. Now, what is destination of ship?”

[Jacob Hail]

Vex had been up a while now, way before the sun even started to peak above the horizon, and was in the process of making her way towards the docks, her muzzle stuffed in a book like usual. At her side was a new leather satchel, filled with all the medical supplies she had just bought for the trip. It had taken up a high sum of her cut to buy, but these were things they were going to need, and since she didnt know the other kingdoms to well, she didnt know if this was the last time she could get them.

 Glancing up for a moment, she stepped onto the docks and saw  everyone already there waiting to leave, guessing she wasnt to to late. The vixen placed her book back into her new satchel as she walked up to the group and greeted her teammates with a smile. "You guys hit one last night on the town? Afterall this maybe the last time any of us see it for a few months. I mean, good riddance I say but some of you may be fond of it." Running a paw through her faux hawk she took a seat on one of the crates, look each over. Vex didnt wear her robes, but instead a simple cloth shirt and pants, the only piece of armor being her metal chest plate. "Hey Reeva, once we get on'the ship ill take a look at all your wounds, seems ya haven't completely healed yet. And it seems tha rats keep makin more in your sleep." She added with a wink.