Of Lemons and Lemonade

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fearecia
Posts: 340
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 2:09 pm

Of Lemons and Lemonade

Post by fearecia »

"He's been at it again?"

Rukath nodded. "Yes Ma'am. Drops off the roof and dumps a load of corpses. He's started dumping them further down the street too."

Fearecia just chuckled and shook her head. Brother Rukath was right. Corpses of random small monsters stretched down the road from the guild, rather than just hanging out on the doorstep. She noted with passing interest that the perpetrator must be starting to get bored with his game. At first, it had only been rats. Now? It was snotlers, rats, snakes, goblins, and other easily hunted beasts.

She shrugged and took a left, headed over to talk to Stablemaster Ryouta. "I'm going to borrow a wagon again, Ryo. Gotta clean up the mess outside." Ryouta gave her a dismissive wave, not bothering to pause in his efforts to tidy up a spare stall. Grabbing her War Golem, the dragonkin hooked it to one of the carts and led it outside, letting the powerful piece of craftsmanship become the workhorse for her.

Grabbing corpses, she started tossing them into the cart. Initially, she'd simply been burning them, using the opportunity to practice her control of her flames. However, after casual conversation with Anera, she found he had a use for the corpses in his search for a new rune, and was even willing to pay for them. She chuckled and shook her head, tossing another body on the pile. Much as the perpetrator was trying to express his disgust with her, he was actually helping the guild earn a little extra coin. She found it rather ironic.

She knew who the likely culprit was, and that caused her some worry. Either she'd never known him truly, which was entirely possible, or something was very, very wrong. She'd counted him among friends; why else would she go out of her way to help in the ways she had? For him to throw all that away over a stupid mistake; it boggled the mind. Also, that he somehow felt that something as inane as dropping corpses outside the guild as a way to express his disdain was even an activity worth his time, much less befitting a person of his status? The dragonkin, with a pile of paperwork always on her desk, had a hard time comprehending having the time for such pursuits, never mind the desire to pursue them. Then again, he'd held his position for a long time. Maybe he'd decided that he had better ways to spend his time, and that the rest of that stuff just simply wasn't important?

The last of the bodies squelched onto the cart. The perpetrator's motivations weren't really her concern; he'd made that abundantly clear. So, for now, she'd simply keep collecting corpses and selling them off for a profit. At the very least, it gave her a nice break from her paperwork."We're off Rukath. Do let me know when it happens again."

Rukath grinned and nodded. "Course Ma'am."

Fear cleaned her hands with a breath of fire and turned to head into the city, the golem dutifully following behind with its cart of corpses. They had a product to deliver.
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fearecia
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Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 2:09 pm

Re: Of Lemons and Lemonade

Post by fearecia »

The delivery had gone perfectly well, with most people giving the dragonkin and war golem a wide berth as they rumbled through the city. Though, Fear supposed they may have been more interested in avoiding the stink of the corpses, but either way was fine for her. She'd unloaded the cart at the Enchanter's Bazaar and had a brief word with Anera before returning home.

Now, reclining at her desk, Anera's words needled at her. He'd expressed concern over the safety of the little delivery, stating that he was worried that someone might try to rob her on her trip over. At first, the dragonkin had scoffed. Who in their right mind would attack her and a war golem over a pile of pathetic corpses? She'd assured him that it would be fine and to not worry.

Still. Anera was worried. That lizard was crafty, cunning, and powerful; one of the more skilled mages she'd ever met. What could possibly bother him, of all people, enough to actually warn her? She drummed her claws on the wood of her desk. What wasn't he telling her? What did he know? As she pondered it, the more her sense of concern rose. Finally, she reached over, grabbing some quill and parchment.

Ambassador Lamaenor,

You may or may not know that I have recently entered into a trade agreement with the Enchanter's Guild, with the delivery route crossing the city. Normally, this would be no cause for concern, but it has been suggested to me that there may be an increased risk of theft of my particular goods. To that end, I am asking if the city would be willing to provide a couple guards as increased escorts during the trip. Hopefully this is a temporary measure, but it would ease some worries to have a little extra muscle traveling with me during these deliveries.

Let me know if you need any additional information to make the decision. And thanks for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Fearecia

A brief lick of flame and the ink was dry, allowing the dragonkin to roll up the scroll without worry. Within moments it was sealed and handed off to a novice to deliver. She considered the situation for several more moments before shrugging. She'd see what Lamaenor said and go from there. If he was authorized to provide the escort, the guards would provide an extra pair of eyes in case something did happen. If not, she'd find another means of increasing the guard. There were a lot of troops she'd trained over the years. Surely someone would have a few spare bodies.
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Lamaenor
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Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 8:05 am
Guild: Enchanters

Re: Of Lemons and Lemonade

Post by Lamaenor »

Lamaenor stomps his boots on the pavement a few times, knocking off a few chunks of dirt. He opens the door and smiles at the clerk standing in the entryway, who promptly bows back.

"Ah, hello Cecille. Any news?" Lamaenor asks. He takes a cloth offered by the clerk and uses it to wipe the blood off of his gloves before taking each off in turn.

"A letter left for you by one of the Monk novices, Ambassador." The clerk responds, presenting an envelope bearing a familiar seal.

Lamaenor hands the gloves to the clerk and takes the letter. He nods, quickly checking the letter to ensure the seal in tact. Satisfied, he pulls a gold coin out of his belt pouch and hands it to the clerk.

He opens the envelope and reads the letter as he scales the stairs. He opens the door to the office and without looking up, waves to the familiar elf standing in the corner.

"Finally back, eh?" His assistant asks.

Lamaenor furrows his brow and heads to the desk, finishing the letter before he plops in the large chair.

"It seems there is an expected theft for a delivery coming to the city. The roads have been peaceful of late, have they not? Have you heard anything of increased bandit activity or the like?"

Jaxon crosses his arms and frowns. "Bandits? No. Business-as-usual, from what I hear. You need eyes on it?"

Lamaenor nods. "I suppose we could divert a few from their current operations. I'll see if perhaps we can have someone scout the woods around the city as well...I have just the person in mind! As for the more immediate concern..."

He takes a quill and parchment from a drawer in the desk. He taps the quill on the desk, thinking over the request for a moment. Suddenly, he gets an idea. He shuffles through the papers on his desk. Finally, he pulls one out titled "The Renewed Protection of Devardec Accord" and skims to the middle.

"Ah, yes! Here we are. Perfect!"

He begins scribing three letters. When he finishes, he dusts them with sand, blows on them and folds them up, tucking them into envelopes and sealing them with the seal of his office.

Admiral Ripshaw,

I hope this letter has found you in good spirits. I do hope work on the navy is proceeding well. Know that the city ever appreciates your service.
I write you today, however regarding an entirely different matter. I have reason to believe there may be increased bandit activity that threatens the trade routes to the city. As you can imagine, this is of great concern to me. I am afraid details are scant at the moment, but I will obtain them as soon as I am able.
In any case, it would not hurt Devardec to scout the forests that border our fair city. I hope I do not assume overly much by thinking that perhaps you could use a break from your ship-building, and would be interested in leading a small expedition into Nirimloth Forest.
Should you choose to accept this, please let me know at your earliest convenience.

Ever Your Compatriot,
Ambassador Lamaenor




Guildmistress Fearecia,

I appreciate you bringing this to our attention. I must confess, this news greatly troubles me. We had thought our trade routes safe, but this has served as a humbling reminder that we are never quite as safe as we think ourselves to be. We take the security of our trade routes very seriously, and will be investigating this matter promptly.
To that end, I will be dispatching scouts to search Nirimloth Forest for the camps or hideouts of any bandits, brigands, or highwaymen that may be present. We will act swiftly to neutralize these threats, should they present themselves.
We will also be investigating citizens and travelers within the city itself to ascertain any knowledge of current nefarious activity within or without our borders. Should this prove fruitful and relevant to the subject at hand, I will let you know post-haste.
As to the more immediate concern -- we will gladly send a group of skilled men to protect your shipments who are to soon be under contract with Devardec to do just that. You will be happy to know that they are to be led by a capable mutual friend, whom we both know and trust.
Once again, the city appreciates you bringing this matter to our attention. With luck and continued vigilance, we will keep the trade routes of our fair city city safe from any threat that may arise.

In Vigilant Defense of Our Mutual Assets,
Ambassador Lamaenor




Guildmaster Praetorian,

It has come to Devardec's attention that there are concerns by a third party that a particular shipment of goods en route to Frostfall from Devardec will not arrive in one piece.
As this would fall under an agreed-upon provision in our pending contract, it was my hope that your organization could offer its protection to said caravan. In compensation, and as this would be a premature fulfillment on your part of said contract, Devardec would be willing to open up the agreed-upon position in the city for immediate fulfillment by your designated representative.
Please inform me of your decision at your earliest convenience. Should you decide in the affirmative, a representative will be sent to you post-haste with details.

Respectfully,
Ambassador Lamaenor
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fearecia
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Re: Of Lemons and Lemonade

Post by fearecia »

"This just arrived Ma'am," Rukath said, handing the dragonkin the sealed envelope.

Fear saw Lamaenor's seal and smiled, breaking it with a claw as she looked up, taking in the absolute mess ranging down the street. "You didn't tell me he'd decided to make a whole production of it."

Rukath chuckled at her and shrugged. "A mess is a mess. The bigger of one he makes, the more profit we make."

Fear grinned. "Too right you are, Rukath. Round up some novices to help me clean this up, will you?" She dropped her gaze to the letter, scanning it as the Brother moved off to gather up the required novices. Ah. Fabulous. Lamaenor was sending some people over to help out with the deliveries. That would set her mind at ease. She would have to make certain to thank Lamaenor personally for his attention to the matter and swift response. It was then that Rukath returned with the novices, each with a small cart in tow. "Alright kids. Help me clean up this mess, and then we'll go run them over to the bazaar. I'll treat you all to drinks afterwards."

The novices responded enthusiastically, trotting out and going to work with a will. Fear set the letter in her bag and went to help, following the trail of corpses down the street. The mess went even further than usual, spilling over onto Lock Road, Ramble Lane, the access road behind the houses, and even on Anlin's doorstep. Given the swathe of the mess, Fear was surprised that the residents weren't up in arms. This was really starting to spill far beyond a grudging soul insulting her and her guild. Then again, for all she knew the residents were complaining, but to Lamaenor or someone else. She was just cleaning up the mess and staying on top of the problem.

Wagons loaded, Fear took a quick moment to cleanse the streets with a bit of fire, making sure to get rid of any leftover bits. After that, they were on their way to the Enchanter's Bazaar to offload their goods and collect their wages. Fear knew she was taking a chance by not waiting for the requested guards, but it wasn't like the corpses were going to stay fresh. She still didn't quite believe people would attack her over corpses, so she'd risk it this time. What was the worst that could happen?
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fearecia
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Re: Of Lemons and Lemonade

Post by fearecia »

The delivery had been made without incident, as had many after it. Corpses were still showing up on the guild doorstep, and sometimes down the street, but they were becoming less frequent and in smaller numbers. She had a few encounters with the perpetrators, who made a point to laugh at her for cleaning up their mess, but the dragonkin hardly cared. It was little enough work and it earned the guild some extra coin. It was best to just continue in her way and not feed the trolls. They were steadily getting bored with the lack of drama.

She had a little meeting with Lamaenor in the meantime, going over more of the details. Time had passed, and with the lack of any offensive and no concrete proof of any ill intentions, they agreed to drop the issue for now. The dragonkin would keep alert, of course, but the likelihood of an attack was becoming less and less. No point in pursuing the extra guards. Nah, she'd make the coin for the guild, train the new novices, and continue working on improvements.
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