New Company

⭑ · · ᯓ 𐃈 ᯓ · · ⭑

First light came and went, and Felix and Kite were still sound asleep. At the sound of the rooster’s crow, the two of them shot out of their beds of straw with disheveled hair and bewildered eyes.

“We’re late!”

Felix hated lying, so they had been as honest as possible about why they came back empty-handed. The farmer had taken pity on them, offering a warm meal and one more night in the stable—even if he remained cross about the hole in the side of his house.

They didn’t, however, receive the promised amount of money, because they failed to bring Moon back to the farm. Their report about the dead hunters and the Mad God’s remnant earned them considerable praise from the local guard, for all that was worth. They only hoped their exploits would remain a footnote, for the sake of not drawing attention to themselves.

As for what became of the griffon once she’d dropped them off on the outskirts of the agricultural quarter…

“I’m glad she’s home.” Felix rushed to get ready to head to the guild with Kite, almost humming to himself. “I wonder if we’ll see her again soon…?”

He rotated a glossy white feather between his fingers that Moon had plucked from the longer plumage around her collar. She had nudged his hand upward to demonstrate that it made a gentle sound when the wind hit it just right.

It felt like a promise he didn’t understand quite yet between the two of them, and the feather was the key to that.

“Love at first sight, you and that big bird.” Kite shook her head, remembering how ecstatic Felix had been on the ride home. “Let’s think about that later though, we’ve got to get to the quest board before they run out of work…”

. . .

“What do you mean you’re all out of work?!”

Kite leaned into the guild clerk from before’s personal space, her palms planted flatly on the counter. Felix wore the hood on his black cloak to hide his identity, in case there were still Black Court assassins after him. Kite didn’t, though, making good on her refusal from before.

“With the Tribal Unification Festival coming up, everyone has been busy setting up for the festivities.” The other harpy explained. “There just aren’t as many jobs available right now.”

A green-clad figure who had been at the counter before them made for the exit. Felix and Kite hardly noticed them as they blurred by.

“Even the easy ones?” Kite clarified. “Listen, we’re not picky here; we’re starving. If we’ve gotta scrub the toilets in the tavern, we’ll do it. Just… anything.”

“Normally the guild leader could arrange temporary work, but he’s away on official business. And without him, we can’t authorize additional payroll. He’s very particular about coin...”

“So you can’t help us, then?”

“Unfortunately not.” The guild clerk hung her head before an idea flashed in her eyes. “But maybe you could negotiate with that adventurer that just left! She took a dozen postings or so for herself, but I doubt she’ll be able to complete them all within the day. Ma’am!”

The forest green caped figure paused in her tracks at the sound of the guild clerk’s voice, her mint hair and pointed ears clear even from behind. She was an elf, sporting a slender frame and a dignified air about her. Her green and gold skirt twirled as she turned her body halfway.

“Yes?”

“These new members were hoping to get their hands on some of those, if you wouldn’t mind.” The clerk began. “Perhaps, if you’d consider their help, then maybe you could all—?”

“—No need.” She spoke curtly in a most mature tone of voice, her violet eyes scanning them with little interest. First Kite, and then the hooded Felix whose face was hidden. “I’ll have them done by nightfall. Alone.”

In one hand, she held a collapsible spear, which looked more expensive than everything Felix and Kite currently owned put together. In her other hand were a stack of paper scraps, guild postings from the board beside them.

“A dozen?” Kite scoffed. “How greedy can you get?”

The woman wore an amused smile at Kite’s irritation.

“Perhaps if you’d gotten here faster, you’d have work to do.”

A vein popped on Kite’s forehead. Of all the things the elf could have insulted, she had chosen Kite’s speed.

“What did you just say, lady?!” Kite stomped in her direction as an arm reached out to hold her back. “Let me go, Ferris! I just want to talk.”

“I know what your ‘talking’ usually involves, Kate, and I think we’d better just let it go and check someplace else for money to be made...” Felix reasoned.

She had already begun walking away, but at the sound of the male adventurer’s warnings, the curt stranger froze entirely, her long fingers having just left the doorknob.

​

As the door creaked shut, she continued listening in on their conversation from the other side in the hallway without turning around.

“Low profile, remember?” Felix whispered in Kite’s ear as she finally calmed down. “Not worth it.”

“Fine…” Kite gave in. “My energy’s just a little low, is all, and she got on my nerves.”

Felix understood, patting her shoulder once before letting go.

Another clerk, a buxom blue-feathered birdwoman, strutted out of the back room with a smile, holding a single scrap of paper. Pinning it to the otherwise empty quest board, she shouted to the packed tavern whose eyes had started to float towards her.

“One more posting if anyone wants it!”

Felix and Kite didn’t even stand a chance as every able-bodied adventurer in the room jumped up at once, crawling over each other to catch a glimpse of the job that had been posted. Kite supposed everyone was feeling a little desperate for work to do, with what the clerk had mentioned.

Tribal Unification Festival, huh?

However, upon seeing what was on the scrap of paper, all the adventurers in the room let out a collective groan in disappointment. They began returning to their tables one after another.

“Who the hell do they take us for?” The burly man who’d managed to get his hands on it first threw it over his shoulder, not bothering to pin it back up.

The sheet floated into Felix’s waiting grasp. As his eyes scanned the paper, he began to read aloud.

“Cloudspire village requests aid from capable adventurers, and job seekers...” Felix muttered. “It says here that there are entire neighborhoods of people under some sort of sleeping spell they can’t wake up from. Even the village chief.”

“The village chief?” The brunette guild clerk repeated, shocked. “But the festival is in just a few days... All the chiefs from the many island communities are supposed to meet in the Aery to discuss policy and resource allocation for the upcoming year.”

“Say one were to not show up?” Kite crossed her arms. “Couldn’t they still hold it with one chief missing?”

“Normally they’d send a proxy, but Cloudspire is such a large part of the local economy that the trouble there will have lasting effects in the Citadel before long.” The clerk explained. “And Chief Andres is among the wisest of all the village leaders. To lose him would be devastating, to say the least.”

“What’s the pay like?” Kite asked, maybe in poor taste given the look Felix shot her. She simply shrugged.

“I was getting to it. It says the pay is…” Felix kept reading before his mouth shot open. “Four—?!”

“Four what?”

Felix turned to look at her, wide-eyed.

“Four gold coins.”

Kite spat out her nonexistent drink before snatching away the listing from a stunned Felix. She could hardly believe what she was hearing, thinking he might’ve been messing around. But no, Felix was not lying.

“Well, I’ll be damned…”

However, he did gloss over one crucial detail. It was the same reason none of the other adventurers had perked up at the mention of the money.

“We can’t do this job.”

“Wait, really?” Felix rubbed his chin. “But wouldn’t this much get us out of the hole so we can leave and head back home?”

At the mention of home once again, Kite’s face briefly fell, but she quickly shook it away.

“That’s not it.” She said, “This is like four times the money I’ve made in my entire life, so of course I’d be interested. But look at what it says at the bottom.”

Felix took back the scrap, taking a closer look at the section Kite had highlighted. His lips mouthed the small warning he’d missed.

“Only parties accompanied by a Champion Class or better mage can take on this request…” Felix suddenly understood everyone’s apprehension. “Magic Association paperwork will be checked for authenticity.”

Kite is Advanced Class in wind magic, and I’m only an Intermediate Class holy mage…

“Always check the fine print…”

Champion was two full ranks beyond Kite’s current classification, an extremely high barrier of entry. It was a fleeting dream of financial stability. Even if they had gotten tested on Griffon Isle and emerged victorious, they wouldn’t be able to prove they could handle Cloudspire just yet.

Or, at least, if they couldn’t find a party member who fit those lofty qualifications. They hadn’t noticed the door open back up as the sound of boots tapping against wood approached. Kite’s face suddenly soured, making Felix follow her gaze.

“Champion Class will suffice, yes?” The elf rested one pale hand against her chest, stopping in front of the guild counter.

“Who’s asking?” Kite spat.

“I suppose I didn’t make myself clear enough for you, Miss Harpy?” The elf woman smirked. “I am Elora of Crestalis, a mage under the direct command of Lady Almira, crown princess of the elven legions.”

“Crestalis…” Felix muttered, getting a closer look at the elven woman. There was something oddly familiar about her. She passed him a brief, almost expectant glance before returning it to the guild clerk.

“You’ll find I meet the requirements to take this job in full, Madam.”

Elora casually slipped two fingers beneath the neckline of her white bodice and retrieved a folded document from between her breasts. Felix politely decided to look somewhere else as Kite narrowed her gaze at him.

“I am Champion Class in both nature and water magicks, having studied under the Spirit Elders,” Elora said, proudly handing it over to the guild clerk. “The Magic Association seal is genuine.”

“It is, indeed.” The clerk confirmed as Felix looked on, impressed. “She had just finished registering with this guild branch when you two walked in. Her paperwork is clean.”

“Great! Another job to add to your collection, then.” Kite waved her hands. “Have fun with that, lady. Let’s go, Ferris.”

“Hey, what are you—?”

Kite began to physically pull Felix with her towards the exit before Elora called out once more.

“You misunderstand.” She said, “I never intended to complete this job alone.”

Kite stopped in place, turning only her head around.

“Huh?”

“Skilled as I am, even the most confident mages need someone to watch their backs. Or, at least, carry the supplies.” Elora said without a shred of hostility. “You two will be accompanying me.”

Felix perked up curiously.

“Hah!” Kite scoffed, finally turning around fully. She pointed a finger. “And what makes you think we would agree to something like that?”

“Oh, I don’t know…” Elora gave the faintest smile. “The entire reward, perhaps?”

Kite’s whole demeanor changed in an instant, her agitation replaced by deep suspicion that the woman in front of them was not being entirely genuine.

“And if that’s not enough, I planned to complete those other listings merely to pass the time.” She gestured to the stack of papers she’d set on the counter. “I’ll give you the money I earn from those to go towards your equipment and provisions for the journey.”

“You must really care about that village…” Felix noted, breaking in between the two women’s verbal spat. “Or is that not it?”

“Not exactly…” Elora’s confidence slipped for the first time.

“Well, obviously not!” Kite crossed her arms. “Fat chance this is out of the goodness of her heart. No, she’s hiding something. I just don’t know what yet.”

“Kite, that’s a little…” Felix tried to play peacemaker, but was interrupted.

“Do you distrust everyone this brazenly, I wonder?”

“People offering four gold coins like it’s nothing, yes.”

“Money stopped being a concern for me a very long time ago. If generosity is enough to earn your suspicion, I’m afraid I don’t know what answer would satisfy you.” Elora put her hand on her hip. “I have been traveling in search of someone, trying to pass the time doing whatever I can in the meantime.”

“Someone important to you?” Felix asked.

Elora’s violet eyes settled on Felix again.

“Someone exceedingly troublesome, I’m afraid.”

“Troublesome?”

“Yes. He has a habit of taking entirely too much upon himself, and not relying enough on others.” Elora’s face softened. “I’ve grown rather tired of it.”

Felix thought over her words, eventually pulling Kite off to the side.

“I don’t think she’s lying.” He whispered. “We can afford to trust her a little.”

“Trust her?” Kite whispered back sharply. “She might not be lying, but she’s not telling us everything either. She’s also a little…”

Kite looked back at Elora, causing Felix to do the same. The woman stood patiently, waiting for them to finish whatever it was they were conspiring over. Although her brow twitched as she saw how casually Kite had her hand placed on Felix’s lowered shoulder.

“…difficult.” Kite completed her thought. “If I have to hear her smug attitude the entire trip, I’m not sure I’ll be able to hold back from clocking her. Are you gonna hold me back?”

“Four gold coins, Kite.” Felix simply said, quietly so the others couldn’t hear. “Whatever the reasons are that she asked us, the truth is, we need this money. We might be stuck in Windia forever if we don’t take this chance.”

The man flashed a puppy dog look that Kite couldn’t peel her eyes away from. Though she wanted nothing more than to refuse and find the money their own way instead of being bought by such an infuriating woman, slowly but surely her firm refusal softened.

“Oh, alright!” Kite sighed deeply as Felix smiled. “But this had better not end without us collecting that reward like last time.”

“Failure is not in my vocabulary, nor is backstabbery,” Elora said. “You’ll be paid as promised upon the completion of this job; I swear on my honor as an elf.”

“You should be happy that Ferris vouched for you, if anything,” Kite said, brushing aside her fancy promises. “We’ll go with you, but on the condition that you talk to me as little as possible. Have we got a deal?”

“Something we can agree on, at last.” Elora shrugged, smiling exasperatedly.

“I’ll alert the guild leader when he returns and the other tribal leaders that you’ve gone to take care of that.” The guild clerk beamed. “They’ll be relieved to have such capable people on the job. I’ll reiterate, Cloudspire is very important to Windia.”

“All the better.” Elora swung around, her cape flapping dramatically. “Meet me at the inn on the other side of town. You’ll each have a room to yourselves; we’ll supply and leave at first light from the shipyard.”

“A double room is fine…” Kite muttered. “Wait, you’ve got transportation lined up already?”

“Who do you take me for, an amateur?” Elora scoffed.

She passed one final look at Felix before heading out of the Adventurers' Guild.

“Say, Kate, doesn’t she look familiar?”

He hadn’t put all the pieces together yet, but the man was growing increasingly certain that he’d seen her somewhere before, though this was their first formal encounter.

“I think I’d recognize that snark, like a bedmite bite to the neck.” Kite scoffed. “I just hope you’re right about her, and she doesn’t try anything funny.”

“She won’t,” Felix assured her. “I don’t know why, but I just feel that way for some reason.”

“Whatever you say, buddy.”

With that, Felix and Kite left the Adventurers' Guild with their immediate path clear. It would appear, fresh off the heels of their latest adventure, a new one was only just beginning.

And as for Elora…

“…”

The woman shielded her eyes as she looked toward the horizon, the sun rising on a new day.

“Ferris, huh?” She smiled to herself. “I suppose I’ll get to work.”