Laying Low

Chapter 15 - Laying Low

“Yukiko!”

“Huh?” Shoot! She blushed, realizing she had over-poured again, rum spilling out of the cup she was carrying, and flooding her tray. “Sorry!”

Her father sighed. “Just clean it up. Every drop spilled is coin wasted, you know?”

“I know…”

“Is everything alright, Yukiko?” He asked. “You seem distracted.”

“It’s nothing,” she said with a small smile. “Just a lot on my mind. This adventuring stuff is a lot more complicated than I thought it’d be…”

Her father smiled and playfully ruffled her hair. “Ain’t that the truth? Anything I can do to help?”

“No, it’s- actually…” She grinned. “Can I have a bit of money? For equipment and supplies? I’ll pay you back when we start getting coin flowing in from our jobs!”

Her father let out a long sigh. “Fine. After you finish your shift, though. I’ll pay you a little extra once you’re finished.”

“Thanks!”

“Just promise me you’ll visit your mother before gallivanting again? She should be back home from that book club of hers by the time your shift is over.”

“Will do!”

It was a busy evening at the Royal Vagrant, serving the usual clientèle. Adventurers and mercenaries, who sought a more relaxed atmosphere compared to Deadfire Hall, filled its tables and booths. On a small stage opposite the bar, a band of musicians played soothing music. It was just loud enough to be heard over the multitude of conversations that permeated the lounge’s common room. Half a dozen well-dressed servers darted throughout the lounge, serving quality drinks and delicious food.

Yukiko carried three trays of food and drink up the stairs, towards the private booths. They were another feature of the Vagrant that Deadfire Hall lacked. Small rooms where adventurers can discuss, plan, and strategize away from prying eyes and curious ears. With a tray held in each arm, and one balanced atop her head, she carefully slid open the door to one of the booths. “Sorry to intrude! But the goods are here!”

Inside was a group of four adventurers, partially tipsy and mulling over a map that was sprawled across the table.

“Let’s continue this after we chow down!” spoke a brawny Half-Orc woman, muscled arms covered in intricate tattoos. She cleared the table, giving Yukiko enough space to set the trays down and serve the party. Spread across the table were a smorgasbord of dishes: Delicious meat cutlets atop a bed of rice and smothered with a savory brown sauce, minced octopus battered and fried to perfection and coated with various tingly spices, crispy slices of pork marinated in a sweet and tangy sauce, large mushrooms stuffed with mince crabs and scallops, grilled shrimp skewers, and lastly, one of her father’s famous egg pies.

The biggest attraction of her family’s inn was its food. Though her mother wasn’t much of a cook, her father spent his adventuring days collecting various recipes from all around the world. Yukiko wanted to do the same, but instead of collecting recipes, she wanted to find cute little animals and creatures from her travels. When she would eventually retire after saving the world and becoming a big hero, she would build a big ranch for herself and all the little critters she would rescue.

And maybe Andros would be there as well.

“It all looks incredible as always!” exclaimed another member of the group, a thin and willowy Elven druid.

“So… what big adventure do you guys have planned this time?” Yukiko asked.

“We’ve been hired to do some big work for the Akiyamas,” The Half-Orc said. “Think it has something to do with jade coral? Didn’t really pay much attention, honestly… but it’s going to be a massive pay day!”

“Jade coral?” Yukiko asked.

“Its that new alchemical reagent that’s popping up all over the city,” spoke the third member, a Halfling woman wearing a large and floppy hat. “You know how the new Imperial quarter is always lit up with those colorful lights? Or how there’s always light coming out of Suzaku Castle? That’s the stuff that does it. They turn it into this smokeless, and odorless powder, and it can burn for a long time!”

“Supposedly, this stuff is the reason why we have a bunch of outsiders trying to do business in Issei now,” the druid explained. “There are rumors circulating that the Empire, or Estrella, might try to invade us for the stuff.”

“Let them come,” The Half-Orc boasted. “Heard the new Admiral is already trying to scare them off. Hope we can get in on the action!”

Yukiko hummed in thought. Maybe Andros would know more about this. Could it be related to that cognitive stuff?

“Why don’t you come with us!” The Halfling said. “You’re always talking about how you want to pick up the adventurer’s lifestyle. And we could use a fifth member.”

“I’d love to, but… well, I already started up my own party!” She grinned. “THE SEEKERS OF TRUTH. We’re just starting out.”

“Really, now…” The Halfling grinned. “I wish you luck and plenty of treasure in the future!”

“Just make sure it’s not our treasure!” The Half-Orc teased.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about us,” Yukiko said. “We’re probably going to focus on doing things around the city for the time being.”

“You know…” The Halfling said, with a smirk. Her cheeks were flushed red from drinking. “We might be gone for a while… how about I treat you to dinner tomorrow night?”

“I appreciate the offer,” Yukiko said with a giggle. “But I’ll be busy with… adventurer stuff.”

“Oh, boo…” The Halfling teased. “Well, we won’t keep you for too long. As much as I’d love your company, I know you’ve got work to do.”

“I’ll see you guys later!” Yukiko exclaimed. “And good luck with your next job!”

As Yukiko left the booth, she nearly jumped up and down with anticipation. Information! She couldn’t wait to tell the others. Maybe working part time at the Vagrant was useful after all. It had only been two days since their escape from Suzaku Castle, and Andros’ suggestion that they “lie low” for a bit. It made sense. They had just made themselves big targets by kidnapping that bard woman, and while she spent the past few days working with her father, both Akaja and Andros were doing the heavy lifting. They were decoding documents and interrogating the prisoners. Meanwhile, all she was doing was waiting tables at the Vagrant. She felt useless, but her conversation with those adventurers proved otherwise. There were things she could do to help! Information that she had that Akaja or Andros might not be privy to!

She started to feel like a real detective. All she needed with a nice hat.

Yukiko kept her ears open throughout the rest of her shift. Being a familiar face at the Vagrant, most of the adventurers were more than happy to talk to her about their newest job. While most groups varied somewhat, there was a logical pattern. Many of the already established adventuring parties had taken contracts from the Akiyamas, or from people with close ties to them. Many more mentioned jade coral, and being shipped away from the city for an extended period of time.

The Admiral was hiring out adventurers on mass, and those left behind were either too inexperienced, or were mostly affiliated with one of the other guilds in the city. The work on the Vagrant’s job board was starting to pile up, too. Despite all the adventurers in the tavern, none of them seemed to taking the jobs on display. She wondered if there was a similar problem at Deadfire Hall, too.

By the end of her shift, she had filled up a small notebook’s worth of clues from her mingling with the adventurers. She couldn’t wait to show Andros what she found out! Maybe she ought to take the night off tomorrow to poke around Deadfire Hall, and some of the other Adventurer’s Guild affiliated taverns.

Exhausted, but fully determined, she made her way home. Her family owned a walled estate just across the street from the Vagrant and right on the waterfront. Inside, she found her mother sitting by the open fireplace in the center of the living room. Her eyes were focused on the pile of scrolls in front of were. Some were crumpled up, while others were torn or scattered around her. With an ornate calligrapher’s brush held in her hand, she furiously scribbled on one of the scrolls.

“Writing again?” Yukiko asked.

“Huh?” Her mother dropped her brush, and upon seeing her daughter, quickly began to clean up the mess of scrolls around her. “Yukiko! I didn’t hear you come in!”

Both mother and daughter were nearly identical an appearance. Both sporting the same dark skin, black hair, and notable Tiefling features. Though it was common for a Tiefling’s infernal bloodline to be passed along maternally, Yukiko still retained some of her human father’s features. Namely, his straight black hair and height. Yukiko stood a head taller than her mother.

“And yes… I’m still trying to clear that block in my head.” She sighed. “I feel like I’m losing my touch. Do you know what Lady Takeuchi called my last serial? She called it silly…”

“What’s wrong with silly?”

“It was meant to be a commentary between the bonds of-“ She sighed. “Never mind.” She patted the ground next to her. “Come sit with me.”

Yukiko plopped herself beside her mother and collapsed on the soft carpet by the fireplace.

“Busy day?” Her mother asked.

“Busy, but productive!”

“Good,” her mother smiled. “Your father tells me you’ve started your adventuring career. He’s very proud of you, you know? But… well… just promise me you’ll start off small? Take a contract slaying dire crabs, or boars, or something. I know you have Akaja helping you out, but still… now is not the time to try to become a hero. Work your way up to that stage!”

“I’ll play it smart, mom…” Yukiko said with a sigh. “I promise.”

“I mention this, because…” She glared at Yukiko suspiciously. “I understand you attended the Admiral’s wake? And Lady Takeuchi had some… interesting things to say to me.”

“Like?”

“That Akaja has been getting herself into deep trouble, and we both worry that YOU might be involved.”

“What?” Yukiko laughed awkwardly. “That was just a misunderstanding! You know how she can be sometimes… always getting into trouble.”

Her mother let out a long sigh. “I understand that being adventurers, especially when you’re dealing with someone with Akaja’s skill set, involves a certain degree of danger. However, are the Akiyamas really people you want to make into your enemies? The last thing I want is for my daughter and my protégé to become pariahs.”

“What we’re trying to do is-“

“No. Don’t tell me.” She raised a finger up to Yukiko’s lips, shushing her. “The more people that know what you’re doing, the more potential liabilities you’ll have. Even when it’s me. Understand?”

“I understand.”

“As much as I would like you and Akaja to stop all this nonsense,” she continued. “It’ll probably be fruitless for me to do so. Therefore… I have something for you. Hold out your palm…”

She set a large green gemstone in Yukiko’s palm. Inside of it appeared to be the faint image of a verdant jungle, bustling with life. The longer she stared at it, the clearer the jungle became. She saw a rushing river that fed into a beautiful waterfall. She saw colorful birds flying in small groups, primates swinging from vines and branches, panthers stalking the brush. She saw fluttering orbs of light and ancient ruins re-taken by nature. The images came and went in mere seconds, but Yukiko felt as if she were actually there, standing in the middle of it all, caught in its splendor for what seemed like an eternity.

Then, Yukiko saw the jungle begin to decay. Drought, famine, natural disasters. All came and went, eating away at the flora and fauna of these verdant wilds until naught but wastes remained. Then, when there was nothing left, out of the barren soil came a single sprout of green. Crawling up from the barren earth, a small critter, followed by another, and another, until once again returned the vast fields of green, which grew into a mighty jungle.

Then the cycle repeated itself. Life and death. The eternal wheel.

“I obtained this gemstone from my travels,” her mother explained. “It’s helped me… in ways I can’t exactly describe. Apparently, these come from the very heart of the World Tree itself. Your father has one too, though it’s a bit different.”

“What does it do?”

“I’m not entirely sure myself,” she said. “There’s some really old magic imbued in these things. The best thing I can describe it as is… a guide… when all hope seemed lost, these gemstones would point us in the right direction. I don’t really have a need for it anymore. I’m exactly where I should be. Exactly where I want to be.”

Yukiko took the gem, her eyes seemingly glued onto its details. “I…” She pried her eyes away from it. “It’s beautiful… amazing… but shouldn’t you be giving this to Akaja?” She frowned, turning her gaze away from her mother. “She was your apprentice, wasn’t she? You taught her everything you knew. It wouldn’t really make sense for me to take this…”

“Nonsense,” her mother wrapped her arms around Yukiko in a warm embrace. “Yukiko, you are my daughter. I always intended to give this to you one day. I know I said I found it during my travels, but I believe this has a connection to my own mother.”

“She was a druid, right?” Yukiko said. “Left you and your father when you were very young.”

She nodded, slowly pulling away from the embrace, but setting her palms on Yukiko’s shoulders. “Yes. She was a member of the Eternal Enclave. The Enclave forbids members from marrying, or even forming intimate relationships with others outside of the order. When she met my father, she obviously broke that rule, and then I was born. A Tiefling… cursed with infernal blood. Obviously a punishment for going against the Enclave’s teachings. They gave my mother a choice. Abandon me and my father or be exiled from everything she has ever known. She chose the former.”

Her mother continued after a long sigh. “I despised her for such a long time. I even tried to throw away this gemstone because it reminded me of her. But it always found its way back in my possession. When you were born, I always pictured myself handing it down to you. And now… that day has come.”

Yukiko smiled. “Thank you. And I promise I’ll make the best use out of it! Me and this shiny stone will be inseparable!”

“Good.” She smiled back at her daughter. “Just know that whatever happens and wherever you go, you will always have a home here. If your father weren’t working right now I’m sure he would say the same thing, but we both love you.”

“I love you too,” Yukiko said. “Both of you.”

“Now get out there and make us proud.”

“Actually.” Yukiko said, giggling. “I was planning on heading to bed.”