Nobody responds for a second and then the loud dwarf says, “Victory? As in Victory Investments?"

I nod.

The human looks at him and then at me and his eyes open wide.

“As in, Bug Town, Victory?” he asks. “As in, the Guild Master loves the guy who runs V.I. Victory?”

I smile and nod again. I hold up my hand and tap my silver ring with the golden leaves rotating around it. “My husband is the Chancellor of V.I., Michael Victory.”

Oh, Aria…

What is Jo upset about? Who cares if they know? And how can she hear us without me activating my earcomm?

The laughing dwarf who stopped laughing after I said my name asks in a voice so low it sounds like gravel falling, “Steeltamer?”

“My grandfather,” I confirm with a nod.

Do you have any idea how much risk you are putting yourself in? They could attempt to kidnap and sell you for ransom to either Vic or the Steeltamer clan…

As if to point at the flaw in Jo’s statement, I point at the left arm of the dwarf who just asked me about my grandfather’s clan.

“Liquidstone?” I ask.

His bearded face breaks out into a smile as he pats his clan marking which I just pointed at. “Aye lass."

My grandfather, one of the senior masters of the Steeltamer clan, had educated me about all the dwarven clans I could trust with specific focus on which were allies and which I should avoid as enemies. Liquidstone was on the allies list.

The dwarf turns to the others who have been watching and speaks to them confidently. “This be a good lass. We shou take da quest.”

They all exchange glances and each ends up looking at the elf. He looks each of them in the eye and then nods. “Our guild questing group is called Barrier Sentinels.”

I hold my fingers to my ear but before I speak Jo responds first.

Questline has been requested. As V.I. is making the request, I expect it to be approved shortly. However, you need to speak to your earpiece as if you don’t have me…

I do and then nod at them. “I sent in the request. I expect it to be approved quickly.”

Guildmaster Violette, who monitors certain V.I.P. requests, has sent a message to Vic asking for clarification on the request. I have responded on his behalf that you are making the request and she should view any request from you as a request from him. I have also informed her of the situation here…

I look off while holding my fingers to my ear as if waiting for word.

Turning away, I ask in a whisper, “How can you hear when I'm not activating the earcomm?”

I have suborned a still-functioning nearby surveillance device…

Before I can respond, Jo speaks again.

Questline has been approved. Additional questlines have been created for other qualified groups…

I see the elf check his wrist device and nod once. I smile hugely at the five Barrier Sentinels and say happily, “All set! Let’s go save some people and make you folks some coin.”

***

Sadly, there are not many people left to save. Piles of ash are the most common site with the exception of broken walls, doors, and windows. But I continue to hope for the best.

The healer, Flordica, occasionally speaks up about “these poor people," and the like.

I’ve finally learned everyone’s names since I hired them. An oversight on my part; I should have asked earlier. The human is Sampson, the elf that appears to be the leader is Xenfova, the quiet dwarf is Dramdo and the more vocal dwarf is Dromgo. They are brothers from the Liquidstone clan who came here to experience humanity, earn coin, and kill some orcs and other creatures.

I can tell the healer is quite distraught at failing to find anyone, so I approach him and am about to console him but stop as I open my mouth. I'm forced to ready my crossbow when Xenfova holds his hand up and the group stops. The noises that caused the group’s halt are obvious once I actively listen for them. The scraping and clicking of these weird ants are distinctive among the silence of the dead or hiding patrons.

Sam whispers to me, “Aria, you need to be a spotter and prep for firing through their defenses." I nod in response and, as we agreed when we started this march to save victims, I move up ahead.

Vic tried really hard to teach me to be silent but I plain sucked at it. However, that was in the rainforest with a lot of shit on the forest floor and nowhere to step that didn’t have something noisy. This is not the same. Sure, glass and debris are everywhere, but there are still plenty of places to step without alerting the entire enemy force to my presence.

So I slowly begin stepping forward, glancing around and down as Vic taught me. I look up and around, then glance down quickly then back up and around. Repeating that method, I step heel-to-toe on clear spots and, I’m proud to say, do not make much noise as I near the sounds of our enemy. I hide in a clear spot behind one of the Pike’s large square stone columns and look around it to see a group of ants chittering at each other in front of a building with dark brown stone walls, a thick metal door, and only a few small broken windows. Two heavily disturbed piles of ash are spread out in front of the store, most of which are in front of the doorway. Small holes are spread along the walls where the chitinous needles were shot.

What remains of the colorful sign tells me what my nose told me as I had approached. I’m sure my face has turned into a mask of fury matching my emotions. The letters above the doorway state this store is, “CH RL ’S CH CO AT A D C N CTIONS."

Occasionally, an ant fires one of its projectiles at the building or attempts to ram into the stone door or wall and break through. If there had been any mana shields, they have long since failed. Thankfully, all attempts to enter by the ants appear to be lacking to this point, but I can understand their desire to get inside. The smell from that place would drag anyone in. And that pisses me off even more.

These fuckers are wrecking one of the two best chocolate providers in the city. Charles’s Chocolate and Confections has the most amazing little chocolate balls with creamy melted sugar inside. Vic says they are called “Chocolate and Caramel Truffles” and could very well be the greatest creation in the history of existence. They are outrageously expensive and are only available once in a while because of the limited number of cocoa fields the allies have managed to hold onto.

Either way, I’m not in the least bit pleased. I cannot believe these fuckers have gone after my truffles.

I look around but the Pike, being mostly underground, is not a place meant for long-distance or elevated combat – unless you can stand upside down on the ceiling that is. Sniping is out, which is a shame. Vic would have loved to use it as an opportunity to teach me.

My anger melds into sadness as I silently sigh and slowly work my way back to a few columns farther from the ants.

I secure my location and comm the team. “Target spotted. Group of eight attempting to infiltrate a stone structure with entrances too small for them. Tightly grouped. I think we have an opportunity for AoE if you have another one of those explosives."

Vic taught me the right terms to use. AoE means area of effect to the professionals.

Having sent my update, I pause, waiting for a response. My guess is they are not sure a group of eight is worth the use of an expensive mana explosive.

I help them along. “Guys, they are going after Charles’s.”

Suddenly my earcomm is filled with the harsh sounds of common and dwarvish swearing with a single elven word added in. It is all quite rude, but aimed at the chocolate-pilfering insects so I fully agree.

After it quiets down, I hear Dromgo say, “Tha place is stone. We ca use one."

“I agree,” is my whispered response. “The walls and door are strong so the collateral damage should be minimal.”

A number of voices share my view and Sam instructs me to return.

When I arrive, the group is huddled up and discussing something in low voices. I walk to the circled party and Sam turns to me and asks, “Do you know anything about mana explosives?"

“Never used one,” I answer with a shake of my head. It was on Vic’s list, but we hadn’t gotten to it yet.

“What affinity ya have lass?" Dromgo asks.

I let out a breath and answer. “Nature and life."

I decide to trust them. They really do need to know if we are going to make an effective team. Vic always talked about a lack of intelligence can cause mission failure and cost lives.

Sure, Sam is kind of an ass, but I don’t think he’s a bad person. And the others seem like just normal folks working for a living. But mostly my decision is made because I trust the dwarven brothers. Liquidstone is a good clan.

All eyes turn to me then. All are wide with surprise except Sam.

“Gorgeous, talented, and gifted,” he mumbles. “No wonder ‘Mister High and Mighty’ chose you.”

I blink at that but he is immediately smacked in the back by Dramdo hard enough to make the human wince and stumble.

This is immediately followed with, “Watch wha ya say, boyo,” by Dromgo.

I decide to ignore the rude human and speak to the rest. “They were tightly grouped around Charles’s but I don’t know how long that will last. Or how long the door and walls will hold. If we’re going, I think we should go now.”

Everyone nods. Sam is glaring at me but he doesn’t object.

“I don’t have any experience or training in thrown projectiles,” I tell the group. “So, I’m not the best to take on this op.”

Sam and Xenfova give me an odd look but the dwarves nod. The healer does not have much to add; I get the feeling he really just focuses on helping people and has little input, or interest for that matter, about actual combat.

Xenfova, the group’s elven leader, eventually speaks. “I will go."

The others immediately silence and Dromgo hands him the dodecahedron-shaped light gray crystal. As he takes it, the elf twirls it in his hands a bit and I see that it isn’t completely light gray. I notice a single pentagonal side is light purple. The trigger maybe? I need to ask Vic to teach me about explosives.

Xenfova wanders back the way I came from in absolute silence. If I wasn’t watching him, I wouldn’t even know he was there. And he doesn’t even look like he’s trying, damnit.