Chapter 12:

Adventurer Sine had started a good day, though she didn’t know it yet.

Sine pushed through the double doors of the guild in a bad mood. Her mood had nothing to do with past events. No, it’s just as the leader of the only coyote demi-human adventuring party in a human city, it seemed that her presence here was only tolerated because of her performance.

Indeed, her party’s, unofficial, ranking as third best party in the city should have her getting the noble treatment. Instead, Sine has to ignore glares that would start brawls back on the other side of the sands when she simply wants to check the Job board.

“Sine! Sine of the Sand Ears party! Please come to the reception desk!”

Sine sighed to herself. It seemed that she even got glared at when she failed to go to the Job board.

Sine also watched someone stop what was presumably their party member commenting on her party name. She thought it smart of that man, you don’t insult what seperates a demi-human from base humans without a deathwish.

The receptionist, Gerald, fumbled over himself. Much to Sine’s amusement. She had a hunch that he wanted to mate with her.

Well, Sine thought he had a chance if she ever felt lonely on a heat cycle. Poor humans, she thought, having to wait until a demi’s heat cycle to line up with their everlasting heat. Well, unless they fancied a hare demi, but she doubted a human ever made that mistake twice. Doubly sad, they aren’t even the best at what they are good at.

Eventually though, Sine grew tired of the man’s antics, “Enough, Gerald! Are you a receptionist or not!”

Gerald wilted at that, but finally got on with his work, “Y...yes Sine. We have a quest that mentioned you specifically.”

Gerald shifted over to his ‘professional’ voice as he worked. “The client seems, ahem, executive, but due to the circumstances, we would be more than understanding of your refusal.”

Gerald slipped Sine the quest form. Sine’s eyes glinted when she saw the client's name.

She read the request attached to the form.

Lando Adventurer’s Guild

It is my request that the ‘Sand Ears’ party perform a number of my requests pertaining to a certain event coming to a head today.

I am not able to gage what rank the difficulty of this quest will be, but I assure you, it is nothing the Sand Ears will be unable to handle.

Specific instructions are to be delivered upon the acceptance of this quest.

Regards,

Baron Northsand.

Gerald looked apologetic, “Normally, we’d automatically reject quests without a rank or time schedule, but this request actually came directly from a Barony Crystal, and, well, the substantial reward is worthy to be considered on it’s own…”

Sine’s ears perked up at that, then her eyes opened wide. If she were of a weaker mind, she would have said something like, ‘20 large gold pieces! That’s enough money to be the reward for an A-class quest! We’re only a C-class team!’

But saying such things in this room would obviously cause trouble, and she wasn’t a fucking fool.

Sine refocused on Gerald, “The Sand Ears do not refuse a challenge! Of course I accept the quest!”

She had accepted the quest, despite having a distaste for noble games, for two reasons:

The money was fucking great. She’d only have to risk her team’s lives once to get the payout of risking their live’s seven times!

Being singled out for quests by high profiles did things for the reputation of adventuring parties. It may not do much for public reputation here, but guildmasters and the like remember such things.

It was as she was considering such thoughts that she missed the invisible man place a letter on the table.

Of course, most all of the scout/magic/high-level types had noticed the street tough the moment he walked in, trailing a newbie. But after standing next to the bar for a solid ten minutes, most dismissed him for what he was, a pawn of a noble’s grandstanding.

It took more than three charms of invisibility, muffle, and odorless to infiltrate the guild, after all.

A quarter of the guild discretely laughed when said grandstanding worked on someone who it clearly shouldn’t have. Even the man seemed somewhat surprised, as he didn’t even wait for anyone to open the door before walking out.

Sine’s ears flattened as she heard the results of the noble’s little ‘prank’.

She tore into the letter angrily, “Goddamned nobles, this quest better be worth it…”

…

The Sand Ears stood out in the small camp that they were in. Unfortunate, perhaps, but they were used to it by now.

However, that seemed to be immaterial currently. No one ‘fit in’ in the assembled group.

Groups of street toughs and urchins bustled about, tending to their part in the operation. Mostly setting up their alchemical payload to where it would be downwind to the slaver camp.

It made for a strange sight, seeing so many dirty people wearing naught but rags handling incense burners and crates of potions.

And yes, slavers. It had disheartened Sine that she had to walk no less than half a day to discover a hidden encampment of no less than 15,000 slavers. Having such a large camp so close meant that they were not afraid of being spotted a little early.

Weran, Sine’s scout, was helping out the mercenary scouting squad. Weran must have had over 30 levels on them. But there were certain things 20 people can do that one person can’t.

Weran would be the first man in the commander’s tent if the enemy spotted them.

Sutra, Sine’s mage, was talking animatedly with the Earth mages from that ‘association’ mage’s guild.

Despite the presence of Sine’s party and the mercenaries, It would be them and the neir-do-wells that would transport the slavers.

Of course Sutra and a team of mages would still accompany the battle unit.

Sine, along with the rest of her party, Metra the healer and Carg the tank, were in the command tent.

Sine’s tail twitched as she listened to the two idiots in charge of the other factions bicker. A young mage and an old mercenary.

Simion, the untitled noble, all but yelled at the vice-guildmaster of the mages, “I’m telling you, Baron Northsand stated we could be flexible with our orders if the situation demanded it!”

Simion waved his hands like it should be obvious, “Send your mages in with the battle unit. With the number of combatants in there, a fight will get hairy quickly. We’ll need all the support we can get!”

Fern, the high leveled combat mage, sighed, “I had wondered why Sir Northsand had forgone hiring the entirety of our association, but I think I have the full of it now. Do you know the reason, ser?”

Fern spoke the title with venom, but Simion only gritted his teeth. The vice-guildmaster of a successful mage’s guild easily had as much standing as an untitled noble. Besides, Simion had enough sense to not rise to a taunt only hours away from a joint operation.

Seeing as Simion didn’t reply, Fern continued, “The reason the great Baron opted to leave our opulent guildmaster unburdened with this task is because it was unnecessary!”

Sine and Simion gave the mage strange looks, but Fern continued unabated, “Our magic scans have said the average level of the raiders in that camp are 10 to 15! The leader and his elites can’t be above C-rank! Between my mage unit, you and your elites, and the adventurer party, we have over a dozen C-ranks and three B-ranks!”

Fern leaned forward, “I do not know if you understand this, but we have been hired for a job. If Baron Northsand wants to deliver these slavers to poetic justice by bringing them to their own market in chains, then so be it. Since that is the case, my mages have been tasked with gathering the merchandise before it overipes in the sun. That should be our priority before providing the battle-hardened mercenary a safety blanket.”

Despite the combative attitude of the mage, Simion remained unshook. “You undervalue the lives of your men and underestimate the enemy, young man. One does not grow old on the field of battle without doing the opposite of such things.”

Sine could have sworn the mage looked ready to explode, but before Fern could retaliate, Simion turned to Sine.

The mercenary looked her in the eye, “But enough of such bickering, the time the Baron’s scheme is put to the test is nigh. Cast your vote adventurer, so we may move forwards, one way or another.”

Sine answered immediately, “We follow our orders. At the adventurer’s guild, we try our damndest to follow sensible orders to the letter.”

She continued with no wavering in her voice, “Our healer has tested the potions, she has said it is an ingenious application of several ingredients and should keep anyone who inhales it asleep for at least three days. barring extreme resistance skills and miracles. Such resistances are rare beyond measure, and miracles can only affect so many people before requiring the direct intervention of a deity.”

She spread her hands, “Our mage, along with several of the association’s, have tested for magical defenses and found none. We have performed dozens of such measures, and have found no flaws in the Baron’s orders.”

She stated her thoughts so candidly, it took most of the fight out of the leaders.

Not their actual fight, of course, they might be needing that in due time.