“Tannit, Tannit, Tannit.” Daveth growled at his captain as they approached the familiar river port. “Do you have any idea how tired I am of seeing this place?” He complained.

Aldric barked a laugh. “Think of it like home: No matter where you go, you can’t ever escape.”

Daveth made a face. “That doesn’t sound like ‘home’ to me.”

Aldric shrugged. “That’s because you don’t have one. You’ll figure it out when you do.” He offered. “Besides, we’re just here for a quick resupply, and a kit for Stronghammer.” Aldric waved his hand dismissively. “We won’t even be here a day.”

He leaned towards Daveth. “Is his name really ‘Stronghammer’?

Daveth shrugged. “It’s how he introduced himself.”

Aldric nodded and straightened in his saddle. “So be it. He’s ‘Stronghammer’ until he decides he’s not.”

Daveth nodded. “You going to tell me where our next job is, or is it another one you’re planning on keeping secret because you know I’ll hate it?”

Aldric rolled his eyes and combed his beard with his fingertips. “You’ll like it. Nice and straightforward. Zero complications, and no nobles to muck things up. But first we need to make a little detour.”

Daveth eyed the city of Tannit and the cluster of white-sailed ships in its docks. “Detour?”

Aldric nodded. “We’ll dip towards Doran for a bit, and then...” He glanced at Daveth. “What do you think? Take a riverboat from Tannit to Begierde, take the eastern road to Doran, go back to Begierde, and then board another ship to Einsamkeit, or should we just hoof it all the way?”

“You’re talking about cost, right?” Daveth asked, and Aldric nodded.

“How’s our war chest? Can we afford it?” Daveth asked, and Aldric’s eyes glimmered.

“You’re learning. The point isn’t just coming up with strategies in combat, it’s also managing our funds, food supplies, and Tross. In this case, we have to weigh our supplies on foot to Einsamkeit against the cost of taking a boat.”

“No way are we selling the crank-gun.” Daveth warned.

Aldric laughed. “Listing it as ‘destroyed in action’ was a sly move to be sure. But how will you do for ammo?”

Daveth stroked his beard. “They’re not called ‘The Merchant Cities’ for nothing. There’s got to be somebody that can sell us some.”

*****

There was a road that ran east-west between Tannit and Doran, one they’d last marched on their way to fight The Brotherhood. Daveth had just been forcibly promoted to Commander of the Seventh Seal, and Jonan was still with them. Such thoughts filled Daveth’s head as they traveled, and he was looking forward to slapping the shit out of ‘Lord’ Ulric.

Captain Aldric naysayed that idea immediately. They weren’t going to Doran; rather they were going to travel nearly to Doran, and then leave the road and head south.

“Why?” Daveth asked one evening as they sat across from each other at a cook fire.

“Well, what do you think the Yamato are known for, Daveth?” Aldric asked, waving a wooden spoon at him.

“Being cheeky cunts.” Daveth replied, mirroring Aldric’s accent and gesturing with his steel spoon.

“Not bad.” Aldric replied. “But come on, dig out everything you know about the Yamato, and maybe I can fill in some gaps.”

“Shrines. They like to put up shrines all over the fucking place.” Daveth immediately replied. “I heard a bunch of them were destroyed in the East Marches. Chaps the buttocks of any Yamato when you bring it up.”

Aldric nodded at that. “And?”

“You said they’re wicked savage merchants, but I haven’t seen that for myself.” Daveth mused.

Aldric nodded. “I did, at that. And they are. To say they buy cheap and sell dear is an understatement. They’ll rook you for every copper they can get, and then squeeze you for more. Getting them to do anything that isn’t in their vested interests is like pulling teeth from a drake.” But Aldric waved his hand in a way to indicate that this wasn’t the point of the conversation. “One of their little hat tricks is they’re good at getting what everyone wants, what everyone needs: information.”

Daveth worked this over in his mind. “So what information do we need that they have?” He asked.

Aldric gave him a half-smile. “Maps, actually. There’s a shrine nearby; I’m hoping they have maps.”

“Maps of what?” Daveth asked.

“Everything, really.” Aldric replied. “Right now I’m just hoping they’ve got a map of Rothgar, the southern continent.”

Daveth’s eyes narrowed at Aldric. “That’s our next job? Across the Mirras?”

Aldric nodded, and shoveled more food into his mouth. “Mmm,” he agreed, and then continued, “I haven’t been to Rothgar since you were paddling around in your mother’s belly. I want maps.”

Daveth shoveled food into his mouth as he thought.

“You really think a shrine up here would have maps of Rothgar?” He asked dubiously. “What’s wrong with asking the shrine at Einsamkeit?” He asked, and then frowned again. “Besides, even the Yamato don’t have authority in Einsamkeit. There’s plenty of maps to be had there.”

Aldric nodded. “True enough. But one of the things we have to do is cultivate allies everywhere. Not just in the Merchant Cities. We need the Yamato. We need as much information as possible from as many different sources as possible. Everyone’s willing to sell information, but it’s all slanted in their best interests. So we’ll treat with the Yamato, we’ll treat with Einsamkeit, we’ll even treat with the Anglish if we have to. The more information, the better.” He paused and eyed his dish for a moment. He stood up and scraped his leavings into the fire. “But first, the Yamato of the Mountain Pine.”

*****

The Shrine of the Ancient Pine was nestled in the clefts of several small mountains that thrust themselves through the topsoil like accusatory fingers. The trees that dotted the mountains were massive things that seemed to scrape the clouds. The path to the shrine itself wound its way through some of the low hills, terminating in a long rise of carved stone steps.

“Stairs again.” Daveth grimaced, remembering the impossibly long climb up to the Araya-jinja in Einsamkeit.

“Hmmm?” Aldric asked, glancing at Daveth curiously.

“Think I’ll ride my horse up the stairs, if you don’t mind.” Daveth decided.

“I wouldn’t mind, but they would. We don’t give advantages to the enemy, Daveth.”

“Fuck.” Daveth spat as he swung down from his horse.

“Besides, it’s just stairs. How hard could it be?” Aldric asked curiously.

As they ascended to the top, Aldric mopped his brow. “You could have...” He panted in exhaustion, “warned me.”

“Think I tried.” Daveth replied. He was soaked with sweat too, but he wasn’t as exhausted as his captain.

“Fuck you. You’re an asshole and a bastard.” Aldric cursed bitterly. “At this point I think taking the horses would have been a better idea.”

As they topped the rise of steps, Daveth could see several of the Yamato waiting for them. He cast his mind back as the three women eyed Aldric and Daveth with a certain smugness.

The acolytes wore red pants, the Shrine Maidens wore black pants, and the Shrine Priestesses also wore a black jacket over a Shrine Maiden’s outfit, he recalled, glancing around the Shrine.

There was a cluster of buildings arranged in a loose ring; groups of acolytes of various ages, sizes, and races ran round the buildings in formation, groups of Maidens swung swords and halberds in formation, another group of Maidens fired arrows at archery butts in formation.

“An army.” Daveth muttered to himself.

“Of course.” Aldric panted beside him. “You think they’ll let something like the Eastern Marches threaten them again?” He asked, the tone of his voice made the question rhetorical.

“Is there something we can assist you with, gentlemen?” one of the Shrine Priestesses called as they huffed and panted from the long, long climb.

Aldric took a deep breath and forced himself to stand upright. To his side, he could see Daveth do the same. A moment of weakness; how badly it would affect negotiations was to be seen. It wasn’t as if they’d been caught with their pants down, but at the same time, if the Shrine Priestesses ordered the Maidens to attack, Aldric and Daveth would be powerless to resist.

“I’m Captain Aldric of the Seventh Seal.” He forced his voice to come out smoothly, despite the strain. “This is my second-in-command, Daveth.” He managed to not sound as out of breath as he felt, and inwardly he gave himself a pat of the back. “I was hoping we could get some information.”

*****

Daveth watched his Captain and the Shrine Priestesses begin their negotiations. They slung barbed words at each other while grinning through their teeth, each testing for an opening, a gap that would give advantage. Aldric wanted information that he was certain that the Yamato at this shrine had; the Yamato seemed to think that whatever they had was worth a miser’s deal.

He stepped out of the building to get some air as evening began to fall. The Yamato might have had information, but Daveth secretly believed that if Aldric truly wanted information on the southern continent of Rothgar, he was better off plying his luck against the information brokers and sea captains in Einsamkeit. Even if the Yamato had information about Rothgar, what use was it here, so deeply inland in Hesperia? He’d heard that Blackwall and Philippa were still functional seaports on Rothgar; why not stop at one of them and get information there?

Sometimes, Daveth admitted to himself, Aldric didn’t make sense at all. He glanced down, and a little elven girl in the garb of a Shrine Acolyte stared up at him in the undisguised, innocent wonder of a child.

“You’re very tall.” The girl stated by way of introduction.

Daveth squatted down, but even crouched he was still taller than she was. “And you’re very small.” He responded. She showed him a bitter face at that.

“I’ll get bigger!” She vowed hotly, and Daveth grinned at her.

“I’m-” He began, but she cut him off. “Everyone knows who you are.” She declared brazenly.

“I imagine so.” He agreed after a moment of thought. This Shrine was off the beaten path and was only nominally connected to the road that connected Begierde and Doran. What visitors they had were likely few and far between. Gossip was a matter of course.

“And who might you be?” He asked patiently. Dealing with the nobles of Nauders had given him some insight into the need for patience when dealing with others who thought a great deal about themselves.

“Everyone knows who I am.” The elven girl stated sourly. She looked away, a bitter expression on her face.

“Well then I’m nobody.” Daveth offered, “because I have no idea who you are.” her head whipped up to stare at him in that undisguised and innocent shock of a small child.

She bit her lip, and then opened her mouth, likely to introduce herself, when a shout came from the end of the hall.

“Moriko!” A Shrine Maiden marched aggressively across the temple grounds, hands knotted into fists, elbows cocked. She looked threatening, but the look on her face seemed more of exasperation than anger. As she approached, Moriko hunched her shoulders. Daveth patted her on her head and rose to his feet and stretched ostentatiously.

The Shrine Maiden gaped at his size, which was something Daveth was used to. While she gaped at him, her eyes going up and up and up as he rose to his full height, Daveth scooped up the little girl- Moriko- in his arms.

He didn’t know why he did it, it was reflex, instinct, something both a part of and apart from himself. The Maiden immediately lost her steam; she seemed uncertain, her body twitching between postures of fear and apprehension. Daveth could understand. He was huge, he was an unknown, a mercenary in a community of women and girls. There was no telling what a monster he might be.

“I take it she slipped out from under your watch?” Daveth asked as he approached.

“That is-” The Maiden began reluctantly. It was obvious she wanted to demand the girl’s return, she likely wanted to retreat and call for help, she was unsure of her position and authority and how she should handle him.

Moriko squirmed in his grip, but she was a child and he was an adult, so he patiently endured her little fists pounding on him as she demanded to be let go.

“You should keep a close eye on her. She seems pretty lively.” Daveth offered, and held out the girl to the Shrine Maiden.

“We- we’re trying,” the Shrine Maiden accepted Moriko from him awkwardly, clearly trying to avoid looking at him directly. “She- She’s very important to us.” The maiden’s voice ended in a hushed whisper.

Daveth nodded at her and turned to leave.

“Excuse me!” The Shrine Maiden suddenly blurted, nearly shouting. Daveth turned back.

“She- she wasn’t rude to you, was she?” the Maiden asked worriedly. Daveth grinned at the Maiden and down at Moriko.

“Nah.” He remarked dismissively. He pointed at himself and back at the room he’d left, where his Captain and the three Shrine Priestesses glared at each other over a table. The Maiden nodded and led Moriko across the temple grounds, back the way she came.

“Heh.” Daveth barked a laugh, and headed inside.

*****

“Well?” Daveth asked as he entered the room. Immediately four pairs of eyes locked onto him.

“Well, what?” Aldric asked sourly. Daveth recognized that look. It was the same expression he had when Daveth spoke out of turn to the Duchess of Nauders.

“I was hoping we’d at least have some maps we might look over.” Daveth began. “Have you at least gotten that far?”

He eyed the Shrine Priestesses one at a time; their expressions indicated their displeasure at being regarded so indifferently.

“Maps of what?” One of the Shrine Priestesses asked, an unfamiliar tone in her voice.

“Rothgar.” Daveth replied simply.

“Rothgar, you say...” one of the other Shrine Priestesses replied, shooting a glance at Aldric.

“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you’ve been arguing this much for this long and you haven’t even gotten that far.” Daveth wondered aloud. Aldric kept shooting hot angry glances at him.

“We don’t have much on Rothgar here.” the third priestess offered. “You might have better luck at our shrine in Einsamkeit.”

“Anything you’d be willing to share would be helpful.” Daveth offered solicitously.

One of the Shrine Priestesses leaned towards one of the others and whispered in her ear. She got up and moved to the side of the room; Daveth’s eyes widened when one of the shadows detached from the wall revealing a Shrine Maiden with a sword at her waist and one of those polearms in her hand. The Maiden ran out of the room, her feet barely making a noise on the hardwood flooring.

“I regret the lapse in manners,” one of the Shrine Priestesses began, “but I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”

“Oh, we have.” Daveth indicated Aldric and him. “I’m sure you remember our introduction at the top of the stairs.” Daveth began, as he sat down and leaned on the low table, causing it to creak alarmingly beneath his weight. “I’m afraid the only one I know by name here is a little acolyte named Moriko.” he waved his hand at about Moriko’s height.

The two remaining Shrine Priestesses immediately stiffened, and Daveth could sense arrows being put to bows, blades being unsheathed stealthily.

“Daveth what did you do-” Aldric began worriedly, as he glanced around the room.

Daveth gave him a baffled look. “She was running around the yard while you all were in here.” Daveth supplied helpfully. When that didn’t seem to disarm their wariness, he sighed.

“She was running around outside while you were arguing in here. We exchanged greetings, and then another Shrine Maiden retrieved her.”

“She is unharmed?” One of the Shrine Priestesses asked dangerously.

Daveth snorted. “Whoever got hurt from a greeting? She’s fine. Go check on her, if you like.”

One of the two Shrine Priestesses immediately got up, but Daveth forestalled her.

“If it turns out that she’s perfectly fine, then I want three concessions.” He stated flatly.

Both of the priestesses eyed him with cool expressions, and Daveth could imagine he could hear the creaking of strained bowstrings, arrows ready to loose at the slightest signal.

“Oh? Go on.” The standing Priestess demanded, her voice frosty.

“First, share your maps with us. Second, can you tell your Maidens to lower their weapons? I’m harmless, but they’re getting itchy and someone might make a mistake we might all regret.” Daveth offered boldly.

Everyone gave Daveth a blank expression at his statement that he was harmless. He was at least a full foot taller than the tallest Yamato there, He was massive, overbearing, with an imposing presence like a savage grizzly on the cusp of immediate violence. There was no way anyone could possibly believe a giant such as him could be harmless.

After a moment of silence stretched out between them, one of the priestesses made some signal with her hand, and the tension, the sense of danger left the room. Daveth let out a small sigh, and Aldric, taking his cue from Daveth, relaxed a little.

“And your third request?” The Shrine Priestess asked, as the second Shrine left the room, presumably to check on the little girl Daveth had met.

“Negotiations is thirsty work. Can we get something to drink while we hash this out? I imagine my boss would love to try some of that delicious Yamato tea.”

The remaining Shrine Priestess immediately sagged and a rueful expression played about her features.

“Another lapse in decorum; you must forgive me. Of course.” She gestured at the table. “May I sit?”

“Your house.” Daveth replied casually reminded her, and Aldric shot him a hot glare.

The Shrine Priestesses returned and conferred in low voices. They seemed to reach a consensus, because one of them spread out their maps on the table while an acolyte brought in tea.

Daveth snatched up the pot and downed half of it at a gulp, gaining flat stares all around that he comfortably ignored, instead focusing his attentions on the maps that were laid out before him.

The first map started in the north, in the Duchy of Nauders, and followed the Great Mother River down from Nauders to Landeck, Tannit, Begierde, and finally Einsamkeit at the sea. The second map showed Doran and the Tiba peninsula, and as they continued to lay out maps, overlapping each other, the world grew in Daveth’s eyes. To the south and east of Tiba was the small continent of Bel-Arib, and then to the southeast of the Arib continent was the icy tundra of Silesia on Rothgar. Its only port clogged year-round with icebergs. Moving west revealed the northern edge of the continent of Rothgar: the struggling and impoverished lands of Lyonesse, the Blackened Plateau of Sarkomand, still blighted with foul sorceries since before the War of Liberation, continuing east revealed Ardeal, Blackwall, and finally on the northwestern tip of Rothgar, the nodule that was the land of Philippa.

Aldric eyed the maps bitterly.

“Nothing south of Philippa?” He complained, a touch of petulance in his voice as he combed his beard with his fingers.

“I’m afraid not.” one of the Shrine Priestesses replied simply. Daveth gulped more tea, and wordlessly set the empty pot on the side of the table.

“Is there something specific you’re looking for?” The older Yamato woman eyed Aldric and Daveth. The giant shrugged and looked to Aldric who sighed, gave his beard and gave it a tug.

“I was hoping you would have knowledge of Metzcal.” He finally admitted.

The three traded looks. “We’re only privy to what the homeland deems worthy to send us, but what we do know is that apart from the failed attempt to subjugate the Black Plateau of Sarkomand, no Yamato expeditions have been made to Rothgar, including Metzcal.” She paused and then added, “You probably would have much better luck negotiating with the Anglish.”

One of the other Shrine Priestesses spoke up, then. “You certainly are a shrewd negotiator, to have your man here seek out our treasured assets. It seems we will come away from this negotiation empty-handed.”

Aldric gave a brief smile and wiped his face with his hand and barked a fake-sounding cough. “Daveth isn’t my second in command for nothing.” He muttered in reply.

*****

“I’m tired and I want to go to sleep.” Daveth complained again as they parched through the night, every other man carrying a lantern on his saddle for the night march.

“Not until you explain what you did.” Aldric complained, shooting a hot glare over his shoulder at Daveth.

“You got what you wanted, right? The Yamato don’t know anything about Metzcal.” Daveth complained, stifling a yawn and rubbing his eyes.

“Daveth, The Yamato really like to make a profit.” Aldric began angrily. Daveth started to say something, but Aldric held up his hand. “When you shake hands with a Yamato businessman, you check your hand to make sure they haven’t made off with your rings- or your fingers. Their pride insists that they come out on top all the time, every time.”

Aldric glared at Daveth. “This isn’t the first time you’ve dandled them on your knee and made them do what you want. Don’t think I haven’t forgotten about Hitotsuna.”

Daveth rolled his eyes and absently rubbed the scar across the bridge of his nose absently.

“You got what you wanted, right?” Daveth complained. “The Yamato have no dealings with Metzcal.”

“I didn’t get a thing.” Aldric replied irritably. “That room was a bag of cats and then you walked in and demanded everything and they rolled over for you like a kitten. What. Happened.” Aldric insisted.

“If I tell you, are we gonna stop and get some shuteye?” Daveth asked, but Aldric shook his head.

“This is bandit country. We push on through.”

Daveth let out an exhausted sigh. “Alright, look: I stepped out because you guys were glaring at each other. I ran into a little Yamato girl.” He shrugged. “She said the obvious thing, so I replied with the obvious thing, and then a Shrine Maiden came and took her away.” Daveth explained patiently. “The Shrine Maiden addressed her by name. That’s how I knew it.”

“What obvious thing?” Aldric gave him a baffled look.

Daveth let out another sigh and rolled his eyes at his captain. “Wow, you’re tall!” He replied in a falsetto. To which I replied the obvious: “Wow, you’re small.” Then the Shrine Maiden came and took her away. That’s it.”

Aldric eyed Daveth with a puzzled look. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.” Daveth confirmed. “I went back inside, and saw that you guys weren’t making any headway.”

Aldric chewed his nail pensively. “This ‘Moriko’ girl must be important to them, somehow.” He muttered, glancing over at Daveth, who was nodding off in the saddle.

“Think I should bring you along with me to all my negotiations. Maybe they’d go a lot smoother.”

*****

Metzcal was located south of Philippa, on Rothgar’s western coastline. At one point in time the country had many cities and towns, but a series of unfortunate events caused the people of Metzcal to withdraw from their cities and homes and crowd the only real city, the capital city, the port city that gave Metzcal its name.

“I got a letter.” Aldric was saying to Daveth as they rode into Einsamkeit.

“Is this noble-speak for ‘I have to take a piss’?” Daveth asked, and Aldric glared up at him.

“I could put you in the stocks again.” He warned.

Daveth pointed across the harbor to where a ship eased into its dock. “I could toss you hard enough that you’d punch a hole in that boat’s hull.” Daveth replied simply. “Now stop fucking off and tell me what’s going on.”

“Like I said: I got a letter, and we’ve got a job.” Aldric replied, running his fingers through his beard.

“...And?” Daveth asked patiently.

“It’s the Brotherhood. You remember them, don’t you? They’re asking for help.”