Ch228: First Day on the Job

Quite a few clicking and clacking sounds echo around this nicely decorated hallway, two different sets of heels – one more modest than the other – and some metal sheathed claws keeping this simple walk from being silent. The long, patterned carpet that covers the floor muffles those three separate footsteps, saving the hardwood beneath from even the risk of being scratched or scuffed.

“Believe it or not,” the Countess idly speaks up, glancing at the Drakling sticking perhaps a bit too close to her side. “I do have another gift to bestow upon you.”

Krvavy quirks her brow, meeting the amethyst eyes of this pink-skinned half-Elf who barely reaches her shoulder in height. And that is with Krvavy’s admittedly slouched posture helping to level the playing field. “More? You are really trying to spoil me, huh~?”

“Perhaps~.” A subtle and slightly teasing smile plays at Rina’s painted lips, fading after only a moment. “In truth, this ‘gift’ is not born of generosity, but of convenience. I recall you mentioning your need to use a basic spell to placate animals of your presence. And while that may suffice for brief encounters, it will not do for our journey. Vera?”

The albino maid scowls but does as her Lady expects, reaching a gloved hand into a pouch on her apron and grasping what lies within, plucking free a simple silver band. One that is too large to be a ring, yet too triangular in shape to be a bracelet.

Those four round pearls dangling from Rina’s pointed ears jingle ever so softly as the Countess slowly shakes her head, wry amusement written across her elegant face. “I had thought myself clever for having it fitted for your lower horns, but it would seem that you have beat me to that idea~.” She states, pointedly looking towards the Far-Speaking ring that Krvavy so conspicuously bears, its purpose unknown to her.

Vera heatedly and hatefully glares at the Drakling as she hands over this new silver band.

Ring of Pacified Presence: A simple, enchanted ring that replicates the effects of the Beast Magic spell Calm Creature for the wearer.

“Well, at least I’m a bit more balanced now.” Krvavy jokingly responds, squeezing that enchanted ring onto her lower left horn. It isn’t nearly as snug a fit... but neither is it loose by any means. At the very least, that slightly triangular ring is secure enough that it shouldn’t accidentally fall off.

Curiosity lingers in the Countess’ eyes. “If you do not mind me asking, is there a significance to the one that you were already wearing?” She briefly pauses, her pace slowing into a leisurely stroll to more easily let that maid of hers hurry on towards the large doors looming not too far ahead. “It was not present during your previous visits.”

Krvavy lightly nibbles on the inside of her cheek. She’ll be using her Far-Speaking ring quite a bit on this trip, and Rina is smart enough to notice as much. So there isn’t much point in hiding it from the Countess. But that doesn’t mean that she has to explain it in detail either. “It’s... nothing too special, really. Just something that should let me keep in touch with my girl’s back home. We’re not really sure how much range it’ll have though, so... it might not be all that useful.”

Rina raises a single delicate brow, that thin raven-black line arching so beautifully. “Benefits of having a Dwarf at hand, I suppose. She is a Runesmith, right? I believe Beryl had mentioned that.”

“Yeah.” Krvavy quickly answers, unable to keep a wistful sigh from slipping past her pale lips. “She’ll want to test it every single day, checking to see if the sound is getting distorted or delayed as we travel further and further away...”

The warmth of the morning sun spills into this opulent entrance hall, that golden glow catching on the nebulous purple gem resting on Rina’s forehead. “You will have plenty of time for that this coming week.” The Countess warmly comments, her faintly teasing tone fading away as she takes the first step outside. “Our journey will not be the most exciting, for we will be sequestered away for much of it.”

It takes a second for Krvavy’s eyes to adjust to that blindingly bright light, but as soon as she gets used to it... a look of surprise swiftly spreads across her face.

The road that leads right up to Rina’s home is crammed full of carriages, only the bit beyond the bridge that spans this decorative pond of a moat left uncovered. A convoy of nearly two dozen stretches across the Countess’ estate, those separate carriages so incredibly big that they each need to be drawn by four large horses.

And it isn’t just the sheer scale that has stunned the Drakling. Those huge wagons – more like trucks or busses than mere carts – are... they are incredibly beautiful, works of art carved from fine wood, trimmed with subdued silver lines and inlaid with fancy windows, the insides beyond obscured by delightfully decorated drapes. Even the horses look noble and proud, dressed in ornately patterned fabrics that draw attention to their neatly braided manes.

If any complaint could be had about that sight... it would be that nearly every single carriage is identical. Only a few – about six or so – look any different from the rest. And not even by all that much. They are a bit bulkier, slightly less ornate. They don’t have any windows. They are probably for transporting goods and supplies...

“Impressed~?” The Countess smiles, those pointy half-Elf ears of hers wiggling with pride and amusement alike.

“Kinda, yeah.” Krvavy honestly admits, resting her axe over her armoured shoulder as she follows after that elegant and exotic noblewoman, a certain aggressive albino maid quickly catching back up to them both.

A gentle breeze whispers through the air, the long raven-black locks of Rina’s hair swaying from more than just her steady steps. “I am curious... just what were you expecting?”

The Drakling cocks her head to the side, lower left horn clunking against her pauldron. “I’m not really sure.” She answers with a shrug. “Fewer carriages. Smaller carriages. Not quite as many horses...” Her voice trails off with that thought, emerald eyes idly looking over the various knights that surround this convoy. Some are simply standing around, clearly waiting to enter the carriages, while others are riding atop warhorses clad in imposing armour.

“I am the Countess of Raseyne,” Rina playfully ‘reminds’ the barbarian, who has taken on the role of her bodyguard. “And we are heading off to a council of other regional leaders. I am not going to travel lightly, with merely the bare minimum of a retinue.”

One of the knights ahead turns toward the carriage that he is standing beside, gauntleted hand pulling at a wooden panel resting directly beneath its door. A decorated staircase unfolds itself from that point, thumping into the ground. “My Lady!” He calls out, his polished plate armour clinking quietly as he straightens up and salutes.

Vera quickens her pace, grabbing at her uniform’s long dress as she swiftly ascends those few steps. The door at their top opens inwards, and she disappears inside.

The Countess gives her knight a courteous nod. “At ease.” Doing as her maid did, the hem of this elegant noblewoman’s dress if raised, her heels visible for just a moment as she too enters the dimly lit interior of that carriage.

Krvavy follows with a degree of caution, only to sigh in relief as those obviously well-made steps don’t even creak beneath her weight. The Drakling ducks through the opened door, careful to not hit anything with her horns. Or her thick tail. Or that oversized axe of hers...

“Make yourself comfortable.” The elegant half-Elf warmly orders, heading straight across this cozy carriage cabin, a plush couch the shape of a cane hugging all four of its walls.

Vera nudges Krvavy in the side, forcing the Drakling to step away from the door so that she can shut it. A solid click can be heard as the unfriendly maid secures a rather heavy bolt in place.

“Or~...” Amusement underlines Rina’s melodic voice, her tone as lively and vibrant as her bright pink skin. “Feel free to explore and familiarize yourself with what will be your home for the majority of our time together.”

Krvavy glances at her Soulbound Weapon.

“There should be room for that beneath these seats.” Rina almost dismissively states, settling down in a comfortable looking corner, near to the window that rests opposite to the door they entered through. “Vera will handle it, so that you do not need to... I would say ‘get on all fours’, but with your considerable height you may well have needed to lie on the floor instead~.”

The maid in question does not look particularly happy about her apparent duty. But neither is she one to disobey her Lady. And so, with a sigh, she holds both of her arms out, gloved hands open and ready to take upon that burden. “Hhhhhmmnh...!” Vera sharply exhales, finding this barbarian’s big weapon to be a bit heavier than she expected. But, beyond that initial surprise, she seems to handle it well enough and without too much trouble.

Carefully squeezing past that hostile albino – who is giving her a murderous, if not unexpected, glare – Krvavy turns to the only other door in this slightly cramped room. It easily slides open, disappearing into the wall beside it.

The room beyond is even smaller than this one. To the right is a tight ‘U’ shaped cubbyhole of shelves covered in sliding glass doors, making it easy to see the countless books, boxes, and bottles stored within. To the left is another sliding door, though this one parts in the center and... curves inwards into a surprisingly modern looking shower stall with sink and toilet all crammed inside of it.

Ahead is, unsurprisingly, yet another door. This one is at least a normal door though, swinging into the room beyond. A rather large room, at that. Though the vast majority of its space is taken up by an opulent bed that nearly reaches wall to wall, only having a narrow gap on either side so that someone could reach the head of that bed without having to crawl over the whole thing. Beyond that, there are some nightstands in the far corners of the room... as well as a dresser to the left of this doorway – when facing through it – and a mirrored vanity with chair to the right, almost hidden out of sight.

Krvavy pulls the door shut and turns around.

“Done already~?” Rina playfully asks, patting a spot on the couch beside her in an incredibly obvious and not even slightly subtle invitation. Her maid bristles a bit as that Drakling is so easily lured in.

Carefully as she can, Krvavy sits down next to the Countess, making sure that her armour isn’t squishing anything. “I noticed that there is only one bed.” She deliberately comments, the muscles in her midsection suddenly tensing up.

“Yes, and~?” Elegant pink-skinned fingers – with nails painted a glossy black – idly come into contact with Krvavy’s bare abs, trailing along those well-defined lines once it becomes clear that her touch isn’t unwanted.

A slightly rosy hue creeps onto that Drakling’s otherwise deadpan face. “There are three of us here, and I doubt Vera would appreciate having to share it with me.”

The albino maid purses her pale pinkish lips, glaring rather brattily at the barbarian who... is completely correct with that assumption, a fact which seems to only annoy Vera even further.

“How considerate of you.” Warmth fills Rina’s earnest words, her head tilting back to let her meet Krvavy’s gaze. Which, considering that the two of them are sitting side by side, feels really quite intimate... “It would be expected for you to sleep either on the floor or this couch, with Vera taking the other. But~...” those delicate fingers of hers tap their way down to the center of the ring holding Krvavy’s new loincloth together. “To sleep alone in a bed of such size would simply be too lonely, so I will share it~. Some nights with you, others with my beloved handmaiden~.”

A slight smile plays at Vera’s pouty lips, even as she tries to suppress it. As if to distract herself from that joy, the albino maid pats down her dress and straightens her apron, before settling down on a corner seat nestled between the two doors. The only seat in this room that is not attached to the large couch.

The Countess so very slowly shakes her head, amethyst eyes glimmering and gleaming like bright gems. “Come now, dear, no need to put such distance between us~. Krvavy here knows that you are more than just my maid~. Take advantage of our privacy~.”

A faint blush colours Vera’s snow-white cheeks as she swiftly stands up, crosses the carriage in only a few steps, and sits back down beside the Countess. Her flushed face grows a deeper shade of red as she cuddles closely with her Lady, clinging onto that elegant half-Elf’s side. Her pale pink eyes narrow behind the thick lenses of her glasses, glaring smugly and triumphantly at Krvavy.

The Drakling simply smiles and shakes her head. “Not to sound impatient, but when are we going to start moving?” She curiously wonders, heart feeling a little heavy as she suddenly and mysteriously misses her silver-blonde brat just a bit more than she already did before.

Rina looks up from her admittedly quite cute maid, though she continues to stroke the girl’s silken white hair all the while, as if Vera were simply her pet. Which... might not be far off from the truth. “We already are.” The Countess calmly answers, subtly bobbing her head to the side. “Check one of the windows if you do not believe me.”

Krvavy turns towards the only window in this room, beyond the one built into the door itself. Which is a fair bit further away. She scoots over the soft couch and pulls aside the luxuriously thick curtain.

Buildings are moving on by at a decent pace. Not particularly fast, but not exactly slow either.

“These carriages are designed with comfort in mind.” A hint of pride can be heard in the Countess’ fairly musical voice. “None but the biggest of bumps and shakes will bother us. Nor will you have to worry too much about anything rolling or sliding around in here, as the surfaces will remain flat and level... for the most part. Sadly, the carriage will still tilt while on steeper inclines. But not to the degree that it naturally would otherwise.”

“Huh.” Krvavy blinks in surprise. This is essentially a wooden mobile home with really good suspension. Weird, but not all that surprising when magic is considered. Magic and money. Perhaps more of the latter than the former...

“If you do not mind me asking,” the not too low neckline of Rina’s dress reveals more and more of her pink-skinned chest as she leans forward, that wonderful view recapturing Krvavy’s attention better than her words ever could. And not just because of the necklace that she is wearing alongside her dress, its large and eye-catching amethyst resting between three beauty marks. “What is inside of this?” She curiously wonders, the delicate fingers that were admiring this Drakling’s abs now gesturing towards the bottle shaped gourd secured to her bodyguard’s belt.

“Oh, that? It’s just some nectar. Well, magical nectar. Kind of like a potion, I guess? A restorative one.” The Drakling shrugs and lightly shakes her head, not sure how else to explain it. “Beryl made it, as I’m sure you could guess. I haven’t actually opened it up yet, because once I do I’ll probably end up drinking it all...”

Rina’s pointy, knife-like ears perk up just a bit. “Is it that good?”

Krvavy catches the tip of her tongue between her carnivorous teeth, now missing Beryl a bit more than before. And for a few different reasons at that. “Yeah...” She slowly answers, the rosy red hue colouring her cheeks steadily burning brighter, coming to rival her crimson hair. At least her helmet, mask, headband thing covers that blush... if only slightly. “Though it is much better fresh~...”

“Perhaps you would be willing to share a sip?” Rina suggests, her elegant fingers idly making a mess of Vera’s silken, snowy hair. With both of her hands now. The maid does not seem to mind that though, smiling so very softly as she nuzzles into her Lady. Like a cat... “Not now, but later? If it is to my tastes, then I would be willing to purchase bottles of it in the future.”

A quiet laugh slips past Krvavy’s pale lips. “Trying to give me a reason to visit more often, huh~?”

The four pearls dangling from that half-Elf’s pointed ears jingle almost inaudibly, amusement dancing across her amethyst eyes as she lets the seconds drag on, answering before the pause lingers for too long. “Perhaps~.”

“I’ll ask Beryl about it.” Krvavy replies, trying not to think about her sweet berry filling bottle after bottle with this sweet nectar... The rather red hue that continues to fill her cheeks is proof of her not doing a particularly good job at that.

The Countess simply nods. Silence fills the carriage, comfortable and not at all unpleasant, yet still it isn’t allowed to remain for more than a minute.

“I suppose that now is as good a time as any to give you the details of our itinerary.” Rina almost reluctantly states, taking a moment to straighten Vera’s glasses. As pointless as that may be. Soon enough, they’ll be sitting slightly askew once more. “Barring extraordinary circumstances, we will only be stopping three times each day: at midday, in the late afternoon, and late in the evening. The first of those two will only last for an hour or so, while the third will see us stationary until the morn. At this pace, we should arrive in Vratsa on the third, in the early evening.”

Krvavy leans into the cushioned backrest of this couch bench. “So we just... sit and wait until then, huh?” She absently asks, stifling a sigh.

“Bored already~?” Try as she might, Rina can’t quite keep the laughter from her voice, those musical notes underlining her teasing question. Her black painted lips curl into a smile, that warmth refusing to fade even as she gives her head a subtle shake and regains her composure. “There are books to read and, if that is not enough, we can set up a table here to play some games, both cards and otherwise. Beyond that... we do have each other to keep us company~.”

“Mhhhh~...” Vera breathlessly gasps as her Lady’s delicate hand slips beneath her apron, giving one of her pert tits a squeeze through the venerable uniform that is her maidly dress. An intense scarlet hue sweeps across her face, slightly puffed up cheeks burning so brightly as she glares at the Drakling, angry at Krvavy for having seen that.

“Though, sadly,” a tinge of regret enters Rina’s tone as pulls her hand back from the covered chest of her obedient, obsessive maid. Much to Vera’s obvious disappointment. “I must abstain from such entertainment today. My duty to Raseyne does not end in my absence from the city. There is still plenty of deskwork to be done. Letters to pen, forms to fill...” The half-Elf sighs, gently peeling that clingy maid from her side. “The sooner I deal with my work, the sooner I will be able relax. So I will be in the bedroom, doing just that. But first...”

Krvavy raises an eyebrow as Rina reaches into a fold in her dress – a hidden pocket, apparently – and pulls free two golden coins, handing them over to the barbarian.

“I had promised a pay of two crowns per week that you spend away from your home, and it took you approximately a week to arrive in Raseyne, yes?” Rina doesn’t wait for an answer to that rhetoric question, pushing that payment into the Drakling’s hand. “So here is the first of your payments.”

Much as the name suggests, both coins have the image of a crown pressed into their faces. While Krvavy doesn’t exactly remember how much a single crown is worth, she does know that just one of these is more valuable than all of the other coins she brought with her on this trip. “Thanks.” She idly responds, struggling to get her coin purse out from between her new loincloth belt and the thick hip plate hanging over it. Mostly because she is currently sitting.

“Now,” the Countess pauses in front of the sliding door, glancing back over her elegantly slim shoulder. “Vera, be a dear and keep your fellow employee occupied. Play a game together. Get to know each other. And, please, be nice.”

“Yes, my Lady...” The albino maid nearly grumbles, keeping her tone steady even as her pale pink eyes make her true feelings known.

The door to the bedroom softly clicks as it is opened, and then again when it is shut.

Vera abruptly stands up. “Move.” This aggressive maid coldly orders, tapping the tip of her shoe against Krvavy’s armoured shin. Once the Drakling has done as she wants, scooting to the side, Vera lowers herself down to her knees. Without wasting so much as a second, she reaches beneath this couch bench and drags free a thick wooden board, quickly rising back onto her feet.

That board unfolds with a faint squeak – a sound which sees Vera’s pouty lips twitch into a scowling frown – filling up most of the space between these different parts of the couch, sturdy legs swinging down from its flat top. Said legs click into place as Vera sets the whole thing onto the floor.

Krvavy blinks as the maid gives this now unfolded table a quick wipe with a cloth.

Without a word, Vera turns and struts out of the room. Only to return a few seconds later with a box in hand. A box that she places onto the table and immediately begins to unpack, revealing a rectangular checkered board along with ornately sculpted pieces made of polished ivory and ebony. Faint tapping sounds fill the air as she swiftly sets everything in place.

Krvavy’s brow furrows slightly as she looks over that board. Most of the pieces are familiar to her, similar to those of the chess-like game that she has played with her girls. There is a recognizable king and queen. Two pairs of what are obviously bishops and knights. There is what appears to be a rook, if the large tower shields are anything to go by, in all four corners of the board. Each side has a line of ten pawns. But nestled between the knights and bishops are a couple of completely unrecognizable pieces. “What are these?”

Vera narrows her eyes as the Drakling’s finger presses into a hooded, robed figure. “The Mage, the Court Wizard.” She coldly replies... stifling a frustrated sigh as she sees that her answer only raised more questions. “They can move onto a small ‘v’ centered on the third tile out in all four of the cardinal directions. Three tiles forward, or four tiles forward and one to either side. Tiles that are the opposite colour to what the Mage is on that turn.”

“Okay...” Krvavy slowly nods, ignoring that antagonistic maid’s increasingly condescending tone. That piece feels like it’ll be a bit annoying, but not too complicated to deal with.

“It, like the Knight,” this albino maid points a gloved finger to one of the figures on horseback, “can jump over other pieces. The Pawn,” she pokes one of the many small figures with spears, “can advance two tiles on its first move, and only one thereafter, capturing diagonally.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ve played a similar –”

“Are you aware of warding?” Vera interrupts, her pale pink eyes narrowing as she seemingly searches for any reason to be critical of Krvavy. “Where the King jumps three tiles to either side, moving the Warder,” she taps a rook, “to the adjacent tile closer to the center?”

“Again, yeah.” The Drakling dryly returns, starting to get fed up with this girl’s attitude. “It can only be done if neither piece has moved yet and there are no other pieces in the way.” She adds, hoping that only the name is different. The rooks don’t look like little castles, so calling it ‘castling’ wouldn’t exactly make sense.

Vera scowls, wordlessly turning the set board so that the white pieces are closer to her and the black to Krvavy. She moves a pawn two tiles forward.

Krvavy sighs and shakes her head. This is going to be a long trip, isn’t it...? She moves a knight, and –

The carriage tilts back slightly. Not enough to make the pieces slide across the board, but enough to just be noticeable.

“We are crossing the West Bridge.” Vera plainly states, sounding almost bored as she immediately moves another pawn.

Not particularly into this odd game of chess, Krvavy turns to look through the window. They do indeed appear to be crossing a bridge, a really quite large one that seems to stretch across a wide and swampy riverbed. It honestly seems a bit disproportional with how little water is actually down there.

“Did you think that Raseyne was founded in the middle of nowhere?” The albino maid sneers at the Drakling sitting across from her. “The river Ras is why my Lady’s city is out here.”

“It’s... not much of a river.” The barbarian blandly observes. “Looks more like a floodplain than anything.”

“That is because it is past the height of summer. The Ras is fed by runoff from the mountains to our south, which are growing cooler as autumn approaches.” Vera rather harshly explains, speaking in a tone that you’d use when addressing an idiot child that you honestly and genuinely hate. “It, in turn, feeds into a larger, more consistent, river which reaches all the way to the sea. Now take your turn.” She impatiently drums her fingers on the table.

Krvavy sighs and pulls the blinds shut.

Yeah... this is going to be a long trip...