A Swordhand for Hire Part Three
Hello everyone and welcome to the latest chapter of A New Crusade IF! We've got the continuation, among other things, of Ulric's time as Anastasia Hoshin's new knight! And a mild apology for getting this out a day or so late, got a little messed up with daylight savings time and all that. Also, there's an important announcement at the end of this chapter, so be sure to read that part too. And I'm still getting used to this advertising thing as I forgot to mention that my new book, Plains Riders, can be bought as just an Ebook, I believe, on Amazon even without the Kindle App. Though let me know whether or not that's the case. Now then I've rambled on long enough and since we seem to have no review questions for this week, let's dive on in!
The Main Headquarters of the Iron Fang
To say Ulric was surprised by the beast's speed was an understatement. The sword he'd had on his back was a giant cleaver of a blade, and yet the Wolfman had been able to draw and block his blow in practically the blink of an eye. "Well who's this spirited guy we got here," said the Demi-human, further surprising the Crusader as he looked up in confusion. This split second was all that was needed for him to shove back against the Knight, breaking their weapons lock as Ulric just managed to keep his footing.
He resumed his stance then and studied his opponent for a moment, looking for a weak spot this time. But as he was about to take a step forward he was bonked on the head by Mimi's staff, which hurt a surprising amount. "I said wait," exclaimed Anastasia as she ran up next to them, "he isn't an enemy!"
"'Not an enemy'," said Ulric in confusion, "but he came leaping down from the roof and cut us off."
"He was bein' dramatic while sayin' hello," explained Anastasia before signaling the Wolfman to come over, "I was hoping to introduce you two when we got inside but this will have to work."
"Wait, this….person works for you," Questioned Ulric, not quite sure how he was supposed to refer to the furry bipedal creature.
"That's right," he said loudly as he sheathed his sword on his back and pointed a thumb at himself, "the name's Ricardo Welkin! I currently serve under her ladyship here as the captain of the Iron Fang!"
"'Captain'," said Ulric as the full weight of what he'd just done came crashing down on him. He'd just attacked his commanding officer. "Forgive my short-sightedness," he said while bowing, "this world is new to me and there is much I still don't know. But that's hardly an excuse for me to rush into a situation without thinking, so again I beg your forgiveness!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Ricardo as he waved his hand in a 'calm down' manner, "no need to be so formal about the whole thing, it was just a misunderstanding. You're actually not the first recruit to try attacking me on sight." He turned to Hoshin with his next question, "he is a new recruit, right?"
"Yes," said the Merchant Girl with a nod, "this is Ulric Arkwright, I bumped into him in the marketplace of the Lugnican capital city. Or rather I found him fighting off Berat at a stall selling maps."
"What'd he do to piss off Berat?" Questioned Ricardo as he glanced at the Turk who was getting out of the carriage.
"Apparently, they're both from the same world," replied Anastasia, "but were enemies on opposite sides."
"You come from the same place as Berat, do ya," said Ricardo with a wide grin, "guessin' a different region because you two look nothing alike."
"Back in my world I hail from a land known as Europe," explained Ulric, "it's much colder there up North and dominated by many forests, hills and mountains."
"Then you'll love the landscape around here," said Ricardo, "but you and Berat best work on getting along, because the Iron Fang works best when it acts as a unit."
"I'll work with him, but I'll make no such promises on getting along with him," said the Turk as he walked by.
"Heh, still stubborn when he wants to be," said Ricardo, "even after three years he still gets pissy when you bring up Crusaders. Is that what you're supposed to be then, Ulric?"
"I am indeed," he confirmed, "a knight in the service to my king and a Crusader in service to the Lord God Almighty."
"Ah, religious differences," said the Wolfman, "that explains a lot. You can tell me the full story when we get the chance. But for now let's get you settled in, with the Boss Lady's permission of course."
"He's all yours, Ricardo," said Hoshin with a nod and a smile, "my one request is that you make sure to introduce him to Tivey."
"You got it," he said before signaling for the Knight to follow him. Since he needed to take Spiegel to the stables, their little tour of the Iron Fang headquarters began with the outside. He was shown the stables, the training yard, several places to go outside if and when the need struck him and the store houses where both the wagons and all kinds of goods and products were kept. Then the pair moved to the inside.
The rooms for the Iron Fang members, while not spacious, were well-kept and far more comfortable than sleeping in a tent. They consisted of two beds, a central end table and a desk with a chair should one be required. Ulric was told that he was lucky as they had enough spare rooms for him to have this one to himself, at least until more members joined. It seemed the profession of mercenary wasn't for everyone, unsurprisingly, leading to the occasional loss of old members and gaining of new ones. Though the success of the Iron Fang as a mercenary unit meant many of its members that had been there since the beginning were still there.
As soon as Ulric got the majority of his supplies stored, Ricardo showed him around the rest of the building such as the large mess hall, the administrative offices where the majority of the paperwork was done, the location of Anastasia's own private office, and then the library. It was there that they found the one known as Tivey. "Hey little man!" Exclaimed Ricardo, breaking the small cat person out of their concentration, "find something good to read today?!"
"Shh, do you have to be so loud, Father," whispered Tivey irritably, "this is a library." Ulric immediately saw his resemblance to Mimi as he was a practical copy of her in appearance but had a more boyish face, his hair wasn't styled and he wore a monocle on his left eye.
"Sorry little guy, just got some exciting news is all," he said before holding a hand out to indicate the Knight. "This is Ulric, a new recruit."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Sir Tivey," said the Crusader politely.
"Sir Tivey'," repeated the Cat Boy, "that's a first, being called 'Sir'. Did you actually go out of your way to find someone with more manners than the usual recruits?"
"From what her Ladyship told me, they ran into this one entirely by accident," explained Ricardo, "comes from the same place as Berat."
"He doesn't look like he comes from the same place," said Tivey while adjusting his monocle, "I take it you hail from another land than Berat?"
"It is as you say," replied Ulric with a nod, "Berat and I hail from the same world, but we do not come from the same land. In fact, our people are enemies."
"Lady Hoshin must've seen you do something interesting if she hired you despite knowing that," said Tivey before shifting his gaze to Ricardo, "she does know that, right?"
"Yeah she does," replied Ricardo before giving Ulric a hard pat on his shoulder, "but this guy's got some spirit in 'em. With a bit of time and training, I'm certain he'll fit right in."
"I'll also need to learn how to read and write this world's language," said Ulric causing Tivey to stare at him wide-eyed, "to my shame, I am unfamiliar with this land's system of writing."
"You really are from another world if that's the case," said Tivey while rubbing the side of his head, "did Anastasia mention a plan or curriculum for teaching you things like that?"
"To my understanding," replied Ulric, "she informed me that you would be the one to teach me not only reading and writing, but magic as well."
"I hope she has a plan for me still getting my clerical work done," said Tivey with a sigh, "because that's going to be a lot of work."
"Can't be any harder than teaching Berat was," said Ricardo, his literal wolfish grin never leaving his face.
"Depends on how patient he is," said Tivey as he looked back towards Ulric, "tell me, are you the type to enjoy reading?"
"My mother helped make copies of God's word and other works," informed Ulric, "so when I wasn't training to be a knight or engaged in chores, it was behind the pages of a book that one would find me."
"Good to hear," said Tivey, "because we're going to be starting your training tomorrow. The sooner you're able to earn your pay the better."
The Next Day
The work started early around the headquarters of the Iron Fang. It was little surprise given that it also served as the main building for Anastasia's trading empire. This meant that many workers were up at or even before dawn in some cases. While the Iron Fang may have kept more to their own hours, there was still plenty to do between jobs, the main one being training.
Which was what Ulric was in the middle of as he clashed wooden training sword against wooden training sword with Ricardo. It became clear all too quickly that the demi-human was much stronger than Ulric and even though he was using a weapon nearly too small for his gargantuan hands, it did little to impede him in warding off the Crusader's strikes. "Not bad, you really do have some training," said Ricardo as he blocked and parried Ulric's blows while noting his form and technique.
"I trained for years to be a knight," said Ulric as he tried a feint high strike which turned into a middle strike aimed at his opponent's waist. But the grinning Wolfman simply leapt back with little effort before parrying another series of strikes. "Though I never trained to fight powerful opponents such as you."
"No worries there, we can fix that!" Said Ricardo excitedly as he suddenly went on the offensive with a powerful blow that Ulric just barely blocked. 'That was slower than his speed yesterday,' the Knight noted as he stepped back while parrying the next few painful swings. Eventually, Ricardo raised his sword for a high, two-handed strike, presenting the opening the Crusader had been looking for as he moved in with a sudden lunge. But the smile never left the Demi-human's face as he leapt over his charging opponent.
Ulric's amazement was made even more so as the large fighter kicked off of his back. The Crusader stumbled and was just able to right himself as he turned around to swing another strike at his approaching opponent. But his hands were stopped by Ricardo's own massive left hand, halting his blow while his other hand was free to hold the wooden training weapon to the Knight's throat. "Not half bad recovery," said Ricardo as he released Ulric, "looks like we at least won't have to teach you the basics."
"I'm still incredibly disappointed in myself," said Ulric, "I was hoping to land at least one glancing blow on you."
"Hey don't be so hard on yourself!" Said Ricardo as he roughly patted him on the shoulder, "I'm not only the captain but also the best fighter in the Iron Fang. I've been through more than a few fights were whole groups of guys couldn't even lay a scratch on me!"
"That only makes me wonder further why Lady Hoshin was so willing to hire me when she has fighters like you," said Ulric.
"You think that, but look over there where Berat's training," said Ricardo as he pointed to the Turk on the other side of the training area. He was sparring with a demi-human who resembled a badger, and moving at quite a good speed too. "When Anastasia first hired Berat, he was about the same level as you in terms of combat and magical experience. But with some time and training he's grown into a reliable ally capable of taking on some of our better fighters here."
"He reached a level above some of your fighters in only three years?" Questioned Ulric.
"That's right," affirmed Ricardo, "remember our Lady is a merchant and an investor. She knows how to wait when it comes to getting a return on an investment."
"I'll remember to keep that in mind from now on," said Ulric, "it is admittedly comforting to know that everyone doesn't expect me to be incredibly formidable right away."
"Like I said, you'll get there," assured Ricardo, "now get yourself cleaned up and head over to Tivey. Today's the day for your first magic lesson." The Crusader nodded and did just that, taking one last glance at the training yard as he did so. 'It's like training to be a knight all over again,' he mused.
Later: Forest Clearing Behind Headquarters
"Alright," said Tivey as he and Ulric stood among the many trees and bushes of the surrounding forest, "the first and most important thing to remember about magic is your 'gate'."
"I believe that was mentioned," said Ulric, "but what is this 'gate' exactly?"
"Put simply, it's a pathway within the body that one draws mana into before expelling it out," explained Tivey, "as you've already heard, each person's gate usually leans more towards one attribute or another. Fortunately for us both, Mimi's already told me that you're a light magic attribute so I've got a fair idea of what you might be capable of."
"Are there certain things light magic is good for in comparison to other forms of magic?" Questioned Ulric.
"Each magical attribute has its own strengths, weaknesses and specialties," replied Tivey while adjusting his monocle, "for example, I am a fire type attribute. So I can conjure flames in a number of different forms while also having the ability to alter the temperature. If, however, I was a water attribute I'd not only be able to conjure water in many different forms but also wield healing magic. In your case, light attribute magic allows you to summon powerful rays of light for offense while also being able to 'buff' your body to increase its performance."
"So you're saying I can make myself stronger and faster?" Ulric more guessed than anything.
"Exactly," said Tivey with a nod, "and the greater your mastery of gate control, the more powerful the magic you can conjure."
"I see," said Ulric, "that is impressive to say the least, how should we begin?"
"First thing is to determine how your gate behaves," said Tivey, "sit down please." Ulric did as instructed and sat cross-legged on the ground. He was currently out of his armor and wearing strange baggy pants and a blue 'kimono' top without sleeves. It had taken him a little practice to put it on the first couple of times. "Now, beginners tend to require a little push at first so that they can get the feel of things, so I'll assist you for a bit." He walked around behind Ulric and placed his hand on his back.
"What is it I should do to summon the magic?" Asked Ulric with a glance behind him.
"The most important thing starting out is to relax and let the mana flow," answered Tivey, "imagine it gathering in your body and flowing out of your gate."
"Is there a particular way that mana looks or is supposed to be imagined?" Questioned Ulric.
"You can imagine it however you wish so long as it's an image that you can maintain easily," replied Tivey, "and before I forget, you'll also need to say the word associated with light magic: Jiwald."
"'Jiwald'," repeated Ulric with a nod, "I think I understand somewhat. Very well, let's give it a try." Tivey nodded and began giving just a little mana to the Knight. He, meanwhile, began to visualize the mana in the form of blue light, moving like water towards pearly gates. As soon as the blue energy reached the gate, he spoke the word. "JIWALD!"
He didn't know how loud he was supposed to be, so he spoke it like a commander giving an order. Though at first, nothing happened except for an odd warm feeling in the Crusader's body. Then that same feeling seemed to travel and center itself behind his eyes, before erupting in the form of two powerful beams that shot the branch off of a tree. "AAAAAAAAHHHH!" Exclaimed the Knight, rubbing his now aching eyes as soon as the beams of light ceased. "What in the world just happened?!"
"You drew a bit too much mana at once," said Tivey as he removed his hand from Ulric's back to look around at the scorched tree branch, "because of that it discharged randomly. Luckily, you didn't explode."
"Explode?" Questioned Ulric, "you're saying that I'm running the risk of blowing myself up by learning magic?!"
"It's not that huge of a risk," assured Tivey, "just something that might've happened, which is why we're training all the way out here. Had I known how aggressive your gate was, though, I probably wouldn't have acted as a support and just let you try it on your own."
"What does it mean when one has an 'aggressive' gate?" Inquired Ulric.
"It means you draw in large amounts of mana practically on instinct," explained Tivey, "it happens sometimes with people who are used to fighting. Your gate is drawing in large amounts of mana in preparation for battle."
"That only makes sense, I suppose," said Ulric while crossing his arms, "I've spent the last three years of my life fighting in a war and I'm learning magic to assist me in combat. It's only natural my gate would assume I'm preparing for battle."
"Well the good news is that it's a somewhat easy fix," said Tivey, "visualize a limit for the time being. As you practice more and more with your gate, it's use should start to feel natural and in time you'll be able to control even more mana."
"But what form should I unleash it in?" Questioned the Crusader, "you also mentioned I'd be able to enhance my abilities with this magic."
"That's right," said Tivey, "and now that you mention it, perhaps we should try a basic body enhancement spell. Just do what you did before, only this time visualizing a small amount of mana surrounding and remaining with your body." Ulric nodded in understanding before taking a deep breath and concentrating once again while Tivey replaced his hand on his back. As before, the Knight visualized a glowing blue energy flowing like water towards a gate.
Only this time, he imagined a small amount passing through the gate as he said the word 'Jiwald'. That too was more subdued this time, just in case, as he imagined the energy flowing around his body. As he did all of this, the warmth returned to his body. This time spreading all throughout it and remaining, as if it wasn't in a hurry to leave. Ulric looked down at his body then, noting a faint blue glow was being produced from it.
The phenomenon lasted for several more seconds before suddenly fading. In its place, a sudden wave of exhaustion hit as Ulric nearly fell over, just barely catching himself with his hands on the ground as he worked to catch his breath. "It looks like we've hit your limit for the time being," said Tivey after removing his hand, "as far as first lessons go, this one went surprisingly well."
"You make it sound as if we're done already," said Ulric between breaths, "can't we just resume after I catch my breath?"
"It's not that simple," said Tivey with a wag of his finger, "mana is also life energy. The more of it you use the more exhausted you'll become. The best case scenario if we keep going right now is that you'll be basically bedridden for the rest of the day and you, mister, still have stuff to do."
"As you say," Relented the Knight, "what shall I do in the meantime?"
"For now, get some rest," said Tivey, "I believe it's time for lunch anyway. After that, report to our armorer. If you're going to be working with us, you need to look the part too."
"I noticed some of the robes differ between members," said Ulric, "does that mean I'm allowed to make specific requests for how it can look?"
"We can make you a custom robe," affirmed Tivey, "but whatever you chose, make sure the symbol of the Hoshin Trading Company is at least visible."
"Of course," replied Ulric, "I imagine all my actions now reflect on her ladyship as well."
"She'll let Mimi get away with plenty and we're honestly pretty laid back in a lot of respects," answered Tivey, "but make no mistake, Lady Hoshin doesn't like it when her employees cause a lot of trouble. So just try to have a bit of restraint if you get the sudden urge to party."
"Fret not," said Ulric, "I was never very good at throwing parties. After a vicious battle about the only thing I wanted to do was be somewhere quiet to rest. Though should it be required of me I'll happily oblige attending a celebration."
"That'll be up to Lady Hoshin and Ricardo," said Tivey, "I for one prefer reading inside, as you've likely heard."
"I have," affirmed the Knight, "it makes me look forward to learning this world's language. You have one of the larger libraries that I've seen in this world so far."
"I'm not the only one in the Iron Fang who likes to read," said Tivey, "a few of the others read when the mood strikes them and Lady Hoshin does so when she's looking to relax. But, if you're going to be able focus fully on the lessons this evening then you'll need your strength. So get something to eat and rest up because you've still got a busy day ahead of you."
A Few Days Later
And it was indeed a busy day, as was the one after and the one after that. Most of it was spent training in not only the sword but a few other weapons, should the need arise, as well as the common tactics employed by the Iron Fang. Some of it took more than a little explaining as Ulric still had a lot to learn about the limitations and uses of magic when employed on the battlefield. And that wasn't even counting his own magic training which was coming along slowly but surely.
He stuck mostly to creating a strengthening aura around his body, though when Tivey felt it was safe enough he attempted a projectile attack during one session. Results so far were, less than adequate but still potentially promising. When he wasn't training, eating or sleeping, the Crusader was studying or learning how to study. Tivey turned out to be a rather competent teacher, being the smartest of the three Pearlbaton siblings, and had spent a good bit of time helping them learn how to read and write.
Fortunately, Ulric was a good student and after a few days he was actually starting to read full sentences, albeit simple ones. All of this progress made the Crusader more certain that he'd be able to contribute in due time, which made him wonder what could possibly be needed of him when Anastasia called him to her office practically out of the blue one day. Her workspace was located on the upper floors of the compound with a generous view of the front of the building below, which was the first thing that Ulric noted when he walked in. The next thing was the office's interior and arrangement.
It was naturally colored in a white and purple pattern and much of the room was decorated in the 'Wafuu' style that characterized the rest of the Karagi buildings. More white fox statues were present, albeit much smaller than the ones at the front entrance. Though what struck Ulric as odd about the room was the lack of chairs and how low the table was. In place of chairs were a type of pillow that was meant to be sat on, yet another cultural difference that Ulric was getting used too.
"Ah, there you are," said Hoshin who looked markedly different from the first time he'd seen her as she was wearing a blue and white kimono with flowers on the sleeves in place of the large, fur coat she'd had on before. Though her scarf still remained. "How has everyone been treating you so far?"
"Berat's naturally avoiding me," replied Ulric as he kneeled and sat on the cushion across from Hoshin, upon her invitation of course. "But Ricardo and Tivey have both proven very patient and exceedingly helpful in my acquisition of new skills. I'd like to think I'll be capable of being useful soon."
"And the rest of the Iron Fang," questioned Anastasia, "I haven't received any incident reports, but I'm more than aware how rowdy some of them can be. You may be new here, but do not hesitate to let me know if you're having any difficulties getting along with the others."
"I haven't had any issues thus far," said Ulric, "mostly curiosity. Quite of a few of them have wanted to know what the differences in my part of the world are to Berat's. And why we were fighting over Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land."
"Perhaps you could entertain me with a tale or two should the moment present itself," said Hoshin as she signed a couple of orders and set them aside, "now then, there is another reason I called you in here. At some point in the near future, my knight Julius Juukulius will be payin' us a visit."
"That's something I've been meaning to ask about," said Ulric, "if this 'Julius' is a knight, what is it that keeps him away from his lady? I understand if he's confident in the Iron Fang's ability to protect you, but it still seems odd he'd go off on his own so often."
"Julius is a member of the Lugnican royal guard," explained Anastasia, "so he splits his time between that and bein' of service to me. As you mentioned, the Iron Fang is usually around so my safety is not something he has to be as concerned about. But the minute I need him he'll be here as fast as he can."
"And what purpose would his visit here have to do with me?" Inquired Ulric, "I was under the impression you had more than enough fighters here to give you a second opinion on my potential. Given that you're still keeping me around, I'm hoping I'm living up to it so far."
"You're doing well enough," she assured him, "but Julius is always on the lookout for good knights and he'll no doubt be thinkin' about offerin' you a position with the Lugnican military."
"But I've already accepted a contract with you, Lady Hoshin," the Knight pointed out, "I couldn't possibly terminate it now after only a few days."
"It's nice to hear ya say so," replied Anastasia with a smile, "fret not, Julius will give you time to think about it first. I just thought I'd give you a heads up so it doesn't take ya by surprise. I've found that sudden decisions can make or break a good business venture if one isn't careful."
"Your thoughtfulness on this matter is greatly appreciated," said Ulric with a nod, "and I imagine it's also meant to serve as something of an incentive?"
"If the thought of bein' evaluated by a great knight like Julius will help ya to work harder, then sure," said Hoshin, "and we'll be thinkin' about sendin' ya out sometime in the near future as well. So again, take some time to think on what you'd like to do."
"I most certainly will," said Ulric with a slight bow, "now, is there anything else you require of me?"
"Well since this is the lunch hour," said Hoshin as she indicated a tray of exotic food, "care to join me?" Ulric would learn quite a bit that day about the fascinating things one could do with rice and raw fish.
A Few Weeks Later
Ulric ducked the first swing of his opponent before leaping back to avoid the next strike. Another one came in from behind him, but the Knight parried the blow and kicked them away before blocking a strike from his earlier opponent. He intercepted the next couple of blows before elbowing his opponent in the face then jumped over a strike from a third opponent. 'I thought I only agreed to two,' he mused in mild annoyance before turning to block the second attacker and shove him away before holding his sword behind his back to block yet another strike from the third attacker.
He pushed the weapon away while turning and landed a strike on his enemy's collar bone then parried and dodged out of the way of the other two fighters before kicking the forward most one into the second one. They both stumbled and fell as Ulric raised his sword and swung downward, stopping at the last second before striking either of them. "And that's good right there," called Ricardo, and just in time too as the glowing blue aura which had been present around the Crusader's body throughout the match faded. He collapsed to one knee then, breathing heavily while using the wooden training sword to support himself.
"Looks like you're good to use that spell for about a couple of minutes," noted Ricardo with a nod while signaling the healers to take a look at all of them, "it's honestly impressive how much it increases your physical abilities. And your awareness is improving too. You saw that third surprise opponent coming and adjusted accordingly."
"It's become my understanding that light magic isn't the most commonly encountered attribute," said Ulric as he accepted a small grape-like fruit from one of the healers and ingested it. According to Tivey they were known as 'bocco' fruits and worked quite well in speeding along one's mana recovery.
"It's more common than the Darkness attribute," replied Ricardo, "but it's definitely not something you run into every day, so seeing what one can do with it is pretty neat."
"You're not wrong," said a voice Ulric hadn't heard before as he turned to see a purple-haired man in a white military uniform and cape walking towards them. He also quickly took note of the rapier-like sword on his left hip. "I've encountered many magic users during my tenure as a knight, but do not often contend with light magic users."
"Hey, Julius," said Ricardo with a wave, "finally found a moment to stop by have ya?"
"Preparations for the beginning of the Royal Selection have kept me exceptionally busy," replied Julius with a light smile. Ulric realized for a moment that he didn't know what passed for 'handsome' in this world, not that he ever really thought about it in the first place. "And I'm ashamed to say it's only because of it that I've been able to make it out here in the first place. Since I'm here, though, I thought I'd assess the new recruit my lady seemed to have hired on a whim."
"She says that I appear to have potential," the Crusader answered for himself as he held out a hand, "Sir Ulric Arkwright, it's a pleasure to meet you Sir Julius."
"Hmm, you appear to at least have the mannerisms of a knight," observed Julius as he shook Ulric's hand, "and I'm told you've only been practicing magic for a few weeks now, after knowing literally nothing about it beforehand. Is it true you come from the same world as Berat?"
"The very same world, though very different lands," replied Ulric, "being former enemies has put something of a strain on us working together."
"I can imagine," said Julius, "we have a few former enemies working for the Royal Guard that I myself didn't always get along with."
"And you wouldn't happen to be making an offer to my new employee already are you, Julius," said Hoshin as she walked onto the training ground.
"The thought had crossed my mind," admitted Julius as he turned to Anastasia, currently in her kimono, "either way he'd still need to continue his training."
"Something he can easily do here," said the Merchant Girl with a wave of her hand, "and as much as I'd like your assessment on any and all of my new employees, I imagine you have a more pressin' reason for being here?"
"Alas, I do," said Julius as he withdrew an envelope from his pocket and presented it to Anastasia, "About a week or so from now, your presence will be required in the royal throne room of Lugnica."
"And have they given any particular reason as to why they'd be needin' me there?" Questioned the Purple-haired Girl.
"All I know for sure is that it's urgent," replied Julius, "though I've spoken with Reinhard and it seems he has something of an announcement to make in front of the council of elders. And all high-ranking knights are required to be there as well. Though now that I think about it, you may consider bringing Ulric here along with you."
"As generous as that sounds," said The Crusader, "I'm not yet worthy to stand among the elite of the elite of the kingdom's knights. And likely won't be for some time."
"Now don't worry about that little problem," said Hoshin with a dismissive wave, "it might actually be good for ya to see how the kingdom is bein' run right now. And to see how the royal guard is set up, just in case ya feel like movin' to somethin' else in the future."
"You don't seem terribly concerned about that possibility," the Crusader noted, "is there something you know about the Royal Knights that I don't?"
"Oh I know quite a bit, actually," said Anastasia with a playful smile, "though in this case it's more of a feelin'. I think you'll stick around with us for at least a little bit longer."
"I don't know if I'd prefer to prove you right or wrong in this instance," said Ulric, "you've demonstrated, thus far, that you're slightly better than the average merchant as far as personality goes."
"Now I've made it no secret that I'm a greedy gal," said the Merchant Girl mischievously, "but maybe I'll take it as a compliment that you've found somethin' to like about me."
"Of course I'd never speak ill of my lady," said Ulric with a bow, "but should you desire it I'll level the most stinging of criticisms."
"All I desire is for you to speak honestly with me," said Hoshin as her smile relaxed into a more genuine one, "after all, it's nice to speak to someone every now and then with a motive other than money."
"It is the Lord God who says not to trust in money," replied Ulric, "but in he who richly gives us all that we need."
"Well should he tell you of something interestin', do let me know," said Anastasia before turning back to Julius, "in the meantime, is there anythin' else in particular we should be taking with us to the royal capital when the time comes?"
Another Few Days Later
'This is most certainly a strange feeling,' thought Ulric as he adjusted the chainmail around his waist slightly, 'long have I disapproved of mercenaries, of their motivations and their seeming lack of honor. Yet here I am, feeling almost as at home with this lot as I did during my time with the other Crusaders.' It was, he believed, the seeming similarities in their lifestyles. They trained together, ate together, slept in close proximity to each other, and when the time came, fought together. And they were surprisingly decent, making it feel as if he was just part of another army.
Now naturally their motivations were still money oriented, but the ones they often worked for didn't seem the typical scum that he'd often associated mercenaries working for. Rather, many of them seemed relatively honest businessmen needing protection from horrid creatures, robbers and their less honest rivals. Maybe that's why this, his first mission as a member of the Iron Fang, didn't feel like he was compromising as much as he'd feared. 'It's still too early to say for sure,' he reminded himself as he walked out into the sunlight where Spiegel, Julius, a few other Iron Fang members and Hoshin herself were waiting, 'but it's possible I may be starting to like this organization.'
"That look suits you surprisingly well," noted Anastasia, who'd just finished up the final preparations for their departure, "I'll need to think about giving the armorer a bonus."
"It is indeed a good work," said Ulric as he flexed his hand a bit in the new gauntlets. He'd finally received an official Iron Fang uniform just yesterday, and it had been altered to his exact specifications. It incorporated a mystic chainmail that was far lighter than any Ulric had ever worn, and far more comfortable. Over it was the fabric typically used by the Iron Fang with the symbol on the sleeves, gold lining and a large golden cross on the front and back of his uniform.
Rounding out the look was, of course, the signature hood of the Iron Fang robes. Ulric's new sword was also very similar to his last with gold metal in the handle as opposed to the previous basic steel. He was told it was capable of having mana run through it, though it was something he'd need to test another time. "So, have they told us anything more about what's happening at the royal capital," questioned the now Iron Fang member, Ulric.
"No, but I've got a few ideas," said Anastasia as she climbed into the carriage door, "whatever it is, let's get it done and get back. Time is money after all."
"I'm merely looking forward to the adventure," said Ulric as he climbed aboard Spiegel, "shall we go?"
"The day is bright and perfect for riding," said Julius with a nod as he sat atop his ground dragon, "LET US BE OFF!" And with that signal they rode, off to the capital and off to whatever strange future awaited them.
And off they go, on to the capital and the Royal Selection! Which brings me to a bit of a question I have for all of you right now: should I end the short story here as it's not a half bad ending point, or should I continue, for what I have planned, at least two more chapters? The reason I ask is I've got other story requests starting to pile up and this short story is running slightly longer than I meant it too. Nothing new there, of course. So what do you all think, stop with this chapter or go for, hopefully, two more? And, since I must advertise now, don't forget to check out my new Ebook, Plains Riders, at Amazon and Amazon Kindle. See y'all then and I look forward to hearing all your responses.