"Do you know why this place is named World's End?"
You raise your head from where you have been inspecting your weapons and turn towards Weiss. You find her looking at you from behind her desk, her icy blue eyes meeting your gaze. Her coat hangs from the backrest of her chair, discarded in the privacy provided by her room.
"There are multiple answers," you respond. "The most common one is related to a poem."
"Hmm?" Weiss expresses her interest.
"I really don't remember the exact poem itself, not really an artistic person. But basically it is about how this place is a repository of knowledge for the whole world and how its fall will mark the end of the world. Dramatic stuff," you explain.
"I am sure."
"Like I said, not an arts guy but you can easily find a copy of it in one of the bookstores this place has."
"Perhaps later."
With that, Weiss returns her attention to the papers covering her desk and seeing that her curiosity is satisfied you continue the inspection of your weapons.
Your nodachi is in the worst condition. Its edge has noticeably dulled due to the abuse you put the weapon through cutting armor and bone. Thankfully there doesn't seem to be any chips on its edge so you can simply have it sharpened in a weapon's shop.
The katana Weiss bought you also has dulled though not to the extent your nodachi has.
Your other katana remains pristine in comparison since you barely used it. You are not sure if you even need it to be honest. Unless you plan to start dual-wielding, a second katana only serves as extra weight and nothing else.
Your knife and longbow are all in good condition and currently don't require any maintenance.
"So, what is the plan for today?" you ask Weiss as you finish your inspection.
"You are free until afternoon. Then we have a meeting with some cannibal hunters I am planning to recruit."
"Oh?"
"We will need guides in the cannibal territory. We will also have to leave most of the mercenaries behind to protect our camp before we enter the plains."
"Alright. Then I am off to get my weapons fixed. Will be back by afternoon."
Weiss nods without lifting her head from the paperwork covering her desk and you decide to leave her to it.
Your current accommodations in World's End differs a bit from the earlier ones due to the fact that World's End doesn't have a major Trader's Guild presence. As such, there aren't many rental warehouses for caravans which is why Weiss ended up renting out a whole tavern for the expedition to stay in.
This decision resulted in most of the mercenaries getting themselves smashed by drinking out the tavern's alcohol supply much to your disapproval.
Mercs gotta merc, you guess.
Thankfully Ezra and Nines, two mercs that you are on friendly terms with, have decided to practice moderation with their drinking habits and are up and about by the time you make your way to the main floor. You find both of them seated on one of the tables meant for tavern patrons, working their way through what looks to be a luxurious breakfast with ample sized portions.
You join them at their table after a simple greeting, receiving a nod in return from Nines and some words from Ezra made unintelligible by the food in her mouth. A waitress comes to take your order bu you wave her off, having eaten your breakfast earlier together with Weiss.
That, of course, doesn't stop you from stealing bits and pieces from Ezra's plate.
"Dude! Stop that!" she slaps your hand as you reach for a particularly juicy bit of garru bacon.
"Is that any way to show generosity to your friend?" you respond with mock-hurt.
"Generosity my ass. We have been choking down travel rations for weeks while you dined with Ms. Filthy Rich. Now that I finally get a chance to eat some real fucking food, I don't need you stealing from my plate."
"Is that so?"
"Yes! If you really have to be an asshole, at least steal some too from the bugman over there."
You take a look at the still twitching bugs and slices of foul skimmer-meat piled on Nines' plate.
"No thanks," you reply, swiftly stealing another piece of a bacon from her plate.
"GAH!"
Realizing that the only way she can stop you is by finishing her breakfast, Ezra breaks a new record by practically inhaling every bit of food on her plate. Not willing to be left behind, Nines also makes quick work of his own smaller portions. With both mercs done with their breakfast, you recruit them to your little trip into town.
The first item on the list is finding a place where you can get your weapons repaired which proves to be easy enough.
While World's End isn't a major trade hub or an industrial center, it is the biggest settlement on the edge of the northern frontier. It is also the sole supply point for the Cannibal Hunters and houses the Tech Hunters HQ. As such, it has no shortage of weapon shops and armories.
'Fade's Metalworks' is one such place, ran by the eponymous Fade, a Greenlander blacksmith with a blue mohawk.
"This is some quality steel," Fade comments as he inspects your nodachi. "How did you manage to dull its edge so badly? Did you like cut rocks with it or something."
"Or something," you reply.
"Well, sharpening this baby up to a razor's edge would probably take a day, perhaps a little bit more if you want me to also do your sidearm."
"Can you get them both done by the day's end?"
"I can but it would cost you extra."
"How much?"
"8.000 cats"
"I can give you a thousand."
"2.500 for fixing both your nodachi and katana and only because I rarely get to work with such quality steel."
"And you will have them ready by the day's end."
"I will."
"Deal."
You and Fade shake hands.
"Is there anything else?" he asks.
"I want to take a look at what you have for sale," you inform Fade.
"Go ahead. Everything you see in the racks is for sale. I also take custom orders but those take time," he responds.
Your eyes land on a Jitte placed in one of the nearby racks.
Jittes are defensive weapons designed for non-lethal takedowns. They are fitted with a special type of guard called sword-catcher which can be used to trap an opponent's blade and wrench it free from their hands with a well-placed twist.
And honestly, you can see the appeal in having a non-lethal option in your arsenal. So you pick up the weapon and test its weight and balance. It is nothing special quality-wise. No obvious flaws but no exceptional qualities either. Just a solid and dependable sidearm.
Satisfied, you bring it to the counter.
"4.000 cats," Fade informs you.
You try to haggle but Fade cuts you off before you can make a counter-offer.
"I am already fixing your swords for zero-profit. 4.000 cats is the price, take it or leave it."
Seeing that Fade has no intention to budge on the price, you grudgingly hand over 4.000 cats to him.
"Please doing business with ya."
(4.000 cats spent. Standard Quality Jitte added to inventory.)
You leave Fade's Metalworks with a brand new Jitte and 4.000 cats poorer. You are not the only one shopping however as Nines restocks his arrows and Ezra picks herself a new saber.
Once both mercs are done with their purchases, you decide to pay a visit to the University of Machinists which is based in the largest building in World's End, a domed structure built on a raised, cylindrical base which is perched at the end of the plateau World's End is built on.
The University of Machinists is an organization of scholars who have dedicated themselves to researching the history of the world and recovering lost technologies to share with others in an effort to improve the lives of others. Every bit of knowledge they rediscover is put into books and preserved.
Their goals put them in a very close relationship with the Tech Hunters as it is usually through them, Machinists acquire most of their research materials. It actually wouldn't be wrong to call Tech Hunters the military arm of Machinists.
Another partner Machinists have is the Last Hope. You don't know the exact nature of the relationship between those two organizations but it is well known by everyone that Last Hope and Machinists are close allies, Machinists providing Last Hope with technological support while Last Hope provides them with their medical expertise.
At the end of the day, The University of Machinists houses the greatest repository of knowledge this world still has left.
And you want to at least take a look at it before you go off into the cannibal land and get eaten by a bunch of angry, naked savages.
Since World's End is Tech Hunters HQ, they are the ones who police it. The disorganized and individualistic nature of Tech Hunters has given form to a very ununiform police force.
A perfect example of which now stands before you.
"Halt, no weapons are permitted inside the University premises."
Clad in an armor of plates held together by rivets and holding a metal shield that nearly matches his own height and a maul, the guard in front of you looks like a walking tank more than anything else. Behind him stands three others, one clad in a plated jacket and holding a polearm, another in a chainmail coat with a sheathed katana at his hip and the last one who wears a leather dustcoat and has an impaler type crossbow. The only thing common they have is a yellow cloak with a black cog painted on it, signifying them as members of World's End garrison.
They might not be uniform like other professional police forces are but you don't doubt they are any less effective. Thankfully, none of them has their weapons pointed at you, yet.
Both Ezra and Nines wait for your lead which is weird since you have zero intention to start a fight here. So you just shrug and hand over the small armory you always carry with you sans the nodachi and the katana you left with Fade. Once you are done, Ezra and Nines surrender their own weapons after which guards let you pass.
The building that houses the University is one of the few remaining tech labs that belonged to the ancients. It has four floors connected by a ramp snaking alongside the building's wall. You easily recognize it since the Emperor's palace is the same though it is much more opulently decorated. Most of the ancient labs are built with the same general layout and are distinct enough most of the other man-made structures which strangely doesn't make them any easier to locate though that probably has more to do with dangers surrounding them than anything else.
Entering inside, you find yourself in a waiting area with few wooden benches and a desk manned by a smiling young woman.
"Wellcome the University. How can I assist you?" She greets you.
"We are here to peruse the University's library." You answer.
"Certainly. Please state your names for the record."
Three of you give the attendant your names after which she escorts you to what you guess is the public section of the library. It spans most of the first floor, separated by metal walls which are clearly later additions to the structure itself. It is a labyrinth of wooden shelves filled to the brim with books and while you have no doubts that it is only a small fraction of the total knowledge kept by the Machinists, it is far more than any amount of books you have seen before.
"Greetings visitors! I am Leto. How may I assist you?"
Oh, and there is a skeleton librarian here.
"I am looking for maps and information about the Cannibal Plains. Also, if you have the poem that supposedly gave this place its name, I would like a copy of it."
"Understood. I will be back in a minute."
With that, the skeleton disappears among the shelves, leaving you alone with your friends.
"Was that a skeleton?" Ezra asks you.
"Yeah. You haven't met one before?"
"No, this was the first time I saw one."
"That is understandable. They are rare compared to other races, even the Shek."
"Huh. I wonder why?"
"It is mostly because our race can't reproduce." Leto chimes in.
Ezra jumps in fright at the sudden appearance of the librarian right behind you two. Even you are startled a bit by how silent Leto is considering he is a robot made of metal that probably weighs as much as an adult Garru.
"Fucking hell!" Ezra swears.
"Apologies, it was not my intention to cause undue distress," Leto responds before presenting you with his arm full of books and scrolls. "Here are the books you have requested." He lays them on a nearby table before picking out one with a red cover. "This is a compilation of Rimtale's commonly known poems including 'So comes the World's End'. The rest of the books contain various information about the Cannibal Plains along with the most up-to-date maps of the area."
"Is it possible to take these books out of the library?"
"No, but you can buy them since they are copies."
"Hey, robot-dude," Ezra calls for Leto's attention.
"My name is Leto." The librarian responds.
"Why can't you guys make baby robots?"
"Us Skeletons don't reproduce through methods organics can."
"But someone must have made you right? So there has to be some way to make more of you."
"Indeed but the process to create new skeletons has been lost sadly."
"So that means..."
"Yes, each and every skeleton destroyed is an irreplaceable loss that brings our race closer to extinction."
"...fuck, that is depressing."
"Perhaps, but I find little use dwelling on it." Leto then turns to you. "Is there anything else can I help you with?"
"Is it possible to get a copy of visitor records?"
"I am afraid that it is not. Such information is confidential and only accessible by the security staff or those with high enough clearance."
Seeing that, there isn't any way for you to gain access to visitor records, you turn your attention to the maps Leto has brought to you. There are detailed geographical maps along with maps marking the areas controlled by various cannibal clans and their settlements. You realize these maps are made by cannibal hunters and a lot of people probably got eaten to make them. While you don't remember Weiss possessing any maps as detailed as these, you still decide to ask her first before purchasing them.
You buy the poem book though, as a gift for Weiss. Maybe she will like it.
(-1.500 cats, Poem book(gift) gained)
The rest of the books hold different kinds of information about the cannibals or the "Painted Tribe" as a good amount of sources name them. Some talk about their social structure and habits. Others talk about the clans and the differences between them. There are some that even explore the reasons for their diet.
Unfortunately, you don't have enough cats to buy them, or enough time to read them.
After asking Leto the hold the maps for you, you leave the University and make your way back to the tavern Weiss has rented.
Weiss is still busy with paperwork by the time you return.
"You are early Wolf. I wasn't expecting you for another hour."
"Got something for you, princess."
She raises a single eyebrow when you present her with the poem book.
"What is this?"
"A poem book."
"I decided to visit the University library and search for any information that might help us with our journey into Cannibal Plains. Found some useful maps that mark down the borders of each cannibal clan along with geographical details."
"I was planning to visit the University myself."
"Great minds think alike. Anyways, while I was there, I also remembered your question from this morning and decided to see if they had any books with the poem in it. They did and I thought it would make a good gift for you."
Weiss inspects the book, skimming through its pages. While she does, you can't help but notice the faraway look in her eyes.
"What is wrong Weiss? Did you not like the book?"
She shakes her head.
"The book is fine. It is just... It has been so long since I sat down and read a poetry book, or any book, really." She sighs. "I love art. Poetry, paintings, songs... I used to even sing."
"Really?"
"Yes. It was before I decided on a career. I performed multiple times on stage even. But now, looking back at all of that... It feels so distant, barely even a memory."
You can't help but think about your own past, the struggles you went through. All those brushes with death. You search for a happy memory, one that isn't tainted by what comes later and you remember a bunch of orphans, playing in the dirt.
"Do you miss those days?" you ask Weiss.
"Yes and no. Does that make any sense?"
"Some."
"I guess I simply miss the peace. Not that those days were really peaceful. I was just more naive. A snobby heiress trying to get out from under his father's thumb. I didn't really know what the world was like. I just lived my own life. Went to an academy, made the best friends possible..."
"Then what happened?"
"I learned that the safety I have been living in was just a fragile illusion and the worst monsters hide under human skins."
A silence descends between you and Weiss as you try to come up with the right words to comfort her. But it is Weiss who ends up breaking the silence.
"What about you, Wolf? Do you miss anything from your own childhood?"
You can't really say that you do. After all the child you were back then was weak. You remember being hungry and cold most of the days. And lonely. It was hard to make friends after all when yesterday's playmates could gang up on you for your food.
But then you remember...
There was this old abandoned tower with a collapsed stairway by the western city walls.
No one used it, not even the homeless.
No one except you.
Every night, when all the shops closed down and the street lights were extinguished, you went there. You carefully scaled the rotten planks and the cracked stones until you reached the top.
Not for safety, and not for warmth, as the walls of the tower were full of holes, and the climb promised an ugly end should a young boy slip.
You made that dangerous climb each night only so you could see the stars.
Those countless shining little spots decorating the never-ending night sky.
They were the one constant in your life as a child. No matter what happened, you could always be sure that they would be there, high up in the sky, waiting for you. Simply looking at them made all your problems weigh less. Hunger became a dull ache and the freezing winds turned into cool breezes.
So you returned to that spot on top of that old tower each night, far away from the rest of the city. You huddled under your only blanket and watched the sky until the sleep claimed you.
Then you grew up and that night sky turned into a distant memory.
"I am not saying I would prefer to go back to those days. But I do miss the comfort I felt back then, watching the stars."
"I understand," Weiss responds. "Though I must admit, I have never seen the stars as clearly as you have described. It has made me curious."
"To be honest, my own emotions are probably warping my recollection."
"Perhaps after this expedition, you and I can check? See if the night sky is as you remember it."
"That sounds wonderful."
"It's settled then," Weiss nods. "Now its best we prepare for the meeting. Do you have a weapon?"
"I have my backup and a jitte as a sidearm."
Weiss nods and grabs her cloak. While she is slipping into it, you grab your helmet from where it is hanging on your belt and put it on. Once ready, you and Weiss leave her room together. She makes a small detour to inform the squad leaders of her departure while you rope in Nines and Ezra along with Morena for the bodyguard duty in case of a repeat of Stoat ambush. It is very unlikely that World's End police would turn a blind eye to such an attempt but you haven't survived this long by being careless. That doesn't stop you from checking every corner for hidden enemies all the way to the bar where the meeting will take place.
The meeting goes off without a hitch. Weiss successfully negotiates with a squad of veteran cannibal hunters and they agree to be your guides in cannibal plains. After settling the matter of their payment, your group leaves the tavern without any incident.
From there, the group makes a quick stop at the Fade's shop and you retrieve your weapons and paying the man for his work.
(-2.000 cats. Nodachi and Katana restored)
Afterward, the group returns to the inn, Weiss deciding to postpone her planned library visit to tomorrow.
You end up spending the rest of the day training with Morena. Ezra and Nines draw short straws and are saddled with the watch duty. Weiss retreats to her room and turns in for the night early and other medics tell you that Valentine is visiting the Last Hope outpost in World's End.
You still end up having a large amount of free time with nothing to do. Perhaps you should get a book? Or you can practice with your new bow.
You spend most of your second day in World's End inside the University's library with Weiss. You two go over the maps and check various books about the dangers of Cannibal Plains which surprisingly aren't limited to cannibals themselves.
They also include fucking BEAK THINGS and the shrieking bandits.
It takes some time, separating useful information from the rest but at the end of the day, you and Weiss become that much more prepared for your journey into the plains.
You also end up learning way more than you ever wanted or needed to know about the man-eating savages that inhabit the northern parts of the continent.
After you return to the inn with the new maps, you follow Weiss into her room and help her go over them one last time.
"We will need to set up camp before entering the plains. Since we can't take the whole expedition with us, we will have to leave all the workers along with most of the mercenaries behind, taking with us only a small group to minimize our chances of detection of the painted tribe," Weiss explains.
"So that would be me, you, our guides and who else?"
"Aside from Valentine, I have not decided. Moving on." She brings your attention to the map spread on her desk. "There are two possible points where we can set camp. The first one is here among the hills where the camp will be better hidden. The second one is to the north, between the coast and cliffs where it will be far away from most of the larger cannibal settlements."
Together, you spend another hour as Weiss goes through the plan step by step while you give her advice and suggestions here and there. By the end of the hour, Weiss seems mostly satisfied with everything and decides to turn in for the night. You bid her goodnight and leave.
You are ambushed by Morena on your way back to your room.
"Battlemaster," shek warrior calls out you.
"What is it, Morena?" you reply after turning to face her.
"Tomorrow, we set out for enemy lands, correct?" she asks, her face not betraying any emotion.
"Yes," you answer, curious where she is going with this.
"And there is a chance that one of us may fall in battle in the following days," she continues.
"True," you admit. It is a possibility that you are mindful of, that you might meet your end one day.
"Then I request your assistance."
"For what?" you ask and Morena's next words completely blindside you.
"To prepare me for death."
Your mind halts for a moment as you process what just Morena said.
"Excuse me. What?" you respond, your voice rising in volume towards the end as your disbelief leaks into it.
"I need you to prepare me for my death," she repeats with the same deadpan.
It takes some time and a considerable amount of your patience to get an understanding of what Morena is asking you to do. Fortunately, it is not a marriage proposal and she is not asking your help for some sort of ritualistic suicide.
Instead, you find yourself in Morena's room, seated on the ground cross-legged across from the shek warrior, with both your weapons laid on the floor between you two.
Morena hands you a wooden bowl filled with a clear liquid. You take a sniff and its sharp scent burns your nostrils.
"There are certain traditions shek warriors perform before battles." Morena starts to explain. "Traditions that prepare the warriors for their deaths, allowing them to fight without any hesitation or regret."
"Sounds grim," you comment.
"How so?" she asks, tilting her head to indicate her curiosity.
"You sound as if death is an inevitability and not a possibility," you explain.
"Isn't it?" she asks with a hint of confusion.
"Depends on how you look at it. Every living thing dies eventually, that is true. But that doesn't mean it has to be on a battlefield. It can be on a bed at the end of one's natural lifespan."
"That is indeed grim."
"It was supposed to be comforting."
"How?"
"Because of the hope for one's survival."
"Why would you hope for such a thing?"
"Why wouldn't you? Life is a valuable thing after all."
"Life's only value is in providing a chance for an honorable death through which one passes to the Gateway and reaches eternal glory."
You bring your bowl to your lips as you try to think of a way to explain why you don't want to die on a battlefield. There is a clear cultural difference between how you two view life and death making communication difficult. Perhaps you can approach this head on. Taking a drink you manage to hold yourself from coughing out as the bitter-tasting alcohol blazes a path down your throat, a simple grunt is the only indication of the discomfort you display.
For a moment you fear your reaction may offend Morena or disappoint her but when you look at her face, you only see the same stoic expression she usually wears along with the respect she reserves for you.
Taking a deep breath, you decide to inquire more about Morena's own worldview first before trying to explain yours.
"Morena, tell me what an honorable death is."
Shek warrior gives you a questioning look, obviously finding your request unusual.
"It is a death earned in battle, fighting against a worthy foe."
"And I assume a foe's worthiness is measured by its strength."
"Yes."
"Then why don't you simply grab your weapon and hunt down a wyvern? Wouldn't death against such a creature be counted as worthy."
"That would be a worthy death. But in doing so, I would be throwing away my chance at accomplishing great deeds that may see me placed higher among those waiting behind the Gateway."
"So your accomplishments also matter."
"Yes. It is why my people train their whole lives and hone their skills as warriors."
You nod then take another sip from your drink while formulating a response. You think you have a pretty good grasp of Morena's mindset here and using that, you plan to explain your own viewpoint.
"Morena. Honor doesn't have the same meaning for everyone. What is an honorable death for you may be pointless for others," you start to explain. "Some find fighting for the weak and innocent honorable. Others think it is honorable to follow the teachings of the god they believe in. People may define honor differently because their values differ from each other."
You pause to take another sip from your bowl, watching Morena's for reactions.
"Then, of course, there are those who simply don't value honor at all," you add after gulping down.
"That is because they are unworthy thus inferior," Morena responds immediately.
"Perhaps to you, but to themselves, they aren't unworthy, they just value different things," you correct her. "In a way, you can say they have a different 'honor'. Though they might not call it 'honor', they would value it just as you value your own honor."
It is a testament to how much Morena actually respects you that she listens. Shek are stubborn and set in their beliefs as a race. Such words would be dismissed by most shek even if it came from an esteemed hero. The fact that Morena is not dismissing you outright means that she respects you as much as she respects the traditions of her own race.
You find yourself flattered but curious. You wonder just what it was that you did that earned such an amount of respect from the shek in front of you.
"Then what is honorable to you, battlemaster?" Morena asks you.
"My definition of honor isn't really that unique or special. Keeping my word, showing compassion to weak, standing against injustice... But that is not all you are asking right? You want to know what I value the most, my life or my morals."
Morena nods and you can't help but sigh.
"That has a very complicated answer. This world, it makes keeping such ideals difficult. Survival often requires compromises." You remember the child you were, struggling to survive. "That said, life has no meaning if you sacrifice all you are. You need to stand for something, draw your lines and never cross them."
Your eyes stray to your sword and you see them reflected in the polished steel. "For me, those lines are simple. I will never abuse the weak or the innocent. I will never break my promises. I will never betray my friends."
How many times those convictions were tested? How many times you stared death in the eye because of them?
"Fight for what you believe with all your strength, struggle for something greater than mere survival, stand defiant against the whole world if need be."
More times than you would like, but not enough to break you.
"That is what I find honorable."
Never enough to break you.
"Thank you battlemaster, for your wisdom."
There is a hint of reverence in Morena's words that wasn't there before.
"You are welcome but I am afraid we strayed from our initial goal, namely the traditions you wanted me to participate in."
You feel kinda guilty about hijacking the conversation, you were supposed to assist Morena with her traditions not lecture her. Thankfully her next words absolve you of it.
"This is part of the tradition," she informs you, much to your confusion.
"I don't understand."
"Shek warriors sit together the night before a battle. Each warrior speaks and every other warrior listens, regardless of rank. Grievances, confessions, secrets, burdens, last requests... It is a chance for everyone to speak their hearts since it might be their last night," she explains and honestly, it is more emotional then you expected Sheks being capable of.
"What is the drink for?"
"To give them to courage to speak."
"Huh."
"This is also a chance for each warrior to get to know another thus those with nothing to say simply speak about themselves."
"I see. Then is there anything you wish to know about me?"
You can't really say that you like speaking about your past and but considering how she has been following your every order up to this point, Morena has a right to know more about you than 'the honorable dude who kills stuff very well'.
"Much. But I heard all I needed to hear. Now I wish to speak if you permit it."
"Go ahead."
"I am the only child of my parents. My father was a warrior and my mother was a servant."
You remember that servant caste in Shek society consists of dehorned Shek.
"I was born during the last stages of the war between the Okranites and the Kingdom. By the time I reached adulthood, the war was already over."
You remember about that. It was during that war The Hub fell. The fighting between the Holy Nation and the Shek Kingdom got fierce enough that Okranites had to call on their garrison forces. If the Empire hadn't been involved with a civil war on top of the usual political squabbling of nobles during that time, it could have smashed its way straight to Blister Hill. You somehow doubt it would have resulted in a better outcome overall.
"Stone Golem, our current leader decided that the Kingdom needed to rest and recover before another war. Thus most of the army was recalled to the cities."
Considering the history of the Shek Kingdom can be summarized as one, long war, Stone Golem showed a surprising foresight that her predecessors lacked.
"With no raids or battles, there was little opportunity for glory left aside from the southern front against Bugmaster."
Now that was a name well known throughout the world. A mystical man with the power to control bugs, commanding an endless army of chitinous, multi-limbed horrors.
"I can see why you choose to try your luck elsewhere," you tell Morena.
"Bugmaster is a mighty foe and all who fall against even his minions guarantee a passage to the Gateway. But he is the kind of foe that can't simply be beaten and those who fall against him are rarely remembered by name," Morena explains her motives regarding her decision, probably worried that you would see her as a coward.
Honestly, you think she is smart.
"And that is what I want. To have my name known to all. Be remembered as a hero with later generations looking up to me."
"Which is why you left home and became a mercenary."
"Yes."
"So, what is next?" you ask Morena after she finishes her story.
"After every warrior has spoken and there is no more left to say, gathered warriors take the battle oath."
"Battle oath?"
"It is an oath that warriors take before every battle and known by every Shek. It is a promise of courage and glory."
That sounds more like what you expect from shek.
"I am not sure if I can take such an oath."
After all, shek definition of cowardice is harsher and you don't have any intention of fighting to the death. You are here to keep Weiss safe and you need to be alive to keep her safe. That means if the situation demands it, you will have no qualms about picking her up and running away.
"You don't need to. I just want you to be my oathkeeper. Normally, every warrior in a shek warband act as oathkeeper for the rest. But since I am the only shek here, the only other person who can keep my oaths is you."
"Because I am your battlemaster?"
"Yes."
You wish being a battlemaster came with a manual or a book like 'How to be a battlemaster' or 'Battlemastering 101'.
"What would I need to do as your oathkeeper."
"Slay me if I break it. Should I fall fulfilling it, carry the news to my family."
"I can do that as long as it doesn't stop you from following my orders."
"It won't, battlemaster."
The oath itself is brief and solemn. You notice that it carries a religious undertone similar to the prayers of okranites though it is much more grimm and direct in nature. Morena recites it from start to finish then you accept it with the words she has taught you. Afterward, you and Morena finish your drinks before starting the last part of the ritual where Morena brings out another wooden bowl though one filled with paint instead of alcohol.
Apparently warpaints are a cultural thing for shek. The problem is you have no idea how to go about painting your own face, having no knowledge of the meanings associated with the colors and shapes.
Realizing this, Morena offers to do it for you and you decide to allow her in a fit of poor judgement which is how most of your face ends up being covered in white paint. Your shek follower then uses black paint to cover your nose and cheeks, giving your face a skull-like appearance and you a suspicion that you might be dealing with an edgy teenager.
Thankfully rather than leave you looking like some reaver reject, she also paints some details with red and blue colors which you admit end up contrasting pretty nicely.
Though you seriously doubt that any of this is traditional shek warpaint.
"You look ridiculous," is the first thing Weiss says to you in the morning.
"I am aware princess, thank you," you respond.
"Is this some sort of plan to infiltrate the cannibal tribes?" she asks and only the slightest upturn on the corner of her lips gives away the fact that she is messing with you.
You let out a deep sigh in response.
"Go ahead, laugh all you want. Get it out of your system."
"You wound me, Wolf. I would never make fun of someone for their poor fashion choices."
"Trust me, this wasn't exactly a choice."
"Hmmm?"
"Morena wanted to share some of the shek culture with me."
"She pranked you?"
"It was more like she went overboard in her desire to impress me and used my face as a canvas for her artistic expressions."
"I see. Well, you can go wash it off if you want. There is still time until the expedition moves out."
"Already tried. Water doesn't help."
Weiss smothers her laugh with her hand, her eyes alight with mirth. It is a pretty cute sight, even if it is at the expanse of your misfortune.
"Well, at least everyone else is too scared of you to say anything," she tells you with a smile.
"I am just gonna keep my helmet on for the whole day. Sidestep that entire issue," you admit with resignation.
"Doesn't that thing get stuffy."
"You get used to it since the other alternative is taking a bolt to the face."
Weiss leaves to oversee final preparations after her breakfast is finished. You follow after her, your helmet in place.
Arriving at the lot where the pack animals are chained at, you notice that preparations are behind the schedule. There are still supplies that are being packed up and half of the mercenaries are missing. Seeing this, Weiss swiftly takes command and starts directing workers with her usual efficiency after asking you to gather the missing mercs.
You do as she asks, tracking the missing merc most of whom are the fresh recruits from Fujin. Surprisingly, none of them are Jezka's. While Jezka may have many failings as a leader, lack of discipline is not one of them it seems. This also spares you from butting heads with her since she is still prickly towards you over Morena.
Another benefit of this situation is that you get a chance to talk with Ezra after you herd all the missing mercs to the meeting point.
The scorchlander is one of the mercs who use warpaint. As such you drag her to a relatively private corner and question her about how to wash it off.
"That looks like shek stuff and you are not really gonna like the answer."
She shrinks under your glare.
"You see since shek have tougher skin and bone plates, they use a use stronger mix of woad, one that doesn't wash off easily. It can take several days before the paint weakens enough for you to wash it away with water unless you are willing to apply paint thinners and such..."
"No thanks, I like my face intact."
That was a bust. It seems you will have to put up with it for a while.
"It doesn't look bad," Ezra admits just as you are about to leave.
"Really?" you ask.
"Yeah! You look like one of those Reaver dudes. So hardcore."
You really do not have time to explain Ezra why looking like a bloodthirsty battle-maniac with a fetish for violence is a bad thing and swiftly make your way back to Weiss' side.
By the time you return, Weiss has managed to get everything packed and loaded on the animals. With all of the mercs gathered, the expedition manages to get moving on schedule thanks to Weiss' competency at telling people what to do and your skill at scaring the shit out of them.
Cannibal hunters Weiss has hired meet you outside the western gates. There are four of them, all humans along with a pair of tamed bonedogs which are probably trained for tracking targets. After a brief exchange between Weiss and their leader, hunter squad joins up with rest and the expedition begins its descent from the mountains.
The expedition makes it out of the mountains by the end of the day, reaching the Hidden Forest.
Hills and trees cover all the directions before you, severely limiting visibility. Noticing this, Weiss decides to send out the scouts beforehand to make sure the expedition doesn't run into any hostiles by accident. While this slows the expedition's advance considerably, it proves to be the right choice as scouts return to the expedition on the fifth day.
They reach the mercs leading the front first, stumbling from exhaustion. Some of them even collapse as soon as they make it past the mercs. You don't spot any wounds but their pale faces and sweat covered clothes tell you that whatever they must have seen has scared clearly scared them to the point they decided to run all the way back.
Unfortunately, all the scouts are out of breath to the point none of them can string together a sentence which makes getting anything out of them difficult. Weiss orders refreshments to be brought and mercs form into a defensive line around the pack animals while the scouts try to gather their breaths enough to report.
When they do, it almost causes a panic among the nearby workers.
"B-beak things."
You move to restore the order while Weiss continues to question the scouts. They report a migrating beak thing herd nearby numbering around ten. Considering half that number can wipe out unprepared patrols, Weiss once again demonstrates her good judgment by getting the expedition moving away from the herd's reported path.
It is only a day later with no more beak thing sightings that everyone finally breathes a sigh of relief.
It is towards the end of the second week that the expedition reaches the Cannibal Plains. Weiss has the expedition settle down in the nearest defensible spot then gives the order for fortifications to be set up. With most of the workers and mercs busy, she gathers the squad leaders for a strategy meeting.
Jezka, Markov, and Noff are present along with the leader of the hunter squad, an old Greenlander named Volk.
While some people might question the wisdom of bringing an old man on a field mission, to you the fact that Volk has managed to grow old as a cannibal hunter only proves his competency, a viewpoint Weiss seems to share.
"With everyone here, it is time to start planning for the last part of this mission," your employer starts the meeting.
"Finally!" Jezka exclaims. "We get to learn the reason why we came all the way from the Great Desert into this cannibal infested land."
While Markov and Noff remain silent, both of them seem to share their fellow merc's curiosity. Volk, on the other hand, has already been informed by Weiss about the mission but still gives his attention. With everyone's focus on her, Weiss informs the merc about the goal of this expedition.
"Our mission is to locate and rescue a person who was last seen in this area."
Weiss declaration leads to a moment of silence followed by...
"Is this a fucking joke?" Jezka asks with disbelief clear in her tone.
"No, I am quite serious." Weiss calmly responds.
"You brought us all this way, to the end of the fucking world, to look for a person." Jezka snarls.
Your fingers twitch around the hilt of your sword in response to the hostility displayed by the merc woman.
"We went through all that trouble." Jezka rises on her feet. "Fought psychos and fucking land sharks." She starts advancing on Weiss. "Ventured through the Okranite territory to came here, this fucking shithole infested with nothing but flesh-eating beasts-"
Her angry rant is brought to a halt by the sight of you stepping between Weiss and her, your hand on the hilt of your sword.
"You!" She spits, with enough venom to poison a swamp raptor.
You don't respond.
"Why are you protecting her? Don't you fucking realize? The crazy bitch put us through all that shit for nothing!"
You let out a snort.
"For nothing? I wasn't aware you were doing this for free? Or is merc work usually incredibly meaningful?" you spit back, sarcasm dripping from each of your words.
Jezka struggles to form a response and fails as the truth of your words is clear to everyone around. Realizing this, she goes back to anger with you in her crosshair this time.
"You fucking-"
"Enough." Weiss' voice brings her to a halt. "Each and every one of you was informed about the risks. Everyone in this room signed a contract and was paid accordingly. If you want to break it, you are free to do so."
And give up the remaining half of their payment since according to the contract they would only receive the remaining half of their pay at the end of the job.
"Tch." Jezka backs down after realizing she is not getting any support from Noff and Markov. "You are delusional if you think anyone can survive in this godforsaken place on their own."
"Perhaps, but that is not your concern," Weiss replies.
Jezka returns to her seat in silence. With that dealt with, Weiss returns her attention back to the matter at hand.
"We are here to rescue a person. I have evidence of her presence and a good reason to believe she is still alive. As such, tomorrow, I will take a team with me into the cannibal territory for search and rescue."
"You will be going personally?" Markov asks.
"Indeed," Weiss answers. "I will take my bodyguard Wolf and our chief medical expert Valentine with me along with a small number of mercenaries for armed support."
"How many will you take?"
"Undecided yet. I can't take a large force with me as that would make us easier to spot not to mention leave the camp open to attack. That said, I plan to take with me at least three other mercs." Weiss informs her. "There is also the question of pack animals. Taking at least one with us would lengthen the time we can spend on the field considerably but handling such animals brings its own difficulties which may cause problems."
"As such, I am willing to listen to your recommendations and suggestions."
After hours of discussion and debate, Weiss and others finalize the plans for the rescue team.
Volk advises against bringing a large party and following his advice, Weiss settles on bringing only three other mercs as extra muscle along with a pack animal for carrying supplies.
The rest of the mercs are to stay behind and guard the camp until the rescue team returns which none of the squad leaders seem to have any problem with.
With everything decided, Weiss dismisses the squad leaders. When it is only you and her left in the tent, she relaxes her grip on her own emotions. Her rigid posture slumps a bit and her impassive expression softens. Her eyes lose their focus, becoming clouded with heavy thoughts, thoughts that you can easily guess.
It is hard to find the exact words to comfort Weiss. You do not have much experience with easing the worries of others. Yet you can't bring yourself to leave Weiss as she is.
"Weiss," you call out softly, breaking the heavy silence. Sound of her name snaps Weiss out of her thoughts, her eyes landing on you. You try and desperately search for the magic words that will make her feel better. Sadly, you can't find them. You are not even sure such words exist.
So instead, you give her what you have and hope it is enough.
"We will find Blake. Wherever she is, we will find her and save her."
It is not enough. After all, despite your words, even you have your doubts. As such, you can't put your full faith behind them. But your words remind Weiss that she is not alone, that you are here.
And that seems to provide her with some measure of strength. Enough to push back the worries and doubts eating away at her and smile.
"Thank you, Wolf."
You nod then leave the tent.