Runaway dragon – Chapter 7

Some extra time spent on investigating didn’t bring any real harm, after all. With the team of three going at it for a couple of days in order to scan the terrain and what troubles they may be facing in an otherwise obscure future, one could presume that the results they gained were only of moderate benefit, since Eyren doesn’t know whether she’s gotten any enhanced view of the landscape than she had earlier. However, she wouldn’t consider this span to have been of no worth whatsoever, mainly on account of that it’s granted her room to get closer to Nivra. The Ahterilonan hasn’t indicated any reluctance towards this prospect either and the two of them are friendlier with one another by the day. Considering how Nivra conducted herself and was treated by Razz, Eyren has personally been put in a mood that she’s gaining confidence in the dragon-horned lady, for only a person of good heart would earn the raptor’s gratified demeanor.

On the other hand, what she will admit has been kinda lacking, all things considered, are her interactions with Osvij. The enigmas environing him and the indecisiveness getting built between them hasn’t really been overhauled. Sure, she has some perception of him, but besides the obvious, she hasn’t grown nearer to him as a person, nor has she perceived there is the same escalating reliance between him and her as the one which Eyren is gradually extending towards Nivra. She has occasionally worked with the Nijki out on the streets while they’ve been patrolling, and Eyren will concede that there is one aspect of him she finds solid – his eyes. He’s useful at what he does when ranging across the alleys and roads, keen of where and when to look, and few things slip him by. Still, doesn’t mean she’d set her life in his hands if push came to shove.

In light of the integer that Osvij has vowed to shield Nivra whenever she manages to vanish from the city’s borders, he yet contains a level of command over the whole scene, one which Eyren hasn’t begrudged or protested, even if she does remain unassured whether he’ll have what it takes to deliver on this confidence. On this day, once they’ve partaken of a minor lunch, Osvij gathers the three together in one of the rooms they’ve rented and sits them down with him while he’s locked in a form of ruminative state, rubbing his chin deliberately. Eyren doesn’t really luxuriate in the fact that he can direct them of his own accord when considering how few options Nivra herself has. She’s aimless regarding where to move and what to devote her mind to in order to thwart those who’d corner her if she makes a misstep, hence being fully pressured to heed Osvij’s whims.

“Thank you both for coming so quickly”, he tells them serenely. “Although I suspect you almost had to.”

Nivra shrugs haplessly.
“I mean…yeah? Didn’t have anywhere else to go, what with you proposing I stick to these rooms in the meantime…”

“Heh, touché. And related to that, I believe we may have to relocate you in due time, to avert the chances of your hunters sniffing you out. I’ve seen a number of them around these quarters as of late.”

Nivra freezes to a degree at that.
“…wait, really? Am I…gonna get into trouble cuz of that?”

“Not yet, but I wager we would have to mull over how to get you someplace else later on. Today, I would like to discuss a topic that is more pertinent to our endeavors, given how we haven’t really juggled around the various risks they present – I wish to speak of the groups I’ve seen and identified here in the city.”

“So, you know now who it is we’re dealing with?”, wonders Eyren.

“I can’t state with absolute conviction that each of the ones I’m about to portray are numbered among those who are chasing Nivra’s price, but let us say I find it highly believable that they are.”

“Fair enough. Better safe than sorry, I suppose.”

“Precisely. There are four emblems or standards which I have clocked by a couple of sites that I trust can be singled out and named, and some of them even pranti Eyren will have some knowledge of. My opinion is that they deserve some heightened attention.”

Nivra’s tail coils with a touch of agitation, her arms plaiting and her brow wrinkling.
“…shit. Four total squads? That’s not promising…”

“Well, I can’t tell you if they have carried their full branches with them, but that they are attending in Kambaresa is nonetheless a fact.
The first is a clutch of individuals wearing sand-yellow cloaks with circular symbols of ruby red. This is generally an explicit sign and apparel worn by the Khorente Imar Company.”

Receiving this title, Nivra exhales heavily.
“…mercs.”

“I…think I’ve heard that name too”, Eyren asserts dubiously.

“I wouldn’t be astounded by that”, Osvij allows. “They are one of the largest mercenary bands, or companies, on the continent. Operating mainly in the east and northeast, sometimes in Steorshlag too, they are pretty famous and respected for what they have achieved, having several notable victories under their belt. Or perhaps ‘infamous’ is a better descriptor, for they have been involved in numerous attacks and battlefields which have ended fairly gory. The tag is of an older western dialect of Ahteron, which could be called the ‘Blood Serpent Company’ in current terminology.”

“Yeah, they’re also known for pillaging towns and villages they’ve taken down…”, mutters Nivra. “…ones that generally end up being pretty damn bloody as well…”

“Mm, an unfortunate reality. I have only spotted one squad in Kambaresa, so they haven’t gone after you with full strength. Regarding the second group, they wear a logo which may be of more familiarity to pranti Eyren – a bronze tree over a pine-green backdrop with two bronze axes flanking it.”

Blinking her eyes, the northerner rests her hands above her knees.
“Huh. Yeah, I know them. ‘Jogeden Yggstamuli’. It’s a name in one of Steorshlag’s western tongues, Deu-ilt, which I’m…actually not that good with. I’m aware that it translates to something like ‘the sundered roots of the earth’, though.”

“Another merc bunch, I’m imagining?”, wonders Nivra.

“Not exactly. They are fighters, generally associated with the western city of Uvatberg and the southwestern Nürneol, but it would be more appropriate to see them as…nomadic warriors, I guess? In Ahterilio, they’d likely be charged as ‘highwaymen’, though…
Anyway, they wander from place to place, generally demanding tribute to shield a community from dangers, which can include roaming beasts or bandits. Occasionally they get absorbed in a battlefield in order to brandish their ‘honor in combat’ or something along those lines. No idea what would make them interested in this city, though…”

Osvij smirks lightly.
“Even warrior clans of the north have use for large sacks of impercesms, would be my guess. The third constellation is plausibly the utmost official out of this quartet that I have discerned – the North River Freight Services. Or more specifically, their enforcers.”

“Hold on, aren’t they…from Dezasha? The big northeastern city in Shaim Xil?”

“You know your geography, pranti Eyren.”

“Well, I’ve visited that state multiple times, so…”

“I haven’t”, says Nivra. “What’s it like?”

“Uh, pretty peaceful as a rule, even if it’s not impossible that they get engage in battles as well. They have plenty of rivers around them like an abundance of Xilan settlements do, but they’re not as heavily dependent on them as certain others of their neighbors. Again, not completely sure why they would take an interest in your bounty.”

“Honestly, neither am I”, Osvij relays. “It could be that they’re simply investigating or having arranged a form of contract with the Lord of the Talon, but I haven’t noted vivid interactions between them and the local guards, which would lead me to believe they’re acting on their own. Either way, their enforcers are talented and crafty, renowned for their careful oversight of their homecity, which pranti Eyren can certify.”

“Oh uh…yeah, they’re pretty watchful. They may not know Kambaresa, but they have a custom of spying from the shadows ahead of striking, so it’s best to be careful. They probably won’t be wearing symbols on their clothes like the previous two, but can still be freely tracked, cuz they’re in all likelihood wearing their sky-blue robes above their uniforms.”

“Indeed. Lastly, I wish to confer on a huddle of people who aren’t in fact a singular association, but preferably represent a variety of figures you can find throughout Ngoyamen – local warriors, who might all be bounty hunters. I have collected a heap of names I could throw around, but this would be pointless, for the gist of this summary would be that they are dangerous and perceptive, and they’d conceivably cooperate in order to bring us low.”

“Are they better fighters than the three factions you quoted?”, wonders Nivra.

“Not per se, but solitary souls could very well pose another manner of threat, for while we could identify each of the three major ones, bounty hunters might sneak up behind us and we wouldn’t notice until they’ve sliced into our backs. Furthermore, I wouldn’t be shocked to consider that they both hold sole figures with more skill than the others and are far better adapted to Kambaresa’s ongoings. They are citizens, after all, and could carry contacts among the defenders.”

“Is this you saying that you’re furthest worried ’bout those bounty hunters, then?”

“That would be an adequate sum of it, yes, but I’m identically inferring we ought not underestimate the affinities for violence among the Ahterilonan privateers. When they hit a target, they generally won’t cease until they’ve fetched what they were employed for…or cut their prey into pieces.”

“I…yeah. I’m not exactly super gized to run into those blood snakes either…”

“The ones I would confess to be least worried for are the northern nomads. Not that their battle capabilities are substandard, for that would be very neglectful to state, but I don’t judge them to be the most serviceable of hunters.”

“I agree”, goes Eyren. “They’re warriors and thugs, not anyone you fork over gold to work as trappers.”

“Right you are. I would say this is more of an indication that whatever chief is heading them up at the moment has a certain class of deal with Ennius, and that is…highly concerning, I feel. It could genuinely be in keeping with that idea that the Xilan enforcers have joined up as well. The hang-up for me with the Xilans is that they’re the best out of any of these at collecting and transporting a prisoner. My gut is saying that it would be plausible to flee from the grasp of Khorente Imar, the nomad warriors and whatever domestic hunter you get caught by, but the enforcers of Dezasha…the chances are extremely low to evade their scrutiny. Looking out for their movement should definitely be a priority too.”

“Shades-dammit”, Nivra spits out after a sigh. “I was getting the sense it’d be plenty hard to finesse the hunters that are poppin’ up all over the place, but now there are genuinely four separate types we gotta look for? This is…gonna be a real resilient nut to crack…”

“A parenthesis in this setup is how I’ve noted the Lord of the Talon’s personal guards patrolling the streets, but I’m unsure how big of a threat they’ll pose. They don’t appear to be seeking anyone in the same vein as your stalkers, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there is no real stake in the bounty. They’re likely intending to keep the peace, since the lord’s foremost incentive is to ensure the public trial can proceed effortlessly. I surmise this behavior might be both an issue and a boon for us to leverage, if we act carefully.”