The sun rose on the Promise. Thankfully, due to the efforts of the teens and adults, the borders of the village were not affected by the plant-thing's attack. But the air was heavy with tension; they had faced attacks before , it was the Outlands, after all , but something was different about last night's assault.
"Alright, kids," Miss Kai said. Isabel, Jon, and Holst sat before her desk. She had health-checked all the kids and adults who participated in the fight against the nightwolves last night but had asked them to report to her at the crack of dawn since they took down the threat. Mercy was asleep, but it was no matter; this conversation was centered around the adults.
"I'd like to thank you guys on behalf of the village elders, who are still too busy doing damage control for taking care of the beasts. Special points to Holst for getting me a sample," she smiled at him. "I haven't analyzed it yet, but I'll get to you when I do. Now, to more pressing matters: when are you guys leaving?"
The three turned to look at each other in confusion before remembering Miss Kai's Blood Gift was superior hearing. "Now don't look so puzzled," she tapped her ear, further reminding them. "You've been talking about it for years and decided you'd leave when Mercy gets her Blood Gift, didn't you?"
"But ma'am," Jon interjected, "the village was just under attack yesterday."
"Be that as it may, Jon, it is not your duty to protect this village!" She sighed. "You're good kids; you still have dreams when many of us have given up. But Isabel told me about Mercy's plasma blade, and I don't know if your brains are yet to register it, but that's Orsaan! She manifested a Great House Blood Gift here, in the Outlands." She paused. The three were shocked. How did they overlook this one gigantic detail? "She's special, rare. You have to get her to the Orsaan House, give her a better life, go on your adventures, and see the world." She paused again. They all nodded; this was their dream anyway, they didn't need much convincing.
"Jon, your father was a mystery, dropped you off here and disappeared. Isabel, your parents were great people; they discovered and died protecting this very place. They were Greycoats, so I consider you family. Holst, you just kinda showed up, and since then I've watched you all grow. You cannot let your pathetic pasts become pathetic futures, seriously." They all laughed at her bluntness.
"I'm sure gonna miss you, old woman," Jon said.
"Hey, I'm not old!"
"Oh, and one more thing." She picked up a paper and handed it to them.
"2,000 + 500 + 7... HOLYYYY 20,000 copper coins???" Holst was in disbelief.
"How?" Isabel asked.
"I might be a crude 'old' woman, as you kids say, but I'm not cruel. This is what the village decided on giving the orphans for the errands and chores they run, plus other ways you guys helped out. I snuck a little bonus in there too," she said proudly.
"Yeah, like a mere 400 silver, totally not worth all the laundry," Jon grumbled after looking at the paper.
"Well, too bad." She passed a token to Holst; it was green and hard like candle wax, with the figure of crows on a cross on it – the Greycoat sigil.
"These funds can only be withdrawn in the Greycoat bank when this document and token are presented. Make sure not to lose it."
They all sighed, knowing they'd never get easy money from Miss Kai.
"Well, I guess we have our first destination," Isabel said grumpily.
"Don't worry, I'll give you guys some carriage money. I'm not that cruel."
They all laughed at her shamelessness, thanked her, and left, walking back to their tents to gather their things.
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At the village gate:
Jon was wearing a dark, almost black, form-fitting jacket with a high collar, open at the front, revealing a dark undershirt. The fabric, slightly textured, gave him a tactical appearance.
Holst had a very low buzzcut/stubble, making his scalp clearly visible but with a discernible texture of hair. He wore a dark, sleeveless vest showing his bare, muscular arms, with dark, practical shoulder armor on his left side, with some decorative studs. His sturdy Stone's Kiss crossbow was visibly strapped to his back, with a quiver of bolts. He had on dark, rugged trousers tucked into sturdy, practical boots.
Mercy had her brown hair medium length, styled simply, falling around her face. Her bright, earnest green eyes were full of determination. She wore a hooded traveler's cloak made of a sturdy, muted fabric; it was a muted olive green. Beneath the cloak, she wore sturdy trousers and a long-sleeved dark tunic. She had a small pouch, a scarf, and a matching pendant with Isabel.
Isabel wore a sleeveless leather, gambeson like top with form fitting leather breeches with a slight slit to facilitate her ever wagging tail. She had on leather boots, same as the others, with thick fabric wraps around her wrist and forearm. Excusing the matching pendant with her sister, her only accessory was a simple, leather utility belt with pouches.
"Well, you all sure look spiffy," Connor said as he wobbled towards them. "The whole village knows you're leaving. It's kinda sudden, but everyone expected it anyway."
"We'll miss you," Eve said. She had been waiting at the gate with Connor; in fact, most of the kids from the orphanage had come to see them off.
"Sure we will, all of you but Holst, he was my childhood bully," Connor joked.
"I'll bully you right now, I don't discriminate," Holst said, making Connor playfully make lightning sparks in his fingers. The gang laughed and spent more time than they intended making jokes and reminiscing before getting a caravan.
"To the Greycoat Faction!" Mercy yelled, poking her head out the caravan as it wheeled away.
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"You sent them off?"
"Yes, I did," Miss Kai answered. She was sitting behind her desk, talking to an elderly woman, moderately dressed, with experience and wisdom written on her face. This was Anya, the village chief.
"Why?" Anya asked. She had taken an interest in Jon's group; they were special, and she knew it.
"They had intended to leave anyway," she answered dismissively and turned her head, pretending to do some work.
"Lindy, you're hiding something..."
A pause.
"I ran the tests. Hell, I didn't even do much to figure out the problem. Last night's attack, that was The Order." Anya's eyes widened. "Oh no! Everything we worked for... should we evacuate? If The Order has started operations in this land, then—"
"Calm down, Anya," Miss Kai cut her off. "This was merely an experiment, I think. It's not as refined as what I've seen them do, which means they don't really give a damn about this place." She sounded unsure. "But now that it's unresponsive, we're sure to have some issues if someone comes to check. About the evacuation, you're the chief, you make the call. But know the only reason I looked out specifically for these kids is because of the girls. Their parents were Greycoats, and the little one made plasma, Anya. Plasma in the Outlands!" The village chief almost fell off her chair; her brain was being overloaded with information she'd rather not receive, but she steeled her resolve. People had died to protect this village; it was not going to be destroyed now.
"Fine," she said calmly to herself. "I've still got contacts from my days serving some major and minor houses. We're close to the Tarrith borders, I think it's time we come out of hiding."
"You don't mean—"
"Yes, I do. The expansion we elders have been discussing for a while now. We'll turn this place into a commerce hub, a proper town, and enlist ourselves with the Tarrith border watch. We'll gain their protection. Then even those demons won't be able to touch us."
Miss Kai nodded. "Things are really about to change," she said and added in her thoughts, "I hope you kids are going to be okay."
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Author's note: Hi guyssss! This chapter had our very first detailed visual description of the gang, but if anyone's confused, please see the cover art of the book. T for thanks 🤗