"All right," the King said "You'll have complete access to the weapons in the armory, when you are done, you'll be taken to get supplies for your journey. Then I will tell you the full details of what you're to do. The guards will escort you." The King then waved them away.
The soldiers led them from the throne room and down a long hallway through small, insignificant looking doors, but behind the small, insignificant door was the armory.
Inside was massive and there were racks and racks of weapons. Spears, maces, war axes, crossbows, crossbow bolts, swords, daggers, halberds, bows, arrows, throwing knives, lances, shields, chain main, and suits of armor.
Dante immediately went to the throwing knives, and grabbed a number of them. He quickly stored them in his shoes, on his ankles, and in his cloak. He then turned to a guard and said.
" I need you to send a request to the blacksmith for me. I need a glove with a sharp stud in the middle, and on the knuckles, I need it within the hour."
As the guard nodded and left the room. Dante looked around, Luke was over inspecting the bows, and arrows, and the Bandit was looking at the war axes, with a sharp eye.
Dante shrugged and went to inspect the daggers. Their were several impressive ones, including a thin silver one that Dante liked, he picked it up and examined it. It was long, and thin, but at the top it was shaped like an gut-hook on either side, so the edges could easily rip up the insides of a person on the way out. Dante slipped it into his cloak, and approached Luke.
"Better hurry before Mr. King gets impatient." He said
Luke sighed, "I guess your right. Luke then selected a bow, and a few dozen arrows.
He then headed towards the door
Dante turned to the Bandit and said,
"Come Sir Bandit, we need to exit before the King gets upset,"
"The Man turned to Dante and said, "My name is Liam."
"Well then Mr. Liam, let us go. As they were walking out Dante noticed, that Liam had selected a large double sided war axe, and had lifted it with ease. Dante shook his head and gestured for Liam to go ahead of him. The outlaw did so, with the large axe propped on his shoulder. Dante shook his head again, he wouldn't like to work with this one, he thought to himself. The soldiers escorted them to the throne room, and led them inside. The King was seated in his throne, and smiled when they walked in.
"The weapons were satisfactory I take it?"
Luke stepped forward, " I believe we found what me needed."
"Good, good,their is a covered wagon outside the city gates with supplies, and plenty of money for your trip expenses. I'm going to send one of my men with you."
A figure stepped out of the shadows, it was a man of about forty years Dante noted, he was tall, thin with red hair, and a mustache. He had a sharp nose, defined features, and he carried a sheathed broadsword at his side.
"This is Sir David, a trusted friend of my brother, who suggested that I have someone from the castle keep an eye on you."
Dante stepped forward "That's all well and good, but if you're sending someone to keep tabs on us he better not get in our way."
The King nodded " Agreed, David you heard him, stay out of their way, your just there to make sure they don't switch sides, or desert."
"Yes, Sire" David said
"Ahem." Dante said "That's very thoughtful, but if I wanted to desert, or join the enemy, no one would wake up the next morning."
"You're quite right." The King replied. "And if you did, I would find out; then you would find an endless stream of assassins coming after you."
"Calm down." Dante said, " I'd prefer to live in this kingdom anyway, but I have one more request, I want you to agree that when we come back, I can continue my profession without being hindered by your forces."
"You're Majesty!" Gordon said "Don't let this.. rabble undermine you, he has no right to make demands!"
"Gordon, calm down. He actually does have a right, I'm asking him to risk his life. Last time I checked we don't have the skilled men to spare, and these men can help us with that. I accept your request, if you return alive, my soldiers won't interfere with your work."
"Many thanks, King." Dante said with a smile. "When do we leave?"
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The Party set out at dawn the next day for Gelicasa in the covered wagon. The King also provided a driver for the wagon. They would send the driver back with the wagon when they got near the edge of the Kingdom. They would buy horses at the nearest town, and then travel to Gelicasa, if possible they were to get more information as well. The King had soldiers in the villages on the edge of the Kingdom so they could send him updates through them when they could. There was an uncomfortable silence in the wagon, four men forced to work together because of circumstance.
Dante broke the silence.
"Well, yesterday was eventful." He said "By the way Luke I've yet to see you hit something with that bow of yours." Dante lifted up a flap of the canvas covering them, and folded it so it wouldn't come back down. "See if you can hit one of those birds resting on that tree."
Dante Pointed to a tree some hundred meters away, that had sparrows on the branches.
He observed as Luke unslung his bow, and sitting down pulled it to full draw, with an arrow knocked in it, and let go.
The branch that the small sparrow was sitting on fell and the bird panicked, and flew up in the air chirping frantically until it calmed down and rested on another branch.
Dante clapped, "I take it you were aiming for the branch?"
"Yes, it was pointless to kill it so I aimed for the branch instead."
"Agreed" Dante said. He smiled to himself, he had a vague idea of Luke's ability with the bow figured out. Now he would wait and see if Liam was also skilled with that axe, or a lucky oaf.