Munich was doing her daily repetition of reading in her cell when she saw a guard at her cell door.
"Hello Gabriel, how are today's prisoners?" Munich asked as she smiled her tusks white and brushed.
"They are docile as usual. Since you came here my job became a lot safer." Gabriel said as unlocked the cellar and handed cuffs to Munich who raised her brow in surprise.
"Why the restraints? You know I'd never hurt you."
"Yes, I know but the Queen's stuck up council believes otherwise. Crazed orc history and all." Gabriel said watching Munich lock her wrists with the cuffs and walk out of the cell.
"I get it. Hopefully this is quick, I'm almost done with that book you gave me." Munich said as Gabriel patted her on the shoulder.
"Ah, how is it?" Gabriel asked as he led her through the dungeon. The other prisoners waved at her as she passed. She smiled and continued trailing behind Gabriel.
"A bit rough around the edges but a pretty good book none the less. It could use a bit more realism in some of the action scenes. Thank the author for me." Munich said as they left the dungeons and were walking through the pristine halls. She looked through the windows and saw the beautiful landscape that was the Capital.
Filled to the brim with so many races, it was a harmonic place unless one looked underneath the underneath where species trafficking and crime rings existed.
She smelled the perfume flowing through every door from the nobles. Passing a rather well fed nobleman, Munich held back her giggle until he had passed.
"Why are these guys dressed so badly?" Munich said as she laughed.
"Best to keep that opinion to yourself, the nobles behind this door will shout for your decapitation if you don't." Gabriel said as he turned and faced her.
"Don't slouch and keep your stance up. Good luck, Munich." Gabriel said handing the chain to a different guard who was shaking as he stared at Munich who towered over his 5ft build.
"C-c-come this way." He stuttered as he opened the door and walked through. Munich stepped in and instantly saw the Queen sitting on the throne with a look of aloofness on her face.
"Munich of the Bovis Orc Tribe. You have been brought before me to review your sentence and offer you an alternative. " She said as she stared at Munich who almost shrunk back but regained her composure and bowed to the Queen.
"Yes Queen Angelica. I thank you for granting me this-
Munich felt her neck constrict as Queen Angelica held her hand out using magic.
"I did not give you permission to speak. You are to nod and shake your head, is that clear?" She said as Munich nodded as the grip alleviated.
"Now our most recently prophesied hero, Adam, A Farmboy turned adventurer had being progressing well and slaying many of The Shadow's Monsters. That is not your issue. My issue is to have you lead a team of misfits to act as a team focused on eliminating problems that he doesn't have time for. Is that clear, Half-orc?"
Munich nodded as she stayed down not even daring to look her in the eyes.
"Good. Now take this gear and this scroll. It has your first task. Complete it and your sentence is revoked but you shall still remain under my control is that clear?" Queen Angelica said as a servant placed a rucksack before Munich along with a scroll.
Munich nodded as she grabbed the rucksack.
"Your companions will be at the city gates waiting for you. You are under orders to not tell a single soul of this.Also as they have already been marked, so shall you." The Queen said as she pointed at her.
Several knights held Munich down on her front as a sorceress ripped the cloth shirt covering Munich's back and dropped hot ink onto her spine.
The ink moved and formed a symbol similar to the one on her rucksack, myriad of shapes with a rose at the center. Munich cried out as the pain gripped her and brought her to tears. Each movement felt as if the ink was cutting into her skin and she shook and shook until the ink finished. As the knights let her go, Munich got up as she bowed in obedience.
"This spell is unbreakable by even the strongest of mages. After all, it is my own spell. This will ignite your body with pain which will make you wish that you'd died if you try to betray me." The Queen said as Munich nodded.
"You may now go." The Queen said as she turned to leave. Munich carried the rucksack and stopped at the door as Gabriel awaited.
"So how was it?" He asked as Munich just shrugged.
"Painful. I'm off to places it seems. I doubt we will be meeting any time soon. See you Gabriel and please try to keep the prisoners from getting too wild." Munich said as she was directed to the gates of the palace. She stopped seeing the companions she was to work alongside.
A bespectacled demon with inked wings, a goblin seated on said Demon's shoulders, a centaur with more battlescars than she could count who glared at all those around them and lastly a Dragonborne, a scaly humanoid dragon.
"Hello, I am Munich, I'll be your leader." Munich said waving at them as the guard unchained her.
"Hello, it is good to meet you!" The demon said as it walked up to her and shook her hand. The Goblin was silent was as it carved something with its knives.
"Hello, Munich. I am Lemonol, I come from the tribe of Moutain centaurs. This dragonborne is Alle, bastard daughter of Grimsby The Forsaken. This Goblin over here is Miladew and lastly this happy little demon is Sodo." The centaur said as Munich nodded.
"It is nice to meet you all. Now, let's see what we have first." Munich said as she opened the scroll.
"Eh, goblins?!" Munich said as she rechecked. She looked over to Miladew who se expression was unchanged.
"We are going to Travers Village area to exterminate a nest of goblins which jave been kidnapping women. Let us be off." Munich said opening her rucksack and fishing out a pouch.
"A hundred gold coins? Well guess we have to start somewhere. Is everyone packed and ready?"
Sodo nodded as he picked up a thick tome and a small backpack. The goblin nodded nonchalantly as Lemonol lifted his war hammer as he motioned for Sodo to climb atop his saddle.
Munich sighed at the motley team she had been assigned. But who was she to complain, it was either that or face the Queen's wrath.
As they exited the Capital Gates, they stated down the long road ahead.
She took a deep whiff smelling the nature. This freedom is what she had missed. Stretching her arms she was the first to step out.
As they were travelling Queen Angelica was at her throneroom with a large crystal ball before her as she watched the adventurers. She hated insubordination and unlike her parents she would not be all benevolent. After all, they were all her pawns.
As the sun hing overhead, Munich was walking ahead as they travelled on the dirt road as Sodo had his eyes glued to his tome reheasring information quietly. She turned her eyes to Miladew who was still carving a block of wood which was now shaping out to be a wooden figure of Sodo.She smiled at the sight.
"So what sentences lead you guys here?" Munich asked as they had gotten to the woodlands.
"I was blamed for the death of an aristocrat that my business of bodyguards was assigned to guarding." Lemonol said as he kept his movement to a crawl.
"I am a bastard child of a God level threat so I was immediately drafted into their army."
"I asked if I could work for the Queen as her advisor to help bridge the relations between my kin and humans by signing a peace pact . She said I could get the agreement signed if I went along with your party and vow allegiance to her." Sodo said as he returned to his tome.
Miladew just nodded and kept quiet. Munich stopped as the scent of blood caught her nose. She turned to look to the forest and bounded off. She stopped at the scene before her. Several skinned bloody animal corpses laid strewn across the open space.
"What wasteful idiot did all this?!" Lemonol said as he saw the sight.
"Oh my Lucifer." Sodo said as he gasped. Miladew raised a brow but didn't further react.
"Blood for blood, death for death."