[Ridge]
We're splitting up. The second boat will continue on the planned course, dropping off Kadeeth and a group K of the Grey Wanderers at Killian Academy. Then it will continue and bring Tellur and Sileena with group T to the Imperial Academy.
Group K will rent carriages and rendezvous with Group T at the Imperial Academy's docks. Meanwhile, our boat will take group R, Raforn, and I straight to Eldmiss so we can begin setting up the next part of our journey with the Fourth Order of Ifeer.
We'll all meet again in Eldmiss and continue on together. This way we'll save time and be able to travel to different countries. Namely, Nymour and Dwecia.
Yes, I know that's crazy, but Tristan was rather convincing. What a snake. So I've sent a letter back to Rancid, detailing our plans to Kedcoe.
~*~
Viscount Morin,
The attachments I have included in this message should suffice to fill you in on our situation. The plans haven't really changed, only extended. I'll await your reply in Eldmiss before continuing on with the Order as planned.
Please check our route, supplies, and other essential components. You managed to charter the first part of our voyage, so I'll leave the rest up to you. Good luck.
Ever so sincerely,
Sir Ridge Riddotha
~*~
Yeah, I'm looking forward to him receiving that. I almost wish I could be there in person as he opens it. He'll either be highly amused, send an assassin after us, or Zip is just going to have to deal with their boss in a bad mood for a few days.
Although, he technically doesn't have to bother with having someone chase us if he wants us dead. It's his kind of people escorting us right now, and it will be his people receiving us in the city. All he has to do is spin a few lies, or maybe just give a simple command, and they'll be waiting for us with swords at the ready.
It's wild how much blind trust is going into this. Let's be honest though, how cool is it that we just happened to run into some underworld criminal mastermind in a small town not far from the place I'd lived practically my whole life. He was so close all this time and we didn't even know it.
It's crazy what you can discover when you step outside of the box you were raised in.
Kadeeth complained. A lot.
He wanted to switch Raforn places and come to Eldmiss with me, but I'm still injured, and Raforn is the closest thing we have to a doctor. More importantly though, we couldn't be group R if we split the groups that way. Ridge and Raforn, not Ridge and Kadeeth, that makes no sense.
Apparently all of his fancy private tutors never taught him about alliteration. He should be so grateful I'm here to help.
Tristan has, unfortunately, also offered to continue with us. Sileena pointed out that we can't be too picky, and that Tristan actually has some unique skill sets that could come in handy. I obviously couldn't put her with Kadeeth, and if she goes with Tellur she'll manipulate the hell out of him. So, she's successfully integrated herself into group R.
The real problem is that she keeps calling herself my Advisor. The Mercenaries believe her too! Everyone seems to think I've transformed my enemy, made amends with the women who crippled me, and taken her on as my right hand in my quest to start a rebellion and end the war.
That sounds all nice and dandy, a real tear jerker, but it's so fucking wrong. Advisor is a self proclaimed title because she helped me ONCE. ONE TIME. If you think I'm going to let her give me advice ever again you are sorely mistaken.
At the rate we're going, the second boat, traveling behind us, will probably reach their first stop by tomorrow. At that time we'll continue on, and I'm tempted to kick Tristan to the curb when we part ways. At least it'd be funny to see the looks on their faces as we leave group K stranded with both Tristan and Kadeeth.
Oh the little joys in life.
I've been ignoring it up till now, but they've started to scab over. When Tristan dropped the knife after climbing up the rope with it in her mouth, it left little cuts on the edges of her mouth. They were small lines before, barely even visible, and not even bleeding.
Now they're thin, dark lines that make it look like her smile extends up her face, even when she's not actually grinning. It's creepy as fuck.
It reminds me a bit of the mask she was wearing when we first met. The black one with the mixture of human and animal teeth sewn into it. I'm sure she still has it, and if she wore it again right now and went out and attacked someone, they would be just as intimidated by her real face as they would the mask.
The Fourth Order of Ifeer. It doesn't really come as a surprise that they're on Kedcoe's list of acquaintances. The Five Orders of Eldmiss are famous guards that are often deployed all over the western territories to enforce the law of the land. All except for the Fourth Order, which remains in the city.
It's a citizens guard, made up of volunteers who work as law officers part time. They get a few benefits, their name on a plaque, they can meet famous politicians and celebrities as bodyguards, and they receive a small wage that comes from donations and tax money.
However, the real reason anyone becomes a guard of the Fourth Order, is for the bribes. They're the most corrupt officially instituted guard of the Empire.
Rumor has it that they make deals with gangs and criminal guilds to feed their pockets and keep the streets relatively clean. It was founded by a professor from a prestigious Academy, Professor Linden Ifeer. A few years after its foundation, it was made into an official guard, recognized by the Imperial family.
This is because Professor Ifeer became the Imperial Tutor, a powerful title because the Tutor controls the education of the Imperial children. It's also an incredibly dangerous title to possess.Years later he was executed for offending a high ranking government official who the Emperor held in favor.
The Order's still going strong though. Maybe it's because of the deep rooted corruption, but even the unhonorable death of its founder wasn't enough to bring it down.
Personally, I'm not looking forward to meeting them. Viscount Morin did warn me after all, the people are only going to get worse the farther west we go.