Lieze had lost count of the number of times she had stolen into Tonberg's alleyways at the stroke of midnight. So frequent were her tactical retreats that she'd even begun recalling the fastest route towards the city's safer districts. Stopping along the way to retrieve her and Drayya's cloaks from the dark corner they'd dumped the twin victims of their impersonation gambit in, the two of them shortly crossed into the familiar, lamplit street housing the Golden Flagon.
"Who was that fellow?" Drayya wondered, "What did you say his name was? Bartholomew?"
"One of Helmach's lieutenants, I reckon." Lieze answered, "Good riddance. That's three more Acolytes we won't have to deal with another day."
"-And we've compromised Helmach's ability to locate the hideout. Now that you've gotten Ricta by his testes, I imagine we've bought ourselves another few days of peace and quiet."
"I wouldn't be so optimistic…" Recalling their discovery, Lieze couldn't bring herself to feel particularly hopeful, "...I can't believe I didn't figure this out sooner. When Helmach saw my scale while I was imprisoned, he seemed to understand what it was. Not to mention, he was able to tell I was a necromancer before we'd even exchanged words…"
"He was chosen by the Blackbriar, was he?" Drayya placed a hand to her chin, "-Quite ironic, wouldn't you say? Doubly so, considering you're the one who was blessed by the Gildwyrm."
"But it's not just him." Lieze continued, "Furainé, his lady friend, and Ricta's attendant--Alistair; the two of them are the same. Blessed by other Gods, I imagine."
The conclusion answered a number of Lieze's questions, but the ones that rose up to replace them were even more baffling. Why had Alistair allowed her to speak to Ricta alone if he knew she was a necromancer? Were the three of them capable of just as much as Lieze was?
"If they can strengthen themselves in the same manner that I can…" She muttered.
"-All the more important that we get the lead out, then" Drayya interrupted, "Helmach still needs to die within the week, remember."
"What else can we do?" Lieze wondered, "...If we can discover an opportunity for another ambush-"
"No, no, no…" Taking hold of the girl's shoulder, Drayya spun Lieze around so that the two were facing one-another, "This is your problem, Lieze. You're too hasty when it comes to making plans."
"H-Hasty?" She repeated.
"It's late. All you should be caring about at the moment is a warm meal and a soft, dry place to curl up in for the night." Drayya said, "We're no longer at a point where we need to do all the work ourselves. Come morning, Marché will still be delivering thralls, and Alma will still be minding the Dwarves."
"I know that." Lieze furrowed her brow, "But-"
"Be quiet." Drayya smirked, "If you have anything to say, then say it over a meal. If you have a new strategy in mind, then mull it over while you're in bed, for goodness' sake. Let's both of us see the light of morning before we get started on killing even more people."
She would never lower herself to expressing genuine concern for Lieze's health, no matter how much simpler things would be if she was more vulnerable with her emotions. As far as she was concerned, Drayya's pride was central to her very being. In that way, she most often appeared standoffish or plain rude, but one could clearly see when the cracks appeared in her vaunted shell. It was a rare moment, but one which had become quite common as of late.
"Hm." Lieze sighed, "Alright."
That was all that needed to be said. It was certainly all that Drayya wanted--or needed--to hear. She didn't like to dawdle on the brink of concern, Lieze had noticed. The two of them spoke once more as comrades, rather than rivals. The resurging comfort of her youth pushed Lieze towards an attitude of forgiveness. She considered, for a moment, what could have possibly driven the two apart to begin with.
As it turned out, a moment of respite was just what she needed to calm her nerves following the battle at the precinct. Though her wounds still ached, Lieze's mind was free to pursue less morbid thoughts while enjoying a meal at the Golden Flagon.
Helmach was like her. Chosen, or blessed, or whatever label it was that the Gods had deigned to grant them. Chances were, he could level up just as easily as she could--completing quests and attaining milestones along the way. Just how long had he been gathering strength for? Whatever the answer, the truth was obvious: Lieze wouldn't be able to face him on her own.
Suddenly, the combined might of Tonberg's army didn't seem so threatening after all. As long as Ricta forbade investigations into Lieze's operations, she wouldn't have to worry about the hideout being attacked. Wildcards such as Helmach, Furainé and Alistair, however, she had suddenly developed a healthy fear of.
"Lieze."
Around the time their meals were served, Drayya returned from the bulletin board with a scrap of paper in hand, placing it down on the table and sliding it towards Lieze, "-Have a look at this.
The yellowed parchment was as unremarkable as any other guild request. Scribbled expertly beneath the description was an illustration of the beast in need of quelling, followed by a single letter representing the difficulty of the request.
Request - Red Drake Extermination
A RANK
Foresters have reported signs of a Red Drake in the woodlands surrounding Tonberg. A scout from the Order of Green Dragons was able to track the beast to its roost in the north-eastern Haloin Downs. His Majesty, the most honourable Ricta IV, is offering a substantial reward to any group who can slay the beast.
REWARD - 11,000 GOLD PIECES
"A Drake…" Lieze muttered aloud, "What a rare sight this far south."
"The Dwarves have been carefully expelling the Dragonkin from their mountains for centuries." Drayya replied, "-It's only natural that one would make its way down here. I can't imagine there are many of them left at this point."
"They're powerful?"
"Oh yes." She paused, "My father and yours travelled far to capture one to research its suitability for thralldom. Master Sokalar didn't say a thing about it, but my father was adamant that the two of them barely survived the encounter."
"I don't remember this."
"Well… neither do I. Back then, I was barely a year old, and you were just a foetus in a jar on a shelf in Master Sokalar's lab." Drayya replied, "I only heard the story when I was much older."
"What do you mean to do with this, then?" Lieze waved the notice around, "11,000 gold is very tempting, but I don't think either of us are in a position to be taking on a Drake."
"Think of how many powerful adventurers there are in this guild, Lieze." Drayya leaned forward, "When push comes to shove, most of them will happily fight for Tonberg's sake. They're primed to become quite the thorn in our side. Especially if word gets out about us."
"I think I already know what you're about to suggest." Lieze replied, "-Just about every notable warrior in the city will be chasing this bounty. If we can gather them all in one place--and come up with a bold enough strategy--we could kill them all in one fell swoop."
"Precisely. And it's not just about eliminating problems before they appear. Their corpses would make fine vessels for Briarknights. If we can get our hands on a few of those, we'll become a force to be reckoned with."
"That's all well and good, but-"
"-But do we have enough time?" Drayya finished, "That's what I want your opinion on. It's a risky plan, but the payoff is irresistable. Frankly, I can't see another way of killing Helmach without strengthening our own forces first."
"...How recent is this request?"
"The receptionist told me it was put up a matter of hours ago." She answered, "There'll be quite the buzz about it come tomorrow morning, I imagine."
"We'll need to plan quickly, in that case."
"I'll return to the hideout after this and convene with Marché regarding our options." Drayya paused to savour her meal, "-But no matter what we end up deciding on, it's going to be quite the battle. Don't expect these guild members to go down without a fierce fight."
"You aren't staying here tonight?"
"Don't stare at me like a pup, Lieze. I'm not your lover." She continued, "I'm not staying, no. But you are. I can tell you've been pushing yourself. Don't go dragging the rest of us down."
Lieze smirked, "Is that the most pleasant way you can put it?"
"I'm not a pleasant person."
"Isn't that the truth…" Lieze's stomach growled, but she couldn't work up an appetite. The sight of death had made her more conscious of eating meat than she would have liked to admit, "...Very well. I'll make it back in time for midday."
"No, no. Stay here." Drayya tapped her knife against the table, "We're going to be joining the group that inevitably forms to slay the Drake. That much is almost certain. I'll be the one to meet you here. Hopefully we'll have a plan in motion by then."
"You don't want me doing any of the hard work?"
"What makes you think that? I'd send you to kill the members yourself if I thought you could do it." She paused, "...But you can't. And neither can I. The two of us won't be enough."
"Of course." Rubbing her eyes, Lieze stood up from her seat, "I'm sorry, but I can't bring myself to eat anything at the moment. The fatigue's starting to settle in now that we've had a chance to rest."
"Don't let me stop you. I'll happily finish your portion."
Drayya was correct about one thing: Lieze's obsession with murdering Helmach was beginning to distract her from other matters. It wouldn't hurt to turn her attention towards the cult's development for a little while. If there was ever going to be an opportunity to destroy Helmach, Lieze would have preferred to exploit it with as many resources as possible at her disposal.
The sun was beaming down when Lieze finally awoke the next day. As soon as she opened her eyes, the incessant chattering from the tavern floor was noticeably louder than usual. Her wounds from the battle with Bartholomew hadn't entirely healed, but they weren't anything she couldn't receive treatment for if they became unbearably painful.
The tantalising scent of smoked meat as she wandered downstairs was more than enough to stimulate her stalled appetite. There was barely a table unoccupied that morning. As Drayya had predicted, the reward for slaying the Drake had stirred up quite the commotion. Arguments freely broke out among the patrons as to who would be leading the charge, and how generously the reward would be split between the hunt's participants.
Once Lieze found an empty seat, an arm was almost immediately wrapped around her shoulder.
"Lieze! You're coming along on the hunt, aren't you?" Her accoster was a jolly-faced fellow she'd spoken to a handful of times before, "This'll be the largest hunt since we faced that Cockatrice a few years ago!"
"Ah… of course." Lieze tried her best to smile.
"You see that fella over there?" The man pointed a fat finger towards the tavern's central table, around which was gathered a crowd of members, "...Oh. Well- maybe you can't see. But that's Stürm's party!"
"Stürm?" Lieze repeated.
"Ah, that's right. You're an Outlander, aren't you?" A tinge of barely-disguised repulsion laced the man's words, "Stürm's one of the best warriors the guild's ever seen! He's been everywhere! Just came back from Akzhem, I hear."
"The homeland of the Elves? He must be quite the character…"
"Everyone's dying to tag along with him. If you want a shot at that reward, you'll want to speak to him. I heard he's already got 30 of the guild's finest gathered up."
"Is that so?"
"Absolutely. You'd better hurry up, eh? I've still got to get in myself. Good luck!" Releasing his hold, the man disappeared into the crowd.
"Stürm…" Lieze narrowed her eyes, but it was impossible to see the man in question through his frenzied admirers.
"-Sounds like we've got quite the day ahead of us, doesn't it?"
Lieze snapped her head back to see Drayya looming over her chair, arms folded with an amused expression on her face, "...I do hope you have a plan."
"Of course. Marché was just short of his 250-thrall quota, so I had him and his band of merry men make it up to us by moving a number of them towards the Haloin Downs, near the Drake's nest."
"I don't suppose he got any sleep, then?"
"He'll have plenty of time to rest when this is over and done with." Drayya answered, "We have 130 thralls ready to attack. Most of them are Gravewalkers, but Marché also moved over the Flesh Elementals and a handful of Horrors, just to be safe."
"Is it possible to hide that many?"
"Not nearby, no. But that won't be a problem." She explained, "The Drake is a formidable foe. All we have to do is wait until it weakens the group, then encircle them with our thralls. Marché will spectate the battle from afar and move in when the time is right."
"Have you heard about this 'Stürm' fellow?" Lieze asked.
"Only just now. Is he powerful?"
"I don't know. I can't see him from here."
"Most of these fools will be fodder for the Drake. I doubt he'll be as troublesome as Helmach, especially when we have so many thralls at our disposal." Drayya paused, "...We'd best introduce ourselves, if we plan to come along on his little adventure."