The warm glow of lanterns illuminated the bulk of the tavern, but it was clear by the dim surroundings that there were far too few. The decor and furniture were shabby and well-worn, but an effort was put in place to give it a homey feel. The sting of smoke intertwined with the scent of roasted meat as it wafted through the tavern, mingling with the faint but acrid smell of body odor. Several players argued, their tones varied between playful and annoyed around the crackling hearth at the far end of the room. Around a large, slightly battered table near the fire, the core members of the Ironhearth guild leaned forward, a pint of ale in front of each of them, or several pints in one case.
Sasha leaned back in her chair, its front legs a foot off the ground as her boots propped carelessly on the edge of the table. Her unkempt orange hair tumbled down her shoulders, strands spilling across her face dotted with countless freckles. Her armor was covered in the scuffs and grim of someone always on the move with either no time or no desire to spend the evening polishing their gear.
Lifting her feet off of the table, gravity saw its chance and forced the chair forward and back down to the floor. Her feet hit with a resounding thud, and at the same time, one of her fists made contact with the table, sending tankards of ale wobbling and Kael stumbling forward to secure both of his.
"We're hitting a wall here," Sasha said, her voice held a lilt, surprisingly feminine despite her attempts to fit in with the guys of her guild. "The Vanguard doesn't think we're worth a damn, and every time I send another petition to help with the Vescarid, it gets stamped with the same polite jackass response," she tried to shift her voice to mimic a dry bureaucratic tone, "We're sorry, but at this time we aren't accepting–" her words cut off as she lifted a tankard to her lips and drank deep, slamming it on the table causing those around her to wonder just how much longer this old thing will withstand her abuse.
"Can't blame them, Sasha," grumbled Taran, a gentle giant of a man with a head of hair that didn't seem out of place in a mop bucket, and arms the size of a mini-keg. "We've got, what, twenty people? And most of them just arrived in the capital. They aren't more than level fifty; hell we are barely in the 60s. It seems like everyone in the Vanguard is sporting triple digits." he said with a deep sigh before examining his empty cup, reaching over toward the Dwarf Kael's backup beer, and getting his hand smacked away.
"Speak for yourself," piped up Ivy, the guild's mage, a slender elf with sharp features, a petite but distinctly feminine build, and something of an ego. She crossed her arms and gave Taran a withering look. "Just because you can't swing that hammer straight doesn't mean the rest of us aren't capable." Taran cast his gaze downward in response and got up to secure more drinks.
"Enough," Sasha cut in, leaning forward, her breastplate tapping against the surface of the table. "We've got skill, and you all know it. The problem is, no one else does. Not the Vanguard, not the big guilds, not even the bloody tavern regulars."
Ivy wanted to chime in with a What regulars? But missed her chance.
"Then we make 'em notice," the gravely, grizzled voice of Jax cut in, a rogue who was never far from Sasha's side even out of combat, something his guildmates had taken notice of and never resisted a moment to poke fun at. His dark cloak practically melted into the shadows of the dim room, most people might not have even noticed he was at the table with him.
"And how exactly do we do that, Jax?" Ivy shot back. "It's not like we can waltz into the fort and demand a spot in their little war party. There's one way through the choke point, and it's not us guarding it. Fuck, it's like they're protecting the Vescarid from us at this point."
Before Jax could retort, the door to the tavern slammed open. Standing in the doorway was Kip, a wiry scout whose leather armor was damp with sweat. His green eyes darted around the room as he strode to the table, a grin splitting his face.
"You're not gonna believe what I just saw," Kip said, planting his hands on the table before dragging a chair over to sit with them.
"Spit it out, Kip," Sasha said, tipping her mug toward him.
"I was at the marketplace, seeing if I could find any leads to making some quick coin, and I saw a Vanguard scout picking up enough supplies to feed a platoon," Kip said, his grin widening.
Taran grunted. "So what?" he said from the bar, drinks in hand, "They probably were buying supplies to feed a platoon… they always buy supplies to feed platoons." his stomach growled and he set the drinks back down to forage for a snack.
"Not like this," Kip replied, his voice dropping conspiratorially. "I followed him. He met up with a dozen other high-level Vanguard players near the portal district. They were loading wagons, horses, crates, barrels, the works. They're not just restocking the fort. They're heading somewhere different entirely.
The table went quiet. Even Sasha's usual smirk faded as she leaned forward. "Where were they headed?"
"Didn't get that far," Kip admitted, shrugging. "But if we can figure it out…"
"We shadow them," Sasha finished, her grin returning. "If they're gearing up for something, it's gotta be big. And if we're there when it goes down…"
"We get noticed," Ivy said, her sharp eyes narrowing in thought. "But if we screw this up, we're done. We'll be blacklisted from any meaningful contracts."
"Then we don't screw it up," Sasha said firmly, standing and placing her hands on the table. "We stick to the shadows. No interference. No grandstanding. Just eyes and ears until the moment they need us."
"And if they don't need us?" Jax asked, raising a brow.
"They will," Sasha said with certainty. "Because the Vanguard? They think they're invincible. But we know better. There's always a gap, always something they can't cover. That's where we come in."
The room filled with murmurs as the group contemplated the mission. Sasha turned to Kip. "Get me everything you can about those wagons and where they're heading. Taran, rally our top ten. We need to be ready to move by dawn."
"Sure thing, boss," Taran said, already rising from his chair.
"Ivy, Jax, you're with me. We're going to the portal district. Time to do a little reconnaissance of our own." Sasha's grin turned nearly feral as she grabbed her cloak from the back of her chair. "Let's show them what Ironhearth is made of."
"Isn't it made of Iron?" asked Taran.
"Gods dammit Taran, just rally the troops." she shot back at him as she made for the door, "Not a fucking thing going on in that head," she whispered to herself, a wide smile plastered on her face.
The members of Ironhearth exploded from the tavern, each one heading to their assigned task. Sasha held the door open for them, and as the last of the core members entered the streets, she took a look back into the tavern. The dingy warmth of the room, the mismatched furniture, and the familiar haze of smoke; it was far from the grandeur of the Vanguard's hall, but this was her home. Her people.
Jax stopped beside her, watching her gaze with intense focus before speaking up, "You sure about this, boss? Vanguard doesn't take kindly to people stepping on their toes."
Sasha snorted, pulling her cloak tighter around her. The evening air was brisk, but this was the start of something grand. "Then we don't step on their toes. We do a little scouting of our own, find an opportunity, and take it. If we get shit done, we get recognized, if they fuck up, we save them and get recognized even more. They'll see the value in our little group, it's just a matter of time."
Jax grimaced, "Yeah, when pigs fly."
"I told you I saw a winged pig, that was real, Taran saw it too, so shut your mouth!" she lashed out playfully.
"Mmhmm," he replied, feeling the heat in his cheeks at their banter.
They wound their way through the narrow streets of the capital, the glow of streetlamps illuminating the cobblestone paths with embarrassingly more light than the inside of their tavern. The city never truly slept, and even at this hour, merchants were haggling, adventurers were signing up for new and increasingly deadly quests, and the occasional drunk stumbled out of a tavern, arms slung around a companion.
Ivy was already waiting near the portal district, leaning casually against a lamppost with her arms crossed. The elf raised a delicate brow as Sasha and Jax approached. "Took you long enough," she said, her voice dripping with feigned impatience.
"We had to make sure Taran didn't hang back to raid the pantry," Jax quipped, earning a chuckle from Sasha.
"Alright, cut the chatter," Sasha said, her tone taking on a sharper edge. "What do we know?"
Ivy nodded toward the far end of the district, where the faint glow of a portal shimmered against the night sky. "Wagons are still being loaded. Looks like they're not in a rush, but there's enough security to make anyone think twice about poking around."
Sasha narrowed her eyes, scanning the scene from their vantage point. Sure enough, the wagons Kip had mentioned were lined up in the portal's staging area. Vanguard players, their polished armor gleaming even in the dim light, their black cloaks rippling gently in the wind as they hauled crates and barrels onto the carts.
"Think they're heading out tonight?" Jax asked.
"Doubt it," Ivy said, tilting her head. "They'd already be moving if that were the case. My guess? They're setting up for first light."
Sasha nodded, her mind racing. "Good. That gives us time to figure out where they're going. If we can get someone on one of those wagons…"
Jax coughed. "You're not seriously suggesting we hitch a ride, are you?"
"You got a better idea?" Sasha shot back, her grin daring him to challenge her.
"Plenty," Jax said dryly. "None of them involve getting skewered by some Vanguard knight for trespassing."
"Relax," Sasha said, clapping him on the shoulder. "We're not doing anything stupid. Yet." She turned to Ivy. "You think you can get close enough to overhear anything?"
Ivy smirked. "Please. Give me ten minutes."
Without another word, the elf disappeared into the crowd, her lithe form blending seamlessly with the throngs of people still milling about the portal district.
Sasha and Jax found a quiet corner to wait, "This is a bad idea," Jax muttered, his eyes fixed on the wagons.
"That's why it's going to work," Sasha replied.
Minutes ticked by like hours before Ivy returned, her expression triumphant. "They're heading to the start zone, the Ashvale region," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Big operation. Vanguard's sending reinforcements to deal with something. They were pretty tight-lipped, but I'm pretty sure I heard the word bug thrown around once or twice. Looks like they're expecting trouble."
Sasha's grin widened, her excitement barely contained. "Then that's where we're going too."
"You're insane," Jax said, but there was a flicker of admiration in his eyes.
"Maybe," Sasha said, her eyes gleaming with determination. "But if we pull this off, Ironhearth won't just be another guild. We'll be the guild that made a name for itself by taking on the Vescarid."
"If it's the Vescarid," he retorted.
"Vescard are bugs, the Vanguard kills bugs, of course, it's the Vescard," she nearly shouted before Ivy gave her a stare that caused even Sasha to cover her mouth.
"Keep it down," Ivy hissed, glancing over her shoulder to ensure no wandering eyes had turned their way. "The last thing we need is someone catching wind of this before we're ready."
Sasha nodded, the glint in her eyes telling them this was going to be a trainwreck. "Alright," she said, lowering her voice. "We need to move fast. Ivy, you're our best chance of figuring out their exact route. Kip can back you up if things get dicey. Jax and I will work on a contingency plan, y'know, just in case we can't tail them directly."
"Contingency?" Jax raised a brow. "What, you want to build a catapult and launch us to Ashvale?"
Sasha smirked, crossing her arms. "Don't tempt me. But no, I mean setting up supplies, scouting alternate paths, maybe even securing a distraction. If things go south, we need to be ready to improvise."
Ivy rolled her eyes. "You make it sound so easy."
"Never said it'd be easy," Sasha countered, her grin returning. "But it's worth it."
"Alright," Ivy conceded, brushing some nonexistent dust off her robes. "I'll stick around here tonight and get in line behind them come morning. A lone mage traveling near a Vanguard force isn't likely to raise too many eyebrows. I can tail the wagons and keep you all updated if anything changes. Detours, unexpected stops, whatever. You'll know as soon as I do."
"Alright, so, what's the plan for our 'contingency'?"
"Oh, that? I just said that because it sounded like something a leader would say. The contingency is not messing this up." she replied confidently.
The other two were visibly pained at hearing this, as though they both got sucker-punched in the gut. It honestly wasn't that unexpected, but it still hit them hard every time their leader pulled something like this.
"We don't need a flawless plan. We just need to keep pace and be ready to act the second an opportunity shows itself." Sasha added, not seeing the issue.
"Alright, whatever, let me get to work," Ivy chimed in, "We can't be seen together, so you all need to be ready to go first thing in the morning. I'll send a message if they leave sooner"
"Right! We got this guys, this is our big shot so let's not blow it," Sasha cleched her fist out in front of her in triumph as her excitement only grew. She had no idea how she was supposed to go to sleep tonight,